Down by the Riverside

I love the water...When I was growing up, we always

had a place on a lake. I learned to swim and ski very

young. And I still love being around boats and water.

I enjoyed strolling along the river in Paris, and seeing

the boats and the beautiful bridges. I believe this river

creates part of the magic and romance of the city. There

is one bridge where lovers gather at sunset to view the

sun setting over the river...very romantic.

This is a page from my sketchbook of the charming boats

and one of the bridges. I am working on some finished

paintings of some of these scenes. Will post soon.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

http://www.gailshelton.com/

More Paris...

Three more new Paris paintings...

The top one is in the area around our hotel,

the Montparnasse district. There was one

street where many of the theatres were located,

and this is one of them

The middle one is Notre Dame as seen from the

river.

And the flower market is one of the oldest ones in

the city, along the river as well.

All are 11 x 14, and are $150.00 each

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Wet Paint

Three new paintings of places I loved in Paris...

The first one is La Mansion Rose, a great little

cafe in Montmartre where I had the best meal I

had in all of Paris. It was tiny inside, and the two

waiters did a "ballet" to get everyone served inside

and out. Wonderful experience

The second one is the view up the street to Sacre Cour

in Montmartre. We stopped here and listened to our

guide tell us some of the history of the area. I took this

photograph, and knew I would paint it...

The third one is a flower shop (one of the thousands I

saw!), also in Montmartre (can you tell I liked it up

there... :)

I am working on some more, and I am also working on

the printed copy of the sketchbook...will keep you posted.

Original Watercolors 11 x 14 $150 each

sheltongail@hotmail.com

More Notre Dame

I love this view of the cathedral, from down the river.

You can see the wonderful flying buttresses, and the

whole structure. I will be doing some other paintings

from this angle..this one is in my sketchbook.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

St. Chapelle

If you are ever in Paris, you MUST go and see this

small chapel. It is a hidden treasure that is worth

the trip. It was built in 1242-48 by King Louis IX

to house a relic of the passion...the crown of

thorns. He acquired it in 1239 for a sum that

exceeded the cost of the chapel itself. (we all know

it was probably a fake...but he believed it was the

real thing, obviously!)

You climb a narrow winding set of worn stone steps

to reach the chapel, and are asked to be reverent and

quiet. Which is hard to do as you gasp, and exclaim

out loud, "how beautiful!" I was lucky to be there on

a sunny day, and the glass simply sparkled, and cast

lovely colored specs across the mosaic floor. I sat and

lingered awhile, just resting in God's promises and

"being still" in His presence...awesome.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

In the Garden....

More photos of the Japanese water garden at Monet's

home in Giverny. That is me in front of one of his large

water lily paintings that is in the Orangerie Museum

in Paris. They have two rooms entirely devoted to his

over-sized paintings of the water lillies. The rooms are

oval, and the paintings wrap around the room; you are

surrounded by them...immersed in them. Fabulous...

sheltongail@hotmail.com

More Monet

These are a couple of the watercolors that I did while

at Monet's home. While I painted the one in the Japanese

garden, a woman from Japan sat next to me on the bench...

ironic. I gave her a card, and she may be looking at this

blog! The world is getting smaller and smaller. And I still

have so much I want to see!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

A Little Monet

Who hasn't seen and admired a Monet painting? I

think he would be flattered that his images are on

umbrellas, sticky notes, and mouse pads....

We made the journey out to Giverny; Monet's home

during most of his lifetime. The home with the famous

gardens, and the infamous Japanese water garden.

When you visit, you are overwhelmed by the riot of

color in the gardens, and you begin to understand his

color selections, and his palette of blossoms. It is

breath-taking, especially this time of year.

You can begin to understand his fascination with painting

it; everywhere you turn, is a painting waiting to happen.

What a thrill to stand where he stood; to view it

first hand, and see what he saw. To sketch and paint

where he did... too cool.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Flower Markets

When we left the cathedral, we walked

along the river where these lovely

flower markets are. They are next to the

river, and offer an extensive variety of

potted plants and flowers...absolutely

gorgeous. The colors were vibrant, and

the variety was intriguing. I understand

there are birds for sale here as well on the

weekends...must be really amazing.

There is a video on www.geobeats that shows

these same markets. Just go to "Paris flower

market"; there are lots of others there as well

that feature other areas of Paris. Really neat.

I plan to do several large paintings of the

flower markets, and will post when finished.

I am still finishing up my sketchbook, and will

begin uploading it soon to do the published version that will be for sale. Let me know if

you are interested.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Paris Sketchbook $60 available June 09

Our Lady

On my second day, I wanted to

go and paint the Notre Dame

Cathedral. It was a beautiful

morning, and I took a taxi,

along with two of my group. I

set up in front, and did this

small watercolor in my book.

Another young artist came and

sat beside me. She pulled out

her paints and pad, and just began

painting away. She told me she

was from Belgium, and was writing

and illustrating a children's fairy

tale. The setting was Paris, and she

was in town painting the landmarks

to be included in the book...I wished

her well, and happy painting!

I photographed the cathedral from every angle, and will do some

more finished paintings of it. I went inside, and they were having

a mass, and there was heavenly music playing, and voices raised in

praise...beautiful.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Down the Champs Elysees'

When we left the Arc, we strolled down the avenue. I did

some sketching, and took some great photos...especially of

this Paris lady..thought she looked very chic.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Triumphant

The second landmark on my list after the Eiffel Tower

was the Arc de Triomphe. I was able to climb to the top

and view the city from every angle. It was a beautiful

day, and it was a thrill to look out over the expanse of

the city.

I was able to sketch there..and did this painting in my

sketchbook. I also bought the neat antique Paris labels

in the giftshop, and used them as well. good day so far....

sheltongail@hotmail.com

At Last...

I became interested in Paris as an art destination about the

age of 15. As I saw images of the famous city, I remember seeing

this view of the Eiffel Tower many times. Whether as a poster or

painting, this image made an impression on me. So when I planned

this trip, I so wanted to try to get this shot. And here is is! I even

didn't mind the overcast sky; I think it adds to the drama. I will

probably enlarge it in black and white. Even if I never sell one, I

know I have joined a long list of artists who have witnessed this

inspirational view, and I get to mark off one more thing on my

"bucket list".

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Photo on Canvas 30 x 40 $400.00

11 x 14 photo print on paper $50.00

Eiffel One

There have been many artists who have been

drawn to Paris...to see its' many wondrous sites

and be inspired. I have felt that pull as well. As an

art student in college, I studied the Impressionists,

and so many others who had connections with this

wonderful city. I had always dreamed of walking

those streets, seeing those landmarks in person,

sketching and painting on location, soaking up some

of that atmosphere. And here I am....on top of the

Eiffel Tower! I was able to photograph it on the first

day of our journey, as well as make it to the top. I set

up across the river, and did this painting in my

sketchbook. A great start....I talked to many people in

Paris, and handed out many postcards, and I hope

some of you will be logging on here to see my work

from this trip..welcome.

Leave me a comment or two...I would love to hear from you.

Gail Shelton Artist USA

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Safe Journey

The smell of fresh croissants drifting across the
cobbled street; church bells marking the passing of
another hour; the rumble of the Metro under your feet;
the taste of sweet hot chocolate in a sidewalk cafe
on the Champs Elysee'...ah, memories!
I am back from Paris, and I am exhausted, but satisfied.
I was able to photograph everything I wanted and more,
and I was able to paint in several spots around the city.
And I did get to soak up some atmosphere and enjoy the
people.
I met some interesting ones along the way, and will be
telling you more about them when I get caught up with
some sleep! more later....