0 Prepping for Paris

I found an empty old sketchbook with a watercolor done 5 years ago. I'll take it with me to Paris and fill it up j'espere que oui.
As soon as I finish my job today I'm heading out to buy Euros & pounds.

My old Oyster card can be filled up at Waterloo Station so I'm set for the London underground from the getgo.

Red marker on the Metro dish towel is a must.

BEAR's medications - Oddibil 250 - the best cure for indigestion and Compeed makes the best blister pads - must get a refill on these.

A new mini mouse is causing twinges...

Elbow twinges so I'll take this along.

The worse thing you can do in Paris, next to committing murder, is lose your host's or rented appartments keys. I always take a red lanyard thing for safe keeping and wear it #@!Paris keys cost a fortune to replace.

This time next Monday I'll be in Paris!

I arrive at 6 AM

First thing stop for a cafe au lait.

Then head to Gerard Mulot for tarte au citron meringuee which Louise of Raids-Patisseries says is numero #1 out of 12 Paris tartes.

The night before we depart, Bear and I will be sleeping upright in chairs. Practice, practice, practice!

BONJOUR NEXT LUNDI!

0 Artist's Journal Workshop

I'm awfully late posting today Darling PBers I know, but you overwhelmed me with your enthusiasm for yesterday's Bordeaux chateaux watercolors!

WOW WOW WOW & BIG MERCI! I would head off for Paris this minute if it wasn't the worse time of the year to do so. *FYI-if you bought more than 1 painting yesterday you were overcharged on shipping and it will be refunded to you PDQ. I messed up filling out the forms on Etsy.

Please forgive :(

On to the wonderful subject of sketchbook journals - they seem to be rampant these days. And why not? Travelers forever have been recording their thoughts, notes and doodles in journals/carnet du voyage.
You don't have to be a so-called 'artiste' to join in the fun. Not at all!

Cathy Johnson's latest, ARTIST'S JOURNAL WORKSHOP will tell you how if you have any doubts at all how to begin doodling in a journal...

Wouldn't you know some PBers are in this book! Rick Tulka, who has nothing to do in Paris but hang out all day, everyday in Cafe Le Select clandestinely sketching - his drawings are brill.

PBer Jeanette, Mistress of Longears Manoir, who mostly spends her time madly chasing rabbits off her estate/chateau in Kansas city is also well represented.

You don't have to be an artist to go crazy over tiny paintboxes (see above). I picked up another little one in Portland, Maine last Saturday though Gawd only knows why!! These things are like macarons - addictive.

Cathy's book addresses important issues like overcoming first page jitters or how to draw your lunch or your sleeping cat or when you should journal. She has a blog as well devoted to sketch journaling.

At one point I used to make my own sketbook-journals...

There are piles of these things lurking in my closet...

Along with my 'Bordeaux chateau' period and 'Daffodil' period I had 'Gondolier

Fever' for a while... It's a pretty contagious disease...

You're bound to catch it at one time or another. You don't even have to go to Venice to get it but it certainly helps.

I'm thinking of having a Gondolier Fever SALE...

Full details tomorrow.

BIG MERCI PBers!!!

xxxCarolg

0 One Nite Stands

Mignardises Freehand, watercolor, 9" x 11" An artist and her paintbrushes are like past lovers.
Some come and go so fast.
You can't remember what you ever saw in them.

Why is it in every new town, you go looking for a new one for amusement.

And why is it, old Frenchies (Isabey Petit Gris #6234) you were once so crazy about, are now stashed away in mothballs?

Your current French loves (Isabey Martre #6225) you discovered by chance in Paris and no where else, have suddenly become awfully pricy to keep around - they used to be so affordable...sigh Just like naughty gigolos.

An old favorite standby (these German DaVinci 'Junior synthetic') have stuck with me through thick and thin and are so affordable.

I still love YOU Babe!

I recently ran into an old boyfriend (a live one) and he flipped for these watercolors drawn with a paintbrush.

Naturalement I dragged out some old favorites and started messing with them.

Paintbrushes waiting on the back burner like forever are hoping to get a second chance with moi. Qui sait?

Actually the newest, hottest love of my life is this Winsor & Newton LARGE size watercolor pan - I am so in love with you BABE - I bought a bunch over the 4th holiday at Dick Blick. I can not wait till you arrive you darlings!

So are YOU madly in love with something and do you think if will last or just be a One Nite Stand?

Do tell all PBers!

BONJOUR OLD LOVES!