Waiting for Picasso (re-worked)

Oil on wood panel 8" x 8" £65 (British pounds) plus postage & packing (£7 to US; £3.50 to UK and Europe)

We are in Antibes and this young couple are waiting for the Picasso museum to open. The museum is right behind us in the Chateau Grimaldi and the church to the right is Antibes Cathedral. Most people in this part of France take a siesta during the middle of the day - only us tourists are idiotic enough to sit out in the sun and "wait". I wanted to convey the heat of midday but without doing a blue sky. Originally the orange was just painted there to be a vibrant under-colour but as I painted I grew to like it and it stayed. Why the girl is all wrapped up I don't know - she was wearing a shawl wrapped around her body - maybe protection from the sun.
(When I re-worked this, I over painted the orange sky with blue. I felt there was some confusion of feeling about the time of day and I think I have still managed to keep the peace and stillness of the scene).

In the grounds of the Musee Volti in Villefranche

Oil on wood panel 8" x 8" £65 (British pounds) plus postage & packing

The Musee Volti is dedicated to the works of sculptor Antoniucci Volti. On the pedastal there you can see the "Three Graces". The museum is in the Citadel, an old fort on top of the hill in Villefranche. The work of Volti is displayed in all the original nooks and crannies of the different rooms and areas with the original stone wall left still unrendered. I was new to his work and it impressed me a lot. The figures were very approachable and no signs to say "Don't touch" which was an added bonus!

Inside the Musee des Beaux Arts Nice

This painting has been sold

Oil on wood panel 8" x 6" (approx) £55 (British pounds) plus postage & packing

This is a lovely, light art museum and that is what I wanted to capture in this painting.

Me and mum

Acrylic on wood panel 8" x 8" Not for Sale

My mum was and is a very pretty and talented lady but she didn't get chance to put her talents into "further education". However she painted pottery, made dresses for all and sundry (sometimes she did whole weddings - can you imagine what that was like for a small girl to see all those dresses hanging around the front room!), made lovely hats, did all the diy and decorating in the house and had her paintings "put on the wall" at school, she worked in engineering, in shops and she did fire watching during the war. And she still is doing beautiful embroidery. She is one of the war time "toughies" !
This is number 11 in the "Not the Sheila I know" series.

Our best dresses (re-worked)

Acrylic on wood panel 8" x 7.5" This painting has been sold

This must be about 1949 or 1950. The lady is our next door neighbour Alice. She was beautiful with golden curls and so sweet. Like us they were not particularly well off but she always wore pretty clothes. Sometimes she would go to the market and buy some lengths of cheap cotton and my mum would make her a nice dress. We are standing here in a field just up the road from our house. You can see new building beginning in the background. Now, this area where we are standing is all built up with houses.
This painting is number 10 in the "Not the Sheila I know" series.

In the rework I have made the lady resemble Alice a bit more, which makes me happy (although I know not many other people will realise that). i have also indicated some pattern on her dress because I remember that dress so well, it was a pretty blue, crepe de chine kind of fabric. I have also darkened and firmed up the structures in the background behind the two figures.

Eating apples

This painting has been sold

Acrylic on wood panel 8" x 8" £65 (British pounds) plus postage & packing

This is me and a neighbour's girl eating apples in the garden. I have some ideas about this one but I will leave it up to your imagination.
This is number 9 in the "Not the Sheila I know" series

Me with my dad (reworked)

Acrylic on wood 8" x 8" Not for Sale

Picking up the "Not the Sheila I know" theme again after my flirtation with the south of France. I am aware that this painting may look rather strange above the Villefranche bay one. I have stopped worrying about different styles emerging. I saw works by Matisse and Picasso whilst I was away which demonstrated a variety of styles each. Think I'll just go with the flow.
Anyway, on to my dad. He was a shoe repairer. He was also a bit of a poet and he loved to read. He was a quiet man and was sadly killed in a road accident forty odd years ago. I think this is the only photo I have of him with me as a baby. There he is in his nice smart suit and me looking like a little scruff as usual.
This painting is number 8 in the "Not the Sheila I know" series. I have reworked this since first posting it. I had the urge to "realise" it more. I'm learning that there is always some reason behind these "urges" and you have to learn to listen to them.

The bay at Villefranche

This painting has been sold

Gouache and ink on paper approx 10" x 7"

I debated whether or not to post these little sketches in paint and pencil or ink. They amuse me because this is really not my typical approach but it was either that or very "studied" works in pen and ink or what have you. I didn't really feel comfortable with the gouache. The paint just dried up as I was mixing it (I had got used to pre-mixing with my oils and acrylics). Also of course with gouache you can't "layer" because it picks up the underneath layer of paint as soon as it is re-wet. Anyway, on the positive side I became obsessed with Matisse blue - those cut out dancers and other abstracts he did in the last few weeks of his life when he wasn't up to sitting at the easel. Apparently he also used gouache for those latter works in lots of this deep, vibrant blue.
Well folks, I am back to Stalybridge light now - which at present is rather gloomy and foreboding, so what's new :-D.
If any one is interested in buying any of these Nice sketches you can have them for £25 each. Bulk orders will get special discount !

The Carousel

Gouache and ink on paper. Approx 10" x 7". Please email me if you are interested in purchasing
I think I saw this children's carousel off the Promenade des Anglais in Nice. It was nestled among the trees in a small park.

Away

I haven't posted for the last few days because I haven't painted during that time, reason being I have been very busy on the domestic side. Tomorrow I am off to the south of France for two weeks so I am hoping first of all I get chance to do some sketching/painting and secondly that I can get easy internet access so that I can load stuff up to the blog. I could say watch this space but I'd better not tempt fate.