A thunderstorm in Provence..

My three artist buddies are stuck in the Vaucluse without phone, without internet, but hopefully with enough cherries to keep them going! They had a huge storm last night which struck out the phone and internet and fired right into the wall sockets.
This storm has been brooding since the day before I left and I sat on the side terrace the afternoon sketching the skies over Mont Ventoux. It was hot and "lourd" typical storm weather and that night we had but a few large drops.

...clouds over Mont Ventoux...
gouache on paper
(started out as a watercolor flop and then I painted over it with gouache...here in Correze!)

So I hope we'll see some still lifes from them while they are confined to the house and surroundings today. Julian and Ruth have magnificent pottery which just beg to be painted. I got so enthusiastic about pottery when I was there that I am now looking out for some beautiful pieces of my own, even though I never though myself a pottery person!


I got to do only one still life of some of their pottery and if ever I would steal something from their lovely home....it would be this set of coffee pot and mugs and bowls...helas, my mom brought me up with a conscience, so it is still in the cupboard of Les Couguieux, but I at least have a sketch!!
Hang in there you three and do some still lifes in the meantime!!!

Breakfast sketch from the terrace

Breakfast sketch from the terrace
11 " 16", pen and ink and coloured pencils in Moleskine

I've been doing this sketch for the last three days while sat on the terrace outside the house in the early morning.

The tones and colours change very fast as the sun gets higher in the sky.

On the morning I started the various airlines had created some fabulous vapour trails for the sky. This is a painting which really needs to be portrait format to get the full drama of the sky.
This is also a sketch of mini mountains next to Mont Ventoux- check out the number of pyramids you can see.
This is also probably a view which will get painted in oils in due ciourse

Today I'm collecting Sarah Wimperis from Marseiiles airport - she's arriving at 5pm.

A photoessay of Provence

I'm now in Provence and settling in - which in my case focuses on how to make the technology work so I can post to the blogs as I go rather than saving it all for when I get home.

I'm getting there via download of images from SD card to ipad, manipulation in photogene, upload to Flickr, change status to allow download to Julian`s computer and then upload to the post. All he while trying to get used to a French keyboard which is decidedly not Querty.

The house is going to be an ace base, the three cats have already adopted me, I had a very sound night's sleep and I think this is going to be a very happy holiday!

Ronelle and Robyn both arrive tomorrow and Sarah flys in on Wednesday so today I'm doing a bit of shopping and then going out for the day.

I've decided not to neglect Making a Mark completely and I am going to try a photo essay of Provence - and post one photo a day - of something that has made a mark on me.

Today it's the photo taken just before the one you see above - of the sky over Mont Ventoux as the sun rises at just before 6am.

I was out there before 6am on the little road in my PJs documenting the visuals - so now we know what time to be up, brushes at the ready, to catch one of the best skies of the day!