Information from a Watercolor Nerd

Finally Painting Big

2009-11-01T21:58:00.000-08:00

Here is a painting of the inn, the Moulin du Chapitre in Soreze, France. I just finished it. It is the biggest watercolor I have ever done. It is 20" by 28". It was time to work big. I really wanted to make paintings that could hang on walls and be seen from a distance. So, I bought some stretcher bars and soaked my paper then stapled it to the stretcher bars. When I finished the painting, I varnished it with a brush and some special varnish for watercolors. It isn't perfect but I learned a lot and want to continue to make some more big paintings. What do you think?

Daughter and Friends

2009-10-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

I swore I would never take my child to Mac Donalds, never brag about her and never bore my friends with photos. That was before I gave birth. Now, I cannot believe how proud I am of my daughter and how much I enjoy watching her grow up. So, I am breaking my promise and posting these recent pictures from the high school homecoming dance. So, this post has really nothing to do with watercolor, except, that I should be painting now.

Blue Doors Come In All Shapes and Sizes

2009-10-20T21:40:00.001-07:00

So I was wandering around this charming little French town called St. Felix and saw many beautiful doors. These blue doors seem to come in all shapes and sizes and each one is more beautiful and paintable then the next. I will post the paintings these doors inspire as soon as I paint them.

Gwen Gibson's Work from the France Workshop

2009-10-11T13:39:00.000-07:00

These watercolor paintings were done by Gwen Gibson, the owner of La Cascade. She has worked with many different art forms and is now revisiting pen and ink plus watercolor. She was a joy to have participate in my workshop and I love the composition and spontaniety of her work. She draws beautifully and has a great sense of how to simplfy her subject matter.

Mint Green is a Good Color for a Door, Don't Ya Think?

2009-10-10T18:15:00.000-07:00

Just finished this watercolor sketch. It is painted on a piece of Fabriano Artistico watercolor paper. I really liked the feel of this paper and how the paint flowed onto it. I had a really good photo to work from taken by Eileen Condon (see previous post). Her photo had great shadows to copy. I must admit sometimes the photos I take don't have great shadows so I make them up. So, what do you think?

Check Out Eileen Condon's Paintings from My Recent Workshop

2009-10-09T18:02:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about my job as an art instructor is watching my students blossom into incredible artists. These paintings are the work of Eileen Condon, a wonderful world traveling artist who resides in Boston. She loves to journal when she travels and did these paintings to accompany her words during my recent workshop in France. I think she captured the feelings, colors and essence these subjects she found in the small villages in France. Did I mention she is a great photographer as well?
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Wall in the Garden of Moulin du Chapitre B & B

2009-10-09T17:43:00.000-07:00

Sitting in a sun-lit garden outside of a wonderful b & b called Moulin du Chapitre in Soreze, France, I tried to capture this wonderful aged wall. I painted a thumbnail size painting and recorded all of the colors I observed and mixed up colors to match what my eye saw. Usually, when you return home from a trip, unless you've noted the colors on location, you can't duplicate the exact colors in your studio painting. This is my attempt, let me know what you think.

White Bicycle That Isn't White

2009-10-02T20:25:00.000-07:00

This is the first painting I have completed since I returned home from France. It was inspired by a white bicycle, leaning against a white wall in the town of Revel. Somehow many different images I observed in my travels turned up in this painting and the bicycle changed colors. I guess this is what you might call artistic bicycle license.

You Can Paint Anytime, Anywhere

2009-10-01T18:29:00.000-07:00

This photo shows proof that it is possible to paint with watercolor anytime, anywhere. All you need is your pocket watercolor palette, a waterbrush, and your sketchbook. Your sketchbook has to fit on the restaurant table. It also has to be small enough to be pushed aside when your main course arrives. One other caution: you must remember not to dip your brush in your wine class or your cafe creme, unless of course, you want to discover some new painting medium.........

Arriving Home

2009-09-25T12:23:00.000-07:00

Since arriving home from France, I have begun to settle back in. I have set up my painting table and gotten to work on new paintings based on all the inspiration I found in my travels. I am having a bit of difficulty remembering to put the dog out and prepare dinner when it was only a week ago I was sitting in a Paris cafe with my artist friends trying to decide which color wine to have. Waiting in line at Target buying my daughter essentials, I try to make the time in line go faster by bringing up images of walking thru the gardens in Paris. When the cashier says, "Cash or charge? I am brought back to reality and mumble tres bien." Hmmmm, anyone else ever experienced this?

Want to Come to France with Me Next Year?

2009-09-23T09:14:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I am kind of excited about Durfort, France since I just got back from teaching a workshop there. In fact, I can't stop talking about how charming the village of Durfort is, how cozy and beautiful the house is we stayed in and how many lovely places and subjects there are in this region to paint. I am eager to return to this area with another group of painters and have scheduled my next workshop there already. If you would like to come along with me to paint, eat, shop, photograph, laugh, stroll and have a general great time, check your calendars now. My workshop dates will be May 28-June 3rd and you can sign up for an additional 3 days if you like. For the next few weeks I will offer an early bird sign up discount of $50. Check out my website or email me @ rabjsl@pacbell.net for pricing and details.

Six Pounds!

2009-09-21T16:18:00.000-07:00

Yes, I gained six pounds on my recent trip to France. Why you ask? These photos may shed some light on the reason. The delicious pie was placed in front of me as part of the plat du jour (plate of the day) I ordered for 12 euros in the town of Albi. I had to eat the whole thing as I didn't want to offend the waiter. The chocolate shop was on a corner with its door open and I had to step in and once I was inside I had to buy something. Then there was this lovely artisan faire in the village of Durfort and this lovely baker had this display of pastries on his table and he smiled at me and I had to purchase a pain aux raisin pastry from him. I am going to walk on the treadmill now.

So How Was Painting in the South of France?

2009-09-19T18:04:00.000-07:00

I sat in a corner of a square in the Village of Soreze in South Central France and attempted to capture the wonderful rosey glow of the warm colored buildings. This is what I sketched and painted in about an hour.

My Workshop in France Was Not Only About Painting

2009-09-18T20:48:00.000-07:00

I returned last night at midnight from France where I was teaching a painting workshop. The workshop location and the sponsor were new for me and they turned out to be better then I could have ever imagined. The country village of Durfort, was set in between two mountains and the streets were narrow and lined with charming very old houses. The workshop sponsor, Gwen Gibson, was a wonderful, very talented artist who shared her expertise about France with us as well as introducing us to her wonderful friends and the wonderful sights of rural France. My students were talented and enthusiastic about their painting experiences. The chef for the workshop was a magician with food and we all took home incredible recipes and new ideas about preparing food. However, the workshop wasn't only about painting and sketching the quaint windows, doors and flower baskets we found everywhere in this region. It also included, delicious French food and wine, field trips to lovely French villages, outings to museums and historic sites and of course, shopping......

Welcome to A Small Corner in an Old French Garden

2009-07-22T21:50:00.000-07:00

Been having a good time with color and took a vacation from ink line in this recent painting. It is actually a larger size then I've been painting since I got hooked on my scanner. Its 10"x14" and I like painting larger pictures. Somehow for a while I was only painting pictures that fit on my scanner so I could scan them and get them onto my website and blog quickly. Now that was dumb...............

Proud Mother of A Petsmart Graduate

2009-06-23T19:00:00.000-07:00

This photo was taken this afternoon. After 8 weeks of intensive study, Olive the rescue beagle and I completed our coursework at Petsmart Academy. We received our diploma after completing a complex test of our newly acquired skills. I can now sit, stay and wait 30 seconds before I eat a treat. Olive can now walk me on a leash and command me to give her treats. Really though, the little dog did very well. When I first adopted her she was quite nervous as she had been in a cage with a small run for 3 years. She was used in some type of scientific research. It took her about 3 weeks to feel more comfortable and even like doggie treats. Now, her education looks promising if I continue to practice her skills with her. Remind me, will you?

They Brought Their Own Shopping Bags in Tuscany Long Before It was Trendy.........

2009-06-19T21:39:00.000-07:00

I painted this little sketch the other day as a demo in my watercolor class. I used a photo for reference that I took in the Tuscan hilltown of Cortona. Today I went to our local supermarket carrying my own shopping bags and feeling very smug that I had remembered to bring them along. As I studied this painting tonight I remembered that the Europeans have been bringing their own shopping bags to market for a very long time. Why didn't we copy this idea a lot sooner? My own mother used to make fun of my grandmother because she got off the airplane from New York carrying a shopping bag, wow she was trendy way ahead of her time!

It's Official, We Are Going To France to Paint

2009-06-07T20:53:00.000-07:00

A wonderful opportunity fell into my lap in May. The chance to teach a workshop in Durfort, France in a home especially restored into a retreat for artists! It was touch and go as I contacted everyone I know who I thought might be interested in going to France to paint. Just this week, I was given the ok to go ahead with the workshop this coming Sept. So, I and a small group of students will be setting off to paint here in early Sept. This is a photo of the typical buildings and wonderful shutters we will be painting.

Lets Go Out For Dinner Tonight, Dear

2009-05-30T15:51:00.000-07:00

Can you tell that I am home and procrastinating from painting. So far, I have updated my blog 3 times, spilled bright red ink all over my very old carpeting in my studio and dropped a strawberry somewhere under my desk where no one can ever find it excepting a swarm of ants. I finished this watercolor yesterday from photos taken 2 different years of the same restaurant. The colors of the peach walls and the sort of lilac-purplish doors motivated me to paint it. Now I would like to have dinner there. Too bad the restaurant is in Tuscany, don't think we'd make it back in time after dinner to put the dogs out.

New Look

2009-05-30T15:16:00.000-07:00

Home on a Saturday and trying to jazz up my blog so it will look like a fun place to hang out and look at my paintings and laugh at my semi-clever writing. What do you think?

2009-05-30T15:05:00.001-07:00

Cortona Door and Tom

2009-05-20T20:26:00.000-07:00

My watercolor classes and I painted this door last week. I stood in front of this door in the town of Cortona with my first traveling student, Tom. We both leaned against a pile of lumber which was just the right height to use as a desk. Tom was a talented painter and wonderful student and friend. He always had a smile on his face, never complained and always enjoyed art classes and painting. Sadly, Tom passed away last month and is sorely missed by myself and all his watercolor pals. I know we are all kind of waiting for him to amble into class with a grin on his face. I hope he is upstairs painting a rainbow.

Would You Like to Paint This With Me?

2009-05-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

Can't you just see yourself in a straw sun hat, having just finished eating lovely fresh fruit and pastries for breakfast, sitting down to paint this image in the French countryside?

If you'd like to come along with me to my Sept.2-9, 09 workshop you will have the opportunity to capture this image with watercolors, ink, pencils and whatever in your travel journal or on your canvas.

My workshop will be at La Cascade in the lovely old town of Durofort, France. It will take place in a building restored especially for artists workshops. The workshop will be composed of only 8 students so I can be sure everyone gets enough time, attention and pastries. Right now I am figuring out costs, but my goal is to provide a very reasonably priced week that includes, art instruction, all meals but 2, field trips and lodging for around $1,800. Contact me right away if you're interested at rabjsl@pacbell.net

Move in Ready

2009-05-11T08:56:00.001-07:00

Here is my new house. It is move in ready. I like it so much I painted a picture of it. It is in the village of Rocamadeur in S.W. France. The beagles are packed and we are on are way, come visit and we will sit in my garden and drink lemonade together........a girl can dream.

Purple Cow Painted with Only 3 Colors

2009-04-24T18:55:00.000-07:00

I bet you thought I was going to say, "Have you ever seen a purple cow?" This cow was painted with only 3 colors of watercolor paint. Can you guess which colors of paint?