France By Watercolor #10

It's the beginning of the end of the quarter and and DAAP is gearing up for DAAPworks with some events as early as this Friday. If you're in Cincinnati you should stop by over the next few weeks and check out the work from all the disciplines. There are two more degrees on display for the first time this year, and the exhibition areas have been extended to accommodate all the work. Claire has a more watercolors for us as well. The first is from the passageway mentioned two weeks ago and the second is titled "Castle Views". Best wishes to everyone for the end of the quarter. ~ TW

France By Watercolor #9

Exciting events are afoot this week! Claire's dress is complete and the competition is started. Please go to http://www.brides.com/myweddingplanner/myimages/detail/6437045/ and vote for her. I've included a picture of the dress and her watercolor sketches below. The sketches were the original submission and won her entry to the semi-final stage. The 5 finalists will head to New York in June to see their dress on the runway and have a chance at the grand prize, $10,000! If fashion isn't your thing (don't worry I don't have a clue what most of the dress descriptions mean) we'll get back to Claire's landscapes next week. Happy voting!~TW

France By Watercolor #8

Welcome back, for another delightful image from Claire. This week we're back in Annecy and soon we'll be able to see the dress Claire has spent so much time on. She completed the photo shoot for the dress and is picking the final images to submit to the competition. As soon as they are turned in I'll also post them here. Hope everyone is enjoying the delightful spring weather, it looks like it was particularly nice in Annecy while Claire was painting. Till next week.~TW

This is "right outside of the chateau on a spring morning. Since the town was built during the 12th century, there are a lot of little passageways you can find just walking down the street. They usually run into little patios that overlook the city or a garden. I walked up some random stairs and stumbled upon this spot."

France By Watercolor #2

Hello again, I'm posting the second of Claire's watercolors today along with her comments on it. A little background information is necessary for you to understand her story.  As Claire was finalizing the details of her co-op and flying to Chicago to pick up her work visa she found out she had a number of inexplicable tears in her retina. She had to undergo an emergency surgery on both eyes and was confined to her room, blind, for several days. Claire was forced to wait several more weeks for her follow up examination to hear the doctor's evaluation.  Without approval she would not be able to fly again which would end her co-op before it even began. Happily she was cleared to fly and quickly left for Annecy and a French residency. One of the reasons I post Claire's work is to celebrate this story.~TW

"I was sitting on a bench at the far north end of Lake Annecy. While I was painting this I mainly thought about my recent intensive eye surgery I had right before I moved to France and how glad I was to be regaining my eyesight."

France by Watercolor

Hello to anyone stopping by. Over the next couple of weeks I will be posting updates from a close friend co-oping in France. Claire is a fashion major with a passion for graphic and industrial design. She is in the middle of a six month co-op with Salomon sports in their Annecy office. Annecy is near the border of Switzerland so Claire's first day of work included testing their ski equipment in the Alps. During her free time Claire does water color paintings and she has submitted them with descriptions for me to post. Check back regularly to see her work and follow her experience in France. ~ TW

"I went on a three hour walk along the lake and found this view to paint. Lake Annecy is the cleanest lake in all of Europe so every part of the lake is quite natural and beautiful to look at. Downtown Annecy has a population of about 50,000 people, but as you walk along the lake you don't get a sense there are that many people around. It's very peaceful."