Wednesday, November 15, 2017

A Gallery of Photos: To France to Paint: Neighboring Villages

Our Vermont art teacher giving assistance


In my last posting, I wrote about Vaison-la-Romaine, a lovely small town in Provence where a group of us from Southern Vermont went for a week of painting and sketching just a month ago now.  Vaison is an old settlement with a splendid array of Roman ruins, an engaging medieval quarter, plus a handsome contemporary section.  For those Provence aficionados, it's fairly close to Orange and not far from Avignon.   

We stayed in Vaison but ventured out into neighboring towns and villages--the subject of this posting.  If you've been following this blog, you'll know that I have a sketch book that I take with me on trips.  So, yes, I most definitely took it this time.  I also took watercolors and colored pencils so that I could produce studies from which to later make larger (and better) works.

The vineyards were all turning golden.




A street in the village of Séguret, called "one of the most beautiful villages in France."



Window in Séguret


Doorway in Séguret


Looking out over the neighboring countryside from Séguret



Vineyards of the Mourchant Wineries



A watercolor study of the above scene



The hilltop village of Roussillon (in the Luberon) which sheltered  the Irish writer, Samuel Beckett, during World War 2 when he worked with the French Resistance.  The town is known for its red, orange, and yellow clay quarries.



From my travel sketch book.  The top was done in Séguret, "looking up from the village street to the rocks behind."  The lower was done in the village of Roussillon.  



More vineyards  turning golden.


Pont Julien, a Roman stone bridge over the Coulon River.  The sunlight makes the arch look as if it's been layered with gold leaf.




Ancient castle in the town of Fontaine-de-Vaucluse.  The 14th century Italian poet, Petrarch, had a house in town and wrote of the beautiful Laura, his muse, whom he'd only seen from a distance and who soon died of the plague.



Another view of Fontaine-de-Vaucluse


Bell tower and vineyards in Piégon near Mirabel-aux-Baronnies.




 Next posting:  the last of three postings of an October week in Provence






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