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La place de la Fontaine, Saignon, Provence. Watercolour. £99. 12" x 9". Click image to see larger  |
1 August 2011
La Place de la Fontaine, Saignon, Provence
This beautiful fountain stands outside the Hotel de Presbytere in the heart of Saignon in the Luberon. Saignon is a classic hill top village with its 12th century Romanesque church and 11th Century Benetictine Abbey nearby. Today its a mecca for tourists though but still retains its calm serene atmosphere. Along the street from this painting sits a 'Grumpy Old Man' in front of his rented house making garlands and posies with lavender. He's right at the heart of the village where people wander past towards the fountain. I was having lunch nearby and was amused to see him severely repremand a young couple who dared to take a photo of him at work, he pointed out that in order to do so one should pay him 5 Euros! I wondered what I would have had to pay if I was to sit and paint him?
29 July 2011
28 July 2011
Turn Left for Bonnefond
This painting shows a part of Grand Meynieux my next door village at about 7am. The day started like this, dull, misty low cloud, there was a constant drizzle which didn't let up all day. It had a kind of other-worldly feeling about it, very quiet, and you could almost here the mist and drizzle in the air. Someone was working in their vegetable plot, how he managed to light a fire I'll never know. A Summer's day that reminds me of other places!
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| Turn left for Bonnefond. Oil. £99. Purchase details click here Click image to see larger |
27 July 2011
The Luberon Hills
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The Luberon Hills. Oil. £99. SOLD Click image to see larger Looking across the sea of Lavender towards the Hills of the Luberon. |
26 July 2011
In the Shade of the Apple
While taking Jemima my dog for a long walk through the fields a few weeks ago I came across a graveyard of old cars, it was a bizzare sight, most were from the forties and fifties I think, all rusty and forgotten, just rotting away in an old orchard. Was it too expensive to have them removed? Somehow I'm glad they weren't, the romantic in me had me dancing amongst them with my camera snapping away as though I was trying to take them with me and making sure they would last forever, nuts I know.... I like sheds too!
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| In the shade of the Apple. Oi. £99. SOLD Click image to see larger  |
25 July 2011
Towards Saint Martin de Castillon
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Click image to see larger This painting looks towards the hilltop village Saint Martin de Castillon, a 'Village Perche' about 5kms East of Apt in Provence, a long winding road to get there and once there the view from it as you might expect is stunning, It was early when I drove up and managed to get a coffee and something to eat at a cafe with a balcony looking back the way I'd come... gorgeous!  |
22 July 2011
Cafe de France
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Cafe de France. Oil. £99. SOLD Click image to see larger Another painting from Provence; I took a trip across to l'Isle sur la Sourge one day, the last time I was there was about ten years ago. A really hot day and my plan was to get Jemima to plunge into the river and cool off while I worked (sat and had a drink) they say never work with animals so the plan didn't work, and we both sat and enjoyed a drink here at the Cafe de France, a gorgeous old place - just missed out on lunch. But enjoyed a couple of hours just relaxing and enjoying being there under the Plane tree. |
21 July 2011
Red Rose
There is a Rose shrub on the front of my house which produces an abundance of red Rose clusters all through the Summer. Not sure what its name is but the scent is beautiful, I hacked it back and took off the dead blooms a month ago and it has returned with even more! The photo was taken during its first flowering this year.
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| Red Rose. Oil. £99. Purchase details click here Click image to see larger |
20 July 2011
Provencal Evening
A beautiful warm evening in Provence. I was camping at the farm in the right distance below the Luberon hills. The farm harvested grapes but not for wine, they were used for dried fruit, raisins I guess. The farmer was up with the light and off in his tractor to spray the rows of vines and then back about 2hrs later for his breakfast, before I even knew about what day it was! The track led to the vines and the road with the blue shadows led to the farm.
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Provencal Evening. Oil.£99. Purchase details click here Click image to see larger |
19 July 2011
Petit Chemin de Monet
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Petit Chemin de Monet. Oil. £99. Purchase details click here Click image to see larger Adjacent to the Citroen van I painted the other day is the little lane above, which when I was painting was cast with a gorgeous blue yellow light. Highlighted by the redundant Allis Chalmers tractor. |
18 July 2011
Cafe Theresa
This is a painting of my favourite cafe in my local town Rochechouart. You wouldn't know it was a cafe without the sign outside, it doesn't look much at all in fact when I first saw it I thought it was just an old building that just happened to have an old cafe sign on it, much like the old Dubonnet signs you can still see around. Inside the front door there is an ordinary old kitchen with cooker etc and a large table with half a dozen chairs around it, and off that there are a few dark rooms I havn't seen yet. Its wonderful! If you want a coffee a sauspan is used and a beer comes out of the fridge. It's run by Theresa who's a really switched on 90 year old lady. I hadn't been there for a while but I went last Friday and was greeted like an old friend, I was feeling a little low but imediately my spitits lifted and i spent a couple of happy hours sitting opposite painting. A short while later I was invited to join her and her daughter for a cup of tea at the table outside, there wasnt much conversation from me needless to say, but that didn't matter they knew I couldnt speak much French but I was made to feel very comfortable. They loved the painting and I came away feeling even more like I was becoming part of this place....
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| Cafe Theresa. Oil. £99. Purchase details click here. Click image to see larger |
15 July 2011
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