Located about an hour outside Paris in the region of Normandy, France lies the small town of Giverny. It was here that artist Claude Monet made his home from 1883 until his death in 1926.
He was already a famous artist when he moved here, and he spent several years developing the gardens and creating his infamous waterlily pond by diverting a nearby river. This was the scene of some of his most well-known landscapes.
Now run by the Fondation Claude Monet, the house and gardens are impeccably well-kept, with colorful year-round plants and flowers adorning the grounds. We lucked into a gorgeously sunny day to visit, and it was definitely worth the trip.
There were blooming flowers everywhere. It was hard for my eyes to take it all in. We were there in mid-April and the waterlilies were just starting to sprout up in the pond. I am guessing if we had been there just a couple of weeks later, the wisteria would have been in bloom.
10/10. Highly recommend. And bring a back-up battery. I used up almost my entire phone battery taking pictures!
Recently I visited the house and gardens at Dumbarton Oaks, an historic estate hidden away in residential Georgetown in Washington, D.C. I was awe-struck by the grounds, so tree-covered among the hills that you forget you're not in the middle of the countryside!
I took several weeks in June and July and experimented with acrylics on raw canvas for the first time. I mostly work on wooden panel and paper in my current practice, and it's been years since I worked on canvas.
After nearly 4 years, I am finally re-exploring florals in a full collection!
