"Grand Palais"
11 x 14
The Fourth of July is just behind us, and the French version of Independence Day, Bastille Day, is just ahead of us, on July 14. Lots of red, white and blue to be seen! I thought it would be timely to post some Parisian paintings.
The painting above shows the Grand Palais, an architectural marvel of iron, steel and glass. It was built for the Universal Exposition of 1900 (as was the bridge you see leading to it). I love the shape of it, and the flag that is always flying from its peak. The bridge (Pont Alexandre III, named after the Russian czar who was an ally of France) is very ornate. You will notice that I chose to simplify the huge gilt-bronze sculptures on the columns at the foot of the bridge...but I love the way they came out. If you know what you are looking for, the merest suggestion is enough to tell you it's there.
"Silhouettes"
SOLD
Speaking of suggestion--the silhouettes above are friends who visited Paris with me and my husband several years ago. I took this photo of them on an overcast morning at the Place des Vosges. If you know these friends, you can tell who they are simply from the outlines. And I tried to make it clear that they were in the Place des Vosges, without drawing details of the architecture.
On the topic of suggestion, the great landscape painter John F. Carlson wrote: "Too much reality in a picture is always a disappointment to the imaginative soul. We love suggestion and not hard facts." I agree completely, and hence my goal always to leave something to the imagination in my paintings. (Giving credit where due, I came across this quote recently on the blog of Anne Blair Brown...link at right).
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