NOT A PAINTING HOLIDAY PART 2 (Languedoc)

Having penned part one about 2 months ago I don't have a notion what I was planning to say in part deux. Possibly something along the lines that I had intended to stick resolutely to the painting holiday itinery and strike out solo to paint plein aire in the locations I had planned for the team. Day one after their arrival from the airport I had intended on pointing the group in the direction of the town centre and tell them - explore! Just follow the little marble arrows in the ground and you'll find lots of interesting buildings to sketch and paint, you don't need me holding your hand. I having sketched St.Pons left, right and centre was going to take a by ball on this initial jaunt so hurray that was me off the hook for the first day of the 'pretend painting holiday'. Day 2 we were going to travel a bit along the valley du Jaur, so good as my word the hubby and I set off in the car and I decided to stop across the bridge in St.Etienne d'Albagnan, got myself comfortably positioned alfresco, and Hub comfortably positioned in the car playing with his phone, no this just isn't going to work, how can I be settled with this 'intrusion' going on along the road from me i.e. Michael innocently fiddling with a phone. A quick sketch was rattled off, 'finished already' Hub piped up, yeah like you were going to sit there contentedly for over an hour I thought to myself. So inwardly blaming Michael but really only looking for excuses another couple of outings followed with lightning sketches produced and after day 3 the whole fiasco was abandoned. I was thoroughly ashamed of myself when I thought of the plucky little band of artists that would have made so much of the trip - if only. The sun shone solidly all week, conditions were perfect, not tooo hot for painting outdoors. I did produce a couple of things, not exactly great works of art, just things and unfortunately they didn't photograph well with the phone (honest).

Amongst these 'things' were these 2 little pieces on blocks of wood, they had to be petite as that is a curved wall they hang on, so anything wider than 6 inches sticks out too much each end. They were just silly little stylized pieces to fill a gap but they have awoken an idea I'm really now interested in exploring; the shapes of these ubiquitous Mediterranean trees. They aren't all just tall and pointy, they actually each have a personality in their varied shape.

The paintings also served another purpose. Up to now I have always painted in watercolour and inks in the south of France, these were done in acrylic, on a warm day, so the acrylic dried  super, super fast. The speed wasn't an issue for me but the appearance of the resulting painting was, the paint finish looks really, really plastic, most unpleasant. So I have realized me, acrylics and the languedoc aren't going to get along.