"Dull Day on Casco Bay"

"Dull Day on Casco Bay"
6"x8" oil on canvas panel

I went back to paint the Nubbin again on Sunday, with heavy overcast skies. But when I got to my spot, I saw layers in the islands that aren't usually visible. Maybe it was raining back there somewhere. I couldn't resist painting the layered islands. The Nubbin will be there next time.

I'm teaching my Daily Painting and Blogging Workshop at River Arts in Damariscotta again this fall. This time it will be on two consecutive days, November 6 and 7th. It should be lots of fun. Check out the River Arts website for details. I'd love to see you there.

"Nubbin #1"

"Nubbin #1"
6"x8" oil on canvas panel

The Nubbin is a little island off Princes Point in Yarmouth, Maine, where we have our cottage. I've only set foot on it once, because we try to leave it for the birds and sometimes baby seals. I've painted it a few times before, and thought that it would be a good subject for some experiments. This one was with a big brush and a short time table (about 40 minutes). I did a warm up version first, and now wish I hadn't wiped it. Next time I'll keep all versions for comparison. That's what experiments area about, right?

15 Days in Provence #10

"Garden Steps"

6"x6" oil on canvas panel

I've only managed one painting while here in Vallabrix, too much site-seeing, but lots of fun. I'll post more sketches later. We are off to Aix tomorrow and then home on Sunday. It has been such a great trip.

These stairs are out our backdoor and go down to a beautiful walled garden with a pool. I totally recommend this house. Email me for details if you are interested in hearing more.

15 Days in Provence #9

Vallabrix street

Mugs

We left Tourtour and are now in the small village of Vallabrix near Uzes, on the other side of Provence. There will be less painting and more sightseeing for the rest of the trip, with our somewhat larger group. These are sketches I did yesterday morning while waiting for the bread van to come by our house. On top is the street to the left of our front door and on bottom I moved my tea mug around to get some different angles. And the bread finally arrived!

15 Days in Provence #8

"La Calade - Tourtour"
6"x6" oil on canvas panel

Claude and Martine Genet of Maison de la Treille

"La Calade" is the last of my plein air paintings from Tourtour. There will be more paintings from this area later from the sketches and photographs we all took. And we are planning a show at the Yarmouth Frameshop and Gallery in the coming winter. Stay tuned for more info on that.

I can't let the blog leave Tourtour without mentioning our wonderful hosts at Maison de la Treille, the B&B where we stayed in that wonderful village, Martine and Claude Genet. They made us feel so at home, cooked superb meals for us, sent us to wonderful restaurants, and just generally took the best care of us. If you want to visit this area, I can think of no better place to stay, have tea, or eat lunch or dinner.

15 Days in Provence #7

"Rue de Lavoir - Tourtour"
6"x8" oil on canvas panel

"Rue de Lavoir - Tourtour" in process

Tourtour has many twisty and hilly streets with tall buildings in terra cotta, stone or pastel shades. The shutters add more bright splashes of color. I stood in a corner of the "place", where outside cafes and restaurants serve drinks and meals, to paint this one. I had my picture taken several times and got quite a few comments (in French) from passers by. A far cry from Great Brook Farm where I usually paint!

15 Days in Provence #6

"Rue des Moulins"
6"x6" oil on canvas panel

This wonderful little house is behind Maison de la Treille where we stayed in Tourtour. I was attracted by the pinkish color and the bright blue door. And the lovely rosebush.

15 Days in Provence #5

"To The Sea"
6"x6" oil on canvas panel

It rained on Tuesday and we painted from our upstairs balcony, which was wonderful. Such a fabulous view, out towards the sea, which is just beyond the farthest mountains. Ever since we arrived they have been barely visible (as in this painting), but on Tuesday night there was a tremendous storm followed by clear skies and now all the layers are there, in varying shades of blue.

15 Days in Provence #4

"1-2-3-Soleil"

6"x6" oil on canvas panel

On Monday we painted next to the primary school, where a lively game was going on that invloved lots of shouting of the words 1-2-3-Soleil(sun)! It was gorgeous outside and we were all struck by these cypress trees. Here's Kitty's version.

15 Days in Provence #3

Tourtour Nocturne

6"x8" oil on canvas panel

On Sunday night we decided to go for it with a nocturne. I can think of three kinds of nocturne: the moonlit scene, distant lights, and looking into a lighted area. This is the second kind, since there was no moon. I wanted the terrain, but had to do it from memory. There was plenty of light to paint by outside the Mairie in Tourtour, with a lively boules game going on nearby.

15 Days in Provence #2

"Provencal Hilltop"
6"x8" oil on canvas panel

This was my afternoon painting yesterday, right before a late dinner. The light on the rooftops and the interesting terrain caught my eye. Of course I was chasing the light, because the shadows just got more interesting. I did this one with only a #6 brush (big) and loved it.

15 Days in Provence #1

#1 - "La Mairie"

We have arrived. After the flight from Boston to Paris to Marseille, we made our way to Tourtour yesterday and did some exploring. Today was our first day of painting and I was nervous. We have looked forward to this trip for so long and the scenery is so beautiful, what if I can't paint? All I wanted was to show a sense of place, no worries about doing a great painting. And we each did three! We are on our way.

I'm going to post them in order, one each day. La Mairie is the town hall, and a wonderful building, with round turrets at each corner. Everything in this midieval village was built to defend, and la Mairie is no different. Add in the spiky cypress trees and who could resist?

Off to Provence!

"Sunflowers with Blue Pitcher" - SOLD

24"x24" oil on canvas

Tomorrow I leave with three friends for 15 days painting in Provence. This long awaited trip is going to be tremendous fun and I plan to post paintings as we go. To celebrate our departure I offer this painting from my first solo show (in 2003). I'll bet you can figure out which Provencal painter inspired this one...

I hope you will join me, Suzanne, Joelle, and Kitty on our adventure. Stop by and check out our progress over the next few weeks.