Reclining Woman - In Progress

I've been working on this drawing for a couple of weeks, now nearing completion. I'll practice with a few studies of hands, feet, and faces before working on hers!

Quick Sketch

Here's a little sketch of a fellow with his wife at the hotel in Giverny. It came out kind of cute and so I gave it to him when they left. I need to do more of these and practice, practice, practice! But I talk, talk, talk instead of do!

Terrace Table

Here's a terrible little watercolor sketch but it was so much fun doing it. We were sitting outside in the sun (see previous post) drinking rose and eating frites. Of course it didn't help when a woman came up and sat in the chair while I was drawing it. I gave her the painting when she was leaving and she seemed very pleased. She and her 'honey' sat at the table for a long time, holding hands and acting like they were really in love. For some reason I imagined it was a secret affair they were having.

The Artists in Giverny

HA! Here we are on the terrace of our hotel, in the sunshine, drinking LOTS of rose, eating frites and drawing, painting, laughing...just having a ball. What a good day. Spent the morning at Monet's home and in his beautiful gardens (if I hadn't been so hungry, and no food allowed there, I could have perched somewhere and sketched forever!)...and then back to the hotel to do some work ourselves. The sun came out and life was perfect.

View from Collioure

Another of Bill's lively watercolors. I like this one a lot too!

Collioure from the Hills

This is one of Bill's watercolors of Collioure. I think it is really energetic and interesting and a fun work.

Reclining Woman

My one and only serious figure drawing during the trip. I do like it though. I think I got the pattern of repeated angles and lines in the drawing which seems to give gesture and order to the work. I think I will continue to work on it from a photograph to see what I can do. I really liked the pose...it seems to have a lot of grace to me.

Collioure

This is a copy I did of a painting by Collioure artist Marie Opper. Her paintings are lovely, colorful, simple, but not easy to do. And she's a very sweet and open woman. She and her husband Howard have a beautiful shop, studio and home about two minutes walking from our flat. She paints and he makes the most remarkable glass beads for jewelry. I'll post a link if I can find their card.

Bowl and Peaches

The third of my bowl series. The peaches were so good!

Bowl and Grapes

The bowls in the flat in Collioure were so pretty and colorful. And fruit from the market was beautiful and delicious. I didn't do either one of them justice, but I worked, as promised!

Bowl and Oranges

Sorry to have been gone so long. We had a wonderful time in Collioure with time also in Amsterdam, the Dordogne Region, and Giverny. For the next few days I'm posting some of the work we did while we were traveling. We had a LOT of trouble with the medium....mostly acrylic in very warm weather with no retardant to use...dries way too fast! Like as soon as it touches the paper. But anyway, we worked, and some things are kinda cute...(the shelf in this pic is not crooked...the paper is warped)

I'm now back to serious drawing study and starting on color paintings as I promised myself. Am setting up a still life today to begin.