Back from Monet's world, and into my own...

 Here are some of the promised Photographs from Giverny.  The gardens are beautiful, if a little crowded for any real atmosphere.
I did a couple of watercolour sketches while I was there, just for the sake of doing it as much as anything else.
We wandered through the house (surprisingly spacious) and studio (not as big as I expected) also and explored Monet's collection of Japanese prints which are on display on the walls where hed left them.

We visited the Orangerie the following day to see the Waterlilly paintings in situ (as well as the other art on view downstairs) .A pleasing experience enhanced by the visit to the gardens. 

the watergarden

 

the main avenue

the river Ru

the sketching artist

view to the Japanese bridge

 the lily pond from beside the bridge

 

I'm busy fishing for the next two weeks, but I'm going to try to get started on some work.   Monet's waterlillies have encouraged me to go large again.  looking around at the expansive canvases reminded me why I love to paint big canvases.  I think the recent smaller work may have stifled my creativity somewhat, but it's OK.  I'm cured.

Pond paintings and my studio

I have finished the painting I posted earlier, this is it here. I have also completed another one, painted from outside the studio. You will notice the reflection of the studio in the bottom left corner of the work.

I was going to do some more work from the pond today, but it is overcast with rain forecasted later so I will leave it until the weather is more suitable. In the meantime I have other jobs to do anyway, so I can get stuck into them today and I have a meeting tomorrow I need to prepare for. I will try to update a little more regularly, but I tend to get sidetracked to easily... :)

Preparing for my new studio

I have been clearing the shrubbery at the back of my garden, ready for my new studio to arrive.(Hopefully this weekend) I have still to build the footings for the Portacabin, which will sit against the wall and project over the pond by about 4 feet. I had an earthen bank behind the pond also which I am in the process of removing with a shovel. It's hard work!. My studio will be twenty by ten feet, or 6 X3.3 meters. Not particularly big, but it will suffice, and, as it is going to be a "vandal-proof" portacabin it will be totally secure. The Dog managed to get herself into the photo again, but at least she gives a little perspective to the photo. The pond is 18 feet by 15 feet incidently so I will still be left with with about 14X15 feet of water surface visible, and the over-hang will give the fish more cover too.