Home Sweet Home in Sarlat, France

Just completed this painting. I am working on putting more darks in my paintings to make the lights look lighter. This house came from a photo I took in Sarlat, France. If you read any of Rick Steve's travel books, he mentioned this house. You go into a very old church, out the back door through a very old grave yard, up a very old staircase, out a very old gate, look up and see this house. Sarlat was one of my favorite towns that we visited on our painting tour this past October. The town was filled with lovely old buildings, quaint shops and restaurants serving delicious food. If you're ever in the neighborhood I suggest you visit Sarlat, its in South West France. Every day I wake up with new ideas of how I can make a return trip to Sarlat.....

Does This Look Like a Reflection in A Tuscan Swimming Pool?

One of my favorite teachers, Patricia Abraham once told me if I wanted to be a good teacher I needed to learn how to paint everything. Well, I've put off painting reflections until my students begged me to teach them how to paint reflections last week. Looking through my photos from my first teaching trip to Tuscany, I found this image. I have always wanted to paint it. Well, I tried to use it as a demo painting this week in my watercolor 2 class, I am not sure if they were too impressed. However, I really like this image and will perservere until I get my reflections looking right.

Can't Stop Painting Tuscany

Here I am in Northern California thinking about Tuscany again. In a week I finish up teaching until Feb. 8th, 09. So I will have some free time to indulge in ...........(eating bon-bons? one of my students gave me a gift certificate to Sees) and painting. My goal is to finish another "How to" watercolor manual. This one will be on how to paint small Tuscan hilltowns and possibly Florence. I have been going through the photos I've taken on the workshops I've taught in Tuscany and found lots of images to show how to paint. Here is the first one I have been fussing with. Besides the arched wall its probably the most familiar Tuscan object. I just love these pots. They are all over Cortona and they never have a dead flower hanging on them. Their gardeners must get up very early and pull off all the old blossoms. Anyway, let me know what you think. By the way, if you have the urge to go to Tuscany and paint in 09, my trip is May 2-9 and my sponsor will give you a $150. discount if you register by Dec. 30.

Which Abbaye de Senqanque Do You Prefer?

I don't know why I am obsessed with capturing the best version I can of this wonderful age old abbaye in Provence. This is the fourth painting I have painted of this location since I returned home from France a month ago. It must have something to do with the lavendar fumes I enhaled when I was there. Which version do you prefer and why?