The Story of a Creative Lifestyle

On May 22, our Opus North Vancouver store will host a presentation by Paul and Babette Deggan of the Centre Estival des Arts (Summer Centre for the Arts) in Montaigut-le-blanc, France. They will tell their story, in words and images, of how they have achieved the life of their dreams - having a second home in France where they could spend half of each year, and which they could finance without being millionaires. Their lifestyle is truly an achievement, for while an element of serendipity enters into their story, work and will (and a goodly dose of humour and flexibility) made their dreams come true. Theirs is a story of how a creative approach to living can result in the ultimate success story; a lifestyle that is deeply, creatively satisfying without vast amounts of financing.

Paul Deggan is an artist, born and educated in England, who came to Canada in 1957. As well as free-lance work in interior design, graphic design, portraiture, architectural sculpture, film and television, he has taught painting and drawing, sculpture and design, first at Vancouver School of Art and later at Capilano College. Babette was born and educated in France, came to Canada in 1975 and worked as an assistant in the French Department at Simon Fraser University and then at Capilano College. Pottery, especially raku and high-fire pottery, has been a life-long passion for her.

In 1980, the Deggans were in France looking for a ruin. Truly, a ruin, as a ruin would be the only thing they could afford with property prices being so high. Searches in Provence and other parts of France yielded properties well beyond their reach until they happened upon Auvergne on a side trip and found their dream.

Auvergne is a region in France that is off the beaten track. It is a mountainous, rugged, and romantic area in what is called the Massif Central. Formed by volcanic action, the geography is dotted not only with volcanic mountains, but volcanic crater lakes. Here the population is much less per square kilometre than the national average (less than half, in fact), with some villages even abandoned, and real estate prices correspondingly lower.

When they set out to find a place they could restore for use as a summer home, the Deggans had it in mind to help finance their dream by establishing an art school. Having once found and bought their property, the Deggans put this plan into action. Restoring their find required a lot of hard work and they couldn't afford to have all the work done for them, so they did it all themselves on a shoestring budget. Eventually, because of their willingness they made their endeavour a success, they had their summer home in France. An extra bonus, their children also benefited from an education in both Canada and France.

The Deggan's summer art centre flourished and it was invited by Capilano College to become part of its summer school program. Over the years, many students of art have been able to enjoy a truly unique and useful holiday in a beautiful setting.

Their story is an inspirational example. A dream will remain a dream as long as we believe that a lack of means will hold us back. It will only become reality if we are creative in the ways in which we approach our own lives, make a commitment to work towards our goals, and develop a "lovely life" (Paul Deggan's words) for ourselves. This story of creativity applied to life and to art, will be the core of the Deggans' presentation. It is also an amusing story and if you want to hear it in full detail, please call our North Vancouver store to register, and come share in their inspiration!

The Deggans' presentation will be from 7pm to 9pm on May 22nd. Please note that seating is limited.

Call Opus North Vancouver to register at 604-904-0447.



Opus Customer Service: 1-800-663-6953	Terms of Use \| Privacy Statement © Copyright 2000-2003, Opus Framing Ltd.