10″ x 13″
pastel pencil and watercolor
2012
This is a portrait of Penny and Peter Dinwiddie (both British)—who, over the past twelve or so years, have BEAUTIFULLY restored the 15th century manoir of Kerledan in Brittany and re-opened it as a B&B. The whole thing, gardens and all, is just lovely….and I’m sort of awestruck at the energy and sheer WORK they’ve put into the project. Not surprisingly?….turns out that they’re an “ex-military” couple, and they’ve made many homes for themselves over the years before Peter retired from service.
I admire that sort of determination, energy, and sheer good-will. They remind me of the Admiral and his wife, in Jane Austen’s “Persuasion” (perhaps the only marriage which, across seven novels, Austen describes in completely approving terms). The admiral and his wife were infitely adapatable, often self-sacrificing, happy, and didn’t at all mind working hard…..just as long as they could do it together.
So, I titled this “The Good Marriage”. Peter and Penny’s website for Kerledan is at: http://www.kerledan.com/
Kerledan (more accurately, what they’ve done to and for it) is just beautiful.
And just for the record?….yes, this is the first time I’ve ever painted the inside of a chicken. Doing so isn’t as easy as it might seem.