The Wings of the Dove

18. Two Venice watercolors
Over the weekend I watched, The Wings of The Dove on Netflix to get into a Venetian state of mind. Utterly lush...

16. Purple gondola, watercolor, 8" x 11 1/4"

You'll be transported as I was I'm certain...

20. Two-part Venice watercolor, 4" x 13 1/2"

Don't miss Wings if you adore Venice...

17. Purple Moon, watercolor, 6" x 8 3/4"

Did I say I'm having a 3-day Venice watercolor sale thanks to treasures found lurking in my closet..?

These are all different sizes and on deckled edged watercolor paper...

12. Venice Gondola Passenger, watercolor, 7" x 8 1/4"

19. Two Venice watercolors

14. Blue dusk watercolor, 6 1/2" x 8 1/2"

Just 20 watercolors - some are doubles or two-part...

The Venice sale is on until Wednesday 11:59 PM (ET)

BONJOUR WINGS of the DOVE!

Animaux au Paris

I seem to be relentlessly drawn to animals in Paris... Maybe animaux anywhere attract my attention... I saw this delightful Panda working the Nestle at the Salon du chocolat. A crew of zebras was coralled into serving Nestle's new teas as well! Meanwhile over on rue Bonaparte, les chats were quite busy... Who could not have used the aid of a good cat server during their New Years Eve soiree? Cats readily assist lamps in Paris all the time evidently... On the other hand these roosters on rue Madame are just standing around looking elegant. I have yet to enter the very exclusive Oderantes fleurist shop - quelle dommage.

What's not to love about this hound in a hat?

A whimsical ostrich is not to be outdone sporting a cigarette holder to boot...

Jules Pansu boutique at 42 rue Bonaparte is the place to go if you must have amusante animaux coussins.

Over the long holiday I've been thinking about sending your animaux/pets off to Venice and making sketches and doodles...

I was chatting with Brit watercolorist, Ian Sidaway about pets in Venice, and he says you can only send CATS to Venice. I beg to differ!

Why your average hound would not enjoy a trip in a Gondola on the Grand Canal is beyond me!

Frankly, I think you can send BOTH cats and dogs to Venice. They will behave perfectly as long as you throw them the occasional bone or sardine non? I am taking myself off to Venice in March and I might meet up with Ian on a gondola or at the gelateria...

What do YOU think?

Would you like your pet painted in Venice/Venise?

Do Tell all.

BONJOUR Animaux au Paris & Venice!!

Rooftops of Paris

"Je peux resister a tout sauf a la tentation"

Oscar Wilde

Translation: I can resist everything except temptation..
Paris if full of tentations...
And one of the hardest to resist...
Is getting your nose out of the windows/leche-vitrines...
At street level...
And looking up...
At the glorious roofs of Paris...

It usually takes me...

A full week before I can tear my eyes away and look skywards...

Thank god for artist Fabrice Moireau's newest sketchbook, Roofs of Paris

Evidently Moireau perches himself on the rooftops to make his drawings, something I could never do.

I was lucky to see his exhibit last April...

At least I got my nose right up against them if I can't always take it away from Paris windows...

Lovely to see his drawings as well as watercolors and if you can't get yourself to look up, you can do so in his book...

Why is it when I look skywards...

I see Paris dogs...

This one and I had a little tete a tete...

There are worse things than just seeing what's right in front of your nose I suppose...

BONJOUR PARIS ROOFTOPS!

Jeffrey Bailey and Givenchy

Today's PB post I lay the blame completely at the feet of Hubert de Givenchy (pronounced gee-von-CHEE).

A shaggy dog story that requires your patience.

I left a comment on the Style Saloniste that I owned a watercolor sketch of Givenchy's salon. Terry of Square with Flare, big fan of Givenchy contacted me. "Is this image posted on your blog? I would love to see it". "Not yet Terry...I never thought of it. I'd have to think up a story to go with it”.

Et voila!

Back to the '90s, I spotted a gorgeous watercolor.

In a French magazine, Atmosphere, on Parisien watercolor artists.

I had to track down artist Jeffrey Bailey who is in fact American.

Turns out Jeffrey painted this preparatory 'sketch' whilst sitting right in Givenchy's salon. The final artwork, one of a series, made specialement for M. Givenchy, was a much tighter version, but I fell in love with the sketch. Somehow I twisted Jeffrey's arm to sell it to me. 

Jeffrey's loose yet precise washes are incredible.

I'm in awe.

So much detail described with such ease, economy and dash.

It's a delight to share Jeffrey's work with you.

I can't imagine living in this grand style, much less sitting amidst all this splendor and then painting it.

The Charmed Couple:The Art and Life of Walter and Matilda Gay is a lushly illustrated book about another American artist who also made it his specialty to paint interiors of great homes in France and New York. Edith Wharton, Henry James, Elsie de Wolfe to name a few of the 'grandees' painted by Walter Gay.

I've seen some exhibits of Gay's watercolors - exquisite non?

This one is only 7" x 9"

Gay painted inside the Musee Jacquemart-Andree back when it was a private mansion. We'll have to be patient and wait for the show the Frick Museum is putting on in Spring of 2012 of Gay's works.

I've never tackled a full interior watercolor, but painting a vignette is loads of fun. This one from the Chateau Vaux le Vicomte

And the musee Nisson de Camondo.

Merci for your patience dear PB readers - un gouter from the tea salon at the Jacquemart-Andree..
Jeffrey Bailey, where ever you are, I'd love to meet up again.