A trip to Serrana, Sao Paolo

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Serrana, evening, oil on card, 7 / 10 cm - available

Serrana, a lively little town near Riberaõ Preto, where I passed the weekend. The town hasn't yet seen the incursions of shopping malls, condominiums and car culture.

Rio

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 Copacabana, early afternoon, oil on card, 12 / 14 cm unavailable

 Lapa, oil on card, 10.5 / 14 cm unavailable

From S. Teresa, oil on card, 11 / 15.5 cm unavailable

Here are some more pictures from Rio, where I spent the weekend.

It's really a spectacular place, with a very vibrant personality, and incredible views. It would be an ideal painting city were there better publicly accessible spaces high up, and if crime weren't a concern.

Rio is often very improvised and even downright sketchy: the other side of this is that it maintains a definite personality, it isn't groomed to the point of sterility for tourists like Paris, say. The people retain  their personality, which is ironical, good-natured, somewhat amoral, sensual.

I like the sense of Brazil as a place still being constructed, still being invented, and doing so in a way that emphasises a open-mindedness and gaiety.

I painted mainly what I call "tourist pictures", though I don't mean that in a derisory way. I mean, I visited fairly obvious sights.

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