August Sunshine

August Sunshine
Akryl på lærred / Acrylic on canvas
20x20 cm / 8x8 inches

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Claude Monet & Petite Malou :)

A few days ago I was doing some research about Claude Monet and his famous garden when I came across an old black and white photo of him from 1910 that I had never seen before.
When I visited the garden in 2006 I got someone to take my picture. Although they are not taken at the exact same spot in the garden, there are so many similarities between the two photos, I can hardly believe it!! Here are both photos - taken almost 100 years apart. Same exact pose and serious face :)

 

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April Sunshine

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April Sunshine

Acrylic on canvas

7.75x7.75 inches / 20x20 cm.

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Landscape with Green Fields and Pink Clouds

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"Landscape with Green Fields and Pink Clouds"

Acrylic on canvas

7.75x7.75 inches / 20x20 cm.

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Morning at the Beach

"Morning at the Beach"

Acrylic on canvas 30x30 cm.

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Van Gogh, Nazis and a Japanese eccentric - the journey of a painting

A couple of years ago I was doing some research on the art collection in the Musee d'Orsay when I came upon this fascinating story of a painting by Vincent Van Gogh. The story reads like the plot out of an Indiana Jones movie but these are in fact the historical facts.

Portrait of Dr. Gachet. Oil on Canvas 1890. (1st. version) 

Towards the end of Van Gogh's life he was living in an asylum and one of the doctors, Doctor Gachet, was an art collector and also became a personal friend of Vincent Van Gogh. Vincent painted two portraits of Dr. Gachet during the last months of his life leading up to his suicide. The first version was sold by Van Gogh's sister in-law in 1897, seven years after Vincent's death. The painting had several owners over the next 13 years until it was bought by "Statische Galerie" in Frankfurt, Germany and it remained on display there until 1933 when it was put in a hidden room.

In 1937 it was confiscated by the Reich Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, an arm of the Nazi government that wanted to rid pre-war Germany of so-called degenerate art. It found its way into the hands of Hermann Goring (second in command of the Third Reich) who quickly sold it to a dealer in Amsterdam.

The art dealer sold the painting to a collector, Seigfried Kramarsky, who brought it with him when he fled to New York. While the painting was in the possession of Mr. Kramarsky it was often on loan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art until 1990 then his family put the painting up for auction.

The painting became famous on May 15th. 1990 when Japanese businessman Ryoei Saito paid US$82.5 million for it at Christies in New York, making it the most expensive painting in the world at the time. Ryoei Saito, a 75 year old eccentric millionaire, caused a scandal when he said the he wanted to have the painting cremated with him after his death. He later claimed that what he said was not to be taken literally but he was just trying to express his intense feelings for it. Saito died in 1996 and the current whereabouts of the painting is unknown.

Portrait of Dr. Gachet. Oil on canvas 1890. (2nd. version) 

Above is the second version of the portrait of Dr. Gachet which is in Musee d'Orsay in Paris. I wonder how many people pass by it every day and if they know the story of the other portrait of Doctor Gachet....

Musee d"Orsay in Paris, France. November 2006

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Summer Evening at the Cafe

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"Summer Evening at the Cafe"

Acrylic on canvas

7.75x7.75 inches / 20x20 cm

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Spring is here!

I love tulips. I love growing them and arranging them in bouquets. But most of all I love looking at them and painting them. I took these photos last year - beautiful "black" tulips - the color is actually more like dark shades of purple and burgundy. Just beautiful - I can't wait to paint more of these lovely flowers!

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Cafe des Beaux Arts

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"Cafe des Beaux Arts" Acrylic on canvas 8x8 inches / 20x20 cm. 

 This painting was from a warm August morning along the Seine river and people were starting to fill up the bistros and cafes for breakfast or a cup of coffee.

Original is now sold, thank you! See my shop for more originals and prints on paper and canvas.

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Claude Monet’s Garden and House in Giverny, France

For fans of impressionist painter Claude Monet, making a trip to his house and garden can be like a dream come true. Many garden enthusiasts and artists also make this pilgrimage. The house and garden are located in the village of Giverny on the border between Normandy and Ile-de-France and is about 80 km northwest of Paris. Opening hours: daily from 9.30 am to 6.00 pm, except Monday. From April 1st. to November 1st.

 Claude Monet’s Garden. 

Entrance to the garden is from the northeast corner, near the house. Most footpaths are closed to the public to preserve the plants and flowers. The main footpath runs along the garden wall and there are a few benches to sit on and take in the view. This part of the garden has small lawns surrounded by flowerbeds with a great variety of flowering plants. Here you will also find a small orchard and the pathway with climbing roses that leads directly to the main house. And it’s from this vantage point you realize that this is where Monet must have painted some of his paintings showing the house and garden. 

From the southeast corner of the garden a pedestrian tunnel leads to another distinctly different part of garden; the water garden. As you ascend the stairs the air feels cooler as a result of shade from large trees. Again a main pathway leads through the perimeter of the garden along a small stream with tall bamboo. Suddenly you find yourself at the edge of the famous water lily pond. It is like walking into an impressionist painting because it’s all there; the Japanese bridge, the water lilies and the weeping willow's reflections on the waters surface. Strolling along the pond there is a strange feeling of having visited before and in a way we have, through the many paintings of The Painter of Light; Claude Monet.

 Claude Monet’s House. 

  

The pink and green house is filled with many original Japanese woodblock prints, so many in fact, they hang side by side from floor to ceiling. It is possible to walk through all the rooms including the kitchen and a sunken living room that holds reproductions of some of his most famous paintings. Throughout the house you will also find old black and white photographs of the artist and his family and friends, many of them with the famous garden as a backdrop. 

A few tips for visitors. Getting there early is essential if you want to beat the crowds. Remember to bring your camera and perhaps a hat for hot summer days. Artists can obtain a permit to enter on Mondays where the gardens are closed to the general public. Photography inside Monet’s house is not allowed.  

I never get tired of painting the waterlilies, trees and their reflections in the water. Below are a few of my paintings inspired from Monet's garden.

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Original paintings and prints on canvas and paper are available from my shop, click here to see the selection.