My Chile trip: Araucania

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Melipeuco

I have added Melipeuco to the list of places in which I will stay. It's close to a national park, called Conguillio.

I think the nature and scenery there might no be so different from here, albeit with snow covered volcanoes and more lakes.

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The corner of a table, a book, my diary, a spoon, my wallet and part of a chair

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The corner of a table, a book, my diary, a spoon, my wallet and part of a chair

oil on card, 16.7 x 15.2 cm

I painted several versions of this scene and can`t decide which is satisfactory. For the moment, I shall go along with this one, though perhaps they all have virtues. The book is This is New York, by E.B. White.

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In still life my taste in objects is limited to things which have in common simplicity of form, with clearly recognizable profiles and plain colouration. My repertoire is small- books, cultlery, bowls or plates, cutlery, and occasionally pieces of furniture. I like it if the items have som personal resonance.

I love flowers but when it comes to a subject for painitng, I find myself more and more in sympathy with Uncle Monty in Withnail and I: "I think the carrot infinitely more fascinating than the geranium. The carrot has mystery. Flowers are essentially tarts. Prostitutes for the bees";

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My summer trip: Chile

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Araucania

Chile: Araucania

There is a direct flight from Florianopolis to Santiago, and it is considerably cheaper to go there than  Quito. So I shall make my way there then hop down to Temuco and the lakes (Villarrica and Pucon).  It is a shame to, again, jilt Ecuador, but I have to be careful with my finances.

The scenery is rather find with volcanoes, forests and beautiful lakes, and I think it will have a pleasant temperature and a fine place to work.

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I reread my piece on Santiago from three years ago and it seems prescient. 

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Cherry tomatoes on a cloth

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Cherry tomatoes on a cloth, oil on card, 16 x 14.5 cm  available

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Room, Trindade, with books, sofa and bag

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Room, Trindade, with books, sofa and bag

 oil on card, 17 x 15.5 cm

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Orange

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Orange, oil on card, 12.6 x 14 cm

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Cherry tomatoes in a bowl

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Cherry tomatoes in a bowl, oil on card, 15.3 x 13.1 cm

New apartment

It is only mid-November but, thanks to the wickedness of Christmas prmotions, I already feel that the year is ending. This is the first picture from my new apartment. The new apartment is not far from the old, but has a somewhat different atmosphere- more urban, cleaner, brighter. The picture is a continuation of the simple still lives to which I return from time to time. 

This colourless style serves to cleanse my mind. I did once consider doing a trip and only using black and white, but ultimately desisted, concluding that a month of it would become quite tiresome.

The disturbance and expense caused by moving means I have yet to finalise plans and book tickets for my January trip, something I hope to put in order this week. 

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