Painting Light and Colour

Oil on Canvas board, 19 x 24 cm

Status: For sale via eBay auction

Abbey Gate

I thought that I’d put another small panel up on eBay seeing as we all had so much fun last time  

If you would like to have a look, please click here. Don’t worry, this will not place a bid for you, but will take you to the appropriate place on eBay where you can have a look at the activity (frenetic, no doubt!), and decide what to do.

This is the back gate of the Abbaye de Beaulieu-en-Rourgue, which now houses a Contemporary Art exhibition. I have actually done a full view of the Abbey, but this back gate with the small stone bridge over the creek really caught my attention, so I returned at a later time to paint it. I was particularly intrigued by the ‘artificial’ blue of the paint on the gate against the other natural blues and pinks and greens of the surroundings. The abbey is just south of the small village of Parisot, as you can see on the map below.

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Oil on Canvas, 24 x 18 cm

Status: Private Collection, Switzerland

I painted this one from life, alla prima, in one sitting, basically because of the cold!

I rode my bicycle, with all the painting kit strapped on the back to this site, and set up.  Although there was snow on the ground, the sun was out,  (feeble, but out..) and there was no wind.

Quite pleasant really.

However, as anyone who spends time outdoors knows, (especially the European winter), it is only a matter of time until things change, and as time drew on, I just needed to get it finished, as standing in the snow for a few hours tends to cool you down. Also, I knew that I had to clean up, pack the stuff back on the bike, and ride home in the cold. No warm car to get into.

Fortunately, now the discomfort is only a memory, only the result stands. Again, there is no substitute for painting on the spot, and the result speaks.

However, it should be noted that a nice warm studio is usually more comfortable.

This A2 size poster is an amalgamation of four small panels I did of different views of the city. To date, three of the originals have gone to good homes, and the poster is enjoying some good success in the gallery.

It is available for purchase for €10.00, plus post and packing to your part of the world. Still working on the postage prices, but not likely to be more than a few euro. If you decide to purchase both this poster and the Cordes one, then you get a discount, and the total for both is €20.00, plus only one postage charge.

Also, congratulations to the winning bidder on eBay for the ‘Parisot Barn’ panel. Seems like a quite a few people enjoyed it, and it I will be tempted to try it again soon, again with a small painting.

Watch this space!

‘Arbre d’automne III’

Oil on canvas, 40 x 30 cm

Status: Private collection, France

This is a canvas I painted last autumn. It is actually a canal boat moored next to these trees. I suspect it was a permanent mooring as it appeared to have been there for some time, and had kinda ‘melded’ into the landscape.

The faded canvas cover of the boat combined with the autumn light and the moisture in the air makes all the colours scatter and bounce around giving an overall ambience of orange and yellows which go nicely with the autumn colours of the evergreens in the background, and the grass at your feet.

‘Parisot Farm’

Oil on gesso board, 19 x 24 cm

Status: For sale

I recently painted this little panel outside the village of Parisot in Southern France, not far from where we are staying at Cordes. I had returned to the spot to complete a larger painting looking up the hill at the village itself, and managed to complete that faster than I had anticipated. Fortunately, I had a spare panel with me, so I was able to complete this one after lunch. Inevitably the size, the lack of expectations and the limited time frame produce a lively result.

Well, I think so, anyway!

After a little advice, and some thought, I am going to put this one up for auction on eBay as it is still for sale. Just to spice things up a bit, I have only put a reserve of 5 Euro on it. Please remember, it’s only a small one, but will fit into a standard (French) frame quite economically.

If you decide to have a bid, (10% will automatically go to the Pakistan relief fund) you can do so by clicking on this link, and bon fortune!

Also, despite what it says on eBay, I can also accept payment via credit and/or debit cards, as well as PayPal.

‘Spring Blossoms II and III’

Oil on canvas, 60 x 50 cm – 2 Panel Dyptich

Status: Private collection, Hong Kong

These two panels were a commission for a Solicitor’s office in the Mong Kok area of Hong Kong, and are a continuation on the theme of abstracted blossoms and butterflies.  As the office was recently fitted out and decorated in greys and blues, the lively colour and movement in these paintings both complimented and enhanced the environment, providing an exciting contrast to the professional rooms.

This view of Cordes is a slightly abstracted one I painted in 2010.

This original has been sold, but I am making large (A2) prints available for €15.00, plus post and packaging to your part of the world. If you would like one, just send me an email with your details. Payment as per usual can be made through PayPal, or any major debit or credit card

‘Cordes sur Ciel’

Oil on canvas, 50 x 70 cm

Status: Private collection, France

Cordes sur Ciel

This view of Cordes is a slightly abstracted one I painted recently. Cordes Sur Ceil literally means ‘Cordes in the sky, or heavens’, and when the weather provides the right conditions and moisture, it appears like an island in the sky, completely surrounded by clouds. In this case, the blues of the sky are reflected into the tops of the clouds, and infusing the shadows on the fortress hilltop. This allows for a stunning contrast against the warm yellows and pinks where the sun hits the east side of the buildings.

This original has been sold, but I am making large (A2) prints available for €15.00, plus post and packaging to your part of the world. If you would like one, just send me an email with your details. Payment as per usual can be made through PayPal, or any major debit or credit card.

‘Rue Saint Michel at Cordes sur Ciel’

Oil on canvas, 30 x 24 cm

Status: Private collection, USA

Rue Saint Michel at Codes sur Cie

‘Light is a thing that cannot be reproduced, but must be represented by something else – by color. (Paul Cezanne)’

This is one of the first street views I ever painted at Cordes. I positioned my easel at the top of the stairs leading down to Rue Saint Michel, and painted away for about three hours.

It was still quite early in the tourist season then, so, hence the lack of people. The light and the stonework in the old (ancient?) buildings create a harmony of their own, warm pinks in the lights, and cool blues in the shadows. Difficult to go wrong if you pay attention to the colour temperatures.

‘Portal Peint at Codes sur Ciel’

Oil on canvas, 24 x 30 cm

Status: Private collection, Florida, USA

Cordes Gate

This is a view of the Portal Peint (gate) in the city. Cordes was heavily fortified during the centuries, and this was one of the major defensive barricades if the fighting made you fall back into the citadel itself.

It’s a tad more peaceful these days, lined with boutiques and restaurants and galleries. I am doing a number of these little panels and putting a time limit in the painting process in an attempt to keep things more lively and interesting. There is nothing worse than an over-worked painting!

‘By painting one painting after another as fast as possible, not only does the work get better, but every accident becomes an opportunity to experiment. Sometimes one accident can be combined with another. (Earl Grenville Killeen)’