In 1970 we bought, for a derisory amount, a small farm of the year 1725 to restore, at the end of a very small village. We wanted to to live in the nature amoung the animals. Instead of animals there where all over tractors ! It was surely not my intention to start painting tractors !

But we soon had ducks, geese, chicken, rabbits, a donkey and guinea-fawls, dog and cat naturally.

The WC and the current water were outside. The water-closets  were a little wooden shelter in balance above  the  midden which was still full.

We heated with a wood stove. During years we have carried  pieces of wook  in empty banana boxes, mixed beton by hand (at this time we could not find electrical beton mixer in the do-it-yourself !) and digged trenchs around the house to drain the water. We have taken out of the futur living room hundreds of wheelbarrows because the earth of the soil had to be remplaced by stones to fight the humidity.

My wife was busy with the children, the animals, the food etc and also the beton. Me beton too, and of course always my painting : gouache, pastings. Painting a little fantastic with animals, mushrooms, chesnuts as subjets. Accessorily I went also envery day to Lausanne to earn my life.