I flew into the Marseille Airport early in the morning on Ryan Air, one of Europe's budget airlines.  It's about an hour flight from Rome.

 Avignon is about 45 minutes away from the airport so I had a nice stroll around the historical center of the city. This is the main square, so beautiful in the chilly morning light.


 After driving about an hour inland  I stopped off at Odile Bigand's workshop.  She makes cushions and fills them with lavender, buckwheat and other natural materials.  They're beautifully crafted and fragrant.
I really enjoy meeting local people and discovering local artisans.  
You can have a look at her site here: http://www.coussinsvegetaux-lacoussiniere-26.fr

Getting in a little sketching here.  The weather was much too cold to paint outside, freezing temperatures and snow flurries.  It was just too much for this California girl to handle!





Luckily the weather cleared one afternoon and I went to Vaison-la-Romaine, this is the main square.This area of France is called La  Drome Provencal and is particularly famous  for its lavender, aromatic plants, olives  and wine.  
It had torrentially rained in the previous days as you can tell from the river.
The Roman ruins.  

The landscape around Bas Monguers near Buis le Baronnies between one rainy day and another.




I drove up to those snowy mountains you can see in the background . . . 




. . . and discovered the beauty of the lavender fields in winter.  When the sky is cloudy you really get to see all sorts of nuances of color.  I can just imagine what this must be like in springtime.


A little lavender plant braving the winter cold.









The drive back down to Monguers.

 When is your next trip to Provence?








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Porchiano del Monte is a small medieval town on a hilltop overlooking the Tiber Valley.  It's located in Southern Umbria about an hour north of Rome and is a small fraction of the city of Amelia.
Many people, especially the locals have often asked me "Why would someone from  Southern California want to live here?"  


 It's a peaceful and beautiful place.
  
When I drive up along the town walls, I feel as though I'm entering in another world, one where time seems to have slowed down.  

 People greet each other cordially most of the time.  I say most of the time because the majority of them are related in some way.  As in any large or small family, there can be some friction.  Being a foreigner has its advantages in this case since I can't get caught up in centuries old family feuds.  

Porchiano is an agricultural community so there is a tradition of solidarity among town inhabitants.  For example, some months ago I needed a very long ladder to pick out some weeds that had grown on my stone house facade.  I had no such ladder myself, so I went to the barber's (who btw is the unofficial 'mayor' of the town) and asked for his advice.  He arranged for a retired local to lend me his for the job in a matter of minutes.  I saved time and money by not having to call anyone and doing it with the help of a Porchianese. 
More stories to come ...












I've taken a few weeks off from the Project.  I suppose it's the necessary time to rest and organize the coming year.  I'm coming up with new ideas for my Etsy Shop that I'll reveal a little bit at a time.
This morning I spotted these little red roses, so sweet, compact and powerful.





















Ho preso qualche settimana di riposo dal progetto.  Suppongo che è il tempo necessario per riposare e organizzare l'anno appena iniziato.  Mi sono venuti nuove idee per il negozio Etsy e gli rivelerò un po alla volta.
Stamattina ho visto queste piccole rose rosse così dolce e rigogliose.  


















Ecco un immagine di "Le Strenne di Corciano" di dicembre scorso.


 I spent last sunday at a Christmas market at the Abbazia Sette Frati in Pietrafitta, Piegaro which is about 20km. from Perugia.  

Participating in markets in Italy has its perks like being able to admire this 11th century structure.


If you're in the area it is worth a visit.












































































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About me

I'm a Painter.

Just like you, I enjoy finding and marveling at apparently insignificant things such as wildflowers picked on a morning walk, a local fruit right out of an orchard, or an Italian landscape especially at sunset when the colors warm up.

I love simplicity & quality and I embed these values in my paintings by using only the finest Italian oil paints and supports. When you purchase a Barragan Painting you're buying a timeless original that will last for generations. Each painting is signed on the front & back and sold with a Certificate of Authenticity.

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