Murano Fragile

On Friday Frances said,

"Carol, first of all let me tell you how beautiful your watercolor apples are! They blush in a most lovely way".

Oui? And La Table de Nana said,

"PS j'aime les pommes".

Really? I looked for the apple watercolor and couldn't find it. Hmmm...what about going to the Murano - Fragile exhibit at the musee Maillol to brush up on painting transparencies and blushes?

I went on Saturday.

59-61 Rue de Grenelle

75007 Paris

Métro: Rue du Bac

Normally I'd think,"oh I've been to Venice...seen that..but boy am I glad I went. Around 200 pieces covering 700 years of master glassmaking. This is the "piece de resistance" by Perez (2011) symbolizing life, death, tradition, change, blood, you name it. Better call it the "broken piece de resistance".

Based on this traditional filigree chandelier from the 18th century.

Based on this bunch of glassy lollipops/sucette at le Grand Epicerie?

Exquisite lighting at the exhibition...

Casting exquisite shadow...

Hard not to gasp at the delicacy of many piece using filigree techniques inspired to produce imitations of antiques. These by Verrerie FratelliToso around 1900.

At last some lovely ovoid vases to paint...

A whole row of them in fact.

A Witty goldfish bowl vase...

Head back to 93, rue du Bac and turn left for Patisseries des Reves' glass globes full of edible treasures post-exhibit.

Alora, my watercolor washy glass vases..must go back and look some more.

Murano - Fragile at the musee Maillol till 28 July.

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Blobbing Venice

 I was looking for my 'waterproof' map of Venice for Alison (like you're really going to fall into a canal like Katherine Hepburn!) when I discovered an old pile of blobby Venice watercolors from days of yore...

 It certainly helps to pick up a few post cards whilst in Venice to blob from - your shapes are cut out for you comme ca.

 Taking pictures at l'heure bleu/dusk is another way to get your major shapes cut out for you to paint from. Yes that's moi in '97.

 A double-blob

 Paint in your background blob skyline on top of a wash of gradated colors. Then you can add a gondolier or two in the foreground. Easy peasy.

 Canaletto could blob a gondolier with his eyes closed.

 So can Huck Scarry in his Venice Sketchbook

 One of Scarry's gondolas. Another suberbe blobber is Jean-Louis Morelle.

 Blobbing puts you in a meditative state of mind.

 I touched up an old beginning this morning by adding some washes to the sky and water.

 Then a touchup to the skyline

 Et voila

Thursday I'll be back blobbing up in Maine at David's Fall watercolor class. I need to brushup of my watercolor skills for Paris in October. But first on Wednesday I'll be blobbing for board - giving Rita/Sketchbook Wandering une petite lecon before we scour Portland for macarons and then head up to David's next day for blobbing immersion.

BONNE BLOBBING TO YOU!

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