No.803 Shropshires with Green Vase

Shropshires with Green Vase

Oil on Gessobord

6" x 6"

More roses you say? Ooooohh yes!

 

And a photo from France - Antibes, France to be exact. Couldn't resist the color of the table and chairs next to the texture of the iron work on the doors.

No. 794 La Porte

La Porte

Oil on Linen

7" x 5"

I painted this on my last day at Ville le Reve. It is the view from one of the second floor studios through an open door, over a balcony and out to the Mediterranean. It was a super quick painting and I intended to come back and work on it some more. I've had such a good response from people who have seen it that I decided to leave it as is.

I took a bunch of video with my new GoPro while I was in France. Here is a link to a 3 minute video of a little walking tour of Ville le Reve or the home and studio of Matisse in his later years.

Click here for the video.

No. 793 Another Gate in Vence - Plein Air

Another Gate in Vence

Oil on Linen

7" x 5"

As I was saying, I need a lot more practice painting old medieval towns. I hope I don't have to wait too long before I get another opportunity.... :) This view, with the curved walls, really gave me a run for the money. Lots of people came up to chat with me while I was painting, making me really wish I knew more French.

 

 In the meantime, here are some photos from the flower market in Nice.

 

 

No. 772 Blue Coffee Pot with Tulips

Blue Coffee with Tulips

Oil on Canvas Panel

7" x 5"

We've had a very, very soggy and chilly winter so thank goodness for greenhouse tulips!

Returning to our trip to France, after getting your ticket you'll probably want to reserve a place to stay. Sandy, the trip coordinator recommended a couple of nice inns to stay at. I chose to give Airbnb a try. There were a couple of things that appealed to me about Airbnb. First, you can find a pretty good deal. The cost of the studio I'm staying in is less than half the inn Sandy recommended.

Second, I liked the opportunity to take a peak at how the French live. It was really interesting perusing the unique homes and rooms available in the area .

Lastly, my hosts are very accommodating. Once I reserved my room I was contacted the next day by the host, Veronique, and asked if there was anything I needed help with. I soon discovered that her mom is a watercolor artist and is willing to recommend places for me to go paint!

Downtown Vence

My little studio is in there somewhere!

No. 770 Petit Fours with Tea

Petit Fours with Tea

Oil on Gessobord

5" x 7"

Click to Bid

Love this teacup I found in an antique barn on Whidbey Island.

So if you are going to travel "virtually" with me to France you will have to get your virtual plane ticket! Since as long as I can remember I've been getting my plane tickets online. The site I usually visit is Kayak.com. Something to remember though...

When you see a great price on a ticket double check how long the flight is and how many layovers there are. I don't know about you but I would spend the extra $73 dollars not to have to hassle with an extra layover and a flight that is up to a whopping 11 hours longer. Also, if you live in the Seattle area consider flying out of Vancouver, Canada. Due to the exchange rate you can get a deal on flights. I saved almost four hundred dollars leaving from Vancouver over a similar flight from Seattle.