Ah, the lavender fields of Provence! Ink & watercolor in a handmade 6″ x 8″ sketchbook with 140 lb. Kilimanjaro paper They really are pretty as a picture. The colors, the fragrance, and the beauty of it all are simply unforgettable! During our first sketching session in Saint Remy, my students and I spread out around […]
Category: France
France Sketchbook – Day 5 – Saint Paul de Mausole Monastery
Two-page spread, ink & watercolor in a 6″ x 8″ handmade hardbound sketchbook filled with Kilimanjaro 140 lb. watercolor paper When I woke up that first morning in Provence, I didn’t know what the day would hold, but the sun was shining, the cicadas were buzzing, the lavender was blooming, and all was right with […]
France Sketchbook – Day 4 – Provence
After three days in Paris, we were finally heading for Provence! We all met our tour director, Jackie (from French Escapade) and her assistant, Marie, at the train station in Avignon. It was a relief to finally turn over all the decision-making to someone else! I knew they would have things well in hand, but […]
France Sketchbook – Day 3 – Versailles (continued)
I spent ten wonderful days in France last summer, and I’ve been working off and on to finish up my travel journal from the trip ever since then. I posted my sketches from Paris right after the trip but never got around to posting anything from my time in Provence. I’ve been loving working on […]
France Sketchbook – Day 3 – Versailles
The palace of Versailles began in the early 17th century as a modest hunting camp for King Louis VIII, but around 1661 King Louis XIV decided it just wasn’t quite enough for him. He embarked upon a period of expansion that lasted 33 years, making Versailles the world’s largest royal domain. 6″ x 8″, ink […]
France Sketchbook – Paris Edibles
Summer does get busy, doesn’t it? We were away at the beach in Oak Island, NC, last week, and I barely had time to get the laundry done before I had to start getting ready for a two-day “Sketch It Now” workshop here at Summerhill this weekend. Then on Tuesday I’ll be flying off to […]
France Sketchbook – Eiffel Tower Step-by-Step Watercolor Tutorial
Here’s the tutorial I promised you about how I painted the sketch of the Eiffel Tower that I did on location in Paris… I had sketched the tower lightly with pencil first to give myself a guide to follow. I was careful to use a center line, which helped me to keep it straight and […]
France Sketchbook – Day 2 – Paris (continued)
(Read part I of Day 2 here.) After we left the Tuileries, we hopped on the bus and began to make our way to the Eiffel Tower. I wanted to see it up close and maybe do a little sketching, but the traffic in Paris that day was even worse than usual. There were all […]
France Sketchbook – Day 2 – Paris
6″ x 8″, ink & watercolor on 140 lb. Kilimanjaro watercolor paper On Day 2 of our Paris visit, we were feeling pretty energetic, since we had gotten a good night’s sleep and were recovering from the time change. My friend, Karen, who was coming to the workshop in Provence, was in Paris, so she […]
France Sketchbook – Day 1
Hello out there! It’s been so long since I’ve checked in here that you might have been wondering if I got lost in Paris and never made it home. 🙂 No such luck. (Just kidding, Fred!) I’m back home safe and sound, just catching up on things and taking some time to relax with the […]
