Friday, I'm leaving for a painting trip to France! I have been looking forward to this for months. There are seven artists going from the United States, and I don't know how many from the UK, Switzerland, Belgium and France. We will meet in Tournon, http://www.ville-tournon.com/  then each day paint in a different village in the area. We are staying with French host families. I speak no French, though I have been working with the instructional tapes. I just rented a French movie and couldn't understand more than a phrase here and there (how embarrassing.)
I don't expect to have internet access while there, but will keep a journal and take pictures, so I can post to the blog when I return. This is the website of the group http://www.jdep.org/ They take turns painting in each others' countries each year. Last year it was Switzerland. This is my first time painting with the group, so I'm really the rookie!