Alouette is a Luxemotor barge built in 1910 in Zwartsluis, Holland. She was first used as a cattle transporter, and later as a shrimp fishing boat. In 2002, she was lovingly converted by a British couple into a liveaboard barge. We are her third owners - Randy and Deborah, two Americans from Colorado who escaped corporate life in search of an adventure. After a few years of searching for the right adventure, we discovered the barging life. Having sailed for most of our adult lives, it seemed a perfect fit. We spent another year looking for the right barge and in the summer of 2010 found her in Roanne, France. We've renamed her Alouette - the Lark. And so in her 100th year, together with our two Russian Blue cats, we're shoving off for a life on the canals and rivers of Europe.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Roanne and our cruising route in 2010.

We've had a few requests for a map locating Roanne and the route we took on our first cruise last summer.  Here's a map provided by the VNF of the navigable rivers and canals of France.  I've marked the location of our home port of Roanne:



Our cruising route was relatively short last year.  We took the boat from Roanne, up the Canal de Roanne a Digoin, hung a right onto the Canal du Centre to Chalon-sur-Saone where we entered the Saone River.  We headed northeast up the River to St. Jean de Losne.  After our week in dry dock, we retraced our route back to Roanne, taking time to enjoy the route on our way back.

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Saturday, February 12, 2011

Painting en plein air in Tucson



Bob starts with a quick demo (Bart, Ruthie, Bob & Deborah)

We've started the countdown to our return to Alouette and our home port of Roanne next month.  Lots to do before we go, but our most favorite thing to do here in Tucson is our weekly painting class with the very talented artist, and most giving teacher, Robert Goldman.  When the weather is chilly, we paint indoors at Bob's studio in mid-town Tucson.  But when the weather is right, we head outdoors to try to capture the light and shadows on some the spectacular scenery here in Tucson.  This week we were in one of my favorite spots, Sabino Canyon.
The light is rather flat at this time, but we work at blocking in the major shapes and values, and as we work, the movement of the sun begins to create the shadows to give us the contrast between light and dark.  We're spread out over the area and Bob makes his way around to each of us, giving his expert advice and encouragement.
Ruthie and Bob, the shadows are developing



I love painting en plein air, you have to work fast, and for me, I have little time to be self-critical, although I do confess to bouts of whining to Bob when he comes around to help.  As opposed to studio paintings, plein air paintings are spontaneous - capturing the subject at one brief moment in time.  A few minutes later, the light will have changed and the scene will be totally different.

Ruthie and Deborah
Kathy, visiting from Rochester NY
Laurie


Ruthie and Bob

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Location: Sabino Canyon, Tucson, AZ 85750, USA
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