LA NARCISSE PIGALLE - NITE CLUB BY DAY

Nite Club in daylight  1996--2016 acrylic on canvas

I painted La Narcisse 20 years ago. Recently, I changed

this Pigalle Nite Club from a dark sky to a Nite Club by day.

with just  a thin layer of gesso.

Now with a complete face lift, it seems happier.

It was origonally called La Nouvelle Athèné and was a

famous hang-out for Montmarte artists at the beginning of the last century.

Degas painted his famous "L'Absinthe" there and some of Picasso's blue period 
works were done on the spot.

It burned down to the ground about 12 years ago.

The building behind as well.
It's a Bio Super Market now with a chic apartment building behind.

Same size, but not the same. The bars are still there.

« Les Filles » as well.

NATIVITY

"Nativity" water color, gouach, ink 2016

LADY LADY Ipad drawing

ANTARTIC SUNSET

'Antartic Sunset" water color with ink 2016

I FOUND MY IPAD 4 drawings

"lizard"

"blue bird dancing"

"lunar eclipse tonight"
https://www.wired.com/2010/12/solstice-lunar-eclipse/

"free 4 all"

LA NARCISSES PIGALLE

"Nite club by day"

i painted this 20 years ago and posted it in 2008 in this blog. I painted it during the day but since it was a Nite Club,
I made the sky a dark blue- black.  No one has ever paid much attention to it. A couple of months ago, I Gessod  (white base for canvas) the dark blue sky
and Bingo it's a hit. Now I am working on the windows.
Once a historic hangout for Montmartre artists at the beginning of the 1900 century
The Club burned down about 10 years ago and now is a bio market.

FISH TANK

"fish tank" virtual water color 2008 prints available

BIBLIOTEQUE FORNEY - HÔTEL DE SENS

"Biblitèque Forney" 2016

A very special place now and in the 14th century when it was built. It was the hôtel for the privileged ones or rather the arche-bishops. They made it to last.

THE MAGIC TOUCH

"the magic touch" 2016

FATHER AND SON

"father and son"

drawing Conte stic on paper

"THE OFFERING"

"the offering" 2016

"EN ROUTE" on the roa

"en route" water color 20116

JAIPUR

"Jaipur" 2016

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UAlOiqBLdk

PIE IN THE SKY

"pie in thé sky" 2016

Pour mes amis français
"pie in thé sky" is an idiom sometimes meaning illusionary
 e.g. promesse en l'air ; illusion ; château en Espagne ;
idée utopique ; chose illusoire ; chimère

THE REIGN

Add caption

AND WHAT TO DO?

THE LONELY HUNTER

THE DARKEST HOUR

AND WHAT TO DO?

THEATRE DE L'ATELIER in October

Theatre de l'Atelier in October

BLAH BLAH BLAH

"LADIES NIGHT OUT" a water color

"ladies night out" a water color

"ALL THAT JAZZ" a water color

"all that jazz" water color 2013

ILLE DE LA CITÉ

"Ille de la Cité" 2012-2016

BÂTEAU LAVOIR LATE FALL

"Bateau Lavoir Late Fall"  2010

LES FANTOMES DE RUE CHAPPE

HILLSIDE VERMONT

"hillside Vermont"  gouach on Arche paper 2015

LE ZEBRE 40 BLVD DE MONTPARNASSE

"Le Zebree acrylic on canvas 1995

AJENTA memories of the cave paintings

"Ajenta" water color 2014
memories of the cave paintings  in India 

NOTRE DAME DE PARIS

Notre Dame de Paris acrylic on canvas 2009-2016

FISHETTES Ipad drawing

"fishettes" Ipad drawing 2016

L'OPERA DE PARIS

"L'Opera de Paris' 1997

BELLE DE JOUR rue Tardieu Paris

"Belle de Jour" acrylic on canvas1997

My very wonderful next-door-neighbor. 

I am always in awe of their windows and the art of perfume.

https://www.facebook.com/galeriebelledejour/

CHATEAU LAROZE BORDEAUX 1992

"Chateau Laroze" water color 1992

I spent two months in the Bordeaux wine region in 1992.  The Bordeaulais are very proud of their  wine formost in the world. I didn't feel they felt the joy from drinking their product and all that goes with that. Wine is to taste  déguster  very pretty and hilly." and judge. The weather was to worry about.

Chateaux Laroze is in Saint Emillion. Very hilly and pretty.

CAFE LES DEUX MAGOTS

"Cafe les Deux Magots" 1996

I painted this café on Boulevard Saint Germain des Pres twenty years ago. Here is the story

 of how it happened and what happened after.

Eastern Wisdom with a Japanese Slant

One summer evening , I ran into Issam Kahn while walking Ruby on the rue des Abbesses. Painter, poet, occasional actor, Issam  is tall thin, talented and stunningly handsome with dark skin and flowing white hair. His guru look, straight from India overwhelms many and probably helps him sell paintings. He invited me for a glass of wine and I gladly accepted. 

            I showed him photos of my recent work;  many from our Abbesses rue Lepic  neighborhood. He asked me if I had ever painted the Café Les Deux Magots. I told him that I preferred quaint  street corners. The Saint Germain crowd was too blazé for me. Issam in his twilight wisdom said,  “If you’re ever really desperate for money…” his dark eyes glaring,” paint les Due Maggot. It so famous you’re sure to sell it.” I didn’t respond.

The following morning I got my gear together and took the 67 bus down to Boulevard Saint German.  I set up my easel next to the traffic light on the concrete center island in front of the famous café, and began painting. Les Due Magots and  its neighbor Café de Flore  are historic sights. Picasso was a regular at both as were Fitzgerald and Hemmingway. I found both of them over priced and  touristy.

After three hours, I had a good start, but was vexed by the continuing question, “Doesn’t the traffic bother you?”. I was so concentrated I had been ignoring the  cars and buses zooming by on both sides.

Then, I felt someone close behind me, not speaking, just standing there. I finally tuned around. An elderly  Japanese man, elegantly dressed,  smiled and bowed 30 degrees . I smiled and did the same and went back to my painting musing that if he had been wearing a camera I would not have been so gentile. Tourist love taking photos of me while I’m at work. If I catch them before they click, I tell them “NO.”

The next afternoon, back on location a young Japanese man approached me. I saw him coming; walking briskly on the crosswalk looking straight at me with a a smile that almost laughed.

He began straight off. The president of the Café de Flore in Kyoto saw me painting the day before and would like to commission me to paint the Café de Flores here for his café over there.  I told him I had already painted Café de Flores and pulled out my little book of photographs.

Mr. Tada, as he introduced himself assured me the president of the café de Flore in Kyoto  would buy it.

No , he couldn’t come to my studio in Montmartre, he was too busy leaving for Japan the following evening. We made a rendez-vous at 3 o’clock the following day. I would bring the painting.

The next day at two minutes after three on the boulevard Saint Germain, at the intersection of rue de Rennes, I had my first encounter with Japanese business procedure.

Mr. Tada and the president of The Café de Flores in Kyoto, ( no name) arrived. Small bow from them.  Small bow from me I pulled out the painting of the Café de Flore from a Fran Prix shopping bag. The president of The Café de Flore in Kyoto muttered something in Japanese.

Mr. Tada looked at me. “Trop petit.”

The president of the café de Flore in Kyoto examined the canvas I had started of Les Deux Magots, and spoke in his tongue.  Mr.Tada translated. I responded.  Yes. I could make one as big. Yes, bigger.  Yes much bigger. How much? I don’t discuss business in the street. I was biding my time to get advice. He preferred a different perspective than the one I had made.

I offered to make some sketches from different angles. I was to meet with Mr Tda the following week. Sur place. Café de Flore. The deal worked. It led to a bigger deal that Mr Tada brokered also. Three of my café images were used as a promotion for a big café chain in Japon. 1 00,000 agenda covers!

Issam Kahn moved away from Montmartre before I was able to thank him for the good fortune, I had from his simple suggestion. Maybe he did have a special visionary sense. I miss him.

PLACE DES ABBESSES ON A SUMMER'S DAY 2007

Market Day on Place des Abbesses 2007

Tourism has declined greatly in Paris. All the commerçants are weeping. Years ago the streets in Montmartre were flooded with tourists.

TRAMPOLINE

"Trampoline" water color and ink 2016

PAINTING PARIS THE VIDEO unfinished

PARIS INSIDE OUT

"chez Denis" acrylic on canvas 2000

MORE FISH IN THE POND AFTER MIDNIGHT

"more fish in the pond after midnight"  water color 2016

LE POISSONIER 1994

"Le Poissonier" acrylic on canvas 1994

The story. 1994

I opened my eyes to a blue sky one Sunday morning, early in March.  It was the first sunny day in at least a month.  I decided to skip church and go make a painting in the market  I had in mind, for a long time, to paint one of the venders, le poissonier,  Monsieur Anglade.  He’s one of the most fascinating, if not the funniest on boulevard Brune.  You can hear him shouting two or three stands away.  His gravelly voice penetrates la foule.

I had first discovered him when I lived in Montparnasse where he has a stand in the street market  at Edgar Quinet every Wednesday..  Although I never bought any fish from him he generally recognizes me and says “bonjour” if not “Qu’est-ce qu’on fait ce soir?”

I set up my easel diagonally across from him next to a long vegetable stand. I showed the vegetable people my post cards and told them what I intended to paint.  I finally got the fishman’s attention.

“Je vais faire votre portrait.  Ca vous gene pas?”

He laughed.  I went over and showed him my postcards and told him again.  He was emu.  I took a can out of my bag and looked around.  A man who had chosen a spot not far from me to beg and a little girl selling daffodils both pointed to a spot where I could get some water near by.  My guardian angels were watching over as I began my first public portrait.

I was disappointed to learn that he says “Bonjour” to all the nice ladies that go by and if not “qu’est-ce qu’on fait ce soir?” sometimes “Qu’est-ce qu’on mange ce soir.”  More than one passerby noted that it was a shame I didn’t have an audio with the canvas.  In this case I agreed.

The other revelation was why fishmen yell.  They have to.  It ain’t no good the next day.

By one o’clock I was exhausted.  I told him I would come see him Wednesday at Edgar Quinet.

He said, “Oh!  You know I’m there.”  To think all these years I thought he had a crush on me and he didn’t know me from Adam.

I had gotten Monsieur Anglade’s expression with a stroke of the brush.  The proof was that everyone from the neighborhood who saw the painting later recognized  him and  said “C’est lui qui guele.”  And then with varying accounts discussed the quality of his fish.

 I went to the Edgar Quinet market the following Wednesday.  The spot I chose to position my easel was contested by a market squatter who was selling small leather goods from Pakistan. He argued intensely and insisted I move.  I told Monsieur Anglade.  He asked in a whisper, “Can’t you do it from the other side?”  I said “non.”  The sun will be  in my eyes.  Then he announced to the world that this was where I was going to be.  C’est tout!

It was a wonderful spring day.  The trees that lined the boulevard were speckeled lime green.  I painted his fish and raptured at being in Paris.

The outdoor markets are a paradise for artists.  The colors, sounds, smells inspire me more than any museum. Until my Monsieur portrait, I never appreciated how hard the commerçants work.  Mr. Anglade says he starts his day at two in the morning.  So I know what he does tonight.  He sleeps!

THE COCKTAIL PARTY

"The Cocktail Party" 2015 Ipad drawing

CAFE LE METRO 1997 MONTMARTRE

"Café Le Metro" acrylic sur toile 1997

Facing la Place des Abbesses and the Metro Abbesses, this family owned café was one of my favorites when I first arrived in Montmartre. It gave way to a blasting techno music nite spot and now is a bank. Credit Agricole. Quiet.