The Volcanic Island

 

 

A trip to the Canaries staying on the island of Lanzarote. The influence across the island of the artist Cesar Manrique, who lived here until his death in 1992, is prevelant in the architecture, sculpture and graphics seen everywhere. His former house is now the centre for the Manrique foundation and the island itself has a thriving arts scene especially in Teguise

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Traditional musicians at Teguise

 

 

Flamenco at Teguise

 

Market stall at Teguise

 

Card game at  Arricefe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monet's water garden

  

 
                                  A couple of photographs from Monet's Water Garden.

 

 

 

 

Bamboo Forest

 

 

 

 

Pastels & Acrylics

 This set of drawings and paintings are pastels on paper and acrylic on card. The pastels inspired by the gardens at Giverny.

Leaving England  - Dover from the ferry 

 

Pastel on paper

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paris & Northwest France

Had a few days in Paris and Northwest France, visiting Monet's house and garden at Giverny , the Chateau at Fontainebleau and the village of Barbizon.
Monet's house was fabulous and the gardens and water gardens were amazing.

The view from the window of the garden at Giverny

The water garden

 

Monet's house at Giverny

 

 

 

 

Photographing the Eiffel Tower

 

 

 

Carousel at Fontainebleau

 

Barbizon village

 

Chateau at Fontainebleau

 

 

 

 

On the left bank, in the Latin Quarter and opposite Notre Dame, I found the iconic bookshop "Shakespeare & Company".

Since 1951 this bookshop has been a place of pilgrimage for aspiring writers and lovers of books and poetry. The rooms are packed to the ceilings with all types of books and on the evening I was there, there was a writers forum and a student playing the piano to a packed room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Chesil Beach

I spent a couple of days recently in Dorset, staying on Chesil beach, making some sketches and notes in a small workbook and taking photographs of the fascinating shoreline and the Isle of Portland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chesil Beach - acrylic on canvas  6"x6" 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Acrylic sketches 2

These are another set of acrylic sketches on card and canvas ready to hang or framed in simple white frames.

New Visions 4

 

Here's a picture of myself, taken on preview night, with the two paintings that were selected for the New Visions 4 exhibition at the Grant Bradley gallery in Bristol. The exhibition features the work of fifty artists and continues until the 2nd. of August with most of the work for sale.