A Painting a Week - No 26

For Sale - 14th September 2009 [SOLD]

A Glimpse of Paris
Acrylic & Ink Painting
Size: 21 x 15cm
Price A$80
(Plus A$10 postage and handling)

If you've visited Paris, I'm sure it's left some lasting images in your memory. One of these images for me has always been the beautiful and unique buildings alongside the Seine; hence this painting.

I'm looking forward to spending a little time more there in February on our way back to Sydney.

If you're interested in purchasing this painting, please email me at either jackiesinfrance@hotmail.com or jackie@jackiesherwood.com to arrange payment and delivery.

The Vendage is upon us again

Its easy to take for granted the continuous hum of the harvesters amongst the vines, the little tractors towing their trailer load of grapes along the long tree-lined roads, followed by a gaggle of slow vehicles all waiting their turn to pass. Its not so easy though to ignore the loud crashing and banging of the neighbours' tractors and their empty trailers passing the window at 6am! But these are the sounds of the vendage - the annual grape picking season in the Languedoc. This year the weather has been beautiful; brilliant sunny days with no threat of rain to interfere with the picking. When I woke this morning the first scent that passed my nostrils was the aroma of wine - fermenting grapes wafting around in the breeze, no doubt from the nearby Cooperative.

When driving behind a tractor and trailer last Sunday, we watching it squeeze along a narrow street, and saw the gutter flowing with red grape juice as the trailer tilted. There are clumps of dark red grapes dropped at intersections and roundabouts where the roads are sticky with grape juice. The whole process is impossible to ignore ..... such is the bliss of living in the Languedoc, and we haven't even started to sample the finished product yet!

A Painting a Week - No 25

For Sale - 7th September 2009 [SOLD]

Collioure Archway

Acrylic & Ink Painting

Size: 21 x 15cm

Price A$80

(Plus A$10 postage and handling)

Back to Collioure again. As I've mentioned before, Collioure is a small port on the Mediterrean, not far from the Spanish border, and is associated with the Fauves painters. Its a really picturesque place with tiny narrow streets and brightly coloured buildings, and of course, the cafes and boats. To offset this though, the French military have a base nearby and are often seen jogging through the laneways, scaling the cliffs, or madly rowing about in rubber inflatables!

If you're interested in purchasing this painting, please email me at either jackiesinfrance@hotmail.com or jackie@jackiesherwood.com to arrange payment and delivery.

A Painting a Week - No 24

For Sale - 1st September 2009 [SOLD]
At the Beach, Astros, Greece
Acrylic & Ink Painting
Size: 21 x 15cm
Price A$80
(Plus A$10 postage and handling)

Something a little different this week - no buildings or flowers. Just the simple combination of blue water, an umbrella and distant mountains spells out summer in Greece to me!

If you're interested in purchasing this painting, please email me at either jackiesinfrance@hotmail.com or jackie@jackiesherwood.com to arrange payment and delivery.

A Painting a Week - No 23

For Sale - 24th August 2009 [SOLD]

Vernazza, Cinque Terre

Acrylic & Ink Painting

Size: 21 x 15cm

Price A$80

(Plus A$10 postage and handling)

Another little snippet of Cinque Terre from our recent trip through Italy. The 3 of the 5 Cinque Terre villages we visited were really very special, although a little crowded. Although it was only the end of May, we managed to bump into an Italian public holiday which of course didn't help matters!

If you're interested in purchasing this painting, please email me at either jackiesinfrance@hotmail.com or jackie@jackiesherwood.com to arrange payment and delivery.

A Painting a Week - No 22

For Sale - 17th August 2009 [SOLD]
Abbaye de Sénanque amidst the Lavender, Provence
Acrylic & Ink Painting
Size: 21 x 15cm
Price A$80
(Plus A$10 postage and handling)

Summer in France is a special event, especially when in lavender country. This beautiful medieval abbey, located in a wild valley just north of Gordes, is one of the special places to see Provence's famed lavender fields. One step out of the car and the perfume will be with you for days! The abbey was founded in 1148 and went through centuries of ups and downs, but once again today, is populated by Cistercian monks.

If you're interested in purchasing this painting, please email me at either jackiesinfrance@hotmail.com or jackie@jackiesherwood.com to arrange payment and delivery.

More paintings to come soon

Well, after a wonderful 2 months in Greece, we're now back in France and getting ourselves unpacked and organised in our Montagnac house. We're having fun comparing the differences between France and Greece. Everything in France seems much more 'subtle' - the neat countryside, the light, the people, the language, whereas Greece is bright, messy and loud!

Once we started moving about in Greece, it was a bit tricky to continue the paintings each week (a lousy excuse I know - where's the commitment!) and our internet access was a bit sporadic to say the least! So after a few more days to get my painting gear unpacked and to decide which photos and which country to paint, I'll have another Painting A Week off to you all.....

Hope everyone on this side of the world is enjoying their summer, and you all down-under are looking forward to spring after your rather chilly winter this year.