Save the party date and find out what happened in Paris

 

“Travel is rich with learning opportunities, and the ultimate sourvenir is a broader perspective.”
― Rick Steves

 

Painting for two weeks at the NG Arts Creative Residency was a dream come true!

 

I’ll give you all the juicy details of my incredible month in France after you mark your calendar for the

Wild Cherry Halloween pARTy
October 26th, from 7pm till 11pm

Come celebrate with me, have a drink and a snack, and preview the work I created in France before the Studio Tour the following week. I’ll play a short set with my band, The Love Drops. A prize will be given for the best costume. It will be spooktacular. RSVP HERE for the rest of the info! It’s going to be so fun!

 

Sandra Charlap and I getting our drink on before our overnight flight to Paris.

 

Newark Airport was a great place to start my adventure and this epic tale. It’s a mere 20 minutes from my house. I headed out with the amazing artist Sandra Charlap to board our Premium Class French Bee flight to Paris. Oooh La La! I packed all my canvases in my large suitcase, with all my clothes nestled between them, popped in an Apple Airtag, and crossed my fingers that I’d see everything in Paris.

Arriving in Orly on Thursday, September 28th, went smoothly. Sandra and I, with the help of my longtime friend and show cohort, Andi Ipaktchi, spent the next four days buying paint, large paper, and some other art materials. We spent one afternoon visiting the Vuitton Foundation. We saw the most extraordinary Elseworth Kelley show and a smaller version of the Matisse show, “The Red Studio,” that I saw at MOMA last year. Sandra and I were on a mission and marched to the Sennelier shop, Chauvin, a Pearl Paint-esque art supply shop, and ultimately bought most of our materials at BVH, the giant French department store in Les Marais. You can buy your paint, canvas, wine, cheese, furniture, evening gowns, lingerie, makeup, and even stay the night with luxury accommodations in the penthouse hotel. The French are amazing.

Sandra and I spent a lovely evening on the left bank and stopped for a fantastic dinner with cocktails, oysters, shrimp, cockles, duck breast, roast chicken, wine, and so much fun. In fact, it was so magical and beautiful that I used the pictures I took that night at Les Antiquaires for all my inspiration at the artist residency. Here are a few of those pictures:

The High-speed train whisked us from Paris to Provence in two and a half hours to The NG Arts Creative Residency. Tucked away in a rural setting on private grounds, the Residency is a perfectly restored 17th-century olive mill steps from the picturesque village of Maussane. The homestead is enchanting, the studio is spacious and filled with possibilities, and the gardens are magical and inspiring. I just stepped into a Merchant Ivory film! Our lovely host, Nicky Ginsberg, filled the giant cook’s kitchen with a bounty of beautiful fruits and fresh vegetables. Gorgeous copper pots and terracotta bakeware were readily available for our cooking needs. We took short trips to the different markets and sampled the tastes and treasures of the region. The wine was flowing for lunch and dinner. I drank more delicious rosé that month than I had in my entire life! It was a total immersion in the wonders of Provence.  

The time spent painting was a joy. I was showing up to the easel with inspiration flowing like the wine at my previous meal, totally in the zone. Pushing myself to try something new, I accomplished what I had set out to do with relative ease. Although oysters are a magical, beautiful, and delicious delight, they offer some challenges when trying to capture them visually. After two weeks, I had figured it out.

Leaving the Residency I carried not only a new body of work but also a wealth of inspiration and newly forged relationships. This chapter of my artistic journey served as a reminder of the transformative power of art and community, encouraging me to embrace new challenges and opportunities ahead. I’m forever changed and endlessly grateful.

Tune in next time when I'll tell you all about my show!

Love,
Leslie

 

Take an amazing trip and gain the best experiences points

 
 

"You must go on adventures to find out where you belong."
—Sue Fitzmaurice

Sitting high on top of Buda overlooking the Danube in Budapest. I started traveling last year and I can’t wait to hit the road again.

 

After ten years of raising my children alone it was time to hit the road. My daughter started college in the fall of 2019, and my son headed out to California at the beginning of March 2020. A week later, I was going on a bucket list trip starting in Iceland that Covid squashed. Three years later I'm thrilled to be planning this exciting expedition again! First stop Iceland, where I'll make a date with a guide named Thor, who'll take me into the wilderness during the new moon in search of the Aurora Borealis. Then a week in Spain, driving from Barcelona to Valencia, and then to Holland in time for the tulips. I'm so excited. I've waited decades for this experience. If you have any tips please share with me!

 

My artist friend, Andi, and I took the train from Paris to Chartres to walk the Labyrinth. Ask me about my surprising mystical experience next time we’re together!

 

Traveling is magical. It expands our perspective and introduces us to new cultures, customs, people, architecture, languages, climates, land formations, and food. We can't help but grow into greater versions of ourselves. We gain compassion and connectedness for and with people we would never have known. I take thousands of pictures to use as reference. All the spectacular scenery inspires my artwork.

I had the most amazing trip last year, spending a week visiting friends in Paris, then five days visiting my daughter in Prague, then traveling through Salzburg, Vienna, and Budapest. I learned a lot by planning that trip, and I nailed it! My friend Freya helped me plan and joined me in Prague through the end of the excursion. Since it was so successful, I'm sharing some wisdom with you for designing one of your bucket list trips. Do the research. Lots of research and collect a list of great restaurants, nightclubs, music venues, cocktail bars, places to get great oysters, cool boutique hotels, museums, hot neighborhoods, good shopping, hikes, day trips, natural wonders, etc. Freya and I used an app called TripMaster, an excellent tool for planning a multi-destination adventure. Ask all your friends for recommendations. Do this in advance to protect your valuable vacation time from having to look things up on your phone.

Here are SEVEN tips for booking a fantastic vacation:

  1. Roll with the punches. Not everything will go as planned; sometimes, that's where the most remarkable magic happens.

  2. Make reservations for transportation and lodging as soon as it becomes available. Trip Master is great for this, allowing detailed views of every available hotel in any location.

  3. Plan one thing a day; a boat ride to orient yourself when you first arrive, a class, a museum visit, or a garden visit, and a dinner reservation for most evenings. 

  4. Learn the local greetings and simple phrases like; thank you, where's the bathroom, how much is this, do you have it in pink, and check, please.

  5. Find the best season or time of year to go to your destination. I prefer off-peak most of the time. Places are less crowded so it's more pleasant, and you can get reservations and tickets more easily. 

  6. Pack comfortable shoes. You can get cool ones from Sorel or get insoles. You are going to walk a lot! Wearing comfortable shoes can make the entire experience more enjoyable or miserable. You get to choose!

  7. Make sure to splurge on a few things like seat upgrades on airlines or trains, one or two nights in a luxury hotel, a Michelin-star restaurant, etc. There's a reason they get the star. You want to experience it. You only live once, and you can't take it with you. 

 

Freya and I sipping a Kir Royal and enjoying a scrumptious dinner in Salzburg, Austria after a hectic day of traveling.

 

Be present, be curious, have fun, relax, and enjoy the ride. It's a beautiful world out there. So gain some amazing experience points and have an adventure!

Travel safe, happy trails,
Love,
Leslie

 

The heat only added steam to a fantastic weekend of Art and fun!

 

“Art is our memory of love. The most an artist can do through their work is say, let me show you what I have seen, what I have loved, and perhaps you will see it and love it too.”
— Annie Beva

 
 
 

During the Warren Court Art Walk I set up on the porch. Despite the heat I was able to share my love of travel with my new works inspired by my recent trip to Europe.

 

The Warren Court Art Walk was a tremendous success. The heat only added steam to a weekend of talented artists connecting with a vibrant community of art-loving fans. I’m very grateful to the people who showed up in droves. It was wonderful to make new friends, and it felt like a blessing to get reacquainted with old friends, all in person! I put the Sennelier Oil Pastels I bought in Paris to the test. I was slightly concerned that it might have been a weekend of performance art with melting colors, but fortunately, the impasto pigments held firm at 97 degrees. These small paintings based on my recent trip to France and Austria were a big hit. I’ve got loads more new photos and inspiration, and I look forward to sharing more of my journey with you through my art. Look for the ones left on the website soon.

 
 

Suburban Essex Magazine published this article before the Art Walk. Written and with photos by the masterful Dan Epstein, I'm excited to share it with you.

As seen in the May 2022 issue of Suburban Essex Magazine.

The winner of the free raffle of the print, “Bourbon Ice Cap,” during the Warren Court Art Walk is…

Amy Campione

 

“Bourbon Ice Cap” was the prize for the Wild Cherry Art Raffle this year during the Warren Court Art Walk. We all needed a little frosty inspiration during this steamy weekend. Congratulations, Amy. Come over for a Bourbon on the rocks and pick up your print!

 

Now I’m back in the studio, working to spark joy and inspire you with my art, music, and zest for life. Please make a studio visit so I can share with you in person. This weekend you’ll find me painting Plein Aire at the Crawfishfest in Augusta, NJ. It’s a great time, like a mini NOLA Jazzfest. Look for me upfront to the left of the main stage.

Love,
Leslie
xo

 

How do you turn Chaos into a blessing? I'll show you.

 
 

“If chaos is a necessary step in the organization of one's universe, then I was well on my way.”
― Wendelin Van Draanen

 
 
Acrylic painting of a landscape. A dramatic row of trees in green and purple.

This is a row of trees in Château de Villandry, just outside of Paris. I took a thousand photos of the picturesque gardens a few years ago. Many of the photos will become paintings like this one.

The house is under renovation. Three bathrooms were leaking simultaneously, so I just went for it. The job should be finished by now, and it isn't. I am grateful for such a wonderful "problem." Mom is still in rehab, but she's beginning to improve. She is getting the best care. So I count that as a blessing too.

Next week my son, Coltrane, and my friend, John, will be running things at home because I'll be waking up on the Left Bank, getting ready to spend the day with my artist pals in Paris. I've been planning this trip for a while. My Google sheet is chock full of outings and restaurant reservations. The first stop will be at the Sennelier shop to pick up some art supplies. Then, I'll dine at the Eiffel Tower, sniff Monet's waterlilies, drink wine, and eat oysters. It'll be a heavenly week in the city of light.

A young pretty blonde punky woman with the Eiffel Tower in the background.

I spent my 21st birthday in Paris. I believe this photo was taken after I insisted that my friend, Raffaele, and I walk up the steps of the Arc de Triumphe to avoid the line. She refuse to walk the steps of the Eiffel Tower!

After a week in Paris, I'll visit my daughter, Adison, in Prague. She's living her best life while studying abroad this semester. She's looking forward to showing me around, which has me more excited than anything! After Prague, I have another gal pal joining me as we venture to the land with the Sound of Music, Salzburg, then to beautiful Vienna, and finally Budapest. Nineteen days of adventure will produce loads of pictures to inspire future works of art.

Lovely young woman sitting on a stone ledge with a beautiful Italian landscape in the background

Adison is enjoying her time, traveling and studying abroad. I'm so excited to hear about her adventures.

Starting next Tuesday you can follow my travel adventures on FaceBook and Instagram, by clicking the icons above. Follow my artist pals by clicking on their names and get their perspectives:

Marina Bosetti @bosetti_art_tile
Andi Ipaktchi @andiipaktchi
Louisa MacCabe @louisamccabeart

The week I get back, I'll be co-organizing and participating in the Warren Court Art Walk. Come by and hear about my European whirlwind and see what's been brewing in the studio. It will be a fantastic weekend of art, music, and community.

I am so grateful to live this miraculous life and be able to do work that I love. I can renovate bathrooms, take vacations, explore my creativity and celebrate with loved ones. I have my health. I have so much. I have you.

Thanks for being on the journey with me—the ups and downs, the pits, stems and sweet delicious fruit. Life is a bowl of cherries!

Love you,
Leslie
xo