My illustrated journal from Stratford-upon-Avon

Stratford-upon-Avon Illustrated Journal ~  by Jane LaFazio

Stratford-upon-Avon Illustrated Journal ~  by Jane LaFazio 

 I taught 16 students, sketching and watercolor on location, for a week in Stratford-upon-Avon, with The Blue Walk. Here's the journal I created from the trip, along with my sketches.  

I included a postcard from Georgia O'Keeffe's exhibition, that we say at the Tate Modern ~ photo by Jane LaFazio

From my Sketchbook: learning the money system and a feather on a book page of Shakespeare
 ~ photo by Jane LaFazio

From my Sketchbook: a pop up map of Stratford-on-Avon ~ photo by Jane LaFazio

 From my Sketchbook: We saw Hamlet at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre ~ photo by Jane LaFazio

From my Sketchbook: a found feather and an envelope for business cards ~ photo by Jane LaFazio

From my Sketchbook: The house Skakespeare was born in ~ photo by Jane LaFazio

From my Sketchbook: lovely Bourton on the Water~ photo by Jane LaFazio

From my Sketchbook:
Bits and Bobs found on our walk along the canals ~ photo by Jane LaFazio

From my Sketchbook: 
CAKE! ~ photo by Jane LaFazio

From my Sketchbook: 
~ photo by Jane LaFazio

This is a bag from the Pasty Shop (meat/veg pies) with the legend for the markings on the pies ~ photo by Jane LaFaizo

Stratford-upon-Avon Illustrated Journal ~  by Jane LaFazio

Stratford-upon-Avon Illustrated Journal ~  by Jane LaFazio

Stratford-upon-Avon, England

high tea at Hobson's Patisseries and of course, we had to draw our cake!

I taught a week long workshop in Stratford-upon-Avon, UK, with The Blue Walk. People came from Canada, Australia, Puerto Rico, and the US to join me as we sketched and watercolor on location. (Each day, I would do a demonstration and class with the students. And, as you can see, we also traveled and saw the sites together!)

So many beautiful canals in Stratford-upon-Avon
(photo by Jane LaFazio)

An evening of fun at Cox's Yard in Stratford

At Cox's Yard, we were interested in ordering Pimm's Cups, but we'd never tried one. The manager assured us to order two pitchers and if we didn't like them, he'd drink them! They were delish, like Sangria!

Blenheim Palace ~ photo by Jane LaFazio

Me, teaching and laughing on the veranda of our hotel in Stratford.

Students painting on the veranda ~ photo by Jane LaFazio

Student work

I love showing the student work. They are all so different! Even though they all watched the same lesson.

Student work

Student work

Me, teaching on the canal in Bourton on the Water

Trinity Cathedral, Stratford ~ photo by Jane LaFazio

My husband gets along great with women!

Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford ~ photo by Jane LaFazio

We saw Hamlet at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Quite a thrill!

LOVE the English gardens!! ~photo by Jane LaFazio

Show and tell of our journals on the last evening (in the hotel) ~ photo by Jane LaFazio

Our Blue Walk Art Walk group! 

Next post, I'll show you the journal I created on the trip!

And look at Cheryl's post about our trip.

London ~ random photo recap

Yoga Poses in Public Places Tate Britain

This is an especially cool yoga pose in public places. Why? I'm in the middle of a performance art piece with those dancers in red, on the white maze at the Tate Britain, London. They are doing historical dances in an antique setting, according to the artist.

Husband Don and I, on the River Thames with the Millennium bridge behind us.

I'm home from 2 weeks in England. A few days in London (shown here) and the teaching at Stratford-upon-Avon, then to Birmingham for the Quilt Festival. 

One of the highlights of our visit to London was seeing Lin-Manuel Miranda's In the Heights at the Kings Cross Theatre. It was EXCELLENT!! (Of course you know, he created Hamilton.) 

Tate Britian

I love the photo above. I caught this little girl sitting on the floor drawing one of Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings. I spoke to her, of course. She was about 7 years old, and informed me this painting was her favorite in the "O'Keeffe Exhibition." She was drawing one of O'Keeffe's Taos, NM, landscapes with color pencils. I told I had just visited that location and that her rendition was very good. She grinned! Great kid. Great parents to encourage her!

the gorgeous William Morris dining room in the cafeteria at Victoria & Albert Museum

Husband and two friends at London's oldest still in operation pub. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese on Fleet Street. The likes of Mark Twain and Charles Dickens. 

So thrilled to see this retrospective of Georgia O'Keeffe's work at the Tate Modern.  

Grab a cuppa and watch this hour long documentary from BBC. It's fabulous!

 

Don and friends watching the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace

from my sketchbook ~ learning the money!

Happy Husband with beer!

Teaching at Stratford-upon-Avon

that's me, teaching on location in Stratford-upon-Avon

I just returned from two weeks in England. First, a few days in London, then a 6-day art retreat in Stratford-upon-Avon. Then to Birmingham for the Quilt Festival.

Here's the first installment.

another view of my students at work

Have you wondered what my Sketching and Watercolor trips are like? The top photo says it all! I teach on location. The students grabbed some tables at the cafe across from Shakespeare's house and I did a demo and then they drew and painted with my encouragement and instruction. (And yes, I made them order tea and scones at the cafe!)

We were all drawing this building.
It's the house where William Shakespeare was born and lived.

You see, we travel together (this time in Stratford-upon-Avon) and I find a cool location and then we draw and paint. Sometimes a cafe, sometimes a park bench. It's lots of fun! We're all in it together, and we really capture the moment on paper and in our memories.

(I'll be leading more adventures like this to Charleston, South Carolina, Montreal to Quebec City and France in 2017. See my teaching schedule here.)

my wonderful students!
(photos and layout by Cheryl Sargent Flatt)

 I've got lots more pictures to show you from my trip to England! stay tuned!

one last Farmer's Market ~ Cannes, France

The photo above was the farewell dinner, with the whole group, in Nice, France. We'd asked the waiter to take our photo. But first he took his own photo!


Hope you enjoyed my photos of my time in Europe!

The back story:I spent about two and a half weeks in Europe, the end of May/first of June. The first week teaching 14 women on Lake Como, Italy, then I took the train to Nice, France, and met a new group of 13, and taught for a week.  Next year, I'll be teaching sketching and watercolor on a River Cruise on the Danube and in Greece. Hope you'll join me, if you can. You can see, we have lots of fun!