Painting Provence part 7 ...Personal Chef Extraordinaire!

'Bon Appetit'          8x6       pastel          ©Karen Margulis
available $125

I happen to be a terrible cook. But I have a fascination with all things food. My favorite shows are anything cooking/chef related and I have tremendous admiration for those who master the fine art of cooking. So when our group of five decided to have a meal prepared by a private chef at our home in France I was filled with anticipation! And we were not disappointed. 

The evening actually began months before we left for France. A chef was recommended to us and Tena did the correspondence and made the arrangements. Our chef would be chef Julien Lafoix. You can follow him on Instagram @julien_lafoix_chef_a_domicile. Chef Julien sent us suggested menus (in French). We all voted and it was unanimous. We would have lobster and lavender ice-cream for dessert. None of could remember what else was on the menu so it would be a surprise.

Our lobster in waiting!

Our dinner was scheduled for our second week of the trip. It was perfect timing. We were all relaxed and settled and it was Tena's birthday! Julien arrived in the late afternoon with the food and a special flower arrangement for Tena. He unloaded his supplies and got to work. We sat on the terrace off the kitchen enjoying wine and cheese while we watched him prepare our dinner.  I just had to take photos. The light was perfect and I could imagine the paintings that would come. I managed to get a quick video of chef describing how he bought our lobster early in the morning in Avignon and how the sauce had been cooking all day. Click on it below.

Chef Julien at work

And he was an entertainer too! :)

At the appointed hour and as scheduled Chef Julien invited us into the dining room. He had set the table and lit the candles in the chandelier. It was the perfect setting for the meal to come.

Julien set a lovely table and lit the candles in the chandelier. It was magical!

We began the meal with a delicious chilled soup. Chef Julien presented each course with a description but I have forgotten exactly what was in each dish. All I know is that the soup was amazing. It was a chilled gazpacho with a warm delicately  fried goat cheese topped with fresh herbs from his garden. Oh my!  It was heavenly.

Gazpacho and fried goat cheese with fresh herbs from the chef's garden 

Next came the main course....the lobster. It was artfully presented of course! The sauce was perfect. Julien said the sauce was like caviar. He had some leftover which he left for us to use for another meal. It was too good to waste!  We also had snow peas and broccoli rabe served with a coconut dipping sauce. It was all decadent and delicious. We were in heaven.

Lobster in a decadent sauce

Broccoli rabe with a coconut dipping sauce

Then came dessert. For some reason I didn't get a photo of the dessert. It might have something to do with the after dinner drink chef Julien brought. It was something made from Thyme.....for the digestion of course! It was powerful stuff and I actually only had a sip. But dessert was special. chef Julien prepared wonderful little cakes with lavender ice-cream from his grandmother's recipe. It was the perfect ending for a wonderful meal.

You only need a thimble full....it's for the digestion!

The group posed with chef Julien. I am on the right.

And for breakfast....leftover cakes and delicious French butter

About today's painting: I rarely paint figures but I just had to try to paint chef Julien. It was fun! I didn't quite capture his likeness but I think I got the gesture OK. I will do more. This one is 8x6 on a piece of Wallis warm mist seconds.

Why Wash Off an Old Painting?

'Into the Lavender'          8x10         pastel         ©Karen Margulis
available $150

 I posted a video on Facebook and Instagram and got an interesting response. Why would I do it?!! I was washing off an old painting in the sink. I scrubbed at the pastel with a brush and watched the painting disappear down the drain. It felt great! But why????

The original Old painting done of a piece of Pastelbord

https://www.facebook.com/karenmargulisart/videos/10155624474935983/

Sometimes a painting just doesn't please us. We may have worked and reworked and still we aren't happy. We could throw it away. But when it is on a piece of sanded paper or board it is much better to wash off the old painting and start with a fresh idea. Not only will we have a new outlook we save money!

My painting was several years old. I remember it vaguely as an experimental piece. I discovered just how much I had experimented when I couldn't wash off the ink and marker! But the painting never really pleased me and it went into my recycle pile.

Since it was a piece of Pastelbord which is a hard board sanded surface, I knew I would be able to wash the painting of under running water. I took out an old stiff brush and put the painting in the sink. I usually have very good luck getting most of the painting removed. There may be a light stain or ghost image left. In this case I had a hard time because I had used permanent inks (I had forgotten) I was left with a more of the original painting than I wanted but I managed to use it to create a completely new painting.

I filmed the redo of the painting as a demo. You can see it on my Patreon page. If you aren't yet a member please consider supporting me on Patreon. We will be exploring the mystery and magic of underpainting during the month of August so it is a great time to join for just $4 a month!

www.patreon.com/karenmargulis

The pastels I used for the new painting

The painting as it looked at the end of the demo

a close up of the end of the pathway

Painting Provence Part 6.....A Good Year for Wildflowers

'A Good Year for Wildflowers'         8x10          pastel          ©Karen Margulis
available $150

I wasn't expecting it. I was going to Provence in July to see the lavender in bloom. Somehow it never occurred to me that there would be other flowers! We had just missed the poppies although there were still some poppies hanging on. Of course the lavender was glorious....but for me the other wildflowers just about stole the show. They were everywhere! And as the days grew warmer the wildflowers put on an ever increasing grand performance.

On our first evening we met a lovely woman at the fete. She was from the neighboring village of Rousillon. We talked about my paintings and I showed her some of my work online. ( a lot of wildflower paintings!)  Her face lit up as she excitedly talked about the wildflowers we would see. She told us it was a great year for the wildflowers. The were happy and the were blooming everywhere.  I couldn't wait to discover them for myself! And I did!

In the middle of the Mother Lode field of Queen Anne's Lace

A few days into our stay we made the drive to Avignon for a day trip. Along the drive I knew we would be passing a lavender fields and olive groves. I was ready with my camera to snap a few driveway shots. This day it was early in the morning and the light was amazing. The lavender looked so different in the glow of the early morning light. And then we passed something that took my breath away. It was a huge field filled with Queen Anne's Lace....as far as the eye could see! The flowers were glowing with sunlight and dancing in the morning breeze. It was a fleeting glance and I wanted to stop but we had a long day ahead. We all agreed to return to the field another early morning to catch the light on the flowers. 

A week later we returned. And it was even more glorious than before. We first pulled into a side road near the lavender field. It was amazingly beautiful. We were speechless as we snapped photos by the roadside. I spotted some Queen Anne's Lace growing right next to the lavender and wanted to get a photo. Respectful of the farmer I looked for signs. There were none nor was there any fence or wires as we had seen in other lavender fields. I took a few steps off the road and snapped a couple of photos. But it was too late. We were in trouble! Down the lane a women was out shouting something in French! We quickly called out our apologies and left.  I can only imagine how many tourists she has to deal with. I will cherish my photo which was the inspiration for today's painting.

The lavender in the early morning light

We continued down the road to the spot where we had seen the masses of Queen Anne's Lace. Fortunately there was a spot to pull off the road. The reality of the field was even more awesome. Not only was it full of QA Lace in bloom but it was also filled with the delicate blue blooms of chicory. The combination was almost overwhelming to this wildflower lover! I am not sure the hundred photos I took do it all justice. I do know I will be painting this field many times!

Flowers emerging from the shadows

Thick in the Queen Anne's Lace

Dancing blooms!

 Be sure to go directly to my blog to read the previous installments to my trip report. www.karenmargulis.com

Painting Provence part 5....In the Footsteps of Van Gogh

'From Van Gogh's Window'         10x8         pastel        ©Karen Margulis
available $150 click here

On the third day of the trip we decided we needed to make a plan. We all had places that we wanted to see and we wanted to make sure everyone's wish list was satisfied. We started a master list and made a touring plan. We wanted to have quiet stay at home days with touring days and of course we needed to consider market days!  We all agreed that a visit to St. Remy de Provence should be on the list and two of us wanted to make sure we saw St. Paul de Mausole, the asylum where Vincent Van Gogh spent a year.

I had visited Van Gogh's resting place in Auvers sur Oise a few years ago on a Painter's Passport trip with Stan Sperlak. I needed to go to St Remy to see the place that inspired so many of Van Gogh's later works. We put it on the schedule and headed to St. Remy for an inspiring day. We shopped, we ate a yummy lunch at a sidewalk cafe and we spent some time visiting they asylum of St. Pauls de Mausole.  

The irises and Van Gogh's painting

St Paul de Mausole

Here is a bit of history taken from an information sheet at St. Pauls:

"Thus it happened that Vincent Van Gogh was hospitalized at his own request in the men's pavilion from May 1889 to May 1890.  Fascinated by the quality of light and the beauty of the countryside that he discovered around him here, stimulated and encouraged by the calm climate and the understanding of the NUM's and the medical staff who looked after him, he produced more than 100 drawings and 150 paintings.  The time spent in St. Remy is considered today to b one of the most important periods in the work of the artist. Many famous paintings were executed here, 'The Irises', The Wheat Field and the Harvester', The Asylum St Paul' to name a few.  Vincent Van Gogh left St. Paul de Mausole on the 16 May 1890 to go to Auvers sur Oise where he died two months later"

Van Gogh's bedroom at St. Pauls

 It was especially moving to see Van Gogh's room and to look out the window to see the view he saw.  It dawned on me that in his paintings of his view there were no bars. This is an important lesson that I will be sharing in my workshops!

Bars on the window.....yet he didn't see the bars. What an important lesson for us.

 It was a hot summer day but I wanted to walk in his footsteps. I went outside into the gardens. I took many photos of the sunflowers and the wheat field and the distant cypress trees. I could feel the peacefulness though it was hardly quiet with the din of the cigales (cicadas) Click on the video below to spend a few seconds in the wheat field. Listen to the sounds of summer in St. Remy.

The wheat field behind St. Pauls

Did Van Gogh sit here?

I am so happy I was able to see this place at my own pace and with my small group of 4 friends. There were many 'Van Gogh' tours and as we were leaving a bus load of people were taking over the peace and quiet. We quickly left satisfied and filled with inspiration.

There are still paintings from my trip to Provence available in my Etsy shop. Click here to have a closer look. 

Painting Provence Part 4....Our Magical Village of Goult

'Magique'             9x12         pastel           ©Karen Margulis
sold

We knew we had chosen well the very moment we arrived in Goult. We were greeted with wine and cheese and other goodies. We were given a quick tour and the suggestion that we get tickets for the evenings festivities in the village (more on this later). It was truly a magical place. Goult had all the necessities....a cafe, a few very nice restaurants, a boulangerie/patisserie, a small grocery store and a cheese store as well as a few small shops. 

Goult was a quiet place and very walkable. While we loved exploring the other hilltop villages in the area we were alway happy to return to our village. One of the first nights of our stay we took a walk after dinner. It was light until 10:00 pm and around 8:00 the light was magical. This evening walk and the simple discoveries we made set the stage for the entire trip.

An evening walk in Goult

We set out on our walk to find the moulin (windmill). We didn't know where it was only that it was at the highest point in the village. So we just picked a street and headed uphill. It was quiet. It almost seemed like a deserted movie set. I fell in love with the colors and textures of the buildings. I would take many walks and many photos of these special details.

The quiet streets of our village. 

A fun spot. I can only imagine the conversations this  little spot has seen!

 We knew we were headed in the right direction when we came upon a wonderful view overlooking the valley below. We could see for miles and it was wonderful to watch the swallows as they flitted overhead. We continued the gentle climb.

The view from Goult

  And voila! We found the moulin and it was lit perfectly by the setting sun. The view from the moulin was worth the climb!

The Moulin de Jerusalem

 Before heading back to the house we decided to walk a bit farther down a path that follows the the 12th century ramparts and the terraced gardens. I would return later for a better look at these ancient structures.

I'm glad that we kept walking because we came upon one of the most magical scenes I have ever scene. It took my breath away! There was a small field filled with all kinds of wildflowers and the way they were illuminated by the setting sun was just perfect. Every flower and seed head glowed with light. It was truly a wonderland. Even though I took many photos they just don't do it justice.
It is a scene that I will paint more than once!

The magical wildflower patch

Headed back to the house

Sunset from our rooftop terrace

The underpainting for today's painting was done with an alcohol wash

Painting Provence Part 3....Our First (but not last) Market!

'Beauty Surrounds Us'          5x7       pastel       ©Karen Margulis
available $95

I had read about the markets. In fact I had a book on the different markets of Provence. I copied the pages that listed the markets for each day of the week. I think we managed to go to six markets during our visit. Oh yes we became market junkies! Each market had a different feel and we discovered that the early bird gets the best stuff and a parking spot. It was also much cooler early in the morning.

We explored out first market on the first full day of our visit. We had gone into the nearest town of Coustellet for groceries.  It just happened to be market day! It was all a bit overwhelming. But we were hooked!

Approaching the market for the first time in Coustellet France

Sunflowers and artichoke blooms

The first thing I saw was the lavender.....actually I smelled it first!  I had to buy a bouquet to keep in my room. We all bought some soap and fine lavender spray. We were so happy to have the spray. All it took was a quick spray on our pillows at night and we were sound asleep. Did you know that some lavender makes you sleepy (fine lavender the most expensive kind) and that the less expensive lavender is actually a stimulant? At least that was the sales pitch we got. All I can say is that the spray worked wonders!

And the lavender! Of course I had to have a bouquet for my room!

 Next on the agenda was to pick out a basket. Everyone we saw had a market basket! My hands were already full with lavender, soaps and sprays so I definitely needed a basket. We all chose a different basket and it was hard. There were so many wonderful baskets to choose from. I selected a simple traditional basket with leather trim.

I love my basket. Not only did I use it for the markets and for shopping I used it to bring my stuff up and down the stairs in the house. Remember my bedroom was on the third floor and the shower /bathroom I used was downstairs by the pool. The basket will also be perfect to use for local plein air and sketching sessions.

Market baskets are a necessity. We all picked out a basket. I went with the simple classic basket.

You might be wondering how I got the basket home? I was traveling light with only a small carryon suitcase and a backpack. BUT I always bring along a folding duffel bag for the trip home. The basket fit perfectly in the duffel bag! Whew!

 The next purchase we made would be one of the highlights of the trip! Tena was the first one to buy the salt but we all had to go back to the market the following week to stock up on this wonderful bag of joy. It was sea salt with herbes de provence. It was heaven in a bag. We quickly discovered that adding a pinch of this salt elevated any dish. It was especially delicious with the tomatoes from the market! I am spoiled forever from those tomatoes.  The best ones were the cherry tomatoes from the market. They were like candy! They had a plate of them available to taste and I was sold! Into the basket went a bag of tomatoes!

This turned out to be the buy of the trip! Sea salt with herbs de Provence

Tomatoes that were as sweet as candy. I am spoiled for life!

Our first taste of the market had us excited for the rest of the trip. We would go home and make a plan to visit villages on market day! I will be sharing more from our local market day in Goult in another post.

We headed back to the car our baskets filled with goodies. Can you believe the beauty we found in the parking lot? An amazing bank filled with Queen Anne's lace and Blue Sailor wildflowers. I was in heaven and took plenty of photos. Beauty is everywhere in France.....even in the parking lot of the Super U. (It is a good thing I took a lot of photos because the flowers had been mowed down by the next week.)

Today's painting: 7x5 on Pastelmat paper done while in Provence.