Peonies Laurie Fox Pessemier Acrylic/linen 13 x 9 inches
On Monday, I found four packages of hair dye on top of the
trash container near the pharmacy – two were my shade! I took all four – maybe I’ll feel like a
change some day. We colored my hair at
once, I cut it myself, and voila, a new me for free.
We took our first trip of the season to Giverny. Monet’s gardens were incredibly beautiful, so
early in the season. Every shade of
tulip was in bloom, from deep butterscotch to red so bright it hurt your eyes. We didn’t paint tulips, but rather the
choice of our workshop painters: the bridge,
festooned with wisteria, just starting to bloom.
Bridge Giverny April Blair Pessemier 11 x 15 Acrylic/linen
The show at the Impressionist museum at Giverny was truly
fabulous: John Singer Sargent at his
best, Whistler, Twachtman, William Merritt Chase… Blair’s favorite was a work by Sargent of
Monet painting, and Monet’s painting hanging beside it. I was so glad our group wanted to go an hour
early to be sure to see everything.
It also reminded me that Giverny was not just the home of
Claude Monet, but “a lively colony of mostly American artists who
travelled to France at the end of the 19th century to take in the newest
developments in art, especially impressionism.”
Two trees reflected Yerres Laurie Fox Pessemier Acrylic/linen 16 x 12
I envisioned a relaxing next day,
painting on our own, but painting the river is a bigger challenge than I imagined.
We took the 20 minute train ride from Paris to the Caillebotte estate and
park in Yerres. From our arrival at
Gare de Lyon to our arrival at the park itself was more like an hour, but it
was a great trip. We are now offering
that excursion as part of our painting workshops (http://bit.ly/1i40udL).
Plane Tree Sorbonne Blair Pessemier Acrylic/linen 16 x 13
Harika, Blair and I lounged by the
river and painted a couple of canvasses.
Young families and old people filled the park, and it was hard to
believe it was a weekday in April. We
boarded the train back to Paris at five o’clock, tired from playing outdoors
all day.
Happy Easter! from Laurie and Blair PESSEMIER
Allee in the Luxembourg Gardens Laurie Fox Pessemier Acrylic/linen 11 x 14
On the Banks of the river Yerres Blair Pessemier Acrylic/linen 11 x 16 inches
Sitting on the bank Laurie Fox Pessemier Acrylic/linen 16 x 11
Reflection Yerres Blair Pessemier 20 x 12 inches
