Rest time

No posts for a little while I’m afraid (some weeks I’m told) as things have caught up with me and I have to regroup physically and mentally with added problems unfortunately.  My chair (it’s a complicated affair) collapsed the other day causing some nasty consequences to me in the process.  Cracked ribs and hip, dislocated and damaged ligaments on my shoulder, a bang on the head requiring some stitches and it seems something internal happened too – so no alternative but to dictate this message and give it a rest for a while.

My typist friend wondering and despairing no doubt as to the disjointed text here, but being a good friend managing it just as I say it

Being out of my den it’s like I’m a fish out of water, not connected to the world anymore and stuck on my back or as best I can manage, though being looked after by some super folk.

Not much else I can say – but I will be back as soon as I can. . . . . . .

Honfleur revisited – again!

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Honfleur, Le Vieux Bassin, Normandy, Quay

Once again I visit one of my favorite places in France.  Honfleur which is located in Normandy in the Commune Department of Calvados and the connection for me is of course that it was and still is a mecca for artists, especially those of the Impressionist movement.  Famous names such as Gustave Courbet, Eugène Boudin, Claude Monet and Johan Jongkind, who formed the école de Honfleur (Honfleur school) which contributed to the appearance of the Impressionist movement.
Pissaro and Monet both visited many times and often painted the harbor area of the port as indeed  have I.  Going back as now using a computer concept is odd but no less exciting.

Honfleur Harbor area

The pretty port and houses around Le Vieux Bassin are the main attraction today, as they were over 100 years ago from where you can still pick up your fresh fish in the market. The port was built in the 17th century and apart from the narrow entrance for boats it is surrounded on all sides by these beautiful, tall, narrow buildings. These have been painted so many times by visiting artists and yet still hold a fascination for us all.

In an earlier post I have managed a few images with wider views than this one and I don’t doubt I’ll do a few more over the years, such is their draw.

Old Lieutenancy building

Interesting building in the old harbor is this one – called the Lieutenancy. The name refers back to the 17th century when the King’s Lieutenant used this building as his residence. Much altered over the years it’s difficult to see where the fortified “Caen Gate” was which was used to control the entrance into the medieval fortress of Honfleur.  There are however still parts of the protection walls to be seen on the building if you look closely.

Both pictures here I’ve managed in a quite strong brushed style and with a hint of Impressionist as a tribute to these great Artists of the past.  I hope that the “Honfleurais” or the local folks who live here are not too put out by the sheer numbers of artists and photographers that still flock here.  Mind you there are a whole stack of cafe’s and restaurants on the quayside, so I expect they’re doing rather well from it all – and good luck to them.

It is a wonderful spot and a favorite haunt of mine too.

A touch of red in winter

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photo, Red squirrel

Still across the wood today, the quiet light rain falling almost as snow drifting down from a twilight dark grey sky, sort of sums up the scene here.  The birds are excessive in their feeding and an air of poor weather disquiet coming I’m sure – there’s real snow on the way they say.

Red Squirrel was late today, later than usual with other places to visit I’ve no doubt, checking nut stocks and lichens too and arrived here at about 12.30 early afternoon.

Tufty chap

Grown long wispy ear tufts since last spotted just as we too are putting on the woolly hats and ear muffs, so our little friend is prepared for whatever the weather holds for us all. No central heating systems for him, just the beautiful red russet coat, that makes my old anorak seem a little poor in comparison and once curled up in a sheltered tree with that wondrous tail wrapped around – cozy and warm as toast I’m sure.

So no art work today as how could I compete with my little visitor – a little gem of a work of art he is already – could not be better. . . . that little touch of red in winter.

Neo-Impressionist

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Bazille, Manet, Monet, Painting, Pissarro, Renoir, SisleyArt

Having the influence of such artists as Monet, Renoir, Bazille, Manet, Pissarro and Sisley for more years than I care to mention, it’s not surprising that some of my efforts end up in the same vein.  That is Impressionist, Neo-Impressionist and edging on Expressionist with many of the same technical, color use and styles of these great  men – not copies but homages if you will to a style that simply sits well with me.

I seem to see art as perhaps they did themselves, though not in the same contextual surroundings, which of course did much to format their individualistic art works. But in the manner to which they handled the medium, which seemed to engender a similarity without my conscious effort and then when looking up from the canvas suddenly realized that we were all on the same wavelength!

Oh to have been there in the Cafe Guerbois in the Rue de Batignolles and to hear these great artists swapping ideas and vision between them, the sheer dynamic of such a meeting would have been quite life changing for any budding artist I’m sure.

Indeed I had these dreams long ago when I painted for real, when I was able to hold a brush in my hand which became the conduit for all my expression and feelings – which in turn flowed on to the canvas before me.  Ah – the memories!

With computer imagery it’s different of course, but the same creativity is there, the same enthusiasm for portrayal of the senses, the sounds and the textures of life. Albeit in a completely alternate manner, but which is no less valid for that.

And so to this effort, which reflects perhaps these artists values, their vision and hints at their wonderful images.  And where else but my favorite Venice.

Early birds & creation

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Bird, layers, paint, sketch, Sparrowhawk

Early attempts at bird painting -

SparrowHawk

This old effort was actually unfinished and left “as is” because I actually liked the result without full completion.  It said all I wanted to say, showed the bird with a hint of impressionist without actually being so.
Managed as one would tackle a “real” picture it was slowly built up from a basic pencil layer, the colors added from a flattened version of the original image, piece by piece using “ghost” brushes and a clone technique.

Beginnings

The bird then is basically “painted” on top of the pencil outlining and directly on to a canvas background layer.  Note the background is not built up using layers of paint as a first process then with the subject added, but in reverse.  The subject is managed first, then the background built up around it.
This is a software technique I still use, although not one that true computer virtual artists would probably employ at all, but one which an old artist such as myself finds is quite natural – clunky maybe in this modern graphics orientated world, but very satisfying and very creative, which is of course the driving factor in all my images.

Early bird

So what of the original?  Was it a photograph or a sketch or a painting?  In essence it’s quite immaterial – it is what it is now, altered, enhanced, reborn, manipulated, cloned, imagined – painted. . . .
Whatever – it’s new, original and there isn’t another one like it – anywhere.

And as to the top image being just a computer creation – well not quite – as it hangs in my office today, unfinished as it is and size wise some 21″ x 13″ and nicely framed.  Whilst not watercolor or oil painted it is instead managed in a very long lived ink medium, a pigment ink in fact which is applied in multilayer thicknesses showing the depth and intensity of the brushwork.

A work of art perhaps.