CEDAR FALLS - April in Paris, and tourists stroll the broad boulevards, visit the Eiffel Tower, sip wine at street cafes and traipse behind guides through the Louvre's galleries, viewing Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and centuries of other famous artwork.

Imagine veering off the beaten path and seeing Paris through the eyes of award-winning artist Gary Kelley. He acted as a tour guide last spring, shepherding a disparate group of 31 travelers to museums, quaint villages and other sites often overlooked in travel brochures. The package was offered by Humble Travel.

And because Kelley doesn't travel anywhere without a spiral-bound pad, watercolor pencils and a pocketful of double-tipped felt pens for sketching and painting, it's possible to experience the trip vicariously through his new body of work, "Paris and The French Riviera."

The original oil paintings are now on display at Henry W. Myrtle Gallery. Several of the paintings already have sold, and it's certain Kelley will complete another collection of paintings after his next European adventure. He'll lead another Humble Travel Service LTD tour group through Italy, in particular Florence, the Tuscan city of San Gimignano and Rome from May 7-16.

"It's one thing to see a painting a favorite artist did hanging in a museum or in a book. It adds another dimension to see what the artist saw, to stand in the same place, in the same environment and see the setting through their eyes," said Kelley.

Last year he took the group to the Musee Picasso in historic Paris to view an extensive collection of Picassos, as well as pieces from Picasso's personal art collection. Among the Picasso paintings on display are the 1925 kiss, 1917 portrait of Olga in an armchair and a 1901 self-portrait.

"I explained why Picasso was important. Lots of people don't like Picasso because they don't understand him. He pushed the envelope and painted whatever tugged at him. The strokes, the marks, the colors were more important to him than content. When I look at a Picasso, I don't look at its accuracy but whether does the composition feel right? That's what I look for in my own work," Kelley said.

On the same day, the group traveled to Giverny, the village home and gardens of French Impressionist Claude Monet.

"Picasso and Monet were at opposite ends of the spectrum. Monet created his paradise and painted flowers and landscapes because he knew that's what people wanted to buy. Picasso didn't care about that. He created what he was compelled to do."

The group also climbed aboard the bullet train for the journey to Nice and the French Riviera. Sightseeing trips included Tourette sur Loup, Vence and St. Paul de Vence. Matisse lived near Vence, where he designed and built the Rosary Chapel. Marc Chagall is buried in St. Paul's cemetery and his mosaics can be found in a Vence church and private garden. They also visited the Maeght Foundation, a museum of contemporary and modern art, including Alberto Giacometti, Alexander Calder and Joan Miro. Also on the itinerary was Villefranche-sur-Mer on the Cote a'Azur and Jean Cocteau's murals at Chapel of St. Peter.

From Parisian streets to medieval villages perched above Monte Carlo's casinos, Kelley sketched, painted and photographed.

"I shy away from postcard scenes. If I see a street scene, I look at what's going on at the edges or around the corner. Photos and sketches are jumping-off points for my work. I like to let people create their own stories to what they're seeing in one of my paintings."

He expects to keep his sketch pad close in Italy, and has been brushing up on his knowledge of Roman history and art antiquities.

Kelley-as-tour-guide grew out of conversations with Arlene Humble of Humble Travel. The destinations are appealing, she said, and travelers interested in art get an insider's perspective. "Our knowing the locations and his knowledge of art has helped us fine-tune to create an itinerary that's a good fit," she said.

Kelley's latest illustrated book, "Eleanor, Quiet No More (The Life of Eleanor Roosevelt)" by Doreen Rappaport, is now available. He also is working on several new commissions for Barnes & Noble and the World Food Prize in Des Moines.

Contact Melody Parker at (319) 291-1429 or melody.parker@wcfcourier.com.