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Il fait toujours beau en Bretagne: I was in Brittany last month and my Breton host taught me this expression.  When people say "il fait toujours beau" (the weather is always fine), it may be true in certain parts of the world.  But "en Bretagne" (in Brittany) in northwest of France?  The area is known for variable weather patterns even in a day.

Recently I taught a plein-air workshop near the small town of Ploubalay of Brittany for 5 days.  Each morning around the dining table where we all ate, our conversation started with "what's the weather like today?" and ended at dinner time with "what's the weather like tomorrow?"  Although we had to take the daily weather report seriously, we wanted to venture out to paint every day.

On the second day, at the suggestion of our hosts, we drove to Saint-Briac-sur-Mer, a lovely seaside town with a beautiful view of the bay with lots of boats.  The weather was sunny all day when we painted there and nearby.  Yes, on this day, we were truly blessed with a perfect il-fait-toujours-beau kind of day.

Four out of 5 days, we had the very changeable weather, typical of Brittany, from foggy to cloudy to rainy to sunny, etc. but we tried to do at least one painting outside every day.  When it was too wet or windy, we worked inside the studio.  Coming from the almost-always-sunny San Diego, I found it a little difficult to adjust to this type of weather pattern but I survived with layers of clothing and careful selection for a place to do outdoor demos.  I must say I was impressed with my students who were not only equipped with proper plein-air gears but also with a go-getter attitude of die-hard plein-air painters.

After an intense week of plein-air painting and an introduction to the Breton weather, I learned to really appreciate all kinds of weather that make the landscape of the region look so magical and beautiful.  Even painting under the gray sky brought me the joy just as much as doing it under the sun.  Maybe it is true when they say il fait toujours beau en Bretagne. 

I put together my paintings and plein-air sketches (2013) of Brittany and made a book "Bretagne - Breizh - My Watercolor Journey Through the Land of the Celts in France."  Click this link for more details.

My first demo, Saint-Briac-sur-Mer

My second demo, Saint-Briac-sur-Mer

Saint-Briac-sur-Mer, France II

Saint-Briac-sur-Mer, France I

Media: Original watercolor on paper

Image Size: 13 x 19 inches (33 x 48 cm)

Frame/Mat: No

Purchase: Private Collection

Saint-Briac-sur-Mer, France II

Media: Original watercolor on paper

Image Size: 8.5 x 23 inches (21 x 58 cm)

Frame/Mat: No

Purchase: Through Gallery

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