Monet's Waterlily Pond, Giverny, France, Painterly

Claude Monet's garden and home in Giverny, France is about an hour west of Paris in the countryside near Normandy. In the late 1800's Monet discovered Giverny while riding by on a train. He fell in love with this quaint town and soon rented a home near the river. Later he purchased the home and spent over a decade designing and planting his famous garden. He diverted the nearby river to fill an area in the back for his waterlily pond and green Japanese bridge. Officials originally opposed his plans, but after finding out it was the famous artist they approved. Monet's garden is around 2 acres in size and the lush cottage garden near the pink and green home is filled with all kinds of paths, trellises, and flowers, smelling heavenly. The center of the garden is focused on a wide path lined with rows of rose-covered arbors. Monet spent much time outdoors painting in his impressionist style, especially scenes of his garden. Monet lived around 40 years in his home. This image is also available in black and white. To read about our adventure in Europe, please see my husband's book, "Vagabonds in France" by Michael A.Barry on Amazon. This photo has an oil paint effect on it to create a look similar to Monet's paintings.

Lush Garden at Claude Monet's Home in Giverny, France, Painterly

This is a watercolor version of the original image. Claude Monet's garden and home in Giverny, France is about an hour west of Paris in the countryside near Normandy. In the late 1800's Monet discovered Giverny while riding by on a train. He fell in love with this quaint town and soon rented a home near the river. Later he purchased the home and spent over a decade designing and planting his famous garden. He diverted the nearby river to fill an area in the back for his waterlily pond and green Japanese bridge. Officials originally opposed his plans, but after finding out it was the famous artist they approved. Monet's garden is around 2 acres in size and the lush cottage garden near the pink and green home is filled with all kinds of paths, trellises, and flowers, smelling heavenly. The center of the garden is focused on a wide path lined with rows of rose-covered arbors. Monet spent much time outdoors painting in his impressionist style, especially scenes of his garden. Monet lived around 40 years in his home. This photo is edited with an oil paint style.

Claude Monet's Waterlily Pond, Giverny, France, Painterly

I took this photo in 2016 and edited it in an impressionist painterly style. If you zoom in you can see the brush strokes. I also have another version that is not painterly. Claude Monet's garden and home in Giverny, France is about an hour west of Paris in the countryside near Normandy. In the late 1800's Monet discovered Giverny while riding by on a train. He fell in love with this quaint town and soon rented a home near the river. Later he purchased the home and spent over a decade designing and planting his famous garden. He diverted the nearby river to fill an area in the back for his waterlily pond and green Japanese bridge. Officials originally opposed his plans, but after finding out it was the famous artist they approved. Monet's garden is around 2 acres in size and the lush cottage garden near the pink and green home is filled with all kinds of paths, trellises, and flowers, smelling heavenly. The center of the garden is focused on a wide path lined with rows of rose-covered arbors. Monet spent much time outdoors painting in his impressionist style, especially scenes of his garden. Monet lived around 40 years in his home.

Arbor Walkway To Monet's Home, Giverny, Painterly

I took this photo in 2016 and edited it in an impressionist painterly style. If you zoom in you can see the brush strokes. I also have another version of this photo that is not painterly. Claude Monet's garden and home in Giverny, France is about an hour west of Paris in the countryside near Normandy. In the late 1800's Monet discovered Giverny while riding by on a train. He fell in love with this quaint town and soon rented a home near the river. Later he purchased the home and spent over a decade designing and planting his famous garden. He diverted the nearby river to fill an area in the back for his waterlily pond and green Japanese bridge. Officials originally opposed his plans, but after finding out it was the famous artist they approved. Monet's garden is around 2 acres in size and the lush cottage garden near the pink and green home is filled with all kinds of paths, trellises, and flowers, smelling heavenly. The center of the garden is focused on a wide path lined with rows of rose-covered arbors. Monet spent much time outdoors painting in his impressionist style, especially scenes of his garden. Monet lived around 40 years in his home.

Centennial Park Gazebo, Venice, Florida, Painterly

It's golden hour in Venice, Florida, and downtown is breathtaking in the warm light. This is the gazebo in Centennial Park. In the background stands the KMI Building on Tampa Avenue (formerly the campus of the Kentucky Military Institute which wintered here earlier in the 1900's). Now it is apartments and shops. The military students used to practice marching here in the park. This gazebo is a popular place for locals to gather for music and entertainment. This photo was taken after the gazebo was renovated. Venice is in Sarasota county on the west coast of Florida, and is known for its love of the arts and wonderful beaches. Many of the buildings were built in the 1920's which give the town its charm. I created this photo as an HDR by merging three photos together that were different exposures. Then I turned it into an impressionist painterly style using brush strokes and canvas texture. I also have another version of this image that is not painterly.

Historic 1926 Venice Hotel in Venice, FL, Painterly

The Hotel Venice is an iconic landmark on Nassau Street in the city of Venice, Florida. It was the first building constructed by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE) on June 21, 1926. This 3-story, wood-frame building, designed in the Italian Renaissance style had 100 luxurious rooms. In 1984 it was restored and now serves as a retirement community called Summit at Venice. It was described as a structure with "large windows, ventilating doors and ceiling fans." The hotel reportedly had its own ice machines, laundry, bake shop and barber. There were 100 rooms with private baths and a fire sprinkler system. The large dining room had a beamed cypress ceiling, terrazzo floors, and a diagonally checked wall in antique Verde and white. The lobby had a cypress beamed and plaster ceiling. Around the corner on Venice Avenue an identical building was built, the Park View Hotel. Later it became a medical center for city founder Dr. Albee and then a military hospital for the Army. This structure was later torn down to build a post office. Thankfully the Hotel Venice is still standing for all to enjoy its architectural beauty in the city. The BLE played a large role in the early development of the city of Venice. Venice is a pre-planned community designed by John Nolen with parks throughout the city and Northern Italian Renaissance style homes. These homes built in the 1920's add a wonderful charm to the city. There is a movement now to preserve them. Venice is an amazing city in Florida. It sits on the Gulf of Mexico on the west coast and has a beautiful beach, jetty, and pier. You have a couple places at the coast to watch beautiful sunsets each night. I love the architecture here, especially the buildings from the 1920's. Venice is known for its wonderful main street area and love of the arts. Venice is just south of Sarasota and is near Englewood, Nokomis, and North Port. This photo is an hdr created by merging together three photos of different exposures to capture the details in all the dark and light areas. This is a painterly version of my photo created with brush strokes and canvas texture. I also have another version that is not painterly.

Downtown Venice Florida at Golden Hour, Painterly

Venice is an amazing city in Florida. It sits on the Gulf of Mexico on the west coast and has a beautiful beach, jetty, and pier. You have a couple places at the coast to watch beautiful sunsets each night. Venice is just south of Sarasota and is near Englewood, Nokomis, and North Port. This is a view of businesses on Venice Avenue in downtown historic Venice: Venice Wine and Coffee Company, and Kilwin's. There is a lot of charm here in downtown. This photo was taken in the morning. I edited this photo in a painterly style with brush strokes, and another non-painterly version is available. Both are available in black and white.

Moon Over Sharky's, Venice, Florida, Painterly

Venice is an amazing city in Florida. It sits on the Gulf of Mexico on the west coast and has a beautiful beach, jetty, and pier. You have a couple places at the coast to watch beautiful sunsets each night. This is a view of two restaurants at the pier: Fins and Sharky's. Fins (on the left) is elegant dining with a view of the Gulf of Mexico. Sharky's (on the right) is a casual restaurant with live music at night, a tiki bar, and second floor terrace with an amazing view of the pier as the sun sets. This is a popular place with tourists and locals especially on the weekends and in the winter. The pier was renovated in the summer of 2019 to repair damage from a past hurricane. It extends hundreds of feet out into the Gulf of Mexico and sits very high above the water. It's a popular place for fishing. Venice is known for its wonderful main street area and love of the arts. Venice is just south of Sarasota and is near Englewood, Nokomis, and North Port. This photo was edited with an impressionist painterly effect. If you zoom into the photo you can see the brush strokes and canvas texture. Natural setting (uncropped) is recommended for printing this photo.

Donnelly Street in Mount Dora, Florida, Painterly

I woke up really early to take this photo of downtown Mount Dora, Florida. I wanted to capture this quaint city when the streets were quiet to create a peaceful photo. I just love the historic architecture here! I got here on Donnelly Street before the sun came up and watched the colors of the sky grow brighter as the sun rose. It was absolutely beautiful! This was an epic moment when the city lights were still on and the sky bursting in color. I took 20 photos at different angles and exposures and blended them all together to create this very large HDR panorama. The original file is 100024 x 5639 pixels. This photo is edited in an impressionist painterly style with brush strokes and canvas texture. I also have a non painterly version of this photo in color and a black and white version. Mount Dora is a small town in central Florida known for its southern charm. It began in 1880 and is known for its historical architecture and antique shops downtown. It sits on a mountain overlooking Lake Dora. It's nicknamed the "New England of the South" because of its historical charm and rolling hills like up north. Mount Dora became a popular retreat in the winter for fishing, boating and hunting. In 1883 the Alexander House (now known as Lakeside Inn) opened and in 1975 was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Venice Fishing Pier Sunset, Florida, Painterly

I took this photo of the Venice Fishing Pier at sunset and edited it in an oil painting style similar to Cezanne to make it more abstract. I also have another version of this photo that is not painterly and has more details in it. The fishing pier in Venice, Florida is a great place to watch the sunset at the end of the day. The pier extends 700 feet out into the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and is very tall. It is located in Brohard Park at the southern end of the island of Venice. There is a restaurant called Sharky's on the end of the pier. Caspersen Beach is just down the road where fossilized sharks teeth can be found. This is one of the most popular landmarks in Venice. On this night the clouds hung low enough to the horizon that when the sun came down below them the color burst into very bright colors.

Sunset at the Train Depot in Venice, Florida, Painterly

I edited this photo with a painterly style. If you zoom in you can see the brush strokes and canvas texture. I also have another version of this photo that is not painterly. The train depot in Venice, Florida opened in 1927 and sits at the southern end of the Legacy Trail. It is also known as the Venice Seaboard Air Line Depot. It was built in a Mediterranean Revival style with simple arches, yellow stucco surfaces and red tile roofs, which was very popular in Florida because of the warm climate and Spanish heritage. A 400 foot long platform was built quite large for the small new town of Venice hoping the town would grow. In the 1960's the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus used it for shipping their equipment around the United States after moving to Venice. When Amtrak formed passenger service to the Venice station stopped. In 1998 Sarasota County purchased the depot and restoration was done. Now the structure houses the Venice Area Historical Society Musuem, and the arcaded waiting area is used for bus service. In 1989 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The Charm of Venice, Florida 2, Painterly

Venice is an amazing city in Florida. It sits on the Gulf of Mexico on the west coast and has a beautiful beach, jetty, and pier. You have a couple places at the coast to watch beautiful sunsets each night. This is a view of downtown Venice on Venice Avenue. It's the historic main street of downtown, lined with palm trees and full of charm. I love the architecture here, especially the buildings from the 1920's. Venice is known for its wonderful main street area and love of the arts. Venice is just south of Sarasota and is near Englewood, Nokomis, and North Port. This image comes in both painterly with brush strokes and non-painterly.

Kilwin's Ice Cream in Venice, Florida, Painterly

This photo is a 15 shot panorama I took at sunrise in downtown Venice, Florida. I did 5 vertical HDR shots (3 exposures each photo) and merged the 15 photos to create this image. Then I edited it in a painterly style. I also have another version of this photo that is not painterly. Venice is an amazing city in Florida. It sits on the Gulf of Mexico on the west coast and has a beautiful beach, jetty, and pier. You have a couple places at the coast to watch beautiful sunsets each night. This is a view of Venice Avenue. It's the historic main street of downtown, full of charm. I love the architecture here, especially the buildings from the 1920's. On the right is Kilwin's Ice Cream store. Venice is known for its love of the arts. A lot of architecture design here is influenced by Venice, Italy. Venice, Florida is known for its wonderful main street area and is just south of Sarasota near Englewood, Nokomis, and North Port.

Under The Eiffel Tower, Paris, Red Sketch, Pano

This photo was taken from underneath the Eiffel Tower looking up past the wide support legs towards the top of the tower and dramatic cloudy sky. I edited this photo with a soft sketch style and red color. It looks like a drawing. I cropped this as a panorama where it would fit nicely above a headboard or in shorter spaces. I also have the full uncropped image available which shows more under the tower. I also have a black and white version of this image that is more realistic. The Eiffel Tower is the tallest structure in Paris and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. It was designed and built by the company of Gustave Eiffel, and completed in 1889 as the entrance to the 1889 World's Fair. It sits on the Champ de Mars and overlooks the Seine River across from the Trocadero. In the beginning there was much criticism for the design of the Eiffel Tower, with concern that it would overshadow the other magnificent sights in Paris, but now it is the most visited paid monument in the world with 6.91 million visitors in 2015. The Eiffel Tower is 1,063 feet tall ( 324 metres); the top level's upper platform is 906 feet (276 metres) above ground, making it the highest observation deck for the public in the European Union. During construction pieces of the tower were riveted together in a nearby factory and arrived on site on horse-drawn carts. No drilling or shaping was done on site; if it didn't fit it was sent back for alteration. A total of 18,038 pieces were joined together using 2.5 million rivets. Names of 72 French scientists, engineers, and mathematicians were engraved on the Eiffel Tower to recognize their contributions to the building of the tower. The tower was painted in 3 shades of brown: lighter at the top and getting darker towards the bottom to complement the Parisian sky.

The Stadium Gallery at St. Armand's Circle, Sarasota, FL, Painterly

I edited this photo with an impressionist oil painting effect. If you zoom in you can see brush strokes. I have some other versions of this image that are like a drawing, watercolor painting, black and white, and non painterly. This is a view of St. Armand's Circle near Sarasota, Florida just after sunrise. It is Christmas morning so the city is very quiet. The city lights are on casting a warm glow onto the street. It is the corner of Filmore and St. Armand's Cirlce where there are historic quaint shops. On the corner is The Stadium Gallery, and the Tobacco Shop, and Salty Kisses Soap Company. Elegant palm trees lit up with Christmas lights line the street. Sarasota sits on Sarasota Bay on the Gulf Coast of Florida, just south of Bradenton and Tampa Bay. Beautiful white sand Siesta Key beach is nearby. Sarasota is a very beautiful city with an elegant downtown. St. Armand's Circle is on an island across the Ringling Bridge from Sarasota and connects to Bird Key and Lido Beach.

Downtown Venice, Florida at Sunrise 3, Painterly

Venice is an amazing city in Florida. It sits on the Gulf of Mexico on the west coast and has a beautiful beach, jetty, and pier. You have a couple places at the coast to watch beautiful sunsets each night. This is a view of downtown Venice on Venice Avenue. It's the historic main street of downtown, full of charm. I love the architecture here, especially the buildings from the 1920's. Venice is known for its wonderful main street area and love of the arts. Venice is just south of Sarasota and is near Englewood, Nokomis, and North Port. I have both color, black and white, and painterly versions of this photo.

Kilwin's Ice Cream in Venice, Florida, Painterly, Black and White

This photo is a 15 shot panorama I took at sunrise in downtown Venice, Florida. I did 5 vertical HDR shots (3 exposures each photo) and merged the 15 photos to create this image. Then I edited it in a painterly style. I also have another version of this photo that is in color and another one not painterly. Venice is an amazing city in Florida. It sits on the Gulf of Mexico on the west coast and has a beautiful beach, jetty, and pier. You have a couple places at the coast to watch beautiful sunsets each night. This is a view of Venice Avenue. It's the historic main street of downtown, full of charm. I love the architecture here, especially the buildings from the 1920's. On the right is Kilwin's Ice Cream store. Venice is known for its love of the arts. A lot of architecture design here is influenced by Venice, Italy. Venice, Florida is known for its wonderful main street area and is just south of Sarasota near Englewood, Nokomis, and North Port.