Birds of Paris

Birds of Paris, birds of London, birds of New York and possibly India(?) are raising a ruckus right now in my studio, though I can't think why? The AC is on high and no one is going hungry... Birds in London are upside down in the Underground at South Kensington station. Don't ask me why. I had nothing to do with it. Olha took me along to the Royal Academy Summer show and we started bird watching - there were many onsite. That started it.
Everafter I saw birds everywhere and wanting to bring them home, like this appropriately named plaster of Paris number on sale at Comptoir de Famille.

I AM...RESTRAINT

August will be "I Am Restraint" month regarding ice cream. Have you seen Tilda Swinton in I Am Love yet? Tilda is the absolute epidomy of restraint in every ways... Except when she dives into a plate of luscious shrimp and throws caution to the wind. (spoiler) Then all Hell breaks loose.

Fortnum & Mason

Back to London today!

And Fortum & Mason located at 181 Picadilly - quite a unique department store focused mainly on gourmet foods.

I was enroute to the #14 bus back to Chelsea one evening stopped dead in my tracks by these amazing windows at F & M.

I love the giant, glitzy Champagne glasses bigger than the actual Champagne bottles... Lots of mini bottles of champers for one celebratory person...

Why I love Paris

This was going to be a post on cafe tables... There are an awful lot of cafe tables...In Paris... In fact there are a lot of round/rond things in Paris. And Parisiens adore them unreservedly like this pool in the Palais Royal...

The Parisien macaron is a prime example of abject adoration of rond-ness.

It makes perfect sense that the cupcake would also be the recipient of mass adoration...

Lunettes rond? Bien sur. Absolutement essential.

Velos=rond. Parfait.

Heavens there is even a Rond Point on the Champs Elysees!

Guerlain Meterites Perles = macquillage parfait pour les femmes francaises

YSL adored the rond shape sprinkling it on this delightful frock...

Rond Cs on these Chanel buttons=absolutement parfait.

Tartes up the whazoo in Paris=rond aussi.

Another trendy gateaux is the 'cake' (pronounced 'keck') or loaf as we call it. What do Parisiens place on top of this rectangle? A citron rond evidemment.

OK, there is no denying Parisens adore also unreservedly their quite vertical Eiffel Tower. What is one to make of this? A little variety is the spice of life non? Is adoration of the female breast the root of all this rond-ness?

Hmmm....

All this rather complex in depth research has made me aware that I love to paint round things. And that must be why I love Paris non?

I'm making an effort to use the lessons learned in the Maine workshop last week. Thumbnails first!

A Priori The, watercolor, 9" x 11"

I'm using new watercolor paper, new palette and new colors...

A Priori The, watercolor, 9" x 11"

All done/terminee

Adieu Maine..

Last Maine post - back to Paris tomorrow/demain je te promis.

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Alison is my Maine food guide - provider of all the best, cheapest deals in the state of Maine -she could write a book. We go for the BEST seafood chowder on the planet - chock full of lobster, haddock, native baby shrimp. *Alison warns me not to order anything else until we have finished the chowder.

Naturalment I pay no attention whatsoever and order a clam roll, but it was not quite as good as Rockland's Sharpie's roll, which I ate in haste and forgot to shoot :( This is the view at the Harbor View in South Thomaston...

Cupcake Flow

Who knew?

I just made cupcakes!

This morning!!

Lemon-scented Blueberry cuppies with lemony icing.

Yay

I now bow down in sheer idolatry to all cupcake makers including Parisien bakers.

Painting Color with David Dewey

What I did yesterday in watercolor workshop with David Dewey. My willing subjects...

What David painted...

First the thumbnail...

The 'color beginning' as Turner would call it - a big atmospheric wash of colors mainly yellow...

Painting with David Dewey

What I ate for lunch at the Shack at Mechanic Street. OK, we got that over with. On to PAINTING! Day #2 of watercolor painting class with David Dewey, my teacher for (eek!) like 14 years - a superb artist and an excellent teacher. We start off with a good look at Homer... The model for today by Winslow Homer...

I Forgot 2 Shoot My Food...

Heading up to Maine on Sunday morning, I had at least 8 hours on the bus to think about lobster... Alison said, "I know a great place where the lobster rolls are only $6.95". Off we go in search of the cheapest lobster roll in the USA. An hour or so later after circling and circling the same route over and over, Alison says,
"I know it was here last year, just over this hill ..."
I beg her, "Can we ask somebody puleeze?
Can we stop in there and just ask?
No, they won't know" she responds.
I am ready to take a bite out of Alison's arm.
Finally Alison admits defeat.

We head back into Rockland and go to the local's hangout, The Rockland Cafe on Mechanic Street... Naturalment in my ravenous haste I forgot to shoot my seafood chowda' for you. I did remember to shoot the excellent ($12.95) very fresh (with not too much Mayo) lobster roll. Packed inside a Kaiser toasted bun by the way.