SPOT THE IMPOSTERS

Well, it's mid July and almost mid summer here in southwest France, and the weather is, as you'd expect, just awful.
So when it's really cold and rainy, what does one do? Watch the Tour de France of course. 
And here we are, halfway between Condom and Nerac in the pouring rain. 

This week's competition is, wait for it: 'Spot the Aussies'.

This pic might give you a clue. Which one is the real dinky die, ridgy dige, true blue, fair dinkum, dead set Aussie?

Answer: the only real Aussie in both pics is the yellow thing on the flag.

LYNNE SAID: His head's not that shape anymore.

She went on: You've made it look like a football! He doesn't look like that at all these days.

That's why I've included the words
"One year old JACK"
in the title.
When he was a year old, I thought his head did look like a football.

LYNNE WITH LYNNE

Here they both are. The one who wouldn't sit for me, and the one I painted from a photo.

One of them's  off to be hung. 

(But just for the vernissage de l'Exposition de Peintures organisée par l'Office de Tourisme du Sud Albret.) 

Please get in touch with Ray if you'd like a portrait of someone done on this scale. 

ray@johnstonesinfrance.com

TWO VIEWS OF LONDON IN THE STYLE OF MONET

Karen and Alan live in a super, old but beautifully renovated house deep in the forest in SW France. 
They wanted two large paintings for their lounge. 
Here's what the brief said:
Two scenes of London - Piccadilly & Whitehall - painted in the style of Claude Monet's The Rue Montorgueil, painted in 1878.

Well, it took a while - mainly because we were away (in Australia and Vietnam) for five months, but at last they were ready, and here they are in situ.

ALL THE WAY FROM HOBART

Just to show that it's not all play and no work on holiday in SW France, here's proof.
Kif and Anna with their noses to the grindstone. They're busy with their masterpieces at Fources, a medieval town - that belonged to England in the middle ages. It's just a few kilometers from La Petite Galerie. They're from Australia, on holiday with their kids Theo and Poppy, who we'll no doubt meet in a later post.

Hard at work at the nearby village of Fources

Waiting for a call from David Walsh - these would both look great at MONA.

ANOTHER PAINTING OF THE SPOILT BRAT

Here's a photograph of Jack with a painting of:

"JACK FOR VICKY

ON HER BIRTHDAY 

WITH LOVE FROM MUM & DAD

26 JUNE 2014"

EMBRYOLOGY OF A PAINTING

I decided I wanted to do another one. A portrait of Lynne, that is.
But she won't sit for me. "It's too boring, and you always make me look so miserable."
Luckily I'd taken this picture of her at Mona in Hobart, which is in Tasmania, which is a state of Australia, which is a long way from here. On one of David Walsh's chairs. Against a red wall.
So, here's what happened:

Stage 1

I asked:

"So what do you think Lynne?"

Lynne said:

"You've got so much to do Raymond. You don't have time for this kind of thing. And where are you going to hang it, anyway?"

In the hope that I'd get a morsel of encouragement from another quarter, I emailed pics of the various stages to each of the kids.

Here's what Justin said: nothing.

Here's what Vicky said: nothing.

Here's what Paul said: nothing.

Stage 2.

Here's what Lynne said: 

"Why do you always make me look like a fucking monkey?"

Here's what Justin said: nothing.

Here's what Vicky said: nothing.

Here's what Paul said: nothing.

In the hope that the morsel of encouragement would eventually be forthcoming,  I emailed the kids:

"Hey! Don't any of you like my fucking painting of your mother? I'd love to know what you think - one way or another."

Stage 3.

At this stage, I said to Lynne: "I'm going to enter it in the Mezin exhibition."

Here's what Lynne said:

"Oh, for Christ's sake don't be stupid! You can't put something like that in a village art show."

Here's what Justin said: nothing.

Here's what Vicky said in answer to my email designed to solicit a morsel of encouragement: 

"Not particularly.....just not my style!!!!."

Here's what Paul said: nothing.

To keep up to date with this 21st century family saga, please come back for more.

And if anyone sees David Walsh, please ask him what he thinks about his chair.

Grace, Kate & Ellen brought their parents to France to paint

This is a picture of Cannie, Chris and family with their pictures. 

They're all the way from Ireland.

They flew to France from Dublin and hired a car.

While they were at La Petite Galerie, we all went to paint at Fources.

The results were pretty impressive.

I'm sure it won't be long before one of them gets a call from

 Gailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann.