
During my recent trip to Provence, we visited Arles and had lunch in the famous Place du Forum where Van Gogh painted Café Terrace at Night. After lunch, I perched on a parking barricade near the entrance to a florist shop and started drawing the long view of the street. As I was drawing the basic angles of the houses and curved street, the shop keeper was re-opening from the lunch break. He brought pots of flowers out onto the sidewalk, and began to set up tables near and in front of me. As I was just beginning to draw in the many doors and windows, he plopped several pots of tall bougainvillea plants down on the table in front of me. So I quickly adjusted my plan added the flowers in to the drawing, made notes about the story, and moved on. Fortunately, I had a photograph of the street and was able to complete the architecture that attracted me after returning home.
glynda DeVore
2 Aug 2011Your tip sounds wonderful. the painting is beautiful.
Glynda