Gary J. Kirkpatrick Art and Travel Blog
Expressionistic art
Fantasy Quartet
This is based on an automatic drawing and given an expressionist treatment in acrylics. Automatic drawing was popularized by the surrealists in the 1920ś. The audience is bathed in a comforting blue haze. The original drawing is posted below.
This is based on a pen and ink miniature, with many elements of fantasy.
Waiting for the Concert at the Small Hall in the Palau de la Musica, Valencia.
Continuing with the music and Palau themes, here I use a palette knife to dress the audience awaiting the concert. The Palau has a small concert hall in the basement. We listen to some local traditional Valencian music. Below the painting you will find a link to a video I shot at a local fair with some examples of the squeaky instruments we listened to. You hear them during the many parades you can see in the city.
This is based on my original sketch done at the Palau de la Musica in Valencia, in one of the smaller concert halls. That’s me with the black hat.
We are back in our favorite winter quarters, where the sky is always blue and the winter temperatures moderate, the street life vibrant, the food fresh and varied, and the people warm and friendly. It’s a place that brings smiles to our face the moment we look out the window or go out the door.
The flight from Rome is normally quite beautiful. You might get a view of the Coliseo. You fly over Sardinia and then get a lovely view of Valencia. Not this flight. Weather has hit the entire Iberian Peninsula, and even Valencia is effected. Light rain greets us but still we shed the jackets and sweaters we were wearing to get to the airport in Rome.
We are staying in a new ‘piso.’ This one is near Plaza de Toros, much larger than our previous place, more expensive too, but better for the painter in the household. We will miss our view:
We go to the Palau de la Musica here most Sundays to listen to the symphonic bands, of which there are many in the province. The first Sunday we heard the Banda Municipal. I often do small pen and ink drawings as I listen. Here’s the flautist playing a piece by one of local composers:
