Lessons From Van Gogh


While we were in Saint Remy we walked the Van Gogh Trail up to the hospital where he lived in 1888 and 1889. I spent a lot of time thinking about his paintings and made a few observations that are helping me, so I thought I would pass them along. These are in no particular…

Paris & A Surprising B’day Gift


Monday morning we took the Normandie SNCF train from Gare Montparnasse to Flers. Then just a 30 minute drive and we were home. It seems as if automne has arrived, though next week does have a couple of warm days in the forecast. Sunday morning I got one last sketch in over un café near…

Greetings From Chartres


It is Friday, vendredi, here in Chartres, France. We arrived yesterday to visit their famous cathedral, and a bit of the city. I notice that there are other churches nearby which I would like to visit as well. They are not as famous, yet I am sure worth a stop. The week started with another…

Nostalgia in Independence, Oregon


When I was young, 8-10, I would spend a week every summer with my grandparents in Independence, Oregon. My grandpa drove a Union 76 oil delivery truck. On the day he delivered to the farms I got to ride along. The highlight was stopping at a little store on a narrow road, grandpa always got…

Winter Solstice


Tomorrow marks the middle of winter, or so it has been seen for most of history. The sun is at its lowest point and begins its climb back up into the sky. The days begin to lengthen with spring beginning in February. I like that, it makes more sense than Solstice being the first day…