French Geraniums

12X12

Class Demonstration, Frayssinet, France
Oil on Canvas Panel

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The art studio of Le Vieux Couvent, a 17th-century former convent located in an ancient village in Southern France. I’ve shared this painting with you step by step today, and here’s a tip for your red flowers: to add highlights, instead of adding white to your red, use a mixture of permanent rose and white. This pale pink is a nice temperature shift and will draw the eye.

I’m home now after a month spent teaching in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Our days were filled with touring and painting, and what I like to call a buffet-style workshop. I wanted to be sure my students crafted what their hearts most desired from this experience—no clocking in to paint in France! It’s probably even illegal to stick to a strict schedule there; after all, we had to break for aperitifs and naps at times. Students who wanted to work in water media did so. Those who wanted to paint silk scarves in the garden did so, and those who wanted to work in oils joined me in the studio, where we had jars and colorful pitchers filled with fresh flowers from the ancient open-air markets of Cahors and Souillac. I did demos in all media and even joined students for a dip in the pool! I’ll continue to share all the best photos from my journey with you on my Facebook page.

My 2016 workshop at Le Vieux Couvent is filling fast. Don’t delay ma cher, I am saving a croissant with your name on it!

Fresh Dahlias from Soulliac market… memories from a picnic at Lake St. Germaine!

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