Two apples and the edges of a plate and of a table

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Two apples and the edges of a plate and of a table

 oil on card, 15.7 x 17 cm

It's very pleasing to work economically. You focus on little and learn much.

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Bowl, plate with sweets, fruit

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Bowl, plate with sweets, fruit, oil on card, 13.5 x 16 cm

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Not showing at Ateliê Casa das Ideias

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I'm  not showing at Ateliê Casa das Ideias as the woman who runs the place tried to change the dates for the fourth time, this time with only six days notice. This will not do.

This is rude and annoying. I spend almost two years dealing with her selfishness (emails not replied to, dates changed at the last minute, not being kept informed of changes, enduring long stupid conversations about herself and her problems and so on and so forth)  and no longer trust her.

 Besides, there is very little point in exhibiting work if there isn't time to publicise it. 

These little shows are very easy to organise: hang fifteen to twenty pictures, send invitations, buy wine, be a pleasant host, have fun and sell pictures. A good time is had by all. In Brazil organizing anything,  however minor, can become a saga and render the whole experience is unenjoyable.

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Servidão Alcides Anacleto Vieira - Pantanal

 oil on card, 24 x 21 cm unavailable

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A new way of keeping pochades in carriers

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wire holder

The pochade support is held in place by:

 a. wires which pass through the perforations in the corrugated card  

 b. blu-tac on the underside of the pochade, sticking it to the carrier (not illustrated)

This new method has a disadvantage, notably that a small area of the pochade where the wires sit is less accessible to the brush and will interfere with painting. However, it is worth experimenting with because in  direct sun the pochade buckles, so that when the carrier is closed the painted surface touches the lid. This is particularly an issue with larger pochades. 

The new method also allows pochades to be removed more easily.

pochade carrier with support

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Two framed pictures for the Society of Scottish Artists

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 Yellow Tree, Central Park, N.Y., 2017
oil on card, 15.5 x 14.5 cm framed  SOLD

Near Berwick-upon-Tweed, fields, oil on card, 16 x 15.8 cm, framed SOLD

Many thanks to E.L.D. for these photos.

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Gardens, Trindade; Ecuador; carriers

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Gardens, Trindade, Florianopolis, oil on card, 21 x 24 cm unavailable

These larger pochades are less easy to get right as they demand a more sophisticated compositions. 

With this in mind, how many pictures can one reasonably expect to be successful in a week's painting, and therefore how many pochade carriers should I take to Ecuador?

Approximately a third of sessions are successful- the others can optimistically be regarded as "preparatory". So, with two sessions a day and fourteen a week, there will be five good pictures (if I am lucky) at the end of each week....which means I need only take about 15 carriers.

At the end of each week a few carriers can be "liberated" because the pochades inside them will be dry and can be removed.

All this matters as I like to carry as little as necessary when travelling.

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Santo Antonio- in fields

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Santo Antonio- in fields, oil on caqrd, 20 x 23.5 cm - unavailable

A difficult painting because it was so hard to arrive at a simple model of what I saw. Or sometimes I wasn`t satisfied for strong but mysterious reasons.

 It seems to me that for this style to work it is best to have a very limited palette or one becomes confused working.

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Two paintings from Ingleses- late afternoon and evening

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 Ingleses, November 2018, late afternoon- available

 oil on card, 23 x 18.5 cm

Ingleses, early evening, November 2018,  available

 oil on card, 21 x 24.5 cm

Too cloudy for much of a sunset, but very enjoyable to sit there working nonetheless. despite the tourists with their horrible music.

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