Michelle's Thoughts and Scribbles

Rounded forms in still life

2012-01-26T08:25:00.000-08:00

A thought occurred to me as I was painting the other day that rounded forms in a still life create the greatest opportunity for the illusion of depth on a 2D surface. The photos were taken in various museums, I apologize for not having names for the first two paintings but the last was painted by Chardin.

In this detail of a floral the roses are very important in establishing the illusion of 3 dimensions.

Inspiration

2012-01-22T13:31:00.000-08:00

I picked up some new fabric to use as backgrounds for my still life set ups. There are some gorgeous prints out there!

The problem with melting snow

2012-01-20T15:27:00.000-08:00

What happens to 14" of snow when the temperature suddenly rises above freezing and it starts to rain? Lots of WATER. I was working away in my studio when the sounds of splashing water begins to interfere with my concentration. "What the heck is that?!" Outside the window I can see water streaming down from the eaves of the house into the window well of the daylight basement. YIKES!!! The gutters are plugged with ice. So what's a girl to do? Hubby is somewhere in Boston, so that handyman is not available, and since my 20 year old son is not the outdoorsy type, we both must tackle this one together. Using a ladder, hand trowel, some heavy duty tin foil, twisty ties and an aluminum venting pipe we are able to clear most of the ice out of the downspouts and divert the running water away from the house. Thus avoiding (hopefully) a flooded basement. All in a days work.

Lots of time in the studio

2012-01-19T19:02:00.000-08:00

Recently I made the decision to cut back on teaching and spend more time in the studio. So far it's going very well. The goal is a minimum of 30 hours of painting a week. In addition there will be about 5 hours a week marketing etc. I'll still put in a full day teaching but that is a good thing, it gets me out of the house and among other human beings.

Arts Umbrella classes cancelled

2012-01-17T18:53:00.000-08:00

Well... as you can see, it's still snowing. So no classes tomorrow.

and MORE PAINTING!!!

It's funny but the more I paint the more ideas I get and the easier it gets...

good day for painting

2012-01-16T17:01:00.000-08:00

It was a perfect day for painting! Cold and quiet outside, warm and comfortable inside.

The painting in progress is a still life of the bouquet of roses my hubby gave me yesterday. I was having one of those days... He sure knows how to cheer a girl up! They really brightened my day and inspired a new painting.

photos from the studio

2012-01-14T12:07:00.000-08:00

Here's some things you might see in my studio today if you came for a visit:

Still life objects

A set up for a painting

and a look out the window...

It's SNOWING!

On the easel

2012-01-11T10:42:00.000-08:00

These paintings are in progress (almost finished). The first two will be submitted for juried salons. The last one is undecided, I'm happy with parts of it but as a whole not quite as thrilled. We'll see.

Life is very good right now. I've cut back to one day of teaching and spend the rest of the work week in the studio painting. It's such a pleasure to finally commit to a full time schedule in the studio. I have to do it in 4 10's but that works well for me.

The week in Boston

2012-01-07T18:10:00.000-08:00

January 2 through the 6th I was able to tag along on my hubby's business trip to Boston. What a lovely town. Lots of historical buildings and the Museum of Fine Arts is stunning.

The Della Robia's were absolutely GORGEOUS!

A wonderful surprise was the public library which had some amazing murals and an entire room for the fine arts.

Can't wait to go back for more exploring.

Master Copies

2011-12-19T08:57:00.000-08:00

One of the best ways to practice painting is to make master copies. Copy to the best of your ability paintings created by artists you admire. The first two paintings below are just that. I find exceptional images on the Web Gallery of Art site www.wga.hu/ they are high resolution and great to work from.

The best part is hanging the results on your wall!

Happy Holidays

2011-12-04T16:18:00.001-08:00

Here's what is on the easel at the moment. I love what happens to the hydrangeas and japanese maple in the fall. Begs to be painted.

The portrait is a master copy I'm working on for practice. Really love these old tranquil paintings

And below is a nook near the fireplace in our living room dressed up for the holidays.

2011-11-22T06:35:00.001-08:00

These are some paintings that will hang in the smalls works show at Kaewyn Gallery during the holidays. Stop by and take a look.

Workshop with David Gray

2011-11-20T18:45:00.001-08:00

Took a workshop with David Gray this weekend hosted by WIFAS. It was fabulous! He's a genuinely great artist with a very straight forward approach. The key word was CHROMA. We looked at the quality of the chroma of colors in light and shadow. This will be a concept I need to really pay attention to.

David's demo

My paintings from the weekend

2011-10-30T08:30:00.000-07:00

In the studio last week:

One of my faithful studio pals

and a painting in progress...

2011-10-21T07:37:00.000-07:00

Photos from the trip to Calistoga, CA for the OPA show. What fun!

Now it's time to get back to work and create!

2011-10-02T10:29:00.000-07:00

Images taken at our latest POBL retreat in the Mt. Rainier area. It's always such an amazing event; beautiful scenery, delicious food, and extraordinary artists/friends!!!

Already looking forward to next year...

Happy to be back...

2011-09-21T07:20:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I posted last so I'll spend a few minutes and catch everyone up on what's up.

Summer was wonderful! A bit rainy in the beginning but the beautiful fall is making up for it.

The painting with the old drill was accepted to the Western Regional Oil Painters of America Juried Show in Calistoga California and will be on display at the Lee Youngmans Gallery beginning October 8th.

My daughter Ellie moves into the dorm on Thursday at the University of Washington and will be on their women's crew team. She is very excited.

The lower three painting will be in the Matzke Fine Art Gallery on Camano Island in their upcoming invitational show "The Show Must Go On". It looks to be a pretty amazing show and opens October 8th.

I hope to get back to posting on a more regular basis and apologize for the sluggish posting lately!

Cheers,

Michelle

Studio Sale!!!

2011-07-27T12:13:00.000-07:00

Well it's been a while. Spring and early summer was very busy with my daughter graduating.

Now it's time for my big studio sale, it's this Sunday, July 31st, at the Arts Umbrella, Country Village Bothell. There will be over 150 paintings for sale. Come by and check it out

Just off the easel

2011-05-11T07:39:00.000-07:00

It's SPRING so the flowers are running riot in the garden. I could spend all day just painting blossoms. This subject matter is challenging due to the fact that the minute you start painting the flowers move constantly, very slowly but markedly. So I paint from life until they wilt then refer to photos to finish up.

Hot off the easel

2011-04-23T19:49:00.000-07:00

Here are a few new paintings, the 2nd and 3rd are to be entered into a local juried show. My fingers are crossed.

The next challenge is coming up with some new compositions with a little more depth and story. I'd like to enter the Art Renewal Centers annual Salon for 2012 so I need to design a little more sophisticated composition.

The last two photos are from my garden, we had a glorious sunny day!

2011-04-19T06:36:00.000-07:00

Here's what's on the easel at the moment. I'm having so much fun working with bright colors. Thinking SPRING!!!

The goal these days is to push past good enough and really work towards amazing. Which means slowing down a bit more and really checking that everything is thought through, ie color relationships, edges, values, composition and story.

Images from our retreat

2011-04-04T19:24:00.000-07:00

Images from our POBL retreat in March. The portrait is baby Andrew... he's a delight!

The new digs...

2011-03-18T06:56:00.000-07:00

Just in time for spring, I'm back in the studio. The new improved version! Hooray! There are a few things to finish up, but for the most part we're back in business. AND now that it's spring there is inspiration popping up everywhere.

Obstacle course of life...

2011-02-21T09:16:00.000-08:00

Ok, so the last time I posted I was very excited after cleaning and rearranging my studio, ready for a fresh start.

Then as the saying goes "s_ _ t happened" and the water heater in the room next to the studio decided it would give up the ghost and flood half the studio floor.

Well... my hubby and I had been discussing the update of the downstairs for years. Since the carpet had to be pulled up anyway we decided to jump in!

Now the studio looks like this...

So, no work is getting done with canvas and brush, instead I use a roller, brush, blue tape, gallons of latex paint, and laminate flooring. Just when you think it's smooth sailing, life steps in to remind you of chaos theory. At first it's really stressful and frustrating, but if you can hang in there new possibilities appear and something good comes out of it. (Not without a lot of bitching and complaining I must admit)

Spring is coming and I am thinking of friends and family out there wishing them beautiful days and new possibilities.

Fresh start...

2011-02-04T10:37:00.000-08:00

The show is up at Kaewyn! We had a lovely opening. Now it's time to start thinking about what comes next. At first I thought I'd go a whole new direction but after some time realized I want to continue with the same themes. So it's full steam ahead. The studio is clean and ready, I have a whole new bolt of pre-primed canvas. There's inspiration at every turn!

Two more weeks...

2011-01-13T13:48:00.000-08:00

Here I am working away! This is where you'll find me if I'm not eating, sleeping or teaching. Come February I will be taking a lot of field trips! Cabin fever is starting to set in.

Happy New Year!!!

2011-01-01T22:09:00.000-08:00

Hope you are having a wonderful 1st day of the new year.

Happy Holidays!!!

2010-12-23T16:29:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all love, laughter and lightness of heart for this holiday season and the new year to come.

Update, finally!

2010-12-18T09:10:00.000-08:00

Here are some works on the easel waiting to be finished up for the Feb. show at Kaewyn. The plan is to have 30 new works finished and framed by the last week in January.

Wish me luck!

Visit the Small Works show at Kaewyn Gallery, Bothell

2010-11-24T09:35:00.000-08:00

Come see my paintings at the Kaewyn small works show. Go on and check them out as well as all the great art in the gallery!

2010-11-17T11:43:00.000-08:00

These are some of the paintings in progress on my easel. I wish I had an extra couple of months to paint before this show... as it's not the case, I'm heading back down to the studio!

Locked in the studio

2010-11-02T15:37:00.001-07:00

If I don't post for a while it's because I've locked myself in the studio for the next three months in order to finish paintings in time for my show in Feb!

Sarahs Tree

2010-10-14T06:56:00.000-07:00

Hooray! Finished and delivered! Sarah seems happy with the results so I am very happy!!!

Maryhill Art Museum

2010-10-12T06:14:00.000-07:00

I spent the weekend in The Dalles, OR attending an auction to benefit The Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Wasco County Museum (which is a lovely place to visit). On my way home on Sunday I stopped at the Maryhill Art Museum and was pleasantly surprised at the wonderful art they had on display.

On the easel

2010-10-06T19:39:00.000-07:00

Getting very close to finishing these three. Then moving on to some lighter pieces. Tomorrow I get to spend most of the day in the studio, really looking forward to it.

On the drawing board and easel...

2010-09-29T07:40:00.000-07:00

I feel like I finally hit my stride! There's no knowing what finally kicked into gear but I'm feeling it!

The drawings are coming together. It's been really interesting working on these, especially the first one. The camera distorts the angles and perspective so I have to correct the distortions using my shaky knowledge of linear perspective and memory. I'm debating weather to keep them as line only or add value. Once they're finished I'll take them to Kinkos to have them enlarged so I can transfer them to canvas.

Uffizi in Florence, Italy

View from the castle in Beynac, France

Castle in Amboise, France

Can you tell by my color choices that I LOVE autumn? There's something about the changing colors and cool air that inspires me.

My Ellie, closer to getting the likeness...

More works in progress...

2010-09-20T19:57:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite time of year! The farmers marker is full of beautiful fruits and vegetables and the air is crisp and clear.

Inspiration

2010-09-17T06:30:00.000-07:00

I take my camera with me as often as possible. It doesn't seem to matter where I go, there is always a glimpse of beauty or a spark of a story. The top photo is from the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan. In the museum complex there is the most amazing village which celebrates american history. This image is taken in the general store. I could have spent hours in there! Below that is one of our furry friends who lives under the cabin where we go for our retreat. He was very fat and sleepy. Ready for fall. The painting is from a farm I found on Whidbey Island. It was tucked up against a hill.

back again and works in progress

2010-09-15T14:31:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a week long retreat with my POBL buddies. It was wonderful!!! The woods next to the cabin are so gorgeous. Now it's time to dive in and get lots of painting done. The paintings below are in progress and headed for my show in February.

It's been a long day...

2010-08-26T17:36:00.000-07:00

I spent the day as an assistant in a portrait painting workshop, so when I came home I was too tired to cook. My son who is 19 was hanging out with a bunch of buddies playing video games, they are now in the kitchen attempting to cook beef bourguignon, cool huh!!!

I love my kids!!!

2010-08-22T09:59:00.000-07:00

Inspiration for new still lifes found on a date with my hubby, we spent the afternoon on Capital Hill in Seattle having lunch, coffee, ice cream and treasure hunting!!! Very fun. In the studio I've been working on the arrangement of furniture to better use the natural lighting and enable me to work on multiple still lifes set ups at a time. I'm especially happy having discovered using my extra easel for my palette, this ensures my palette and painting are receiving the same amount of light which makes color mixing more precise. The toy painting is finished but the floral is only about 1/2 way there.

Inspiration from Nature

2010-08-19T12:34:00.001-07:00

I was out at sunset in the yard and the Japenese Maple was on fire!!!

On the easel

2010-08-17T07:10:00.000-07:00

These are all works in progress. My biggest challenge these days is choosing content and composition. As an example the sea themed still life has a big space on the left that is empty and needs to be broken up. Seeing the paintings in this format helps to identify the problems. Actually the Oz painting has the same problem on the right side...

Hot around here!

2010-08-16T07:12:00.000-07:00

It's HOT HOT HOT! Just got back from camping and will be working furiously in the studio.

Works in progress

2010-08-04T17:49:00.000-07:00

These images are drawings for my upcoming show in Feb. The figures will be completed and framed as is. The architectural drawing are preliminaries for paintings. I'm doing fairly detailed line drawings which I'll have enlarged at Kinkos then transfer to canvases.

Busy Month!

2010-08-01T15:03:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts this month. My computer died and I have to load up photos on a different computer. Come back in a week and I'll be up and running again!

Progress

2010-07-11T06:09:00.000-07:00

Here's what's on the easel. Paintings number 2 and 3 are finished but the first one is not there yet. Today I hope to finish the tree painting for my friend Sarah, who has been incredibly patient waiting for it.

This week coming up I will be teaching my youth art camps at the Arts Umbrella. In the morning will be "Mini Michaelangelos" and the afternoon "Bugs and Blooms". These camps are such fun, they're geared towards kids 5 to 9 years old, which means lots of enthusiasm and charm!

4th of July in Bothell

2010-07-05T07:32:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few fun shots from our main street parade. Perfect weather, overcast and cool! No blistering hot sun! Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.

Progress and something new

2010-07-03T07:58:00.000-07:00

The top two images are new and in progress. The first is in need of something to break up the forground, not quite sure what but it will come to me. It's about 60% finished, a bit of a ways to go still. The second painting is at the very beginning stages. I'm excited to see how this one turns out. The last two you've seen before and they are almost complete, some tweaking here and there.

LiveARTS Bothell

2010-06-27T21:36:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the highlights from the 2010 Bothell Art Fair. We had great fun in the kids corner. There is something magical in the look kids get when they are painting, especially when they figure out how to mix colors.

Country Village Bothell

2010-06-23T08:44:00.000-07:00

I teach art classes at the Arts Umbrella which is located in the Country Village in Bothell. It's a great time of year to visit the village, there are flowers everywhere, not to mention chickens and ducks! There are lots of cool shops and cafes. My favorites are the Well Dressed Home, Papa's Place (for the cookies) and Town Hall Antique Mall. Friday is the farmers market, flowers, produce, crafts, it's great. Can you tell why I love to take my camera to work!

Drawings

2010-06-20T20:59:00.000-07:00

These are works in progress for a series of drawings based on sculptures in France and Italy. They will be in my February show.

Stormy weather

2010-06-20T08:05:00.000-07:00

Life is a bit like a little boat on a stormy sea right now. But calm weather is coming so I'm hanging on tight to the oars in the meantime. I'll post more in a couple of days.

Juggling once again!

2010-06-08T07:11:00.000-07:00

We're on the final stretch of the school year, finals for Ellie and finishing up art classes, prepping for summer art camps, Bothell Art Fair Preview Party Decor and Kids Corner, studio time and poor quality housekeeping for me. YIKES!!! Have I mentioned (about a million times) I don't juggle well.

These are all works in progress. My show in February will have a drawing component based on the sculptures I saw on my trip. It's lovely to work in pencil!

Messages to Loved Ones: Mom and Dad, I'm so glad Mom is feeling better, keep up the good work! Uncle Doug, sorry for flaking out on communication, this week was CRAZY, I have a painting for you of the valley and Mt Rainier that would be perfect I think, it's framed and everything. I'll shoot a photo off to you in the next couple of days via email so you can say yay or nay. Nana, are you getting as tired of the rain as I am? My garden looks like a jungle!
Love to all!

On the easel, stuff in the studio, and a new message section...

2010-05-29T07:29:00.000-07:00

We are in one our rainy stretches here in the NW, nothing new there. But after a week or two I start longing for some sun. The upside is my garden is practically bursting, the flowers are blooming and everything looks incredibly healthy.

Here's some food for thought;

The older I get the more excited I am by discovering new skills and insights in art and life. As with the rain there is a bit of a downer that comes with that. I see things much more clearly than I ever have, including my own short comings. This is good because the goal is to make this the best life possible, so if facing my own misconceptions and flaws is part of that so be it.
With that in mind, I have discovered I am a hermit at heart and a horrible correspondant. I think about the people I love all the time, the ones whom I see in my daily life know this. Unfortunately the ones that are far away don't. So I decided to add a new component to this blog. Brief messages to loved ones at the bottom of the post.

Mom and Dad; hope you are feeling better Mom and that the cough is going away. Did you find any cool info about metal clay Dad?

Leon and Joan, Soak up some sun for us. How is the garden growing at this time

of year?

Brian and Teresa, is it horse riding season up there yet? Do you still have snow?

Nana, I thought of you on my trip, wondering if you had seen some of the things I was seeing. How brave of you to be such a world travelor. No easy thing!

Omie, hope you are well. Thinking of you.

Aunt Jean, hope you are well. Thanks so much for coming up for my show.

Aunt Cherie, how goes the house remodeling? Does the rain slow you down, or are you mostly inside?

Aunts, Uncles and Cousins in CA, thinking of you all. I get frequent grins thinking about the Christmas parties we had back in the day.
Aunts, Uncles and Cousins in OR, is it raining there too? Do you know one thing I realized on my trip was how lucky we are to live in such beautiful places (Oregon, Washington, California).

And because this post will grow to big for anyone to read, let me just say these people in are in thoughts daily, Vanessa, Jen, Don, Tracey, Phil and Karen, Big Sam and Peter, Rich, DJ and Ryan.

On the easel

2010-05-27T06:53:00.000-07:00

Painting is going well! Thanks to a really wet spring, I'm spending a good amount of time in the studio. In fact the balancing act is not doing so well. My house needs a serious spring cleaning and my yard has gone wild. YIKES!!!

progress

2010-05-20T06:56:00.000-07:00

In full swing now...
It's nasty weather out so it's great incentive to keep at it!

Completed Projects

2010-05-18T20:05:00.000-07:00

It's been a little slow going to get back into the groove of painting. There are too many new images in my head. Feeling a little stuck, I headed for the garden, a tried and true inspiration. Starting with something from the garden allows me to jump right in without too much thought. The toy painting is titled "No Way, You Do It!"

On the easel

2010-05-16T07:54:00.000-07:00

My garden is going crazy at this time of year so I paint the blooms! The challenge to this painting is the upper left corner. The flower effectively creates a line that's hard to ignore so... I'm working on dropping it back into shadow and see if that solves the problem.

I find it hard to sit and do nothing so in the morning I often sketch. The goal lately is to refine the pencil strokes so that are not haphazard and describe the way the form turns.

Here's something to think about...

My boy is 19 this month and struggles with finding his way. He started at University in the fall and was so homesick we brought him home. The plan is for him to start at community college in the fall then transition later to university. In the meantime he has been job hunting and has had some rough days. Just last week he found a job and his whole demeanor changed. There is a smile on his face and his step is lighter. But the best part of all happened yesterday when he came to me with a very satisfied grin and said he was having a creative burst and had written much of the plot for a story. He wants to be a writer someday...
As an artist I understand how much your daily life affects creativity so the news that he felt inspired was WONDERFUL to hear!

Works in progress

2010-05-12T07:08:00.000-07:00

I've begun to choose photos from the trip to use as inspiration for paintings. The first is an interior view of Da Vinci's last home. It has the feeling of a Vermeer, the lighting and intimate interior view. The perspective drawing helps me understand the space when I start painting. Its much easier to paint light and shadow if you have a good understanding the all of the plane changes.

The second photo is taken outside the Louvre. The light and shadow are not as dramatic so this painting will be more about color and design.

Pinocchio in progress, composition has been tweaked and the design less complicated than the Cinderella piece.

Romance vs Reality, and what's on the easel

2010-05-10T06:57:00.000-07:00

Ideas are starting to come to me after thinking about my show coming up in February. One of the major themes that kept popping up on my trip was how to reconcile the romance of beauty and darker side of reality. We see it everyday, the world doesn't exist without opposites, and there is a danger in seeing only one or the other. This is the theme that keeps presenting itself, so this will be the focus of my show (if I can pull it off).

Thoughts for the day

2010-05-08T06:56:00.000-07:00

Here's the question; how do I take what I learned on my trip and apply it to daily life here at home. Partial answer;

Keep your eyes open and see how beautiful the world is, and consequently accept the ugly aspects and try to understand their origin and function. In a nut shell take the good with the bad.

We choose how we will respond to our situation and that will dictate how we experience this life we have.

On a more practical note; walk walk walk. It helps clear your mind and relaxes the body.

This will sound trite and preachy but this is an image that sticks in my mind;
Be the little engine that could! I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. Feel the exhiliration as you climb the mountain and celebrate your arrival. Oh and be prepared there is never just one mountain.

Figure drawing friday. Nice to get back to it!

Seriously Outstanding Art

2010-05-07T06:36:00.000-07:00

If you want to see contemporary realist art that has a touch of old master magic visit http://www.artrenewal.org/ annd check out the 2009/2010 salon winners and finalists. I submitted the painting below. I am proud of this painting but after viewing the competition I understand to be accepted into this show I'm going to have to step up my game!

After being home a week now, the images and adventures are starting to purcolate in my mind. I can't articulate the outcome at this point but I feel it sizzling in the back of my brain!

On the easel

2010-05-06T18:27:00.000-07:00

This is a painting I've been working on for quite a while. It's based loosely on the cinderella story. It's about 90% finished still some tweaking here and there. I'm considering painting out the squirrel/pine come sculpture to the left of the teapot. The second image is a photoshop rough version of what it would look like with the change. I actually like the second version better. What do you think?

The last image is a more light hearted subject the title is "No Way, You Do It!" Kind of fun huh.

First day back

2010-05-03T19:15:00.000-07:00

Today was my first day back teaching. It was wonderful to see the kids after such a long time away. There is something so completely satisfying about watching the kids create, interact with one another, and smile when they are pleased with their work. We designed our own greek style images today, pretty cool to see what they come up with.

This morning I sat at my easel and worked on finishing touches for a pretty complicated still life. I love this stage because it means I get to start setting up the next one.

I have nine months to complete enough paintings for my show in February. The ideas are coming pretty easily so that's a relief.

What's next?

2010-05-02T06:14:00.000-07:00

When I arrived home on Friday my brain was so fuzzy I was in a daze. But this morning I feel fully awake and ready to start new.

My hubby and I were taking our walk yesterday and the subject of how the experiences of traveling will change my art. My answer was, "I don't know yet" and that's the truth. The answer is there I can feel it but can't quite grasp it yet. One thing is quite clear to me though, work that was done with love, passion, skill, and patience is amazing to see. I see it in the great masters work but I also see it in everyday labors, bread making, house building, clothes design, you name it it's out there. If there is anything I learned on this trip is the importance in carrying on with the creation of beautiful work, in art but in life also.

The photos are from Leornardo's Garden in Amboise.

Home again home again jiggety jig!

2010-05-01T11:27:00.003-07:00

I'm HOME! Hooray! It was an amazing trip that will take weeks if not months to digest. More later...

Looking to May

2010-04-28T07:42:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot...

Just a reminder I will be back at the Arts Umbrella next week, so come ready to paint paint paint! I've missed you all and the wonderful feeling of being around working artists! See you soon!

Not much umph today...

2010-04-28T03:15:00.000-07:00

Instead of visiting another castle today, my last, I decided to do something relaxing and peaceful before the flurry of travel begins again tomorrow. Across the Loire river from my hotel is a lovely grassy bank, so I sat down with my sketch book and took it easy.

I'll see you on if a few days. xoxoxo

Getting a little travel weary...

2010-04-27T11:35:00.000-07:00

Ok, someone upstairs is looking out for me because it has been the most amazing weather. My friend Jo says she spent two weeks in the rain camping to see the castles. Wish I could send some of the sun back in time so Jo could have seen some of the colors!

This morning I went to Chateau Amboise, what can I say, more beauty.

Then after a little nap, I headed for the chateau where Da Vinci spent the last three years of his life. That one had me in tears too. Later I'll show you his garden.

One more day of adventure, then coming home. I'm ready to wake up in my very own bed and see familiar lovely faces!!!

Images from yesterday

2010-04-26T22:58:00.000-07:00

There was some interesting things to see during the train ride north yesterday. Little chateaux tucked in to hills, giant modern wind turbines, lots of grape crops, very rural very pretty. I didn't get many pictures, we were zipping by too quickly.

The building in the street shots are what I see out my window. Cool, huh!

Some of you are anxious to see paintings made on the trip, unfortunately most of what I did was sketch. I found it was much easier to carry a sketch book and pencil that watercolors, brushes, water... you get the idea. The little lady in the bottom sketch is from a statue at the Musee Augustins. There was a group of them and they reminded me of some of James Christensens earlier works. The funny thing is the little lady has the exact same face as the male statue next to her. Very interesting! I wonder if they both look like the artist?

More later...

Made it to Amboise

2010-04-26T10:56:00.000-07:00

No new images yet, I just got settled into my cute little hotel. The room is quite plain but the owner is super nice and extremely helpful. So tonight I rest up and tomorrow check out Chateau Amboise then the Chateau du Clos Luce, where Leonardo spent the last years of his life. Man oh man! On Wednesday I can take a bus for 2 euro to see Chenonceaux, which is supposed to be amazing.

I won't be skying tonight because my computer is almost out of batteries and since the cable connection has to be plugged into the only outlet in the room I can't charge batteries and be online at the same time. Sooo, more tomorrow.

XOXO

Monday April 26

2010-04-25T22:56:00.000-07:00

This is where I'm headed today, Amboise. The goal is to spend the day in the castle tomorrow and maybe even Wednesday, we'll see.

That said, travel days are not my favorite. I thought I was packing light, but now I know what Rick Steves means. Next time, and yes there will be a next time, I'll take about half of what I have in my suitcase!!!

Ok, griping over with. Now time to put my best foot forward and move.

Thanks Uschi! I'm looking forward to seeing the castle.

Thanks xoxox

2010-04-25T12:43:00.000-07:00

This won't be my last post of the trip, there are still five more days. But...

I wanted to say thank you to Ken, Ellie, Sam, Tara, Cindi, Jo, Patrice, Kathleen, Sarah, Christy, Elaine, Mom and Dad, Joan and Leon, Lynn, Rebbecca, and even some folks I'm connected to only on line, for being my commenting angels! You all made the down moments much brighter. It's been the trip I've dreamt of forever, an amazing mind bending experience made richer by all of you.

Love to you!

See you soon!

Only 2pm and it's already been a great day!

2010-04-25T04:58:00.000-07:00

This is what was out my window when I opened the curtains. Good omen!

My hubby is going to think I'm nuts since last night I said I would stay in Sarlat for the rest of the trip then go straight to Paris then home. But I changed my mind. This morning I went down to the train station and bought tickets to Amboise. It north of here and on the way to Paris AND has a super cool castle. So one last adventure before I leave. I'll be there Monday night til Thursday morning.

But back to today. More walking of course, to the train station to buy tickets then back toward old town Sarlat. On my way I found a little antique shop and bought a little antigue book with "gold" clasps and a cool pen. From there I headed toward a super cute little toy store and got some more cool stuff for my still life paintings. An amazingly great sandwhich and small but delicious ice cream cone later, I am back at my hotel, first blogging then washing a couple of shirts. I miss my laundry room (never ever thought I would say that!)

What a day...

2010-04-24T11:08:00.000-07:00

What a day! I took 246 photos and am wiped out. How cool to walk around in a castle. The thing that always throws me off is scale. Some things I expect to be gigantic like the Coloseum and this Castle aren't as big as I thought, but much more maze like. The doorways and stairs are small and tight. Super interesting! Castle Beynac sits on top of a high rock cliff and the village climbs up to meet it. Twisty turning streets that are about five feet wide take you there. I want to post everything but I've only barely made a dent processing the images. Sketching was great and I actually drew a crowd a couple of times. Felt a little weird! More tomorrow. Only four more days til I start on my way home. Wow.

Couldn't sleep

2010-04-23T22:27:00.000-07:00

Do you remember how it was when you were a kid and it was Christmas Eve, waking up when it was still dark and waiting until it was time to get up? That was me this morning. I found the picture on the web of Beynac, where I'm headed today. It won't be sunny unfortunately but that will mean less people. Besides what's a little drizzle to a girl from the NW. Darn, I'll just have to buy a book while I'm there to get images with good light! ( I LOVE BOOKS )

I'll post tonight if I'm not too tired.

It's Friday here

2010-04-23T11:52:00.000-07:00

Had to give myself a little reality check this morning. Feeling homesick and on edge. Then it hit me, there are only a few more days left of this adventure, better kick it into gear and make the most of this amazing opportunity.

Did a walk in the morning then spent the rest of the day sketching and doing a bit of laundry. Later went and had a truly sinful dinner of lasagne and sketched some more!

The tour fell through so I hired a cab that will take me to Beynac in the morning. It's a hillside village with a castle, yes, I'm finally going to play in a castle! Should be a great experience and a wonderful opportunity for many more photos.

We had rain today, the first time in about 3 weeks, amazing huh!

April 22

2010-04-22T10:13:00.000-07:00

It was a little cloudy when I looked out this morning, but didn't rain like it forecasted! Cool huh.

I spent most of the day walking and sketching. The town is so picturesqe every corner you turn there is something to see. It's very interesting here, the culture is quite different. People are very reserved, normally when I sketch in public there is always someone curious about what I'm doing. Not here. I don't know what to think of it. It's not that they aren't caring and affectionate, they are to each other but definitely reserved with strangers. It takes some getting used to.

It's supposed to rain tomorrow so maybe I'll go see Alice in Wonderland in french. Could be fun. Saturday I think I'll take a taxi to Beynac and check it out. It's got a cool castle and hillside village.

Good night Sam and Ellie, I miss you so much and can't wait to see you next week.

xoxox Ken, only one more week!

2010-04-21T13:13:00.000-07:00

This morning I was all keyed up for a travel day. It started out a little frustrating, took forever to find my seat on the train, but from then on it went very smoothly. Unfortunately I remained a bundle of nerves, that is until I got on the bus to Sarlat. All of the sudden I was feeling at home. We drove through hills and woods and passed little village after village. It reminded me of Skagit Valley, only instead of our old barns there are lots of old stone buildings.

Sarlat itself is a beautiful little medieval town. Tiny little streets and alleys straight out of Harry Potter. And guess what, even the french are relaxed and friendly here.

The only hiccup so far is the tour I was going to take has been cancelled. But I'm not giving up! I will find a way to see some castles!!!

The sketch was done during dinner tonight, the pigeons were waiting for us to finish so they could get to the crumbs.

Hooray, I made it!

2010-04-21T07:42:00.000-07:00

Now this is more like it!!! When we started driving into the hills and woods my whole body relaxed! The next three days are going to be GREAT!

SO EXCITED!!!

2010-04-20T10:41:00.001-07:00

I just booked a day long tour of the Dordogne river valley. I thought I was going to miss out because Ken isn't with me driving us around but I found a tour outfit that will take me to the places I wanted to go the most. I'll get to climb around in some castles afterall!!!

Tuesday morning (day 20, I think...)

2010-04-20T00:04:00.000-07:00

The pictures are from yesterday. Today is taking care of business day.

First, thanks so much for the great comments, I look forward to them everyday. It's strange being here on my own. The pace is different, as is the language, manners, oh, everything. It's very humbling to see the range of experiences and in a sence how similar we all are.

Sorry I missed our call this morning (evening your time) Ken, Sam and Ellie, my minutes ran out on wi-fi and I had to go get more after breakfast. Everything is fine, can't wait to see you!!!

The next leg of the trip will be in Sarlat, a little medieval village just north of here. I'll be there for four days then either head north to Paris if the volcano permits or south to Madrid if not.

Anyway that's what's up here. I hope you are all well, enjoying the spring, staying healthy!!

Oh! Anne, are you almost done with work? I bet you're ready for some rest! Lunch when I get back?

Another day of wonders

2010-04-19T09:17:00.000-07:00

I'm getting the hang of this town. Keeping out of the not so pleasant streets. I went back to my favorite museum today and spent quite a bit of time sketching and taking photos. From there it was off to St. Etiennes for some very interesting eclectic architecture, sculptures and paintings. Then on to the Jardin Royal. My goodnes what a beautiful park in the middle of this city. Flowers were blooming everywhere and the trees were sprouting all of their new leaves. The weather has been just gorgeous for days and days, I can't believe my luck!

For this weeks assignment I'd like my students to either find a photo or go outside and do a drawing mixing architecture and nature. It's very interesting the juxtapose the organic with hard edged man made.

Hi Joan and Leon

2010-04-18T11:44:00.001-07:00

Thanks for the message/comment! It came through just fine. I was very sad that Ken couldn't make it, we are both disappointed. Making the best of it though.
Love
Michellle

Toulouse

2010-04-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

Today was interesting sometimes wonderful sometimes grim. Having now a little more experience in big cities I know they are a reflection the best and worst of who we are as human beings.

I won't be posting the images that show the grim side, I think we all know what that looks like. It's easy to forget how beautiful the world is. Toulouse is a great city, I'm looking forward seeing more.

Day 18 (can you believe it?)

2010-04-18T00:05:00.000-07:00

Worries about travel have me jittery, but I find once I'm outside on my way to a museum or cathedral my mind loosens up and I remember why I came here.

So more new stuff to post later...

XOXOOO to ken, ellie, sam, mom, dad, joan, leon, Teresa and Brian, cindi, anne, nana, omie, scott and elaine, all my critique buddies, all my arts umbrella buddies... oh almost forgot jen and vanessa!

Some sketches and a bit of daily life

2010-04-17T11:04:00.000-07:00

My hubby was asking to see some sketches from the trip. I've posted a few here, plus my other accomplishment of the day, laundry. The thing is, when in big cities filled with tourists it's not a very good idea to get totally absorbed in doing art. As soon as you appear to be oblivious young scruffy men seem to migrate toward you which the guide books tell us are not violent, they just want to pick your pocket. It's a little creepy so I have to be very particular about where I sketch. Usually I'm tucked into a cafe with a cappacino with a view of something to draw. It's great fun, but it's necessary to be cautious.

Bad luck turns to good...

2010-04-17T09:33:00.000-07:00

When I woke this morning my head was pounding and I was totally stressed. After talking with Ken and getting a few ideas how to handle the volcano situation I went downstairs had some breakfast which included a very good cup of coffee. Feeling better already, heading down the nearest street to get me to the center of "old town", it was shocking to see that the street I had chosen was lined with ladies of questionable lines of employment... (at 10am, none the less)! Obviously I didn't stop to take pictures. Feeling a bit disappointed, but pushing on, came upon a beautiful little square with a fountain and some great sculptures and old folks sitting on benches. Getting Better!

As you can tell by the photos that the day just kept getting better with every turn. I came upon the Musee des Augustins. I immediately realized this was the reason I'd ended up in Toulouse. This place had me in tears it was so beautiful. The last photo says it all.

good morning...

2010-04-16T23:28:00.001-07:00

Thanks for the comments!!! It's easy to feel a little lonely here so the comments are much appreciated!

Hi Dad, so far the comment you just left is the second I've had so far. How many have you posted? Keep trying. Love you guys.

More later tonight when I have new photos

Travel snarl update...

2010-04-16T09:02:00.000-07:00

Ok, here's the scoop. Ken isn't going to be able to make it. His schedule is too tight and we don't know when the volcano dust will settle. My plane trip to Toulouse was cancelled also. So bright and early this morning I took myself to the Nice train station and bought a ticket to Toulouse, as did everybody and there brother. Lets just say the last four hour leg was in a packed train with cranky french folks and it was 88 degress farenheit. Fortunately Cindi and I did enough train rides that I feel pretty comfortable with the system so no freakout on my part. Look at me wearing my big girl pants now!

I'll be here in Toulouse Friday and Saturday night ( I need a rest after today!) I'm at the Ibis Toulouse rm 216 and the telephone number is 05 61 62 50 90 for emergencies. Tomorrow I'll work out what's next and post to let everyone know.

Thanks Elaine for the pick me up message. I needed that.

I miss you Ken, and wish the volcano hadn't blown it's top. xoxoooo

Sam and Ellie lots of love!!!

Mom and Dad, no worries, I'm being safe and careful. I don't go out after dark and don't talk to strangers.

Please leave me a message on my blog, I need a little extra umph to keep up the gumption!!! xoxoxo

Mother nature...

2010-04-15T20:03:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the message Sam. I'm going to have to figure out what to do next myself. I'll check in
ASAP. xoxoxo

Tomorrow's a travel day... I hope

2010-04-15T07:16:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I head for the Dordogne area to meet Ken. Hopefully the travel will go somewhat smoothly, there may be hitches due to strikes on the rail system and volcano dust in the air. Yuck! Keeping my fingers crossed.

Today I'm taking it easy, repacking and getting ready for tomorrow.

Another beautiful day...

2010-04-14T08:58:00.000-07:00

Lots of walking again today. I climbed some twisty stairs to the ruins of a castle overlooking Nice. It's called Parc de la Colline du Chateau. The view of the town is breathtaking especially on such a gorgeous day. Afterwards I wandered in the fruit and flower market resisting the temptation to buy plants! From there grabbed what is considered fast food here, a bagette with tomatoes, basil and mozarella cheese, yum, then headed back to my room for lunch and a nap.
Later in the afternoon I hiked over to the Musee des Beaux-Arts to look at some lovely 19th century and some older paintings and sculptures. One particular artist I found intriguing was work by Gustave Adolphe Mossa. Strange but lovely.
One more day to see Nice then on to Dordogne and to meet Ken. Yay!

Quick note

2010-04-13T13:06:00.000-07:00

Ken, if you get this message let me know. My email is not working so I haven't let the B&B know about our late arrival on Friday. Could you email or call them? the email is info@lepetitversailles.fr and the phone is 06 71 88 59 72, it's called Le Petit Versaille and the names are Francoise and Jean Claude.

Cindi,
Thanks for the note. I'm so glad you made it home safely! You were the best traveling buddy, it wouldn't have been nearly as fun without you, thanks so much for being there! Love you! M

A nice day in Nice... tee hee

2010-04-13T08:28:00.000-07:00

I woke homesick this morning. But thanks to a wonderful talk on skype with my hubby and ellie I felt much better. So I ventured out a couple of times today and was glad I did. The weather was gray and bleak this morning but by this afternoon it cleared and was beautiful.

There is a wonderful art supply store not far from my hotel. After choosing a lovely small sketchbook I made my way to the beach. Did some sketching, attracted a flurry of japenese tourists and soaked up some sun.

When I began planning this trip I said I would be sketching everyday. My well traveled critique group buddies said I probably wouldn't have time, guess what, they were right. I'm so busy looking that I rarely stop to sketch. Maybe with my new sketchbook that will change. One can only hope...

On my own...

2010-04-12T11:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was our last day in Rome and we had a lovely relaxing day wondering aimlessly. This morning we were up early and off to the airport. My plane took off for Genoa at 8:55, it was a smooth ride. From there it was a train ride from Genoa to Ventimiglia then Nice. It's quite a lovely coastline. I made it to Nice and found my hotel without any real problems. Cindi would be proud of me!

My hotel room is nothing to shout about, except the free Wi-Fi. HOORAY! So now I can check in everyday. Tomorrow if the weather is ok I'll head toward the beach and listen to the breakers for a while.

Oh yes, tomorrow's assignment for my adult students...
I want you to take some time and look at paintings by Rubens, yes, we think of his chubby ladies when we here his name but what I want you to really pay attention to is how dynamic and theatrical his paintings are. Contrast that to works with paintings from the 15th century.

Thinking of my Sam and Ellie. Miss you both terribly! Don't think I'll take anymore month long trips away from family, it's hard!

See you later this week Ken. xoxoxoo

Last day in Rome

2010-04-11T12:41:00.000-07:00

This is another picture from the Roman forum, so impressive. Just the idea of what that would have looked like at the time.

(Oh by the way, I made a mistake, the Pieta is by Michaelangelo, not Bernini)

We had a lovely dinner tonight at an outdoor cafe, linguini with porcini mushrooms... mmm...

It's thunder and lightning outside and raining just like home. Both Cindi and I stuck our heads out the window and took a deep breath.

More soon...

Love to all

Day 10

2010-04-10T12:50:00.000-07:00

Wow, day 10, I can’t believe it, a third of the trip passed. Yesterday we spent 9 hours touring cathedrals, and Vatican city. Lets just say we were once again speechless, and mind numb, not to mention pretty tired, we walked a lot!!! St. Peters was astounding the mosaics look like paintings they are so intricate! Sistine Chapel and Raphael rooms… masters works that take your breath away. Not to mention Bernini’s Pieta. Today we started at the Coliseum then moved to the Roman Forum. Our camera’s were smoking by the time we headed for dinner. So far the Roman Forum is my favorite in Rome, go figure! The Sistine chapel was amazing but very crowded and we only had fifteen minutes.

We have one more day before Cindi heads home and I’m off to Nice, France. I will try and blog tomorrow and then it will be a couple of days as I pack up and head for the next spot.

Just a quick note to family and friends, sometimes my email works when I get online and sometimes it doesn’t. So Ellie and Sam, I love you and can’t wait to see you, but you won’t be getting emails. So leave me messages on my bog.

Scott and Elaine, I'm pretty sure I found a geo-cache in Paris, I took a picture and will show it to you when I get home.

Love to everyone, xoxooo

Especially my grumpy husband!

Day 8

2010-04-08T05:06:00.000-07:00

First off, we are finding it difficult to get internet access in our hotel and B&B, so posting will be sporadic. We hope to post every couple of days. To our family, we will try and skype Saturday or Sunday noon to 1 pm. xoxooo

We arrived in Rome this morning and took and taxi to our B&B, the driver was very friendly explained the sites as we passed. Today we are taking care of business. Getting ourselves ready for a three day marathon of site seeing in Rome. Cindi and I were discussing how difficult it is to describe what we are seeing with words. Amazing, fabulous, gorgeous, beautiful, breathtaking... they all apply. The pictures only give a glimpse. It seems every corner we turn they is something that takes our breath away. In contrast, these wi-fi and internet spots are seedy and strange, but that's just shows the range of experience to be had when traveling.

For my students...
This weeks assignment is to download one of the pictures of scupture, choose a small section and create a full range value drawing of that section.

PS Guess what I forgot to bring... my address book. So postcards are coming after I get back...