A Monk

There was something beautiful about seeing the simplicity of this monk at Monserrat monastery this summer in Spain. It felt like a privilege to see him as he quietly walked by.



A Norwegian Cafe

Throughout Europe, cafe's are a way of life, from the warmest south to the chilly and clean north. They evoke a sense of peace, of stepping away from what we do every day, of stopping time. 

Cafe's are a universal oasis of calm.

'Boats in the Harbour'

This series depicts my travels...I saw these 2 Norwegian boats moored in the harbour and painted them using Corel Painter.

Many years ago I sat on the docks of Marseille and painted the boats 'plein air'...on location. The old sailors came by to watch. 

Boats are an everlasting wonderful thing to paint.

 

GreenBoats72.jpg

On The Banks Of A Welsh River

I have started a series called Of Stories & Places. Digital paintings of my travels. 

I stood on the banks of this river in a tiny Welsh town on my way to visit Tintern Abbey. It was quiet with no one around. I took my image down to the bare simplistic minimum to get the feeling of the solitude and peace. 

The Challenge

Every artist goes through a challenge.

We create something that is very successful. We do it over and over. And then, we get stuck. We lose the passion, the thing that drove us to create that particular style or topic.

Every artist has to fight through that 'stuck' bit. It is a real battle inside.

Only when we fight within ourself, can we break through.

A Cafe

It all started when I ran out of money. 

Chablis.jpg

I was living in Aix and discovered, on a Friday afternoon, that there was rien in my bank account. I called dad but there was no way to receive funds until Monday.

How was I going to buy food for the next 3 days? Big question for a broke student.

I used my art brain, went to a cafe on the famous boulevard in town and asked them if they wanted their cafe painted. They did. So I did. And made $20 and bought food.

That was the beginning of my Bistros & Marches of the World  line of paintings, all depicting cafes and markets.

Here is one. I call it Chablis on the Champs Elysees. 

The French love red.