Provence McNichol: "I toured France in 1998. I began my trip in Paris, visiting the great museums there. Then I traveled to Provence, exploring the environs where Cezanne, Matisse, Bonnard, and Van Gogh worked en plein air. Visiting their homes and their studios was awe-inspiring. From years of looking at their paintings, I found an odd but comforting deja-vu experience. I had been viewing these landscapes through their eyes for years. Now, I could see these places for myself. I felt in some way as if I were touching them." "Storm Clearing over Aix" and "Leaving Aix" were painted upon leaving Aix en Provence, Cezanne's home. "Midland Storm," "Midland Light," and "After the Rain" were completed from images taken on a train ride from Lyons to Paris. The train inexplicably stopped during a summer deluge, providing just enough time to shoot some film.