Solitude in Spain

 

I believe I captured the reference photo for this painting in Seville, Spain. There, the crowds were immense, which could be maddening during the day, especially in the hot weather. To make my mood worse, I witnessed the mistreatment of horses that carted tourists around the city for sightseeing. The tourists were often overweight, and the drivers of the carriages were impatient with the exhausted, hot, thirsty horses. One driver smacked a horse across the face with some kind of weird medieval-looking horse punishment instrument. This sight put me over the edge and it took everything for me to hold back. I don't speak the language, so anything I would have said wouldn't have been effective anyway. Any demonstration beyond words would have gotten me into trouble and I just wanted to go home at this point. Without an outlet for my rage, I was not a pleasant person to be around. I am still determined to devise a plan to support the rights of the horses in Seville. Please feel free to share any ideas.

At night, I was happy to see the quiet and cool streets. There were still many tourists in restaurants, but everything seemed calm in many areas, though there were still some streets where people walked shoulder to shoulder in search of their next drink or tapas. The person in this alleyway seemed to be seeking the same solitude or maybe just an escape from the people in the restaurant. Oil on 14" x 18" stretched canvas. 

Available at UGallery.com

Cafe Chairs

Since the beginning of February, I have been working on about 15 medium to large(ish) paintings, and have not been able to complete any of them. It is probably too many to work on all at once, but I wanted them all to have a similar theme and style. This is a small painting that is indicative of the subject... Paris. This time of year, I always seem to want to go to Paris because it is the perfect place to enjoy a warm spring afternoon at an outdoor cafe with a cup of coffee. This painting is 5"h x 7"w. SOLD. 

Snowy Townscape

Is 'townscape' a word? Spell-check doesn't recognize it, so I guess I just made it up. It isn't a cityscape or a landscape, so I thought that title was appropriate. The big, brick Victorian house on the right is a prominent, though abandoned (hint, hint to the owner) house in Indiana, PA. Seriously, I wish the owner would either sell this house or repair it... quite sad. This painting is 12" h x 16" w. SOLD.

Paris Boulevard

14" X 11" Oil on canvas, Cityscape

This is one of the many boulevards in Paris, though I don't know which one it actually is. I think it was somewhere near the Musee d'Orsay. SOLD.

Amsterdam Canal

This is the last of my series of Amsterdam paintings. This is 30"h x 40" w x 1 1/2"d. SOLD.

VIEW FROM THE UMBRELLA STAND

This may be the last painting of the year for me. This is the view from an umbrella stand near Grand Central Station in New York City. I know this because I snapped the reference photo while my mother purchased an umbrella. They were actually very reasonably priced. This oil painting is on 40"h x 30"w x 1 1/2"canvas. It is painted raw umber around the edges, so you have the option to leave it unframed.

Afternoon in Indiana

This is an oil painting of a December afternoon in Indiana, PA (when the sun is actually shining). The painting is 24" h x 30" w. The painting will soon be for sale on the website www.ArtQuiver.com. The site should be operational in March. SOLD.

Paris Afternoon

This is a painting of two lovebirds on a park bench in Paris, France. It is 16" h x 20" w. SOLD.

Venetian Market

This Venetian Market was deserted for the evening. It looks cool with the blue walkway, but the air was actually very humid that day. This is an 8"h x 10" w oil painting. This painting is no longer available.

The View along Rue St Anne

From the Rue Ste-Anne in Quebec City, Canada, one sees people relaxing on benches and the afternoon sun resting on the buildings. This oil painting is 12" h x 16" w. Not for Sale.

Lucca Street

This is a view of a busy street in Lucca, Italy. It is during lunchtime on a hot June day. People walk through the streets in pursuit of gelati. The painting is 8" h x 10" w. SOLD.

Lucca Canal

This was inspired by the streets of Lucca, Italy. It is 8" h x 10" w.

Quebec City Rooftops

This is a view of Quebec City rooftops, framed by the mountains, trees, fountains and streetlights. The oil painting is 6" h x 8" w. SOLD.