The rose above has just opened, it is beautiful and smells divine!
Preparing the tables early in the morning.
Morning over and afternoon about to begin.
The teachers: Tess, Karen and Yolante.
At least that is what I am trying to do. We had a wonderful week of painting Provence with Maggie and her grand daughter Amanda and Lee and her daughter Melissa, now all good friends. Everyone went home except Melissa. We had planned on walking a part of the Camino together and were looking forward to it. BUT. I became very tired after our day of teaching 120 Hong Kong Chinese at Chateau Roseline for the day. The planning for the event took four months of quite a bit of hard work. The hard work was worth it, it was a spectacular day. Thanks to all the great help I had. A very special thank you to Melissa who helped me unwrap 120 pencil sharpners. 120 erasors, 120 mini table easles, 120 water colour blocks, 120 paint palettes and so on and so forth and package them in pretty paper bags with a little lavender tissue paper to add a hint of provence. Not forgetting the amazing Karen and Yolante who where the two other art teachers and who worked with me to make this a great day and Gilly and Hilary who both helped on the day. Thank you for everything!
My time: Melissa, Gilly, Hilary, Karen and Yolante.
Busy moments and lots of fun!
A few hours of work gathered and then mainly left behind.
Rest and water much needed.
The event was a thank you from their employers for work hard and high achievement. A week in the South of France, travelling from place to place and having great events planned for them by the one and only Felix. Thank you Felix. On the day, half the guests were wine tasting in the morning and the other half at my painting class. Then a big lunch and swop over in the afternoon. They had very little time to get anything done in. But I was amazed by their concentration and all their creative ability. It really was a special day and one to remember. I didn’t have time to take photo’s but everyone sent me theirs and Gilly who is a photographer sent me the ones that are featured in this blog.
I was exhausted after and had to go straight into my tax returns the Camino seemed further and further away. Then as life would have it Melissa had to go back to the US. So the Camino still waits for us.
I decided to take this weekend off. Well nearly, I thought I would clear out the den and moved a heavy bed base and have done something nasty to my neck. , Got on the tractor to mow the lawn and oh yes I have painted. Lots of joy in that!
I have gathered together my favourite paintings from the Paint Provence with Tess week and will post them soon.
Paint Provence and elsewhere with Tess 
Aha! That’s what you and Melissa have been up to. The text message version of her stay there were very brief and exchanged when one or the other of us were in bed and semi-conscious. I had no idea your Hong Kong group was going to be that large. Congrats to you for putting on such a grand event.
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Looks as though you had a lovely time. Paintings of roses are gorgeous. Just got back from U.K. and catching up with the waist high grass, doing it all myself takes more time, but hope to come over and paint with you.
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