Raining in Paris - Day 22

Song - Wish You Were Here by David Gilmour


This post is taken from my French travel journal and my trip through Southern France in April 2018.  For some reason my iPad and Blog were not communicating at the time so I was unable to write any posts. At home I am able to blog "post" travel! Thanks for joining me on the journey!

It was threatening to rain today so I figured that it would be a great day to spend indoors at the Musee d'Orsay but so did a thousand other people.......and this was the "no wait" line for those who already had a museum pass!

But once inside I was rewarded with beautiful art to warm my soul and stimulate my creative juices.....this is a detail from Le Pont d'Argenteuil by Monet.

Mary Cassatt's "Jeune femme cousant dans un jardin"....sigh....

And detail from Monet's "En norvegienne, dit aussi La Barque a Giverney".....enjoying the yummy colors in the sunshine!

Renoir's painting of "Jeune femme a la voilette".....just look at the softness of the veil covering her face.....

Close detail from Vincent Van Gogh's painting "Mademoiselle Gachet dans son jardin a Auvers-sur-Oise"

There is nothing like seeing the real deal - the colors and the brush strokes - there is energy here!

 "Les Roulettes, campement de bohemiens aux environs d 'Arles" also by Van Gogh

And beautiful detail from Edouard Vuillard's  "Le dejeuner en famille"

Garish and amazing quick gesture drawing by Toulouse-Lautrec painted on pieced canvases - once again you can just feel the energy radiating off the canvas.

And I will leave you with a sweet intimate moment in a detail from "Le bal de l'Opera" by Henri Gervex.

In the evening we dined at Le Recamier and enjoyed the best of souffles as well as fun waiters! Mr. B's first time there.....can you tell that he loved it?

"Art enables us to find ourselves 

and lose ourselves at the same time."  

--Thomas Merton

PS - My apologies for misquoting John Lennon on yesterdays quote: 
It should of read "Yeah we all shine on, like the moon, and the stars and the sun."
Corrected by my brilliant and sweet husband Mr. B!

Heading to SFO

Song - Minor Swing by Django Reinhardt & Stephane Grappelli

If you happen to be flying with United in the next few months take a peek at the Collector pop-up  store in the newly remodeled Terminal 3, post-security Boarding Area E (United Airlines)

Three of my paintings are heading over there for a few months.

 

 

 French Waiters #7

 French Waiters #5

 

French Waiters #2

 

 

 

Please drop by and let them know that Jeanette sent you!

Where ever you are headed - Bonne journee!

 

"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time." -- Thomas Merton

I'm Back in the Saddle Again

Song - "Back in The Saddle Again"

I am heading to San Luis Obispo to spend a few days with my son Jon to celebrate his upcoming birthday.  He will be 26 on the 28th of February - Yipes!  Just when did he grow up so quickly?

But before I leave, I wanted to ponder how funny people are.....well, I guess....me.  I want to ponder how funny I am (at times).

I am painting again after spending the last few weeks "crafting".



I found all sorts of important things to make and do.  Origami hearts for book marks, button wreaths that are heart shaped, cards made from stamps, a new greeting card insert, fake Lily of the Valley glued onto wire to hang from the door, a new playlist of songs for Mr. B's new car, etc.

From "A Life Reclaimed"

All of which were kind of fun to create but not very useful or fulfilling. 

After spending some time licking my wounds (a recent tough commission), I began to paint and grow and learn.  Now after being thrown by that horse, I have dusted off my jeans and am back in the saddle again!

I have signed up for a workshop with Peggi Kroll Roberts next month.  She does incredible, fun figurative work.

Peggi Kroll Roberts

Peggi's YouTube Video

Jeanette Le Grue

And I am still heading over to Tomales every Friday morning to paint still life and learn from the very talented Jeanette Le Grue.









But my main support is a little group of painters (Bay Area Studio Artists) that I paint with every Thursday and my mentor Marcy Wheeler who had guided me on a journey of finding my voice though my painting.

Marcy Wheeler Self Portrait

Marcy in Yosemite

I also have two fellow artists who get together at my home most Wednesdays.  We take turns setting up a weekly still life.  Someone brings a bottle of wine and there is always some great chocolate. We visit and paint and laugh.....isn't laughter just wonderful?  Thank you Wanda Kemper and Kistler Osborne for bringing sunshine into my life every week.

Wanda Kemper

Kistler Osborne

Please check out all of these wonderful, talented artists!

YeeHaw.....r o a d   t r i p !

 "Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time."  -- Thomas Merton

One Little Word for 2012

In January of 2011 I chose a word to integrate into my life and that word was "intention". 

I loved having a single word that I could chew on and spit out, keep it in my pocket and ponder over. 

It is very different than making a New Year's resolution.  You don't HAVE to do anything.  But you end up wanting to make subtle changes.  That's why OLW works for me! 

Over the last few months I have been "trying on" several different words for the upcoming year. 

A few weeks ago the word "simplify" felt like it was my word. 

Mr. B and I tend to hold onto everything we ever owned and I don't even think we have been able to walk through the garage in over a year. 

Well, several of our boys have moved back in and out and back in again.  They also use the garage for storage of things they don't need right now. (Boy's if you are reading this, you better come over soon and clear out your things before I get out the Bobcat!)

OK - That's another whole story.  Moving on.........



I loved everything about the aspect of "simplify". 

But then three day's ago another word popped into my soul and I knew it would be my new word for 2012.

B A L A N C E.......

It's where I am at in so many aspects of my life. 

Physical............

Mental................

Emotional................

Spiritual..............

Financial.....................

Social............

Ellen in Monterey

I have always tended to be a black & white sort of person. 

You know, hard to see the gray areas - of which there are so many!  

It's either life or death ........hey - there's a lot of gray in between there!

Yes or no.....how about "I'll think about it"? 

Clean or dirty, open or closed, happy or sad.
Friend or enemy.
On or off, up or down.
Well, you get the picture. 

Life has so many beautiful, gorgeous gray's.....

Try to look for the lovely gray's in your life.  Just for today!

"Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony. " --Thomas Merton