Bristol, UK

The Mshed museum and harbour (oil pastel).

Virtual Paintout - Jersey - July 2011

I found these blue flowers in front of St Matthew's Catholic Church along La Rue Bechervaise. They are called "Hortensia" in French.

Here's the link to the Google Street View: GOOGLE

"St Matthew's, from Rue Bechervaise"
20x20cm, oil on 3D canvas
(private collection, Horsham, UK)

Studio Atelier June 2011 Painting Project

Here's my submission for the Studio Atelier painting project this month "The Bearded Iris".

Barb Benik posts a new photo for artists to paint every month or so (http://studioatelier.blogpot.com/ ).

My painting is about 4.5 x 4.5 inches this time, yet I still practically missed the deadline!

"The Bearded Iris"
4.5x4.5cm, oil on canvas
(private collection, Brussels)

Virtual Paintout - New Zealand - June 2011

"Near Kiwi Road"

24x30cm, oil on canvas

Virtual Paintout - New Zealand - June 2011 (first stages)

June's Virtual Paintout is in New Zealand. I've never been there but it looks beautiful. The challenge this month is the lack of colour in the Google Street View shots, but I'm having a great time anyway. Below are stages 1 and 2:

Here's what it looks like in Google:
Near Kiwi Road

Studio Atelier May 2011 Painting Project (first stages)

Well, this is as far as I got on Barb Benik's Studio Atelier Challenge (see her photo on my TV above). But I plan to post the completed painting soon!

May 2011

The weather has been exceptionally sunny and warm this April and May. Wish I'd done some painting on location. Unfortunately, I've only managed a couple of colored pencil drawings:

I'm also eager to paint the Studio Atelier Sunflower photo this month and something on the Riviera for the Virtual Paintout. Here are my preliminary sketches using Neocolour IIs and pencil:

1) café in Nice, 2) house on Route Stratégique, 3) La Place Masséna

La Foire de Saint Job à Uccle

(cette année:  Samedi 19 septembre 2015)

Every year in September a big open air market is held on Place Saint Job. Farmers show off their livestock, there are rides for children, a band parades through the streets and stands offer info about the community. For a few years I took part in an event for artists that coincided with the market. Here are the paintings I produced "live" from my stand the day of the market:

"Pasta Commedia" (2005)

oil on canvas

(private collection)

"Foire de St Job - 2006"

oil on canvas

(private collection, UK)

"Foire de Saint Job - 2007"

40x40cm, oil on canvas

Virtual Paintout - Japan - April 2011

This is my "Postcard from Mount Fuji". It's a tiny painting (10x15cm) as I didn't have much time but I nonetheless wanted to post something this month for Japan. Here's the link to the Google Street View: Google Street View

I checked illustrations of Mount Fuji on the Internet because I wanted to include some Japanese characters: Hokusai

And finally, if you are wondering what I was trying to say, here's a clue: Clue

"Postcard from Mount Fuji"
10x15cm, oil on canvas
(private collection, Brussels)

Springtime

After trying to find the ideal spot to paint in Cape Town for the Virtual Paintout last month and finally giving up simply because time ran out, I'm now travelling "virtually" through Japan. This month's assignment is very difficult in the face of the tragedy that has overwhelmed that country. Yet I want to find something bright and positive with lots of colour. Right now I'm hesitating between a typical view of Mount Fuji or a street scene from Tokyo where Google seems to have captured yellow Gingko trees in the fall.

Meanwhile, I've been updating my "Copies of Famous Paintings" page. I've decided it's time to dust off everything I have on my walls -- a sort of "Spring cleaning" before I get involved in painting again. The Cezanne below ("Le déjeuner sur l'herbe") was the first copy I'd ever painted at the museum. I signed up to be a "copiste" at the Musée de l'Orangerie back in 1986 and was allowed to paint on weekday mornings as long as I observed certain rules (for instance, the painting could not be the same size as the original).

My copy of Cézanne's "Déjeuner sur l'herbe"

30x40, oil on canvas

I was disappointed with this copy because the green paint cracked a bit in the upper lefthand corner, but it wasn't easy getting every painstakingly-placed brushstroke to look like it was freely applied. I was more careful with my next copies. Working at the Musée de l'Orangerie was great because it was quiet. Here's my second try (Claude Monet's "Argenteuil"):

My copy of Monet's "Argenteuil"

oil on canvas

(private collection, Boston)

My third museum copy was another Cezanne:

My copy of Cézanne's "Pommes et biscuits"

oil on canvas

(private collection, Paris)

See my "Copies of Famous Paintings" page for my next Cézanne, "Paysage au Toit Rouge", also copied at the Musée de l'Orangerie.

When I tried to paint a Georges de la Tour at the Louvre, I was in for a shock. Huge crowds shuffled past me daily as I worked, and at one point an entire class sat right down next to me while the professor gave a 20-minute lecture on the painting I was copying (including some commentary about my supposedly bizarre painting methods which didn't match medieval techniques!). Yet, working from the original is an exhiliarating experience which also makes you realise just how bad the colours are on most reproductions.

My copy of De la Tour's "Tricheur à l'as de carreau"

(private collection, Colming)