A summer memory
Posted: November 12, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized 22 CommentsToday I came across a few sketches that I hadn’t scanned from my summer travels, including this one that brought back some memories of a very special place. During my workshop in Provence, we spent a day at Saint Paul de Mausole Monastery, where Van Gogh spent over a year at the asylum and painted some of his most iconic paintings including The Starry Night and Irises. He also painted at least 15 paintings of the olive trees just outside the walls of the asylum.
When I first caught of a glimpse of these ancient, gnarled trees, their shapes were so familiar — from reproductions and originals I’ve seen over the years in books and at various museums — but I didn’t get to paint them that first day. It wasn’t until a week later that I got my wish to sketch them, in between a quick lunch and a car ride to another outing. In the interim, they haunted me. There was something so powerful about their shapes — massive knotted trunks, branches like embracing arms, clouds of silvery leaves — that I couldn’t get the image of them out of my head. The sketch was done quickly, perhaps in thirty minutes or so, but the memory of being on that hallowed ground will stay with me forever.
Shari Blaukopf's Sketchbook 
i love these trees, shari –
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They were really special to paint. Glad you like them!
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Beautiful sketch, Shari. Isn’t that where we ate lunch? You certainly captured their essence. Carol
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Carol, that is exactly where we ate lunch. I didn’t have time to paint them the week you were there but as you saw, I did manage to sketch them the following week.
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That is a beautiful place. I painted right there, where VanGogh painted. Not so successfully but still thrilling.
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Thanks so much Ghislaine. So nice to hear from you. I hope you are not affected by those awful fires.
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Beautiful!
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Thanks!
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You’re welcome.
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beautiful piece!
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Thanks so much.
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Thanks for sharing this very vivid experience.
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That’s what is so incredible about sketching. When you look back at the sketch all the memories of the time spent there come back to you. Thanks Alison.
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Reblogged this on The Reluctant Poet.
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What an experience you had! Van Gogh is one of my favorite painters. Very haunting painting. And how fortunate you were able to go back and paint it.
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I consider myself very lucky to have had that opportunity.
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Love those Olive trees! Summer in the Med!!
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Yes! Thanks Hariette.
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They are perfect.What a touching place. We stay close by..and the visit of it and the sights around it never leave me.I just talked about it.You must listen to Starry Starry Night again.:)
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I saw from your blog that you were there too. Quite amazing!
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Hi Shari
What a memorable sketch, and beautifully rendered,as though Van Gogh were guiding your hand
Liliane
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Liliane, that is such a beautiful thought. Thank you.
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