Bonhomie de Provence!

Sometimes magic just happens, as it did last week at Les Murets, the elegantly simple and gracious provencal home that a congenial group of painters and friends shared for six days of conversation, laughs, amazing meals and wines, and most especially amazing paintings!   How to describe?  Let’s just look at the impressions of Provence below (each done in an hour or so), done by my fellow travelers:

Martha Elder, Isle sur la Sorgue, beautiful and strong

Debbie Bruce, Isle sur la Sorgue, shimmery with great light

Cathy Groome, Oppede le Vieux, good shapes and sun

Sheryl Lott, Bastide de Voulonne, essence of the golden hour

Sandy Cox, Oppede le Vieux, great design and light effect

Jean Dortch, Bastide de Voulonne, simple and true

Ann Currey, Oppede le Vieux, beautiful color and light

There were so many nice paintings, studies, impressions -- that I could barely choose which to post!  Everyone made the leap from “Literal-ville” to creating pieces based on the subject in the atmospheric light, joyfully interpreted…so, here are a few more!

Jean Dortch, Isle sur la Sorgue, sophisticated palette

Ann Currey, Bastide de Voulonne, captured in a nut-shell

Cathy Groome, chez Les Murets, breezey and colorful

Martha Elder, Bastide de Voulonne, sparkly and open

Sandy Cox, Bastide de Voulonne, tres francais, non?

Debbie Bruce, Bastide de Voulonne, spontaneous color and light

Sheryl Lott, Bastide de Voulonne, immediate and painterly 

Cassis was our last day of painting, and I only got photos of 2 pieces, below:

Jean Dortch, Cassis Harbor (we HAD to stop for lunch) - strong foundation and composition

Debbie Bruce, Cassis Harbor, rocking those spots of color

I DID get a shot of Cathy Groome at the easel in Cassis, with her admirer, who watched her paint the entire time : ) 

Finally, SO many thanks to Ann Huff, who owns the beautiful home known as Les Murets, and Meg Harrington, her partner at Huff Harrington Fine Art, along with sweet Sarah, our liason and detail organizer, all of whom made it possible for us to have this great week together! 

Au revoir, Les Murets.....

Keepin it Free

Tell Me More, 18 x 14

I've been painting like mad, accomplishing not that much, because I've been what I call "deadline-stressing;"  that is, getting paintings done for gallery commitments, gifts, etc.  Meanwhile, I totally KNOW that my best work is from my heart, joyous and inspired.  So I have been spending a lot of energy and wipe-outs to create the free, loose, yet true paintings that I want to do.  As Dolly Parton famously said,  "It costs a lot to look this cheap!"  

I like the painting above, done with the last of my hydrangeas this year.  Below is version number one of a painting I did recently, which I did NOT like, and the new, free-er take on the same subject below:

Be Mine, 16 x 16

Last week, I also did a wedding gift for my niece, Sarah, who is getting married in October; the painting was based upon a photo of her as a child.  Of course, I caught a good likeness and feel on the first take, and then spent another entire day "refining" it to just get back to what I had!  

So, I say to myself over and over: "Relax, let it flow, stay happy!"  When I do this, it's a way better day...

Something About Her, 16 x 12

Photo of Sarah

And... best news of all, we leave for France tomorrow -- yay!  The Provence trip is here -- Michael and I go to Paris tomorrow for three nights (at Ann Huff's beautiful apartment near the Eiffel Tower), then to the south of France to stay at Les Murets, her amazing maison near Gordes.  A totally great group of painters and friends are joining us for a week of capturing the Provencal light, enjoying great food, lots of laughs, and of course, lots of WINE!  

La Petite Maison (chez Les Murets), 6 x 6