Post exhibition

No Ego.....Simply Essence was a wonderful event. Out of 20 paintings, 14 have found new homes. I am so glad about it. All of them are going to good homes.
I would like to say a big "Thank you" to everyone.
Time to go back to the easel........I will be posting soon.
Cheers
Claude

NO EGO.....SIMPLY ESSENCE

As mentioned weeks earlier, I am having a private exhibition. I've had time to relax and to prepare for the show. Several people have been helping me and I would like to thank them. Josiane, Veronique, thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you have done. I will let you know how it all went when the exhibition is over.
I have invited many friends from overseas including my family from France. Not many will come unfortunately......down under is a long way away. I will be sharing the experience with them after the event.
Ok I must go now. Some of my paintings have not been signed yet........time to put the final touch.
Cheers to all,
Claude

All wrapped up

Here is my latest oil painting. I have enjoyed painting this one a lot. I like the way the sticky tape is coming off the wrapping paper. What is inside the parcel I hear you ask? ........I used a painting that I had painted a while ago and simply wrapped it up. Well, now you know!

Unfinished

Unfinished......well, as you can see, it is. I am still painting this little baby. As it is progressing slowly, I thought I would show you how the process goes. I am usually shy to show my paintings like that to anyone but perhaps someone is going to find this interesting. I used a rich red as my first layer. Once that layer is dry, I can start the painting with very thin paint. I then keep on building the layers from thin to thick paint. This is called fat over lean. I have a long way to go in order to finish this painting but this is what I love, the process of doing it......

Zantedeschia aethiopica

Here is my painting for this week. I really like the strong effect of the white against the background. When I see those flowers in the garden, I know that beautiful spring is here.

Before nightfall

I thought I heard them say: "Come on! It is time to go to bed....close your petals and go to sleep".
Well, spring is upon us here down under. What a wonderful time of the year. Tulips are beautiful at the moment and amazing to paint.

Behind the fruit bowl

What are those two lemons doing behind the fruit bowl?..... Hummm..... I wonder..... perhaps they are simply surprised to see their own reflection. What tremendous joy this painting has given me while I was painting it. I guess this is why I love painting. I felt like a kid again.

Champagne?

This is my oil painting for the week. Simple.....but I love it! As a prop, I used a bottle of Bollinger champagne. That is what is inside the wrapping paper. This bottle of French champagne was given to me recently by my friend Pam, who is a wonderful actress. Cheers to Pam and all of you.

The Gift

I would like to dedicate this painting to my very best friend Marie-Anne. She had her birthday on Friday. We have been friends for 35 years, so I have filled this box with all of my friendship to her, all the things we have done together. Come to think of it, I should have used a bigger box.

Coffee?....Tea?....Me?....

What is the story here? I suspect this cup is begging to be filled with something you like drinking. Perhaps a herbal tea? I enjoyed this week painting very much. I never thought painting a plain cup, a saucer and a spoon could be so "pleasuresome!".

Not pared yet!

This pear is getting riper by the minute. It has not been pared yet, hence the tittle. I have turned around the knife to get a different composition from my previous painting. Pears are beautiful fruits and pleasurable to paint....... and to eat!

Pare me!

Here it is! "Une bonne poire!" Are you going to pare it or not? The white plate, the pear and the paring knife have been fun to paint. I feel contented.

Me?.....hot!

Me?.......hot! Here is my painting of the week. I like the shadows, especially under the tips of the chili peppers. As much as I enjoyed painting those "hotties", I like to eat them too.

Once upon a spoon

Once upon a spoon......time to make the apple puree?  Let me tell you, the spoon has been a challenge to paint but I love the reflection of the apple and the paper bag in it. I'm so glad this painting worked out as well as it did.

The great escape

This painting has been a joy to paint. It is one of those paintings that just flows......what a feeling!

Hooked

I got back from New Zealand on Friday. It is such an inspiring place, so beautiful. For this painting, I used acrylic paint to speed up the process and then glazed the cherries with oil paint. I love the way those two cherries seem to like each other. It has been a real pleasure doing this painting. It made me quite happy.

My brushes

This is a photo....not an oil painting.

I am in New Zealand at present for work related business. So I am having a little break from my easel. I will resume my one painting a week when I get back home on the 22nd of July. My next post will be on the 24th of July.

Kiss-Kiss

I went to my local grocery store and saw some cherries imported from the USA. They looked beautiful. Being winter here in Australia and at $39/kg!.... I only bought a few and decided to paint a couple. I played with the cherries. They did not want to keep standing up, but then I liked this composition......et voila! They were a lot of fun to paint and I loved using the colour red.

Peel me!

Peel me!.....Please!!!. I have had a busy week at work. Pressure was on.  Just a week to do an oil painting seems at times not enough, but this is teaching me not to waste time and focus on what has to be done. Perhaps this painting needed a little more time but this is it! I like the vegetable peeler and am happy with the flesh of the apple. This granny smith was peeled completely once the painting was done, and ....I ate it!!!

Out of the bag

Out of the bag! The second apple seems to be willing to follow the first one. This painting has been a real joy to paint. Indeed, the paper bag has been a challenge to paint, but overall I am pleased with the results. I particularly like the inside of the bag.

All piled up!

Here is my painting of the week. I am pleased with the composition and I have enjoyed painting this apple. The knife and mug were challenging to paint and I liked that.

In the bag

In the bag? yes, in the bag! I posted my latest oil painting a little late....by less than a minute. I did not know how to paint a plastic bag. Well, now I know....it is hard, but it has been such a rewarding experience. I like the reflection of the apple through the plastic bag.

Four apples

Four apples.... Could you come up with a better title? I could not! Anyway, today was very overcast and the final picture of this painting is not so good. I will try to redo the camera work to do justice to those beautiful apples. I'm contented and happy with the painting. I am already thinking about my next creation....will it be in the bag? (up dated camera work on 07/06/2011- CD)

Australian Artist challenge June 2011

By the way, I had entered the Australian Artist challenge/competition for the June 2011 edition. I submitted three entries. The portraits are 100cm x 100cm oil paintings on canvas. The first one is of my very good friend Andrew, and the second is of my very dear friend John. I also added a magenta rose. It is an oil painting 45cm  x 45 cm....................I did not win the challenge!
Here they are.........what do you think?

Me fatty

Apple! Jazz apple? Well, this is my latest oil painting. I had never seen a Jazz apple before in my life. I decided to go back to oil painting this week and tried to change the way I usually paint. I have been painting realistically with lots of blending in the past with multiple layers of paint, but not this time. This painting is done Alla Prima with no blending, just putting down the brushstrokes the best I possibly can. This has been more challenging than I thought, but fun at the same time. Anyway, more apples to come soon. Older paintings here for comparison.

Plan de la Limace au printemps

My sister in law had sent me several photographs last year. She was at Plan de la Limace in the Bauges region in Savoie France. I had been thinking for quite some time about painting this breathtaking and awesome scenery in watercolour. As always, it has been a challenge to use watercolour as a medium. I must admit, I have had plenty of frustration but in the end I am quite happy with the results. I will try to do it again perhaps in the near future. Anyway, time now to think of my next painting....for next week. Will it be a watercolour again or an oil painting? We will see.....

Yolande au plan de la limace dans les Bauges en Savoie France. Que du bonheur!

Pears

I wanted to paint some pears in watercolour this weekend. The weather outside is mild but one can already feel winter coming. I went upstairs to my studio, put on some music and tried to relax. Watercolour is a difficult medium for me. Anyway, it was challenging but I enjoyed the "doing it" and am happy with the results.