Yesterday, Rain, the bus, Picasso - Paul Smith, Redon

Yesterday it rained like hell all night

And most of the morning. We had tons of rain all week. It’s raining right now…If it was the Olympics…uh oh 😱

Les Pavés de Paris

One of our thumbnail class assignments (No.3) was go outside, randomly look and then draw✏️ whatever we see

I painted the pavé/ cobblestones in my street.

French Independence Day, Radishes

 

This morning at 7:32 I thought I heard the French Guarde Republicaine band playing & ran 🏃‍♂️ outside to catch them

But found just a lone runner…

Le Cafe des Chats, Little Book of Thumbnail Class

 

This must be a breakfast shot at Le Café des Chats with so many alert, perky cats (awaiting for their petit déjeuner peut-etre?)

Yesterday by 6:30 pm 

Liz Steel’s painting tea cups class

 

Still cup crazy after all these years

You gave so much love ❤️ to the Breakfast in Paris post (15k views 👁️) 

Tea with Mary Cassatt

Friday I took tea with American artist, Mary Cassatt (I wish..) at MUSEE JACQUEMART ANDRÉ.

Cassatt (1844-1926) lived in France for 60 years, was mentored by Degas and the only American painter to exhibit work with the impressionists in Paris. If you need new china the museum's gift shop has beautiful tea sets.

Or stop in the tea salon to get in the right frame of mind.

Cassatt's oil portrait of her sister, Lydia taking tea is in the show.

I wish this painting from BOSTON was there. Look at that silver tea tray! 

Under the tutelage of Degas, Cassatt began to collect and study Japanese wood block prints.

And a Japanese exhibition in 1890 deeply influenced her work.

Closely cropped-in figures fill up the picture plane.

Large flat areas of color and simple diagonal patterns are reflected in her prints.

Cassatt's muted color palette is similar to this Hokusai floral print.

Figures become flattened 2-dimensional patterned shapes merging at an angle.

Like the French impressionists Cassatt loved to paint water.

Unusual to see some of Cassatt's loose watercolors in this retrospective of 50 pieces.

I left the Jacquemart longing to paint cups and teapots.

First the thumbnail studies over and over.

Then finally tackling my new/old watercolor paper. We have to get re-acquainted again.

Mary Cassatt is in 3rd from the left, with relatives at her Chateau Beaufresne. The exhibit is on through July. Go and have tea in the salon while you're there. 

Now I have so much paper I'm having a Spring watercolor sale on Etsy of some larger, older Paris views.

Thank you for reading Parisbreakfast. If you enjoyed this post, forward to a friend. Receive a Paris letter or map in your mailbox + souvenirs at ETSY.

Cheers Carolg

Irving Penn, EclairWeek2017

Tuesday morning was the preview 

The Irving Penn retrospective at the Grand Palais.

My photography professor friend, Sardi Klein 

Always told me to study Penn's still life, "After dinner games" (top picture) for inventive arrangement & depth of field.

I vowed to do still life thumbnail studies 

Every day after seeing the original.

Post-exhibit I ran over to Fauchon for still life painting and eating ideas.

They are celebrating the 10th anniversary of Eclair Week september 14-23. Hurry up.

You have just 48 hours to get this delightful 10-eclair box. Upstairs their savory eclairs await.

House pastry chef, Patrick Pailler created a daunting array of flavors and designs. Hokusai's Great Wave is included.

I went for plain fraise/strawberry. Anything RED wins my vote. Pretty to paint.

Fauchon's pastry graphics are the best in Paris.

Oui or non? To paint at home - the classic chocolate eclair with tiny gold sprinkles.

Rush over to Fauchon to celebrate their annual #EclairWeek 2017 Take a selfie in front of the eclair backdrop and win a trip to Paris or an eclair. 

You can receive Parisbreakfast letters, maps and eclair watercolors in your mailbox📮 

 Look in my Etsy shop. 

Thanks for reading parisbreakfast.

Edward Hopper in Paris

Friday January 4, 2013 Hopper-esque thumbnails

I wasn't sure I wanted to see the Edward Hopper exhibit at the Grand Palais with waits up to 4 hours.But I bought a ticket anyway to see what the whoopla was about.

Paintings done during his three stays in Paris in 1906, 1909 and 1910 were full of Paris greys and grey bleus.

They're rarely on view and I ate them up

Then went out the following day searching for similar settings like the Pavilion de Flore.

Notre Dame was often a subject for Hopper before he turned his eye on Maine lighthouses and farm sheds. Hopper's work was deeply influenced by French Albert Marquet, Felix Vallotton, Degas. It's an exceptional treat to see these artists in the same room with Hopper.

Another huge influence was 19th century photographer Eugene Atget of Paris monuments.

Moody and abstract in design

They left a lasting impression on Hopper.

Not included in the Grand Palais exhibit (but I wish they were) these ledger book thumbnail croquis drawings Hopper made after paintings were completed as a record of what sold at what price and what size. His wife Josephine filled in the written info to keep track of every single painting - she was the administrator behind the scenes. A French facsimile is out of the ledger and available on Amazon.fr, Edward Hopper, De l'oeuvre au croquis.

After the exhibit I wandered over to the Christmas marche on the Champs-Elysees. Doesn't this caneles-maker look a good model for Hopper? The Dog of the day was this saucisson smothered in grilled onions on a baguette with moutarde (6 euros). An appropriate snack after the Hopper expo in my opinion.