Linda H Matthews Artiste Peintre

Linda's Blog from France

2025 Calendars and Upcycled Frame

Added Oct 18, 2024

It's 22 years since I first made calendars, when my studio was at Alby Crafts in Norfolk UK, I designed them so buyers could remove a postcard to send each month.

I started having them printed about 15 years ago, A3 wall calendars, I had many regular buyers and sent them to anyone who had purchased a painting that year and have continued to do so.

Moving to France made it difficult to post calendars to the UK due to postage costs, then Brexit kicked in, adding VAT and possible import duty, I lost most regular buyers.

This year the printer I had found had upped their minimum run at a reasonable price, but peeps here in France have got into the habit of buying a calendar each year so I continued searching and then the printer relented and went back to the original minimum run. So bingo I put it together and it is has now arrived and is ready at my studio.

to order message me via the contact page

They cost 17€ each

postage to France. is 8.80€. (postage is same for 2 calendars)

postage to the UK is 17.25€ (postage is same for 2 calendars)

At our village exhibition earlier this month I set up a still life to paint, to add interest for the visiting public

Today I was tidying my atelier for Open Studios this weekend and found an old frame a friend had given me, I cleaned it up and think it is a perfect fit

“Nature Morte aux œufs” 45.5 x 35.5cm oil painting, now in a reclaimed antique frame.

Keep Inspired and keep warm and dry

Linda

Busy Busy Busy

Added Oct 11, 2024

Bonjour,

The grapes are in the vats, distilling this years vintage, it has been a wetter vendages than the last few years. The leaves are just changing colour, I hope there will still be some lovely autumn hues for the Plein Air Watercolour week in November.

There are still some places if you fancy a last minute painting break see:

Holidays and Tuition. for more information. It might be a bit mad for that time of year but the light is great and the colours glorious.

I been busy in the atelier with commission work and sales have been good recently.

I delivered my "Vias en Jazz" 80x80cm oil painting to the Mairie at Vias where it is hanging in the

Salle de Honour, where all the major ceremonies take place.

Vias en Jazz delivery

I have put next years painting en plein air week dates in the diary

All levels of ability and painting media welcome.

Come and enjoy convivial company and enjoy expressing yourself

whilst learning new ways of working

or just come and enjoy painting without distraction for 6 days:

The dates are:

11 - 18 May. 20 - 27 July. 2 - 9 November

go to my contact page to ask any questions

La Moliére Pezenas

Lots of events, including a week in Annecy and Christmas markets coming up, more of which later

Take Care

Linda

Sunday Sunday .....en plein air

Added Aug 25, 2024

Dimanche 25/08/024

We had a storm last night it cleared the air, but wasn't good timing for Regis and Angelique at the bar in the village, there was music an outside bar and food and it rained, we thought it might be a shower but the thunder got louder and sheet and forked lightning spread across the sky, so we went home and watched TV. I took my whiskey home with me

Snails on grass, next to my easel

We don't have air con or climi as it is called here, apparently we are very french because we don't we're lucky in that our old house has thick walls and a through breeze. Because of this it is difficult to judge how hot it is outside, today is a comfortable 30C.

As it isn't as hot, or as humid, as it has been i went out painting this afternoon, we don't have to go far for amazing views. I painted on what I call déchèterie road, yes the road to the rubbish tip, it's proper name is Chemin des Affanies.

I spent an hour outside, the Tramontane was blowing and the sun strong
it was great to be outside away from the housework !!

"Chemin des Affanies vers Autignac"

l'huile sur toile de lin sur le motif

Want to come and paint with me please see my TUITION PAGE.

I am happy to help you on your painting journey, no matter where you are on the road.

Experienced artists are welcome to use our home as a base to paint from, price depends on how involved you want me to be.

Keep Inspired

Linda

Autumn News 2023

Added Oct 5, 2023

Hello

please follow link below for a condensed latest news,

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10WwORSi2BIhCSuORXmUaSNiT3ULqHJ1F/view?usp=sharing

we have been busy moving my mother into a retirement apartment in Norfolk, a hard decision but she is happy now.

and prior to that I was painting in Portugal for 10 days which was fabulous.

Now a few weeks at home to get my teeth into work again (admin).

Please have look at the painting retreat dates here at La Liberté for 2024, I have themed the retreats by media but this is not set in stone.

(Teaching will be focused on each theme but all media are welcome)

Take Care and enjoy the Indian Summer

in the UK or France

Keep Inspired

Linda

Summer Way Hey - July 2023

Added Jul 29, 2023

COOL

I am so grateful for my atelier under the house, on the three afternoons I am open. This time of year it really is the "Coolest" place, no I'm not boasting it is the coolest place in the house.

I only open the doors halfway otherwise the heat rushes in, what has happen since my last writing?

At the beginning of the month it was Artistes dans les Rues in Pezenas, those of you who have been to paint here with me will know Pezenas was a merchants town on the spice route and a town linked to Molière (he slept in most french towns apparently).

I turned up, early Sunday morning, there was one other artist there and no sign of any organisation, I spoke to the other artist and we both decided we would just paint on. I chose our favourite coffee stop Brasserie Molière, he's there again.

"Brasserie Molière, Pezenas" 50x70cm Oil on primed Linen canvas en plein air

I painted all day, and was well watered by the staff at the Brasserie at the published finishing time I returned to the meeting place......no no one around, trés bazaar, I trotted off home with a painting I am very pleased with and a nice day out . Gaelic shrug 🤷🏼‍♀️

YOU TUBE CHANNEL -

Having resisted for so long I now have a You Tube Channel, I guess I have decided If i am going to get people to come out here and paint I have to use all avenues possible. There is an oil demo of painting a still life of Hortensia. You will find me here:

https://www.youtube.com/@LindaHMatthews-artiste/videos

"Pot de Gingembre et Hortensia" 33x24cm oil on linen canvas

I am videoing and editing my full beginners watercolour course to go up on the channel, the subjects are more France based so different to those you completed if you have been on one of my courses.

"Les Moulins de Faugeres" Monchrome - "how to" video coming soon at

https://www.youtube.com/@LindaHMatthews-artiste/videos

PRIVATE LESSONS

I love the interaction of teaching and now visitors are coming again I have had a number of private lessons booked, many have found me via airbnb experiences.

They don't stay with us, but book to have tuition for 2 1/2 hours paint, you can find allsorts of experiences on the site wherever you are visiting.

Part of Gerbers 60th birthday present from her husband - she had always dreamed of painting a window with shutters whilst in France.

12-16 July Autignac en Fête

5 days of partying in the village and just a step out of the front door to take part.

We have no choice really unless we go away for the duration, bingo, disco, oldies band, better band and the village meal and spectacle with dancing girls and a drag act.

Paul pulled the drag queen and had a can-can skirt over his head at one point oo la la !!

Lots of fun, noise and community spirit. Anyone would think life was good here !!

VISTORS FROM PARIS

This week it was lovely to see Anna Filimonova and Jean-Luc Masson, they called to visit us and see my atelier. Anna teaches drawing at the Conservatoire Rachmaninoff in Paris and Jean-Luc, her husband, owns the http://www.galeriedeparis.com in the Village Suisse near the Tour Eiffel.

Anna is the inspiration and instigator of FRENCH PLEIN AIR PAINTERS, it was lovely to spend time with them, when they are not working. I know only too well how stressfu running a plein air festival can be from the days of A Brush with the Broads ....Happy Days.