Friday, December 14, 2012

"Balancing Act", 11x14, still life, realism, red onion, eggs, pottery

"Balancing Act", 11x14, oil on linen

Sometimes it seems as though our lives are precarious balancing acts. How quickly our daily joys can turn into stress and pain over some unexpected turn of events. How quickly our relaxation can turn into stress, when we are unprepared for a turn of events.

The holidays can often be a real "Balancing act". Unexpected costs for gifts, unexpected company, unexpected illness or even a delayed flight can turn what should have been a happy time into a period of stress and even dread.

This Christmas I have promised myself that I will not stress out. I will stay focused on the true meaning of the season and share this blessed time with those I love and friends I cherish. I will not cave in to the negativity of shopping at unreasonable hours, cleaning till the skin comes off my hands or eating sugar-laden treats till I can't close my pants!

Although Jesus Christ was not really born in December, (see here), I will still stay focused on the fact that his birth whenever it occurred, was a blessing to the entire world. And for those who choose to follow the path of Christianity, there are rewards that are most certainly beyond our current level of understanding to comprehend.

So if you are currently trying to juggle a "balancing act", sit back for a moment and meditate on your life's blessings- those that are past and those that you still hope for. The Christmas season is about Hope, Love and Peace. Let's try to enjoy it!

"Balancing Act" can be shipped framed and ready to hang in time for Christmas. I was always very proud of this piece and while it is not really indicative of my current style of painting, I have received many compliments on it, over the past few years.

Saturday, December 08, 2012

"Purple Door", 8x8, oil on panel, small paintings of France, Provence, Lacoste

SOLD
Purple Door", 8x8, oil on panel

I've painted Lacoste before. It was featured in the movie "A Good Year" and is as predictably French as a small town in Provence can get. It has narrow streets that go up and down and weave their way from a curving road in the heart of town up to the ruins of the castle of Marquis de Sade.


Au Revoir.

Purchase 'Purple Door' through Galerie du Soleil in Naples, Florida. Telephone:  (239) 417-3450

Wednesday, December 05, 2012

"Country Road", 9x12, oil on Raymar panel, impressionist paintings, country landscape, woman with umbrella, boat, house

"Country Road", 9x12, oil on Raymar panel

A while back I did a small little study of a painting by  19th century french Impressionist Édouard Leon Cortès (1882–1969).  Cortes is known as "Le Poete Parisien de la Peinture" or "the Parisian Poet of Painting" because of his diverse Paris cityscapes in a variety of weather and night settings.

I fell in love with his style of painting and today I decided to do another painting after his rustic country landscapes. In this version, I tried to learn from him while also incorporating a bit of my own style into the painting.

Learning from the old masters is a wonderful way to improve one's artistic skill. I did many paintings after Monet when I first started to paint, and I never grow tired of what I can learn from the French Impressionists!