Filling in the details... on the right track

There are some lovely old store fronts in France and this one in Avignon is positively eye-catching. It's actually a sweet shop chain that can be found throughout Europe (now also in Le District in lower Manhattan) and it's a memorable image of Europe for travelers to France and beyond.

La Cure Gourmande ©2015 Dorothy Lorenze

I started painting this two years ago when I returned from a workshop in Provence. But after laying out the basic forms and blocking in some color I had set this canvas aside. To be honest, the details were just too daunting. It's been mocking me ever since.

So, armed with Pandora stations on my ipad to ward off impatience, I set upon a marathon painting spree this Labor (of love) Day weekend.

Classical music was my first choice since it  helps me slow down and connect to the work. But after a couple of long days I switched to Broadway tunes to keep me going. Pippin in particular - and the song that rumbled in my head as I persevered with lettering and louvered shutters was "On the right track."

Later, listening to the same Pandora station in the car, I actually focused on the words and had to laugh:

You look frenzied, you look frazzled

Peaked as any alp
Flushed and rushed and razzle-dazzled
Dry your lips, damp your scalp
Now I can see you're in a rut in
Disarray
And I'm not one to butt in
But in fact I must say
If you'd take it easy, trust awhile
Don't look blue, don't look back
You'll pull through in just awhile
'Cause you're on the right track

This is now my "go-to" anthem for painting cobblestones and all those details that make you want to scream... and quit! Turns out one of Pippin's themes is to get in there, keep working on the thing that feels worthwhile and eventually be fulfilled. Really.

The sweet inner sanctum of La Cure Gourmande

So, with the help of Broadway show tunes, "La Cure Gourmande" will be part of "A Bygone Era... in Oils" at Ruth Keeler Library in North Salem this month. And that's perfect because the company says they create sweets "inspired by a blend of tradition and magic...[that] reflect emotions and memories."

Once again, a nostalgia connection. Guess that means that eating cookies makes us more human too.

(That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!)

Thanks for joining me on my art journey.