Avignon in the rain

Yesterday was windy but sunny.  So lovely.  These two pics are from the balcony of our gite.

Told you it was lovely, didn't I!!!???
Then today we went into Avignon.  It was overcast at first but soon turned to rain.  And then into a real downpour.  Wet Wet Wet.  Still we walked as far as the Palais du Pape and had a coffee, trying to wait out the rain.  To no avail.  So we came home and read and I played with my paints.  Not terribly exciting but at least I'm back at it!  And the final picture is my last journal page, with notes from our journey from Holland down to Rauchemaure.  I'll start working on one for this week next.  I think.
Is this too much information??? What do you think?

Oh sigh.  Sorry, you'll have to tip your computer on its side for the last two.  I am not used to this computer and I put the pictures right way up in IPhoto but they still came out sideways here.
We're planning on going back into Avignon when the rain clears up.  I want to get some pictures of the bridge, to set you all dancing!!
Back soon.

Rauchemaure to Avignon

We have travelled down through Belgium (first night), stopped three nights along the way at Reims, Troyes then Bourg-en-Bresse then a final night on the road at Rauchemaure, just slightly west of Montelimar.  A lovely hotel in a medieval city.  The top photo is a picture out our hotel window the morning we left.
The second picture is a small shot of the Theatre antique d'Orange, north of Avignon.  We went into the city of Orange and walked around the square dominated by this first century roman amphitheatre.  Pretty amazing.
The third picture is of, well, oranges.  We have arrived at our first gite on l'Ile de Barthalasse about 15 minutes outside of Avignon.  We are way way out in the countryside on an island in the mouth of the Rhone River. But we did go shopping before we got here!
The last picture is taken out one of the windows in the gite...it's the only one with bars but I thought it was kind of fun!!!.  It is of a huge orchard....in fact, the house is surrounded by orchards.  The family dog, a kind of pointer, has a one-month old litter of 8 sweet puppies.  Note to self: no, I can't bring one home!!  It was windy and stormy last night but lovely and warm.
I'm hoping to get my paints out this afternoon.
Back soon.  

One more, to see if I can

I am figuring out the picture thing!  OK, first the disclaimer!!! Both of these pictures were taken from a moving car!!!  Anyway, you can see how there is water everywhere!!!  The first shot was taken on the drive from Amsterdam to Gouda and the second was taken the day we went for a drive from Gouda to Schoonhoven.  Water, water everywhere!
Most of the trees don't have leaves yet so their lovely winter forms show so starkly against the horizon.  As we are driving south there is more and more green on the branches....we are driving into spring!
OK, now I really have to go!
Back soon....

First holiday post

OK here is my first post from europe.  We stayed in a B and B in Holland for four nights whilst readjusting to europe time. It was perfect.   And there were ostriches!!  So here is a small picture done one day while it was raining.  Everything is so lush and green, lambs, calves and kids everywhere.  Such a beautiful country.  And even in the rain, so beautiful.  We walked around the Centrum in Gouda and had a coffee on Sunday morning.  I'm taking tons of photos but just haven't quite figured out how to sort them out and choose the right ones to post.  It will take a bit of fiddling, but I'll figure it out!! I will!
We are using a GPS to get around...wow, what an invention that is!!  Fabulous!
OK, we're leaving our hotel in Liege, Belgium in a few minutes, so got to run.
Back soon.
  

another pic, such fun

The wee mouse at the park, another fun day in the sun.  and another posting on a mac.  this might work!!

How did I do that???

OK, here is the picture I shot this morning.  It seems to have uploaded all right.....this bodes well for the trip!!  I'll try and upload another before I go, but we'll see....we leave in three days!! Excitement all over the place.  I have packed, unpacked and repacked.  Still haven't quite got everything in, but I know I will!!!
This is a stitched piece taken from a stamp I made a few years ago.  It has collage on it, stitching on dissolvable fabric, couching, hand stitching,  wonder under, just a mad assortment of things.  I am going to get back at my stitching when I get back from the trip.  I'm taking a small piece to work on, with hand stitching, while I'm gone....we'll see just how much I get done!!!  No matter, anything and everything will be fine.
OK, I have to go and try and figure out what I did to capture this image onto my blog.  And try and do it again.
I'll be back....I hope!!!

posting from a second computer, experiments

Well, I have no idea how to post from this mac computer.  Today I uploaded a picture from my camera that went directly to iphoto and I have no idea how to get it from there onto my blog.  This one was saved into a picassa web album :  how, I don't know!  I uploaded it a couple of weeks ago.  I didn't get a choice as to where to upload today's picture, it went directly to iphoto, which seems to be now lost in the ether!!! Well, more experimentation needed, clearly.
This is a sampling of some collage and stamping from the Jane Davies Composition course.
OK, more picture tracking!! There must be a way!

Some I'm taking, some I'm not.

Here is  (part of) the little palette I've put together for the trip along with a neat travel paint brush.  I've also done a quick sketch of my coffee cup, the sort of thing I'll do for fun whilst traveling.  I'm planning on working on my drawing, of course, and I also love playing with the pen sketches and watercolour.....we'll see what I manage!!!

I'm taking quite a restricted palette (well, sort of) and am hoping to get to know these colours quite well.  We'll  find an art store when we get to Avignon, about a week and a half after we land in Amsterdam, and I'll get a block of watercolour paper, but I'll have this ready-cut paper in the meantime.
And this little creature, one of my two perfect grandsons, is part of what I'm NOT taking with me.  I'm going to miss them both terribly and the two months we're away will see a huge difference in the two of them.  If I hesitate at all when I think of the trip, it's about not seeing them!

Sigh.
Well, I guess in more ways than one, I'll be back.....

Jane Davies Composition class Lesson 5

Here is another image created for the fifth lesson in Jane Davies' composition class. We were working with layers and layering.  It's worked in acrylics with collaging and stamping as well.  This one is about 8 x 12.  Jane really is a great teacher and is offering quite a variety of classes now.  I've taken most of her on-line classes and would highly recommend them.  Do check them out at http://www.janedaviesstudios.com/.
The packing continues for the trip...spread out all over the floor.  We'll be gone for two months and I have no idea what to expect in terms of weather....well, given the state of things, I guess that's true almost everywhere now!  I am taking my small camera but I'm hoping to post while I'm gone as well.  We'll have the computer as well.  I'll do an experimental posting before we go to see if I can...
Still here for a couple more weeks however, so I'll be back.....

Time. Time passing. Oh My!

Good grief, it's happened again.  Time is slipping by so quickly and I have been so distracted.  We are leaving in two weeks' time for our trip and I have been spending lots of time and energy getting (and keeping) myself together!  I've been playing with my new camera and getting organized.  But I did a few pics for the Jane Davies' Composition class (lesson 5) before putting my paints away.  Here's one:

I did this one on a brown paper bag!!  Lots of collaging first followed by a preliminary painted layer, then quinacridone nickel azo gold, paynes grey, titan buff and more, then more stamping, more collage...painted tissue paper, basically a bit of everything.  And sort of fun.....I often have trouble with the fun part because the intense part gets in the way...the got-to-get-it-right part...I have a lot of trouble putting that part away.  But it gets better! OK, off to do a bit more organizing....but not too intensely!  I'll be back.