Painting the Broom near the Falaise de Madeleine (Lioux, Provence)

Broom and Falaise

12" x 14" - acrylic on canvas paper - SOLD

The tiny village of Lioux is situated in the Luberon Regional Nature Park. The surrounding countryside is beautiful  and dominated by a huge cliff, called the Falaise de Madeleine.  This imposing grey limestone cliff is a over 700 meters long and more than 100 meters high, and literally towers over the village beside it. The views of the cliff from a distance, however, are quite magnificent and that's where we went to paint, earlier in June. Once there I spent the first half hour wandering, taking photos and of course sourcing the perfect view to paint.  

The lavender had not yet bloomed, but the yellow broom was glorious and finally led me to a spot sitting under an apricot tree in an orchard across a small lane looking at this view....

And....if you want to SEE me painting (for about 5 seconds!) go here and click on this photo....

A great painting morning - and best of all - I have lots more material to work from, and wonderful memories of time and place.

Week 2 in Provence Begins

Our second week began with a morning painting session in the village of Goult. I decided to once again paint some of the crazy topiary trees that punctuate the cemetery landscape there. Here is my set up and the resulting painting.

                                  

                                                  

In the afternoon we painted in the studio and I completed two more works that I am quite pleased with.

That's 7 hours of painting - and right now my right shoulder-neck could use a good massage. Hopefully dinner, wine and a good night's sleep will do the job.

                                        

                                                          

                                                          

     

Day 1

I arrived at Les Bassacs in the south of France, last Saturday evening after two flights and lots of waiting time between. Over a delightful dinner with wine I met my fellow painters - a group of similarly aged, independent and interesting women. Sunday started with a morning visit to the wonderful market at Isle sur la Sorgue, and after lunch, a visit to the nearby Chateau de Bourgane to paint.

Our instructor for the week, James Bland, a painter from the UK, suggested we start with large simplified shapes of colour values using a fairly limited range of colours - white and the primaries. I have been thinking recently about how one "starts a painting", trying to be more conscious of my process, and looking for ways to refine or improve it. Following his suggestion, I blocked in the big shapes with colour values, and then began to refine, but not add too much detail. This is what I had after about an hour and twenty minutes, and I quite like it. 

                                    

This was also the first time using my 'new stuff', i.e. the easel with tray and box attachments and tote bag on wheels. The bag was great - I dragged it everywhere, and was happy to have it, though I do have to improve how I pack it, but I know that will come with use. The easel was OK, but not great. My main criticism is with how high I can raise the painting surface. I am 5'6" tall and I found that my painting surface was barely high enough to be comfortable when painting. I did like the 'tray', however, as it held my paper palette and was therefore quite useful.

All in all a good start for the week. 

Promenade III

                                                Les Bassacs Promenade III

                                         24" x 20" -  acrylic on canvas  -   $350

I painted an earlier version of this scene, inspired by a photo I took in May and by my memories of walking along a light-filled path that overlooked vineyards, in the tiny hamlet of Les Bassacs in the Luberon Valley of Provence. I like using paths and roads that lead the eye and draw the viewer into the landscape. Pathways can symbolize are all kinds of personal journeys - physical, mental, and emotional. What is around the bend? Follow the road and see where it leads. 

Paysage

Paysage

12" x 12" -  acrylic on canvas
This is for sale - contact me for price if interested.

I am sitting in my studio in Guelph Ontario Canada, looking out my window at the fading light (it's actually time to start making dinner) on the golden yellow trees out my window, and thinking about Provence. Wondering what the trees and vegetation looks like there as the autumn advances. I am sure it's warmer there than here.  This little painting is based on a photo taken during my trip there in May - driving in the Camargue area.  Of course when it came to painting, I took artistic license with the colour and palette in general.  Fun to paint and fun to remember the trip!

Another Promenade from Les Bassacs

Les Bassacs Promenade II

20" x 16"  acrylic on canvas
This is for sale - contact me for price if interested.

This painting is based on a photo I took at Les Bassacs, on one of my last glorious days there, walking along one of the many paths towards the vineyards. I spent a long time thinking about how I would paint this view, wanting to capture the sense of light and shade, foliage and sky in the scene. I knew that I did not want detail or tight forms, so decided to work quickly and keep my brush loaded with enough paint to produce fluid strokes of colour. I love painting this way and always wonder why I don't work more often like this!

Les Bassacs Promenade I

Les Bassacs Promenade I

20" x 16"  acrylic on canvas
This is for sale - contact me for price if interested.

Les Bassacs is the hamlet - really a collection of old stone provencale buildings surrounded by cherry orchards, lavender fields, and vineyards in the Luberon Valley, where I spent a week painting in May. This is one of the views, based on a photo and inspired by memory of the place - peaceful, serene and idyllic. 

Imagining Ventoux

Imagining Ventoux 

10" x 8"  - acrylic on wood panel - $95

I painted this as a demo in a recent day-long workshop I held in my studio, teaching Acrylic Techniques. I was quite pleased with the finished painting and added some pastel marks as a finishing touch. It reminds me of Mont Ventoux, the mountain in Provence with the distinctive white face - which is not snow, but white stone. 

Painting in Goult

The village of Goult has a cemetary with amazing topiary trees - and that is where I spent another morning painting at the end of May. 

Here are my colourful, somewhat surreal impressions of these delightful trees.

Painting in Saignan

Saignan is a village perched at the top of a hill behind a large rock which dominates the Luberon valley - and was another location where we spent the morning painting. Two years ago when there, I spent most of that time wandering up and down the narrow streets, looking for the perfect view (and spot in which to sit to paint it), and ended up just taking a lot of photos - for later use. When home I did paint this - and guess what - the blue car is still there.

Blue Car at Saignan

18" x 14"  acrylic on canvas  $250

On this trip I discovered a wonderful vista looking across the valley, and quickly settled down (amongst the bees, and errant poppies growing up between the flagstones) to paint...... 

Several hours later this is what I had.......

and for fun I also did this.....all in all a great day in Saignan.

French Field

French Field

10" x 10" acrylic on canvas

I have three larger paintings on the go - two that I started in the summer and one that I started last week. I need contemplation time before I finish them - but I also need to paint - and this small work was the result. It's based on a photo I took from the car - and is another one of those quintessential 'south of France' scenes. 

Sur la Route

Sur la Route
12" x 12" - water colour

After my time in Les Bassacs (in Provence),  I spent a few days near Nimes, visiting with my friend Josiane.  I snapped photos from the car window as we drove around the area - including views like this.

Cicada Serenade

Cicada Serenade
10" x 10" - acrylic on canvas  SOLD

One very hot afternoon in July,  I painted behind the house at Les Bassacs, under a tree full of cicadas – which is apparently the symbol of Provence. The buzzing noise they made was deafening – but they did not stop me from enjoying the view. Back home, I painted the scene again and this time listened to some 'cool' jazz.

Olive Trees and Lavender

Olive Trees and Lavender  - SOLD
18" x 24" - acrylic on canvas

During my time in Provence we painted near the small village of Lioux. One of the painting sessions took place late in the day and I took several photographs of olive trees with the sun and the lavender field behind them. This painting is based on those photos and my memory of how the light sparkled behind the trees.

Mediterranean Pines at Bonnieux

Pine Tree at Bonnieux 'bleu'
11 " x 8" - water colour
SOLD

Pine Tree at Bonnieux 'rouge'
12" x 9" - water colour
SOLD

Both paintings are based on some fabulous trees at Bonnieux – a perched village in Provence – where I spent a morning painting, earlier this summer. I loved the negative spaces created by the fluid, curving tree branches. I enjoyed working in water colour for a change - a medium that lent itself to creating the shapes of the foliage and playful colour.