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| Community Watch watercolor 5 x 7 matted to 8 x 10 Available |
Community Watch
It was a lazy Sunday afternoon in south France, a special 40th
wedding anniversary trip with other painters to picturesque Frayssinet. Since little was open on Sunday, we attended
a small local flea market in a nearby town where modern “gypsies” living in
RV’s set up stalls, not unlike our flea market vendors in Raleigh. We roamed
the stalls, but came away without any souvenirs or even ideas for paintings.
Afterwards we drove to another charming town, Salviac. We
ended up in a main plaza, where all roads seemed to lead. Here, like bees swarming
around the plaza, our group of painters was abuzz taking reference photos for
future paintings−vintage buildings, doors, alleys, and flowers. The plaza held
a tavern, a church, cafes, shops, a beauty salon, second story apartments, and
a WWII memorial. Exhausted, we sat in
the shade in the plaza. Looking up
through the branches of a tree, I spied the friendly face of a grandmotherly
woman looking down at us from above her flower box of bright red geraniums. We
exchanged smiles. The light caught across
her face as she rested her elbows on the sill. I instantly knew the painting I
wanted to do. (She happily agreed to a photo.)
This woman knew the story of her town. I saw no malice in her knowing. If I were
Detective Hercule Poirot, she’d be my
“go-to” woman!
Originally
a student of cultural anthropology, I’ve always been interested in my
community. My curiosity has led me to wandering the neighborhoods of all the
places I’ve traveled to or lived in.
Different seasons and different times of day yield so many subjects to
paint! Whenever possible I take the most
direct means to explore, walking. Though
I’m naturally shy, by taking the bus or subway I’ve learned to talk to
strangers, and found out about local places. I believe my curiosity about my
community gives me an open eye to a variety of subject matter, and usually a
number of good stories as well.
Sometimes
I don’t always understand why I select a subject, it just “appeals” to me. But then later I recall an associated
memory. I hope my paintings do this for
my viewers. In the last few years I’ve
consciously tried to develop the story-telling aspect of my artwork. I like my paintings to suggest a story to my
viewer, and I like to write stories about my paintings, such as the story associated with the little
watercolor Community Watch above. (more information here)
Cultivate
the qualities that make you distinctive.
A portion of my sales go to support bee/pollinator
conservation. Why? Because I add beeswax to my oil paints, paint
and consume the beautiful flowers, fruits and vegetables those bees and other
pollinators provide.
Thank you for reading. If you enjoy my
essays, please share with your family and friends. I’d like to hear from YOU! Please leave comments and questions.
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My paintings are available at ---
802-A N. 4th Street, Wilmington, NC 28401 and online at Sheffield Art Studio
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