BEZIER, DEPUIS LE TRAIN, watercolor

BEZIER, DEPUIS LE TRAIN, watercolor in my Côte d'Azur sketchbook.

 Just passing by Bezier quickly in our train, on our way from Toulouse to Menton, with my friend Mireille, this image struck me. I didn't have time to get my iphone and take a picture, suddenly the image was gone! But I had my "mind's eye", and the image was stuck in my brain. I immediately got my sketchbook and painted it, starting my sketchbook of my last week in France. I will be posting here the sketchbook page by page. If you have no patience and want to see the whole thing at once, you can do so in my webpage: www.minnievaleroart.com 

PYRÉNÉES 2, ink and watercolor

PYRÉNÉES 2, ink and watercolor in my carnet de voyages (travel sketchbook). I flew into Toulouse,  France, and took the train to Lourdes. While I look at the window, I smile non-stop: The valleys, the Pyrénées mountains in the distance, trees, sometimes cows, horses, a small mountain town here and there, flowers, everything passes quickly while my eyes and my memory try to catch a rooftop or a creek.

I am home, when I arrive to the Pyrénées. The train stops : Muret, first stop. Later we continue, I can't read my book, I'm addicted to looking out the window, looking at these beautiful mountains I fell in love with ten years ago. I can't stop smiling. I am home.

LE PONT NEUF, TOULOUSE, watercolor

Le Pont Neuf, Toulouse, watercolor, 14x20". Painted on location in Toulouse, France, about two months ago, this watercolor is in exhibition and for sale at the San Diego Watercolor Society during the month of December. This is in San Diego, California.

Tonight, at the reception,  I noticed a couple standing in front of my painting, so I approached them. They surprised me by telling me not only that they had recently been in Toulouse, but also in the area of the Pyrenees where I live part of the year, including Cauterets! They are bikers, and have biked up the mountains from Lourdes, to Cauterets. This is a feat that only expert bikers can achieve!

LA CASCADE DE L'AMOUR, watercolor on Yupo

La Cascade de l'Amour, watercolor on Yupo, 26x20in

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My solo show:     LE MYSTERE DE L'      AGUA
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opens next week  at Bibliotheque de Cauterets, France, from September 3-30. More than 20 paintings, mostly watercolors, on the theme of water, so important for our life, and so treacherous some times. This Spring the rivers in the Pyrénées were overflown due to heavy snow during the winter, and a great storm during the Spring, with lots of rain at the same time that the snow was melting. This is the reason I have chosen the theme of water this year for my yearly exhibition in France. You are all invited to come see the show. I will be posting some more paintings on the blog during the exhibition. Cauterets is 30 km. South of Lourdes, in the  Pyrénées, France. If you are not from the area, Lourdes is between Pau and Toulouse, on the Highway A64.

Jacqueline Driving

Jacqueline Driving, watercolor, 12x17cm.
Riding with my friend Jacqueline Peyrot from Argeles-Gazost in the French Pyrenees, I painted this watercolor of her. Later, another good friend of ours, Jean-Claude de Grissard, from Toulouse, France, shared his admiration of the lady. I then gave Jean-Claude this small portrait of Jacqueline with a thank you card, and he had them especially framed.

Days are getting shorter, the year is about to end, in perfect parallel with our lives. There is very little time left, enjoy every minute! Whatever you dream to become, do it now! The future is now.

Maison de la Violette, Toulouse

Maison de la Violette, Toulouse, France. watercolor, 14x21cm. available.
Wallking along the canal, about a block from Gare Matabiau, on the other side of the canal, you find this "paniche", painted violet and light green. They have just opened a refreshments bar upstairs, and inside downstairs is the store with all things made of violets. From beauty products to sugared violet petals to float on your champagne, violet honey, violet everything!

Place du Capitol, Toulouse, watercolor

Place du Capitol, Toulouse, France. Watercolor, 14x21cm.,  available.
From the hotel Le Bristol, across the street from Gare Matabiau (Toulouse train station), I walked to Place du Capitol, about 10 blocks, on a lovely afternoon. There is always something happening at the Place du Capitol, this time there was an open air market. Suddenly, it started to rain, so I sat at a bar under a big umbrella, and painted this watercolor. Toulouse is called "la ville rose", due to all the buildings in red brick.

Fantasmas de La Tourette

Fantasmas de La Tourette, small watercolor, 4x6" available, of course!

I painted this in bed, in my little apartment of La Tourette, in Cauterets.  looking at my African masks on the wall, they were looking back at me. The next day I left Cauterets, France, for Toulouse. On my way to more painting adventures...in Toulouse, France, and beyond! Stay tuned!

Ancien Apart de Chris et Ger

Ancien Apart de Chris et Ger, watercolor, 12x17 cm., painted on location, from the window of my friends Christopher and Geraldine's apartment, in Toulouse, France. They have just bought a house, so their apartment is now "the old apartment".
Ancien Apart de Chris et Ger, acuarela, pintada desde la ventana del departamento de  mis amigos Christopher y Geraldine, en Toulouse, Francia. Ellos acaban de comprarse una casa, asi que el departamento es ahora "el viejo departamento".

A Media Luz in Toulouse

A Media Luz, acrylic, 75x55 cm. (30x22") one of seven paintings I'll exhibit this coming weekend at the International Tango Postale Festival in Toulouse, in the South of France. There will be tango dancing demonstrations, classes,  music, and other tango-related activities all over downtown, from the 6th to 10th July. The main activities and art exhibition will be at the prestigious Salle Mermoz. On Saturday, La Orquesta Tipica Imperial, from Buenos Aires, Argentina, will be playing. For more information, and to listen to Tango Postale radio, go to the website: www.tangopostale.com  


A Media Luz, es una de siete pinturas que tendre en exposicion este fin de semana en el Festival Internacional Tango Postale en Toulouse, en el sur de Francia. Habra demostraciones y clases de bailar tango, asi como musica y otras actividades relacionadas con el tango en varias partes del centro, desde el 6 al 10 de julio. Las actividades principales y exposicion de arte seran en la prestigiosa Sala Mermoz. El sabado tocara la Orquesta Tipica Imperial, de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Para mas informacion, y para escuchar la radio de Tango Postale, puedes ir a la pagina web: www.tangopostale.com

Hotel Le Bristol

Hotel Le Bristol, Toulouse, watercolor in my travel journal.
"The key word is trust. Trust everything that happens in life, even those experiences that cause pain will serve to better you in the end. It's easy to lose the inner vision, the greater truths, in the face of tragedy. Along with developing a basic trust in the rhyme and reason of life itself, I advise you to trust your intuition. It is a far better guide in the long run than your intellect." Henry Miller, from REFLECTIONS.
"La palabra clave es confianza. Ten confianza en lo que ocurre en la vida, aun las experiencias que causan dolor serviran para mejorarte. Es facil perder la vision interna, las grandes verdades, frente a la tragedia. A la vez que desarrollas una confianza basica en el ritmo y la razon de la vida, te aconsejo que confies en tu intuicion. Es mucha mejor guia, a la larga, que tu intelecto." Henry Miller, en REFLECCIONES.