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Four Figures, pen and ink drawing

Four Figures, pen and ink

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Pérouges, watercolor painting

Perouges, watercolor, 21 x 29 cm/8.3 x 11.7″ Canson 300 gram paper Not far from Lyon is the medieval, walled village of Pérouges. It’s name is derived from Perugia, Italy, a mountain town dating back to the Etruscans. Legend has it that French visitors to Perugia returned to France and then founded the town at least 1000 years ago. It is recognized as one of the most beautiful French villages,…

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Eating the Lyon

Cuisine Capital of France: that is Lyon. We are here again, curious to find out more about what holding this title means. What do people eat and how much do they pay in the markets, the bars and restaurants? I have anecdotally added to my sense of what’s happening. We rented an apartment on a busy street near the center of town. Next door as well as across the street are very popular local bars.…

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Montluc, the Gestapo Prison of Lyon

We are in the heart of what was Vichy France, and the home of the Butcher of Lyon. Montluc prison was used by the Gestapo. In the museum today you can read the stories of some of the tortured and murdered witnesses, some of which you will see below, which I translated from panels in the exhibit. The Gestapo in Lyon was lead by the infamous Klauss Barbie, the Butcher of Lyon. He was directly…

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In the Mouth of the Lyon

Flying north takes me easterly over the water first to Palma de Mallora before winging in the correct direction, an hour later settling lower over the lush landscape of France west of Geneva. Over the Rhone The Rhone Express, perhaps better named the Rhone Decaffeinated, crawls though intersections after brusque rushes past farms, dropping me off at Gare -Dieu (don’t ask me why they need a dash…

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Perouges, one of the most picturesque villages of France

On a small hill sits Perouges, a tiny medieval fortress-like stone-walled village. Founded some 1000 years ago, possibly by Gauls returning from a visit to Perugia, Italy, it’s streets are rough stone, difficult to walk on. The walls and buildings are stone, as well as just about everything else, a perfect example of what we refer to when we say, “They don’t build ’em like they used to.” I’ll…

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In the Saone in Lyon

Il Barbe is an island in the Saone River. It’s springtime and the river flow is up, overflowing some of the riverside sidewalks. On the island was the home of a 5th century abbey. It was dismantled during the French revolution. Today there are beautiful stone houses and a magnificent church. Church on Ile Barbe There’s been a bridge to the island since the 17th century. There’s a modern one in…

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Some of the better Fallas Sculptures of 2024

Some of the better Fallas sculptures of 2024

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Margaret Walker, African American poet

Margaret Walker (1915-1998) was a highly accomplished woman. She was at college student at the young age of 15 when she begin writing poetry. In 1936 she joined the Federal Writers’ Project in Chicago, befriending Richard Wright. BA from Northwestern 1935, MA and Ph D U of Iowa 1945. Her dissertation was published as a novel, Jubilee 1966. Dr. Margaret Walker, Conte pencil, 32 x 50 cm/ 12.5 x…

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Judi Dench as a Young Woman

Judi Dench, Conte pencil on cream colored pastel paper Judi Dench (1934) as a Shakespearean actress. One of the finest actresses Britain has ever produced. Conte pencil

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Fallas 2024 rocks on

Starting March 1 each year, Fallas is an annual celebration of renewal, a kind of out with the old and in with the new, clean out the shop and closet to create something out of scrap. Well that’s the way it began, morphing into an over the top celebration of, well, pretty much whatever you want, most using a wood/foam construction to create these gravity defying sculptures as well as the smaller…

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Umberto Ecco

Umberto Ecco, Conte pencil, 32 x 50 cm/ 12.5 x 19.5″ Umberto Ecco (1932-2016) was a medievalist, philosopher, semiotician, novelist, cultural critic, and political and social commentator. He is best known for his popular 1980 novel The Name of the Rose, made into the movie with Sean Connery playing the leading role. The novel is a tour de force of intricacies of medieval theology. Foucault’s…

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Pianist Singer Ballerina

Pianist Singer Ballerina, Acrylics on Canvas, 100 x 73 cm, 40 x 29″ This is the third painting featuring the pianist.

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American Artists Exhibit in Valencia

Eight American artists, including me, are participating in an exhibit from March 1-6 at Bloom Gallery in Valencia. The opening is March 1 at 1930h (7:30 pm) Each artist will exhibit two pieces. Mine are: Pianist Singer Ballerina 2, acrylics on canvas, 100 x 73cm/ 40 x 29″     Croquis Cafe 57 x 76 cm, 22.5 x 30” acrylics

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Stormy Braggs

Stormy Braggs, digital portrait of Stormy Daniels

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Pianist, Singer, Ballerina

Pianist, Singer, Ballerina, acrylics on canvas, 1.5m x 1.3m/5′ x 4′ This expressionistic piece combines imaginative and realistic elements such as we see in the dancer, from the performer’s point of view. The stained glass look continues, muted in the dark theater as is the audience. It’s about the challenges of cooperative performance. Without an audience there is no performance. Light and…

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Portrait of María Eugenia Ignacia Agustina de Palafox y Kirkpatrick

María Eugenia Ignacia Agustina de Palafox y Kirkpatrick, 39 x 50cm/16 x 19,″ Conte pencils in white and sepia on gray pastel paper This is an updated version of this Conte drawing. Eugenia married Napoleon Bonaparte in 1853 and was the Empress of France from 1853-1870 when Napoleaon was deposed. See my article about her at https://garyjkirkpatrick.com/the-kirkpatrick-empress-of-france/