Finally plein air weather

 "Antwerp's Cathedral"
25x20cm, oil on canvas
(private collection, Ekeren)

After a very rainy spring, the sun finally came out in Belgium so I brought my paints to the Lambertmontmartre outdoor art market on Sunday. The event was exceptionally held on the Groenplaats, where there is a nice view of the Cathedral.

There were crowds of passers-by given the sunny three-day weekend but the sun and wind was challenging for exhibitors without parasols and weights. What a pleasant surprise when my still-wet oil painting sold right there on the spot!

Here's an oil sketch showing some of the atmosphere on the square:

 

"Lambertmontmartre 2023"
15x15cm, oil on canvas panel

Earlier this month, I attended an urban sketching event at the MAS museum. Here's the quick sketch I painted between rain showers -- the pink billboard advertises a nearby seafood restaurant:

 "Vis-aan-A"
15x15cm, oil on canvas panel

More from Greece

"Off Season in Limenas (Chios)"
40x50cm, oil on canvas

Sketching in Greece

Some urban sketching on the island of Chios in Greece. 

I brought my Moleskine watercolor sketchbook for this two-week adventure to the edge of Europe.
In fact, we were so close to Turkey that some of the elevated roads on the island were captured by their cell phone towers and we would get text messages saying "Welcome to Turkey"! I had to turn off my "Outside Europe" subscription to limit roaming costs.

The "Greece" Sketchbook

Uccle Parcours d'Artistes in April 2023

 

The "Parcours d'artistes d'Uccle" has a new name: "Meet My Arts". Some 350 participating artists will be exhibiting throughout the Commune.

I am very pleased to have been allocated a nice space at the residence "Le Hamoir" along with a dozen other artists. We will be located on Rue Hamoir, 1, just off Chaussée de Waterloo in Uccle. The location is easily accessible by bus lines STIB 41, DeLijn 136, and TEC 136a.

We will be exhibiting our artwork during two weekends in April:

First Weekend:

Friday, 14 April from 18h00 to 22h00 -- includes the Vernissage!

Saturday, 15 April, from 14h00 to 19h00

Sunday, 16 April, from 14h00 to 19h00

 

Second Weekend:

Saturday 22 April, from 14h00 to 19h00

Sunday 23 April, from 14h00 to 19h00 

 

Links:

The Meet My Arts website: http://www.meetmyarts.be/fr/

My entry: https://www.meetmyarts.be/fr/portfolio/catherine-hale/ 

More from the Commune d'Uccle: https://www.uccle.be/fr/decouvrir-et-sortir/culture/evenements-et-agenda-culturel/les-grands-evenements#meet-my-arts

Website of the venue: https://www.residencehamoir.be/

Portrait Practice

 

 

2. "The Postcard Collector"
20x16 inches, oil on canvas

 

3. "Portrait with Tree"

16x20 inches, oil on canvas

4. "Portrait no 4"

16x12 inches, oil on canvas
(Private Collection, PA)

 

I had forgotten what a challenge it was to paint someone who was posing for you. I tried this a few times with some low-end oil paints. They were so smooth, coming out of the tube with the consistency of hair conditioner. Since I continued to use only linseed oil as a medium and brush cleaner, the paint got even more fluid. After three of those, I went out and bought new paint and canvas for a fourth and final portrait. I also took some photographs to help keep track of the pose -- when the subject is moving, talking, and glancing here and there, it helps.

1. "Reading the newspaper"
quick sketch in oil on 10x8inch canvas

Souvenir Series

 

"Discovering Lucerne"
24x30cm oil on canvas
(private collection, Oakford, PA)

 

It's been fun painting from photographs in Facebook groups that offer free references for artists. And I also enjoyed painting in response to the numerous photo challenges on Instagram. But there's always that feeling that you are sharing the photographer's vision, no matter how much you alter his image and try to make it yours. I therefore decided to get back to using more personal reference material. First, I got out my photos of our chickens and had a field day with those. Then my photos and oil sketches of the bike path to create a larger studio work. Now something completely different: our family slides.

I've been scanning slides and realized it's become much more convenient to use them for painting once they're scanned. It used to be that you had to watch out not to overheat the slide projector, burn the slides, or contribute to their deterioration through handling (mildew, etc). I remember even trying to paint in the dark with the slide projector on. But with the scanned image, all these problems are history.

 

"Halloween 1964"

oil on postcard canvas

More to come!

Along the Bike Path

 

"The Bike Path"
40x50cm, oil on canvas

 

I have been looking at this scene for a couple winters now every time I cycle by. Then last week the weather was so nice I stopped and sketched:

 

The next day, the sun was still out so I brought my paints. Here is the result (touched up in the studio). As I painted, one of the Scottish Galloway cows walked by, adding the perfect touch:

"Along the Bike Path"

20x25cm, oil on canvas

 

Then, I finally decided it was time to work bigger (see result at top of post). During the January sales I had bought four 40x50cm linen canvases on-line to see which brand I preferred. Well, of the four I purchased, I like De Wieuw's fine grain 300g/m2 100 percent Artist linen canvas best. It might be even better to find a heavier linen but would it still have that fine grain I like?

Chicken Series

 

"Chickens in Van Gogh country"
50x40cm oil on canvas

"Family Portrait" (TLO and Dina)
50x50cm oil on canvas

Raising chickens turned out to be a fascinating but complex venture. It's difficult keeping just one because they are social creatures and get depressed when alone, but two doesn't work either because they wind up fighting. So, in the end, we gave them away to a local farmer where they are now under the watchful eye of a team of roosters. That works. We bring them treats and can see that they are happily integrated and healthy. Recently, I've noticed there are some little ones that look like them.

TLO ("The Little One"), purchased as a two-day-old chick, quickly grew to become a huge, beautiful chicken. For the TAE charity event I painted TLO from one of my old photos:

"Spring Chicken"
5x7inches, oil on Figueras canvas paper

Instagram Challenges

  

 "A Winter's Day"
12x18cm oil on canvas panel
inspired by a photo from the Landscape Art Club

I've been following three Instagram challenges that don't disappoint: @landscapeartclub, @foodpaintchallenge and @roomportraitclub. Unfortunately, last spring's @faceportraitclub seems to have disappeared. It takes a while for my oil paintings to dry so I missed sending out the postcard below:

"Christmas at Windsor Castle"
15x10cm oil on postcard canvas
inspired by the Room Portrait Club

This will be for Christmas 2023. 

Roaming the Internet to find subjects I haven't yet had a chance to paint whiles away these cold, dark days of winter. Here's some more snow thanks to the Landscape Art Club:

 

 

 "Canadian Trail"
10x15cm oil on canvas panel

"Yellow Lilies"
15x10cm oil on postcard canvas
(private collection, Schaerbeek)

The lilies were another popular subject at the Landscape Art Club. I painted some as ACEOs as well. Find those and my Food Paint Challenge work here: Smallest Paintings Gallery.

Looking forward to more of these in 2023! 

Happy New Year!

Les falaises d'Etretat

"L'aguille d'Etretat"
30x30cm oil on canvas

I couldn't resist painting another view of the iconic cliffs at Etretat. Since rock formations on the Normandy coast usually have names, I did some research. To my surprise, I found videos of some recent landslides near Etretat. Here -- YouTube -- a young photographer caught some of the action on camera. The town mayor is worried there could be more rocks falling and points out some crevasses in the cliffs. On another video, an expert explains that the entire Normandy coast is threatened by the phenomena, partially caused by global warming.

More on the cliffs:  les falaises tourism