Plein air paintings 1.

We arrived back from a six week stay at Coin perdu, Puy d’Arnac, where we worked a lot, hiked a lot, painted a lot, had friends visiting, so we wined and dined a lot and we experienced a lot.

…la frontiére, oil on board, 30x40cm…

…detail…

With no Internet available or rather, we do sort of have Internet, but we are only provided with 56 kb/s by France Telecom which means that we have almost more ancient connection than the old modem system. So forget Internet, we don’t even try. Mobile phones only work on extremely bad mood days. We didn’t experience those. Fixed lines don’t exist, not yet anyway. No room for television in our barn where we are living for the next few months. Civilized? I don’t know. What does civilized mean after all? Any way, the only means of communication that exists at Coin perdu are the echoes of our voices across the valleys and woods. Echoes would thus be my means of “phoning” Hartman at the homestead where he’s ripping out walls and floors, to come help me carry my painting stuff from where I’m splashing and splattering in the woods, or in the hills or by the rivers. He has a fancy manner of whistling that is very distinct in its echo, I can only shout which breaks up towards the end in some sort of falsetto shriek, but it has its echo anyway. Or at least, it has Hartman showing up soon and that’s what counts. May I never have to show off my shriek. We had a friend visiting us who entertained us on his famous Tarzan cry. The echo had all the animals in the forest answering. And fleeing. A Welsh Tarzan. How about that. He still has to work a bit on his Tarzan outfit though…

I reveled in plein air painting and sketching, sometimes even completed three a day and I loved every single minute. My wardrobe can testify to that. I have to invest in a completely new wardrobe, but at least I can now stand in front of the mirror and choose my oil stained outfit for the day. Even our steering wheel is a colourful caleidoscope, an original abstract creation of expressionistic finger painting.

More on plein air painting and my personal views on it later. For now, two of my pieces. It took me about two hours each and I had the company of a free spirited dog who we named Scruffy, who goes in search of a willing promeneur on Sundays to walk him, a distinguished monsieur who was walking Scruffy, un pêcheur, who gave up on fishing after a short while and a toad, who looked as if he had just woken up from hibernation.

…l’arbre solitaire, oil on canvas, 20.5x35cm…

…detail…

27 thoughts on “Plein air paintings 1.”

Holey Moley! these are just gorgeous and your visit sounds like heaven. Sometimes being without the Internet is heaven also. lol

These are great! I’m especially drawn to the color choices in the creek painting.

I just love the first one. The colours! Cecily

You did not post the one I’d like to see – that steerinf wheel! (Museum of Modern Art might want it 😉 )

Oh hon!These are so rich and wonderful! I have so missed seeing your glorious work!

Oh, Ronell, as everyone has said– rich and wonderful and glorious. That water! We have missed you but you have brought back treasures.
annie

Wow–these are beautiful–sounds like you must have been in your element, Ronell! Such lovely pieces. Well done. Take a bow! I’m still laughing at your steering wheel. Ah, the artiste!

Ohhhh, sounds absolutely fabulous. I am really jealous. Traveling to Les Bassacs in Provence for two weeks in July. Unfortunately we are only staying one night in Paris on the return trip. Can you believe that, two trips and I’ve missed you again. C’est la vie! Someday……

That just sounds like paradise Ronell – I am also jealous, all that (technology free) time, and three paintings in a day – these are wonderful, light-filled and joyful. I love the mind pictures of your echo-calls, oil-smudged clothes and steering wheel. Look forward to seeing more of what you did there, and hearing about such intensive plein air experience.

Ronell, how beautiful are your paintings, especially the one with the tree!!! And it seems that it is a perfect retreat for an artist, there…

Days that brought to us a lot of your inside! Love them really.

Hi Ronell, welcome back. I have missed your lovely work. These show you off to a tee. They are free, spirited and everything plein air painting presents to an artist. I can smell the clean air, I can hear the birds singing, I can feel the mist from the moving water and now that I have read your words I can hear the echo of someone calling.
Love Ya,
Pat

Great to have you back – I have missed you! I love the colors in the top painting, all glowing! Sounds like you are having a grand time!

Ronell these are utterly beautiful!!!

Ronell, these are gorgeous! I love the colors, especially the purply-magenta in the top painting.

Your brush is dancing again, Ronell! You’ll really have to stop that or all the rest of us are going to have to lay ours down and just watch.

Beautiful, free, wild, inspired work. And what a wonderful picture in words of your own private paradise.

Beautiful work, Ronell. I wondered where you were – turns out you were in Paradise.

Oh how fabulous Ronell – absolutely glorious, your joyful freedom shows in every stroke.

I think if you had been born a century earlier you would have been lounging at Giverney with Monet and mingling with Renoir, Morrisot, Cassatt and the rest! These pieces leave me speechless; the carefree abandon is evident here. Yet I know that they did not just ‘happen’. If I were you I’d be wearing my oil stained wardrobe PROUDLY. That said, I’ve missed you!!!!

I agree with Marta and everyone above!!! Seeing your lovely work gives me the shivers —- REALLY Ronell —it’s soooooooo enchanting!

Oh Ronell these are wonderful pieces!!!!!!!! I love them!!! I’m glad you’re back on the web! and if you keep showing stunning work like this, then I’ll be even happier !!!

Well, not only do you sound restored but your paintings are wonderful. Such color and very “Ronell” in their line. I can’t wait to see the rest. Oil becomes you very well.

Welcome back, Ronell! It does indeed seem like you found your own corner of Paradise right here on terra firma. That is to be cherished above all else!!

Your lovely paintings gve us such a tantalizing glimpse into the place you call home away from home. Then your stories add a certain spice to what we see presented.

Fabulous!