How to Develop Your Powers of Observation and Lower Your Stress....

by keeping a watercolor diary. This is what I will be teaching about June 27-29, 2011 at Idyllwild Arts. The Idyllwild Arts campus is located in the Strawberry Valley of the San Jacinto Mountains, a 2 1/2 hour drive from both L.A. and San Diego. The combination of this tranquil site and my workshop will surely help you to unwind. In my 3 day workshop, I will be concentrating specifically on keeping your diary in a Global Art Handbook Journal like you see in the picture above and teaching you all about making travel journaling easy and fun. You can do it! If you'd like to learn more about my workshop you can contact me at rabjsl@pacbell.net or check out http://www.idyllwildarts.org/ for a detailed description of my class and others and to register.

From Wreck to Retreat Location....

Did I mention that the house, where I teach in France, called La Cascade, was restored by the artist, Gwen Gibson? Gwen happened to visit this village house in the little town of Durfort, and decided to buy it and restore it with art retreats in mind. I am amazed at the vision she had when she saw this old abandoned home. I look at the photos and see a wreck. Gwen saw nooks for afternoon sketching, cozy corners for reading, 4 comfy bedrooms with feather comforters, 4 bathrooms and an incredible 3rd floor studio, where everyone can have their own desk! You can learn about La Cascade and the surrounding area in South Central France on Gwen Gibson's blog. http://www.gwengibson.blogspot.com/ Plus you can see some of Gwen's wonderful paintings and collages too.

When I am at La Cascade teaching, I encourage my students to do simple drawings and paintings and keep them in a journal held together with binder rings. This quick painting and drawing daily allows you to record what amazes and inspires you in the French countryside. The simple journal makes you realize that your pages are not too precious and encourages you to paint without your inner critic telling you your work must be perfect. .....its worked so far.

I think if you use a very special journal, leather or feather covered with pristine pages that are bound into it, you get a bit nervous about messing up its pages with your work. So I am happy with our imperfect journal style of painting and we do bring home actual journals full of paintings.

French Flea Market Lucky Find

One of the things I enjoy doing when I am in Durfort in France teaching is going to the local Sunday Flea Markets. They take place in a different local village every Sunday and you can find all kinds of wonderful things, including pastry, old French books, postcards, clock parts, vintage linens, Limoges teapots and more.....The china set in the picture above was a lucky find. It was on a table crowded with other pieces of china and as I passed by I just happened to see the set onthe back of the table top display. I was able to purchase the set at a reasonable price and then find room in my suitcase to bring it home by throwing out a lot of useless clothing, underwear and shoes, etc.

Does anyone know what the set of graduated sizes of teapots could possibly been used for?

Can You Make Some Time This Fall To.....

Leisurely sketch a doorway like this,

perhaps paint a window with watercolor,

stroll by a field of sunflowers,

and spend a week here, at La Cascade in the charming village of Durfort?

If this idea makes sense to you and you would like to join my group of like minded sketchers, painters and lovers of the French countryside lifestyle, contact me at rabjsl@pacbell.net about joining my upcoming workshop, Sept. 23-30, 2011 at La Cascade.

You can learn more about the workshop and this lovely area of France at

www.gwengibson.com and at www.barbararothart.com

Let me know if you have any questions, I would love for you to join me strolling, painting, shopping and sipping wine and espresso in this beautiful area of South Central France.

Out and About in Tuscany

We did do some sight seeing and touring,
and we saw some amazing architecture. Here we are studying a well in Pienza. We concluded it was built quite a long time ago.

Hard At Work

Some days we worked very hard during our workshop in Tuscany. I am learning to make ravioli here from Alessandro, the best chef in Tuscany.

Here are Robin and Terrie very busy painting in the garden.



Here are Gail, Kay, Terrie, Sarah and I trying to absorb the ins and outs of making one's own pasta from scratch.

In this photo you see Joanne, Naoma, Billie, Terrie, Kay and Sarah completing their daily painting lesson. They were all very good students and always turned in their homework on time.

Sunny Morning Painting

This painting was painted one morning when I saw the beautiful shadows on the ground beneath the arched patio. I did a quick sketch trying to simplify what I saw then wandered off to explore some of Tuscany. I returned to the sketch the next morning and did the painting part with the help of my students who were watching me and giving me advice. It is very fun and helpful to paint with a committee of advisers surrounding you.

I WANT YOU.....

I want you to paint with me. All levels welcome, beginners thru advanced. Anyone can learn to draw and paint and record their inspirations and experiences if they want to. Drawing and Painting are not rocket science, they are skills that can be mastered with practice, like cooking or tap dancing. Sketching and Painting are relaxing and fun to do. Here I am during a cooking lesson from our chef in Tuscany. You can choose where and when you want to draw and paint with me in the near future. You have several options. I will be teaching painting, drawing, journaling, etc.at these locations;
May 18th and 19th at the CREATE retreat in Costa Mesa, Calif.-The Easiest Way to Get Started Journaling as well as Drawing and Ink Techniques for Art Journaling.
June 27, 28 and 29 at Idyllwild Center for Music and Art, Calif.-Travel Painting
Sept. 13-20 in the English Countryside and the Cotswolds
Sept. 23-30 in Durfort in the South Central Countryside at La Cascade.
Contact me at rabjsl@pacbell.net for more information on my upcoming classes

Tuscany from the Villa Backyard

While sitting in the living room in the villa gazing out at the landscape through the garden these magenta flowers caught my eye. I thought it might make a good composition to draw the potted flowers and paint them brightly in the foreground and have them contrast with the faded lovely villas in the hills of Tuscany in the background...

Sketching the Ponte Vecchio

This photo is the Ponte Vecchio, one the most famous landmarks of Florence. Ponte Vecchio means old bridge in Italian. This one was built in 1345 and it spans the Arno River. Jewelry shops with windows filled with shining gold jewelry line the inside of the bridge. You can cross the bridge to get to the other side of the Arno and buy yourself a ring or bracelet at the same time. Seems like a good use of one's time to me.

Anyway, I love this bridge. It is painted in faded golds, beiges, apricot and green grey colors of Tuscany and it inspires the artist in me. I had to try to paint it,while leaning over the railing on the side of the Arno. I used my pocket Global Art Sketchbook because it is lightweight, has good paper for watercolor and it fits into my pocketbook. While I was doing this painting, the nicest people from all parts of the world looked over my shoulder and said kind things about my painting. This is what I like most about traveling and painting, it opens dialogues with people who would normally past you by. Today I may attempt to finish my sketch in my home studio.

So Many Shoes So Little Time to shop.....

You were expecting perhaps to see a painting or two I painted in Tuscany posted here today? Well first things, first. Roberta asked me to report on shoe shopping in Florence so being the responsible artist I am, here is the full disclosure on the shoes I bought.
The black shoes on the bottom left of this picture were an emergency necessity as the shoes I brought with me pinched my feet after walking around Florence viewing the amazing art and architecture of the city. The middle pair of shoes were bought because of peer pressure. You see these leather sneakers are the latest trend in casual footwear in Tuscany and I just had to have a pair to fit in.
The top pair of shoes are patent leather ballerina flats designed by a woman named Wilma. These were purchased with the mother's day stipend I was given to spend on a gift for myself in Italy. I actually thought of starting a new blog called 100 days of shoe shopping in Italy or A Pair of Shoes Purchased Everyday, but had difficulty coming up with an idea of how to find the money to purchase the shoes to write the blog about. Paintings and sketches to come soon, I promise...

Landscapes

You might recognize this landscape. We were told it is the most photographed landscape in Tuscany.
I don't think I will ever find more inspiring landscape to paint then this one.



We see Spring time landscapes with every shade of green imaginable. Certainly, we have no excuses not to paint with this kind of scenery surrounding us. However, diversions like shoe shopping, visits to local espresso bars, devouring delicious meals made by our chef, Allessandro, and wine tasting all seem to take up our time, but we are fitting some valuable time to paint these inspirational sights.

Painting Subjects Found in Tuscany

There are loads of things to paint in Tuscanylike flower pots on window sills,
shoes,



laundry hanging out to dry, preferably casting shadows on the building,

and the buildings full of age old textures in the town of Pienza,

where we ate a picnic lunch, then hurried back to the villa to paint all the wonderful sights.

Italian Workshop in Progress