Friday, September 28, 2012

Saved from the trash

Scooped all my messes from Monday evening's life class from the floor to throw into the trash yesterday, when this one caught my eye. Actually not too shabby.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Sad day for Rignac

My delight at seeing workmen removing the old handmade tiles from the witchy little barn next the stream was short lived as I realised that they were not preparing to repair the roof, but to demolish the barn itself. 

For years, my students and I have been painting this centuries old Quercy barn, a hundred meters or so from my studio.  The owners, who live in Paris, claim not to have the money to repair the barn and have been badgering our mayor for permission to pull it down. He resisted for years, until the roof became in danger of collapsing.

My friend Petra Röhr-Roendahl painted the sketch, below.

RIP little barn. At least you will remain in our drawings and thoughts.



Thursday, September 20, 2012

View from Domme

 This was one of the scenes I scheduled for the second week of my watercolour workshop. Domme is a bastide town that sits on an impregnable bluff above the Dordogne River (or so the inhabitants thought, until they were surprised by an attack by the Protestants during the One Hundred Year's War who scaled the cliffs.)

September and October are my favourite months here, with warm sunny days and crisp nights. The painting is mine. Note the little yellow kayaks.

Thumpity-thump

My heart did a little flipflop when I spotted this camper car in the parking lot at Domme. I couldn't resist tiptoeing around the van and peering in through the chintz curtains at the neatly arranged kitchen and table that could be lowered and rearranged into a bed. Then I cheekily stuck my card under the windshield wiper with a note, asking them to contact me if they ever decide to sell it. I feel like the wallflower sitting next to the phone on a Saturday evening.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

September Watercolour Workshop

 


I regret not having more photographs of the paintings of my four September watercolour workshop  students. They were lovely. I think I must have been interrupted while taking photographs because I meant to keep copies of them all. Ah well, here's a sampling of their light and colourful work.

Escape

Finally finished and Fedexed off the illustrations for my latest book last month. This is what my studio looked like, so I was in dire need of some fresh air and space.
Nothing like a week's camping on the seashore with one's dog to clear body and soul.