Aqueduct

Hopefully I can be forgiven for returning to a subject I've painted before.  The Aqueduct over the Alcantara Valley never ceases to capture my imagination.  Every time I drive past it on my way to or from Lisbon, I see it in a different light and get new ideas for painting it.  This painting isn't finished yet, but I think it's close enough that you can see where it's headed.

If Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery -

Then what is theft?

It seems somebody helped themselves to one of my paintings without paying for it.

I'm glad you like the painting, but does looking at it give you pleasure when you know it doesn't belong to you?  Or is your conscience so calloused that it doesn't bother you?  If that's the case, then I find it curious that a painting could move you enough that you'd be willing to steal it.

Or maybe it's a Christmas gift that you couldn't afford.  Either way, what you did is something you will have to deal with yourself.  I refuse to worry about it.  Christmas is all about a gift that nobody deserved, so merry Christmas to you, and I sincerely hope you enjoy the painting.

Zoe

Zoe found a nice spot for a few quiet moments.

Painting Lisbon

I could spend the rest of my life painting Lisbon and the surrounding countryside, and never run out of subjects.

This view of Lisbon has been on my mind for a long time.  I've been wanting to show the dome of the Pantheon (Yes, we have one too.) rising above some of the old tiled buildings that line the street as it follows the Tagus to the sea.  It's been on my worktable almost as long as it was on my mind, but not until today, while I am laid up with the flu, have I had the opportunity to put the final touches on it.

More Revisionism (Updated)

In June of last year, I finished this painting of sardines.  It's one of two or three paintings, though, that never made it to the framer though, because I just wasn't sure about them.  As is the case with my previous post, I've gone back to work on this one.  In this case, it wasn't the composition that bothered me, but the color, or should I say, lack of it.  Here's the final version:

Election Night Painting

I finished this painting back in March.  Well, I thought I had, but then again, I never felt inclined to take it to my framer, so maybe on some level I realized it wasn't done.

I dug it out a week or so ago, and realized the composition just wasn't what I wanted it to be.  The bottom right corner, even with its shadows, was too bare in comparison to all the busy branches everywhere else. The painting suffered from a lack of balance.

I had a four-day weekend last week, but spent it in bed with the flu, which gave me plenty of time to think about how to fix that imbalance, even if I didn't feel up to doing anything about it.  Now, on election night (It's night here in Lisbon, but we're five hours ahead of East Coast, US time, so there's no real news available yet, nor will there be any time soon.) The kids have homework and I was in need of something to keep me busy, so I seized the moment.  Here's the result:

I didn't change anything in the color of the sky, although if you compare the two photographs closely, it looks as if I did.  That's a photography issue that I'll address later.  I think the additional tree trunks in the foreground balance the composition better though, and now I think I can safely have it framed.

I generally don't think it's a good idea to rework older paintings, but there have been just a couple that have called me back, and I'm pleased with the difference.

Restore the Republic.

See instructions here.

October Rains, Guincho

This is a fairly large painting, as watercolors go, but I had to post a small photo of it, or it wouldn't fit onto the format of this blog.  If you click on the photo, you can see a bigger version.