Hidden Passageway oil painting

Hidden Passageway

30x40cm (12x16") Oil on stretched canvas

AVAILABLE

We have lots of beautiful old villages around us, and apart from a few small paintings see this post here I have not painted any of them. I have hundreds of photos but there is something about painting buildings, however picturesque that I find daunting.

I decided it is about time I changed that and challenged myself to paint some larger pieces. OK this one is not a large one but a step along the way.

About this painting
This is an alleyway in St Paul de Vence my local village. It leads up to a hotel at the top and they always line the ally with flower pots. You often see tourists arriving, and after driving through the narrow village streets they then have to take their cases up this passage and negotiate the steps.

This painting is not as textured as usual, I have reserved the texture for the highlighted area. I scraped the foreground walls several times to give the impression of the weathered wall texture. Tell me if it worked.

Some closeups

 

Secluded in St Paul - Day 9, 30 day challenge

Secluded in St Paul

Palette Knife Painting

Oil on MDF canvas panel

18x24cm (approx 7"x10")

Available on Daily Paintworks

See yesterday's painting HERE

St Paul is my adopted home here in France. It is an iconic, medieaval  hill-top village and very well known for its art heritage. Consequently it is much visited by tourists, especially in the summer. It is hard to find a quiet corner. I live outside the village but have a beautiful view of the town.

About this painting
I have taken many photos of St Paul over the years, but never painted it. Something always held me back, perhaps it was the thought of all those building so close together and doing justice to something that has been painted so many times by others. This courtyard appealed to me because it is not the usual scene of St Paul. I  now have no excuse not to paint more of my local town.

Some close-ups

And how it would look framed