Jackie's in France

28 March 2012

A Painting A Week No 101

For Sale - 28th March 2012
Assos Harbour, Kefalonia
Size: 21 x 15cm
Price A$90
(Postage and handling included)

Last year we did a short trip with a Sydney friend to the Ioanian island of Kefalonia, and discovered this little town tucked in between the mountains and the sea. Apart from taking too many photos of the beautiful water and fishing boats, we sat under the umbrellas up against the blue railings and had a very sophisticated afternoon tea of baklava and krema karamella.

If you would like to buy this painting, please click on this link to my Art Weekly Online Shop, or if you'd rather deal with me direct, please email me at either jackiesinfrance@hotmail.com or jackie@jackiesherwood.com.

14 March 2012

A Painting A Week No 100

For Sale - 13th March 2012
Honfleur, France

Size: 21 x 15cm

Price A$90

(Postage and handling included)

100 paintings already! I thought it poignant that this snippet of Honfleur in Normandy, be my hundredth weekly painting. Honfleur was where I spent my first night in France at the the very start of my solo travels and painting excursions in 2003. It was an eventful day after getting off the cross channel ferry, picking up my rental car, and finding my way there. So much has happened, and so much has been painted since then.

Honfleur is one of my favourite towns in France and one I'm itching to get back to. The picturesque port is surrounded by narrow timber fronted buildings, all appearing to lean against each other and behind these, the little town consists of a maze of narrow streets with laneways lined with tiny galleries and cafes. It is a little touristy but still somehow manages to retain the atmosphere of what must have attracted the Impressionists in the 19th Century.

If you would like to buy this painting, please click on the following link to my Art Weekly Online Shop, or if you'd rather deal with me direct, please email me at either jackiesinfrance@hotmail.com or jackie@jackiesherwood.com.

22 February 2012

A Painting A Week No 99

For Sale - 22nd February 2012
Vernazza, Italy - Collage

Size: 21 x 15cm

Price A$90

(Postage and handling included)

Where are the weeks going? Something a little different this week, as I've been trying out some different collage techniques. I do have two slightly more 'normal' weekly paintings underway, but not quite there yet. I blame my tardiness on the cold wet weather we've been having. As I try to decide what to paint, I notice that I'm being drawn to vibrant summery photos at the moment - coloured umbrellas, turquoise water, bright glistening buildings - sigh....

07 February 2012

A Painting A Week No 98

For Sale - 7th February 2012
Vieste, Italy

Size: 21 x 15cm

Price A$90

(Postage and handling included)

We discovered the little town of Vieste on our trek through to France to catch our flight to Australia. To avoid having to drive across central or northern Italy in case of snow when we returned in January, we caught the ferry across to Brindisi in the south, then headed to what looked like an interesting, and for us, unvisited part of Italy.

The small spur north of Bari is the Gargano promontory - a mountainous area of mostly national park, with the remains of ancient oak and beech forests and some coastal towns. Vieste itself, sits on a rocky outcrop, with a lovely and reasonably unspoilt old town. As is the case with a lot of towns in this part of Italy, it had a rather Greek feel to it, with mostly whitewashed buildings spilling down to the Adriatic Sea. It is most definitely an area for us to return to and explore. There are some great beaches in the area, but I suspect the summer months would be bedlam in true Italian beachside fashion!

17 January 2012

Welcome to 2012 - A Painting A Week No 97

For Sale - 17th January 2012
French Poppies #3

Size: 15 x 21cm

Price A$90

(Postage and handling included)

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL.

January is already rushing by and despite all my good intentions, I fell into a deep non-creative hole during our time in New Zealand and Australia. When I wrote this we were in France and after some delays in Italy, we're now back in Greece. Hopefully, things will return to 'normal' soon and I'll be able to get the paintbrushes out again!

In the meantime, this week's painting is one I finished just before we left and although not the right season, it seemed appropriate that its a French one. It's a few months yet before the poppies make their appearance, and being mid winter, the Languedoc countryside was totally devoid of anything brightly coloured. Despite this, the rows of vines without their leaves still managed to give off a rather nice coppery effect against the clear blue skies. When we get back here in the spring, everything will be madly flowering again and I'll be able to restock my photo portfolio of poppies to work from.

13 January 2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR

As I sit here on the bed in our hotel in Terracina, Italy, listening to the dinging and donging of the church bells from what sounds like 4 different churches, I feel its a shame to post this blog without at least something visual to start 2012 with. So to keep things going, here's a small collage of some of my photos from the recent travels.

Its nearly halfway through January and 2012 is already speeding along. My Australian/New Zealand, USA trip is behind me - well almost, as next stop is Greece, hopefully on tomorrow's overnight ferry, then on to Koroni to some sort of normality for a while. I have so many blogs to write to cover the last few months, and I will do so, gradually.

In the meantime, I'd like to wish everyone all the very best for a happy and healthy 2012, and may we all manage to do some of those things we've been putting off for ever and ever. Don't delay any longer...... just do it NOW....... the time will never be right if you wait.

24 November 2011

CHANGEABLE ART EXHIBITION 10th December 2011

Things in Sydney are pretty hectic, but I will get onto this blog very soon. I'm looking forward to taking part in a one day exhibition here on Saturday 10th December. I'll have a lot of my smaller new work available, so come along and say hello and check it out. Details below.....

10am - 3pm 10th December 2011
North Sydney Community Centre
220 Miller Street, North Sydney
Changeable Art is held in conjunction with the North Sydney market