Fountain in Place de L'Eglise

In the small town of Lourmarin in the Luberon Hills of Provence, Christine and I were introduced to the concept of time in the life of the French. Our gite (apartment) named La Petite Maison was accessed on the high point of the village after a modest walk up very narrow cobble stone lanes or one lane roads. The gite was within a tiny square (Place de l'Eglise)which contained other dwellings, an art gallerie and an historic Catholic church. Near the steps of the small church was a fountain where the sound of the water spout was comfortable and constant. Here is a painting I did while sitting on my porch. This square was frequented by daily tourists passing by. Pretending to be locals we watched them from the porch on the second level. The church tower bell sounded every hour, one gong for each hour, and one gong on the half hour. Everyone wears wristwatches now of course yet town time was still marked by the church bell.

Someone purchased this painting today and I will have it framed and then it moves from my studio to its new home. I painted the fountain en plein air, and enjoyed the reflections, the soft bubbles rising to the surface, the contrasting green vines on the bleached wall, the sunlit stucco walls of the house in the background and the wonderful contrasting light blue shutters of the window and door. Shutters are always closed for the night and invariably these were pulled shut around supper hour even with three hours of sunlight remaining. We foreigners tended to close shuttters just before bedtime.

The someone referenced above is a husband and wife who today, August 29th, 2009 celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Congratulations my dear friends.

NEW PIECES I HAVE PAINTED

For the past weeks I have been working on some paintings reflective of some of my most appreciated memories. I love the people of France engaged in varied activities as you can see. I am hoping to produce many more before I hold a Studio Open House Show during the week following Canadian Thanksgiving. I will be sure to inform you of the exact dates and times. My Ron Unruh Online Gallery contains a collection of visual art images.

Beggars are everywhere. Some are disgusting with their abrasive and manipulative approaches. Others, like this mother, who sits outside an historic church in the city of Arles, are genuinely needy people. One looks for an opportunity to help with a small gift. She was neat and clean and sat all day and evening on a small green mat as she leaned against the ancient church walls with plastic cup in hand.
"Mother Begging in Arles," 20X24 in., acrylic on canvas.

Of course French patrons love, perhaps even live for their food and their exquisite wines, and everywhere music serenades and delights. Buskers are talented musicians and these three positioned themselves in late afternoons at a corner in Lourmarin where folk sat outside two bar/cafes enjoying the warm air and the music.
"Buskers at Happy Hour in Lourmarin", 20X24 in., acrylic on canvas.

Images are the property of the artist and must not be downloaded without seeking permission from the artist.