"National Cathedral" (oil on stretched canvas; 40" x 40") sold

 

"National Cathedral"

 

The painting is a commission for Catherine and her husband Andrew. Andrew went to St. Albans School, right next to the cathedral and practically grew up in and around the magnificent Gothic cathedral. He got married there and had planted a tree in front of the north side (entry area) with his father. It was an important sentimental project for Andrew and he chose this image personally so that his tree would be a part of the finished painting.

It was the largest oil painting project ever for me. It took about two months to draw, block in, paint and add finishing touches. I needed a little stool to reach the highest areas of the big canvas! Thank you for the opportunity, Andrew and Catherine, who were the most gracious clients. 

I must say that my patience and drawing skills have improved much because of this project. The only drawback is that I couldn't take a proper photography of the huge canvas, so I had to make do with a quick shoot with my phone. What a shame!

Work in Progress I

Work in Progress II

Work in Progress III

"Paris Notre Dame Nocturne" (oil on stretched canvas; 12" x 16") sold

sold

Paris at dusk is the most romantic place in the world, as the city turns into the city of light. Take a walk along the Seine River. The famed river looks like a moat guarding the equally famed Notre Dame in the Ile de la Cite. Ah, Paris!

"Mont St-Michel Dreams" (oil on stretched canvas; 18" x 24")

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The Mont St-Michel is one of Europe’s most unforgettable sights. The staggering location has long inspired awe and the imagination. Scamper, at low tide, across the treacherous mudflats in the Bay of Mont St-Michel in northwestern France. Head for a dramatic abbey reaching to heaven from a rock surrounded by a vast and muddy solitude.

The story of how the mount turned into a great place of Christian pilgrimage is colorful. Aubert, bishop of the nearby hilltop town of Avranches early in the 8th century, claimed that the Archangel Michael himself pressured him into having a church built atop the island just out to sea.

The dukes of Normandy, followed by French kings, supported the development of a major Benedictine abbey on the Mont St-Michel. Magnificent monastic buildings were added through medieval times. The abbey became a renowned centre of learning. Vast numbers of pilgrims visited, despite warring cross-Channel royals.

The sight of the distant silhouette of the Gothic island-abbey Mont St-Michel send tired sightseers spirits soaring today just as it did the spirits of weary pilgrims in centuries past.

"Washington National Cathedral Summer Day" (oil on linen; 14" x 11") sold

sold

Looking up from the summer flowers of the Bishop's Garden, the beautiful Gothic architecture of the Washington National Cathedral with its flying buttresses and pointed arches appear almost immaterial in the glorious light.

"Paris Notre Dame Nocturne" (oil on linen; 9" x 12") sold

sold

Paris at dusk is the most romantic place in the world.  Take a walk along the Seine River.  The famed river looks like a moat guarding the equally famed Notre Dame in the Ile de la Cite. The cathedral is the birth place of the Gothic architecture, which I adore.  Unfortunately, the style is so ornate, almost phantasmagorical.  But, from the side, in dim light, and much of the enormous structure hidden, I can handle it!

"Washington National Cathedral" (oil on linen; 16" x 12") sold

sold

Yesterday, seven friends and I--the biggest group so far--went to the National Cathedral in Washington, DC.  We could not have chosen a better weather.  It was about 80 degrees, but with low humidity and nice breeze, it felt heavenly.  The place was not crowded at all; except occasional picnickers, we had the place pretty much to ourselves.  We felt truly blessed--well, until we started painting.

The National Cathedral is a 20th-century structure built in the Gothic style.  In spirit and manner of construction, you can say that it is medieval.  It's situated on a 50-acre ground, which also boasts a beautiful garden, called Bishop's Garden.  Last year when I painted there, I was absolutely overwhelmed by the sight of the cathedral.  So, instead, I painted a stone gazebo in the Bishop's Garden.

"Bishop's Garden, National Cathedral" (oil, 8" x 10")
sold

The gazebo with eight sides was hard enough to draw.  When I was finished, I was so pleased with the painting that I emailed it to my plein-air-painting teacher, Sara Poly, to show off.  Yesterday, I bravely tackled the cathedral itself.  Oh, my goodness.  I kept saying this to myself.  As it turned out, I had more trouble painting the magnificent cedar of Lebanon on the left.  I chose this view on purpose, calculating that with so much of the cathedral hidden behind the cedar, it shouldn't be too bad to paint the main subject itself.  I don't think I will be painting the cedar of Lebanon any time soon.

The cathedral was treated suggestively; otherwise, I would be still drawing it out there.  By the time, the bones of drawing and colors were put down (as you can see in the second picture from the top), I had to quit painting.  The sun had moved and there was no point in continuing.  I finished the painting in the studio today.  

HAVE A GREAT INDEPENDENCE DAY WEEKEND!