OUR LAST GUESTS OF THE SEASON

Will, Jess, Rachel, Holly and Harvey painting at Fources.
This was their second last day.
The kids told me they've had a 'fabulous' time at the Mezin swimming pool and at the night market in Nerac. (A night market is where you buy your choice of food from one of the many stalls preparing the local delicacies - mum and dad can get a bottle of wine if they like - and then you find a place amongst lots of French people and sit at a communal table to eat).

ANOTHER MILITARY MADMAN

But he's got a really interesting face. 
Here's what President Truman said about him:

I've given it a lot of thought, and I have finally concluded... decided that there were times when he . . . well, I'm afraid when he wasn't right in the head. And there never was anyone around to him to keep in line. He didn't have anyone on his staff who wasn't an ass kisser....

Who is he?

General of the Army, Douglas MacArthur.

GEROGE S PATTON

Following on with my idea that interesting faces make interesting portraits, here's another World War 2 military leader. (No, it's not George C Scott).

DUGOUT DOUG

For no reason I can think of - other than he has an interesting face - I did this portrait of General Douglas MacArthur recently.

Then I found an extract of an interview with President Truman that says it all.

I fired him because he wouldn't respect the authority of the President. I didn't fire him because he was a dumb son of a bitch, although he was, but that's not against the law for generals. If it was, half to three-quarters of them would be in jail. 

MacArthur was always playacting.... He was wearing those damn sunglasses of his and a shirt that was unbuttoned and a cap that had a lot of hardware. I never did understand, an old man like that [MacArthur was 70] and a five-star general to boot, and he went around dressed up like a nineteen-year-old second lieutenant.

LING SAN & CO

Ling Sian, her brother Bing Houw, and sister in law Krista and two dogs drove overnight from Belgium arriving at Mezin around 10.00 in the morning.
Once they'd recovered ( helped by walking the dogs, running and a few good restaurants) we went painting. (Bing stayed at home to do lunch, read recipe books and bone up on Cassoulet).
This is Krista and Ling at Fources.
Hopefully they're going back to Belgium as confirmed watercolourists.