Memories Of Chartres

"Stella and I first visited Chartres after printing 'Snake Eyes' and 'Enter  Autumn' in Paris.  It was December and I had a few days free from the  printers;  so, we rented a car (my first driving experience in France) and  drove to Chartres.  It was a grey, foggy day, but with occasional breaks of  sunlight.  By the time we checked into our hotel, the blue skies had  completely disappeared and Chartres was immersed in a low-hanging fog.  We  liked it because it made everything seem more mysterious.  Taking our  cameras, we trooped through the narrow, ancient streets, eventually reaching  this canal, actually the river Eure.  The buildings along its banks were  time-worn and stained wonderful hues of brown, grey and burnt sienna.  The  double-arched bridge was only one of many and the church spires could just be  seen through the grey, damp air.  Two years later, this image, aided by my  photographs, remained in my mind and we returned to Paris to do this  lithograph.  It only required 9 colors, which illustrates:  its only  necessary to use as many colors as needed;  don't add more just for the sake  of doing it."