LAST DAY OF THEIR 9th VISIT

Jim and Mo Gensheer enjoying the late afternoon sun at La Petite Galerie.
This was on the last day of their 2014 visit, and here they are planning their next.
It looks like it's going to be September 2015.
Watch this space, and bon voyage to Jim and Mo.

PAINTING IN LECTOURE

This is how we start. Jim asks us to think about 'What is it you want to say in your painting?' 

About 50 kms away on the horizon we can just see the Pyrenees. 

Patty preparing her paper and paints. 

Jim showing us all how it's done. 

After lunch at Le Bastard - the best hotel in Lectoure.

And that's all folks - for this time anyway. But Jim is already preparing for his next trip, which should be in June or September 2015. 

Please keep in touch.

JIM'S SECOND GROUP - MIDDLE OF WEEK 2

D'Artagnan and his mates must be heartily fed up with having their photos taken with all kinds of disreputables.

Here we are at Vianne - a 13th century village - getting ready to paint one of the entrance arches.

Robert keeping an eye on us - he photographs anyone who's not working really hard.

Picnic on the Baise at Lavardac.

A loving couple at Henry IV's fortified mill at Barbaste.

The view over the Baise at Nerac.

Painting Henry IV's chateau at Nerac.

Ongoing productivity in the garden at La Petite Galerie.

WARTS AND ALL?

Here we are with our self portraits done at La Petite Galerie. 

At this point it is probably worth quoting what Oliver Cromwell is reputed to have said to the official portraitist:

"Mr Lely, I desire you would use all your skill to paint my picture truly like me, and not flatter me at all; but remark all these roughnesses, pimples, warts, and everything as you see me; otherwise I will never pay a farthing for it."

COULD IT BE GENERAL GEORGE PATTON MEETS INDIANA JONES?

George S Patton back in France?

No, it's Jim Gensheer with a GI helmet on in a brocante in Fources - note the ubiquitous sketchbook which is always the giveaway.

And could this be Indiana Jones?

Wrong again - it's Robert - wearing a Harrison Ford hat while taking a photo at Poudenas.

And here they are again chewing the fat at Fources brocante.

Robert and Patti discussing what to buy - will that French chest fit in our hand baggage?

Jim and Patti improving their French at a bouquiniste stall.

Team shot at the entrance to a romanesque church built in the early 11th century.

LAST DAY FOR SOME - FIRST DAY FOR OTHERS

The first week of Jim's 2014 watercolor workshop in France is coming to a close.

Here we are after lunch at the Hotel de Bastard in Lectoure.

And here we are getting ready for a crit on the last day before leaving for Tolouse airport at the crack of dawn - these are just some of the paintings we all did during the very productive week.

Week One ended with the departure of the first team.

Week Two started with the arrival of Robert and PJ in Bordeaux. Here we all are at La Petite Galerie. (Because we think Patty sounds better than PJ, so that's what she'll be in this blog from now on.)

Here we are at the Meet and Greet dinner in Mezin.

JIM'S FRENCH WATERCOLOR WORKSHOP CONTINUES

Here we are with the 3 Musketeers and D'Artagnan

And this is in Mezin at the Victory in Europe Service on 8 May.

The mayor of the village mentioned that a group of Americans had come a long way to help us celebrate the victory on this day in 1945

In the afternoon we painted in La Romieu. Jessica and Vanessa with their masterpieces.

This is the rest of the team at La Romieu.

And this is the main reason for coming to France - to have our photo taken with a rude sign. 

Please come back for more information soon.

HARD AT WORK AND HARD AT PLAY IN FRANCE

Bonjour,

Here we are in Fources, in the heart of Gascony, which is in SW France. We're here on a painting workshop with Jim Gensheer and his wife Mo. The photos below show what we get up to during the average day.

Well, first of all, Jim does a demonstration for us, discussing all the things we need to consider - and then we get started on our own  paintings. 

This is Jim, Gisela and Lillie painting in Fources which is officially classified as Un des plus beaux villages de France. This translates as: One of the most beautiful villages in France, but you can probably see that from the photographs.

This is Mo, hard at work.

And here we have Jessica and Vanessa, neither of whom have ever painted before. But they're engrossed in producing their first paintings.

After a morning painting, we had a picnic near the medieval clocktower and archway that leads into the beautiful village of Fources.

Wine is almost as important as painting, and you have to know all about wine. After all, we spend quite a bit of time enjoying it. 

So, off we went to a nearby vineyard for a tasting of wine and Armagnac.

Here's Jean Marie showing us the spring growth on his colombard vines and explaining what the wine will be like. 

(We can't wait to taste it, and we'll be doing just that later this afternoon.)

Come back to this blog soon for more news about Jim Gensheer's painting holiday in France.

THEY'RE BACK!

Jim and Mo and a team of painters are here again! They've been to Gascony so many times that we've forgotten how many. This could be their eighth visit (but it may be their ninth).
So, what brings them back. Well, perhaps it's the food. Maybe it's the wine. Or the beautiful countryside. Or the fabulous accommodation in a 13th century Mill. (The building we're staying in was actually a couple of hundred years old when Christopher Columbus set sail for America!).
It could be the wonderful climate. 
Well, let's just say it's all of the above - which makes Gascony (in Southwest France) such a great place to paint and draw. And we're all about to prove that. So don't forget to come back soon to see what we've painted.

Here we all are on the medieval bridge overlooking the Mill.

This is Mo checking the table setting - the dining room looks out onto the river.

Our first breakfast together.

Another team shot in Poudenas.

Our leader - Jim Gensheer in the local market surrounded by spring flowers.

Here we are at lunch on our first day.

(Don't forget to come back soon to see what we've painted).