Friday, April 1, 2011

The Inspiration of France

 Hotel de Ville, Mouleydier, 11" x 14 3/4"

A couple of years ago we took an absolutely delightful trip to France; spending time in Paris, the Loire Valley, the Dordogne region, Brittany and many places in between. It was a splendid adventure, sharing all the beauty and hospitality of France with family and friends. I also discovered that there's a "Kodak Moment" around every corner, and easily managed to max out my camera's memory card! The method to my photographic madness was in fact, to bring home not only memories, but also plenty of imagery for painting.

This painting of the city hall in Mouleydier, where we stayed in the Dordogne, was the first of several I have done. French architecture is gorgeous, and I thought even this small building merited a painting. Just for fun, I did the entire piece with a No. 12 Round brush in an effort to keep it rather loose, and I think it created a somewhat soft impressionistic feel.