I'm not sure where the last 1.5 years went.

It has been quite a while since I posted to this blog. Possibly because it seems that people don't read blogs anymore. Am I right? I always liked maintaining it as a complete archive of my work. My website changes all the time, and older work is often removed. This site is a complete record of my paintings since 2007. I had a bit of a computer crash in mid 2025, so I lost many images from late '24 to mid '25. This post shows some of the paintings I completed last year. To purchase my work, I always recommend going to the UGallery website or my website jonellesummerfield.com. I hope to do a better job of maintaining my blog going forward. I plan to post every day going forward. Hopefully I do a better job of that than I have of studying Spanish on Duo Lingo. 

House in Indiana, PA. SOLD.

Boat Docks in San Sebastian. Available at UGallery.com

Along the River in Estella

 

After a day of walking almost 22 kilometers, a clean river in which to soak one's feet is a welcome sight. There were only a few other people and two dogs doing the same thing when I arrived in Estella, so I felt the river was mine. The river in Estella seemed to have standing room only, as there weren't many rocks to sit and relax on. Zubiri is the best foot-soaking river along the Camino de Santiago. The weather in late August was perfect for perching on one of the copious rocks for a foot bath, and even for swimming for those who packed a swimsuit into their minimalist Camino backpacks. Oil on 12" x 16" stretched linen.

The Road to Carrion de los Condes

 

Though the walk from Fromista to Carrion de los Condes didn't have as many kilometers as other days on the Camino de Santiago, the walk seemed to take forever in the rain. Finally, toward the end, the clouds broke and allowed the sun to shine through. There was some foreshadowing of this earlier in the day when a rainbow appeared. Oil on 16" x 20" stretched Linen.

The Way to Fromista

 

The landscape varies a lot between Castrojeriz and Fromista along the Camino de Santiago in Spain. You start by walking up a huge hill that looks across a valley to the castle that seems to be at the same height. Then, you descend the hill toward a stark, yellow valley. I felt extra fortunate to see dramatic clouds that added dimension to the minimalist landscape. Later, some trees and villages appear, as depicted in this painting. Fromista has a quaint square and churches that keep one from resting even after walking 19 kilometers. Oil on 16" x 20" stretched linen. 

Sidewalk Cafe in Spain

 

I can't remember the name of this town, unfortunately, but it had a cheerful cafe street. I plan to paint more of its cafes soon. When I snapped the reference photo for this painting, I had just left a lunch establishment that was part of a small resort. People were roasting red peppers over an open fire. Resident Siamese cats watched them work while they relaxed in the shade. It was probably the most expensive lunch I had in northern Spain, but the rustic flavors of both the food and the coffee were worth the indulgence. It gave me energy for the next 10k of hiking. Oil on 14" x 11" stretched linen. 

Available at UGallery.com

San Sebastian Marina II

 

A painting of some of the colorful boats and colorful water of San Sebastian, Spain. Oil on 18" x 24" stretched canvas. 

Available at UGallery.com

Somewhere on the Camino Frances

 

I'm not sure where this is but it is somewhere on the Camino Frances. I loved the varied terrain and mix of complementary colors. The cool blue of the houses' shadow sides and the blue sky provided extra layers of contrast. The tomato towers broke up the horizontal lines in the composition. 

Many crops were growing in Spain when I walked last September. In addition to intentionally planted farms and vineyards, many sources of treats grew voluntarily beside the path. I didn't pick anything if it appeared to be part of anyone's property, but in the middle of nowhere, other pilgrims and I cobbled together snacks of blackberries, apples, figs, walnuts, and almonds. We didn't often have tools with which to crack nuts, but I'll always laugh when I remember one of my fellow pilgrims cracking almonds with the edge of a cutting board one night. We all probably should have been wearing protective eyewear. 

Available at UGallery.com

Tapas Night in San Sebastian

 

"Should we get more tapas here or try every other place on this street?" is always the question when in San Sebastian. There are endless tapas and they are as artistically presented as they are delicious. It seems that every region in Spain has its own signature tapas and varying ways of ordering/presenting them. In northern Spain, especially in places like San Sebastian or Pamplona, tapas are displayed similarly to jewels in a jewelry store. They are often under glass, and you point to the ones you want. If you know their names, you can tell the waitstaff, but often, they are ordered from a counter along with your wine or beer of choice. Each serving, consisting of 3-4 bites of food, costs around $3. While it can add up fast, I often just want a bite of food when out with friends instead of a whole expensive plate of something. For people who like to graze and try a bit of everything, this is a great way to dine.

In Seville, you often order from a menu. It definitely helps to have an English menu if you aren't a fluent Spanish speaker, or be prepared to do a lot of typing in Google Translate (download it in your language of choice so you don't have to worry about wi-fi or cellular data.) In Granada, the bartender creates individual tapas just for you based on your drink. In many places, you have no say in what you get. It is a fun surprise, and one can make entire meals by going from place to place, buying only drinks, and enjoying these artistic, or some may say scientific, presentations. SOLD.

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

Weird Years

 

There have been many life changing events during the past several years, which impeded my artistic productivity. I haven't been posting to my blog as much as in the past because blogging seems to have been replaced by social media or other websites. I plan to do a mass upload of all of my newer work in the near future. I also plan to have a couple of studio cleaning sales to clear space for new work. I haven't been as happy with my work during the past couple of years. Stress inducing occurrences seem to have affected my style. I feel that I am finally becoming myself again and I plan to share the new work that reflects that soon. In the meantime, this is one of the paintings that I completed in 2023. It was inspired by adventure on the Camino de Santiago. It is said that the real Camino starts after you have completed the walk. This has turned out to be a massive understatement. I believe I flew from Europe into a parallel universe.

This painting shows that you can take two different roads. One is the correct "way" the other will get you lost. It seems that I have been lost for many years and the Camino has put me on the path that I should have taken all along. There were many strange coincidences that have illustrated to me that things will happen when they are supposed to and that you should always trust your instincts, even if it makes you seem difficult. Oil on 14" x 18" stretched canvas. Available at Latrobe Art Center.