Delivery trip to the South of France …

Delivery trip?

Yes, this past week, Anne and I have been on a delivery trip to the South of France – three paintings purchased last year by my brother, Brian, and his wife, Anna.

• Dawn at South Pool Creek
• Paddling at Burgh Island
• Sunlight on Avon River

Dawn at South Pool Creek is an acrylic painting of the view from my studio window. It’s rare for me to be up so early. I am a night owl and enjoy sleeping late. However, my wife, Anne, is always up before dawn and, if it’s an especially beautiful one, she will wake me. I take photos and go back to bed, and she returns to her computer.

Paddling at Burgh Island is a painting which captures one sunny day when Anne and I visited her friend, Sheila, and we walked across from Sheila’s house to Burgh Island.

Sunlight on Avon River shows a tree-lined river bank. The dappled light competing with lively reflections is a huge challenge for the artist. The sound of constantly moving water is a delight to hear but, sadly, I cannot capture that within my watercolour painting.

 

Why are we delivering these paintings?

Brian and Anna came to our home, to meet up with our Canadian cousins who were visiting us in Salcombe, more than a year ago. But flying, without a baggage allowance, Brian and Anna couldn’t take the paintings home with them.

The previous time we’d seen them was on our wedding day, eight years previous, but now we were invited to their holiday home in the south of France – and to bring the paintings with us.

Drive? No!

We’d prefer to go by train and to take advantage of the places en route: London and Paris.

 

The route: Totnes to Paradou

So, Anne and I have done the trip, mostly by train.

• Taxi to Totnes
• Train to Paddington
• Overnight stay in London, taking in a show: 42nd Street – amazing!
• One morning in London, shopping, and then the Eurostar to Paris
• One morning in Paris, sight-seeing, and then TGV to Avignon
• Car to Paradou
• And relax!

It’s a straightforward journey and provides lots of time to read / write / paint. I have a watercolour kit with me …

Our return trip, after a brief weekend with the family, will take in three nights in Paris, so the next blog post will be a ‘Postcard from Paradou’ followed by a ‘Postcard from Paris’.

 

Do I deliver in person, usually?

Not usually!

But if you live somewhere exotic and would care to invite Anne and I to visit …