Our Painting Safari began in France this year because we will not arrive in the US until almost August. But Plein Air painting has begun, with this painting done at Île de Puteaux, west of Paris, where Sam and I play tennis every Sunday morning. Île de Puteaux is an island in the Seine where houseboats are moored, as they are all along the Seine both within and outside the city limits of … Read more
This painting was accepted into the contest and exposition “On the Rooftops” in the Salon Aguado, at the Mairie of the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The exposition and contest is in support of Paris’s bid for its rooftops to be included as one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. It is organized by the Mayor of the 9th arrondissement, Delphine Bürkli. You are cordially invited to attend the vernissage on Tuesday the 31st March … Read more
“Do not plan for ventures before finishing what’s at hand.” – Euripides Unknown to me before I found this quote was that Euripides trained as a painter in addition to being a playwright. Each January, we focus on New Year’s Resolutions, new beginnings and new projects. But then what happens? I myself have been guilty of starting projects and paintings, then leaving them unfinished. I think there are about seven unfinished paintings in my … Read more
Dear Friends and Family, When I was a kid, I went fishing almost every afternoon after school with my uncle Bill. Before he’d get home from work I’d walk down the street to Dee’s Bait & Tackle to buy a can of worms. Uncle Bill arrived home and we’d go fishing. Last March I claimed that Painting was like Cooking, but painting (at least plein air painting) is also a lot like fishing. Why? Here … Read more
Dear Friends and Family, This summer we combined a quick college tour for Bella, with visits with good friends and cousins in Maine and Cape Cod. Flying from Paris to Montreal, we stopped at McGill University, then travelled down through New York State, stopping at other schools. After dropping Bella and Sam off at their respective summer programs, Caryn and I spent a week in Brunswick, Maine. The population in Maine is about one … Read more
Dear Friends and Family, A Go-Bag or Bug-Out Bag originally refered to a backpack containing enough supplies to survive for up to 72 hours. In the event of a disaster, you would have everything you need already packed and ready to go, or at least near at hand. A more friendly use of the term go-bag includes a kit of materials and supplies for a particular job or event, like a student’s bag, a … Read more
Some things change and some things stay the same. We all know that, but don’t we somehow want Paris to stay the same? The smoky cafés, the strolls down broad avenues, the delicious two hour lunches? Time spent with family and good friends? We arrived in Paris on January 3, 2002, the first day of the euro. Since then I’ve noticed many changes in Paris. Here are four: 1. More coffee and … 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, Helen Davey, an Australian musician who composes and performs music in response to art works, has set my painting “Samuel” to music. My painting is eighth in a series of 52 pieces of art in her current project “Project 52 Sound-Paintings.” Fifty-two musical compositions in response to fifty-two artists over fifty-two weeks. I am honored to be a part of this project. – When I painted this picture of Samuel, … Read more