Patrick Allain Fleuriste

#177B Patrick Allain Fleuriste, original watercolor,9" x 11"

You walk down a beautiful little street in Paris - 51 rue St Louis en l'Île...

You pass a pretty little flower shop and stop and take a few pictures...

And then keep walking. And you don't give another thought to the dear little hole-in-the-wall flower shop...

...until you get home and months later look it up...

Patrick Allain Fleuriste has been around for 25 years (!)
It's facade has the distinction of being the most photographed, drawn, and painted of any in the entire city! And it's known for it's medieval stained glass window and the 17th-century architectural details etc. Who knew? I didn't even look up or get a proper shot of the entire facade...
Oh well that's Paris for you. Lots of wonderful secret places you can walk right by without a clue. I will go back and I will look up this time.
If you want to go look up, here's the plan they provide. The flowers are nothing to sniff about either by the way :)
BONNE JOURNEE

Sophia's Laduree Project

#176B Laduree Macarons for Sophia, original watercolor,9" x 11"

Sometimes I get funny requests from PB readers...

Like the time a CEO from Mumbai wanted to special order macarons for his boss' private jet..in fact I get a lot of potential orders for macarons. If only I could bake!

When Sophia T. contacted me to help her out with a "swag" from Laduree's boxes to decorate the walls of her miniature tableau, I'm afraid I was not much help...

Yesterday Sophia sent me these pictures!

OMG! LOOK!

Here's what she has to say:

"I am very pleased with the way it turned out and would be delighted for you to do a post. I was even thinking of sending some photos to Laduree just for grins.

I love Laduree-Rue Royale. It's always one of our first stops in Paris, but now Laduree-Bonaparte is closer (we stay at the Lutetia). I am making a very, very big dollhouse and was searching for French minis for it one day on the web. I found the facade on the website of La Boite a Joujoux, which is one of the miniatures shops in the Passage Jouffroy that I had bought from previously.

I knew as soon as I saw it that it was perfect for a patisserie, so I bought it and had the box custom-made to fit. It made sense to make it a tribute to Laduree, and to paint it to look like a macaron box (I intend to stencil the swag on the sides some day).

The floor tiles come from the UK, the furniture is Bespaq, the pastries are by Lesley Burgess of The English Kitchen and Betty Sartorio, a French miniaturist (don't you love the macarons on the table and the little box on the counter?).

The picture on the back wall is the ceiling of Laduree Bonaparte that I manipulated on the computer and then glazed with stained glass medium to add the brush strokes. The chef doll is by Marcia Blackstrom."

YES! I LOVE the little Laduree box on the counter. So much so, that I flirted intensely with it at the mini boutique on Ile St.Louis...

...for quite a long time and enfin...
...I took it back to my apartment for a mini photo shoot and to see if the scale was right for me to paint.

At 20 EUROS (!!!) (ouch ouch ouch!) I decided it was just too tiny to go with other pastries and returned it the next day with no regrets. I figured out how to make my own Laduree boxes happily :)
Et voila! The REAL thing in all it's glory...sigh
Somehow this line doesn't look so annoying does it?

Who of us would not jump to get on this line for a 10-15 minutes wait right now?
BIG MERCI Sophia for sharing your Laduree dreams with us!
BONNE JOURNEE!

Les Chocolats Foucher

Une petite visite today to an old fashioned candy shop -
Les Chocolats Foucher
Just across the street from Le Grande Epicier on 134, rue Bac, when you set foot in this tiny intimate shop you return to the 1920s.
Still family-owned since 1819, Foucher has cleverly kept all their original Arte Deco graphics on all their packaging. Why do so many shops feel they must modernise? :(
I love maps...OK I love chocolate maps, but I really love all maps and this one is a winner!
Here's a charming example of one of Foucher's box covers...they even have post cards of all these designs.
Foucher's boîtes de chocolats "Prestige"
I was first drawn to Foucher at the Salon du Chocolat by these irresistable art deco wrappers on their tablettes de chocolat, so I was delighted to find their shop. A PB reader sent me there in fact!
But all of their candies have an old fashioned feel to them - it's the kind of place where your grandmere would have shopped...
And don't forget les bouchees! Bouchée means filled chocolate in a big version. The French sometimes skip lunch and have one entier bouchée instead. And if you have a big mouth, you can eat it in one bite, vous en faites une seule bouchée.
Here's a menu with all the details! They have tea too at Foucher and bien sur, les macarons. In fact there's a tiny tea salon at the back of the shop for poor weary L'Epicier shoppers to come and recoup, but that's another story for another day...
Bye bye Foucher. See you in October :)
BONNE JOURNEE!

Lots of Macarons

#175B Afternoon Macaron Tea, original watercolor,9" x 11"

A few days ago, when I gave the lesson on Macaron Mathematics , I got a challenging request.

c_fluffy said:Gorsh... that's a lot of Pierre Herme mini macs...
Can we see all your miniature macs piled together?

Well Fluffy, this post is for you.
I am proud to admit I've got 66!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! mini macarons :)

I probably have the most mini macarons ON THE PLANET...not that I have ever eaten 66 REAL macarons...well not at one sitting anyway.
I was toying with the idea of creating one of these towers of power with my minis...Hmmm...should I or shouldn't I?
Now for some REAL macarons and from Pierre Herme too!
Remember how I was telling you his macarons are "FAT"?
The picture says it best.
I've never gone in much for the big individual or grand macaron (note at 3.20 a piece).
Why ever buy one, when you can get 6 different flavors/ parfums for 7.90 euros like at La Maison du Chocolat?
Course there is nothing wrong with these little pups from the Champion Supermarche either and you get 12 for 6.50! Weeeeeeeeeeeeee Well if you're going to do it right you have to go to Laduree for their classic gang O' four. An experience not to be missed. It requires all your French politesse to divide those babies in a genteel manner, without grabing your favorite flavor first. You always turn the plate to your guest and offer her/him the first cookie. I guess that's why I always go alone. No sharing :)
Except in this case...Please do take one?
BONNE JOURNEE!

Fauchon Tea Tin

#174B Fauchon Tea Tin, original watercolor,9" x 11"

"Some enchanted morning,

you will meet a strange tea tin.."

Across a crowded tabletop..."

That's how I met this teatin while browsing at MeowPaw's wonderful minis on Flickr. I go hunting every morning for interesting things to paint among the mad mini collectors...

And don't you know it was just like a tea tin from Fauchon, one of my fav Paris places to browse...

We used to have one in New York and every Sunday I used to go browse religiously...just like going to church...

Now I have to go to Paris if I want to browse. So many lovely things to look at...

And I would LOVE to wear one of these outfits! Do you need a New Yorker Fauchon to help taste new cakes and assist tourists?

First thing I'd like to try out is this "squared" citron tarte...sigh

OH! Another squared thing..a "Rubik" tarte definitely needs tasting in my opinion.
YUM!
Triple Framboise YUM!
YIKES! A macaron gateaux!
I wish I could send this lovely goodie basket to you Atsuko-san, for sending me your mini tea tin all the way from Japan.

It brought back so many memories...sigh

More Memories of Fauchon:

Macarons A La Fauchon...
Fauchon Salon de The

Fauchon Pretty in Pink

Let Them Eat Fauchon Tartes

BONNE JOURNEE et Ohio-gozaimasu

GardenFair

#172B Bluebird et fleurs, original watercolor,9" x 11"

When I saw Di's beautiful post on Petersham Nurseries my heart melted...

#173B Planting fleurs, original watercolor,9" x 11"

Then the chance came along to be in an outdoor art show at GARDEN FAIR in Winterthur...Who could resist?

Here is one of Di's divine photos...Please take a look!

And here is a gorgeous photo from the Petersham Nurseries website!

I'm trying to figure out how I can run over there from Paris in October...

Should I go?

Meanwhile back in Paris I stumbled on this tiny nursery by the Seine...

Au Jardin d'Edgar...
For Parisiens with terraces and balconies..?

Hmmm...do you think I need this silly pup to paint for GARDEN FAIR?

Will you come see me?

September 26 - 28

Back to painting more flower pots...

BONNE WEEK-END!

Macaron Mathematics

#172B 100 grs., original watercolor,9" x 11"

Class, today we are going to tackle the complex subject of macaron math!

You walk into any Parisien patisserie and you are immediately dazzled by the array of colors...

...And the multiple array of flavors or parfums. Your first thought is how many to choose and which ones to choose. Correct?

Then you take a look at the price (!) and you come down to earth with a plunk. 66.00 Euros!!! Eeeeek! You run from the shop tearing your hair out and shrieking, Robbers!!!

Here is where a little macaron math comes to the rescue. This will indeed help you when buying anything in France. You MUST learn the difference between kilos and grams class! I can not stress this enough.

By the way, class, in these two pictures the macarons (large "individual" ones) are being sold by the piece. Please note you will pay a different price in you eat them sur place (on the spot) or for emporter (take it away).
OK here's where the math comes into action.

1 kilo = 1000 grams

or

1 kilos = 2.2 pounds
So if you are buying 100 grs (most often the case in patisseries) you will be getting around 3.3 ounces (just a bit under 1/4 of a pound and quite a managable amount to buy without costing an arm and a leg etc.).

When you see this sign, no need to shriek or tear out hair. Simply know you will be getting about 4-6 very nice macarons or a little under a 1/4 of a pound and not too many calories at that. Remember these are much smaller than the individual macs previously mentioned. Are you all with me class?

But here is another factor just to confuse you a bit. Most of the better patisseries will have a ready made pack of 100 grs waiting for you, so you can put away your calculators and start munching. Usually you can choose the flavors you prefer.

By the way, class, for your edification: 1 kilo of macarons = is usually about 70 macarons. Except in the case of Pierre Herme macarons, where I was informed that a kilo = is just 60 (!) macarons, because their macarons are FATTER! Oui bien sur, and I got this from a reliable source.
You will be tested on this tomorrow class, so please review your notes carefully. Everyone say after me please, san gram (cent gram).
MERCI et BONJOUR!

Mini Interview

Jennifer in Australia requested help with her essay for art class..."we have been asked to choose 6 Artists to include in our essay, I would like to include you"
1. What inspires you to paint?...especially the food side of it.

History has to come into it, since I used to sneak down to the pantry at 6 AM and steal cookies when I was 5. Who knew I'd end up painting those cookies? I did start out painting coffee cups and petit dejeuner here at PB, but swiftly moved on to desserts. Now it's mini desserts! Less calories...

Fantin-Latour - Roses and Lilies

2. What three artists have been your inspiration?
Odilon Redon - Vase of Flowers
This one is easy, though the list is much longer than just 3 artists. Chardin - Brioche

Manet - Brioche

David Dewey

Hmmm...a lot of brioche and flowers, but not a cookie in the bunch?

3. What would you call yourself?...You probably don't like being tagged, if not I will completely understand, eg- impressionist, contemporary, etc...purely to satisfy my essay.
I have no clue what to call myself - Obsessed mini-dessert-still life-watercolorists? You tell me.
4. I also have to analyse/describe 3 of your paintings...I'm never going to be able to choose.
You'll have to do that one on your own Jennifer.
As Anne Corrons said...macarons seem to be always close to me! A key analytical clue to my paintings...
BONNE CHANCE et BONNEJOUR!

DIY Painting Glass

With all the glass paintings I did last week, Jeanette said: you didn't paint it all, but the eye/brain fill in the missing bits...Damn! I'm going to have to buy David Dewey's book ...sounds like he thinks the way I like to see...

So I thought I'd do a little review on painting glass. I painted this one back in David's class at Parsons in '96.
A very old, much looked at copy of one of David's class demos of painting reflective surfaces...
... and the notes from class on the "closure effect".

"Break it up so the eye fills it in automatically. Simplify! Color effects create the form on the patterns. You want to relate the reflective patterns to the overall 2D pattern! Use chromatic neutrals (grays made from mixing complimentary colors, NEVER black or gray paint)."
A page from David's watercolor book, using a Wayne Thiebaud painting that demonstrates using compliments on glass...
Thiebaud paints quite a bit of glass and I'm always on the lookout for my reference files...

Another Thiebaud...
OK! So I do a little pencil thumbnail of my subject. Remember the lesson on thumbnails class?
Early stage of the painting is mostly pale washes of warm and cool color...
#171B Hydrangea in a water glass, sold, original watercolor,9" x 11"
Voila! The finish.
Oh I mustn't forget to show you the subject matter...ahem

Please bring in your samples tomorrow class.

BONNE JOURNEE!

Passage des Panoramas

#170B J'ai écrit une lettre, original watercolor,9" x 11"

Still writing letters, still painting glasses of flowers because...

Directly across the boulevard from Passage Jouffroy is...

...the Passage des Panoramas another 19th century shopping mall, built in 1799 and one of the earliest venues of the Parisian philatelic trade...
And of course I found a STAMP shop in there.

Did you ever collect stamps when you were a kid? I collected specifically French colonial stamps - because of the bright colors. I still have them lurking somewhere...

Paris shops are so full of unexpected memories...
Old stamps on old letters - how do they end up here?
And French post marks! I just bought a faux set of rubber stamps to put on what? Who know? Irresistable though...
French script is the BEST! I spent a year trying to write French calligraphie like this...Hmmm
Dress up as a French postman (ooops - person)
Or deliver the poste yourself in your own yellow toy truck...
And poste banks as well here, Brit ones too...
The best is this miniature postal office. So much better than going to a real French postal office = terrifying! Will they ask me questions I can't answer in my limited French? One trip I carried around my postcards in my purse unsent, for fear of having to wait on line and then speak to a poste person.
Has this ever happened to you in Paris?
BONNE JOURNEE!

Le Valentin

#169B Le Valentin, sold, original watercolor,9" x 11"

We're still in Passage Jouffroy today...

As Miss Sushy kindly reminded me, "I'm sure that you also know the tea room just in front of Pain d'épices: Le Valentin with macarons, and a lot of french pastries."

I certainly do! Who could forget this charming old fashioned salon de the?
Or the glorious piece montee de macarons in the window?
I went in early for their chocolat chaud, while waiting for the toy store to open...
They have everything to suit a 5 year-olds desires - tall jars of Guimauve!
And many, many jars of home made confiture!
And the salesperson was doing the job I dream of doing someday (when I grow up) writing out the day's menu on the ardoise...sigh
Plus she gets to play with all these ribbons!
...a tea print on the way to the loo...
Even more French rubans = paradise!
Oh and not to forget those cookies in the front window..I mean bisquits!
BONNE WEEK-END!

Pain d'Epices.fr

#168B Marguerite macaron, original watercolor,9" x 11"

I'm still deep in my "flower in the glass" watercolors and some of you have noted the French love letter included...

Uyek said: Ahah! So you feed your mini habit on both sides of the pond; I really like the look of that Pain D'épices. Are they a must-see in Paris?

Absolutely! Oui! Even if you're not into collecting miniatures, do visit Pain d'Epices in the Passage Jouffroy. Such a pretty walkway full of delightful shops and so easy to miss...

It's a bit of old Paris...
Pain d'Epices' window proudly sports Monsieur Frog riding a Velib...

OK a rocking velib... Inside you could go nuts! Where to look first?!
And there are TWO floors of goodies - toys, dollhouse stuff..endless treasures.
For those of you who long to write in the French style (me, me, me) very nice pens and instruction notebooks...
And very French floor coverings for your dolls house...
Ah la cuisine...so many essentials here for la cuisine!
Picnique anyone? I've never seen so many picnic baskets.
The veggies and fruits may cost the same or more than in the supermarche...but these are permanent don't forget.
And for those of you worried about the euro to dollar exchange and who isn't, there's always a "mini" designer brand shopping bag so you can fool your friends...ahem
BONNE JOURNEE!

SIA Again

#167 Lettre à Marguerite, original watercolor,9" x 11"

I seem to be fixated on painting flowers sitting in glass vases this week...

So it's back to the beautiful Parisien flower shop, SIA...
SIA is a chain of home shops founded by Sonja Ingegerd Andersson in 1963 in Sweden. Now their main offices are in France. I bought these, thinking mistakenly they were cabbage roses...
When in fact they were peonies - here are the roses. I didn't buy these :( A good reason to return to SIA (quite near the Madeleine) :)
Did I mention these are all SILK flowers?

Perhaps the most realistic you can find in Paris or anywhere...
Were you fooled?
SIA also sells an array of beautiful glass vases. Though none small enough for the single buds I like to paint...
Some of SIA's flowers come scented. You get to choose scented or unscented...
I caught this SIA Parisien sales girl outside grabbing a ciggie...mustn't give les fleurs a bad scent!

BONNE JOURNEE!

Paris Gratifications...

#166B Rose in a glass, original watercolor,9" x 11"

Taking a Paris rose...

And bringing it inside to paint in a still life...
That is one of the great pleasures of painting in Paris.
Especially when there's a plethora of beautiful objects to paint where ever you look...
And particularly beautiful food! The trick is to restrain your need for instant gratification... Like munching a macaron in the street, right out the door of the patisserie...
Especially for one who's skills at restraint are not fully developed.
Life is full of challanges.
To eat or to paint?
That is the question!
What would you do?
BONNE JOURNEE!

Yoshika Yamamoto Fleuristes 6eme

Petite rose, original watercolor,9" x 11"

I'm a bit late posting today...well Paris is quite a jaunt from Maine don't cha know...

Actually I didn't care for the first two paintings I made today :(... So at 8:30 AM I decided to start over fresh and take a simpler approach...
You get to call the shots when you have your own blog.

You are the boss of YOU!
Anyway this is the flower shop I like the most (so far anyway) in Paris...
Malheureusement (unhappily) the shop person does not reciprocate my fond feelings.
He always shoos me away when he catches me taking pictures of his flowers that have exploded onto the pavement. Does he OWN the pavement (13 rue vavin 75006 Paris)? No sign outside by the way...
Not that this has ever stopped me! I am a woman with a misson.
I must feed my hungry PB readers. OUI! BIEN SUR!
My other favorite French flower supplier is painter Fantin-Latour...
Somehow I don't think he would shoo me away...
My ABSOLUTE favorite Fantin-Latour!!! Someday I'd like to do a bouquet justice the way he can...sigh
Oh, and as for feeding the hungry PB readers who have had to suffer through tons of lobster all last week... Have a macaron peut-etre?
BONNE MONDAY!

Maine Boats

You don't go to a Maine watercolor workshop and not paint a boat. It just isn't on.
The second and third day out we spent on the docks at Mechanic street. David starts his demo at 9AM. Note his beginning washes look more like simple colored shapes...
The finish is still very much about color and visual shapes and pattern and less about the boat.
Still for me, a boat is a boat is a boat. And I find boats just as daunting as bridges - so out comes the Moleskine sketchbook. It's thumbnail time.
My unfinished so-called boat painting...blech :(
So I take another route and refer to David's ever-present portfolio. Ah ha! A beautiful boat painting by Edward Hopper - I'll do a thumbnail of this to warm me up!
Voila!
Doing the copy is so much fun, I plunge in to a larger version to see more clearly what Hopper was up to.
*Never hesitate to make copies of paintings you like. It's the best way to put yourself in another artist's shoes and understand what they were doing. After all, you're in a great tradition. Leonardo da Vinci was an apprentice toVerrocchio and copying was part of the job.
Later on I do a very blurry, atmospheric boat - you can get away with a lot less information when there's mist on the scene...
Here's an exquisitely misty boat of J.M.W.Turner's.

End of every workshop day at 4, David gives us an hour crit and you learn from everyone's work. End of a trip to Maine...
...you have to have at least one bite of a stack of blueberry pancakes.
It's de rigeur you know. It's back to Paris next week.
BONNE WEEK-END!

Mini Maine

NO MINIS in Maine!

Do I hear a sigh of relief?

This is about doing thumbnails - mini sketches as preparation for your BIG painting.

Here is David Dewey's subject matter for the workshop's first day demo...(HELL! Bridges - bah)

DD paints. We watch and listen...
The end results. DD reminds us - the painting is first on our palette, so he places his next to the finished watercolor.
This subject is too daunting for me first day out. I take a look at DD's ever present portfolio. Here are some "thumbnails" studies David did from Winslow Homer compositions. See! Even the pros do "thumbnails"!
This set of 4 thumbnail studies are from David Dewey's watercolor book. I decide I'm going in this direction...
I pick a view to the left. Notice - NO BRIDGES to mess me up.
First I start with pencil sketches and then move on to my little watercolor Moleskine ( only 5 1/2" x 3 1/2"). This is FUN! and the fear melts away...
The more thumbnails I do... ...the looser I get.
Owl's Head Rocks, original watercolor,9" x 11"
Finally I feel comfortable doing a "big" painting. Well not exactly BIG...
The next morning I took a look at a Winslow Homer book for rock painting reference. WHOA! Much more rock practice is needed obviously. Hey I even did a few practice thumbnails yesterday. I'm doing my homework!
BONNE JOURNEE!

Misty MAINE

Last week in Maine, the weather was perfect for painting at the workshop... Blue skies, crystal clear with gentle breezes...
Our gang of painters had a picnic with the great light!
But don't you know..the last day of the workshop, the fog came in on big cat feet and washed everything in a blanket of neutrals, grays. The sun went on strike.
Everyday we went to a different site and that day we moved out towards the lighthouse at Porte Clyde - here is our assigned view. Teacher David Dewey always begins the session with an hour and a half demonstration, to guide us stranded acolytes into the way of watercolor (Thank Gawd!)
We'd been talking about painting atmospherically all week and boy did we get plenty of atmosphere that day! David lays down "a mingled mid-valued blanket of color" on the paper first. After the ground wash dries (with the help of a hair dryer inside), David proceeds to lay on top the elements of the landscape - always "reducing it down to a simple snapshot...an economical framework" of what's in front of us.
I was feeling overwhelmed by all that mist and pulled out my Winslow Homer book...

My Homer Value Study,SOLD 9" x 11"
...and did an atmospheric value study to warm up.
Misty Maine, original watercolor, 9" x 11"
Then I got up the courage to plunge into the mist!
This is David's palette - always a soup of mingled color that always comes out brilliant after it dries on the paper.
And this is Windslow Homer's palette from the exhibit, The Color of Light at the Chicago Art institute.
Homer is a big favorite of David's and his paintings are as relevant today as they were in his time. There are some terrific mini videos on his technique and materials at the Chicago Art Institute site. Take a look! I just ordered the show catalog - a must if you love watercolor.
Rain or shine, foggy or clear, every day in Rockland, Maine, ends with a blueberry ice cream cone. A girl's gotta keep up her strength so she can paint another day. Right?
BONNE JOURNEE!

Owls Head General Store

#164B Strawberry Pie, original watercolor, 9" x 11"

We're in Maine this week. Paris will just have to be patient and wait a bit...

In fact we're in Owls Head, a tiny village about 10 minutes outside of Rockland.

The Owls Head General Store and Post Office make up the whole of the town.

And they're just a hop away from the watercolor workshop, so when it's time for lunch this is where we head. The sandwiches may be the best in Maine :)
Everything is deliciously home-made. Oatmeal cookies and milk anyone?
Oh and pumplin Whoopie pies!
Here's where you pay...Mustn't forget the blueberry cake made with those tiny native Maine berries...
YUM!
The Owls Head Post Office is next door just in case you should need a landmark to find the General Store...
Back in town at the Lobster Festival they were selling old fashioned candy apples. #163B Candy Apples, original watercolor, 9" x 11"
I can't remember when I last had one of those...
Back at the workshop the cats anxiously await our return. Maybe we'll have a snack or two for them?

BONNE JOURNEE!

Lobster Breakfast

#162B Maine Lobster, original watercolor, 9" x 11"

Last week in Rockland, Maine I ate a lot of lobster...
And you see a lot of "Lobster red" everywhere...
Part of the ritual of attending the David Dewey watercolor workshop is to go to Miller's and eat lobster outdoors.
YUM!
Why didn't I get this T-shirt!!??
Our dinner...
Eating Lobster fresh from the pot and alfresco on the dock, while sea breezes rustle your lobster bib gently. Does it get any better than this?
On Wednesday the big annual Rockland Lobster Festival opened under a yellow stripped tent. Naturally there was a giant lobster to greet you.
600 pounds of lobster are steamed every 5 minutes in the world's largest lobster cooker!
I shared these twin babies with my painting partner. I could have eaten both easily...
Dig in!
All manner of lobster-themed goodies are sold at the festival like these hats...
In town every window is filled with lobster, lobster, lobster...
Lobster claw necklace anyone?
Lobster attempting to escape a knitted cuff.
Lobster door knobs, door stoppers and whatnot...
I did see a lobster omelette offered for breakfast, but no lobster ice cream!?
Hey this ain't New York. I had to settle for blueberry ice cream for dessert.
Life is tough in Maine...
BONNE JOURNEE!