Oil painting with a provencal twist

A few months ago I contacted Monique Faillard (see photo) for the possibility of taking some painting classes while I was in Provence. She has had a lot of experience and had a multitude of citings in the internet for a variety of endeavors. She was very charming and welcoming in her emails. In person she has exceeded my expectations. Her studio, "Ateliers du Soleil" (Studio of the Sun) well describes the Provencal sunshine and her sunny personality. She is generous with her praise, time and knowledge. She might make an oil painter out of me yet.

I was impressed with her cheerful setting, very conducive to painting but I was delighted with the other participants. Everyone was charming and friendly. There are a lot of international students in the studio but the French women I met were specially nice. I enjoyed listening to them chatting away- even though I didn't always understood what they said. I smiled and nodded. They probably think I am a bit of a simpleton.

Monique has been featured on French television before and apparently they contacted her to film her again. She asked me to be in the video with her class, so I might be on French T.V. Now I wish I had gone in that diet but... the baguettes keep calling my name.

In the way home from class I took a wrong turn, but there are not wrong turns in Aix. I ended up in front of a beautiful cathedral and obelisk that somehow I had previously missed. See pictures.