I just finished a second painting in the “We’ll always have Paris” series. It’s completely different from the first one I did recently. It’s from a photo of the Eiffel Tower, all lit up at night, in the rain. I used the same palate of colors as the first, but in reverse. The night-time painting has a bit more detail and “sparkle”, where-as the first one has a more traditional and ancient feel to it. They are both small, on 12 x 12 gallery canvases. It’s given me a great opportunity to study the tower’s construction and appreciate its iconic significance to Paris and the world.

Recently, I enjoyed watching the Tour de France and loved seeing the beautiful French towns and countryside with the spectacular chateaux and vineyards. As the race came to its climax in Paris, views of the Eiffel Tower were shown. They made me want to hop on a plane and see the city for myself once again! C’est la vie.

One great benefit of painting with oils is that the paint stays in its semi liquid, malleable form for a very long time. This allows me to push and pull the paint around the canvas, blending and forming other shades of lights and darks, and colors. The downside is that when you are ready to move on to a new layer, you must wait for the underneath foundation to dry…to avoid “muddy” colors.

While waiting for the ending stages of “Steps of Santorini” and “We’ll Always Have Paris” to dry, I started “Head in the Clouds”. “Head in the Clouds” is a painting of a grouping of islands in the South Pacific. They overlap in shades of violets and bluey-purples and the tallest, middle island rises up into the thick clouds.

When visiting the tropics, I’m always amazed how sunny and balmy it can be at the beaches, yet the mountainous tops of the island seem to snag the low clouds and hold them there like protective cotton. While sipping a Mai Tai and enjoying the exotic views from a pristine beach, it makes me wonder what is going on up there under all the clouds? Is it rainy and cool, or possibly a secret fantasy land with mysterious plants, waterfalls and beings…like in Avatar? Right now, at least for the moment, I’m too relaxed and content to go find out!