Tuesday, July 8, 2008

"San Miguel from Above"

Things have been real busy around here. We are trying to wrap up a lot of projects and take care of business before we leave on our summer vacation on Thursday. Things on the blog will slow down for about three weeks. I'll try and post a few times, but it is family vacation, and we are going to try and just spend some time together and leave work behind as much as we can.

Here is my latest painting. It is a street scene looking down over San Miguel, one of my favorite views of town. It's painted from a photo I took in March, so there are a few of the purple jacarandas in there.



"San Miguel from Above", 14" x 11" oil on board, Frank Gardner © 2008
Private Collection


This time our travels will take us to Lake Winnepesaukee in New Hampshire to spend time with my family. We've planned a few surprises for Erin too. I'll talk about later ;o)

It has been raining SO much here this past month. Summer is our rainy season and things are really green and overgrown.
I need a little sun.
I'm not complaining mind you, we can use all of the water that we can get around here.

37 comments:

Mike said...

Mister G . . . .This is a killer piece! I am so drawn to the 'meaningless' strokes . . .but then they speak to the whole! Great stuff !!!

Have a great trip!!

Christine Mercer-Vernon said...

wow...what a great view! i can really feel the warmth of the sun in this one, the colors are fabulous! i love to see the small pic then click and see the larger version...you really make such relaxed brushstrokes in the background appear to be so much more when you 'step away' from the painting. love the building front right...the color the greenery, makes me want to take a peek inside!! enjoy your family vacation!!

Anonymous said...

I checked your blog last night, and have looked at your new painting many times since then. SO beautiful!!!

And, I was re-viewing all the paintings and posts on your current page: SO MUCH GLORIOUS EYE FOOD in all these amazing paintings!

While you're on vacation, I'll be looking at your website paintings and re-reading your older blog posts every day!

Have a great time with your family - I will be very excited to read about the surprises you have planned for Erin!!!
Rich Blessings on you all!
Solveg

Jack Riddle said...

Frank--a wonderful painting. I know this street and you have captured perfectly how it drops down like a steep ski slope. The colors are beautiful, too and as Christine said your brushwork is a clinic. Enjoy NH and remember that Portland ME is not too far away. Hope you have good weather too. Jack

Alicia PadrĂ³n said...

So cool!!! Beautiful painting Frank!!

I can see the church form up here.. oh and even the yellow wall from your other paintings, am I right?

Super gorgeous!

eLIZabeth Floyd said...

Have a wonderful vacation! Love this overlook painting, great colors and winding path down the slope.

Anonymous said...

NICE painting! I love the warm colors and the composition that just drops you right in to the deep space of the scene, to the nice cool blue sky. Lovely. Enjoy your vacation.

Colin

Barbara Pask said...

This is wonderful Frank. I love all the colors and my eye follows that road which I'm sure is exactly how you planned it. Have a great vacation, we'll miss you.

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks Mike!
"meaningless", I like that.

Hi Christine! Thanks. I tried not to do too much in the background. Just enough to acknowledge where it is and to pull you in.

Thanks Solveg!
I'll try and add a few things while we are away. If not. Enjoy what is here. Thanks for checking in.

Thanks Jack. Ski slope. You DO know that street.
It did not stick around long.
I have your email with me, but I'm going to try and not paint too much. If we head to the coast I'll drop you a note.

Hola Ali! Gracias.
Different yellow wall.

Thanks Liz!

Hi Colin, thanks!
I'll do my best. I'll let you know if I swing over that way.

Thanks Barb. That is what I wanted, yes.
Thanks. I'll miss you guys too. I'll try and steal a minute and some internet somewhere to check in.

Susan Carlin said...

Cool composition with the red of the building on the right filling that side of the canvas and getting to see sky across the rest of the top and that long sweep of a downhill street leading you out to the cool distance, saving all the hot colors for up close.... so great. Have a wonderful vacation!

Anonymous said...

Very nice piece. I love the view.

paz

FCP said...

Such a cool perspective on this one, Frank. The path leads the eye around and back--really nice.
have a super vacation,
Faye

julissa said...

Hi Susan, Paz and Faye. Thanks for the comments and for checking in on me.

Frank Gardner said...

Oooops, that's me, I was not logged on as me :o)

Unknown said...

I love seeing San Miguel through your eyes, Frank. It is obviously such a beautiful and diverse city as no two of your paintings are ever the same. Have a fabulous holiday in the sunny warmth of family and friends!

Elizabeth said...

Have a wonderful, refreshing, lovely vacation.
we look forward to your return.

Amy Gethins Sullivan said...

Frank this is just so beautiful! The view , the colors all of it.
Enjoy your vacation.
Amy

Poetic Painter said...

Nice paintings!

Paula Villanova said...

This is a nice painting. It looks like it's from the top of Garita. Beautiful view.

mike rooney studios said...

enjoy your time off frank. you deserve it. thought you'd like the fact that you made my Top Ten Favorite Bloggers List on my blog today. lookeee there. youre off on vacation and youre still causing a buzz. WTG amigo. get back to posting.... i'm jonesing!

hj said...

great blog!
I like your paintings very much , espacially the colours you use!
A great vieuw on that one!

Mary Sheehan Winn said...

This one took my breath away. Fantastic!
Hope you're enjoying the New England heat wave that barely seems like one if you live in Mexico!

Mary Sheehan Winn said...

I need to say it again. I enlarged it and got the flutter heart beat looking at the SUGGESTION of detail and the buildings in the distance.
It's awesome!

Unknown said...

Oh man, this composition took my breath away. That red form and the aliveness in the distance. You can paint.You make poetry.

Jennifer Thermes said...

Hi Frank-- Hope your vacation is going well. I have an award for you at my blog when you get back. :-)

Anonymous said...

...i pull up these paintings every day, still. every day they bring so much beauty into my eyes. thank you SO much.
i trust you are having an excellent family vacation!!!!
solveg

rob ijbema said...

wish i had more eyes and more time frank WOW,what a lot of new work
really love that interior courtyard
those cool greens are so spot on and really make the warm light on
the walls pop.

Jennifer Bellinger said...

Hi Frank, Yummy reds! Have a great vacation.

Anonymous said...

Love your painting techniques. The atmospheric perspective in this one is quite persuasive... and from a photo, which is so very hard. Great work.

Really appreciated seeing the blocked-in works on the color grounds in your older posts. As a noob, I can use the exposure to other people's process.

Ambera said...

Ah, the weather has so much control over us! Can't wait for the sun to start shining again there so we get to see more work.

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks Joanne.

Thanks Elizabeth.

Thanks Amy.

Thanks Poetic Painter.

Thanks Paula, It is Montes de Oca, the next one up the hill.

Mike, thanks, and thanks for including me in your top 10.

Thanks Helene.

Thanks Mary, The heat was not very bad up in New Hampshire. It got the water up to swimmable temps.

Thanks Eric.

Thanks Jennifer. You are very kind to give me such a nice award. I will acknowledge all of the awards I have been given a post soon. I have been kind of putting that off. It is so hard to chose who to pass them on to.

Thanks Solveg. I appreciate all of your comments and visits even when I have posted nothing new.
Yes, thanks, we had a great vacation!

Thanks Rob.

Thanks Jennifer B.

Thanks Edgar.

Hi Ambera. The sun had nothing to do with me not posting. Three weeks off.
I am back home though and ready to get back to work.
It stopped raining as soon as we left town.
Things are pretty green now and I cant wait to get some paintings of the lush landscape to share with all of you.
I take it your show went well. I checked out the photos last night.

Thanks again to all of you for your kind comments. I have a lot of catching up to do on all of your blogs. I hope that you are all enjoying the summer.

Linda Warner Constantino said...

Frank,
You have such a great feel for arid light. You can almost tell how hot it is just by looking. Nice work.

Linda

PS I love Lake Winnapasaukee - my daughter went school up there at Brewster.

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks Linda.
We are just up the road from Wolfeboro.

Marc R. Hanson said...

Frank... Great painting! Your restraint with value control, and sensitivity in the brushwork is Outstanding!!! Very, very nice.

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks Marc!

Anonymous said...

I'm in Miami/Ft.Lauderdale for my niece's grad-school graduation - there are so many things (neighborhoods, golf courses, etc.) named, "jacaranda" - thought of you and your paintings of them (and your allergies......) - mostly just saying HI.
Hope your first week back in the regular routine for everyone was excellent!
Solveg

Frank Gardner said...

Enjoy your stay in Florida Solveg.
Thanks for checking in. Yes, I have been able to get some painting done this week. Lots of business, that seems to take up a lot of time, but is a necessary.