Aqueducts - by North Carolina Painter, Sue Scoggins

This artist, me, finds it a bit difficult to come up with new subjects. Landscape, landscape, landscape. Pears! Fruit!  I mean how many times can one paint the same "scene" of the water and the sound or of wildflowers.  For quite some time now, I've wanted to break out of my routine and find NEW discoveries.

It takes a lot of thought.  In fact, often, more time is spent in thought BEFORE the painting than the actual process of painting itself. That's why it's hard for me to paint unless I have days of solitude before hand. This summer, when not doing commission work, I've spent time going through my old travel sketches of summers in Italy and France. The first thoughts that come to mind is the old world architecture. Arches and aqueducts have solidified in my head.  They are everywhere and many date back to 300BC.  So aqueducts it is! There is no end to the modern paintings this will bring.

Let's get started.  This sort of takes me back to the color and design days in college.  Believe me...those were ancient days! But, I remember having a project similar to this where I constructed a geometric tree with shapes and colors.  I suppose since math was my thing, the geometry is right up my ally. The supplies are here...orange ink, charcoal pencil, oil sticks, oil paint....here goes.  What have I been waiting for?  (like the frying pan in the sink?)

Sunny Day in France-by North Carolina Painter Sue Scoggins

France on a Sunny Day

12x24 oil on gallery wrapped canvas

The sun is coming out and the days are getting longer.  I'm a creature of the sun and the sea.  There's just something about it.  As I have been contemplating what paintings are going in a show at Tidewater Gallery in June, I've been painting whatever comes to mind.  I've also been exploring some new techniques.  Scraping is such a good thing.  Scrape on.  Scrape off.  It takes away the attempt at perfectionism and lets the true colors come to light.  I just love that.

FRENCH PAINTING PRICES - more in days to come

Around My Corner

14x14 original oil, canvas on board

unframed

$750

LOST IN TRANSLATION !! a traveling art blog by Sue Scoggins

Chagall must have been having "women issues".

Marc Chagall

Interesting fountain.  You figure out the meaning!

There's something to be said for "communication".

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to go to St. Paul de Vence, an ancient city, famous for the Belarussian-Russian-French artist,  Marc Chagall.  Did you know that his last painting was done at 97 years old and it was a premonition of his life after death?  The painting was a reunion with his first wife and his self portrait had wings.  He died 3 days later.

ANYWAY.  My new artist friend, offered to give me a ride to Vence where she dropped me off in the town center and went on to her prior engagement.  I was to meet her at the same spot at 5:30 that evening for pick up back to AIX en Provence.  Well, guess what!  It never happened.

I spent the day at the Foundation Maeght, a beautiful contemporary art museum and garden at the top of the hill.....(seriously, it was an 85 degree incline)  near the historic village of St Paul de Vence. I felt like I had climbed Mt. Everest. Once I recovered, I was privileged to chat with a very friendly gallery owner, who's family owned gallery had been in existence for generations.  He had an original  Picasso and several Chagall paintings.  I was a starstruck old American lady.  (I wanted to say middle aged...but....)

Once my visit was over, I headed back to the bus stop.  Wanted to be sure I didn't miss that bus for my ride.  Oh SUE!!!!  What have you done?  I GOT ON THE RIGHT BUS.....IN THE WRONG DIRECTION!!!   What is it with me and BUSES and French directions and French schedules!!!!!

After about 15 minutes on the bus, I walked up to the bus driver ..."are we going back to Vence?"  He looked at me like...."You pitiful American!"  I ended up in Nice.  Say it...with a French accent.  Does that sound the same to you?  VENCE.  NICE. VENCE.  NICE.  Anyway, Nice, that beautiful Cote d'azur city.   By the time I got there, I had decided not to panic. I had resolved that I probably wasn't going "home" that night, called my friend and said, "travel on, my friend.  I'm in Nice."  So I checked into a Meridian Hotel.

Ok...the Meredian.   I honestly thought..."what's the worse that can happen?"  I have a credit card.  So I asked the receptionist, "what is your best rate?"  She looked for a while and said, "I can offer you a $500 executive room. That's all I have."  Then, I politely said...."Would you mind pulling up the train schedule?  I need to get back to Aix...tonight!" We both laughed.  Then, I asked....and where can I get something to drink?  "Ah, Oui, Madame, over there."  I "proudly" walked on over and ordered a Tangueray and tonic (besides, I needed to plug in and recharge my phone)  and thought, "Relax, Sue.  Relax.  It's only money".   It was now about 7:00 pm.

After the T&T set in, I saw lots of "group" tourists there in the lounge.  Tons of retirees, with plans that had been made for them...like luxury clients sipping on their "whatevers."  It reminded me of when my husband and I were on our award trips and everything was paid for.  Top of the line...everything planned and perfect.  All we had to do was show up.  Why do I always have to do things the hard way?  Here I was in my disgusting, mint green, sweaty tank top and linen skirt with no place to stay, no husband, no friends around, and, for a nano second, I sighed...."oh, how nice to be taken care of."  Then, I came to my senses!  I let go of my anxieties and pulled up my trusty "Kayak" to find some hotel quotes.  GUESS WHAT?  There was the Meredian for $200.  Ah- ha!  I quickly snagged the room online and went back over to the front desk.  What a great moment that was!  So I put on my giant black sunglasses, pointed up my nose, and pranced off to my "Nice" soft bed...with clean sheets...I couldn't wait.  Everything else could wait until morning.

The Phyllis Diller look! No brush, no clothes, no toothbrush,
just a cell phone and credit card!

Scary as it was, I headed out the next morning. Figured, if I was on this beautiful coastline, I shouldn't  head straight back to Aix.  So I got on a bus to Antibes. Where is Antibes, you say?    Who knows?  Somewhere between Nice and Cannes.  It's the only place I could go and be back in time to catch the bus to Aix that evening.  BUT, IT WAS WORTH IT!!!!!

What happened was, I got on the bus to Antibes with a few other people and got off in the town center.  Figured I could have a nice lunch, do some sketchbook drawing, then head back.  When I got off, I found myself completely lost along with two young girls from Spain.  They were adorable!  I was their mother!  They spoke Spanish.  I spoke English.  None of us spoke French very well.  So we bonded!  Both of them happened to be in Fine Arts school in Spain.  SO COOL!!!!!  They weren't even embarrassed to hang with me. We were LOST IN TRANSLATION together! We went to the Police station hoping to get a map or directions to the tourist information office.  Not a chance!  The officers took us to the back to show us a map that was taped to the wall.  We snapped a picture with our cell phones. That was somewhat helpful but..seriously, who can read a map that small on their cell phone?  Can't you just envision it!  They didn't understand a word, nor did they know where the tourist information office was. ..or if it even existed.   One of the girls, asked for directions to the historic city center...he looked confused...I said..."You know...the OLD city...like me!"  He said, "Ah.  OLD!".  He got it.  Man!  Was that a blow for me!

Last but not least was at the end of the day when I met a beautiful woman from IRAN.  She was  working for the Canadian Consulate in Turkey.  What a beautiful woman inside and out!  I could go on about her culture but there is not enough time.  All I can say...is..don't believe the media.... that...if the Iranian people are like her......it must be a beautiful culture of people.

Today was even better than art!  

A WORK IN PROGRESS - a traveling art blog by Sue Scoggins

Cassis Waterfront
20x24 original oil on paper

Seriously, I'm hearing the Romanian accordion player outside my window.  SO FRENCH!
Today, I decided I'd better finish up all these unfinished paintings so they'll dry and I can roll them up to bring home.  OR....maybe they'll go in the trash.  I don't know yet.  It's been 3 weeks of daily painting and I'm just getting use to these new pallet colors.  Hmmm.  Can't decide if I'll stick with them, go back to the old pallet or try to slowly migrate them.  One thing I DO like is that the pallet is made up of only FIVE colors. Meticulously! Every color is mixed from there.  Amazing!

Trying to finish this boat painting of Cassis.  Still not finished. It's taken a long time and is painted on paper!  (I bought a large notebook of what I thought was cut canvas....guess what....it's paper for "huiles" (oils) and really absorbs the paint!  SO, yet, another new challenge.  My muscles are getting tense.

I can think of worse things.  Play on Minelle.  (That's the accordion player.  We've become buds.)

ARLES - a traveling art blog by North Carolina Painter Sue Scoggins

I've discovered something about myself.
In order to paint, or create, I HAVE to be in the outdoors or where I can see the outdoors.  I also HAVE to have people.  I love people with all their stories, their smiles, their eyes.  They are the energy that generates creativity for me.  Too much alone time is not a good thing.  However, as a writer and painter, I need the alone time to reflect and concentrate.  It's a balancing act.

Yesterday, quite early, I hopped on a bus to the town of Arles.  It was the connecting point to where I really wanted to go, Les Baux.  In Les Baux is the Klimpt exhibit where Klimpt's art is projected on cave walls. I've heard it's spectacular. Once the bus driver dropped me off at the corner of city center in Arles, I asked, "ou est le bus pour Les Baux?"  He waved forward and said, "la ba".   Ok?  Where is la ba?  I acted as if I knew where he was pointing and just followed  the wandering people with "women carts" and dogs on leashes and travelers carrying backpacks. I found myself in the midst of hundreds of tents and thousands of people.  It was Saturday market in Arles.  OH NO, ANOTHER MARKET!!!  But, I couldn't resist.  So I threw my pack back over my mint colored tank topped shoulder and wandered from tent to tent acting as if I was local.  (I wasn't wearing my stupid hat). I swear if I lived here I'd buy herbs and linens and pottery and fix my place up all "Frenchy".   I might even buy a goat! This market had a lot of the same as in Aix, however, there were several very authentic locals who had brought their wares.  One farmer was selling roosters, guineas, and rabits.  A potter was selling his hand thrown pottery...which was no mass production...his calloused hands proved it.   There were tables and tables of antique laces and linens.  OH, if I just had the inclination to buy those things...I would have been in heaven!

Maggie

Mr. Potter and his calloused hands.  Vous estes merveilleaux!

I wanted to take these home.

Now, THIS is paella!

Lady singing guantanamera with tambourines strapped to her feet.
I couldn't resist this one.

After about an hour and a half of market walk, a vendor scooped some lightly fried shrimp and zucchini fritters and I sat for a cold drink and time to sketch.  Then I'd be off Les Baux, I thought.   It was now about noonish.  One thing led to another and......well....

I never made it to Les Baux!  Never found the bus.

Sketchbook Drawing - by Sue Scoggins, North Carolina Painter

la fontaine des 4 Dauphins
Aix en Provence

My oil painting has been a bit flat due to lots of reasons.
1.  My mind is filled with all these new sights that it just won't calm down.
2.  My apartment view is of walls.  Not that I am complaining, mind you.  But being an open skies kind of girl.....it takes a bit of adjusting being in between yellow ochre walls and covered with beautiful trees.  (I'm just sayin')
3.  I'm use to painting large.  Large is difficult to do when traveling.  6x6 squares are cramping my fingers.
4.  I'm using a completely different pallet which is frustrating me because it's not bright and happy.  It's warm.

ENOUGH!!!

Today, I decided to get out and take a drawing class.  Absolutely loved it and my teacher was the warmest, kindest person ever! We are new friends.  We sat on the square of Place des 4 Dolphins and sketched as people walked by, doggies splashed in the fountain, cars came in and went out.  She showed me how to look at detail.  AND, for those of you who don't know....I AM NOT A DETAIL PERSON!  So...Catereeeene, as they say it in French...has taught me to draw in detail.  Also...she has taught me that it doesn't HAVE to be right. On peut faire des errors!

C'est difficile!  Mais amusant!

Leeks Anyone? - by North Carolina Artist, Sue Scoggins

Leeks Anyone?
11x14 original oil

Lest you think I'm sitting around and drinking wine all day....think not.  There's painting to be done.

Farmhouse - by Sue Scoggins, North Carolina Painter

Luberon Valley Farmhouse
13x13 original oil

Spending another day in the field.  Just can't get away from the countryside.  It's so beautiful here.