EGLISE ST-JEAN DE VILLENEUVE-DE- MEZIN

This is my watercolour painting of the church in the nearby hamlet of Villeneuve de Mézin.
It’s a birthday gift for Peter and Bernadette. 
Hope they don’t see this photo before they open the present. 

JIM’S PAINTING TRIP TO FRANCE JUNE, 2017

THIS IS A 13TH CENTURY MILL IN GASCONY.

At the moment it’s full of Americans. There are eleven of them. From Texas. Painters and holidaymakers.  Enjoying the sights and sounds of southwest France, and of course the amazing French food. Strawberries, cherries and melons are in season at the moment.
So here are some of them just after they arrived.

Team shot outside the Mill with the medieval bridge in the background.

On the first night it was Eddie and Judy’s anniversary. Here they are with a "50 years is a long time" cake.

50 years deserves a souvenir 

Eddie and Eric solving the world’s problems.

Tracy and Eric Junior hard at work.

Guess who dropped his napkin.

Our meal at the duck farm, Contes d’Albret.

Jim and EJ - some tips about composition.

Jim and Mo planning a painting.

Lunch at the Chateau le Frechou

Maya and a pigeonnier.

Dinner at the Mill

Rebecca admiring Rick’s work.

Sandy and Judy in the Orangerie at the Chateau of Le Frechou.

Later: a quick walk around Nerac.

PS For more information on painting holidays in France - for families or small groups of friends - please click here.  

JIM’S PAINTING WEEK IN FRANCE

MORE PICTURES IN THE PHOTO ALBUM

Team shot with the Three Musketeers in Condom

Picnic lunch after painting at Blaziert

Breakfast at the Mill

Team shot at funny road sign

Lunch at the Duck Farm

Still enjoying that cake

The entrance to Fources - a 12 century watch tower

Painting in the cloisters at La Romieu

The Music Festival in Mézin and eating with the locals

JIM’S PAINTING WEEK IN FRANCE - LA FIN

Jim's demo at Le Bastard Hotel in the hilltop town of Lectoure (yes - that really is the hotel's name - promise it is). 

Becky (taking a photo) and Judy and Sandy hard at work (in their respective ways) on the terrace at Le Bastard.

Team pic taken by reporter from La Depeche, the local newspaper.

The evening of the last Friday at the Mill, and the traditional crit of all the work produced during the week.

Finally, bon voyage y’all. Have a safe trip. Hope to see you again sometime. 

Adichatz et au revoir. 

PS For more information on painting holidays in France - for families or small groups of friends - please click here.

BOB’S 70th

For Bob’s 70th birthday, his wife Debbie took him on a boat on the Clyde (the sentimental reason is that he’s from Glasgow). They loved it.
Here’s a painting of them on what is called a ‘Clyde puffer’ for obvious reasons.
Please get in touch with me if you want details of how you can get me to do a painting from a photograph you’ve taken.
Please contact me at:
ray@johnstonesinfrance.com

BOB’S DOG

This is a watercolour of Bob’s dog Luna. It was a commission done from a photograph, and given to him on his 70th birthday.
You can see another painting of a dog here:
https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-PAINTING-OF-YOUR-PET-DOG/183452/3316839/view

If you’d like to have a watercolour done of your pet from a photo you take, please email me for full details on how it works.
ray@johnstonesinfrance.com

ADAM & EVE WITH LILIES

Here's my latest painting. The photo is taken in my studio.
I've called it "ADAM AND EVE WITH LILIES"
"AND EVE?" 
Why not "OR EVE?," you might well ask.
Or even better, "ANDROGYNOUS FIGURE WITH LILIES?"
Who knows? Who cares? And does it really matter?

If you'd like to see this painting in detail please go to 
Saatchi here.

GUSTAVE KLIMT

This is my painting of part of a painting called Judith with the Head of Holofernes. I’ve left out the head she’s holding but you can see it in the original which was done by Gustave Klimt in 1901. This was a very popular subject in the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Judith was a biblical character who tricked her lover and adversary into getting drunk so she could behead him.  Klimt used a lot of actual gold foil - I’ve used gold acrylic pigment.
This work is sold, but if you’d like a quote on a similar copy, please send me some brief details in an  email: ray@johnstonesinfrance.com. (A price guide is 300 Euros for acrylic on canvas size 50 x 60 cms.)
If you’d like to see some more of my works, please have a look at my portfolio at Saatchi Online.

ADAM & EVE

This is Adam & Eve in my studio.
I’ve been painting nudes all my life, and I’ve now gone back to this traditional subject with some enthusiasm.
You can see various of my nude works at Saatchi Online here.
But please don’t go there if the subject offends you.