Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Bon Jour!

flowers in Vence

Here I am in Vence! France is ablaze with flowers. Summer is alive and well here in Southern France. Everywhere that I turn, there are paintings waiting to be put on canvas.
No wonder the impressionists were so in love with the light and subject matter here. Even though I have traveled to France more than 14 times, this country still has the ability to take my breath away. It is more than the light and the flowers, it is the gentle joy that history has laced through every village.

On my first painting day, a lovely couple from the Lake District in England fell in love with the painting that I was doing in St. Paul de Vence..... and bought it! Now that is a nice way to start the trip!

Today we were in Villefranche, a charming little port, full of boats and lively colored buildings. Visiting the nearby Rothchild Massion, put "the icing on the cake" to a spectacular day!

The sun has been following us around, but tomorrow it may rain. That will make for a perfect day to stay inside and touch up our paintings. Several of us have been creating nocturnal paintings under the moonlit skies. It has been a challenge to start as the sky is still light, guessing and anticipating what our subject will look like as the night turns quickly to dark. Then adjusting as we finish our paintings. Great fun! My eager students are painting flowers and cities by day and the villages with stars and moon at night. Wonderful!!


Fountain in Vence at night

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