The backyards of some houses in Giverny
So for all of you who were wondering what this France-painting-garden-Monet-thing was all about, here is a basic explanation, kind of like an FAQ document without the Q’s.
Claude Monet--incredibly influential and prolific French Impressionist painter, who lived a long life and actually was NOT a starving artist, bought a house and grounds in
Giverney (pronounced “GEE-vair-nee”, with a soft “G”; remember folks, we’re in France), about an hour by train outside Paris, where he proceeded to create remarkable
Gardens, including a water garden with lots of beautiful water lilies that he painted over and over, and that house and those gardens have been carefully restored and are currently
The front door to Monet's house, viewed through the rose arbors
The famous water gardens, in the evening rain
The inside of Monet's house is as popular as the gardens.
Open to the Public every day of the week from 9:30 to 6:00, and are very popular with international tourists and French citizens alike, which makes it full of so many
Crowds of visitors that it is is impossible/forbidden to paint there during opening hours, but the Powers that Be give permission to a small number of artists to paint there before the gardens open to the public in the morning and after the gardens close in the evening.
I got to paint there through Art Colony Giverny, along with 5 other artists, including my sister Libby. We also traveled about and painted in other beautiful areas in the vicinity where Monet and other famous artists lived and worked.
So that is the basic foundation of info that will help you understand the blog posts that will follow in the next few days.