Evening on the Thames

oil on canvas panel - Öl auf Malplatte - huile sur carton entoilé
15 cm x 15 cm / 5,9" x 5,9"
sold - verkauft - vendu

Tomorrow I am leaving for London again - if the flight isn't cancelled that is...
As last time, I am taking my crayons and paper and hope I will get down to drawing every now and then, but I can't promise anything. Otherwise I'll be back here in about two weeks.

Coffee in Battersea Park

oil on canvas panel - Öl auf Malplatte - huile sur carton entoilé
15 cm x 15 cm / 5,9" x 5,9"
Buy it here

You might have heared about the ongoing strike here in France. Well, meanwhile it is affecting daily life. Public transport has come to a halt more or less, and petrol is getting scarce. Our younger son, who lives in Barcelona at the moment, tried to find a way to come to France somehow, in order to attend a very important date. It was impossible for him to get either a train ticket, a flight ticket or find someone who could have taken him in the car. Hours in front of the computer, panic on both sides of the Pyrenees and finally the only solution: we had to go and get him!
That is why I didn't have time to write anything yesterday - we had to get on our way. That meant 7 hours through the night to Barcelona, a short coffee break and 7 hours back to France. Luckily we had enough petrol in our car to get (just!)to the Spanish border where we could fill it up again. The things parents do for their children.... In the end we were quite proud of ourselves - didn't sleep at all and made it through the night with driving non stop - not bad for over fifties! Now we are ready to drop.

Out in the Rain

oil on canvas panel - Öl auf Malplatte - huile sur carton entoilé
15 cm x 15 cm / 5,9" x 5,9"
Buy it here

I liked the abstract quality of this picture.
I haven't got time to write more at the moment - am more or less on my way to Barcelona. Will tell you more tomorrow.

London Trademark

oil on canvas panel - Öl auf Malplatte - huile sur carton entoilé
15 cm x 15 cm / 5,9" x 5,9"
sold - verkauft - vendu

Got sucked in by the details again this time - the light mainly actually - but I like it!

Breakfast at Otto Lenghi's

oil on canvas panel - Öl auf Malplatte - huile sur carton entoilé
15 cm x 15 cm / 5,9" x 5,9"
sold - verkauft - vendu

This is a very nice restaurant that we discovered in Islington in Northern London, just round the corner from where we were staying. The interior was very classy and individual, a mixture of cool minimalism, seventies' chic and warm atmosphere. I especially liked the Panton chairs in different colours, all grouped around two long tables and the big flower bouquet. Should you be in London sometime, it is a "must" visit - the food is devine!
I will be going to London again next week (can't get enough of it) and will definitely explore the other Otto Lenghi locations!

Night on Upper Street, London

oil on canvas panel - Öl auf Malplatte - huile sur carton entoilé
15 cm x 15 cm / 5,9" x 5,9"
Buy it here

As it should be when you come to London, of course it rained. The first three nights we stayed in Islington, where this scene was enhanced by the reflections on the wet pavement. Sometimes we artists do love rain, don't we?

The Tube Arrives

oil on canvas panel - Öl auf Malplatte - huile sur carton entoilé
15 cm x 15 cm / 5,9" x 5,9"
sold - verkauft - vendu

We used the tube only two or three times during our stay and much more preferred the busses, when we weren't walking. If we were lucky to get the seats on the upper floor in the front of the bus, we thoroughly enjoyed the panoramic view we had on the ride.
Mind you, during rush hour you are better advised to go on foot because that is then much quicker!

Waiting for the Tube

oil on canvas panel - Öl auf Malplatte - huile sur carton entoilé
24 cm x 33 cm / 9,4" x 13"
http://lizasells.blogspot.com/2010/10/waiting-for-tube.html

It's been some time since I last posted here. My husband and I went on a trip to London, which was so absorbing that my crayons and paper never got to be used, inspite of my good intensions. But - I have taken loads of photographs and am looking forward to working from them. London was great and very inspiring, as you can imagine! I didn't feel at all like leaving when we had to...
The shot for this first "London" painting was taken after we had just arrived - heading for Islington and waiting for the "Northern Line" late in the evening.