Monet's garden and Chagall's paintings exhibition

I know I have been absent for a long time in this blog. Our trip to France was I would say a great one. We enjoyed the garden of Claude Monet in Giverny, now full of flowers unlike during our previous visit. We also visited some of the places in Auvers where Vincent van Gogh had painted, lived and died. In Paris, we went to see the special Chagall's painting exhibition at Musee du Luxembourg. The exhibition is still on going - until 20 July 2013 I think. All Chagall's paintings being shown in the museum are all from different owners, so the paintings are really very special to see in one place. It was very busy and crowded in the museum, there were many visitors that it became very warm inside.
We also spent some time walking around the Montmarte square where several artists are showing their works while also busy painting. During my previous visits in Paris, I never bothered myself to spend a few minutes to look around in the square. But this time being in painting myself, I just wished I could stay longer talking with them.

Our entire trip was not all about arts. We also got to visit family members in France, then spending some days in the Alsace and Vosges regions of the country. Further, we also had a few days in Germany. Anyway I cannot show here all the photographs I'd took during the trip but I have for you a few from the garden of Monet and Chagall's paintings exhibition.

House of Claude Monet

View of the garden from the house

Part of the garden

View of the garden showing Monet's house

Monet's Japanese garden

Closer view of Monet's Japanese garden

View of Monet's garden from inside his house

Musee du Luxembourg - Boutique for Chagall's works

Entrance of Musee du Luxembourg showing partly the long line of visitors

Boutique

Chagall's painting being shown

Another Chagall's painting

Catleya orchid

This painting is based from a photo of catleya orchid that my cousin sent to me via email. It is in acrylic, and the size is 30x40 cm.

I will be going to France for a two-week vacation. While there, one of my plans is to visit again the garden of Claude Monet in Giverny. This time I expect more flowers to see in the garden.

To my blogger friends, I don't know if I'll be able to visit all your blogs while on trip, but if not, you know the reason why. I might be very tired after walking around or I have no internet access. I hope you'll have happy painting days ahead. Until next time.

two yellow orange roses

I like painting roses in this loose style. They are easier to do and I don't need to make a sketch before I begin to paint. This painting is 5.5 x 7.5 inches, in acrylic.

pears in bright colors

This is another practice in acrylic colors which I did based from the work of Jerry Fresia, an impressionist oil painter. I used acrylic paper for this.

yellow orange roses

I did this piece when I had a 'play moment' feeling a week ago. 

I used acrylic on acrylic paper for this. 

a try on yupo

Last month I received a piece of yupo to try on from Renate. Finally today I got some time to sit down and tried my brush on it. I posted this piece here, although it is a trash, only to show how I managed to use watercolors on yupo for the first time. Since I didn't know how watercolors will react on it, I struggled somehow in finding the way to work with it. I observed that this yupo is not absorbent, the watercolors were just flowing on its surface when they were still wet, and it took longer to dry. As you can deduce from this image, I need more practice to be comfortable with this yupo. But I found it interesting and definitely I will try it again. Thank you again Renate for the yupo and for some information about it. Incidentally, the shop where I buy my art supplies is selling this yupo. 

pink rose in acrylic

I realized that I have not been posting in this blog for awhile, so I quickly did this small rose in acrylic. I used a watercolor paper for this. I'm sorry to all of you for not visiting your blogs, I'm busy with other things nowadays.

the finished grapes

I have already finished painting the grapes which I was busy with. You can see it below. 

Some of you might had noticed that I was absent for more than a week in the bloggerworld. The reason was that I did some preparation for our painting club's exhibit which took place yesterday. It was fun having such activity although I was not able to sell any painting. But the nice comments I got from my new batch of paintings are more than enough to compensate all the time I spent for the preparation. 

This painting is 30x40 cm and in watercolor.

first grapes

Right now I am busy with my first grapes painting. I borrowed a reference photo from a member of our painting club who also kindly enlarged it for me. The above image is only one of the sections of the painting; and hopefully I can share here later the whole painting. I wish you all a colorful month of April, just like these grapes.

bird's sketch

Birds are not my favorite subject to paint. So as an exercise I try to sketch them once in a while. This one above is a watercolor sketch of a robin. I came out with this composition based on some images of the bird which I had seen from a number of references. The sketch is 24x30 cm in size.
Advance Happy Easter to all of you.