I have to admit - I am loving the Lot Region of France. The first workshop has ended, the students have come and gone…and I’m basking in the warm glow of this friendly group! Many good friendships and memories were made and PAINTED! I’m so proud of these folks! Especially our Msr. Monet paintings (during our lesson on painting faces & capturing a likeness). I’m back in Toulouse after a few days in Provence, and I’m looking forward to the second group of students coming in tomorrow!! I can’t wait to meet them, I know we’ll have a good time. I’m especially looking forward to sharing ‘the secrets to watercolor sketchbook art…and traveling light’!! Here’s a run-down of our ten days of activity and lessons of our first session (which will be fairly similar to our second session):

1. Saturday - Arrive in Toulouse, settle into our chateau in Calvignac, preview of our materials, and talking about an artists’ mindset.

2. Sunday - Visited villages of Calvignac and Cajarc ( lessons: Secrets of Watercolor:

   Pigment to Water ratios; Atmospheric Perspective)

3. Monday - Pech Merle Caves (lessons: Jazzing up your Pages: Lettering and Page

   Design/Color Wheel; Mixing Colors/Mixing Lively Browns; Grays)

4. Tuesday - Full day out to Cordes Sur Ciel, Bleu Pastil shop (this is the place where this little old man creates a wonderful deep blue pigment from the woad plant….he and his wife sell various mediums, watercolor, pastel, oils, etc of blue paint made from this pigment. There are also other things besides artist materials, clothing and fabrics that were dyed in this color….for the dreamiest shades of blue you can imagine!)…okay - seriously - I’m looking forward to my second trip back there! The whole village is a great place for sketching, if you can stay out of all the rest of the shops!

5. Wednesday - Cahors Market in the morning, and picnic at the chateau due to rain (lessons: Mixing Greens and Lively Darks/Textures/Carrot People).

6. Thursday - Relaxing day at the chateau; champagne with Yves, the owner of our chateau; (lessons: Simplifying Architectural Perspectives/Meditation Mandala)

7. Friday - Full day out to Belcastel - Sketching at the cafe in the afternoon

8. Saturday - Visit to Chateau Cenevieres and tour with owner, Patrick;

   Sketching at Cenevieres - great place to practice wide vistas or other things directly on the grounds; Dinner out at L’Olio (Restaurant Vivant!) This place has wonderful views of Saint-Circ-Lapopie - and we watch it become illuminated during the evening as sun sets.

9. Sunday - Lesson at chateau and finishing up work (Transparent vs Opaque

   Colors; Soft Edges vs Hard Edges; Roses Simplified; Faces and capturing a likeness – Msr. Monet)

10. Monday - St Cirq la Popie, Artists’ Showcase and Last Dinner (Q&A Day; Celebrating our Successes).

11. Tuesday - Back to Toulouse Aeroporte/Cahors Train station

“Our battered suitcases were piled high on the sidewalk again; we

had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.”

-Jack Kerourac

I’m thrilled to meet this next group of painters coming in tomorrow, sharing this excitement all over again! I am one lucky lady to be able to share these lessons that have been so helpful to me in the past. Over the last two and a half decades of painting in watercolor and oils (and now in acrylics as well) I’ve noticed the ‘common denominators’ of art-making….and am teaching in a way that I wish that I had been taught. But that is a story for another day! I do hope you’ll follow along on my Facebook page, or Instagram - you’ll see more of our travels, and some short painting videos as well! Is this something that you’d like to be doing? Or do you know someone that would enjoy this, please share this blog post/website with them. I’d love for you to join us on our next ‘Traveling Light with Watercolors and Sketchbooks’ next year when we go to Tuscany. Here’s to Italy in 2020!!