We stumbled upon the small, jewel like works of Fanch Lel several years ago in Paris. We loved his graceful treatment and skilled hand, but were especially drawn to the sweet and charming ambiance of his little figures and scenes of everyday life in Brittany. Although the paintings are on simple board and diminutive in size, they "dress up" nicely in traditional, ornate and chunky frames. That's because they are perfectly executed and balanced little jewels, with enough warmth, contrast and luminosity to hold their own on any wall. It took us a while to track down the elusive artist, who divides his time between Paris and the Brittany of his childhood. But when we finally found him, we wouldn't let him go. These small oil and gouache paintings may appear deceptively simple but a closer look reveals a real talent by the artist to capture the essence of what we love about France: Usually a quaint countryside or seascape with an iconic architectural element (Le Mont St. Michel, for example), charming animals, like sheep, and parades of traditionally clad people. We asked him about his fascination with the people, and he described the parades of "Les Pardons" which is an ancient penitential ceremony that honors the saints in Brittany with a huge feast and celebration. This typically "Breton" ceremony has long fascinated the artist and captured his imagination on canvas for years. Fanch is a pseudonym for a man who had a significant day job for most of his life, and painted clandestinely on the side. He started drawing in school, as part of his curriculum in the natural sciences. In the military service, which he served in Algeria, his artistic talents were put to use with military mapping. He never studied art formally but taught himself, from real life studies in plein air. His real joy was escaping his Paris day job and spending summers and weekends in Brittany, where every tradition captured his heart. We always go by what our heart says and when we met Fanch Lel, and got to know his art, it was an easy decision.