Inspector Gamache and me.

Viva Gamache

So, if you read my blog or newsletters, you know I'm a big fan of Canadian mystery writer, Louise Penny, and her series featuring Inspector Gamache. I had never read mysteries before, but in November, after the election, I needed an escape.

All the books are set in Quebec, Canada.

I've read ALL Louise Penny's books!

So, as any crazed loyal fan would do, when I read about  "Manior Bellechasse" in her book, "A Rule against Murder," and that it was based on Manior Hovey.....and since I was teaching in Quebec anyway......

In Quebec City, we rented a car, and I drove for 3 hours to Manior Hovey. It was spectacular. Simply superb. (More in my next post about it.)

Manior Hovey, in southeastern Quebec.

When, on day two, I happen to walk near the lobby and who is standing there? LOUISE PENNY! 

me and Louise Penny at Manior Hovey!

I introduced myself, told her I'd read all her books, loved her newsletter and her facebook posts. And she was the reason my husband and I had come to Manior Hovey. I even showed her my 3pines pin, on my collar. She was warm, friendly and delightful. 

Amazing huh? 

(She was just there for lunch, for a meeting. She lives about an hour away.)

from my sketchbook ~ new york city

from my sketchbook ~ 9x12 inches ~ by Jane LaFazio

I was just in New York City (here's the blog post on my trip)  and here's the journal page from that trip.

from my sketchbook (detail) by Jane LaFazio

I taught at one day workshop at the NY Open Center, and demonstrated the pears in class. I added the background, at home, after seeing Klimt's "Woman in Gold." 

from my sketchbook (detail) by Jane LaFazio

 I added the map at home, and yes, I left out some neighborhoods. These are the place we visited while in NYC this time.

from my sketchbook (detail) by Jane LaFazio

from my sketchbook (detail) by Jane LaFazio

 Some of the places we visited.

from my sketchbook (detail) by Jane LaFazio

From my Sketchbook ~ Peonies! I love peonies. (and a mini-tutorial)

My husband brought me home some peonies

A loose pencil sketch ~ by Jane LaFazio

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my view~ by Jane LaFazio

pencil shading done with a blending stump ~ by Jane LaFazio

another peony~ by Jane LaFazio

the page so far ~ by Jane LaFazio

Peonies don't grow in my part of the country and I just adore them! Thankfully Trader Joe's carries them, but it's a very short season. I felt I needed to capture these in my sketchbook. As you can see, I started with just pencil drawings.

Here's how I did it:

Step one: a loose pencil sketch ~ by Jane LaFazio

Step two: look closely at the darker areas and sketch them in ~ by Jane LaFazio

Step three: use a blending stump to soften and spread the graphite ~ by Jane LaFazio

Step four: completed flower ~ by Jane LaFazio

The page so far ~ by Jane LaFazio

The page so far ~ by Jane LaFazio

But I just couldn't help myself, and had to add some of that gorgeous color. I wasn't sure how it would work, over the pencil shading.

Watercolor right over the pencil ~ by Jane LaFazio

The page so far ~ by Jane LaFazio

The page so far ~ by Jane LaFazio

I really think I could have stopped at just the pencil, or just the watercolor flowers, but I wanted to push this idea and see where it took me. I will definitely try this technique again!

Peony Page ~ by Jane LaFazio (9x12 inches in my sketchbook)

New York, New York

Neue Galerie

We just returned from an 8 day visit to New York City. I thought I'd share our itinerary with you. NYC has sooo much to offer and see!

We visited the beautiful Neue Galerie, home of Woman in Gold, by Gustav Klimt. (Movie by the same name.) We'd seen Klimt at the Belvedere Museum, in Vienna, so we had to continue our quest. It was simply breathtaking!

Also dined at the Neue Galerie restaurant, Cafe Sabarsky, and it was delightful!

YES, we saw Hamilton on Broadway!

Yup, we saw the award winning HAMILTON. (I bought tickets last October!) And yes, it was incredible. Lin-Manuel Miranda (book, music and lyrics) is a genius. 

Georgia O'Keeffe made this blouse in the 1920s (photo by Jane LaFazio)

We had a fine visit to the Brooklyn Museum to see the Georgia O'Keeffe exhibition. Ironically, she had her very first museum exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum in 1927. And if you follow my blog or facebook, you know I was recently at Ghost Ranch, I've visited the O'Keeffe museum in Santa Fe and her house in Abiquiu 3 times, and seen the exhibition at the Tate in Great Britain. And finished her very long, but excellent biography Georgia O'Keeffe: A Life.  As my husband said, this  exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum was full circle for us.Wanna know anything about Georgia? Just ask me! :-)
It was the first time her clothing had been exhibited and the blouse pictured above was hand sewn by Georgia. 

Judy Chicago's Dinner Party! (photo by Jane LaFazio)

And we got to see Judy Chicago's iconic Dinner Party. 

Yes, that's Gudrun Sjoden! (photo by Jane LaFazio)

That's Don, above, chatting up clothing designer Gudrun Sjoden, telling her about their common Scandinavian heritage! We had stopped in for a drink at a really cool SoHo hotel, the 11 Howard and there she was. (She has a store nearby.)

some of the student's work from my workshop (photo by Jane LaFazio)

The whole reason excuse for the trip was that I taught at one day workshop at the NY Open Center. Sixteen lovely students and a fine day!

from my sketchbook ~ demo in class by Jane LaFazio (photo by Jane LaFazio)

 Dinner at Eataly. Fabulous, such a cool place.

9/11 Memorial Museum (photo by Jane LaFazio)

We visited the 9/11Memorial Museum, which as you can imagine was heartbreaking and sobering.

(photo by Jane LaFazio)

World Trade Center (photo by Jane LaFazio)

We went up to the One World Observatory . There was a line, and it was $37 each, but you know, well worth it. As you can see from the photos, it was a picture perfect day and views like no other. You can stay up there as long as you like, and we did have a glass of wine ($45 for two!).

view from the World Trade Center by Jane LaFazio (photo by Jane LaFazio)

view from the World Trade Center by Jane LaFazio (photo by Jane LaFazio)

view from the World Trade Center by Jane LaFazio (photo by Jane LaFazio)

Breakfast at the iconic 100 year old establishment Russ & Daughters

We went to the lower east side, for at Russ & Daughters, then went across the street to the Tenement Museum.

Tenement Museum (photo by Jane LaFazio)

School of Rock! (photo by Jane LaFazio)

And then, another show on Broadway, School of Rock. It was great! (Did you know it was written by Julian Fellowes, who wrote Downtown Abbey? And music by Andrew Lloyd Weber.) 

Lady Liberty (photo by Jane LaFazio)

 Next, a ferry to the Statue of Liberty.

Yoga Poses in Public Places, New York City, Statue of Liberty

the climb to the crown of the Statue of Liberty (photo by Jane LaFazio)

Ellis Island, as seen from the Statue of Liberty (photo by Jane LaFazio)

Then to Ellis Island, where my grandmother came through, from Italy. (Here's the 30 minute documentary Island of Hope ~ Island of Tears.)

Ellis Island  (photo by Jane LaFazio)

Guggenheim Museum (photo by Jane LaFazio)

Lunch at The Wright, and then touring the Guggenheim Museum. 

Last time we were in NYC, we did the Circle Line Cruise tour Manhattan. Add that to your itinerary too!

Home Sweet Home with BeBop 

from my sketchbook ~ Ghost Ranch

from my sketchbook ~ by Jane LaFazio

Here's a little video of the sketchbook I worked on at Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, New Mexico:

The accordion sketchbook I used is a Sennelier Urban Sketchbook 4x6 inches. 

And in case you missed it, here's a video I did of the whole Georgia O'Keeffe immersion, at Ghost Ranch.