Going away!

Chloe in the place du bourg, Brehat

Sorry I haven't been around the last couple of days, I've been very poorly and not up to painting I'm afraid! I thought today I'd show you one of the market place paintings that I did in August. This is my friend Chloe standing in front of Francois LeTron's organic fruit and veg stall, most of which is grown on the island and picked the evening before being sold at market.
I'm going to England tomorrow, have a very busy two weeks lined up so I'm afraid I won't be painting or posting anything here! I will be back at the beginning of November, ready to get cracking on lots of new paintings to bring you! In the meantime, it would please me enormously if you could find a few extra people to subscribe to my emails! Merci! 

Pizza slice

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Pizza slice

I had a lot of fun painting this today! I was intending to paint eggs in their cardboard tray, but when I went to the fridge to get them this bit of leftover pizza jumped out at me and said 'paint me!' - it was something like that anyway! I find that often happens, and I always choose the idea that shouts loudest! Anyway, I really enjoyed this, it's surprising how many gorgeous colours there are in a slice of pizza!
This oil painting on board is 15 x 20cms and is available to buy at auction now. The starting price of this auction is only $60 which is £38.99, an absolute snip for an everlasting slice of pizza! Click on the link above to take a further look!

Late afternoon at Guerzido beach

Late afternoon at Guerzido beach
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Question: What would you do on another insanely hot October day if you were here with me on the Ile de Brehat? Head for the beach? Yep! Me too! But not for me the swimming or sunbathing because I took my oil paints, so I guess that makes me a little odd because no-one else seemed to be painting....
I am so glad I did today though! Guerzido beach is south facing and I love the silhouettes and the sparkling of light on the water that you get here. Time after time I have tried without too much success to translate that magic into paint on canvas but today I am actually very satisfied that I caught it! I really managed to get what I was seeing - the tones, the colours, and all with a real simplicity in my brush strokes. The whole painting was started and finished in situ and I feel it says enough. So without further ado, here it is for you!
It is oil paint on canvas, 25 x 30cms, and if you like it you can take a look at further information and view all my current auctions by clicking on the 'click to bid' link above.
Please, if you enjoy my blog, tell your friends! Thank you!

Pink sparkly shoes

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Pink sparkly shoes

These are my lovely pink sequinned plimsolls! I had intended to paint outdoors today but it was strangely foggy all morning! Although it turned out to be glorious sunshine all afternoon I had already embarked on this painting after the light catching the sequins had caught my eye! There were all these beautiful pink reflections on the surface behind also. I'm really pleased with the colours and the thick squidgy creaminess of the paint! Another great one for touching... when it's dry!
I bought these shoes from a charity shop for £2 and they had never been worn, certainly not outside. I have always loved them and wearing them never fails to lift my spirits! Sadly they're deteriorating a little here and there so I don't know how much longer we'll be together, which makes me even happier that they've been portrayed on canvas today.
This painting is oils on a deep sided box canvas, 25 x 25cms and is ready to hang straight on the wall without a frame. Please click on the 'click to bid' link above to enter the online auction to win this painting. Bidding will start at $120 which is the equivalent of £76.71!

My favourite coffee cup

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It's my favourite first-thing-in-the-morning-filter-coffee cup! It's such a chunky, smooth, rounded little cup and fits into my palm, all warm and comforting! I love it! This dinky little oil painting measures 15 x 15 cms and when it is dry it could be yours, click the link above to bid.
I'm afraid the glare on the photo lets it down a little bit... taking the photos is proving to be the biggest challenge! I don't know if the problem lies with a) my camera, b) me, c) the quality of daylight or d) the wet shiny oil paints! Probably a combination of all four!

Cottage with flowers

Cottage with flowers

We've been spending the whole of 2011 living on a tiny island in France and I'm enjoying so much time to paint with very little else in the way of responsibilities. This pretty little cottage on Brehat is almost hidden by it's flowers, and there are many houses like this here.