Every community has one. Mr."whirlygig" 

just happens to live just spitting distance from my

studio window.  Every tourist that comes to Caylus

checks out this local hotspot, so there

 is a continual stream of people who pass comment 

about his decor. The preschool is also just down the road

 from me and the kids do a count of the ladybugs etc. 

everytime they go by. Very entertaining, but as you can

 see I am getting a bit desperate for postings!  

After this I may cutback posting as often so I can focus

 on my work.....and also I'm just not getting out

 much. However, there is a new artist arriving tomorrow

 from New York and perhaps we will embark 

on some adventures. In the next couple of weeks 

we may be going with John and Greta to some 

nearby caves that have drawings and to Albi, a

beautiful ancient Roman and medieval town.

Everyone asks what I do all day.  Well, for one thing
I make sure go to the lake/pond nearby and enjoy the
connection to water, bugs, birds, fish, trees, wind etc.
On sunny days I spend hours painting watercolour there
because I can put the sheets of paper out in the sun to
dry quickly. 

Pathway around the lake.

.

The little point of land with rocks is where I set up
to paint.  My house is just behind the tower on the hillside.

Believe it or not, I often stop at the cathedral. 
 I find the space awe inspiring and 
love thinking of all the people who have been here and how
amazing this must have been in medieval times.
It still is today, even though it is a very modest cathedral.
 Peaceful.

Now, the action items!!  I watch watercolour paint 
dry/evaporate off my plastic yupo paper. It takes hours. 
 And I have to fiddle with tilting the paper etc. as it dries.

 

While I'm waiting for paint to dry I draw into
paintings, listen to music, ted talks and CBC and BBC 
pod casts etc.

I'm using acrylic paint on specially
treated paper that I have done drawings on.
This is one big change for me, using acrylic 
paint instead of watercolour.  

Here I am putting a wash of watercolour paint on 
a large piece of paper. Next I will draw onto the
paper and then probably add more paint.

I spend a lot of time on the internet checking out artists,

 art related articles and on facebook to keep in touch with

everyone.

I am having an absolutely wonderful time,
 at this self imposed exile called an artist residency. 
It's a bit like going to rehab for artists. I'm trying
 desperately to break old habits and the rut I 
was in artistically. Not easy.  After playing with some
 new techniques and materials I am producing 
some different work.

  The neighbour has a little hut to feed local cats.
You can see there are gnomes to protect the bowl of 
food and to keep the cat company at dinner time too.
 Very beautiful cat with unusual stripes on it's tail.

I'm praying that there will be no bats in the
stairwell at night when I head back to my room 
after brushing my teeth.