Artistic Veins

Who would have thought that reaching the 40's, one can still find out that there is a hidden talent inside you that has been unexploited.

I finally have decided to take painting lessons in Thailand since 6 weeks now. And while it was originally intended to simply relax myself, it actually turns out that I have quite a natural talent for a rough painting stroke a la Van Gogh, Monet, etc... The feeling is amazing (Ro...it can compete with your Golf feeling) I feel so energized and would like to paint whenever possible. I see suddenly the world with other eyes. I look at the environment around me and think how great if would be to capture it on a painting. I see suddenly colours and shadows that I had never seen before.

While for sure I lost the opportunity to become a famous painter, I do know that I have found a hobby that allows me to keep the other side (is it the right or left side) of my brain active and I finally found my own passion outside of my work and family.

Let me first share you my Vietnamese productions which I have done at home without any teacher's inputs. I am very proud of them and I have already several friend of Maria Luisa who have shown interest in wanting to buy them... Who knows, this could be a nice alternative job to Marketing VP in Unilever?

These are my two first paintings which where inspired by Cubism. Not really a style I like, but a very good practice to get the basics of painting right. Maria Luisa loves them, so I already promised her to hang some paintings in her room when we move back to Vietnam.

Here are two reproductions of Van Gogh - thinking by the way a lot of Tio Lu when painting them. The one of the vase with sunflowers is very famous. The portrait is also painted by Van Gogh but is showing another painter called Armand Roulin. This specific portrait I choose in order to practice the art of portrait paintings. My next challenge will be to start painting from pictures. I have already identified my first portrait painting from Yil. I'll post it when finished.

The landscape is a copy from an impressionist (female - Dutch ?) who I cannot recall the name. It caused me a lot of sweat to finish, but I managed to finish it very close to the original painting. Yil adores this one! This weekend we will go to the park and will paint the landscape our eyes will be perceiving in real life. I am very excited.

Now I am on my way to Vietnam for a new job and Ro and the kids will be following in July. You can guess already...I plan to continue my painting lessons there.