OUR LAST TEAM SHOT

The adventure's nearly over (i.e. the glass is now officially half empty).
Here we are about to head off for lunch at le Bastard in Lectoure.
Then it's on to Bleu de Lectoure and La Romieu.

A last team shot at the Mill, which was our home base while we were being shown around Gascony by Ray and Lynne.

So tomorrow it's early morning pick up and off to the airport at Toulouse.

"Bon Voyage," from Ray and Lynne. "We hope to see you all again one day."

A VERY DEDICATED GROUP

This trip is a painting holiday, but just to emphasise that the painting component is more important than than the holiday part, here are some photos to prove the point. (Well, almost).

Nikki gets everyone off the mark in the bastide village of Vianne.

We just had to have our photo taken at this well known roadsign.

"If you paint or draw - or make any marks in your beautiful white border - I'll give you a hard smack on the wrist,"

Nikki and Alda hard at work under the trees at Fources.

Even hard working artists have to eat - here we are picnicking beside the river at Lavardac.

MID SUMMER IN GASCONY

The longest day has just passed, but our holiday rolls on.

Ray gives some advice with a rooftop and river composition exercise.

Lunchtime on the terrace at Sarlat le Canada.

A wonderful view over the river Domme

.

A quiet street in Sarlat.

Team photo at the Chateau Beynac.

Lunch in Sarlat

This is how we fund our trip - outside the church in Sarlat.

Castle in the air. Nikki on the ramparts at Chateau Beynac.

THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES

Painting in acrylic in the open air at Larressingle.

Team photo with Alexander Dumas's Three Musketeers
in Condom. 

On the vieux pont at Nerac.

Time for a breather outside Henri IV's Chateau in Nerac.

This is a real challenge - which buildings and which roofs should we start with?

A TYPICAL (WORKING) DAY IN GASCONY

This is the kind of thing we get up to on a typical day in Gascony

The photographs say it all.

It's straight to work. Nikki gives a demonstration of what to look for.

Hard at work in a quiet place in the shade.

There are views in all directions.

Painting en plein air.

Look what I did today.

Beautiful villages provide all kinds of subject matter.

Getting ready.

Discussing our compositions.

Then it's time for a picnic lunch.

After all that hard work, what about a wine tasting?

This Pousse Rapiere and pink bubbly makes life  worth living.

Then it's time to eat again. Here we all are at Le Continental in Condom for dinner.
So now you know what a typical day in Gascony is like.
It's really quite hard work.

DAY ONE - PAINTING IN FRANCE WITH NIKKI

Nikki makes sure that everyone stays productive.

Setting up for an afternoon session.

But eating always takes priority in Gascony - here we all are at Le Vieux Pressoir. 

This is how it's done.

Hard at work at Fources - which is officially listed as one of the 'Plus Beaux Villages de France',

NIKKI'S BACK WITH HER CANADIAN ARTISTS

Nikki was here in 2013 - and she must have liked it - because look - she's back with another group of Canadian artists. (That's her at the head of the table adjusting her beret). Here they all are having their first meal at the Mill, just after arriving in Gascony.

(Come back to this blog soon to see more photos of what we get up to over the next few days.)