Street View Malta - September 2018

This is the final version of the painting started when the Virtual Paintout was in Malta back in July 2017.
Based on this image:  Google Street View

"Marsaxlokk Harbour"
13x18cm oil on canvas
(private collection, Naples)

Virtual Paintout - U.S. Virgin Islands II - August 2018 (first stages)

After concentrating on urban sketching in coloured pencil for months, it was nice using oil paints again. I plan to continue working on this painting but had to sign and photograph today in order to meet the deadline for Bill Guffey's VPO site.

Here's the link I used: Google Street View

The three previous stages:

Link to final version

"Clouds at Isaac Point"
8x10inch oil on canvas
(private collection, Brussels)

Virtual Paintout - U.S. Virgin Islands - August 2018

What a great surprise this month: the Virtual Paintout is back and Bill Guffey selected the US Virgin Islands for his first paintout in nearly a year. 

As soon as I found out, I began visiting St. Croix in Street View. The Google images date from summer 2016 so a year before Irma and Maria struck the island. I didn't want to paint views of people's homes while wondering if they had resisted the category 5 hurricanes, so I settled on some quiet beachscapes. 

Here's the Google Street View link: The beach at Sandy Point 

“Sandy Point”
13x18 cm oil on canvas panel

Virtual Tour of the European Union

3/2018: I've just published the first draft of my "28 Member States of the European Union" page:

Link to EU 28

Season's Greetings!

At the beginning of December, I usually start to think about sending out some greeting cards to try to carry on the tradition. That's probably why my interest was sparked by these two red and green antique cars during a recent Urban Sketching event in Brussels. They will serve as my virtual greeting card here on Blogger. 

 

Happy holidays everyone!

"1910 at Autoworld"
Colored pencil in A4 Moleskine sketchbook

Virtual Paintout - Malta - July 2017 (first stages)

First stage of a 13x18cm oil painting
of the harbour at Marsaxlokk
(private colleciton, Naples)

I didn't want to miss the Virtual Paintout in Malta so I spent the last weekend of the month travelling through the country in Google Street View. I had barely started the above seascape when I discovered an unusual beach with rectangular bassins further up the coast.  (Street View Link)

A sign read :

" Do not pass or stroll through Salt Pans. 

Do not litter in Salt Pans. 

Do not wash clothes or anything in Salt Pans.” 

This was intriguing so I checked a few Internet sites and found out that salt production was an ancient industry in Malta, probably dating back to Roman times. The process involves leaving sea water to evaporate in "pans" (the flat areas) until the salt residue can be collected and moved to storage areas on higher ground. 

In my sketch below, tourists are visiting the Kwejni Salt Pans:

"The Salt Pans"

Coloured pencil in 20.7x29.6cm sketchbook

Exposition de tableaux prolongée jusqu'à fin juillet 2017

"Parcours d'artistes au Bookshop"
coloured pencil on postcard paper

My exhibit at the Oxfam Bookshop will continue until the end of July. 

The Bookshop is open from 10h00 to 18h00, Monday through Saturday. 

In July and August, however, they open only in the afternoons from 13h00 to 18h00.  (Closed on 21-22 July and the week of 14-20 August.)

Do not hesitate to stop by and see the paintings as well as the well-organised and attractive shop with its large selection of books, including many in English.

Le 11ème Parcours d'Artistes d'Uccle 2017

This year's open studios event in Uccle, Linkebeek and Drogenbos will be held in the afternoons on the first long weekend in June. The Oxfam Bookshop is taking part and will exceptionally be open every day of the holiday weekend, according to the following schedule:

Saturday 3 June 2017, from 10:00 to 19:00 

Sunday 4 June 2017, from 12:00 to 19:00

Monday 5 June 2017, from 12:00 to 19:00

Everyone is welcome to stop by and see the exhibit of paintings and jewelry as well as the huge collection of books, including many in English.

Link to jewelry: Bijoux éthnique de Dominique

To view the complete programme of the event and download the catalogue and map, click on the following link: Site de la Commune d'Uccle

See you there!

Virtual Paintout - South Korea - May 2017

Nearly the end of May, so I quickly selected one of the Google Street View links I had picked out earlier and submitted a small painting for this month's VPO. It's a view from the bridge in Busan, South Korea's second largest city. This reminded me of a previous VPO where I discovered how much fun it was to paint seaports: Vladivostok.

Link to Busandaegyo Bridge: Google Street View


"Port of Busan"
10x15cm oil on canvas panel
(private collection, Brussels)

Parc de Wolvendael en automne

After painting the park in March, I was inspired to try a contrasting fall view using my photographs from last November. Each path is named after an artist from Uccle. I think the one that crosses the little bridge is the "Allée Gaston Bertrand" but when I went to check, I couldn't find the sign.

"Le parc en automne"

24x30cm oil on canvas