Laguna, the beach, pointillism: larger paper: part 3

 *

Laguna, beach, watercolour on paper, A2 NOT FOR SALE

Laguna, beach- detail

Laguna, beach- detail

These cartridge  papers can take" overlapping" washes or  watercolour brush marks of up to about three layers before the surface becomes too dense and lifeless. 

The pointillist method uses very minimal overlapping and the picture retains freshness.

 Working in such a methodical manner is very relaxing.

*

In the woods: May 25, 2023,

 *

In the woods: May 25, 2023,  Rio Vermelho

 watercolour, A3, NOT FOR SALE

In the woods: May 25, 2023,  Rio Vermelho, watercolour - detail

In the woods: May 25, 2023,  Rio Vermelho, watercolour - detail

*

Parque Estadual do Rio Vermelho: avenue, 27 March 2023

 *

 

Parque Estadual do Rio Vermelho: avenue, 27 March 2023

 watercolour, A3 NOT FOR SALE

 

 

 

Parque Estadual do Rio Vermelho: avenue - detail

 

Parque Estadual do Rio Vermelho: avenue - detail

 

  

This is the third from this avenue. 

*

Cabo Polonio, Uruguay

*

Cabo Polonio, Uruguay, oil on card, 21.7 x 27.7 cm  Not For Sale

Cabo Polonio, Uruguay, beach, oil on card, 18 x 22 cm  - available

I became sick with flu and so my trip to Uruguay wasn't the success it might have been. This is the disadvantage of short trips- they take an equal amount of time to organise but the smallest mishap can mean the entire trip is rendered futile. Also the travel costs became a disproportionate burden for the time spent.

Well, that`s it for trips until my time comes to visit the USA in August. I shall at least try to go to the mountains for a few days.

*

Yellow tree

*

Yellow tree, oil on card, 18 x 14.5 cm NOT FOR SALE

Painted in the south of the island.

 There is much to explore down there but it takes a surprisingly long time to get there.

*

A visit to southern Peru; Arequipa; conclusions

*

 Arequipa, Puento Bolognese, oil on card, 16 x 14 cm unavailable

 Arequipa, Calle Melgar, 14 x 18 cm unavailable

 Arequipa, Beateria, oil on card,15 x 16 cm  NOT FOR SALE

This, above, is one of the more successful of the paintings.

 Arquipa, a mendicant, oil on card, 18 x 15 cm   AVAILABLE

Arequipa, a garden, oil on card, 17.5 x 16 cm  unavailable

This is the final set from Peru: five pictures from Arequipa. This group is less coherent than the Puna set, though If i'd spent more time there perhaps it would have become more so,

*

Conclusions

This southern Peru set is strong. It augers well for the next long trip- to Ecuador sometime between Christmas and March.




*

A shoe with a bow

A shoe with a bow, acryllic on card, 2.5 x 3.5 inches

One of a series of small pictures depicting shoes, on their way to the Netherlands.

A Moroccan Adventure: Marrakesh

*

Marrakesh is quite flat, dusty, peach coloured and dry. The buildings are low and the layout is incredibly confusing: there are few street signs; the souks are labyrinthine and there are no high buildings to use as visual references.

So getting lost is inevitable. But as the city is not enormous this is no great tragedy.

When I arrived in late February there were few tourists and it was most enjoyable, a month later it mas much too crowded and had a somewhat frenetic atmosphere. The city has few cars; and many artisan workshops and provides endless subject matter for painting.

I was hassled much less frequently, and less aggressively in Morocco than in my trips to Tunisia and Egypt where both trips were marred by people pestering me with offers of camel rides, hotels, taxis and items for sale.

I love painting from roofs, and from above, the falcon`s view:

 From the hotel roof, oil on card, 11.5 x 15 cm  NOT FOR SALE




This was taken by Gallery 5595 in lieu of commission for the Porty Art Walk exhibition with Jane Rutherford. Others went to  Rose Issa.

From the hotel roof  (with mosque), oil on card, 14 x 15.5 cm  available

The city is very coherent aesthetically, with very cubic, peach or ochre buildings, nearly all two or three stories at most, everything dusty or bruised:

Building with a phone box, oil on card, 17.5 x 15.2 cm   SOLD

A lane, oil on card, 16 x 15.5 cm   SOLD

This was sold as part of the Artists Support Pledge Scheme in June 2020

A yard, oil on card, 13.5 x 16.5 cm -  available

 A yard, above, makes me think of Guston, rather.

There was a successful run of paintings of Marrakesh`s huge market square:

 Cart and market, oil on card, 14.5 x 15.5 cm

This, above, is one of the best pictures I have ever done, I think.

Little mosque in the market square, oil on card, 14.5 x 15.5 cm   SOLD

 Marrakesh with the mountains beyond, oil on card, 15.5 x 13 cm  SOLD

Market, oil on card, 15.5 x 18 cm

Marrakesh is well served by parks and gardens:

Entrance to a park, oil on card, 14 x 17 cm - unavailable

There are endless shops and artisanal workshops, all wonderful for painting. Marrakesh is touristy, but much less mediated than places in Europe, and therefore considerably more alive.

Some shops, oil on card, 15.2 x 18 cm - available

A street near the hotel, oil on card, 13.5 x 18.5 cm - unavailable

Street selling cloth, oil on card, 15.5 x 12.5 cm  - available

A brickyard, oil on card, 14.5 x 15.5 cm   SOLD

*

A suburban street, Santa Monica; Italy

 A suburban street, oil on card, 12 / 14 cm  NOT FOR SALE

I have bought myself a little tablet and am playing around with it. I think the camera is just about good enough to mean I can leave the conventional digital at home, and can post images as I go along. Typing on the tablet is fiddly, but it's fine for short entries.

I fly to Italy in a few days time- thank God, as I need fresh ideas: Rome, Puglia, Orvieto, perhaps Lucca, a rough diagonal crossing from Southeast to Northwest.

 Perhaps too much is resting in my mind on the trip- a disadvantage of planning much in advance being that one tends to overload a journey with expectations.

Santiago, Chile

Nine from Santiago

I've  been pleasantly surprised here  The city is quite elegant, not too large. The architecture is perhaps a little anytown, with little that I can see that might not be found in any other capital: neo-classical and eclectic late nineteenth century with non-descript modern filling in the gaps, but it is generally well maintained with little mess or graffiti, and the city is well planted with trees.

Santiago: Palacio de Bellas Fine Artes: the blue umbrella, oil on card, 14.5 / 12.5 cm - available

The people seem pleasant enough, pleasant tempered and gentle,dark haired, round faced. I detect a latent conservatism to them. The school girls wear rather odd over socks over their stockings as part of their winter uniforms, but I can't see other notable idiosyncrasies. There some soldiers on horseback in olive uniforms- elegant.

The city is grid  plan, with occasional crookedness.  I stayed in Bairro Brasil, close to the centre, much peeling nineteenth century and some elegant or fashionable bars, though in the main the city is old/fashioned feel, so that shop displays are quaintly, sometimes sadly simple and the concept of self/service seems unknown, so goods are kept behind a counter and you have to ask for what you want from an assistant.

It rained continually for my first two days, making painting trying. On the third, however, it was dry enough to climb Cerro San Cristobal and look down.

 Santiago, from above, oil on card, 14 / 13 cm  unavailable

*

Not long ago I received some criticism, that the paintings were grey, and that I was "timid with colour". Like most well directed criticism this stung, and instinctively I resented it- it is so often the case that  I, perhaps we, resent and reject criticism most when it is justified.

But with a few days on I decided to try to face the challenge of the criticism, and I have been using colours with more boldness, and less concern that the effect might be vulgar.

The hostel has some wonderful flowers, and I`ve been painting these, in a sort of impressionist style, trying not to over mix the paints and using lighter  grounds. They are brighter and more cheerful. I shall post these these later.

Santiago, Praca Brasil, a red umbrella, oil on card,  oil on card, 13.5 / 11 cm  NOT FOR SALE

Praia Mole- a bright day; London, Tunisia and Scotland

*

Praia Mole- a bright day, oil on card, 11 x 13cm   NOT FOR SALE

I have bought my tickets for the UK and Tunisia in February. 

The weather is likely to be cold in the UK: if it snows I shall be happy as painting things in the whiteness is so delightful. I shall be in Scotland and in London.

If you are there and wish to meet, drop me a line.

*

The Blue Balloon

The Blue Balloon, oil on card, 10 x 10.5 cm   NOT FOR SALE

Painted on Beiramar Avenue: a dense afternoon.

My condominium

My condominium, oil on card, 10 x 12.2 cm  NOT  FOR SALE

The condominium is largs and quite extensive. The place is quite well cared for. My picture looks somehow 1950s, I think.

Two new pictures

 

A model posing as a Cézanne, oil on card, 11x 11cm   - available