Niagara

On Friday,morning, we had our first attraction.
At 9 AM at a little airport,5 mn drive from our B&B,we met Keith, the pilot of a Cessna 180, a small 4 seat plane, for a 30mn flight over the Falls and the canal system.
It was an awsome experience, without turbulence, with a very soft landing.
After that, we drove to the Botanical and Butterfly Garden, where we could park and take the "people Mover" ( 'shuttle), which stops conveniently at each site.
1-The Maid of the Mist was a very wet and exhalirating boat trip, where we had to put yellow plastic coats, as I had seen in the old movie Niagara , with Marylin Monroe, which I much enjoyed.
This was followed byd White Water Walk, wich boardered the forde 6 rapids, was very impressive.
And then, the Tunnel under the Falls, where tons of water tumbled down just in front of our noses.

from Bordeaux to Niagara

Quelques cercles, Kandisky, 1926

From Beaubourg, a view on the roofs of Paris

As I'd said, no painting for the moment, because we have left our home almost a week now.
We spent 2 days in Paris, with the exhibition Kandisky, at Beaubourg Center, which I enjoyed a lot.
Until now I was completely ignorant of his painting, I was not attracted by it, and it was a very interesting discovery.
On Tuesday we took an Air Transat plane to Toronto, where we spent 2 days at Alan"s brother. It was very hot there,and there was suddenly a furious shower on Tuesday afternoon, before we took a car to go to Niagara On The Lake which is a wonderful little town.
Today, this Friday, at 9 am was the visit to Niagara Falls, that begun with a small 4 seats plane for 30mn ,(luckily, it was before a shower) then the White Water Walk,with some slippery wood stairs, and obviously the Maid of the Mist , on a boat as in Niagara's movie ,with plastic raincoats, because it was very wet!
I took a lot of pictures, I hope it will inspire me for future paintings!
Tomorrow we will leave our lovely B&B to come back to Toronto for taking the train to Winnipeg, which will take 2 nights and 1 day!
It will be a nice experiment, we"ll have a comfortable accomodation, and we like long trips, by train or boat!
So, see you soon!

Le Golfe de Marseille

acrylic on board 7,5X9,5


I painted this seascape for the Following the Masters third challenge.
It is after Le golfe de Marseille vu de l'Estaque by Cézanne, about 1885, in the post-impressionnist period.The original can be seen at New York City, at the Metropolitan Museum.
I like Cézanne's painting, which shows us the Provence's light and the stone's heat with the ochers and blues. At l'Estaque he said"I want to make the perspective by color alone".
I enjoyed working on it, maybe I should have gone on ,but there was the deadline!

THE BIG DEPARTURE

We are packing!


gouache 9,5x12

A week to wait...We are leaving home to go to the Lake of The Woods, Ontario, Canada, for nearly 3 months.I am not sure we'll be able to be connected on Internet, we'll see on situ, so it'll be the surprise!

After the rain

For several days it has been raining
, and it is dirty before the house.
There was a door there, until this year, and we walled it, because it was useless.
It is the place where I 'd like to put the trompe l'oeil, representing the sculpture Flora, but I have to wait the fall to finish it.

Vegetables

Acrylic on plywood 6X7

This was my participation on DSFDF this week;I had some difficulties with the upper tomato, which looks like a cherry, or an apple, but it was pleasant to paint this subject.

FLORE (in progress)

Back from our nice trip(in fact the castle was even better than expected), I began, inspired by an earlier challenge of DSFDF, this painting of a sculpture of Flora, the goddess of flowers and gardens.
For me it is quite a big one , 15x31 inches, on MDF and the purpose is to put it in an empty alcove in my garden.
I suppose it won't keep this green colour, I'd like to find the colour of old stone, with some greenish stains.And the difficulty is on her right arm.
Apparently it is a shotcut, but it looks like a stump, or that it has been broken.I am wondering what to do with that.Have I to do the same, or imagine a complete hand?

Tennessus castle

No painting for several days, we are packing and will spend the next night(in the Lord's chamber) in this medieval castle not far from Poitiers, which is in fact a lovely bed and breakfast;
it was a gift from my son Nicolas, for my last birthday.
After that we'll go on towards the Dordogne, to Sarlat, which is a very nice little city in the Perigord.
So I am sure we will enjoy those short holidays , even if apparently, it will be raining!

HAPPY TO BE THERE!

Acrylic on wood 8x16
in progress , or in process?

This girl has been on my easel for a while, I changed a little her face, but she needs more improvments.

detail

she doesn't seem to have any special worry,(see here) as I do!

rush hour

Acrylic on panel 8X9

This is my version of Madison Avenue,New York City, last challenge of DSFDF.

I went just for once to NYC, in March, 1990, and it was chilly, the same kind of weather they had for this picture, I suppose.

It is my first cityscape, and expected it would be hard to have the buildings straight!And it is!

So, I thought afterwards it was wiser to crop

the sky...

Diana

acrylic on plywood 9x15

this is the latest challenge of Karin Jurick's Different Strokes From Different Folks blog.
She provided the picture of the marble statue of "a companion of Diana".
Diana was the goddess of the hunt and the moon, and daughter of Jupiter and Latona.
It was the 1st time I had the opportunity to paint a statue, I enjoyed it, and gave me the idea to paint another biggest one to put in a nude alcove we have in our garden...

Spring

12x16, acrylic on canvas

This is my 1st attempt for the april challenge Following The Masters set up by Michelle Burnett.
The original painting is by JW Waterhouse.
I was very attracted by this painting, the subject was delicate and rich in colour.I was very pleased to paint it, even if I had worries with the feet, it was the first time I had to do that, well, it is an opportunity, isn't?

WINE FESTIVAL

Today we went to the first wine festival of the year in Blaye, the little city in the neighbourhood.

It was a sunny day, with a sky absolutely cobalt blue , the temperature about 21° .

There were a lot of wine-tasting sessions everywhere, big tables outside , where everyone could sit down ,eat, drink, meet new people, it was funny, it is the country!

When In the middle of the afternoon we came back home,we were glad to find several sailing boats on the river, in front of the house, towards Bordeaux, and enjoyed the remains of the day in the garden.

Well, of course, at that precise moment, the clouds arrive, but did not stay!

I painted only this morning, after “Narcissus” from JW Waterhouse.

SPRING

I
I begun this drawing this morning, in fact it is a first sketch before painting, if I'll be able to.
I discovered this project on Michelle Burnett's blog, http://followingthemasters.blogspot.com who made me the honour to become my 2nd follower;
I am very proud, because she is a very talentuous artist, I used to go often on her blog.
By the way, I changed the title of my blog, because my eyes 've been operated 2 days ago;(cataract)
for the moment I haven't my short vision, so it is hard to write and read , but I have to be patient.
Maybe, my world'perception is going to change, who knows?

SUMMER HOLIDAYS

It was the last Dsfdf challenge, and it was a pleasure to paint this, in winter!