Q: I recently noticed the new mural on the side parking lot of Douceur de France in Marietta. Can you tell me about it and the artist?
A: Artist and creator, Lindsey O'Shields, painted the mural on the side of the French bakery, Douceur de France. It is called Pétanque dans la pénombre (pétanque in the twilight).
Having parents that were into the art and culture scene in Atlanta, Piedmont Park was her home and playground.
“I kinda didn’t have a choice in being an artist. The first thing my mom would do is tape a piece of paper to my high chair, give me a black magic marker and let me go to town,” she said.
O’Shields showcased her first gallery show when she was nine years old.
In her studio, Iron Thistle, a theatre or film set, or outdoors - wherever you find her, she’ll be immersed in the vision at hand.
“Douceur de France was nice enough to let me paint that wall. It was the biggest, naked white wall and driving past it was killing me,” O’Shields said.
Owners of the bakery, Chef Luc and his wife, Danielle, started their business about same time O’Shields did. Their bakery began in a little house with a sign in the front yard: French bakery, knock on back door.
“You’d go around back and ring the bell. They would come out with a book and you would make your selection from the pastry pictures,” O’Shields said. “It was all so good and made nice teacher gifts.”
The mural was inspired by a photograph O’Shields took during a trip to France.
Between short working hours, rain and hurting her right hand, this work stretched out to six weeks.
O’Shields hit something unexpected. With her design set in place, she began painting not realizing the kitchen exhaust came out right where Chef Luc’s Citroën (little car) was to be painted.
“The exhaust comes out of the passenger’s side instead of the driver’s rear, but it pipes out the most amazing smells like Chicken Potpie or Cinnamon … or like hot gas,” she said.
Her choice of colors were blended from Czech artist Alphonse Mucha’s colors and the bakery’s macarons.
“Paris feels like Mucha designed it,” she said. “He didn’t, but that’s how I feel. It’s very art nouveau and his colors are just happy but rich.
“They’ve (the Beaudet’s) worked so amazingly hard and to watch them be successful, it’s just been really great,” she said. “I just wanted to do something fun for them that was pretty.”
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