Back from Morocco.

I am back in Brazil after almost six weeks of travel, mainly in Morocco, but also with some days in the UK.

The Moroccan part consisted of week long stays in Marrakesh, Ouarazazate, Taroudant, and Sidi Ifni, with the following results:

Morocco:the complete set

The complete set again, in perspective

Marrakesh, a brickyard, in its carrier.

The pictures are transported in carriers, above. There are very few pictures which were at all damaged. I`ve worked steadily to improve them, making them deeper so that the picture surfaces aren`t marred when closing. And I standardised their sizes so that they are easier to pack and take up less space, even though the pictures are on average about 20% larger than on previous trips.        

One of the advantages of staying longer in each place on a trip is that the surfaces of paintings have time to dry before the carriers are closed. I`ve thought of using acrylics, which takes much less time to dry than oil, but have always found it to be an ugly paint, lacking in depth of colour.

I shall post the pictures according to place over the next week, in five posts.

Preparing for Morocco

I've tried to improve the carriers by standardising their sizes so they can be packed more easily, and increasing their depth so paintings are less likely to be damaged when they are closed. I`ve also made the interior sections black, to better show finished paintings. I have increased the average size of the boards to allow me to paint in a freer, looser style.

I`ll stay in Marrakesh for a week, then head off to the Atlas mountains, probably Ouarzazate, before returning to spend a week or so in the UK.

I`m hoping that the locals aren`t as annoying as they were in Egypt, where they harass tourists almost constantly. If they aren`t, and Morocco proves good for painting, I might consider spending longer there in future-  Brazil in summer is really too hot to go outside much, and the country tends to come to a standstill between Christmas and Carnival- I find this tedious.

 

A tree, Praça dos Bombeiros

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A tree, Praça dos Bombeiros, oil on card, 14.5 x 16 cm  - available

Painted in the centre , under Eastern influences.

Portrait of an American friend

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Portrait of an American friend, oil on card, 14 x 16.2 cm -  available

A picture from a session this morning. I will have another session later this week, hopefully. I am not sure how accurate it is It owes owe something to Cezanne.

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Many thanks to Davinder Chandhok for his patience.


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Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2014, submission

Flowers from Brazil, oil on card 15 x 18 cm  - available

Under the tracks, Astoria Boulevard, oil on card 14.5 x 10.5 cm

My submissions for this year`s summer exhibition. Fingers crossed that they will be accepted. It`s always difficult to choose things for this sort of show: one simply cannot know what their criteria are. Perhaps one year they will be keen on showing smaller works, another more traditional things and so forth. Or perhaps there are pre-determined, but unknown criteria about different media.

 I tend to think that it`s better not to try to second-guess the judges and just show work that you feel reasonably confident with.

A week in Salvador, part 3: the sea

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A boat seen through a window, oil on card, 12.5 x 13 cm  SOLD

A coming storm, oil on card, 15 x 12 cm  SOLD

A picture of the sea, oil on card, 13 x 12 cm  unavailable

The final set from my Salvador trip.

This is the last painting trip that I forsee making in Brazil outside driving distance of Florianopolis. This is because of the high cost of internal flights.

 I shall instead focus on visiting and knowing better the three southern states and their small towns through car trips to give me a breaks from Florianopolis.

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This is the most overtly French set of pictures that I`ve made, with obvious links to artists such as Vuillard, Marquet and Matisse. That wasn`t conscious: it happened because Pierre Pophillat`s apartments carried a particularly French feel to me, and because a certain simplicity and calmness of atmosphere in Salvador lent me a destinctly French mood: Luxe, Calme et Volupté...

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Many thanks to  Pierre Pophillat for his kindess on this trip.



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A week in Salvador, part 2: interiors

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A vase, oil on card, 12.5 x 13.5 cm

 Hall, oil on card, 15 x 17 cm unavailable

 Interior of Pierre`s apartment, oil on card, 18 x 14 cm   available

Interior with a sofa, oil on card, 18 x 15 cm   SOLD

Interior with a view to a bedroom, Salvador, oil on card,  15 x 14 cm - unavailable

Here are ten pochades painted in Pierre Pophillat`s beautiful apartments in Salvador, which he is restoring with considerable flair.

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