Barcelona then France yet again

Here we are back in France again - how many times have I started a blog with that I wonder!  We had an unscheduled trip solely to collect my French visa, now that its been renewed for another year. The easiest route was to fly Athens/Barcelona which worked out well as I'd always wanted to check out Barcelona!  I was very impressed too - its a beautiful city with lovely wide avenues lined with wonderful decorated buildings with wrought balconies. The Gothic centre though, where we stayed, is totally different and full of fascinating narrow alleys and laneways.

France is freezing cold! It is rather nice to be back but I'm pleased its only briefly, as I suspect the cold weather will get to us before to long! The landscape is looking particularly beautiful considering its winter. I think the most prominent colour is bronze, with the bare vines glowing under the winter light. The rolling hills are framed by the distant mountains, which have a good dusting of snow and generally the whole of the Languedoc looks much drier and browner than where we live in Greece, which was green and lush when we left!

We spent my birthday wandering around Narbonne on a beautiful sunny but cold day, all wrapped up against the weather. There's always something spectacular about these clear winter days in the Languedoc.

A Painting a Week - No 65

For Sale - 12th December 2010  [SOLD]
Van Gogh's Sanctuary, Arles
Size: 21 x 15cm
Price A$90
(Postage and handling included)

I discovered this spot a few years ago when I spent a couple of weeks in Arles and did little apart from wander around the town and take photos. This was the hospital where Van Gogh spent some time - not sure whether it was after he chopped off his ear or during one of his rather frequent bouts of depression! It is relatively difficult to find unless you know where to look for it, or just stumble across it like I did as its almost amongst the old shopping streets. Van Gogh actually did do a beautiful painting here called Courtyard in the Hospital in Arles.

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.

I now have an accompanying site which allows you to use Paypal or credit cards to purchase these paintings. Please click on the following link Art Weekly Online Shop.

Please note that there is now a Currency Converter in both this blog site (scroll down), and my website (http://www.jackiesherwood.com/)

A Painting a Week - No 64

For Sale - 8th December 2010
St Tropez
Size: 21 x 15cm
Price A$90
(Postage and handling included)

St Tropez was chaotic when we visited recently. We'd arrived in the middle one of their biggest annual Sailing Regattas, Les Voiles de St Tropez.  The harbour was crammed with giant yatchts and cruisers and you could barely see the other side of the harbour, the rows of coloured houses being towered over by masts. The bay itself was a picture of movement under sail - a lovely time to visit albeit rather frantic. We took a break from the harbour and spent time wandering around the lovely quiet laneways eating ice-creams!
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.

I now have an accompanying site which allows you to use Paypal or credit cards to purchase these paintings.  Please click on the following link Art Weekly Online Shop
Please note that there is now a Currency Converter in both this blog site (scroll down), and my website (http://www.jackiesherwood.com/)

A Painting a Week - No 63

For Sale - 29th November 2010 [SOLD]
Uzes Marche

Size: 21 x 15cm
Price A$90
(Postage and handling included)

We recently spent a week in Uzes, in the Gard, which is part of the Languedoc region of France and not so far from our old stomping ground! The weekly market, which happened in the square right underneath our bedroom windows, was amazing. On coming downstairs and opening the doors, all we could see was colour. From all the stalls with fruit and vegetables, dried fruit, nuts and everything edible imaginable, to the rows of beautiful scarves, pots, platters, and of course, my favourite - the assorted baskets (paniers) - everywhere..... colour! Perhaps it was the contrast between the stalls and umbrellas, and the fairly plain stone buildings of the Place aux Herbes, but it was probably the most colourful market I've come across in France so far. This will be the first of many paintings inspired from there.

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. Please note that there is now a Currency Converter in both this blog site (scroll down), and my website (http://www.jackiesherwood.com/)

A Painting a Week - No 62

For Sale - 23rd November 2010 [SOLD]
French Reds & Yellows
Size: 21 x 15cm
Price A$90
(Postage and handling included)

I took this photo along the side of the road in France. I found that often when I was driving around in the countryside of the Lot, I would come across little patches of brightly coloured flowers - often in the middle of nowhere and for no apparent reason. The combined colours of the red poppies and the yellow of the masses of nasturium-like flowers had me screeching to a halt!

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. Please note that there is now a Currency Converter in both this blog site (scroll down), and my website (http://www.jackiesherwood.com/)

A Painting a Week - No 61

For Sale - 15th November 2010
Rooftops of Corfu Town
Size: 21 x 15cm
Price A$90
(Postage and handling included)

We spent a few days in Corfu last month on our way through to Italy. Corfu Town totally impressed me as it really is a beautiful place. Admittedly it is fairly touristy in parts but it has a great buzz about it and you can still feel the 'presence' of the place, despite all the cafes and restaurants. The old town, where we stayed, is made up of masses of interesting narrow streets which are intertwined by wide pedestrianised areas lined with grand colonnaded buildings, built mostly by the Venetians. The rich yellows and ochres of many of the buildings give the town a more Italian than Greek feel and then just to confuse you even more, there are wide green ovals which on which you see white clad men playng cricket.

I took this photo from the top of the New Fort (built around the 1670's) It had the most amazing views over the rooftops of the town and I was in seventh heaven visulizing more paintings (what is it with me and rooftops I wonder - perhaps I was a bird in a previous life!)

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. Please note that there is now a Currency Converter in both this blog site (scroll down), and my website (http://www.jackiesherwood.com/)

A Painting a Week - No 60

For Sale - 8th November 2010
A Glimpse of Paris # 3
Size: 21 x 15cm
Price A$90
(Postage and handling included)

Having spent a week in Paris recently, I've endeavoured to paint some of the beautiful rows of buildings lined up along the Seine.  I find its always interesting painting Paris, because where there're buildings involved without any of the brightly coloured cafes, you're confined to working mostly in a blue and gold colour palette. Perhaps some cafes may just crop up soon though. I have so many lovely photos of both the buildings and the cafes they will be cropping up fairly regularly for a while.

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. Please note that there is now a Currency Converter in both this blog site (scroll down), and my website (http://www.jackiesherwood.com/)