Gordes, travel journal watercolor by Lucinda Howe

Gordes is a small hill town in the Provence area of France.  The day our group visited, we were there for a short time, and I had time for only two small drawings in my travel journal.   Later, I added watercolor to remind me of my impressions of color, emphasizing the sand colored houses with terra cotta tile roofs surrounded by a variety of greens on the hillside and some purple in the shadows.

Gordes, photo by Lucinda Howe

This week in my studio, I made a small pastel painting based on the journal and photo.  The photo allows me to correct perspective and shapes, and the journal drawing adds color harmony that is not evident in the photo.  Doing a small pastel piece allows me the opportunity to become better acquainted with the unfamiliar landscape and to work out composition problems in preparation for a larger painting in the future.

Gordes, pastel, 8×10″, Lucinda Howe