Meeeeerrrrrrry Christmas!

 

A Glorious  Day!

150x150 cm oil on canvas

This was one of the funnest paintings I have ever made, it just rolled off my brush. An unusual subject for me and Christmas surprise for a friend commissioned by his family.   

The beach is Saint Agnes in Cornwall.

I hope that all all your future days are as glorious as this day was!

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays and happy New Year

See you in 2014 with a new series.  I'm moving atelier, been boxing stuff and painting rainbows on walls for the last six weeks. It will be nice to relax in the atelier again.

Cheers!

Upcoming Auction - 30 November 2013 at Rossini-Drouot

Where are You?

100x100cm

oil on canvas

This painting will be on auction at Rossini november 30th at 2pm Paris time.  The auction is a charity where 100% of the proceeds go to the Association AMFE (Enfants Malades de Foie).  I hope they make buckets of money to help the kids and their families.  You can bid online.  Rossini is one of the largest auction houses in Europe.

Just to let you am quitting painting NYC.  Its been almost four years that I've been on this stint, now it's time to move on to new and more personal subject matter.  I love NY so lets leave it alone.

There is lots of detail in the painting, it took over a month to paint.

A more classic approach

This is Avenue de Clichy!

Just an underpainting

commission

The last month I've worked on one painting that may be used for a meeting here in Paris

Here is the founder of the doctrine of Evolution.

Do you know this man?

His sculpture has a prominent position in the Jardin des Plantes.

Then I had to incorporate this drawing into the painting.  Not an easy task.

This was the underpainting

then it went here and I thought I would have to give up.

Soon I'll post the final piece.

Exhibition this week

My paintings will be in the salon 

ARTO'CLOCK 

at the C'NIT the Défense, Paris

Tennis White

Tennis White

30x30

  These small paintings are rapid sketches, all about atmosphere and gesture.  It's been great painting all the people, practicing skin tones

Broadway Taxi

Broadway Taxi

30x30 oil on linen

Black Tie

Black Tie

30x30cm oil on linen

I wish I had gone down to Wall Street to photograph all the people in white shirts.  The guy on the left is wearing headphones.  

American Street Corner

30x30 oil on linen

Somewhere in Baltimore we came across this view.  After living so long in Europe I am fascinated by the power lines in the US. 

Bike Lane

Bike Lane

60x120cm oil on canvas

Another painting, Uptown Traffic, similar to this one, was selected by a gallery for the fair Art O'Clock at La Défense.   But I sold it, rather traded it upon request of my landlord for free studio space.  So the gallery flipped out and asked me to repeat Uptown Traffic.  Instead, I painted  Bike Lane, same format, same angle.

Come to the

Art O'clock

CNIT Paris la Défense
19-21 Septembre 2013

Walk on Red

Walk on Red

20x20cm oil on linen

Signs and traffic lights that hang on wires.  Love it!

Walking Home

Walking Home

20x20cm oil on linen

I think the guy on the top left looks like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever.  

Smile

Smile

20x20cm oil on linen

I love these pub signs.  Thing is it doesn't matter what was written on it.  I can decide.

Red Flag

Red Flag

20x20cm oil on linen

When you see a red flag flash behind your eyes then it's time to stop and listen to yourself.  It's happened to me a few times and those were life changing moments. 

NYC Skyline

NYC Skyline

20x20cm

oil on linen

This view is on the highway coming in from Long Island.  It reminds me of certain paintings I did of Tuscany, long long ago

NYC Cab

NYC Cab

20x20

oil on linen

I love the purple tarmac.  I need to get crazy with these colors.

La Magiorata

La Magiorata

20x20cm

I've embarked on a major production of little paintings for a gallery.  The technique is fast with sharpie pens and palette knife.  These are more about gesture.  Oil sketches.

It is more fun than I imagined.  What is 

Hopefully I can post one a day...  so stay tuned

A Beautiful Dedication to Me from Someone Worth Following

A week ago I had visitors in my atelier in Ivry.  What a lovely couple.

They fell in love with a painting and took it home.

Caroline posted on her blog the adventure she lived and I almost cried when I read her post. La Belle Americaine on Watzis Her blog is a great mix of vintage

She calls me "formidable and adorable and profondément touchante. "

I am touched by her kind words and really, like my head is ready to explode from her admiration.

Thanks Caroline and Jean-Babtiste!!!

A french collection

Here is a photo of one of my paintings in it's new home somewhere in France.  It looks so small but the house is gigantic.  The painting is big too. It looks like a photo almost.  

It's such a pleasure that my painting has a happy home.  Thanks!

Speed Trap

Speed Trap

oil on linen 30x30cm

love this little painting.  It's in Long Island, heading for the Hamptons 

work in progress,Contemporary figurative painting of New York City

I love this painting like it is.  It might be nice to leave it like this and call in Manhattan Dream, but I'll finish it.

September 21-29 my paintings will be at the Cnit for the Art'Oclock. The Cnit is the convention center at the Defense in Paris. Later in Strasbourg for the St'Art and then Mulhouse and more coming...  

The Douannère finished

So they asked me to paint more realistically.  Which means slower, time consuming, plodding along.  But here is the result.  I think this painting rocks.

Il Douannière

120x80cm

oil on canvas

It looks hyper real but, like all my paintings, it decomposes as you get close.

The details show the brushstrokes and spatula knife but nothing can show the many sittings and different moods I wore as the thing developed.

I love back lighting.

I don't know when I started the actual painting of this, the brush to canvas when I sit down and look, not the preparations.  Those were almost a month ago.

This group came out well, no details, just planes of light.  Seeing the Slovenian Impressionists show at the Petit Palais was a good idea.  I was definitely impressed.

Now on to the next.

A medal from the Ville de Paris

Balzac à la Rotonde

60x60cm

oil on canvas

Balzac is that green thing on the right.  He stares south at the corner of Boulevard Raspail and Boulevard Montparnasse just accross from the taxi stand next to the café La Rotonde. I don't think many people notice him, but he's there.

Last night I was at the city hall of the 5th arrondissement in Paris at the prize ceremony for the artists of the 5th. To my surprise I was awarded a bronze medal for painting from the ville de Paris.  How thrilling.  Then about twenty of us went to dinner near Cardinal Lemoine at La Voie Lactée, a wonderful Libanese restaurant.

Here is a photo:

And here is what Paris looked like last night.  Margritte was here once, you can tell.

The Douaniere - working progress

Here is the third step: blocking in the third grounds.

Below is my palette.

The mix of colour is quite strange: Cadmium white, cadmium yellow lemon, ultramarine blue, ivory black and, golden ochre.  Years ago I never dreamt of mixing that together. 

The black and white look

Here is another painting that was loved. It doesn't look like this anymore, it's red now.

 I've never done a NYC street scene in black and white,  It's compelling to paint full colour but I may make a change for this one.  At least lower the chromatic contrast, not exactly monotone but close

I like the arm coming out of the left.

Grand MArché d'art Contemporain at Saint Sulpice

Saint Sulpice was a fantastic show for me.  I'm just recovering, fairs are a marathon of chatting.  So draining.  

The favorite painting in my stand was the Douanière 

120x80

oil on canvas

I'm not surprised though this is just the beginning.  Often people like the debut of my paintings.  Yesterday I covered it with a mix of cadmium red and burnt umber and ultramarine blue, but I plan to bring it back to these chromatic tones.

My stand was on the second on left.  There's the church. 

Back in the studio

I GOT INTERNET IN MY STUDIO!

What a wicked distraction.

Here I am starting a brainless drawing of a kid holding a cow for the maternelle school party.  I need some rest after the last few months and especially after the GMAC at Saint Sulpice.  

Saint Sulpice was an awesome success, I'll definitely be there next year, way better than the Bastille.  Great public. Special thanks to J-B of the L'officiel des spectacles who chose to publish the photo of my painting Cruising and to V and K of JGO who used my painting Cruising in an emailing to 64 thousand recipients.  Thanks to all you who came by.

Back to the nose grind with Corisca beaches in mind.

The expo at Saint Sulpice and the poster

Here I am hiding out from the downpour, photo graciously offered by the Aussies

Here is the poster of my show at Terre des Arts

The best part of yesterday, the first day of the show, was when the person in charge of publicity for l'official des Spectacles came to congratulate me on my work and opened the current L'officiel to the page where my painting Cruising is published.  I almost cried.  There are about four images in total throughout the entire magazine.  He chose the photo of my painting to represent the entire Grande Marché d'art Contemporain at Saint Sulpice.  

Whoopee!!!

the mail truck

Mail Truck

60x60cm

oil on canvas

I did a version of this, a small sketch about a year ago that went on auction. This one will be at the Saint Sulpice if my art dealer doesn't grab it first.  

newest painting th

This should be done this evening, it's only a 60x60cm

here is the palette...

I mix colours and clean my palette continuously

And here is another painting that I haven't yet finished but there is not much more to do, just some refining 

This one is 120cm high by 100cm wide.  I called it

"17 Seconds"

I did a painting similar to this that was a slice 120x30cm cutting out the M&Ms .

Off to Ivry- the butt hole of the world.

Solo Exhibition at Galerie Terre des Arts. Venez!

Today opens my third solo exhibition at the gallery Terre des Arts.

There will be thirty-six paintings of NYC hanging accompanied by the sculputres of Oliv'ine.

Vernissage is at 3pm, 12 may 2013

Galerie Terre des Arts

34 rue Perignon

75015 Paris

Come!!

studio shot of new painting

Here is the studio as of last Tuesday.  All those paintings on the left are gone, the chauffeur from Terre des Arts picked them up.  It is a pleasure to not have to deliver stuff.  

I love my space.  It feels like "AH" when I open the door and walk in.  

I've worked my butt off this spring and now all I have to do is paint for the Grand Marché d'art Contemporain at the Saint Sulpice.  I'll be delivering my own paintings for the four day salon and staying there the entire time.  This painting and the ones that are visible on the walls will be part of my stand.

Entrance is free 30 May to 2 June place Saint Sulpice.

new galeries and the Tinkerman

The Tinkerman's Crossing.

100x120cm

This painting has a funny name because the guy dressed in blue inspired me.  I was thinking a bit frustatedly, will save you the details, of how guys like to  fuddle around with constructing things or renovating stuff.  I think it is great to do that but when you happen to be in one of those hardware stores on Saturday morning it's hard not to remark the tinkers.  

The guy dressed in the blue t-shirt is carrying bags and poles.  He's got to wait for the light to turn before he can cross.

So for the news.  On may 12 I'll be exposing in galerie Terre des Arts for my 3rd big solo with them.  36 painting should be on the walls, most are pretty large.  Then in the end of May I'll be in the Grand Marché d'Art Contemporain at the Saint Sulpice.  I just signed on with Christian Dominé as a promoter/dealer for my paintings in France, Belgium and Switzerland.  Now the Galerie In3Arts in Metz is carrying my paintings and I've sent my first 40 paintings to Carré d'Artistes.  It's been a busy spring.

I'll be posting more regularly

New York Cyclist

New York Cyclist

20x20cm oil on linen

And here is a new video of me using my palette knife.  This is the next painting to be completed...

Enjoy

Long Island Highway

LongIsland Highway

30x30cm

ol on linen

View Downtown

View Downtown

30x30cm

oil on linen canvas

This is a sketch so to say for the  Man in Black that I finished last week.

Sunlight Cab

Sunlight Cab

30x30cm

oil on linen