The Eiffel Tower

EIFFEL TOWER

This is the most-visited paid monument in the world. The Eiffel Tower, named after the engineer whose company designed and built the tower, was erected in 1889 as the entrance arch to the World's Fair.  The Eiffel Tower was originated by Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier.  Initially Eiffel himself showed little enthusiasm for the project.  So many stories surround the tower like how artists protested it at first, sculpters and architects didn't want the untouched beauty of Paris to be disturbed, and how when the Germans occupied France during 1940, they closed down the lifts (elevators for us Americans) and weren't repaired until 1946...what the German soldiers did was hoist a swastika, but the flag was so large it blew away just a few hours later and was replaced with a smaller one.  It was the tallest structure in the world until the Chrysler Building was erected in America.  It houses two restaurants of which I was so fortunate to dine in the gourmet restaurant, called "Jules Verne".  I can't recall what I ate, but I do remember on the plate was a huge mushroom, turned upside down and shaped like the tower. 

I truly loved this painting but it found a home before the oil paint was dry. 

Here is what it looked like on all three sides.

Here is the photo from which I worked.

Now for a more personal note on why I LOVE the Eiffel Tower so much.  It's not just because it's a beautiful lattice shaped sculpture or it's romantic, it's far more than that.  For years in school, (starting in fourth grade, I started learning French.  I recall watching it on the TV at school (a big deal back then), there was a show on PBS and the lady would say something in French, and in our best French, we'd have to repeat it back.  She would point to her ear when she wanted us to listen and point as us, and say "répétition" (sounds like RAY-PA-TAY) and we'd speak out loud the best French we could.  By learning it at such a young age, I quickly learned the days of the week, numbers (which is NO small feat in French), and how to make pleasantries like hello, how are you and goodbye.

Fast forward to my senior year in high school, after taking French in junior high, where we had headphones to listen to it, and we spoke into the microphone and the teacher graded us on what she heard.  But it was my high school teacher, Mr. Schneck who got me into learning where to put the accents, what's written as one word but links into another while talking, etc.  By my senior year, I was writing French poetry (not good though), and reading French newspapers and books.  Yes, I had to look up a lot of words, and back then, prior to the Internet days, I spent a ton of time at the library trying to learn what it takes to learn a different language.  

All I can say is I know enough to "get me in trouble".  Haha!  I'm FAR from fluent but it doesn't intimidate me.  Nowadays, with translating phones, it makes traveling easier!

My senior year of high school there was a trip to France offered and I so badly wanted to go to it.  But my parents said no.  (End of, no lip from me, whatever my parents said, I obeyed.)  But, I was crushed.  I really wanted to go, but the money just wasn't there for such a lavish trip.  When the kids came back over the Christmas holiday, all I heard was all the fun they had.  GRRR!

I did get the opportunity to go to the Bahamas though as a senior class trip, so don't feel any pity on me.  Of which I might add, I paid for by babysitting brats for years.  No wonder I never wanted kids!

Fast forward a few years.  I'm in college, studying art.  An opportunity came about to go to Paris, France with the painting professor who did speak French fluently, and I could have painted on the left bank.  "Rive Gauche".  But, once again, after putting three kids through college, my sister's wedding, and now my education, there was no money for such a lavish trip.  My professor told me his trip was free, and I thought initially that because he organized the trip he took money from each of the students so his trip could be free.  Nope, WRONG.  His way of a free trip was amazing clever.  He was known for his paintings locally and what he did was tell his former patrons/clients that he was going to Europe and if they wanted him to paint a painting for him while he was over there, he'd take half down.  SMART!  No, he didn't paint over there, he took photos and worked from them...he was no dummy!  But the people never knew.  In fact, years later I was visiting a friend of mine whose parents had one of his paintings, and they told me the story of how he painted it over in Paris, but I knew better and kept my mouth shut.  The illusion was to not be broken.  Deceitful yes, clever, even more so!  

I was always determined to go to Paris, by hook or by crook...and I finally got there!  No wonder I have this look on my face, I was so happy!  

Here's my husband and I on the steps right below the Eiffel Tower.

I couldn't be happier, I finally got to the Eiffel Tower!  

But there's more to the story.  

Did I ever paint there?  No.  I was supposed to paint with a group in Tuscany, but getting off the plane in Paris, I pulled a ligament in my right arm (my painting arm), and couldn't lift my arm.  Thank goodness the day before when we were in Pisa, I purchased a scarf because it ended up being a make-shift sling for me.  The hotel was kind enough to bring in an English speaking doctor to take care of me.  (A perk with five star hotels.)  The concierge even got me my medicines for me!  

So here I am on top of the Eiffel Tower, and my arm is in a sling.  Oh, by the way, I purchased that sweatshirt right before I went up because I overheard others talking (in French) about how windy and cold it is up top.  I was prepared!

Here I was earlier in the day...with just a Tshirt.  It was warm at the bottom (which is painted a slightly lighter color than the top...so when you view it from the top, it's perspectively correct), but I knew it was going to be cooler up top.  

Windy?  Yes, VERY!  Cold...well, it was cool...and I was so glad I purchased that sweatshirt, I wore it throughout the trip!

I wore it another day while we were atop a tour bus, and again, it was a little chilly, and a little windy.

Here I am about half way up.  Arm in sling...and yes, I got plenty of postcards and little Eiffel Tower souvenirs.  Such a fantastic experience!

A few days later, we were dining in Paris and my husband took this shot, and I wrote on it with some computer program, I can't remember which, but, simply put, I love, love, love Paris...and the waitress who waited on us, her big desire was to go to America...she was quite good with her English!  I asked her for a business card with the restaurant's address and I saw her name on her uniform, and I promised her I'd send her a few postcards from America.  She was thrilled to hear that.  Probably more thrilled when I sent them to her!  To my surprise she didn't have a computer or I would have kept in contact with her, she was a lovely young girl.  I bonded instantly with her.  

One last photo...when on the tour bus, of course, what else would an artist see?  The Sennelier store!  (For those of you who don't know, Sennelier is perhaps the top name brand for pastels.)  Did we get to stop?  Oh heck, I was lucky to snap the photo!  

Didn't get to paint while in Europe, but perhaps some day I will.  For now, I'll have to use my photos I took to paint from!  And that's okay!  

Brushes used for this painting were:

3/4" Angular Shader (for the black background which I painted the night before)

6/0 liner

18/0 Round

#8 Filbert

Paint colors I used were:

Permalba White

Permalba Black (love this black)

Cadmium Yellow Light

Cadmium Barium Yellow Medium

Burnt Sienna

Cadmium Barium Green

Green Gold Hue

Permanent Rose

Cerulean Blue (that color seems to find it's way into every painting I create)

Who knows where I'll be in the world for tomorrow's painting?  

By the way, this painting SOLD the day I painted it.