My Hunter Gatherer

Song - La Vie en Rose by Louis Armstrong from the movie French Kiss

So Mr. B is at a conference for the next few days and although he will be missed, Mika and I are all set for some girl time!

It includes painting and music!

Current painting that's on my easel

Reading........

Current book on my nightstand

 .....and watching all of those "chick flicks" that Mr. B just can't bear to watch again.

I have a case of Diet Coke.......

Several bottles of fine wine.......

And leftover Chinese food......mmmm....

As well as my partner in crime.....

Now the question remains....can we fit it all in????



"Happiness is a warm puppy." --Charles M. Schulz

La Vie en Rose

Join me in the Cevannes where Robert Louis Stevenson rode his donkey, Modestine and wrote a book about the adventure......

 

Stopping for lunch, Mr. B had a fig tart and he also made a new friend....

 

 

 

His buddy had more tart crumbs on his nose than Mr. B got into his own mouth!

 

 

 

We stopped at Pont du Gard which is an old Roman aquaduct. It is so magnificent!

 

 

 

 

This is an ancient olive tree that Mr. B took a photo of me sitting in its shade about 15 years ago. It was planted in 908......

 

Yes, I said 908.... Compute that one!

 

 

 

We finally checked into our room at Avignon. Ahhh....air conditioning!

 

 

 

And a little glass Chateauneuf-du-Pape for me!

 

 

Then a scrumptious dinner in our hotel and early to bed!

 

 

 

In the morning we went to Mr. B's favorite cafe.

 

 

This is the funny waiter we have every time we have been here. He just cracks us up!

 

 

More cobblestone streets......with different stones. They are very rounded without many flat spots so you really have to watch where you are stepping!

 

I don't know how the young women around here do it with 5" heels!

 

 

 

Then I sat in the shade for awhile at a different cafe and sketched while Mr. B explored.

 

 

 

The Pope's Palace....

 

 

Pont Avignon that kept crumbling into the river. At one point it had 22 arches, now it only has 4.......

 

 

We had lunch in the park near this beautiful little statue.

 

 

 

When we returned to the square, the merry-go-round was lit up and running and ready for business!

 

 

 

There was a young woman in the square singing "La Vie en Rose", now I can't stop humming it!!!

 

Hold me close and hold me fast

This magic spell you cast

This is la vie en rose

When you kiss me, heaven sighs

And though I close my eyes

I see la vie en rose

When you press me to your heart

I'm in a world apart

A world where roses bloom

And when you speak, angels, sing from above

Everyday words seem

To turn into love songs

Give your heart and soul to me

And life will always be

La vie en rose

 

Written by Louis Armstrong

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Abstraction & Jazz

Song - Take Five by Dave Brubeck

Earlier this week I took a workshop in Orinda from Sandy Ostrau. She is an incredible artist from Palo Alto. 

Sandy painting a figure

As I seem to have hit a plateau with my painting and I needed to shake things up a little.

So I have been thinking lately that I would like to paint a little more abstractly and more impressionistically instead of being so "fussy".  You know the fussy thing I mean? It's when you paint everything down to the last minutiae so the viewer doesn't need to think about much.

Sandy's landscape demo

But when you paint more abstractly, the viewer knows it's a landscape or a figure but it is done in such rich colors and lovely form that the viewer becomes a participant.

One of my favorite figuratives of Sandy's done from the rendering below

Pretty amazing, huh?


Sandy had asked us to bring along several painted canvases that we would then paint over. I have lots of those!!!

Unfortunately, I don't have a "before" photo to share but trust me.....this was rendered fairly realistically but just didn't knock my socks off. But now it sings....not like Sandy's but hey.....it was my first attempt!

So at lunch we got to talking about how a lot of people just don't "get it", meaning abstract work.  People walk by and say "Oh my kid could do that!"  But amazingly it is difficult to break down all of the components into large, strong shapes!

I compared it to Jazz.  There is the kind of jazz that is melodic and you kind of know what's coming next.  But there are other kinds that I have trouble following.  I think abstract painting is kind of like that.  Some abstracts will blow your mind because you can't seem to get it (and maybe you are not supposed to!) and others you can follow and recognize as a landscape or a figure.  Somehow that feels a little more settling to me. 

Love this one of Sandy's as well!

It was a great workshop and I actually had fun playing with my paint!


Please check out Sandy's work here - www.sandyostrau.com

 
 "Ah, swing, well, we used to call it syncopation, then they called it ragtime, then blues, then jazz.  Now, it's swing.  White folks - you'all sho is a mess!"  --Louis Armstrong talking with Bing Crosby