Well here it is nearly the end of July and the smells of fresh cut hay are in the air. Breathe deeply and you will sense the deep golds of summer and the dry warm air as the farmers harvest their crops. I marvel at the way they pack them in these round cylindrical shapes lit by the sun.

This morning I was awakened at 6:30 a.m. by another, yes you guessed it, glorious sunrise.  The brilliance of morning fills my room with color and I cannot resist the urge to share it.  Although it may seem a bit repetitious, nature never repeats the same performance twice!

I am working on a new still life, the complexities of the draperies on which it rests are a study in itself! The color wash is finally done and I have started painting. I will add a photo of that in my next post. I have to go back to my first lesson, patience. Ted did a little bit on it today as a demo and I learned so much from watching him and was so excited to have his masterful touch on my study!

Finally a photo of me for those of you who requested it. I went to Doue la Fontaine for the show of roses in the troglodyte caves and this was shot there.

Each day I am thankful for this time to study, live and learn. One day last week the model didn't show up, so we did a little plein-air painting, another first for me. We did a poster study and then a "sketch" in oil. One must work fast because the light changes quickly. I learned that cloudy or overcast days are good for painting outside and one must work the same time every day to achieve consistency.

Happy 4th, Independence Day and whatever that means to you in all it's old glory.

Today I pulled up the old rug upstairs in the guest room and found a beautiful hardwood floor. I washed and cleaned off old paint spots, than bees waxed it and it sure looks nice. Luckily there was no backing or tape so it came right up.

I had not the same luck with carpet in the hall. It had been put down with double stick duct tape if there is such a thing. YUK What a mess.It does look better without that dusty old thing, but if anyone knows what takes up old tape residue, let me know.

Luckily a couple of young strong men were able to help me chuck it all out into my car and off to the "dechetterie" or the dump.

The last one to go is in the bedroom that looks east, but it is an old carpeting faded pink with a rubbery adhesive backing on it. That will not be so easy, so I will save that for another day!

Well that is it for the" living" part of the blog. I really got joy out of bees waxing the floor so then I went on to do the wooden staircase.

Today I will post photos of the poppies  that are one of beautiful wild flowers of the Argenton summer. You will walk down the river road with me. Poppies are good studies for painters; values of red and the brillaince of nature....They grow in the wall along the river bank and along the roadside.

Along the river are the community gardens, neatly planted and I am enjoying watching the gardening and work that is involved. Luckily the water comes from the river, so watering is not a problem.

 

At the bottom of the river road rue de Tannerie is a lovely weeping willow tree that hangs over the river showing in the reflection its grace. For many folks who live or visit here, it is a landmark.