I wrote this during the exhibition in August and didn’t get round to posting it as I had to rummage about looking for images to illustrate it: Sitting here invigilating our 2 artist exhibition at St Avit Sénieur has prompted moments of reflection. The purpose for coming to live in France (for me) was to pursue…
It’s heartbreak time again……it’s not easy to see them go. They give us such joy these 4-legged souls whom we choose to have as companions. A lifetime to them it’s but a few years to us; however for all the emotional pain it causes I wouldn’t change it as I wouldn’t want them to outlive…
There was a fascinating article on the radio the other morning about how spiders can “fly”. Apparently scientists, after much study have discovered how they manage to land on ships in the middle of the ocean, which Darwin noted when on board ship, but he didn’t pursue investigating it. Spiders have been filmed waving one leg…
Miscellaneous: when I find it hard to get to my studio because of juggling various jobs, (and when I do get there I struggle) I give myself a break and paint the house instead. After painting outside doors and shutters, I turned my attention on the entrance which was looking rather tired, not surprising considering I…
A very dear Dutch friend, an artist and art teacher in Rotterdam, has very kindly given me some assignments to help me loosen up and investigate the abstract in my approach to painting. I was bemoaning my frustration with my work, and how I want to explore new horizons. I feel moved to push myself…
Listening to Pam Ayres this morning on Saturday Live ( radio 4) sadly bemoaning the fact that country fields no longer have the huge variety of spring flowers they used to have when she was young; 60 years on and here in France, I realise how lucky I am that I can still have that…
Atmospheric mountains form a backdrop to our friends’ house and village, they can change mood not only from day to day, but from hour to hour, grey dreary skies transform to spectacular cloud formations, then to deep blue skies, Constable would have been in his element painting here. On our return from a short break…
Sunny days amidst the grey drear: a couple of weeks ago we had friends staying so we took the opportunity of taking them on the local tourist trail. The weather was stunning the one day when visiting Domme, reminding us why we live here! Distant views showing the flooded valley, we’ve had loads of…
As usual I have loads of ideas for projects and paintings, but I’m feeling a little rusty; it requires a certain amount of courage to embark on a voyage of discovery paint-wise which can so easily end in feelings of failure and be a waste of precious time, so whenever I have a free moment…
It’s been a busy summer for me with exhibitions, the B&B and the gite etc, things are calming down a bit now. I installed my last exhibition of the year, a 4 day group expo in Brantôme, a beautiful town about an hour north from us, often called the Venice of the Perigord, which is…
2 weeks ago Meggie dog went into veterinary hospital, she was immediately put on a drip, as she wouldn’t drink, after 5 days (and several hundred euros) she’s back with us again, and we continued nursing her for a further week and now nearly 3 weeks after the illness she’s back on form, if a…
It’s 26 years since we visited Rocamadour, so for my birthday treat we had a grand day out in April. When it normally rains that day, the sun shone on me for once! Photographs don’t give it justice, it’s a stunning place. Climbing the clock tower and out on to the promontory, gazing out at…
Autumn has arrived, and although it can be warm, it’s now turned quite chilly; even so a bushcricket still thinks it’s summer; twice now I’ve accidentally disturbed its nest which it insists on building inside the upstairs window frame, so when I open it to clean the window, it dislodges and falls to the floor…
I feel rather deflated now we have been voted out of the EU. Also rather cross that we weren’t allowed to vote because we’ve lived here for more that 15 years, yet it will affect us enormously. If we had voted along with other British abroad, maybe the numbers voting to remain would have been…
I’ve taken on 4 commissions recently. At the moment I’m working on three simultaneously, the fourth is finished and has been delivered and hung by Graham. Here’s that piece in various stages of completion. 1st the design, sketched on the iPad: 2. The plywood panel, to which I glued linen then plastered lightly: 3. The design has been squared…
Putting my thoughts about classical music into words.
Lily S. May--Life with Art
sharing the creative process of artist, illustrator, and book lover, Judy Watson
Sharing my work and thoughts....
painting...drawing...making small worlds
Essays on Mathematics and Culture
postcards from the hedge - a blog by Phil Cooper
views from the artist's studio.
ARTIST: oils, watercolours, trompe l'œil and design
lizkingsangster 