Do you, too, try to guess the nationalities of people you see when you travel? Have a look at two drawings I made in France. Can you tell which subject/s is/are French and which English? 
Last month, I spent a week at Arts in Provence, taking a watercolor workshop.--- Katherine Tyrrell and others have been asking me to tell all. Katherine was, in the early 1990's, among the first students at les Bassacs, the property owned by Liz and Dave Atkinson and Liz's mother, Hazel Evans. All sorts of art workshops are conducted here every year, as you'll see when you click on the link above. My teacher was the adorable Englishman and renowned painter Albany Wiseman, whose many books I'd owned and whose work I'd already deeply admired. Albany is a consumate draftsman. It was his use of drawing in painting that I felt resonated with my own approach and why I chose his workshop over others. Albany is a very generous teacher, giving lots of individual attention and demonstrating his own techniques on site. I learned a lot from him and am in the gradual process of incorporating what I learned.
Here's how it worked: David Atkinson, a fine painter in his own right, set daily itineraries with Albany, and ferried us participants to and from the lovely villages of the area each morning and afternoon for plein air painting. Liz, owner and chef at les Bassacs, provided absolutely delicious, seasonal, fresh gourmet food three times a day. Local rosés and red wines were liberally consumed each night at dinner, causing lots of bonhomie and raucous laughter. One of our group, an urbane, intense and accomplished English clergyman, flashed his multi-colored, striped, thigh-length socks at table on the last night! Ah, the things you'd see, if only I were a painter of memories!
Albany's workshops are very hard to register for, as he has scores of followers who flock to les Bassacs year after year, but not to worry. There are plenty of other opportunities, among them workshops run by my friend the fabulous painter Susan Abbott.
Alas, Katherine, I took few photos, but here are a couple of group on our last day. In all there, were 9 participants.
Top French bottom English.... yes?
Posted by: sharon chapman | July 23, 2011 at 05:13 PM
I was wondering how you liked Arts in Provence?
There seem to be a few familiar faces there.
Some of the annual returnees I bet.
I sent a friend to the September workshop and he LOVED it. Did you ever get to Roussilion?
Posted by: Parisbreakfasts | October 16, 2007 at 11:54 AM
Thank you, one and all, for your comments and your guesses---and you were all right! The top drawing is of a chic woman in her 60's, one of the spectators at a petanque match in Luxembourg gardens that Casey and I sketched together. The man next to her on the page is an Asian man, one of the players in the game.
The Englishman in the second sketch is the husband of one of the painters in the watercolor workshop in Provence. Marie-Dom, I also invent stories for the people I see ---and stories about the people who live in houses and apartments I see on my travels, too!
Posted by: laura | October 14, 2007 at 10:15 AM
Love your drawings. Not only do I try to work out the nationalities of people I draw/ see, I invent a life for them all!!!
Am envious of your workshop and trips away, and am in awe of how you make time for drawing.
MD
Posted by: Marie-Dom | October 14, 2007 at 07:36 AM
all your sketches are just beautiful Laura and your fountains just blow me away...they are really exquisite! thanks for sharing a little of your class in Provence with us..it looks like such fun!I hope we get so see more of your paintings?
ronell
Posted by: Africantapestry | October 14, 2007 at 05:26 AM
Yes, I've lived in Europe too long not to tell the difference. Your workshop sounds like the best way to study - wonderful teacher, beautiful settings, new friends and fabulous foods. Your photo is fab and your art is simply wonderful - so evocative! xo
Posted by: Paris Parfait | October 13, 2007 at 01:33 PM