The rain is coming - Lacanau

Here is an other studio painting I did while my baby was asleep. It is from a photograph I took during a family holiday this summer at Lacanau beach, near Bordeaux. The weather wasn't great during our stay but in the typical english good spirit, it didn't stop us going to the beach in our swimming suits, parasols, and a ton of suncream (well I speak for myself here), while it was hardly 18 degrees and it was clear the rain was only a few minutes away. I caught on my camera this moody dark sky just before we got completely wet and wanted to have a try turning it into a painting.

The rain is coming, Lacanau  12"x10" oil on board

I enjoyed painting the sky with freedom with big brushes and generous amount of paint, without thinking too much about what I was doing (not that I ever really know what I'm doing!). I'm quite pleased with the result and might try a few more from the same series.

This painting is for sale on my website here with worldwide shipping:

http://www.valeriepirlot.com/france/the-rain-is-coming-lacanau

Detail

Detail

Less is more... and a little sketch of a French landscape

I just wanted to share the great honour I had discovering that the artist/instructor Jeanne Mackenzie wrote about my painting 'Cold Winter Day - Alexandra Park' (see image below) for her series of articles titled 'Why This Works'; where she discusses why a contemporary painting succeeds as a painted image. This was published for PleinAir Today, the weekly enewsletter for PleinAir magazine. She describes better than me why I  like to keep things simple and almost abstract. I hope she won't mind me sharing her words because they perfectly express my approach to painting:

"From a distance, this painting tells a story with a lot of detail — parks, buildings, roads, hills, trees. But as you look closer, you see that the story is told with eclectic spots of color and shapes. The viewer loves to fill in the rest of the story with information that they bring to the painting. As simple as this application of paint seems, it is difficult for an artist to just leave well enough alone when it comes to detail. We want to make it more real with windows and branches and cars. That can often have the opposite effect. This is a beautiful example of ‘less is more.’"

Click here to see the article from the original web page.

This painting is available for sale on my website here.

Cold Winter Day, Alexandra Park  10"x8"  oil on board

I like what she says about "the viewer filling the gaps". I've always liked the idea of an active viewer to my paintings that can see and imagine the details I'm not including and make the painting his own. This reminds me of a theory I heard at University years ago. This was originally about music but it can apply to painting too. It said that when the listener hears a song/ music piece that is easy/finished/obvious/catchy, he might like it at the first listening but gets bored of it very quickly because he is not involved in the listening process. But if the song is more subtle/abstract/unfinished/complex, the listener will have to be personally involved to try to decrypt it and give a meaning to it, and will not only make it his own, but also will keep rediscovering new layers at every listening which will make him want to listen again. Well I would be very happy if my paintings have such an effect on the viewer.

Detail

Detail

If you haven't fallen asleep yet with this long wordy post, then I'll just take the opportunity to post a new little sketch below. This was done after a trip to the South of France. I wanted to capture this quiet early morning light before the heat kicks in.

The courtyard, sunrise - Saint-Saturnin-les-Apt  5"x7" oil on board

This painting is available for sale on my website here.

Painting in Provence - Part 2

I just came back from a painting trip in Norfolk, but before I post my work, here are the last six paintings from my recent trip in South of France (click here to see Part 1).

The painting below was done in a misty morning. The distant hills were covered by pink fog. It gave a beautiful subtle colour to the scene. It was my birthday on that day and painting this view was such a perfect way to enjoy it!

Hills in the morning fog - Saint-Saturnin-les-Apt   10"x7"  oil on board

Detail

Below is a painting of the little chapel in the courtyard just outside the house. I must admit there was no praying in there during the holiday. We used it to store my daughter's buggy instead...

The little chapel - Saint-Saturnin-les-Apt   10"x8"  oil on board

The picture shows very different colours but I confirm this is the same place...

To get the best view, I set up in the vignards opposite the house. As I was sneakily eating the grapes around me, I heard a distant voice saying: "He! Stop eating and start painting!" That was my mum at the window checking on me. You can never be at peace anywhere can you??

Detail

The painting below was done a couple minutes walk from the house. The misty distant hills against the curved tree caught my eyes. I did paint the top of tree at the time but decided the composition didn't work so I chopped it off at home and I think it looks much better now. 

Morning light - Saint-Saturnin-les-Apt  8"x10"  oil on board

Detail

Here is a painting of the back of the house. I like how the warm stone was shining through the foliage of the trees.

Basic drawing to start with. I never detail more than this.

The finished painting 

Detail

Below is a painting of the vignards done from the outdoor covered storage room/ leisure room. This is where I stored my painting kit. I was on my way to paint but I saw this view and decided to stay there and shelter from the sun. I just loved the variety of blues and greens.

The vignards (2) - Saint-Saturnin-les-Apt  10"x8"  oil on board

Detail

And finally, this is my last painting of the trip, but my favourite one. It might actually be my favourite one ever. This is the little gate leading to the swimming pool which I painted a few hours before taking my plane back. Somehow I felt everything worked and it was effortless. Nice feeling when it happens!

Gate to swimming pool - Saint-Saturnin-les-Apt   10"x8"  oil on board

Me looking very focused!

Detail

Painting in Provence - Part 1

Here are my first five paintings from my recent trip to the South of France at Saint-Saturnin-les-Apt near Aix en Provence. My family and I were really lucky to be able to stay in a beautiful house owned by my sister's in-laws. I took my painting kit just in case, thinking I might do a little painting or two. Well, I ended up doing 11 paintings during my week there, and I could have painted for a full year as the views and painting subjects were endless.

I loved painting in this part of France as it made me use different mixes of colours. Everything is a bit warmer, more contrasted and more colourful than in England. For this purpose I actually prepared all my boards with a terracotta background so the whole painting would look warmer.

Below is the first painting of the trip, a view towards the vignards and distant village.

The vignards (1) - Saint-Saturnin-les-Apt  10"x8"  oil on board

My set up

Detail

I then decided to do a painting from the back of the house, behind the swimming pool. I felt quite brave painting in the heat while I could hear the others having a swim!

The house behind the trees  10"x12"  oil on board

As you can see below, my tripod broke so I ended up putting the box on my lap and using the tripod to keep the lid up (any excuse to sit down really).

Detail of the finished painting

Below is an other painting of the house and the surrounding views. It was painted from the courtyard where we would have lunch under the trees.

View from the courtyard - Saint-Saturnin-les-Apt  14"x10" oil on board

Detail

And below is the view towards the village 'Saint Saturnin'. It is built in that lovely warm stone. Looking at the painting, it could almost be mistaken for Bath!

Views towards Saint-Saturnin  10"x12" oil on board

For this painting I used a board with texture which enhanced the chalkiness of the highlights.

Detail

And finally, this was painted from one of the balconies of the house. This subject had a natural striking composition, with the path swirling between the trees and leading to the houses at the top.

View from the balcony - Saint-Saturnin-les-Apt  7"x11"  oil on board

Detail

I will post soon the remaining six paintings of the trip. But meanwhile I'm off to Norfolk later this week for a plein air painting competition/exhibition (www.abrushwiththebroads.co.uk). I hope to see some of you there!

Goult in the midday sunshine

Following my previous post, here is an other painting I just made a couple of days ago since the return from my holiday in France. This was done from a photograph taken on the first day in a beautiful little village called Goult.

Goult in the midday sunshine   10"x7" oil on board

What caught my eye was the sunny landscape framed by the arch and the patches of sky showing through the top window. For the little story, it wasn't the first time I came to this village. I was actually there when I was 14 years old for a family holiday and had my first holiday romance with a local guy called Pierre... You bet I was looking around last week expecting to bump into him! (but I didn't...)

One of the reference photographs

Below is my painting in progress in what is my usual set up for studio work - I never get around to print my photographs so I tend to paint with my picture on the computer as a reference. Not ideal but good enough for small studies.

Do you think I'm a little bit running out of wallspace maybe??

Cedars at the Haute Eglise, Bonnieux

I just came back yesterday from a week's holiday in beautiful Lubéron in France. It wasn't a painting holiday but I managed to take a few photographs and couldn't resist doing a small painting today trying to recapture one of these inspiring landscapes as it's still fresh in my memory...

Cedars at the Haute Eglise, Bonnieux, France     10"x8"   oil on board

This is a view from a beautiful village called Bonnieux. We walked right up to the top of a rocky promontory where stands a very old church surrounded by cedars, offering far reaching views across the Lubéron. I tried to keep it spontaneous, as if I painted it on the spot.

Above is one of the picture I used as a reference. What caught my eye was the luminous greens and blues contrasting with the dark trees. On the right you can see my friends resting in the shade after climbing the steps in the heat. It was pretty hot indeed...

I have a few other photographs I can't wait to paint from so we'll see how it goes...