With all of the painting, eating and market buying going on, I’m finding it difficult to get blog posts out to you! Here are a few photos of one of my favorite locations – St. Cirq LaPopie. It has been voted one of Frances most beautiful villages and you can see why.
I love strolling through the streets, old buildings covered with climbing vines and flowers baskets. This town is on the side of a hill, so the streets go down and down…what fun strolling down from shop to shop, snapping photos as you go. But then, what goes down must turn around and get back up to the top the catch a ride back home! An ice cream stop along the way helps to ease the way back up to the top.
But going down to the bottom is well worth the photos and the view.
Then back to the studio and paint! Here is a page from my sketchbook of one of the beautiful alleys. Step one just basic washes of color.
To finish, darken roofs and add darker values to greenery. Then outline most of it with a Micron pen. Voila! What fun!
I decided to add a couple of geese just for the heck of it, and I like it very much.
Off to breakfast. Hope to write more tomorrow…
A Bientot,
Kathie. Xo
it was a toss up for me which I liked better – Circ laPopie or Rocamadour – but I would live in either in a heart beat. I hope everyone is enjoying the trip as much as I did when I went. And I love revisiting everything through your posts.
Ohh, Kathie, what a charming place! Wish I was with you except for the climb back up to the studio. Love the sketch but. the geese become the center of interest. I ‘d rather have something in the buildings instead. Enjoy the rest of your trip.
Love the added geese. Guess I have to think of France some year soon. At least I can understand that language..
This sketch is gorgeous. I love the way you have saved your memory in such a simple, beautiful way. Less is more sometimes! Maybe one day I can see your travel journal and all the beautiful sketches and paintings in it!
Kathy, you have such an outstanding eye for composition! But then you set the Barr high on everything. You are a true inspiration to us all. Hope this sketch w/all the roof angles, signs and geese becomes a pattern packet SOON. REALLY like it.
Oh how beautiful..thanks Kathie for sharing you experiences with those of us you can’t be there in person.
Love the photos. And your painting. You make it look so effortless.
lovely. Have more and more fun
Oh Kathy, been following your blog and if I were there I would find it very hard to come home. The areas you are visiting are so beautiful and the food looks so yummy. Love your sketch and finished painting.
Lovely! Great exercise. 🙂
What a wonderful trip — and those pear crepes with chocolate sauce were pretty special too! Thanks for such a fantastic time and great instruction!