Self portrait with an orange background

Conte on paper approx 10" x 7" £35 British pounds plus postage & packing of £3.50 to UK; £7 to rest of world

I have seen so much art the last few days. I think you can see so much and then you have to absorb and reflect. This evening (many of the museums now open in the evenings and it is a superb time to go as most people are eating dinner or having pre-drinks) I was in the Museum of Modern Art at the Pompidou Centre. A wonderful exhibiton of Lucien Freud and their permanent collection of 1910-present day (I stopped looking at the sixties). The penultimate painting I studied was a Rothko - black and red. It helped to calm me down then on the opposite wall was an Ad Reinhardt totally black canvas. It was so soothing, suddenly the most wonderful thing, because it lets you soak back into yourself and paint the pictures and be the person you are. I knew it was time then to call it a day.

Play time in Montparnasse

Felt tip pen on paper approx 10" x 7" £35 British pounds plus postage & packing of £3.50 to UK; £7 to rest of world

My apartment in Montparnasse is on the third floor of a beautiful old building and my balconette overlooks a school yard through the trees, so twice a day there's a lot of noise from the kids playing. I love it. Reminds me I'm living in a real world. I did this sketch before leaving this morning. I think it must have been their play time. In the States I think you call it "Recess" - I don't know the French for it. It was so difficult to capture them. Just have to keep continually drawing and when you have a head and shoulders whose legs carry them away out of view you have to substitute someone else's legs and feet. It's fun. Might do some more.
Today I went to the Musee Marmottan which specialises in works by Monet but there was a special exhibition on called Monet and abstraction which showed later works by Monet displayed next to works by Pollock, Rothko and other modern painters. It was the most amazing exhibition and Monet's work looked just as "modern" and abstracted as the others. Beautiful!

The Palais Royal from the Tuileries gardens

Felt tip pen on paper approx 10" x 7" £35 British pounds plus postage & packing of £3.50 to UK; £7 to rest of world

I decide to break my phobia for drawing en plein air today with a quick pen sketch of the Palais Royal. I sat in the sun by the lake in the Tuileries and just drew a corner of the building which is a continuation of the Louvre. I don't know what I was worrying about because no one took the slightest bit of notice of me except one small fair haired boy who studied the drawing then studied me as if he was thinking - hmm, bet I could do better than that. It's a bit scrawly.. Well, I tried to work quickly and not allow myself to fiddle with details. It's good practice for trees as well as generally they scare the pants off me.

Self portrait in Paris

Pen and ink on cartridge paper, approx 10" x 7"

I'm in Paris for a couple of weeks and it's really hot so one outing a day is about the limit. Yesterday I saw some interesting Russian art at the Orangerie in the Luxembourg gardens and today went to the Munch exhibition at the Pinacotheque. I loved his lithographs and dry point work the best. It contains such a lot of mood and emotion.

Figure study 21st June painting figure art gallery studio

Acrylic on hardboard 12" x 12"

I was glad I took my paints along last night although I needed the whole two hours to complete this one. It was a really good visual testing ground - white walls, white T shirt. Couldn't resist putting in the bust in the corner there. She's so beautiful. Notice the "blocky" style. It just felt right for this one particularly on the figure where I wanted to get the feel of solidity and heaviness. One of my favourite blocky style painters is Jeff Mahorney. Check out his work. You will not be disappointed.

Tableau vivant painting figurative sun house old

Oil on hardboard 30" x 30" Please note this painting has been substantially re-worked. To see the latest version please look at the 17th July posting

This painting has taken me a while. Probably the most challenging I've done lately. The house is based on a lovely but very bad photograph I took of a house near my daughter's in Belgium (although I have changed the architecture of it - painter's licence I'm afraid). The figures were done from imagination with the help of magazine images for the card player (oh, and I snitched the watering can, but not the carrier, from a painting by David Ridgway). I am fairly satisfied with it. It has the mood I wanted. The saturated colours seemed to insist themselves upon me but in actual fact there is only yellow ochre in the grass as a pure saturated colour. Even the ultramarine windows have a touch of Indian red and burnt orange. So many titles went through my head but Tableau vivant seems to be just what it is. If you are not sure what Tableau vivant is then Google it. Wish you could see the painting full size. It's much better in the flesh than the digital image shows.

Life drawings 17th June 2010

These were done at last night's Studio session. These are in charcoal again. It's messy stuff. Maybe I should take the bull by the horns and take my paints along. (The painting wall on the bottom one was done after I got home).

Japanese lady in kimono - studio session 14th June

We were so lucky yesterday evening in getting a Japanese lady in her traditional Kimono to sit for us. I was trying to capture her delicacy and it wasn't easy. I started off with a charcoal and pastel drawing and then stayed in the same spot to do some quicker pen and ink sketches with a fine line felt pen. Towards the end I felt I was beginning to capture her but alas the time was up!
By the way, if anybody has any tips for photographing line work on white paper I'd be interested to know. Maybe I should go to maximum brightness on my photo editor?

Old summer time blues street scene urban painting figure sunlight europe brussels

Oil on hardboard 24" x 24"

I'm not as happy with this one as with the previous one. I underpainted a rather bright red ground and spent most of the painting trying to cover it up. As a result I had to use more paint coverage than I wanted to and it felt a bit laboured in parts. Also figures are a bit predictable. I tried to suggest a narrative but will try to work more strongly on that in future. On the plus side I did learn a lot about colour, especially on "white" rendered buildings and I was pleased how the shadow side came out.
It's a bit fresher and nicer (freer) in the flesh than in this thumbnail. You'll just have to take my word for it!

Life drawings - studio session life drawing nude charcoal felt tip pen

These were done last Thursday evening. The top on is in a felt tip pen I happened to find in my pencil case and the bottom one in charcoal. Both measure approximately
24" x 8"

Three figures in a street painting figures street sunlight buildings townscape

This painting has been sold


Oil on hardboard 24" x 24"

Enjoyed painting this one - it has taken me a few days, not just because of the size but because I was using oils throughout and occasionally had to let it dry a bit in between sessions.

Figure drawing 7th june 2010

Charcoal on paper 23" x 16" approx

Another from my Monday evening studio sessions. These are so enjoyable and relaxing. As before most people did a portrait but I want to see where a line will take me. I also didn't want to get caught up in "shading". At the moment that feels like a bit of a distraction. I think I need to pay attention to varying the size of shapes that the line makes without compromising the "accuracy" of the proportions of the figure. That might be a tough one. Ah well, ever up for a challenge.

A reality beyond itself painting figures sun street blue stone building surreal

Oil on 1/8" board 18" x 18"

Dragon gang painting beach surf dragon blue orange red gold

Oil on hardboard 15" x 15"

I didn't want it to be a "jolly day at the beach" painting. Rather a "Who are you? We've got things to do. Get lost".. kind of painting.

ps. these colours are accurate. Don't know where in the far recesses of my brain they are coming from - me who loves Hammershoi like a new bride.

Sea creatures painting sea figures green blue red

Oil on hardboard 15" x 15"

In British seaside places it's not uncommon to see people in the sea with their clothes on. The water is usually freezing and the general intention is just to sit on the beach - but the water beckons and many can't resist. A dog who loves people but not other dogs needs to be kept in check even in the basic elements. The clothes emphasise their separateness I think. Even the dog feels dressed.