We were a group of Painters driving around the island in hot pursuit of fresh Poppies. We drove down a small meandering dirt road until we found this gorgeous field with a beautiful farmhouse off in the distance. STOP the car... and out of the SUV we jumped, with our easels in hand, ready for a quick setup to get started painting. I must admit, we spent as much time snapping selfies in the fields as we did painting. It was too beautiful to pass up this amazing photo op.

Here are fellow Artists Catherine Mulflur, Janey Brammer, Patty McGeeney and Noreen Coup enjoying the beauty of the Island and its fresh Poppy Field. The exciting thing was that we were all at different levels on our painting journeys. To see a beginner at first be overwhelmed with the entire experience and feel so happy and satisfied at the end of the session was so gratifying.  And watching a seasoned pro get just as excited to paint was rewarding for all of us to experience.

One of the 10 villages on the island of Ile de re, is the village of La Flotte, registered as one of the "Most Beautiful Villages In France".  There you will find the ruins of a XII Century Abbey. This historical site offers the spectacular remains of the Abbey build by Cistercian monks in 1156 who first settled on the island and developed the wine and salt industry, still in production today.  It is surrounded by wheat fields and poppies  this time of the year and a potato farmer working the fields. BTW, he wasn't too keen on us taking his picture. Opps, we snuck a photo anyway. C'est la vie.

Our 2019 Stay at our host Chateau in Nouzilly, France was amazing. Two glorious weeks of plein air painting, visiting chateaus, cooking together, eating, drinking, and so many laughs to remember forever.

We stayed on the grounds of this beautiful private chateau. NOT open to the public. Day one, Rain! Oh No, Plan B, on the property there is a Atelier where we painting the figure... me. It was a slightly overcast, so painting inside was the way to go. Being the model gave me the opportunity to see what it's like to sit still for 3 hours... Hats off to those models who do it professionally. However I did get to enjoy watching these talented artists do a study of me.

We also visited three of the majestic Chateaux's in the Loire Valley. Chenonceau, Amboise and Villandry. Each  Chateau has its own special character and charm. We painted on the grounds of Chenonceau and nearby Chateau Amboise. What an exciting experience for everyone to be able to paint next to these impressive Chateaux's. 

Visit my website www.impressionismwithanedge.com for information about Workshops in France 2020. 

It all began in Paris on June 24th, at Charles de Gualle Airport. I asked the group to please pack light! Take a look at the trunk of one of our Peugeot 5008's. We just made it. One more paint brush and we would have been overloaded.

Our first stop... Chateau d'Ambille, a private Chateau in the heart of the Loire Valley. We were the guests of our hosts,  Fe and Gus for this amazing stay on the grounds of their estate. We visited the magnificent Chateau Chenonceau and Winery's and Caves in the area.

Next stop, the beautiful island of Ile de Re where we took over this quaint B&B L'Hippocampe in the village of La Flotte. This magical island is the getaway for Parisians and the French who want to escape the hustle and bustle of the big cities. There are 10 villages on the island, each with its own character. Beaches, Lighthouse, Restaurants, Boutiques, Wineries and Sailing. The island is know for its salt production, the "Fleur de Sel". Also growing on the island are grape vines, potatoes, wheat, sunflowers, poppies and more. 

And of course, Painting. Check out these Plein Air paintings from the group. We painted on the grounds of the Private Chateau, along la place (the beach) at low tide and high tide on Ile de Re, and at the Abbey des Chateliers, a 12th Century ruin at 10 pm that evening. Simply Magical!

Montreal in the Fall... Its been nearly 40 years since I last visited Montreal, and I found the City much more beautiful than I remembered. This is were my Mother was born and lived from 1930 to 1948. After the war, the family moved to Hollywood, California, but her roots in Montreal are still present.

During my recent trip to San Francisco while visiting my sister Shelley Hann, we were stopped in our tracks by the beautiful gowns in the St. John's boutique window. I remarked to her... "I wish I had an occassion to wear something that fabulous in Orlando", where the lifestyle is very casual.  In contrast, Shelley replied, I can get away with a gown like that in the city, the only thing holding her back was the sticker price. Ouch! So instead of shopping, we headed to The Daily Grill in Union Square and ordered a Triple Chocolate Brownie Sunday  and a glass of Cabernet and pondered how we would fit into those amazing gowns...