Another Parisian Cafe Painting

 

120x120 cm (sketch stage) --

This is my 101th painting in 2014.  Eighty-eight were small formats and thirteen large.  Before I was working for Carré d'Artistes I'd spend a month on a painting this size, now this size flows out in a week.

The waiter is delivering a bottle of rose to the table in the sunshine.  Nothing new about that but everyone in the painting is fiddling with a mobile phone.

vote your favorite title for the finished painting -

 

Choose from your suggested titles: the poll is on my blog - top left.  

work in Progress

 

It's a marathon.  Forty down and I'm just starting.  Have to finish three large formats by Friday including this one of the Bon Marché and the one from the last post whose title you'll get to vote on when I the finished painting.

Tonight I paint until midnight.

Le Bon Marché - 100x100cm, oil on canvas (unfinished)

The forty on the floor will go to another one of Carré d'Artistes galleries, I will let you know when that happens and where.  Working for them is a challenge which I'm really enjoying, it's like training for a marathon.  Shorter and longer runs and lots of them.  Now the large formats are flying of my brush. 

Help me choose a title for this painting

Parisan Cafe oil painting - 120x120 cm (48x48inches) -oil on canvas -

 Any idea what title this painting should carry?  As you can see it is not finished.

Party in Times Square - a paletteknife painting of NYCParty

Party in Times Square

36x36cm oil on canvas

I tried to get that night atmosphere with the glaring lights

Soon to be on sale at Carré d'Artistes

Times Square Sunset - a palette knife painting of NYC

Times Square Sunset - 36x36cm oil on canvas

It's so thick looks like Nutella on toast. 

Years ago if I came across this painting I might have scorned.  Too easy, yeah right.  After painting like this I realize how much skill it takes, more concnetration, no time to waste, no strokes out of place.  This painting will be on sale with Carré d'Artistes some time soon.

Girl in The Red Dress

Girl in the Red Dress 36x36cm oil on canvas--

Another palette-knife painting  of NYC.  It looks like Nutella on toast. I like the guy in the delivery truck, can you see him?

Palette knife painting of NYC

La Villa - 19x19cm Oil on canvas --

One of the next forty NYC cityscapes for Carré d'Artistes

Mostly palette knife technique. 

Where you in Florence in 1991?

 

a watercolor from twenty-three years ago!

painted on site at Boboli gardens on cold pressed Arches paper.

Saturday I received an email:

Dear Ms. Brooksby;

Just curious, but were you in Florence Italy in June of 91 and were you painting watercolors next to the Uffezi Gallery? Not sure, but I believe I may have purchased a painting from you. I was there during the International AIDS Conference with Jim (Lastname), who, if I have the right Brooksby, is your cousin. The watercolor below is the painting in question, but the signature doesn't match anything I've seen in your more recent work. If I'm all wet about this, I apologize for inconveniencing you.

Sincerely,

Owen Weislow

Damn right that's mine!   Here is my respone:

Hi Owen,

Yes that is my watercolour, quite a collectors item.  That one I am 100% positive I painted on site from the Boboli garden.  Cool, thanks for emailing.  Can I put your message on my blog?  I'll remove all names.

Thank you Owen Weislow for sending this to me, and thank you for allowing me to post this on my blog.  But Jim Lastname is not my cousin, a great friend.

 I've often changed my signature.  Many of the early watercolors I painted in Florence are signed "Beliza" B for my last initial and Eliza for part of my middle name.  This one is one of the very first when I'd began painting and rode my Vespa into the Florentine hills with my easel strapped behind. 

I've always advocated artists using archival material.  Definitely worth if hearing from a happy client  a quarter of a century later. 

 

Jump the Puddle

Jump the Puddle

36x36cm  oil on linen

Another of the next forty going to Carré d'Artistes.  This is down near China town.
Thanks Carré d'Artistes!

Times Square Cab

Times Square Cab, oil on canvas 19x19cm

This is one of the next forty for Carré d'Artistes.

I feel lucky to be among their artists. 

Thanks Carré d'Artistes!

 

White Umbrella

 

White Umbrella

36x36 cm

 Black marker and oil on canvas 

Never say never and I thought I'd never paint NYC again but it's just so much fun.