Oils and Pastels by Margaret Dyer

Donna's gone. I'm sad. Just loved her. Donna is a retired school teacher--she taught third grade gifted students. I suspect she's one of those teachers a student never forgets. Here's Donna's work...

Yael comes from Ashkelon, Israel, where rockets have been pounding while she has been here with us. She's looking forward to getting back home to her family on Saturday, but I think she will miss some of us. I know I'll miss her. This is some of Yael's beautiful work...

We are finishing up here. it's kind of sad. Friday is the last day of the class. We'll clean up the studio, pin our paintings to the walls, and invite the locals to our vernissage (private show). There will be champagne and munchies, then dinner. After our guests leave, there will be a mad scramble as all of us try to gather our paintings and art supplies and pack them into our suitcases with all the other souvenirs we've bought along the way, hoping we don't pass the 50 lb. airline limit (thankfully they won't be weighing us because we are probably all not the same weight we were when we arrived). Donna and Yael fly home Saturday. Alice, Katie, Joy, Judy and I will stay an extra 4 days ank Kippy will lead us on an excursion into Burgundy. But today is Thursday; we'll spend a half day painting, then head out to Troyes for our final excursion together.

How sad! people are starting to go home! Can two weeks be almost over? Meg spent her last day with us on Tuesday. Meg's an American, who's lived in Paris for 30 years or more. A journalist, she wrote the article published in the February, 2011, Pastel Journal about my workshop here last year at La Bonne Etoile. How wonderful it is to have these people just walk into your life!

We said good-bye to Maria this evening. She heads home to Pennsylvania in the morning, probably while most of us are still sleeping. She's been wonderful company and her absence will be obvious. Here is Maria's work...

And here's another pastel of Katie and Alice, the two students I spent almost a week in Brittany with before the class began. We're Still working hard in the studio, producing a lot of work. Maria, who leaves for her Pennsylvania home tomorrow, commented that she calculates she'll be going home with about 15 finished (or almost finished) pastels. You may enjoy checking out Donna Stein's blog. Donna's taking the class, doing some beautiful work, writing daily, and is way too much fun. I think I have found a kindred spirit ( donnasteinblog.wordpress.com )

This is a pastel I did of Yael, a student in the class.

Here's a demo I did for the class, from the market on Friday. I'm off to the studio; a new day has begun. Rosza arrives again this afternoon.

FRIDAY We went to market in the neighboring town of Bray, where you can buy cheeses, freshly baked breads, fresh vegetables, meats and seafood, flowers, hats, straw baskets, clothing, everything you might need for your week. A wonderful photo opportunity as well. When we returned 'home' after lunch, we worked in the studio from our photos. Some worked from their photos of Rosza, some from their Paris shots, some from the market. Here is one I did of Rosza. I'll post the students' work as the workshop winds to an end. SATURDAY We went to the Medieval Festival in Provins. Vendors in costume sold handmade crafts and food which might have been found 800 years ago there. A fascinating event, but sometimes alarmingly crowded. We returned home to the studio and worked till dinner. Then stayed up late again with good conversation and lots of wine. SUNDAY. Kippy has taken a carload of artists to another brocante. I'm taking time off to write and find a little ...