Learn to Paint and Draw

NOT QUITE ART, BUT ANYWAY...

2011-11-08T09:18:00.006+01:00

Here's another cover, design. It's amazing how quick and easy they are to do, using a very simple drawing program. Not quite art, I know, but it's my blog so I'll post what I like.

If anyone would like to read my short stories, please click on link number 3 in the column headed "Click here to to to" on the right hand side of this page.

NEW SHORT STORY

2011-11-06T14:27:00.002+01:00

Winter, it seems, has arrived with a vengence, and I've been occupying myself writing short stories.

Here's a miniscule contribution to the growing - thank god - body of anti war literature.

Warning: You may find the language and the themes offensive.

MAN IN A BLACKSHIRT

2011-10-24T11:11:00.009+02:00

The drawing is three fourths and a half of what constitutes painting. Jean-August-Dominique Ingres.

I think he's got a point. A really big one. So it's back to the drawing board.
Here's my latest portrait in pencil. I try to think about it as painting with a pencil. Great fun, really, when you get into it. Why not give it a go.
All you need is a sheet of paper and a pencil. And a face of course. If faces are in short supply, just look in the mirror.

VARIATIONS ON A THEME

2011-10-20T18:33:00.000+02:00

Three Spanish painters. It took me a while to get this more or less right, as you can see from these preliminary exercises.

A LETTER FROM SAATCHI ONLINE

2011-10-20T07:40:00.001+02:00

It's always nice to get a letter from Saatchi. Here's what it said:Dear Ray Johnstone,Your work featured in Art We Love This Week.I'm a creative consultant at Saatchi Online and I'm writing to let you know your piece " Woman in the Studio" is being featured in Art We Love This Week .'Art We Love This Week' is collection of work we feature once a week that we find particularly interesting and worthy of a week of notoriety. Please feel free to share this news with your friends on twitter ... or look on our facebookto join in with conversation and postings with fellow artists ...Best,Molly Jo Shea

NEARLY AS OLD AS ME - TWO PAINTINGS OF SOWETO

2011-10-20T07:16:00.000+02:00

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Trawling through an old file recently, I fount these two views of Soweto that I painted about 52 years ago.Nothing to do with painting in France, really, but here they are anyway.

DESIGN FOR A BOOK COVER

2011-10-11T10:15:00.006+02:00

This my cover design for a collection of my short stories.
But beware, the copy says it all. What you see is what you'll get.
And as sure as a pound to a pinch of you know what, some people will have difficulty with both the style and the themes.
But I don't give a fig. I'd rather get a reaction from readers - even if they hate my writing - than be read with indifference.
So, if you decide to read any, please be sure to read the warnings.
Here is the link:
http://rays-books.blogspot.com/

THE SPANISH PAINTER

2011-10-09T11:32:00.008+02:00

After several years of focussing on painting, I've negleted drawing, which is where I believe it all starts.
it's a great discipline and it teaches many basics, including control of the pencil.
So I've decided to do a series of portrait drawings. Here's the first.
The subject's a Spanish painter who lives nearby. I've painted him in the past, but he has such an amazing face that I decided to do another portrait, this time in pencil.

YOU TURN 60 ONLY ONCE EVERY LIFETIME

2011-10-04T20:35:00.003+02:00

So, George is getting old. In fact, he's SIXTY today. Even if he's being trying to forget it. But we won't let him.
As you can see, George likes Guiness.
And, as he's made 60, Guiness must be good for him. Maybe if he drinks lots of it, he'll make a hundred.
Happy 60th birthday George.
(Can anyone guess who I'm talking about - if not, send me an email).

COOKING WITH LYNNE - THE LAST FEW DAYS

2011-09-25T16:00:00.009+02:00

The above two pics show Lynne in the village of Vianne and Lynne with a souvenir watercolour of the Village of Vianne.
(This is the last photo taken on the last day. Come back for more photos at the same time, same place, next year)

Our last picnic in the shadow of the Chateau de Lavardens

Dinner at the Cafe St Hubert at Gazaupouy on our way back from Toulouse

Inside Les Jacobins in Toulouse

What the heck shall I do with this?

This is us on the medieval bridge just outside the dining room window at The Mill

2011-09-19T18:06:00.004+02:00

AT THE NERVE CENTRE
Lynne Macmillan demonstrating how it all comes together in the kitchen.

GETTING OUR MINDS INTO GEAR
This is us preparing for lunch by taking in the view near the Abbaye de Flaran.
The menu consisted of:
game pate and salad, followed by grilled young wild boar, grilled stag, poor mans' potatoes and beans, and then apple tart with armagnac, and all washed down with coffee and armagnac.

COOKING WITH LYNNE - WINE AND OTHER GOOD THINGS

2011-09-17T17:53:00.007+02:00

Here we are with the produce stall we've opened at Mezin market.

And here we are being taught how to drink wine - something we didn't know very much about before we came to France.

COOKING WITH LYNNE - HARD YAKKA IN GASCONY

2011-09-16T05:43:00.018+02:00

A NAME WORTH REMEMBERING WHATEVER YOUR AGE

ANOTHER PICNIC

HOW TO START THE DAY

PICNIC AT FOURCES

LUNCH AT LE VIEUX PRESSOIR

Two Lynnes and Three Musketeers

COOKING WITH LYNNE - DAYS 3 & 4

2011-09-14T06:42:00.012+02:00

Here are some shots of the group hard at work on the U3A Cooking with Lynne course in sunny southwest France.
Here we are enjoying Lynne's first lesson in the garden at the Mill.
And here we are at the waterlily farm that supplied plants to the French impressionist Monet.
And, finally, here we are having dinner under les arcades at the small village of Montreal.
Watch this space for more pics of Aussie hard yakka in Europe.

COOKING WITH LYNNE - DAY 2

2011-09-11T11:28:00.005+02:00

Day 2
This is a shot of the U3A Australians in front of the medieval bridge at Poedenas in SW France.
They're visiting Gascony on the Cooking with Lynne course.
We're on our way to Mezin market to buy the fresh produce and other goodies for this afternoon's lesson.
In between we'll have lunch at the Le Vieux Pressoire, taste some wine, follow Lynne cooking, try some more wine, have some wine with dinner and then it's off to bed for a good night's sleep so that we'll be well rested for tomorrow's wine tasting events.

U3A - LYNNE MACMILLAN'S COOKING TRIP TO FRANCE

2011-09-11T11:24:00.005+02:00

Lynne's group arrived in Bordeaux mid afternoon after a few days in Paris.
This is a team shot in front of the medieval church of St Jean-Baptiste in Bazas. ( Two of the team have already disappeared into the church - I'll try to make sure they're in the next shot).
We're on our way to The Mill in Poudenas where they will be staying for a fortnight on the U3A Cooking with Lynne course.
Tomorrow we go to Mezin market to get what we need for the first lesson.
Watch this space.

THIS IS FELIX

2011-08-31T08:50:00.011+02:00

AND THIS IS CAREY

They live in a small village in SW France.
Felix is a Spanish artist with an international reputation. This year alone, he has had exhibitions in Ireland, Spain and Italy. Still to come in 2011 is Bilbao and the Barnard Gallery in Cape Town.
They came to my exhibition above the Tourist Office and I took their photos.
This is the result.
Hope they like them.
You too can see them at the Tourist Office during business hours.

CHAMPAGNE COMMUNISTS OR CHARDONNAY SOCIALISTS?

2011-08-29T09:14:00.004+02:00

Strange things happen on a summer's day, and here we are with Andrew and Sue and her new hip at a Communist Party lunch in the forest. Well, 'Prix libre' was a bit of a misnoma, perhaps because there was a donation tin. Here's the menu: Aperitifs, mises en bouche, melon, salad, steak and more salad, several desserts, as much wine as you could drink - rose or red from the nearby Chateau de Lisse - coffee, cherries in eau de vie and armagnac. And table service, no less. Standing to queue for food's a thing of the past apparently. Even Jacques Rapetti the local Comunist cadre who invited us had to admit that it's Communism au premiere classe.

SELF PORTRAIT - THE FINISHED ARTICLE

2011-08-25T18:40:00.002+02:00

That's it. Job done. Jose with her self portrait.

SELF PORTRAIT - WORK IN PROGRESS

2011-08-23T21:43:00.003+02:00

This is Jose working on a self portrait. Her course demands that she does a series of paintings of herself.
So she decided that she'd like to do one with me in my studio. And here it is after just a few hours work. Not quite finished, but I think she's done amazingly well, considering that she's not done that many self portraits. It's done from a photo using a very simple grid to scale up the image.
I'll post the final painting when it's finished.

PORTRAIT OF CHE - GUERRILLERO HEROICO

2011-08-23T21:16:00.006+02:00

Everyone knows this portrait. If not, pretend you do, because British Pop artist Sir Peter Blake called it one of the great icons of the twentieth century.
The image is based on a photograph of Che Guevara taken by Alberto Korda in 1960. It was later stylized by Jim Fitzpatrick.
The famous Andy Warhol Che Guevara based on Fitzpatrick's design wasn't by Warhol at all. It was produced by his assistant, Gerald Malanga, who passed the painting off as a Warhol when he was short of money. Warhol later 'authenticated' the work on the understanding that all the money involved would flow to him and not to Malange.
My version is for Jacques Rapetti who provides a free open air meal every year in honour of The Rights of Man - Fete de l'humanite.

PORTRAIT OF A HOUSE - II

2011-08-23T21:11:00.007+02:00

This painting was done for a wedding present for Mat and Vicky to give to their good friends Baptiste Lucas and Julie Negre who live in a huge house in Frouzins which is near Toulouse.
Hope they like the prezzie.

PORTRAIT OF A HOUSE

2011-08-23T21:04:00.005+02:00

This is the Darcy house in Mezin. Chris and Debby are from Wales, and they asked me to do a painting of their house in Mezin. It may look simple, but it was quite complicated and involved some 'cheating' with the perspective to get what they wanted. I was also keen to have the church St Jean-Baptiste to play a role in the composition, because you can see it from their back garden, albeit it not quite as prominently as I've painted it.
Anyway, they said they liked it and it's now in Wales being framed.

MORE FROM MADDIE

2011-08-16T15:51:00.005+02:00

Maddie wanted to do a fashion drawing. So she found a photo she liked in a magazine, and I showed here how to scale it up using a very simple grid formula.
Here's what she did. First she drew a grid on the original. Then she drew a larger grid on a piece of watercolour paper.
Then, one by one, she transferred what she saw in each of the squares on the photograph, from the photograph onto the paper. (This allows the artist to see and draw very simple areas one at a time.)
Then she painted the image in watercolour.
Not bad for a first watercolour. What do you think?

Please click here to send me an email: Maddie's painting

MEET MADDY TRENEER

2011-08-08T18:39:00.007+02:00

This is Maddy Treneer from Paris. It's her second holiday in Mézin. She's here with her parents, her brother and her grandmother.
This is a portrait she did of me. We worked together in my studio for an hour or so this morning. I think it's pretty good, considering it's the first portrait she's ever done.
Let me know what you think.

THE BULLS IN PAMPLONA

2011-07-24T15:42:00.008+02:00

The festival of San Fermine is one of the great sights/experiences in the world. It's really just a long, drunken party that lasts ten days or so. Thousands and thousands of drunk or nearly drunk people, all dressed in white with red scarves, are up very early in the morning to cram the street of Pamplona. Then the bulls are let loose and some lunatics actually run with them as they charge around the old city.
Here we are on the balcony that Vicky arranged for us to watch from. (It's much safer up there and so far no bull has ever been known to get onto a balcony). Just opposite is the hotel where Hemingway stayed when he was watching the bulls run.
Plus a drawing I did of a church on the Camino de Sandiago.

JACQUES RAPETTI

2011-07-24T15:35:00.004+02:00

Jacques Rapetti sells left-leaning literature outside the Tourist Office in Mezin every Sunday morning.
You can see from his T shirt what political party he supports.

CARY PHILIPPS

2011-07-24T15:31:00.003+02:00

Cary and his wife Becky, and their daughters Taylor and Tess, have been to Mezin nine or ten times (we've actually lost count).
This almost makes them Mezinaise. This is a portrait of Cary. Hope he likes it.

MEXICAN EXTERIOR

2011-07-03T11:26:00.003+02:00

This is Andrew busy with his painting based on a series of wonderfully graphic pics of crumbling walls and exteriors he took in Mexico. As you can see he's totally engrossed in his wall.
Not a bad effort for a first acrylic.
What do you think?

NINE TIMES VISITORS

2011-06-24T06:32:00.005+02:00

Meet Cary, Becky, Taylor and Tess.
The photos were taken on their NINTH trip to La Petite Galerie - one after we had all painted at Fources, the other of Tess with a copy of a Picasso painting done in my studio.
They've been here so often that even the locals now think of them as Mézinais.

MY PORTRAIT

2011-05-26T15:05:00.005+02:00

No, not a self portrait, and not even a portrait by me.
This is a portrait of me by Andrew.
Sue said rude things about it, but I think it's quite good.
Anyway we got together for an hour or so, and this is the result of Andrew's efforts.
And it gave us an excuse to flatten a bottle of wine afterwards.
Anyone (except Sue) is invited to comment.

VIEW OF MEZIN FROM THE STEPHENS'S HOUSE

2011-05-23T06:52:00.003+02:00

This is a present to celebrate 145 years.
In 2011, our neighbour Sue turned sixty, Andrew, her husband, has just hit sixty five and the two of them have been together for twenty years. Your don't have to be head of MENSA to work out that these three figures add up to 145.
The scene is a view of the village from their upstairs lounge.
I tried to make a change from my usual style, as their taste in art leans towards the abstract. I thought that if I played around with colour in the composition the result would take on a 'fauve feeling'.
Not sure that this worked, so I hope they like it.

THE BOOKSELLER - VERSION 2

2011-05-22T07:44:00.003+02:00

Well, Alan wasn't happy with his hair in the first version (see earlier posting), so, after having a haircut and combing it well just before I took his photograph, this is the result of my second effort.
Your can see it (and 40 other paintings of people) on my exhibition MÉZINAIS ET AUTRES PORTRAITS in the gallery above the Tourist Office in Mézin throughout the summer of 2011.
If, because of the tyranny of distance (or any other reason) you can't get to Mézin, you can see all my portraits on this site - just click on earlier postings.

DEBBIE HALL IN MY STUDIO

2011-05-09T09:23:00.009+02:00

This is Debbie Hall in my studio.
It was taken just before one or two finishing touches were made, so the final portrait is slightly different.
Debbie is the wife of Bob Hall 1 and Bob Hall 2 (see earlier blog entry).
They live in a fabulous, huge house at Cap du Bosc.
Debbie plays bridge, looks after a beautiful pond, rescues insects from their pool and makes lists of things for Bob to do.
So they now have a portrait each.

MORE ON EL CAMINO

2011-04-27T17:49:00.016+02:00

If you're one of the few people following this blog, I apologise for being boring, but I’m going to add just a few more photos of our recent walk along El Camino across France and Spain. We started last year when we walked from our front gate in Mézin to the Pyrenees. So this is the second stage of our 1200 km odyssey to Santiago de Compostela.
(El Camino is the Spanish name for the old Pilgrims' route that started in the Middle Ages to help naughty people get to heaven. We're doing in several stages over a few years. But why are you taking so long, you may well ask? Because it's a long way and we're old, that's why).
They pics above show:
1. Lynne on a footpath to Roncesvales near the top of the Pyrenees. Once you set out on the Route Napoleon from France, the monastery at Roncesvales is the first stopping off place in Spain. This involves a 25 km hike (for us a full day) across the mountains.
2. A great hilltop advert for alcohol in Spain.
3. At another monastery near Estella, you can choose to fill your water bottle free at either tap: one delivers water – the other gives you as much red wine as you want. (Lynne wanted to stay here for a few weeks).
4. A simple drawing of a fountain for pilgrims that only, alas, gives water.
That’s it.
I promise I’ll get back to art matters from now on.

EL CAMINO - PART 2

2011-04-25T09:45:00.010+02:00

As all you avid readers of this blog will doubtless remember, silly old people do some very silly things. I'm referring of course to our plan to walk from our front gate along the Pilgrim's Route to Santiago de Compostela in far western Spain. We got to the Pyrenees last year, a distance of just over 200 kms in just under two weeks. Great fun, but hard work.
Anyway, it's over 1,000 kilometres from our house in Mézin to Compostella - and there's a long way to go - so we decided to start out on stage 2. (If we're still around, we'll give the next stage a go later this year - and with luck, one day we'll get to Saintiago and complete El Camino).
Last time we stopped at the frontier town of Valcarlos (just past St Jean Pied de Port) so that's where we started from this year. We went up the old Pilgrim path from the bottom of the Pyrenees to the top in one day - but what a day! Up and up and up. And then up some more. Then, just when we thought we were at the summit, there was lots more mountain to climb.
Well, after lots of adventures in Spain, we made it. It was a truly great experience, and we arrived, as planned, in San Domingo de la Calzala - of cheap Rioja and chickens in the cathedral fame - exactly on schedule: 215 kms in nine and a half days. Not too bad for old farts like us.
Outstanding walking, superb views, amazing countryside, interesting villages and of course Lynne had a very good guide and truly excellent company all the way.
Met our neighbours Sue and Andy for two evening meals and they helped us cheat (just a little bit) by taking one of our bags on one of the days.
The above pics give an impression of what Lynne felt about the trip.
Note: with one meal we were offered ONE free drink. We asked for wine and that's how it was served: pint jug of Rioja. Not a bad reason to visit Spain as often as possible.

BASTIONS OF THE WEST

2011-04-21T10:16:00.002+02:00

Well, they do protect us don't they?

EXHIBITION

2011-04-04T11:39:00.028+02:00

You are sure to see paintings of people you know if you visit the
Tourist Office in Mézin to see MÉZINAIS ET AUTRES PROTRAITS.

You'll meet the full gamut of village characters - from the Maire and the curé to
the hairdresser and the boulanger – including many of the the hoi
polloi.

But, you may ask, what about the people you say I'm sure to know?

Well, for this exhibition I've added an extra element of
interest: also included are portraits of several French and British
VIP’s. Her Majesty and Prince Philip are there, and so are President
Sarkozy and Carla Bruni. And as an added bonus, none other than the
President of the United States.

Finally, here comes some blatant showing off and a commercial:
You can see Lynne on her way to a hanging by clicking on this sentence.

(If you're still reading and interested, it contains photos of all the portraits I painted up to the end of 2010 - plus all the paintings that I've done over the past fifty years that I feel are important to me - 187 photos of my work - plus a few others).

MEZINAIS ET AUTRES PORTRAITS
OPENS EASTER SUNDAY 24 APRIL
OFFICE DE TOURISME MÉZIN (Business hours)
TELEPHONE 0553657746

THROUGHOUT THE SPRING AND SUMMER OF 2011

CALL TO ARMS

2011-04-03T19:04:00.005+02:00

Call it propaganda if you like, but I started painting this composite portrait composition just after the Allies started to bomb Libia. Enough said, I think.

PAINTING THE VILLAGE PEOPLE

2011-04-03T08:27:00.002+02:00

MÉZINAIS ET AUTRES PORTRAITS

You are sure to see paintings of people you know if you visit the exhibition MÉZINAIS ET AUTRES PROTRAITS by artist and art teacher Ray Johnstone.

Since arriving in Gascony eleven years ago, Ray’s subjects and many exhibitions have included pigeonniers, petanqueurs and villages all over southwest France.

In his summer 2011 show at the Tourist Office in MÉZIN ( Lot et Garonne) you will meet the whole gamut of village characters - from the Maire and the curé to the hairdresser and the boulounger – including many of the the hoi polloi.

But what about the people you are sure to know?

Well, for this exhibition Ray as and added an extra element of interest - also included are portraits of several French and British VIP’s – Her Majesty and Prince Philip are there, and so are President Sarkozy and Carla Bruni. And as an added bonus, none other than the President of the United States.

AT THE OFFICE DE TOURISME MÉZIN UNTIL MID JULY
TELEPHONE 0553657746

ALAIN POIRIER - BOUQUINIST

2011-03-27T09:37:00.005+02:00

Bouquinist is probably best translated as book dealer.
Alain also contributes articles to l'Ecgi de la Gelise, a local cultural magazine.
He lives in the nearby village of Ste-Maure where you'll also find one of the best restaurants in the area.
Alain's portrait will be one of the many on show at my exhibition Mezinais et autres portraits. It opens in the Tourist office in Mézin on Easter Sunday. I hope to have fifty paintings of Mézinais. The English translation could be, Portraits of the Village People.
More details on the vernissage to follow.

JEAN-CLAUDE COUTOUROU

2011-03-27T09:27:00.003+02:00

Bonjour. Voici Jean-Claude.
I used to play petanque with his dad, René.
I often play with Jean-Claude.
And we sometimes play with his grandson, Pierre.
Three generations of petanqueurs.
Hope he likes his portrait.
It will be on show at the Tourist Office in Mezin soon.
Watch this space for more details.

JEAN LARAIGNOU - Maire de Mézin de 1983 à 2008

2011-03-14T18:28:00.009+01:00

Jean Laraignou is the ex mayor of Mézin. He helped us quite a lot when we first arrived in the village - especially to get the gallery going.
Jean is the latest in my series: painting the village people. I expect to have about 50 portraits for my Summer 2011 exhibition: Mézinais et autres Portraits.
It will be held at the Tourist Office in Mézin.
Watch this space for further details.

ST SEBASTIEN

2011-03-07T07:13:00.003+01:00

Saint Sabastian was a traditional subject for many Renaissance painters who used the biblical reference as an excuse to show off their prowess at painting erotic portraits. Arrows of desire? You decide.

SALOMÉ

2011-02-14T15:23:00.010+01:00

Please don't ask why I painted this double portrait. Because I don't know the answer.
Perhaps the idea came to me when I was looking at a book of Renaissance portraits recently.
Maybe it's because the church in Mézin is called St Jean-Baptiste. (We know him better as St John the Baptist and inside you can see a wonderful stained glass window showing him having his head chopped off).
Or perhaps it's just because I felt the urge to paint a figure composition and neither model charges fees.
Anyway here it is.
And, please, please, no shrinks' telephone numbers. I believe myself to be quite sane, thank you very much.
For more details about the window or the painting, please click here to send me an email:> More information

THIS IS LUCETTE

2011-02-11T15:35:00.008+01:00

Lucette is one of the few women who regularly plays petanque.
The gender politics is very interesting to observe, because she is a very good player - plus she has a natural understanding of strategy. Which means that she has a tendency to tell some players what to do. This sometimes doesn't go down very well with the...um...er...shall we say, more traditional male players, who see this as a takeover bid. And this by, horror of horrors, a FEMALE.
Lucette was the person who first taught me the rules and showed me what to do.
You might say that Lucette taught me how to play, while the men taught me a long list of very bad French swearwords.
Putain de merde, that was over ten years ago.
But thanks for that Lucette. It's been great fun playing for a decade - and improving my lexicon of swearwords as my petanque prowess has gradually crept up to the current level of mediocre player.

PATRICIA DUBOUCH

2011-02-11T11:57:00.010+01:00

This is Patricia Dubouch présente le bilan financier du club Buchon Mezinais.
Quite a mouthful that, but it means 'treasurer', I think.
Patricia hurt her leg quite badly in a fall a few years ago, but now she's partly recovered, and, although still in some pain, when she has time, she's back playing petanque.
This is another painting for my summer exhibition of Mezinais et autres Portraits, which translates as 'The people of Mezin and other Portraits'.

BOB HALL ONE AND BOB HALL TWO

2011-02-04T09:23:00.006+01:00

No, these are not dynastic numbers, they are the numbers of the respective paintings.
Bob didn't like BOB HALL ONE (too grumpy looking) so I did BOB HALL TWO which was received much more positively, and has taken over from BOB HALL ONE.
This means that BOB HALL ONE (with car) is looking for a new home.
If you know a Bob Hall lookalike, please ask him to contact me to talk about a BARGAIN PORTRAIT.

Please click here to send me an email: More portrait information

YA YA DECHBERY

2011-01-28T12:10:00.010+01:00

His real name is Francois.
He plays lots of petanque. Almost every day.
He also hunts a lot. He has his own palombier. In English you'd probably say 'hide'.
And when he's not playing, he's off in his campervan.
Nor a bad life, really.

JACQUES LAUGA, MACON

2011-01-26T15:16:00.005+01:00

Jacques was one of the village builders, but he's retired now, which means he spends most of his time hunting and playing petanque.
Jacques and I sometimes play as partners in inter village competitions, and, although he's an excellent player, he never criticises my game. Even when I make a complete cock up.

PHILIPPE COULANGES

2011-01-26T15:08:00.003+01:00

This is Philippe, but some people call him Gazole, which means diesel, because he runs the garage in Mézin and he sells fuel for domestic heating.
He's a very good petanqueur, although he only plays rarely. Plus, although he hates losing, he's a very good sport.
Another portrait for my spring exhibition at the Tourist Office in Mézin.

SELF PORTRAITS

2011-01-24T05:41:00.005+01:00

Self portraits are considered an indulgence by some (usually non painters) and vanity by others.
However, from my perspective, a self portrait has two major points to commend it.
The model is always on hand when the artist is ready, and no money changes hands.
This one was done after looking at paintings by the American Chuck Close.
You can tell by the colour and quantity of hair in the painting (not much anyway) and the hair on the subject that the self portrait was done quite a while ago.

LYNNE ON HER WAY TO A HANGING

2011-01-21T19:08:00.011+01:00

When I took my recent exhibition down, I decided to catalogue the 50 odd paintings that had been on the show - mostly portraits that I had done during the last six months of 2010. But once I'd started, I thought it might be worth adding one or two others. Needless to say, it grew like Topsy, and in no time at all, 'one or two others' had swollen to over 160 paintings. The most frightening thing about this exercise was when I realised that the oldest examples are two I'd done in my matric year, over 50 years ago.
This catalogue, PORTRAITS AND OTHER PAINTINGS, in truth a thin book of 80 pages in full colour, will be avaialable from Amazon and other online booksellers in due course.
Anyone who knows Mézin will realise that Lynne was photographed on her way to a hanging in front of St Jean-Baptiste in the village square.

If you'd like any further information, please contact me by clicking here

RED LETTER DAY

2011-01-18T20:50:00.004+01:00

Well, I bet not many of you has ever received a letter from a real, live bishop.
To be honest, not only is it the first letter I've received from a bishop, but it's the first letter I've ever received for a painting.
Monsignor Hubert Herbreteau (that's his name - he's Polish, apparently) sent me the above letter after the Curé of St Jean-Baptiste in Mezin commissioned me to paint the Bishops portrait (I've actually painted both of them - see earlier blogs). According to the letter, he's rather chuffed (unless he's telling porkies - but I don't think bishops do that kind of thing).
The next time the phone rings, it could be the Pope wanting me to do his portrait. When it happens, I hope I'm not to busy to fit it in.

M'AS-TU-VU

2011-01-13T14:35:00.004+01:00

At first I was going to call this painting 'Smile You're on a State Visit', but I think 'm'as-tu-vu' says it all.

LA PRESIDENT ET LE PRESIDENT

2011-01-10T08:49:00.006+01:00

Voici la President de le club 'Bridge d'Albret' à Mézin avec le president de la Republic francaise.
It seems they really like each other.

SÉBASTIAN CHABAL - FIRST PORTRAIT OF 2011

2011-01-06T15:52:00.012+01:00

Here is my first portrait of 2011, a famous French rugbyplayer.
As usual done from a photograph, and chosen for the ruggedness of the facial features.
I was quite pleased with the result, so he'll be part of my next exhibition in the spring of this year.
I hope he likes it if he ever sees it.
If you'd like any information about portraits - either learning how to paint them yourself - or commissioning one, please click here to send me an email: More portrait information

PRESIDENT SARKOZY - LAST PORTRAIT OF 2010

2010-12-30T17:23:00.009+01:00

This is my last portrait of 2010: President Nicolas Sarkozy of France.
If anyone bumps into him, please let him know that he can have it if he wants it. With my compliments, of course.

If you would like to contact me, please click here.

TAM AZAWAKH COCKS

2010-12-28T17:59:00.023+01:00

As you can see I also do portraits of dogs.
Some people like them better than my paintings of people.

Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any queries.
Please click here.

CHRISTMAS ALWAYS COMES WITH PRESENT PROBLEMS

2010-12-21T15:33:00.005+01:00

This is a present I planned to give to Mat and Vic.
This is what I was hoping for: Wild applause, cheering and clapping. Acclamation, congratulations, praise and plaudits. Tears of joy. People jumping up and down and doing cartwheels and summersaults. Being smothered in hugs and kisses and other overwhelming displays of everlasting gratitude. (Even, perhaps, material tokens of thanks).
This is what various people said:
Lynne: I'm still not sure about the one on the left. Her eyes are much bigger. (As if she's a barn owl).
Vicky: I'm not sure I can have a representation of myself in my flat. (As if it's a statue of the Virgin Mary to pay homage to every time you see it).
Ray: If you don't like it, try giving it to Mat's parents. If they don't want it give it back to us. (We'll find a cupboard to store it in).
Mat: (He's not seen it yet. Watch this space - if you're interested).

LATE ADDENDUM
This is what Paul said:

Dear Dad,

I think that it's a reasonable likeness but a great painting? I'm one
of the most enthusiastic supporters of your recent portraiture but I
think you do have to be careful of this production line of gifts and
commissions from photographs. Digital photos are great at recording
happy moments but representing these images in acrylic for a similar
purpose and audience can have limited artistic value and interest.

Most of them are brilliant but compare this portrait to your other
December posts. This is quite nice but the others have much more
interest (and artistic merit, I would argue) because of what they
convey about the characters, in terms of their expressions and general
demeanour, what is captured in their eyes, and the other telling
details. This portrait doesn't capture these things entirely
successfully, possibly because it is a fairly generic, staged
photograph of a couple. (No doubt a lovely photo and a very attractive
couple clearly). It's just that their expressions and posture say
'Cheese'. There may not really be a case for expressing it in a
painting, other than the kind gesture of a gift, but this sentiment is
the other factor that might be undermining the portrait.

That said, the painting is growing on me even as I click back and
forth to it while writing this e-mail. In fact it's not too bad at all
and I can't wait to receive mine for Christmas.

If you're interested in any more of my views on art, don't worry about
e-mailing me as I'll be happy to provide them entirely unsolicited
over the next two weeks.

Love Paul.

ANOTHER ADDENDUM

The trouble with Paul's email...

Well, before giving my final comment on Paul's criticism of my painting of Vicky and Mat, I decided to go back to Oliver Cromwell.
Here's what he said to the artist about to do his portrait:
"MR LELY, I DESIRE YOU WOULD USE ALL YOUR SKILL TO PAINT YOUR PICTURE TRULY LIKE ME, AND NOT FLATTER ME AT ALL; BUT REMARK ALL THESE ROUGHNESS, PIMPLES, WARTS, AND EVERYTHING AS YOU SEE ME; OTHERWISE I WILL NEVER PAY A FARTHING FOR IT." (The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations).

So, the trouble with Paul's criticism (from my perspective) is that he's absolutely right. And before my next portrait, I'm going to think very carefully about how I approach it.

M BRIQUET

2010-12-21T15:25:00.003+01:00

This is M Briquet from St Pe, done from a photograph his delightful wife found for me.

BETTY SUTER

2010-12-12T15:35:00.004+01:00

This is Betty Suter who is 99 and 7 months old.
We hope President Sarkozy will come to tea when she turns 100!
Perhaps he'll bring Carla Bruni with him.

PETER COCKS

2010-12-04T10:47:00.004+01:00

Peter and his wife Jan live at the Moulin de Courbian which they've restored and turned into a huge and wonderful living space.

Mme ARNAUD

2010-12-04T10:42:00.003+01:00

This is Louis Arnaud's wife. She works as a benevol at the Tourist Office.
I've never seen her in the flesh, but I look forward to meeting her because she's obviously a very attractive woman.
Her husband, Louis, commissioned the portrait from a photograph.

FRANCIS PLAYS THE BUGLE

2010-11-25T14:49:00.006+01:00

Pompier Francis Glise plays the bugle at all the official ceremonies in Mézin.
He replaces Noel Sudbury on my exhibition. Noel is going to England.

THE BISHOP OF AGEN

2010-11-25T14:30:00.004+01:00

He came to Mézin for a few days, so the curé asked me to paint his portrait.
This fits in perfectly with my idea to add to the exhibition as I complete more paintings.
My painting of Patrick at the Bar du Commerce has gone, so Mgr Hubert Marie Michel Marcel Herbreteau takes his place. Until we deliver him to Agen in the first week of December.
Crissie Mead says I must remember to kiss his ring.

If you have any comments or queries, please send me an email.
Please click here.

VERNISSAGE - OPENING NIGHT - 5 NOVEMBER 2010

2010-11-06T08:31:00.031+01:00

I hope the photos speak for themselves...
Please let me know what you think.
ray@johnstonesinfrance.com
(Click on "Contact Us").

RAY'S EXHIBITION STATEMENT

2010-11-03T09:20:00.006+01:00

MÉZINAIS ET AUTRES PORTRAITS

CETTE EXPO EST DÉDIÉ AUX MÉZINAIS
ET SURTOUT AUX SUJETS DES PORTRAITS

L'exposition consiste d'une serie des portraits des Mézinais faits pendant 2010 - en plus il y a d'autres faits depuis quarante ans.

Au fur et à mesure qui je continue à peindre des portraits dans les semaines à venir, j'en ajouterai.

*
“Avec les verrues et tout”
Oliver Cromwell (1599 - 1658) à son portraitiste

THIS EXHIBITION IS DEDICATED TO
THE PEOPLE OF MÉZIN
AND ESPECIALLY TO THOSE WHOSE PORTRAITS ARE ON SHOW

The paintings consist of a series of portraits of the people of Mézin done over the past few months - plus several others that I have painted over the past forty years.

I plan to change the exhibition regularly over the next weeks and months as I paint more portraits. These will be added as they are completed.

*
“Warts and all”
Oliver Cromwell (1599 - 1658) to his portraitist

Ray Johnstone 11/2010

PRESS RELEASE

2010-11-03T07:17:00.007+01:00

EXHIBITION: MÉZINAIS ET AUTRES PORTRAITS

PORTRAITS OF THE VILLAGE PEOPLE BY RAY JOHNSTONE

Oliver Cromwell asked his portraitist to paint his portrait ‘warts and all’, and I hope my 50 paintings of the people of my village of Mézin and others follow this imperative. I’ve never flattered my subjects, in the hope that my paintings wouldn’t be compared with chocolate box designs.

The works on show consist of a series of portraits of the people of Mézin done over the past few months, including several petanqueurs, Monsieur le Maire, the baker, les patrons des bars, an accountant, the priest and the church organist.

Armand Fallieres is there too. He was born in Mézin and became President of the French Republic from 1906 to 1913.

Also included are other paintings that I have done over the past forty years.

I plan to change the exhibition regularly over the next weeks and months as I paint more portraits. These will be added as they are completed.

You can see the exhibition during office hours at the Tourist Office in Mézin until the end of December.

For further information, please contact Ray Johnstone at:

05 53 97 38 17

ray@johnstonesinfrance.com
(Click on "Contact Us").

EL CAMINO - THE WALK TO SPAIN - SOME PICS WE TOOK ALONG THE WAY

2010-11-03T07:00:00.014+01:00

DINNER WITH A PIG

THE DAY AFTER OUR WALK - ON THE BRIDGE AT ST JEAN PIED DE PORT

LYNNE HOPING FOR INSPIRATION

THE LAST TOWN IN FRANCE - AT THE FOOT OF THE PYRENEES

WALKING TO SPAIN - TWO WEEKS LATER

2010-11-03T06:57:00.001+01:00

Two weeks after we started we crossed the border into Spain, half way up the Pyrenees.
No wonder we look so pleased.

EXHIBITION NOW OPEN

2010-11-03T05:57:00.005+01:00

45 Portrait paintings are now on show at the Tourist Office in Mézin.
Please visit the exhibition if you live in or near the village.
It's only 15 kilometers from Condom or Nerac in SW France.

ON THE WAY TO A HANGING

2010-11-03T05:34:00.005+01:00

My favourite painting of Lynne - a protrait I did in 1992 - on it's way to the exhibition. In the background is the wonderful St Jean-Baptiste, the gothic church right in the middle of the village of Mézin.
MÉZINAIS ET AUTRES PORTRAITS is now open at the Tourist Office.

LUCINDA'S DOG

2010-11-03T05:33:00.016+01:00

One of the few problems one encounters when walking to Spain is badly brought up dogs.
Here's an email I sent to Lucinda Prior. Every word is true.
Bonjour Lucinda,
I hope this follow up on your recent phone call to us is of some interest:
As you now know, Lynne, George and Robin and I were walking from Mézin to the Pyrenees when your phone call came through to Lynne. She passed on to us how you had been hassled by a dog that eventually bit you when you were doing the same walk a few weeks earlier.
Needless to say from then on, every time we heard a dog barking, someone said ‘that could be the dog that bit Lucinda.’
Anyway, by chance, just after your phonecall, (and much to George’s disgust I suspect) I bought a catapult from a hippy who was selling them in the market. I put it in my rucksack and promptly forgot about it.
A few days later we were walking about a hundred metres behind another group of pilgrims when a pack of dogs ran out and started barking very aggressively at them.
A few minutes later it was our turn. The dogs were hassling and snapping at us in a very frightening manner.
But luckily I’d managed to pull the catapult out of my bag and pick up a stone.
Well, I must confess that I’d used a catapult thousands of times when I was a kid, and never managed to hit anything - except a few neighbour's windows. But St Jacques must have been on my side. Just as these dogs rushed at us – Lynne and Robin were fending them off with sticks – I put the stone in the pouch, pulled back the elastic, and aimed at the most aggressive dog. When I let go, St Jacques made sure that the stone hit the dog right between the eyes. There was a loud ‘thunk’ and a sharp spurt of blood. The dog promptly stopped barking and started yelping. And it kept on howling as it ran off down the road followed by the rest of the pack. The last we saw of it was it’s arsehole disappearing over the horizon.
Lucinda, I must say that I fervently HOPE it was the dog that bit you, and I trust that you are as pleased as I am with my shot.
The moral of the story is this: pagan dogs shouldn’t fuck around with Christian pilgrims.
Love to Luke and Minty.
Gros bisous.
Ray
P.S. like a WW2 fighter pilot - or a gunfighter - I've cut a notch in the handle of my catapult and simply labelled it "dog".

WALKING TO COMPOSTELLA - STAGE 1

2010-11-03T05:32:00.011+01:00

In October we decided to walk to Spain. We've been talking about it for years.
The ancient, medieval road to Compostella goes right past our front gate. The final destination - the Cathedral of St Jacques in Compostella - is six weeks away on foot. Or, as you can see on the signpost, 1056 kilometres.
Probably too far for old codgers like us to do in one hit.
Se we set our sights on the Pyrenees. Or about 250 kilometres.
We set off from La Poste in Mézin at 10.30 on Thursday 13 October, and arrived in Montreal late the same afternoon. (Only 17 kms away).
Send me an email if you would like more information on walking to Compostella.
Please go to the following link and then use the email at the bottom of the page.
ray@johnstonesinfrance.com

LE CURÉ - THE VILLAGE PRIEST

2010-11-01T17:52:00.005+01:00

This is the priest. He lives in the presbytere.
He comes from Poland. (Like England is short of plumbers, France is short of priests).
He speaks good French and, I presume, Polish. He also talks some English.
(Apologies for starting so many sentences with "he").

CAFE DU MARCHÉ - THIS IS CORRINE

2010-11-01T17:50:00.004+01:00

Mézin has 5 bars. Not bad for a village this size. (We also have 4 bakers and a specialist boulanger who comes to the Sunday market). Which means we should never be short of a drink or a loaf of bread.
The Cafe du Marché has been in Corrine's family for years.

ACCOUNTANT

2010-11-01T17:43:00.008+01:00

Accountants in France are all known as expert compteuse or 'Expert Accountants'.
Not sure why this is, but let's hope it's accurate. (In any case, all accountants should be accurate).
This accountant's name is Christian Forsans.

HARRY & LISA

2010-11-01T17:41:00.010+01:00

This is Harry's Christmas present for Lisa.
It's done from a rather dark photo taken in a restaurant.
Hope she likes it.

ORGANIST

2010-10-28T06:50:00.003+02:00

This is Maurice du Plessis.
He's in his eighties, has had two knee operations, but he remains as fit as a fiddle.
He also plays the organ in St Jean-Baptiste, the amazing gothic church in the centre of the village, just a few paces from our front door.
Many years ago, when we walked with a group of French pilgrims from Conques to Agen, he drove the back-up car.

THE PAINTER

2010-10-20T15:31:00.005+02:00

This is Mark, one of our neighbours. He used to be a painter. Of houses. I once told him that in a few years I'd painted more houses in Mezin than he had in a lifetime. He looked confused, so I showed him my painting of Mezin from a nearby hill. The composition consists of a view of the houses in the village that surround the church. I don't think he understood.
He also tried to give me a cage full of snails one day. I told him they'd eat my flowers. I think/hope he realised it was a joke.

JOURNALIST AND RUGBYPLAYER

2010-10-06T10:13:00.003+02:00

Eric is a journalist with La Depeche, our local, regional, daily newspaper.
He covers all the sport in the area and used to play rugby at a high level.
He asked me to change the colour of his jumper, but that proved too hard - so he'll have to be satisfied with pink.

ARTIST

2010-10-06T09:29:00.005+02:00

Hervé runs a rural gite near Villeneuve de Mézin, one of the villages nearby.
He is also an accomplished artist, and is always in charge of the exhibitions held in Mézin, including the annual exhibition held in the Salle d'Almeida.

M. LE MAIRE II

2010-10-06T09:24:00.004+02:00

This is the second painting I've done of Christian Bataille, maire of Mézin.
He's kindly agreed to open my exhibition at the Tourist Office on 5 November at 6.30pm.
His portrait will be amongst about twenty other village personalities - plus some other portraits and self portraits I've done over many years.

BAKER (RETIRED) AND PETANQUEUR (STILL GOING STRONG)

2010-10-05T21:18:00.003+02:00

This is Marcel Manaberra, the renowned baker, now retired. But he's still a formidable petanqueur or boules player.
Marcel told me that when he first came to Mezin in 1956, the village boasted a cinema, several bars where you had to book a table to play cards, two vehicle service stations, and, wait for it, TWO brothels.
They sure knew how to live in those days.

THE ENGINEER FROM MONTCRABEAU

2010-10-05T20:37:00.011+02:00

Keith is an engineer (with lots of letters after his name) who spends half his time in France and the other half in the UK.
Keith's wife, Liz, produces wonderful pottery.
They live in a lovely house in the beautiful town if Montcrabeau in SW France. If you stand on tiptoe on the top floor, you can just see the Eiffel Tower in the distance.
On the first sunday of August the fête des menteurs, or "Festival of Liars" is held in their village. The competitor who tells the tallest story is pronounced Roi des Menteurs or"King of the Liars".
Oh, and yes, they both liked the portrait I did of Keith.
You now have to decide what parts of this copy are true and what bits are complete fibs.

THIS IS ROBIN

2010-09-29T06:59:00.003+02:00

He likes walking, collecting and selling antiques. His wife is an excellent cook. He's been walking in England recently. All over the place, but mostly down the Thames valley.
He's walking to Compostella next week. Thursday 9 September 2010.
We're going with him. Our plan is to walk as far a the Pyrenees this year. Then we'll think about the following stages. Hope we make it.

MÉDECIN MÉZINAIS

2010-09-17T16:07:00.003+02:00

There are several doctors in Mézin.
This is one of them.

THIS IS ALAN

2010-09-17T16:02:00.003+02:00

Alan is a keen fisherman and hunter.
He's known by everyone in the village because you see him everywhere.
He must spend a fortune in shoes.

LOOK AT THE BIRDIE AND I'LL PAINT YOUR PORTRAIT

2010-09-14T16:54:00.014+02:00

Just to emphasise that I do portrait paintings from photographs, I've just done this self portrait with camera.
Lynne thinks the camera is the best part, but I hope it gets the message across.
If you have any suggestions/comments, please email me at:
ray@johnstonesinfrance.com
Then click on the email address at the bottom of the page.

BAR DU COMMERCE

2010-09-12T15:53:00.005+02:00

Bernard runs the Bar du Commerce. He's built the business up from almost nothing to be a thriving business with entertainment on several nights during the week. It's a great place for a coffee or a drink.
Crowds of people go there on a Sunday morning for aperos when the produce market is on in Mézin.
See you there next Sunday.

RUGBY - PETANQUE - CATTLE BREEDER

2010-09-12T15:47:00.007+02:00

Even in this medieval village in La France Profonde, everyone has a mobile phone (except me).
This is Laurent, talking on the phone. He's a breeder of Blonde d'Aquitaine, cattle, those wonderful looking cows that look as if they've just come out of a car wash.

PORTRAIT OF ZIZI

2010-09-08T12:57:00.005+02:00

This is Zizi, who was one of nine children born in a tiny house called l'Octroi in Mézin almost eighty years ago. It was a toll post at one of the arches into the village.
When he applies himself, he's a very good petanque player.
Where he got his nickname from I have no idea, because it is very ambiguous in French.
Maybe he was good at other things too.

HEAD OF TOURISM - MEZIN

2010-09-07T12:03:00.004+02:00

This is a portrait of our President of the Office de Tourisme in Mézin.
Lynne says he may not like the painting, but I feel that it's one of the best I've done.
I intend to include it in my forthcoming exhibition, so that's when we'll find out who's right, I suppose.

SUE

2010-09-03T18:48:00.004+02:00

Andrew and Sue are our our neighbours in Mezin.
They have collected paintings for years.
I've already painted Andrew.
Now it's Sue's turn.
They're away on holiday in Spain at the moment.
Let's hope they like the painting when they get back.

PORTRAIT OF BOB

2010-09-03T18:44:00.003+02:00

The car in the background is the clue.
Bob loves old, mechanical things - especially the deux-chevaux.
Debby commissioned the portrait (of Bob, not the car).
I added the 2CV because of his passion.
Neither of them has seen to painting yet.
Hope they like it.

PIED-NOIR

2010-08-26T17:38:00.004+02:00

Jules is a Pied-noir. That means he's a Frenchman from Algeria, but he's lived in Mezin so long that he's now considered Mezinais.
You will find him watching petanque almost every day of the week.
He sits with a group of friends who form what is called the gallerie.
They know everything there is to know about petanque. All the rules, all the strategies, all the tactics. They consider themselves experts on every aspect of the game. They make comments, usually very loudly, at every possible point in the play.
Needless to say, they rarely actually get down from their ivory towers to play.

PATRICK

2010-08-25T15:59:00.004+02:00

This is Patrick from the Bar du Commerce in Mézin.
He speaks good English, which is not that common around here.
I took the photograph on the terrace of the bar just as Parick was finishing work. Hence the broad smile, probably.
He's number ten (or thereabouts) in the Portrait of a Village series I'm working on.

THIS IS NOEL

2010-08-24T14:52:00.005+02:00

No prizes for guessing his birthday.
His wife, Jacqui, commissioned the portrait.
He wasn't so sure he wanted it done.
But he relented when I told him even the Queen has had her portrait done by an Australian.

SAY HELLO TO MARIO

2010-08-24T14:46:00.006+02:00

This is Mario. He has a fabulous memory for numbers, and he can remember the birthdays of everyone in the village.
Mario lives at a CAT residence in Mezin.
His portrait will be one of the thirty or so that I hope to have for my exhibition "Mezinaise et autres Portraits".