Road to "La Laiterie"

Road to La Laiterie
Pastel 8 x 10

"La Laiterie" stands for dairy barn. La Laiterie where we stayed in Normandy during our painting trip was converted into a beautiful gîte for holiday rental. This is the road to the property.

Green Pastures

Green Pastures
Pastel 8 x 10

On a clear day, there is always a symphony of greens in the Norman countryside!

Steeple in the Clouds

Steeple in the clouds
Pastel 8 x 10

Happy New Year to all my friends and followers! Your support and encouragement is invaluable and keeps me going.

Last September, with my friends Bobbi and Suzanne, I took a wonderful oil painting workshop with Carolyn Walton in Normandy. We stayed in a wonderful place called La Laiterie on the outskirts of Pont l'Eveque in the heart of the Pays d'Auge. The weather was typically Norman, alternating between rain and sunshine. It was a chance for me to learn how to paint lots of clouds and practice all these amazing greens!

Our Normand paintings will be on exhibit at the Yarmouth Gallery in Yarmouth, Maine in February. More information on the show later.

Yarrow by the Pond

Yarrow by the Pond
Pastel 10 x 10
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It is May 1st and it's official... color is part of our lives again! Forsythia, daffodils, tulips and azaleas are in bloom, a reward we have all been waiting for after a very long winter in New England.

If you enjoy spring and summer and happen to be in Maine on Saturday 7 May, please join us for a reception at the Yarmouth Frameshop and Gallery for the "Impressions of Summer exhibit". It will a wonderful and colorful feast for the eyes!

"Impressions of Summer"
30 artists and their works
Gallery Reception
Saturday, May 7th, 4 to 7

Diana Johnson, William Hallett, John Bowdren, Neil Wyrick, David Little, Marcia Feller, Anne Witte, Lois Strickland, Sukie Curtis, Suzanne deLesseps, Bobbi Heath, Joelle Feldman, Susan Gosselin, Linda Dessaint, Elizabeth Newman, Anne Macleod, Ruthie Garroitt, Kathleen Daughan, Martha Baum, Dale Augustson, Cathrine Breer, Mary Lynn Engel, Sandi St.George, Kitty Clark, Alison Bramhall, Judith Barker, K.Dana Nelson, Denise Horne-Kaplan, Andrea Sawyer, Anne Tarbox

Yarmouth Frame Shop and Gallery
720 Route One, Yarmouth, Maine, 04096
207-846-7777

Tuesday ~ Friday 10 ~ 6 Saturday 10 ~ 4

Yarrow Field

Yarrow Field
Pastel 8 x 10
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I am happy to report that my three entries - "Yarrow Field", "Lilacs" and "Need More Forsythia" - were selected for the "Garden of Earthly Delights" juried exhibit at River Arts in Damariscotta, ME. Colin Page, a wonderful painter of Maine landscapes (among others) was the selecting juror for this show.

If you get a chance, please join us at the opening reception on Friday 29 April, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. Looking forward to it!

Looking for Shade

Looking for Shade
Pastel 8 x 8
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With several feet of snow covering the grounds of New England and frigid temperatures, wouldn't you want to be looking for shade in a hilltop village of Provence right now? I certainly wish I were there!

Leading the Way

Leading the Way
Oil 8 x 8
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There are many intriguing and spectacular entryways lined with cypress trees in the Provencal countryside. You get curious and want to walk down the path to check out what the house hiding around the bend looks like. These entryways are usually private and you just have to leave your curiosity to your imagination. I could not go beyond the open gate of this private property in the village of Tourtour but there was no sign that said I couldn't paint it!

Pretty Way to the Cabanon

Pretty Way to the Cabanon
Oil 8 x 10
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Lavender comes in different tints of violet from the palest to the more saturated. Lavender fields can range from a light grayish violet to a pale pinkish magenta or purple as well as a pale blueish indigo. I find them all stunning.

An interesting tidbit for painters out there, a tint is the mixture of a color with white, which increases lightness while a shade is the mixture of a color with black, which reduces lightness.

Come and see this painting at our "Postcards from Provence" show in Yarmouth, Maine on February 12th. Hope to see many of you there!

Village with a View

Village with a View

Oil on paper 8 x 10

Tired of the New England cold and huge amounts of snow? Come and join us to look at lavender fields, cypress trees and sunny country scenes at our "Postcards from Provence" show in Yarmouth, Maine on February 12th. A great art show and a glass of wine will warm you right up!
Hope to see you there!

In Full Sun

In Full Sun
Oil 6 x 6
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The 0live tree is a typical element of the Provencal landscape, and has flourished by the Mediterranean since 6000 b.c. It is a symbol of peace (the olive branch), perseverance (survives in arid, sun-baked soil) and gastronomy (salade nicoise, tapenade and countless delicious recipes).

My friends Bobbi, Kitty and Suzanne and I were inspired by the beautiful shape and glimmering pale greens of this lone olive tree bathing in the high noon heat. Each painted interpretation will be gracing the walls of the Yarmouth Frame Shop and Gallery for our show "Postcards from Provence," which opens on February 12th. More details on the exhibit in my next blog.

Cypress Sentinels

Cypress Sentinels
Oil 6 x 6
For purchase information, please e-mail me at joelle.feldman@gmail.com
PayPal available

Cypress trees are abundant in the Provence landscape. They don't provide much shade on a hot day, but they look beautiful standing tall and lined up like sentinels on duty. I previously painted this scene en plein air in the village of Tourtour and decided to try a slightly different version. Here it is!

Short Cut to the Mas

Short Cut to the Mas
Oil 6 x 6
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Wintry temperatures and early darkness are upon us in New England. There is no better time to review and paint pictures from Provence for a little warmth. I saw this traditional provencal farmhouse called "mas" as I was walking down the road near the lovely village of Tourtour. Tourtour is referred to as the "village in the sky" and I thought the angled top-down view of the mas was unusual and fitting.

Autumn Feast

Autumn Feast
Pastel
12 x 12
For purchase information, please e-mail me at joelle.feldman@gmail.com
PayPal available

Foliage is New England is at its peak, particularly in my neighborhood. The bright, almost garish colors I love have been greeting me every day for the last couple of weeks. I am painting a series of fall scenes to reflect the ephemeral beauty of season. This is the first in the series.

Red Bucket

Red Bucket
Pastel
10 x 10
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In Southern Italy, mainly in the region around the Gulf of Naples and the coast of Amalfi, lemon trees overlooking the Mediterranean abound. They are used to make Limoncello, a citrus-based lemon liqueur served chilled in the summer months. I am not sure what the red bucket in the scene is for (definitely not for picking!) but I loved it and found it intriguing!

Alllium and Purple Heads

Allium
Pastel
11 x 14

Purple Heads
Pastel
6 x 6

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There are hundreds of allium plants, including the onions and garlic we eat. I saw this cluster of the ornamental variety at the Montreal Botanical Gardens and loved its onion’s round ball shaped flower heads. It is surprising that the thin stems can hold such heavy looking purple heads! They are so much fun that I think everyone should grow them in their garden!