Early morning across the valley

On Friday evening the weather broke and with the ensuing thunderstorm the temperature has dropped.  This has meant that the mornings are cool with deep shadows and sparkling colours.

Saturday morning post-storm

This morning two balloons went up,  signaling calm weather.

Rebecca's week 20th-27th August

The beautiful hot weather continued during Rebecca's week with temperatures reaching 38C, but it was a dry heat which meant that, as long as painters sat in the shade, they could keep working. 

Rebecca laying down washes in the shade of a tree

The group pioneered a new location, looking up from below Roussillon

and also the little ochre quarry near Rustrel.

Rebecca at the little ochre quarry

With a bright blue sky, the colours of the firs and the ochre sing!

Terry's week 13th-20th August

With the heat building during the week, Terry's group painted in locations elevated above the valley, where the air was slightly fresher. 

Landscape above Lioux

Thursday being picnic day, the group went to Simiane-la-Rotonde, erstwhile home to the photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson.

His most famous photo of the village was taken on a terrace overlooking the valley.

The terrace is still there

He was a man renowned for his meditative attitude and his 'patient eye' something that painters also have to cultivate!

Heat wave hits Les Bassacs

Terry's week ushered in the canicule, or heatwave, with temperatures in the high 30's.  High summer has arrived, sun all day long, nice out painting in the morning but the swimming pool very welcome in the afternoon.  The fruit has come into its own with basketfuls of fresh local peaches, figs and nectarines.  Fortunately these very old houses have nice thick walls so inside it stays cool.  Early mornings are delicious, bright and cool.

Holidays 30th July - 13th August

We have rented the house, packed away all the stools and easels and are on holiday for 2 weeks.   What bliss!

Kieran's group at Viens

If its Thursday it must be picnic day.  Kieran's group spent a beautifully fresh, sunny day at Viens right on the edge of the border between the Vaucluse and the Alpes de Haute-Provence.  Kieran took inks and rollers with them in order to do some impromptu transfer printing out in the field.  Something we hadn't tried before.

Oh Gordes!

Finally tested out the view of Gordes scouted earlier on in May.  David took a group of 7 to try out his new site.  It is right below Gordes with nice shade, big cyprus trees and a great view looking up at the village.  There was nobody about.