Field of Flowers Painting

Well, what do you think? This is an acrylic painting on a 20 x 16 canvas. Any thoughts or suggestions? I tried painting on a larger area than I am used to, considering I have been painting on 8 x 10's, so this was a little scary to go a larger scale. I do love the purple's in it.

I just love Van Gogh!

Van Gogh's

My painting

One of my own.
 

 Here is another picture I painted of one of Van Gogh's still life's. I so love his work. This picture is probably one of my favorites. After I paint a piece, I like to leave it up on my painting easel for a few days so I can decide if I want to add, or take away anything from what I have painted. The painting of the flowers in the vase is my favorite, because I found at different times of the day the light from outside hit it differently and the colors and shadows changed so wonderfully. Vincent was so good. Love his stuff, and now I have my own painting that really pleases me.

The  bottom picture here  was one that  felt like it would be in France.  Brings back happy memories of Paris to me.

Hope you like them. Oh! By the way I have been actually selling copies of my paintings, so if you would like to purchase any of the things I have painted let me know. You can 'friend' me on FB and get a message to me that way.

What Happened To You In Paris?

 

 

This was my third painting I  finished and I had painted it on a 10 x 12 acrylic  paper. Because it was just on paper I wanted to have it heat set to a foam board to keep the paper from curling up on the sides. I took this and another painting down to a local frame shop and when they called my name to come pick it up there was a woman and her husband there at the counter also having some pictures framed. When the clerk handed me my paintings the woman exclaimed "Oh my! Those are Van Gogh's". I smiled and said "Well, yes they are, my copycat of them anyway". She took the paintings from me and studied them and then asked, "Can I buy these? Are they for sale?" I was taken aback for a moment, and said that one may be sold already but she could buy this one. She asked how much and I told her the price. She actually offered me twenty more than I asked, but I said "no" because I had already given her a price.

Turns out she is an art collector! When I explained that this was only my third painting, she said that there was real passion in my painting and she was excited to have it. That's when I turned to the sales clerk to pay for my purchase, and said "I guess Van Gogh's go!" So I painted a few more of his. I have made copies so at least I have something to show for myself. Life is funny.

When I came home and told my husband he asked "What happened to you in Paris?" Life is funny. Go to Paris and come home and become an artist. Who knew.

Trying to paint like Van Gogh

My painting



Flowering Garden with Path   July 1888

   Since I've been home from Paris my heart has been yearning for more art, so I went to the library and picked up a book on Van Gogh, and his complete paintings. As I looked through the book I saw this picture and it inspired me, so I thought to myself ...... "um I think I'll try painting this." Now the interesting thing is, I don't draw or paint. I tried  painting for the first time the other day and did a version of Starry Night. This was my second try at painting and I found I really enjoyed doing it. When I finished I told my husband "man this looks nothing like his". He laughed and said, "you know honey, he was a master painter". 

Art And Paris

Painted by Giovanni Paolo Pannini

I tired to get a detail pic of some of this painting here.

I know, I know, the Mona Lisa is supposed to be greatest piece at the Louvre, but this was my favorite. I wish I had a better picture. Maybe if I had taken a decent camera with me to Paris instead of using my camera off my phone, you would be able to see and appreciate this amazing painting. I actually went into the gift shop at the Louvre asking if they had a print or picture of this that  could be purchased, only to find out they did not have anything. What a disappointment for me, because this is just amazing to me how he painted hundreds of little faces, each with a different expression on its face, and each body was in a different position. One of the men painted into this  even was sitting there reading a book, and when you looked at this little book he has actually painted a bit of scribbles like words across the pages. Look at the difference in the clothes, hats, and hair colors, some of the men are even balding. This thing had the most  minute details in it. I could have spent an hour or more just trying to discover all the little secrets in this.

Katie loved this one, because the little boy on the right had tears coming down his cheek, she thought it looked like someone had put a clear liquid on it, because it looked just like a real wet  watery tear.



The Lovers by Rodin

Who wouldn't love this. Through out my life I have always loved sculpture. So everything Rodin did I love.

Carmel Made From Sweetened Condensed Milk

 

 

I saw this on Facebook and it looked so easy. My husband loves Carmel so I thought I would try it out. 

 

 

Place an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk in a crock pot for  8 hours on low (completely submerged in water).  Cool it down in the fridge, and you have Caramel. Talk about easy!

We warmed the carmel up for ice cream. My husband said he loved it, as he licked his fingers clean.  So I guess this will be a something we will have again.

Bring on the apples and all the apple recipes, because this caramel will go with these too.

How To Eat Like A Parisian, And Look Like One Too



Hot goat cheese salad

We shared this for dinner one night.

 

 

How do the French people stay so thin when eating croissants, baguettes, macaroons, cheese, crepes, and drinking lots of wine on a daily basis? I think I know......stairs, stairs, more stairs,  some bicycling, and add lots of walking.
 
I read an article before going to Paris that said if you wanted  look 'French' buy a baguette, then eat the end off of it as you leave the boulangerie  (bakery) while it was still warm. They weren't kidding, as we walked around  Paris we saw so many baguettes with the tops eaten off of them.

 A plate with a sliced baguette, a variety of cheeses with some dried meats would actually be a course during a meal.  Now here in the US we are told to watch our carbs, cheese is fattening, and sugar is a treat that we can have only once in awhile.



I think I live in the wrong country, because I love breads, cheese, crepes and while we were in Paris I ate and drank like them and I did not gain one pound. In fact Katie lost four pounds! So how does that happen?!


Stairs

The stairs! And all the walking we did. Every day we were climbing at least 1000 steps a day. I'm not kidding, just going in and out of the Metro's you climb a couple hundred  stairs. Every building we visited had hundred's of stairs. The elevators in Paris are only big enough for one person at a time, or two, if you like the other person. We found it faster and easier just to climb the stairs, even at our hotels, the first one, we were on the fourth floor and on the second floor at our second hotel. If you take an elevator you can sometimes have a wait. Katie only used the stairs, me..... if by chance an elevator was just sitting there waiting for me, I would use it.

 

I  loved the hot goat cheese salad we had in Paris, so when I got home I tried to remake it for my family. Turned out yummy, I changed the regular walnuts for candied pecans. I also made crepes which turned out divine. So I guess if I want to eat these wonderful foods, and not gain any weight I will have to park my car, walk more, and always take the stairs.





This is my try at the hot goat cheese salad

My homemade crepes.