The Azule Palace:
The passion and art of Camille Shaffer.
By Tebbé Davis 
 
Situated on a rustic knoll just beyond the Pisgah Forest along the Appalachian Trail sits an oddly majestic home, with a story of love and triumph within its walls and timbers. This home is the artwork of a very special ilk; that of Camille Shaffer, a petite and elfin French woman, who along with her late husband Dave bought the original cabin from a local physician almost thirty years ago. It has changed and grown quite a bit since then, but there still remains a rusted old Packard that once belonged to that doctor propped up on a ramp, right there in the front yard, as if ready for flight.
"We never could get that old car to start" Camille says, "It's like how we just couldn't leave once we found this house". The young couple were a pair of starry eyed vagabonds surviving on their music and art, traveling wanderlust across the country living out of a van when they arrived here in 1972. They made the down payment for a small cabin and its 35 acres with the proceeds from the sale of Dave's home in Michigan and began to eke out a living from the land by raising sheep, chickens and cows. Then they tried growing tobacco and selling homemade crafts, but nothing took hold. They had arrived here as young hippies looking for a simple way and a self-sustainable life as weavers and artists, but it was so hard back in the 70's they went without many essential items, until Dave got a job with the Post Office.
Life had never come easy for Camille. She was born in the middle of the Second World War in Paris during the German occupation. Her life took a tragic turn at the age of two when she lost her right hand and forearm to a booby-trapped toy left behind by the Nazi troops.
A few fortunate events, coupled with Dave's new employment lead Camille to follow her heart and to build the home of her dreams around the existing cabin. The year was 1980 and Camille put her attention and indomitable creative spirit into the house. She began to work on the home as if a blank canvas; with an eye for the artistic and audacious. With only one arm she has been inspired by her endearing love for her mate to create one of the most unique and unforgettable homes in Western North Carolina.
Dave was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1988 and became bed ridden a few years later. The work was placed on hold for a time while Camille and Dave dealt with the illness. They moved his bed into the main living area so he could be with Camille as she worked on craft projects and other endeavors. But, when Dave needed a bathroom nearby Camille went about designing and constructing a bathroom with all the necessary plumbing fixtures and necessities. When she noticed that he could not see the stars and the heavens from his bed she cut a hole in the ceiling and built a skylight out of a donated sliding glass door.
Dave passed away a few years later; which rekindled Camille's energy and fortitude to continue the artwork. "He is still overseeing the work" she tells me as she points to a massive boulder which covers his remains just down the hill from the house.
Always the artist, Camille's use of thematic shapes and colors is evident everywhere you look, but most prevalent is the extensive use of deep rich blues as a motif or accent. She carefully sketches out the plans; inspired by dream-like visions, to guide her and direct various craftsmen from the neighborhood. The construction of a second wing, which nearly doubled the size of the house, includes an indoor pool (yet to be completed), a great room, endless mosaic work representing all the colors of the Chakra and a massive kitchen. The massive home now includes a second floor, extra bathrooms, large porches and a second building in the back; dubbed the Ping Pong Palace in honor of Dave's favorite sport. The Ping Pong Palace includes two workshops, three-car garage space and a full apartment for Camille to reside in once she "retires".. A basement was even dug out by Camille herself from beneath the house to accommodate a gallery space, which she had envisioned. This labor of love took her 7 years to complete.
Camille could never conceive of one building project without an idea of what would happen next, beyond the new wall or window; and there was always another wall or window. "My home is a Cottage industry", she says when explaining the construction process, "the most important thing for me is to provide the employment for the Creek Community and the craftsmen who live here with me". "This home belongs to the whole community". She explains, "Generations have worked here, we are creating a place for artisans to create and display their work". She goes on to state buoyantly; "Dave and I never had children, this home is our baby... it is my passion...it is my Art!"