Tess’s Blog
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November ends in provence
End of November in the vineyards. Fabrice is already pruning the vines ready for the winter. Bare, twisted, dancing vines, stripped of all colour and left naked to brave the winter. From tiny buds, pink and green to spring green leaves, growing into long tendrils,...
November 1st Part one
I rarely have time to write my blog. Which is a shame. I always want to have time to research something interesting. Give you fascinating things to read and tell you lots of wonderfully enticing tales. But I don't really have much to tell you at all. I can't believe...
A little blossom for hope
I pad painting by Tess Water colour by Tess Watercolour by Tess Almond blossom cut out by Tess Almond Blossom Van Gogh Out of all Van Gogh's paintings his Almond Blossom paintings are my favourite. I think they are utterly beautiful and well simply splendid and...
Happy new year to you all
Hello everyone, just to wish you a very happy new year and lots of good things to come. I am looking forward to a year of painting, watercolour workshops, fun and laughter and I hope you are too. 2021 has been a year of up and downs. My trips started with a boom in...
Time Away in Bonnieux
Early morning sunrise over the hills It is my last day today, very sadly I will have to leave this niche in paradise. I arrived last Saturday. Books, files and work to do. I had planned a weeks work and a weeks rest. Work in the morning and fun in afternoon. As...
Inspired Matisse
I was in New York cooking in the Spring of 2007 for dear friends in their brown town house, a few minutes walk away from Central Park. Ten minutes from the Artist Student's League on 57th where I was a member every year for many years on the trot. Some of Americas...
Matisse Cut Outs
It's a funny thing the arrogance of youth, I think we need to have it as a survival mechanism in order to survive this difficult world. It makes things seem so much easier if you are full of confidence that you are sure you are right about everything. When I...
Wishing for the New Year and hoping for better days
I have been feeling very wistful about my painting trips. I have missed them so much this year and all the lovely people that come on them. I am hoping so much that I will be able to start them again next year. Here in Provence in April and Cinque Terre Italy in May....
Christmas.
I don’t think I have ever noticed people looking forward to Christmas so much. Young and old alike. I have mixed feelings about it, I always do, but I have enjoyed painting Christmas cards, and I am looking forward to a bit of jolly, lots of colour and twinkling...
Painting on my Ipad
Walking home in the vineyards as the sun sets and mist starts to fall I have because of need, been painting on my ipad most evenings after dinner, I started with simple and joyful, mainly food i pad paintings and I have moved onto landscapes, which somehow have become...
Painting in Burgundy
Good morning sunshine, the view this morning from our house. We are painting in one of the oldest wine regions in the world, the Phoenicians are said to have first introduced viticulture here in the 6th century BC. It is strange, I hear no birds, see no butterflies,...
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Well here we are, waking up at 5 am, looking through the window as the sky turns from midnight blue to smokey cobalt then hazy cerulean. Every morning at seven am we watch the hot air balloons rise and drop and rise again just to float away and vanish across the...
It’s been too long!
'Dads rocking chair and lavender' What have I been doing since I last wrote, well thats a long story and I am not sure I want to tell you all about it. So I won't. But I have been exceptionally busy and the only time I have had to paint is after 9.30 pm on my ipad...
Paint Provence in isolation
Actually, painting provence in isolation isn't hard at all, it is so huge and there are so few people in land even in the tourist season, that when we paint in the lavender fields we are never seen by other people. We even remain hidden when a cyclist cycles by!...
Provence April 19th 2020
I am sitting in the living room on a wet and grey day, watching the new pale leaves of the medlar tree soak up the rain and grow before my eyes. Yesterday was so hot I was sunbathing, today is so cold I am thinking of lighting the fire. I consider myself extremely...
A rainy day in Provence and a chance to catch up
Hello everyone of course I say I will write tomorrow and I never do. Firstly to say I am having a sale of my paintings 50% off all of them, why you say, well I have a lot and I need to make the space for some more so please visit my website and see if there are any...
Flaments Rose
Just a few images and sketches from Saintes Maries de la Mer. Tomorrow I will write about the colours used. In the autumn I will run a short course here and in 2021 I will run, I will put dates up on website soon. It really is a must here. Aigues Mortes is steeped in...
Finished or not
Anemones on 640 grammes rough water colour paper (Arches) Using wet on dry and dry on dry. These little anemones have been bright and full for an entire week. I am not sure whether or not to leave the painting as finished or to add one or two more anemones as there...
Just a little flooding!
It has cleared a lot now. The rain has sunk into the earth and the skies adorn the water in pastel hues. I see the passing clouds ripple in the wind whilst Tilly our little black dog dumps sticks at my feet insistant that I throw them for her. This next lovely piece...
Vineyards in Provence
A break from it all. Funny, isn't it? That the thing that does you the most good is generally the one thing you don't do. Painting calms, soothes and seems to regulate me in a way that nothing else can. And yet and yet I don't do it. I have so many things I have to...
Colours
Awake early this morning just in time to catch the sun as she rose, the dogs were less interested in the morning hues. I was transfixed. It is astonishing to me how much nature continues to give and give and how much we take from her. I started to think about all the...
DIFFERENCES
I clutched the moving rail, stood firm on the step lest I should lose my balance, I thought how different now to just five years ago when I would have run down the escalator not thinking that I would be prone to dizzy spells and lack of balance. Age, I thought...
September breezes cool the hot air
Today we finally have cool weather the mistrals strong winds have blown away the hot humid air. It has been a summer of heat, hard work and big things to cope with. I turned 62 yesterday and I have finally had a calm quiet weekend which has been wonderful. My...
A voyage of discovery
Yesterday we visited Angouleme, we weren't very impressed but we did have a nice lunch there in pretty surroundings and enjoyed the shops. We didn't paint there, we didn't want to. Instead we came back to Lime Tree House and painted here the rather pretty old loo...
From Provence to the Charente
What a contrast! From mountains and turquoise lakes, red and yellow and golds, grass already burnt from the sun, 40 degrees and hotter, hiding from the sun to this idyllic weather 30 degrees maximum during the day, cool evenings and nights with cool breezes, no...
Missing a beat in Provence
Or even two or three. It is just one of those things, I think to myself, I'll wait until I have more time, I'll have more time tomorrow, next week, next month, next year. I keep putting writing my blog off because I want enough time to write it in and to enjoy writing...
The vivid colours of Fontaine de Vaucluse
I first came upon the Fontaine de Vaucluse 26 years ago on my journey through France in my faithfull deux chevaux called Dolly. The crystel clear water gushing from the foot of a 235 metre high lime stone cliff took my breath away today just as it did all those...
Paint Provence with Tess May 18th – 25th
This is our house in Saint Didier for the week. It is so perfectly beautiful and typical of Provence. All I am going to do today is post photo's of this lovely place as very soon I will be doing the airport run to pick up my Paint Provencers! I have 2 places...
Seeing Reg.
I haven't seen this painting for quite a while now. I called it Brave Space, mainly because I felt quite brave painting such a huge canvas 180 c x 300 cm. It takes up alot of space, but is so sunny to see. I love painting huge canvasses and Neil and Tiziana have...
Phoenix Arizona to Byron Bay NSW and my sister’s tropical garden
Quite the journey, Phoenix to LA to Sydney to Byron Bay to Ballina and my sister Charlie's tropical garden and the beautiful beaches and surf. I have just finished a Paint Provence with Tess in Arizona and had a truly splendid time and I am now in Australia for my...
Bonnard Tate Modern to Glen Canyon Arizona
Forever and ever Arizona I had time on Thursday 28th to go to the Bonnard exhibition before going to the airport to catch my plane. I am glad I had time and I am glad I went. Bonnard's paintings are so soft and colourful, light and gentle. His wife Marthe, his main...
Nice, London, Los Angeles, Phoenix
Flying over the French Alpes it is worrying to see the scarcity of snow on the mountains. For miles inland from the coast there was no snow at all, which for this time of year is quite unusual. Even when we were further into the alpes the snow was only on the highest...
To London and Back
I left Graissessac on Saturday 16th, paintings in the back of the car and Thomas on the seat beside me. All was well in my world. I had taken the car to the garage, I had been worried about the engine and thought something was wrong. No her told me all is fine. Can I...
Art Fair Chelsea Old Town Hall
I will be starting my drive across France again on Saturday, stopping in Montemboeuf to see my friend Janet and her amazing house where we will be having the Charente Paint Provence with Tess trip July 6th - 13th. Janet and Tom bought their house two years ago now...
Thinking of the warm sun, the scent of lavender and fields of poppies.
It's cold it really is and in many places far colder than my chilly retreat in the mountains with snow on the mountains behind the village and the wind howling around the roof tops. With the whistle of the wind my mind wanders to the warm of the sun. I am not a great...
If I over think something it often doesn’t work!! Sketching the Languedoc
I am over the moon. Who could have thought I would be over the moon about having internet. I have been having a lovely time here in Graissessac for the last month but have not had any internet. I have not been able to write my blog or do a lot of my work. So when I...
Happy Christmas from Graissessac
You can hardly imagine my surprise this morning, when Thomas and I were out walking, when all the pretty pink clouds in the sky appeared to change form in front of my very eyes, there they were bold as brass those lovely little kissy fishes from years gone past! A...
Blowing at Bantham Sands
It has been pretty wet and rainy since I arrived in Devon and have had to content myself with painting indoors, not that indoors isn't wonderful, it is. Here I am with my sister Ellie and my niece Rosie and I am having a lovely time. We have been walking in the wind...
Painting in Little Bedwyn
November with family and friends has become a regular holiday for me. Some would wonder why England and why November? But for me it is the perfect time of year to come. My painting trips have finished for the year the New Year hasn't quite crept up on me in the...
Walking with Anna. Palma de Mallorca
Another trip comes to an end. The last one of this year before taking Paint Provence with Tess to Lake Powell in Utah April 5th - April 13th 2019 if any of you are interested in seeing Antelope Canyon and amazing rock formations and desert come along on this trip I...
Alducia and Daisy the Mule
What can I say. I fell in love today with Daisy. Linda and I were busy trying to get our 10000 steps. I was miserable that she seemed always to have at least 1000 more steps than me, so instead of walking straight I went back and forth but still didn’t catch up....
Yellow, Red and Blue
We played a game on the way to Deia, or perhaps I quizz of sorts. How do you make that blue, or that grey or that orange or green. Well of course the three colours are, yellow red and blue. But then which red yellows and blues do you use? If the grey is warm, which...
Palma, Majorca. Have you ever seen such a heavenly door?
I don't think I have, and whats more it's old. No one tried to make it happen like this. It is the planks of wood and the fading of the blue, of the very delicious blue and the crumbling cream walls that make this door so mesmerising, so inviting, so utterly, I wish I...
Painting in Venice and Padova
The Winged Lion of Saint Mark ( Saint Mark is the traditionally ascribed author of the Gospel of Mark. Mark is said to have founded the Church of Alexandria, one of the most important episcopal sees of Early Christianity. His feast day is celebrated on April 25, and...
Footsore and pensive in Venice
Not too sure where I was, near the Arsenal and near the gardens and everywhere in between. Near to the Architecure and Space exhibition but at the wrong end of it on the Bridge of Thoughts that led to the exit rather than the entrance. I could not find the entrance...
Tourtour, long view of Provence.
The summer is almost over, well at least the heat is ebbing slowly away. We have cool nights and warm sunny days. Iydillic really. The first week of September is a perfect time for Paint Provence with Tess. We can still eat all our meals outside, paint plein-air, swim...
Food, food glorious food!
The above photo has nothing to do with food and everything to do with the Caribbean. I thought I might remind you all of the wonderful places we are going to in 2019 with Paint Provence with Tess. Antigua late February/early March..Lake Powell and Antelope Canyon 6th...
Cooking in Saint Paul
The photo above is not of Saint Paul but a Paint Provence lunch at home on our terrace in Lorgues. I am actually cooking for the summer months near to Saint Paul and the Colle-sur-Loup. Every year I promise myself I will take photo's of my food and every year I forget...
Why they keep coming back!
Painting Lavender (Video)
I love painting in the lavender fields, lost amongst the scents and sounds of Provence! https://youtu.be/3SQLwkWtNEg
OH THE PLACES WE SHALL GO! SPRING/SUMMER DATES AND DESTINATION OF 2019
I am in the Alpes Maritimes. Bar-sur-Loup, for my summer cooking work. I am staying with my friend Alison and this is the view from my bedroom window. When everything in the world of humans seems so upside down and difficult I find strength and peace in the great...
Valensole en Provence
I close my eyes and I see endless fields of lavender, deep purple lavender swaying rythmically to the humming of the honey bees. It seems all of natures intentions are directed to the lavender even the mass of dark clouds looming low over the mountains are offering...
Lavender of Provence
Just as we were settling into our paintings the dream worthy vision above of three horses, their riders chatting away and two huge dogs came walking over the horizon and into view. Just a little north of the beautiful lake of Sainte-Croix-de-Verdon is the plateau of...
Roman Aqueducts and Les Baux de Provence
Monday was Arles and Tuesday was spectacular. We left our little house in the olive grove quite early and made our way towards Saint-Remy-de-Provence. We passed through the commune of Fontvielle where I once many moons ago spent two months of the summer cooking for...
Perfectly eclectic Provence
Hello there, well it has been a while and my promise to myself that I will write a blog twice a week never seems to work out. I do want to write about the last trip as it was amazing, fun, interesting and a very different trip to my others. I found a sweet place just...
Pont de Crau
Here we are Paint Provencing just a few minutes from Arles. I was delighted to find our rental villa is right in the middle of farm country. Wheat and barley fields and hedgerows filled with wild flowers. A long view to the Alpilles and of course the Van Gogh Museum...
All good things must come to an end
It's Saturday morning and it is time to pack up and go. We have come to the end of a wonderful week. Meiling and Dominique have produced a lot of fabulous work and I shall be sorry to say goodbye. [gallery ids="6559,6553,6555,6564,6548,6544,6543,6542"...
And now we are four.
Fabulous photo by Dominique Baekelandt. The monumental hand with the tiny bird at our painting location yesterday in the almost desterted village of Lacoste. 'Welcome' is by sculptor Alexander Bourganov and over looks the fields and valleys below. Such concentration....
Murs and her Castle
I think my favourite village in this area has to be Murs. It's secretive Chateau (no visiting) hidden behind great gates and green gardens and park land makes it enticing. More than that, it is stunningly beautiful. It dates back to the 1004 when it was built...