I tried to finish this pastel - of a view of Monet Ventoux with the vineyards in the foreground - on my last evening in Couguieux. The light beat me in the end so it's not finished.
I think I'm calling this one a large scale study for another pastel yet to be completed. You'll recall I've already done one sketch of this view in Mont Ventoux and the vines http://paintingprovence.blogspot.com/2011/06/mont-ventoux-and-vines.html
The view is from the bend in the road where I took the photo of a sunrise over Mont Ventoux in my PJs on the the first morning of my stay.
I'm now off to Calais via Boulogne for the last leg on Frency soil of my trip home to London. I'm then catching the 6pm Eurotunnel train and hopefully getting back to London sometime around sevenish - having collected my lost hour en route!
Then it's down to sorting out all the stuff that's not been posted as yet!
Monday, 4 July 2011
A View of Mont Ventoux - WIP
Sunday, 3 July 2011
The Demoiselles de Coiffees - WIP
I'm now on my way home and am posting this while sat in a hotel in Bourg-en-Bresse.
It's a good time to try and to post some more of my sketches and pastel works in progress which haven't yet made it on to the blog given to only being able to post images via Flickr.
This work in progress is maybe about 60% completed - enough for you to see where it's going and not enough for me to be happy with as a completed work. It's on half a sheet of Art Spectrum Colourfix.
I spent a lot of time while at Couguieux directing people to the path where you can see these amazing landforms. There was a point where we speculated about putting up a picture and a finger saying "They're that way" but I don't think any of us had the correct french for it.
I was very disappointed not to be able to make it to Rousillon on Thursday. Most of the day was given over to trying to find a hotel for last night's stay. What I hadn't realised was that France hits the road as soon as the schools break up - the traffic I saw going down the Autoroute de Soleil yesterday were awesome.
My sat nav decided that the traffic was way to heavy to let me go via the autoroute and took me via the D7 and D8 up the Rhone Valley where I drove through very many vineyards and lavender fields.
However if you want to paint sunflowers go to the fields south of Bourg-en-Bresse either side of the A42 - there are numerous amazing fields of sunflowers.
Today I'm off to more vineyards on the Cote d'Or which is where the best red burgundy wine comes from.