Lavender Day

•  18 x 20

Original acrylic painting • Painted en plein air in Southern France

Painted during one of my painting retreats in Southern France, Lavender Day captures a moment I have never forgotten. We had been invited to a beautiful home where a wonderful lunch had been set out for us—French bread, cheese, wine, and all the simple pleasures that made the day feel so special.

After lunch, I walked behind the house and found this view: lavender spilling across the landscape, sculptural trees, distant hills, and that extraordinary blue French sky. I set up my paints and painted it there, en plein air.

It has remained one of my favorite paintings from those years in France. Over time, I had the original professionally scanned and created canvas and paper reproductions for family members, so versions of Lavender Day now live in several homes. The original, however, has remained with me.

For me, this painting holds everything I loved about those painting trips—the color, the friendships, the food, the landscape, and the feeling of being completely immersed in the beauty of France.