Tag: paris

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Have you done it? I did and I’ll do it again.

Can painters cover paintings like musicians cover songs? I have done it before (Van Gogh in Arles). I did it in Paris. And I’ll do it again.

A contemporary of many French impressionist artists, Albert Marquet walked the line between fauvism and impressionism. While I was in Paris last week I painted the same bridge that he painted (many times). I did it on  purpose. I meant to do it. I don’t regret it and I will do it again.

Albert was an impressionist who used vivid colors now and then (with all due repect to Renior’s Bal du moulin de la Galette). Having said that, here are two rather dull, of his many paintings of Pont Neuf in Paris. My watercolor sketch of Pont Neuf is from a similar vantage point. Maybe next time I am in Paris, and my French is better, I will try to get to the same vantage point. Lest you do not think to highly of his work, the dark painting at the bottom sold for about $330,000 at a Christie’s auction in 2011.

Pont Neuf  le pont neuf temps gris

Here is one of his more colorful paintings.

Poissy, the White Fence. Paintied in 1929.

 

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New Work: Sketches from Paris

They are online! Yeah! All of the drawings were completed on location. They are my usual travel size, 12x17cm (5×7″).

Some of them took a couple of visits, like the Cafe scene on Rue Lombarde, which always seemed to entail more beer and wine with each visit. I had to finish the view of the Seine more quickly than intended. Either that or toss the homeless guy who decided to sit next to me into the the river. He endlessly played the same 5 notes on his accordian. I decided to spare him and I moved along.

My view of Notre Dame was from near Shakespeare and Company Bookstore. Someone had placed one of the store’s chairs quite far from the store. However, the chair was almost perfectly placed for my drawing. I only had to move it “slightly” – – I did put it back. Pont Alexandre III epitomizes Paris. Unfortunately there isn’t any place to sit and enjoy it’s splendor. It’s surrounded by busy roads and is a fair walk from most tourist sites. Pont Neuf is my sentimental favorite. It was painted many times by Albert Marquet, an impressionist era painter whose work I like. My sketch is an homage to him. As near as I can figure, he either lived in, or knew someone, on the second floor of the building along Quai des Orfèvres that overlooks this span. The Left Bank is on the far side.

Enjoy.

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Paris in pictures

I promise that I will have drawings from my Paris trip up soon. Unfortunately, the Fall semester at the university begins on Monday so I am busily prepaing for that as well.

In the meantime, I will say that I had a relaxing time in Paris, mostly without any agenda. In an attempt to describe Paris in one word, I thought that it was charming. Imagine my surprise this morning when I read an article in der Spiegel about the Eurozone crisis. The author described France as “… a deeply nostalgic and narcissistic country which is also, precisely for those reasons, very charming.” The psychologist in me could not have said it better.

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Looking Works Best

First of three posts on painting your travels.

When you take a photo, are you really looking at your subject? What do you remember? Think about it. How many levels does the Roman Coliseum have? What does the ceiling look like in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul?

Travel watercolor sketches, that you paint, are an excellent way to create long-lasting memories of your travels. Research has shown that travelers who sketch, or even just look, remember more than people who take photos.

Cannot draw? So what? If You Travel, You Can Paint. No excuses. If you think you cannot draw, then please read my next blog post. But first…

Travel watercolor sketches are easy for everyone. I am not talking about painting the Sistine Chapel here (arts equivalent of rocket science). A 3×5 piece of paper with a square building, a tree, some stick figures, and a splash of color makes a wonderful travel memory. Try one, I dare you. Then look at it when you get home. You will be amazed at what you remember; not just the subject of your little sketch, but your feelings, who you were with, the temperature, what you had for lunch, the ceiling, and way more.

In my next post I will talk about philosophical, procedural, and practical issues with travel watercolor painting. If you survive, then in my last post in this series, I will give you my ideas on what supplies you should carry as you travel.

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Eiffel Tower

Hey… it is an icon. I had to paint it. It was a nice bright spring day, a bit cool. I stood on the bank of the Seine for this view. Same spot as I took the photo in a previous post. The photo was actually merged from several photos because this location is too close for a single shot, at least with my camera. Fortunately, that is not a problem with drawing.