Plein Air Painting in France with Martha Markowsky

Martha Markowsky and Elaine Archambault left for France not knowing what to expect or where the village Limoux, where they would be spending two weeks was even located. All they knew was they would spend four days on their own in Paris, sightseeing and sketching and then fly on to Toulouse to then travel on to the village of Limoux. They arrived at their lodging well pleased - Le Monastere, owned and operated by Chris and Fabienne, was a wonderful setting, pleasant and very homey.




Martha recounts "This was our routine, breakfast at about 7:30 a.m., then off in the van to visit a small town some where the sun was shining and we would hear the story of the areas we passed and where we would be painting. In addition, it was not just to drop us off somewhere in some medieval town, but there would be a walk about, explained good locations to paint, where the washrooms were, if they were one holers, bring your own paper or modern. Also, where we could leave our equipment as we would walk later, where the cafes were, as well as if we would like to shop. All in all, it was very thorough.....we never felt lost or deserted and there was always plenty to paint or sketch.
Here are some photos of Limoux and various other little villages which we visited and painted."
"Above is a picture of Elaine and myself painting on the terrace which is enclosed and filled with various plants and flowers, from an olive tree, to jasmine, to lime tree, plus plus. As you can see from the warm colours, it was one of those days where the temperature was about 35 C but who was complaining?This was paradise. And after a hot day at the easel, our hosts set up the supper table on that same terrace where we feasted on wines from the region, fresh vegetables along with various meats and not to mention the desserts.



At RENNE AU CHATEAU. Getting ready to paint in the heat of the day, but first we must have some libation to cool off. In another photo, sketching again by the vineyards, under the shade of a tree. BUGARASH suppers always consisted of wine tasting to refresh the palate as well as the "windy" road to get there, just one sample photo of how we travelled to get there. It was carved out of rock. ROQUETAILLADE with its vineyards, rolling hills and village. No easy feat plein air painting when we have this landscape in front of us. Again we are under a tree shaded from the temperature which would be about 36 Celsius.
LAGRASSE, an old village dating back with its narrow streets and houses of stone. Finding some shade against one of the town's buildings we find Elaine sketching and beside her is one of my watercolour sketches of that street. While Elaine worked, I looked for new subjects to sketch and this was very easy to do, as every turn had another painting waiting to be done. Having enough time was the problem." Martha recounts.





A most enjoyable trip for the artists and from the looks of things, a very productive one as well with plenty of paintings.

Martha Markowsky, distinguished Canadian artist and elected member of the Society of Canadian Artists , is well known for her Montreal streetscapes, and paintings of orchestral ensembles. Martha has had more than 20 solo exhibitions, is recipient of numerous awards and commissions from both public institutions and private collectors. Her work can be viewed at many galleries across Canada and her works are in collections in Canada, US and Europe.. See works by Martha Markowsky at Tay River Gallery in Perth or on the website at www.tayrivergallery.com