Painting in Provence, France

Painting in Provence, France

Lavender Fields near Sault, with Mount Ventoux in the distance

Last year we were fortunate to travel from Sydney and spend a week painting "en plein air" with Julian Merrow-Smith in the Vaucluse area of Provence. Julian is well known for his blog featuring the daily auction of his small paintings  "Postcards from Provence" .

In addition to Julian's expert mentoring whilst painting this wonderful landscape, we were accommodated at La Madelene, and what an exceptional experience it was. It is a beautifully renovated 12th century priory near Malaucene.  

La Madelene 

Our hosts Philip and Jude are exceptional hosts.  Click to read more
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Plockton, Scotland

Always enjoy visiting Plockton when returning to Scotland.  It has been 16 years since I last visited and it is still as beautiful & picturesque as always. The village is located on the west coast just about 5 miles north of the Kyle of Lochalsh where the new Isle of Skye road bridge meets the mainland.

Due to the currents the seas are warm but it is quite a surprise to see palms trees (similar to the Pandamus trees we have in Australia) lining the shore front. If you were a fan of the TV series Hamish Macbeth starring Robert Carlyle, then it will look familiar as it was the setting for the fictional town of Lochdubh.

Stayed in the pub and we had a great view from our bedroom over Loch Carron.  In the evening the loch is usually very quiet, but this evening we were lucky to see a regatta as a fleet of sailing boats in the distance - they emerged from "who knows where". One with blue sails joining them from the just in front of the village. We were able to get a few watercolour sketches done on the spot and afterwards an oil of the boat with blue sails

Watercolour over 2 pages of a foldout watercolour sketch book

Oil on Board  16 x 8 inches (40 x 20 cm)

Watercolour over 2 pages of a Strathmore Watercolour Sketchbook

More information on the website for "Undiscovered Scotland"

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Santiago and Lima - Arriving in South America

After a 12 hour flight from Sydney to the other side of the Pacific Ocean, we land in Santiago, Chile. As we need to wait 5 hours at the airport for a connection to Lima in Peru, it is a good excuse to get the sketchbook out and test the small watercolour kit that I will be using for this trip. I have shrunk my usual kit down to basic essentials,which fits in a pencil case.(but a largish one)

 

It comprises of :-

• A Winsor and Newtown watercolour field box, but I replace the standard pans with tube colours of my choice. I also leave dried colours on the palette as it gives me nice greys. The top of this box acts as a water reservoir. I bought this box online from the UK at 40% of what they sell for in Australia.
• Two soft brushes for washes, which I wrap in the bamboo mat you see underneath. I have tried all sorts of expensive brush containers whilst travelling but they all end up bending the brush tips. Wrapping the brushes in the bamboo and securing with an elastic band is the best way I have found to safely carry soft brushes, and it cost all of $1.
• A soft pencil 4b and a mechanical pencil with a putty rubber.
• White gouache occasionally used for highlights and error fixing. Need to watch you don't use much as it can kill the freshness of a sketch.
• A grey pen, waterbrush and a few water soluble colour pencils round the kit out.

Sketching enhances my observation skills and gives me a vivid and a detailed image in my mind of the places that I have been to. I don't get this quality of observation when using a camera and at times need to resist seeing a trip through a camera lens which provides a very constrained view. Another advantage to sketching is that it is an "icebreaker" and you meet many people who come up and talk to you.

 Santiago airport  8 x 5.5 inches (20 x 14 cms) Watercolour and pencil on Stillman and Birn beta Paper   

Due to a temperature inversion layer, Santiago is usually very misty and at times the hills at the airport just vanished. We flew on to Lima, the capital of Peru which lies about 12 degrees south of the equator. Like Santiago we unexpectedly arrived in a mist. Lima is surrounded by desert and it hardly rains during the year. In fact it is one of the driest capital cities in the world. Water is diverted down from the Andes and public parks are watered by trucks. Hydro is used for power.

The mist was quite unexpected considering the location of both cities. It is quite humid and the unusual weather is due to the locations on the Pacific Ocean near the foothills of the Andes. The cool Humboldt current runs along the coast and reduces the effect of the tropical sun and producing the high humidity causing the clouds and mist. The Andes Mountains prevents the west coast of Peru from receiving tropical storms and rains from the Amazon basin .

We flew onto Lima and spent a couple of days there. Landing right in peak hour and the traffic was bedlam, it took over an hour to get to our hotel in Miraflores which was much quieter and had a lovely park named after J.F. Kennedy. The church below was beside the park with a square of restaurants adjoining. The park was full of dumped cats with signs asking people to adopt them. Lima is very clean with lots of street sweepers endlessly cleaning. Police were very visible which initially made me a little concerned, but they include "tourist police" who are there to help and watch over visitors. In fact we felt very safe where we were and the people very friendly, although tourists do get constantly approached to buy all sorts of things. I developed the impression that Peru is really trying to build its tourist business and is employing lots of people to make it a safe and clean destination.

Church of Virgin Milagrosa, Miraflores, Lima, Peru
8 x 5.5 inches (20 x 14 cms)

Watercolour, pen and pencil on Stillman and Birn beta paper

 

The "old" centre of Lima with its yellow buildings and ornate balconies

El Beso, The Love Park, Miraflores, Lima

 

The Love Park is located on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  The walls are clad with mosaic tiles embedded with romantic quotes and this monumental statue of two lovers engaged in a passionate kiss. The sculpture celebrates the lovers who gather to watch the sunset, and evidently compete for the longest kiss under the statue.

 

Next it is off to the highlands of Peru and the discovery of pisco sours.

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Central Australia - East MacDonnell Ranges Part 2 : Trephina Gorge

One of the highlights of our trip to the MacDonnell Ranges was the day spent painting and sketching at Trephina Gorge, about 85 kms east of Alice Springs. The landscape consists of sheer red rock quartzite cliffs with a shallow sandy creek running through, fringed by river gums.


Trephina Gorge
Acrylic on Paper

 on 300gsm watercolour paper

I unintentionally, but consistently painted a face in nearly all the rock faces that I drew or painted.



Trephina Gorge 2
Acrylic on Paper

16 x 6 inches (40 x 15 cms) on 300gsm watercolour paper

 

It was quite a hot day and the acrylic paint needed to be consistently sprayed to keep it workable. I

used a "stay wet palette" & did enjoy using acrylic on this trip. I was able to get a less finished look than I normally get with my usual oils, The rougher paper texture helped, as well as the need to paint quickly before the painting dried.

I can be contacted at the following link  click here to contact me 

Central Australia - East MacDonnell Ranges

Just back from a trip to the Red Centre of Australia. The first week was spent with a group of painters, photographers, etc. about 80kms east of Alice Springs around Ross River. We stayed in cabins in sub zero nights. It was the first time that I have experienced frozen pipes since I was a boy in Scotland. 

We had our meals from a mobile camp kitchen around a very welcome campfire, with a trip by 4WD bus to a different area each day.  It was a great experience being in the midst of the the unique palette of the outback. 



The Road to Ross River, East MacDonnell Ranges,

Acrylic and Watercolour

16 x 6 inches (40 x 15 cms) on 300gsm watercolour paper

 

Acrylic & watercolour paint were more convenient to use on this trip, & the paintings were painted plein air (on site).

 

One of the highlights was the brightness & density of the stars, particularly the Southern Cross and the Milky Way. Everyone tells you how amazing the skies are at night in the outback, but you can't appreciate the extent until you see it. Whilst the Southern Cross is visible in Sydney, the milky way can't be seen by eye.

The Great Walls of China, East MacDonnell Ranges,

Acrylic and Watercolour

16 x 6 inches (40 x 15 cms) on 300gsm watercolour paper

 

More to come in part 2.

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Art on the Boardwalk, Lavender Bay, Sydney

Last Sunday I participated in Art on the Boardwalk for the first time. Despite the forecast it turned out to be a fine Sydney day. For those not familiar with Sydney, Lavender Bay is on the north shore, just west of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House. It overlooks the Sydney skyline and it is a fabulous location for "plein air" painting particularly on a day like this with plenty of sunshine. It is amazing to realise that this location is only minutes (or 1 train stop) from the CBD.

About 30 artists participated with musicians and mime artists, and whilst the day was about painting on location it was nice chatting to the many people passing by. Mosman Daily newspaper  reported that there was 10,000 people who walked the boardwalk on the day. It kept us fairly busy chatting and answering questions about painting, etc. The interest people had in the paintings was very heartening, also  many people talked about wanting to learn how to paint. In short it was a great fun day and very well organised by the North Sydney council.

 I did not get my demo painting finished on the day. Too much chatting , but here is the finished painting below.

Opera House, Luna Park and Harbour Bridge from Lavender Bay
Oil on Board 10 x 12 inches (25cm x 30cm)

Working hard.

Chatting to people about painting 

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Prinsengracht, Amsterdam

Click on image for a larger version

Prinsengracht, Amsterdam

Watercolour, gouache, & pen on paper (8 x 10.5 inches or 20 x 26 cm)

The first time in The Netherlands. It took me a day or two to learn that I had to change my traffic detecting habits to avoid being run over by the hordes of silent cyclists coming up your back in Amsterdam.

After a few near misses & when I learned that I needed to do a 360 degree turn to cross roads & couldn't rely on my ears to detect traffic I came to love this people friendly city. The canals are so picturesque and used by so many different type of craft.

If you are interested in purchasing this painting click here to contact me $175 plus postage outside of Australia

Leonard Cohen, playing with Javier Mas and Dino Soldo in Sydney 2010

Gouache and watercolour pencil
8 x 5 inches on paper

Last week saw the return of Leonard Cohen to Sydney. It has been 18 months since Leonard Cohen & his bands sensational last concerts in Sydney; which were followed by sensational reviews and desperate envy from those who were unable to attend.

Now 76, Leonard only improves with age as his voice keeps maturing like a deep soulful red wine. His energy is amazing, playing well over 3 hours.

The same superbly talented musicians and singers were with Leonard, they all play multiple instruments and one will rarely hear the richness & excitement of music such as this ensemble plays. My particular favourites are the spine chilling openings by Javier Mas in "Who by Fire" and "The Gypsy's Wife" & wonderful to hear the rarely performed "A Singer must Die". A treat to hear a couple of bluesy new songs (The Darkness and Born in Chains) which will appear on his new album to be released next year. Read the Sydney Morning Herald's review at this link

Click on the following images to see the previous drawings & posts of the Sydney concerts in February 2009.

Leonard Cohen Sydney 2009

Javier Mas - Sydney 2009

Click here to contact me if you want to check availability and price of these paintings.

Cockatoo Island from Elkington Park Balmain, Sydney

Watercolour, Pen & Pencil on Watercolour Paper

8.5 x 6 inches (21 x 15 cm)

One of the wonderful things about plein aire painting (painting on location) is the discovery of so many great places in Sydney that I have never been to before.
Elkington Park is one of those places & located right next to the Dawn Fraser Baths. It is only a few kilometres from the heart of Sydney & provides a continious view of water traffic moving out of and into Sydney Harbour. That is Cockatoo Island at the top of the painting.
It is meditation to sit with the feel of the sun & only the sound of the birds and the sea, and peacefully focus on drawing what is before me.
This painting is for sale for Aust $100 within Australia or Aust $110 for overseas delivery (approx.US$98) click here to contact me

Painting of Rue De Buci, Paris, France

Rue de Buci, Paris France

Oil on Canvas 12 x 10 inches (500x 600mm)

I am getting in the mood for an upcoming trip to France, & as always I get this urge to paint where I am going before I get there. Last time I was in Paris I stayed in the Hotel de Buci and loved the area, so this is great way to start.

Rue de Buci is in the 6th arrondissement and the area is full of small shops, cafes, and markets selling fresh produce. It is surrounded by narrow streets full of character at one end, and at the other runs into the fashionable Boulevard Saint-Germain-des-Prés near where the Café Les Deux Magots , Café de Flore and the Brasserie Lipp are.

This painting and some of my other paintings of Paris & Venice are now on display & for sale at Edmonds and Greer, Oatley, Sydney.

This painting has now been sold.

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Sydney Harbour Bridge from Observatory Hill

Sydney Harbour Bridge from Observatory Hill

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Watercolour, ink and pencil on paper

8 x 6 inches (210 x 148mm)

After leaving the Nicholas Harding exhibition see previous post, I stopped to sketch the harbour bridge from Observatory Hill. I have drawn the harbour a few times from here and there is usually beautiful light in the late afternoon. However this is the first time that I have included the harbour bridge. I like the view from here with just a hint of the streets in the Rocks area below it

This painting is for sale for Aust $95 within Australia or Aust $105 for overseas delivery (approx.US$95) click here to contact me or buy via the Paypal button below.

Delivery options

delivery to Australia $95.00 delivery elsewhere $105.00

Crossing

Oil on Board

5 x 7 Inches (13 x 18cm)

This painting came from a photo posted on artist Karin Jurick's “Different Strokes From Different Folks” blog. Karin posts a photo and other artists do their interpretation of it.

The photo had a crossing infront of the pedestrians , but a crossing only conjures one image in my mind. So I couldn't resist relocating the crossing and "the rest is history". Obviously brainwashed as a teenager.

Are you old enough to remember all the rumours & folklore that arose about the album cover when Abbey Road was released in 1969. The image of the Beatles on the crossing took a life of its own. Paul was rumoured to be dead and this was seen as a funeral procession. George in his denims was seen as the gravedigger, Ringo in black was the undertaker and John in white was the clergyman. Paul was barefoot and had a "coffin nail" cigarette in his hand.

And that was only part of the "interpretations" that people conjured up, the cars in the sreet also attracted symbolic qualities Click here for more.

Twenty four years later Paul released an album called Paul is Live, and the cover used retouched image of the original photograph with him & a sheepdog on the crossing

I suppose it was the end in one way. It was the last album recorded by the Beatles, even though "Let it Be" was released later.

Visit Karin Juricks “Different Strokes From Different Folks” Blog

Also have a look at the great small paintings on Karin’s ”Painting A Day” blog

This painting is available click here to contact me .

Into the Light, Cremorne Point, Sydney Harbour

10 x 8 inches

Oil on Canvas

I enjoy the sparkle of light when it ripples across the harbour as we look past Cremorne Point to the Sydney Opera House.

At Cremorne Point there is a very pleasant walk with spectacular views around the harbour foreshore to Cremorne Point, and then continue onto Mosman Bay. More information on the walk at this link

This painting is now sold.

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Patti Smith at the Sydney Opera House

Sydney Harbour is one of my favourite subjects to paint, & I have painted the opera house from many aspects in a range of its differing moods. The sails of the yachts on the harbour are mere appetisers for those that crown the Opera House.

It is a great icon to paint, as it yells Sydney whilst contrasting its luminous light against the deep ultramarine blue of the harbour.
A few days ago I changed my usual viewpoint & went inside to see another icon - Patti Smith play in the concert hall.

Over the years I have heard Patti's music. It was OK but apart from a few songs it never really grabbed me. So I wondered about the legendary status & went along to see who the press have entitled"godmother of punk" - with my expectations subdued.

BUT I quickly found out this was because I hadn't seen her perform live before. Patti the legend was there and she blew the roof off the opera house. It was a magnificent live performance full of energy, character, emotion & passion.

At times Patti wandered into meet the audience, & on others she left the stage to dance with them whilst her superbly musically endowed band played on. The audience just loved it.

What I saw was one of those few artists who can elevate their live performances into an artform. A recording can't capture anything like the electricity she generates on stage. My expectations were very pleasantly blown sky high.

Bernard Zuels review in the Sydney Morning Herald says it all & can be seen here

Click here to view transcripts and podcasts of her interview on the ABC 7.30 report

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Sails on Sydney Harbour

5 x 3 Inches - Oil on Canvas

The first post to the blog & its appropriate to capture a still day & the beautiful light on Sydney Harbour. Its something special.

The stock market may heading south at a rapid rate but that doesn't stop the yachties getting their priorities right & enjoying the day.