Landscapes, seascapes, streetscapes...Three new paintings
In the last couple of months I have completed three new oil paintings. One is a forest scene. One is a beach scene and the third is a French street scene.
The first I called The Long Road Home. The long, obviously seldom-used road attracted my attention due to the mystery of where it leads. What lies at the far end?

The second one was a combination of an early morning beach scene with some horse riders from an earlier study. I named it Dawn Riders.

Horses and riders on the beach can be exciting and, perhaps, even romantic--especially when displayed against the bright colors of a new day dawning.






The third piece is a combination of a couple of scenes from France that I thought might work together to show the feeling of Provence. I titled it Rainy Day in Provence. All of the strollers with their umbrellas seem undaunted by a little rain. It just can't spoil the joy of being there
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Results of a few cold and rainy days....
Every once in a while we get a few days here in paradise that aren't perfect for outdoor activities. During a recent spell of those days I decided to drag out my seldom used watercolor supplies and see what might transpire.

Floats and Flowers II is a watercolor version of a previous oil painting. The location for the original was on Cape Cod. I stumbled across it while on a vacation there a few years ago.I think it worked as well  in watercolor as it did in oil.

Gathering Storm II is also based on an earlier oil painting. The oil was done a number of years ago and I don't remember the exact location, but I believe it was somewhere in New England. It was one of my earliest seascapes.




Barnyard was never an oil painting. It was an image that somehow stuck in my head from studies early on in my painting career. It was probably included in an instructional book that I perused a number of years ago. The simplicity of the images were perfect for a quick watercolor attempt.

Although I don't intend to leave oils as my primary medium, I think an occasional foray into watercolors may happen more often. These were quick and quite enjoyable to do.

Four New Pieces....
After selling the Paris at Midnight painting to a lovely couple from London who wanted to make it a housewarming gift for their daughter who was moving her family back a couple of months ago, I rushed in a painting that I had just finished to the gallery. Unfortunately, I had not photographed and posted it yet. So now, here it is.

I found this scene outside Quebec City last October while touring to see Fall colors.And, that's what I named it, Fall Colors. 
I have now completed another painting from that trip which I have titled  A Walk in the Park.  While exploring  around Montmorency Falls near Quebec City, I followed the path into an adjoining park that was still displaying magnificent autumn colors. Although a cool, crisp day, the beauty attracted a number of folks intent on admiring nature.  Meandering through the falling leaves of so many hues was an inspiring experience for an artist.                                                                                                           A third piece from that trip I call mon ami. While touring the old city part of Quebec City, I wandered into a churchyard with a walled off area. This friendly fellow and his goat companion came rushing up to say hello. His obvious need for human interaction made me immediately warm to him. I only wished that I had some carrots to offer as a gift. Lingering there for a while with him was a real highlight of the trip.   

Finally, the fourth new painting is from my last trip to London.This one I named Tap Dance. I remember it was early afternoon in London. I was just walking around trying to soak up the English experience. I realized there was a pub on the next corner. Suddenly, a hunger for fish and chips and a tankard struck me. It was everything I imagined with all the old wood paneling, numerous beer/ale taps and the well-dressed regulars with white hair. I sat in a corner absorbing it all while munching on my lunch. I believe it took another tankard while I filed all the details into my artist memory.

             

Another season
As summer fades into autumn and the weather changes so must the art I am displaying at the gallery here on the island. I am ready with three new paintings. Two of them are based on photos that my granddaughter sent me from her summer in France and the third is from our trip last year through Spain and Portugal.
The first I call Budding Artist. 

This past summer, a select number of architecture students from around the world were invited to France to study for a time. As my granddaughter was one of those selected, she sent me photos of various sites they visited with the suggestion that I might want to paint some. This scene of one of the students sketching the Fountainebleau Chateau reminded me of many European pastoral paintings I have seen in museums and galleries.
The second is titled Stumped.

 I always enjoy painting animals in natural settings. When I saw this duck standing on a large rock staring at the stump of a tree I had to wonder what was she thinking. Was she wondering what happened to the rest of the tree? What was behind it? Or, was she just gazing into the distance and lost in her thoughts?

During a day trip in Valencia, Spain, I was observing everday life in the city. I happened upon this busy corner full of pedestrians as a bright red bus passed quickly by. It made me think of fleeting opportunities as we rush around pursuing our own private lives.So, the third is named On the Corner.    

In less than two weeks, the newest gallery, the Vault at 1930,  to represent my work will open in the San Marco area of Jacksonville. I am looking forward to meeting a whole new group of art lovers and hopefully collectors. More on that in my next post.                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Another opening, another show
Once again it is time for a new show at the local gallery. I have produced two new paintings for that show and both are from France.
While visiting an oyster farm in La Rochelle during low tide, I noticed that the boats in the canals were resting in the mud until water came back to refloat them.

 The contrasting vertical and diagonal lines of the pilings and docks made for some interesting design elements among the oyster shells and mud. I titled this one Low Tide for obvious reasons.

 While recalling this trip, it occurred to me that perhaps it was time to revisit an earlier work -- on a grander scale. On an earlier trip to Paris, I had wandered outside around midnight on a drizzly evening. The streaking lights caught my attention and inspired me to paint the scene. This time, I painted the scene on a much larger canvas. I enjoyed it as much as the first time. This one became
Midnight in Paris II.

                                                                                           

Additionally, I completed the fifth in the series of small portraits for one of my clients. 

Some more news. I have been asked to exhibit my work in a new gallery opening in Jacksonville later this month. I have four pieces ready to go. More on that later..

Prolific?
The past few months have been very busy in production. Not only have I produced four new pieces for the gallery shows, but I completed four miniature portraits for a client as well as a retouch job on a painting she bought elsewhere. Two of the paintings are from Venice--a special city that has provided inspiration for several of my works. Another is from New Zealand--a vacation photo loaned to me by the regional manager of Omni Resorts who is based here. And the fourth is local. It is a scene in Mayport just a short distance south of us.

When's Lunch is based on a photo that one of my daughters shot through the glass door of a restaurant in Venice. Gulls are bold, inquisitive and sometimes demanding. As this one was staring back, it was pretty obvious that he wanted to be served. I tried to capture not only his personality, but also all the light reflections playing on the glass.






Speaking of reflections, the other Venice painting, Reflections on a Canal, I did because they intrigued me with the different light values and colors. Street scenes with old buildings are always interesting and, especially when the "street" offers so much variety and movement.

Mountain Vista is an attempt to capture the wild beauty of the New Zealand countryside. I was attracted to the rushing water and the sky reflections on the mountains. While this type of landscape is not my usual fare, When I saw the photograph taken by a friend on vacation, I wanted to give it a try.

Shrimper at Rest is a scene I have painted before--a number of years ago. I returned to it one day when thinking about old Florida and the way life used to be here before all the growth and influx of the modern world. This is old Mayport, a quiet fishing village that is also home to a large Naval base.

The four miniatures previously mentioned were a challenge from a client. She wanted small paintings of her kids and their significant others. These were each painted on 8X10 canvases. All I had to work from were some little snapshots. I never got the opportunity to meet the subjects. Everything considered, I think they turned out OK.

Still Painting...

It has been a few months, but I have three new paintings ready for the next show. These are all European inspirations based on observations from recent trips by us and other family members. The first one I titled The Learning Tree. While walking through a park in Porto, Portugal, I came across a young student lost in her books under a gnarled old tree. What a perfect place to study on a warm, sunny day.

 

Some days later, I was wandering the streets of St. Malo in northern France in search of an inspiration. This area is known for its delicious oysters which can be bought from vendors along the streets or in charming cafes along the waterfront. But, the scene that captured my attention was this lady parking her classic Peugeot. She was drawing attention from a number of passers by.  I called this one Pretty in Pink.


The third one is a portrait. I never tire of painting animals--especially dogs. You can always tell a well-trained animal by its posture and the look in its eyes. This one, from Italy, is obviously one of those. He is specially trained to hunt for truffles and that's why I called this one The Truffle Hunter.

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