Provence en Plein Air - Part I

Bouillabaise in the Rain

This is one of the watercolors that will be exhibited in my show at the Left Bank Café in Saranac Lake on May 5th. For reasons beyond my control during my two weeks in October 2000 in Provence, I could not get myself a steaming dish of this classic Provencal seafood stew until well into my trip. And in Avignon - pretty well inland! I had spent the day (me and my cold) in St. Remy looking for traces of Vincent van Gogh. There was a van Gogh Museum there. All the work was reproduced from the originals, very few of which remain in France, but it was interesting and lovely. I also found a wonderful market and before they closed down had time to snag some lovely fabrics and my fabulous linen apron, made from an old sack, which still serves me well. As I rode back to Avignon on the bus, the rain started (and continued for the next 4 days, washing out roads and causing big problems in some places). When the bus pulled into the walled city, it was nearly dark and pouring rain. An outdoor café under canopies on the walking route to my tiny hotel was serving dinner, and my food arrived in several deliveries while I sat close to the ubiquitous outdoor heater. As the meal arrived, it looked so beautiful and luscious I did this painting. (I think I sneaked a few bites as I worked.)

MiniPortfolio from Provence

April 13
I am preparing for a May exhibit at the Left Bank Cafe in Saranac Lake of the watercolor sketches I made while traveling in Provence quite a few years ago.

After I finished scanning most of my paintings, I wanted to keep track of them. I also wanted to make a little flag book, after being inspired by my students' little books last week. Sometimes great ideas collide!

The Holiday Flurry

Here it is December already! There is a dusting of snow this morning, with more on the way tomorrow. I love the earliest of the snow falls, transforming the landscape.

The Big Holiday Celebration is beginning here in Saranac Lake - art openings, The Nutcracker, school chorus performances, craft fairs, little and big parties. I am involved in three of them this weekend - an opening at NorthWind Fine Arts on Friday evening (from 5 - 7 PM: a collaboration with The Left Bank Cafe, right next door), the opening of the Big Little Show at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts on Saturday afternoon (1 - 3 PM), and the first Saturday (of two) of the Enchanted Christmas on Helen Hill. 

This morning, I was delighted to see that one of my "mountain collages" entered in the LPCA show was featured as the Artwork of the Day on North Country Public Radio's website. Here it is - a study in complementary colors, based on a view near the ADK Loj road outside of Lake Placid.

In the Mountaine - mixed media collage