Extraordinary Stories From An Ordinary Guy: The "Artists Frenchy and Mair: Favorites Of LDub" Story

It was an ordinary day. Cleaning the glass of a few of my favorite pieces of artwork that Carol and I have hanging in our home. Much of the artwork has been purchased since the end of the 1990s when we began to travel after I retired from teaching. We have been lucky enough to have traveled to over a dozen islands in the Atlantic and Caribbean as well as a few trips to Hawaii. On just about every trip we made, at least one art purchase for our collection has been made for our "Beach House." Today I will tell you of two of the artists who have paintings hanging in our home.

Artist Marianne "Frenchy" Loeb

One is an American artist and musician who ended up in St. Martin while the other is from the United Kingdom who also found her way to St. Martin. They met while both living in the small town of Grand Case on the French Side of St. Martin/Sint Maarten. Marianne "Frenchy" Loeb is a talented painter, jewelry maker as well as pianist. She tells, in stories about herself, of the many places she has had the chance to perform on the piano, but seems to excel more with the brush. Starting in 1999 she began to reside almost year round in Grand Case. Seems that Mair Pattersun was an immediate next door neighbor who became a close friend as well as fellow artist. The two would go around Grand Case playing for tips from locals and tourists. Mair had lived in Grand Case for many years, having moved there from England. They talked about an outlet for their artwork and found it on the front porch of acrylic artist Pierre Bruyer. Moved their artwork soon after to the front porch of American artists Gloria and Marty Lynn who had a gallery next to Bistro Caribes for close to thirty years. Frenchy also spent her time trying to sell her paintings on world renowned Orient Beach. Then Frenchy discovered a small wooden retail shack next to Il Nettuno Restaurant. It had a side window and shelf that opened to the Lolo's (small beach restaurants). The woman who owned it sold ladies clothing. The owner, Corrine, agreed to allow Frenchy to use the outside walls to sell her artwork. She shared her find with Mair and they split the $50/weekly rent. About two weeks later Corrine asked Frenchy if she would like to sublet the shop for $500 a month. Frenchy jumped at it, but Mair wasn't interested. Years passed and both artists left the island from time to time. Carol and I bought three of Frenchy's prints in the mid-2000s off her Internet website. A few years ago we bought a print from Mair that we found for sale at the Store/Giftshop at Club Orient. We love the art from both artists and are trying to locate both artists once again to be able to purchase another print from each. I am sharing with you the prints from both artists so you can see the type and style of work they do. Hope you enjoy them as much as we do. If anyone visiting with me today knows how I can reach either artist, please leave me a note in the comment box. I'd appreciate it tremendously. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.