Dear Friends and Family, I love diners. Anytime, day or night, you can get a hamburger, a cup of coffee for the road, or a full breakfast. This is Twin Pines Diner in East Haven, Connectucut. This diner holds a special place in my heart, and not just because of its great food. One night long ago, after a late night trip back to Connecticut from France, my daughter Bella fell asleep here, … Read more
I’ve always thought that painting and cooking have a lot in common. Haven’t you noticed that most painters are great cooks? Because I love to cook, I’ve been giving this idea some thought over the past couple of weeks. Ingredients in the kitchen are like colors on the painter’s palette. Cooks combine ingredients to please the sense of smell, taste and sight, with an eye toward balance, harmony and composition of the meal. … Read more
Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face. Victor Hugo Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/winter.html#br2wPZf2IGuSBgwX.99 Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face. Victor Hugo Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/winter.html#br2wPZf2IGuSBgwX.99 Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face. ~Victor Hugo Dear Friends, You all know that I love to paint en plein air. But when the weather is cold and I haven’t painted outdoors for … Read more
Dear Friends and Family, It used to be difficult, if not impossible, to find good old-fashioned American style cupcakes in Paris. Not anymore. Now there are cupcake stores, cookie stores and hamburgers springing up all over. But the best cupcake store in Paris is still Sugar Daze, in Pigalle, just up the street from our house. The best (and the most beautiful) cupcakes in town. I bought these cupcakes for Valentine’s Day last week, … Read more
Happy New Year, 2014! Wow, January is almost over. This blog celebrates its one year anniversary this month. In January 2013 I published my first post, International Plein Air Painters. I’ve gotten quite a few comments over the last twelve months. One of them was, “What’s the deal with Felice?” You probably know me as “Phil,” then saw my name in print or on my business card and were not quite sure which to … Read more
Do you remember “A Charlie Brown Christmas”? It’s a holiday TV special based on Charles M. Schultz’s comic strip “Peanuts.” It appeared on prime time television, beginning in 1965. Charlie was always getting beaten by his schoolmate Lucy, and outsmarted by his dog Snoopy. He is the underdog, and a defender of the underdog, at the same time. Charlie Brown has a sentimental attachment to his Christmas tree. It’s a sad little … Read more
A round painting, or “tondo”, always attracts my interest. Whe I see a round painting in a gallery or a museum I go up and check it out first. I’m surprised there are not more of them out there. Actually the term “tondo” is from the Renaissance, and refers to larger round paintings or sculptures. My painting technically would not qualify since its diameter is only about 16 inches, or about 41 centimeters. … Read more
This painting is sixth in the series, “Sign Paintings” The other day I realized just how many movies there are about artists, and how they’ve inspired me over the years. So I thought I’d put together a quick list of five of my favorites. This is not a complete list, but it’s enough to get started. I’ll continue to add to it over time. 1. The Agony and the Ecstasy A 1965 film about … Read more
During our stay in the US this summer, I spent a lot of time hanging around Bikram Yoga New Haven, on Elm Street. I must have passed this Perkins Rubber Stamp Company sign at least 20 times. The business is still listed at 43 Elm Street and you can still buy rubber stamps from them. I’m not the only one who loves this sign. Here are a couple of photos of it on … Read more
This is the first of three oil sketches done in Orange, Connecticut. Even though we are in the middle of the summer, this Japanese Maple seems to be foreseeing the future, with its yellow/orange leaves and cool shade. Here are two more sketches. Trying to capture the heat of a summer morning. Intense, but not yet overpowering… “Orchard House” was painted last summer… These three paintings … Read more