More Changes

Please note ... in changing the web address of this site I have lost my followers.  I respectfully ask that you please sign up again.  Sincere regrets for any inconvenience this may cause all of you who were so kind to sign up in the first place.

Progress continues; the bio page is complete now and I've added more pages including Landscape and Floral.

SUNFLOWERS FOR VINCENT   2003 oil 22" x 30"  Collection of  Dr. Josee Bourgon

In Arles, I went on a total Van Gogh pilgrimage.  At the local information centre, I was thrilled to acquire a comprehensive map and sought out all of the well marked sites of his painting locations.  It was only then that I became an absolute and complete fan of his work.  Over the following winter I read, in depth, about him.  This painting is my homage to him.

At The Night Cafe in Arles, France, October, 2002 

Making Cards

My efforts from yesterday

Wintry Sunday afternoons in Debie's sun room making cards are good times. She has a lot of wonderful toys and so do I. We double our pleasure when we pool our collections, share ideas, methods ...

Happy at our play

... and yes, wine.

Debie's handy work; real lace on double-sided tape, glittered and removed

My station; calculating where to cut to thread the ribbon

By now it's dark outside, the mess is deeper and I'm only on card #3!

Five hours yielded four cards. Debie is much faster than I am; she made eight. On a good day I could paint a small painting in the same time it takes to make one card. You might ask why do it? For the sheer joy of it. And then there is the pleasure of shopping for (and yes the hoarding of) pretty papers, ribbons, embellishments and rubber stamps, etc. Ideas from the card making magazines are a spring board.  The thrill and the challenge is taking and infusing them with our own creative twist.    

Still Under Construction ...

... but I have been adding to the Bio, Editions, B&W Prints and Cards pages.   

RENOIR'S VENUS VICTORIOUS   2003 oil 18" x 24"  $2650. framed

Around 1892, Renoir developed rheumatoid arthritis.  In 1907, he left Paris for the warmer climate of the French Riviera. There with the help of a young artist, Richard Guino, who worked the clay, he created sculptures such as this one in his garden. As an art student Renoir was my favourite French Impressionist painter. I'm sure you can imagine my delight when I had the good fortune to visit his home, a farm called Les Collettes, at Cagnes-sur-Mer.

At Le Collettes, October 25th, 2002

It's Coming Along, Slowly but Surely!

I'll continue to show you my "French Paintings" as I develop this new blog/website.  Today I have filled the SMALL GEMS PAGE and updated the GALLERIES page ... please take a look.

RENOIR'S ORANGES at LES COLLETTES, Cagnes sur Mer   2003 oil 12" x 18"   Collection of Marie Claire Vallet 

Your Patience Please ...

... While I add information to the tabs.  And many thanks to everyone who has viewed this site and become followers already, when it is less than a day old!

DOOR AT SUNDOWN, Les Baux-de-Provence    2003 oil 16" x 12"   Collection of Herb & Diane Fishman

A New Blog; New Website

Feeling nostalgia for the painting trips and time spent in France a decade ago I share some the art made as a result.

CEZANNE'S MONT SAINTE VICTOIRE, Aix en Provence, France    2004 oil 18" x 36"   Collection of Richard Berry

CHATEAU LA NERTHE, Chateauneuf du Pape, France   2004 oil 18" x 24"   Collection of  Dr.Catherine Hinds

MYSTERY STAIRWAY, Renaissance Castle at Lourmarin, France    2004 oil 24" x 36"  Collection of Doris and Cal Evans

MONET'S GARDNER'S BRIDGE, Giverny, France    2003 oil 24" x 36"   Collection of  Cathy Ann David & John McIsaac

MONET'S GRAND ALLEY, Giverny, France   2003 oil 24' x 36"   Collection of Margaret Ecclestone

MONET'S POND #1, Giverny, France   2003 oil 18" x 24"   Collector unknown

Labours of Love

As I seek out inspiration and contemplate what to paint, I offer you this, the last painting I did in 2011 ...

"Maggie" acrylic 7" x 5" (December 13th)

For Bill's sister, and her husband, I painted Maggie so that they could make a gift of it to their neighours who own her.

When Linda and Ron moved to Alberta Gunner came with them. Sadly, and only six months (to the day) after their arrival he had to be put down (cancer). At almost precisely the same time Linda met Kevin while he was walking Maggie. It is nothing short of a miracle that when my in-laws purchased their own condo, they became Wendy and Kevin's neighbours. Much to everyone's delight Maggie roams freely from one home to the other.

"Gunner" 2010 oil 12" x 9" 

Gunner was Linda and Ron's third English Springer Spaniel.  I had painted watercolour portraits of both other pets, long ago, when they were young dogs.  Linda's bids for a Gunner painting had been falling on my deaf ears for years before he passed.  Finally, and as a housewarming gift, I painted the portrait above.

They say I create wonderful likenesses and if anybody would know it would be the owners.  I have never fancied myself a pet portrait artist. These paintings are labours of love and, truth be told, they aren't really labourious at all. There is a joy in creating anything that I know will be so well received and appreciated.

Happy New Year

To begin 2012, I thank all of you who take the time to read this blog. Writing it gives me joy and I take great pleasure in receiving your comments and emails.  We are fortunate to live in a time when sharing information, inspiration, art and life is this easy!

As we slide into a new year I like to count the paintings I did in the year prior.  Of the 58 paintings I made in 2011 only 13 were larger than the daily format (which, for me, measure 6" x 6" or 5" x 7").  Compare this to 2010 ... when I began the almost daily painting project ... I made 59 paintings.  Of these, 30 were larger (although many not by much) than the small gems.  This has me noting that I am on target about creating more, smaller, daily paintings.  Heartfelt thanks for your tremendous response to these; there are only a handful left unsold.  

Although I haven't picked up a brush since before Christmas it won't be long before I do.  Until then I leave you with this painting.  A flame signifies so very much ... including, and especially, hope ...

Cherries, Candle, Check!   unframed oil 6" x 6"   $100.