After a busy week we arrived back Paris for the last stop on our cruise.
There was a choice in the morning of two trips, we decide to take the coach tour with views of the main sights as it was several years since our last visit and this seemed a good way to plan our afternoon free time. Our first stop was the Arc de Triomphe where after being warned about pickpockets we got out for a photo stop, before continuing our tour. After this it was a little disappointing as our only other stop was for a break in a rather uninteresting park. Lots of shops were pointed out as well as several buildings which were of limited interest, a shame as you would need several days to explore these, and the main attractions were just quickly passed by. Talking to people who went on the other trip to Montmartre this had been disappointing as well. A shame as everything else on the tour had been so successful.

In the afternoon we decided to visit the Musee d'Orsy as we had been to the Musee de l'Orangie on our previous visit and there wasn't enough time to do both.
Deciding to walk seemed a good idea at the time but it proved further away than we expected and finally arriving we first headed for a much needed drink.
We decided to go to the top floor to view the Impressionism exhibition and this proved well worth the long walk. It was impressive to see all the painting that we had only seen in magazines before. In reality the paintings were quite moving. 

To be able to see so many famous paintings by these greats of the Impressionist movement, Van Gogh , Monet, Cezanne and others,  in one gallery certainly made our day. 

Having spent so long in this area we didn't really have much chance to view the other artists and sculptures.

It was well worth a visit and we could have spent several hours here if we didn't have to get back to the boat. 
 A long walk in the heat and a surprise at the end as the boat was no longer moored on the jetty. After a small panic attack we walked on along the river and eventually found the new mooring point and were able to relax before our evening meal and the delight of packing our cases.
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To sum up our first river cruise is difficult because with it only being seven days we felt a little rushed at times compared with longer sea cruises, plus they are a little more expensive. We were lucky with Riviera as it was an anniversary year and we had several free upgrades. The organization was excellent apart from a couple of small problems and the two coach tours in Paris not being what people expected. The cruise director certainly knew his audience, keeping us entertained, and with only about 140 people of similar ages on board there was a very friendly atmosphere.
We would certainly look at river cruises again in future but possibly with a stay at the end.

Leaving our new mooring at Vernon we set off for our reason for choosing this cruise , Monet's house and garden at Giverny.
 After a little confusion about our time of entry, we were at last inside and made our way quickly to visit his house, before the queues started. This proved to be a wise choice as eventually the line to enter was huge. On entering there were  several copies of the artist's work, some not very accurate ones as well. Unfortunately, you had to keep moving but it was interesting to see several rooms and his impressive collection of Japanese prints. A shame you weren't able to see where he actually painted though.

Leaving the house we wandered through the garden and admired the flowers and displays for a while. It was interesting to compare the present views with the ones Monet painted.

Going through the underpass we arrived at the place we were looking forward to most, the Lilly pond.
This was a magical place and to stand on the famous bridge, when we managed to get a place, was surreal. There was still a boat on the pond, which he painted on a few occasions and the flowers around the edge added to the experience. Going around a couple of times we were able to soak in the atmosphere and capture some memorable images.

Looking back it was a shame the lilies weren't in flower as we missed this by a couple of weeks, maybe this is an excuse to return in future!
Walking back through the garden and entering the  IGS (Inevitable Gift Shop) we made a couple of purchases before going outside. Fortunately. we had arrived early as the queue to enter stretched all the way down the street.
A memorable experience and another one of our 'to-do' list.

Having stayed overnight in  Caudebec, we set off next morning by coach to Honfleur, a place we hadn't really researched and had little expectation of. In the end, as an artist, this was an enlightening experience. 
We were met by a local guide and as a group we walked around the town and we hadn't realised that this place was recognised as the birthplace of Impressionism. The guide talked about how the light effects of the region was inspirational and attracted several artists. 
Stopping in a small square she explained that a teenage Oscar Monet would travel into town, from his nearby home, and make a little money doing portraits and caricatures of local people and visitors.
Eugene Boudin recognised Monet's talent and helped him to develop his style inspiring him to paint Plein air. Eventually, he decided to use his middle name Claude, by which he is now known.

Moving onto the harbour it was exciting to stand at one of the inspirational places for these artists. Both Monet and Boudin painted versions of this view and it was easy to see why.



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Moving on we visited a small square where the wooden building of Saint Catherine church stands. A stunning structure also painted by both artists.


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Moving around the maze of streets, it was no surprise to find  several art shops selling a full range of styles for visitors to buy.

After a while exploring, we decided to have lunch at one of the restaurants we had checked out earlier. A tip here is not to leave it too late as they soon fill up. We ended up buying a crepe and sitting along the harbour enjoying the food and view. Another tip is don't get a banana and Nutella crepe without a plate, a knife and a fork as eating it became quite messy!
So an enjoyable few hours exploring and learning about the importance of this area to Impressionism and  Monet's early life.

#caudebec #bayeux #normandycoast #goldbeach #mulberryharbour

We had an overnight sail to the small town of Caudebec, where we moored for two nights.  An early start the next day saw us heading to Bayeux to view the tapestry which in reality, as we were informed by our guide, was an embroidery!
This was one of the things we had often heard about and had seen small images of, and we were excited to be seeing the whole piece. It was impressive at 70 metres long. A group of nuns had undertaken this task, and it demonstrated their exquisite sewing skills. 
It told the story of King Harold and his adventures when he visited France to meet with William of Normandy about the succession to the English throne, and ended with his death at the battle of Hasting in 1066.
We listened to the story on our headsets where the narrative changed as we moved along the room, stopping briefly to listen about the section we were viewing. The area was quite busy but the line continued to move.
Our only regret is that we didn't have time to visit the museum on the other floors to learn more about this fascinating piece of historical artwork.

With only a short time left we had a walk outside and a chance to view the impressive church and a quick look around  at the town.  

Moving on, we had a chance to view the cemetery for the allied soldiers who sadly lost their lives during the D Day landings. The fact that so many of these were so young was moving, as was the fact that we had a couple of retired soldiers with us who were showing their respect as well.
We soon moved on to the seaside town of Arromanches, to see the sights of the D Day landings and visit the museum that told the story of these historic days.
Now, this area is enjoyed by families, but there was still a reminder of these dark days with the decaying remains of the artificial harbours.  
Going into the museum we were enthralled by the ingenuity of the construction needed to make the landing successful, particularly as the individual parts had to be built in secret and then brought over  having been untested.
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Lastly, we visited the British Normandy Memorial  where the names of the men who died are listed on columns. That was shocking enough, but the temporary exhibition on the field  marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the 'Standing with Giants' installation featuring 1,475 silhouettes of soldiers, sailors and airmen, as well as two female nurses, really brought the losses home to us. (This exhibition will soon be moving to the UK.) It was a moving tribute to all who gave their lives in the war.
aienas well as two female nurses

A long tiring day but images that will stay with us for a long time.

We arrived at Rouen, our next port of call in the late afternoon. Having time before the evening meal, we decided to go for a short walk, arriving at the Cathedral just as the sun was setting. We were captivated by the golden glow from the setting sun. It was easy to see how Monet was inspired by the changing colours on the building. Beautiful!

 Just before sitting down to our evening meal, the cruise director told us about the evening light show that would be taking place, on the front of the Cathedral building later that night. He told us that he wasn't as impressed with this year's show, having seen others in past years. He explained that he found the story hard to follow. Nevertheless, it was an opportunity not to be missed, so we joined the crowds to see it for ourselves.

An interesting show which, we must admit, was hard to follow at times, as most of the dialogue which accompanied the light images was obviously in French! However, the images although often puzzling captured our imagination. It was well worth seeing.

The following morning, we decided to explore ourselves rather than going on an organised tour. We wandered the streets viewing the traditional houses before arriving at the superb modern church dedicated to Joan of Arc.
​Along the way, there was a range of street art to enjoy in this fascinating city.

For several years now we have wanted to explore this area of France and going on a river cruise seemed an ideal way of doing this. After a short flight to Paris, we were soon on the coach to the boat. 
Having been on many ocean cruise ships, we were slightly nervous about sailing on a river cruise. As it was the company's 40th anniversary, there were lots of upgrades, including being moved to the top deck. We soon settled in and unpacked. The room seemed slightly smaller than we were used to but we soon became accustomed to it.
Leaving Paris in the evening, we watched the Eiffel town light show. Our holiday had begun.

Early morning was spent sailing down the Seine. We soon arrived at Les Andelys, an historic small town. After lunch we had a coach trip up to see the ruins of Chateau Gaillard and a scenic view over the valley. 

After admiring the view, we had a choice of visiting the ruins followed by a short walk back to the boat or being dropped off from the coach at the end of town. This meant there was a forty minute walk to the boat.
Deciding to explore further, we decided to walk through the town. There were lots of impressive buildings to admire and the more modern flats in one area had large murals on the walls.
An interesting idea and one which we would encourage in our country.

Finally arriving in the centre, we decided to explore the small shops. Unfortunately, several of these were closed and the cafes were crowded. There were a couple of galleries with one being run by a local artist: 
'The magical places that Daniel Sellier found in Normandy soon became and still remain his chief sources of inspiration for his compositions, which he tirelessly and in all seasons paints outdoors, capturing them on site. His appreciation of peaceful landscapes, which he appropriates in order to transform into enchanting sites, has allowed him to study nature’s transformations under the effects of light.'
​His artwork certainly captured the beauty of the area.

Arriving back at the ship we had a chance to relax, and prepare for an evening meal, after an enjoyable introduction to river sailing and a small, traditional French town.

#haroldriley #salfordmuseumandartgallery #salfordartclub #salfordartist #everylineisme

​Born in Salford in 1934, Harold Riley sold his first painting to the City Art Gallery when he was 11. At 17, he won a scholarship to the Slade and went on to study in Florence and Spain before returning to Salford, where he has lived ever since. He has been awarded honorary doctorates by the universities of Salford, Manchester, London and Florence.

His deep affection for his home town cemented a friendship with L S Lowry which began when Riley was a student. Together they worked on a project to record the area and its people, a project which Riley continued until the end of the twentieth century.

Alongside this portrayal of ordinary working lives, Riley developed his reputation as a portraitist of the rich and famous. He has painted popes, American presidents and royalty. His sporting works, particularly golf and football, are also very sought after.

Harold Riley died in April 2023.

 One of the benefits of attending Salford Art Club is being able to view new exhibitions in Salford Museum and Art Gallery. The one on at the moment celebrates  the work, and life of one of Salford's most famous sons the late Harold Riley.

Living in Salford it was inevitable that my path would cross with Harold on several occasions.
In the 70’s and early 80’s I often entered paintings in the annual Salford show Exhibition held at Salford Grammar school every August. Harold was the main judge giving out prizes for different categories in the exhibition. Without knowing much about him, at the time, I was awarded several prizes over the years. This recognition helped me gain in confidence to carry on producing artwork.

At this time. I also would bump into him when attending open exhibitions around the northwest, but never really plucked up the courage to have a chat with him.  In fact I tended to see him more at the local Blockbusters, at the bottom of Cholmondeley Road when we were both hiring a video for our weekend viewing. At this stage we did let on to each other.

Harold also was attached to Salford Art Club, which I have been a member of over the years and attended our exhibitions at times or even looked in on an odd session the group was having.
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Moving into Eccles and leaving the club for a time our paths stopped crossing until a few years ago when he opened his gallery in the Lowry Outlet Shopping Centre. I visited this on occasions but sadly never had a chance to have a long discussion with him.

 The exhibition at Salford Art Gallery  is a fitting tribute to all that he achieved and his love for Salford. It is well worth a visit.

Looking for somewhere to get some Winter sun that wasn't the Caribbean was what we were looking for, and the travel agent suggested Cape Verde so that's what we decided, upon having never been. 
This was something new and in February we set off with Tui to the island of Sol. Expecting to be able to watch movies on this flight of over 5 hours we sat down and to our surprise this flight wasn't considered long enough for entertainment of an in flight meal. Fortunately we had our Kindles and sandwiches so we managed to survive!
After a reasonable flight and airport experience, we went outside to get the coach which would take us to our hotel.  We realised how small the island was as we could take any coach and were not restricted to one going to a set hotel.
The half hour coach journey showed us how barren the landscape was and we soon arrived at our hotel complex. This again was enlightening as there were over a thousand rooms located in six large blocks. Ours was number 6 and nearest to the beach and a poo. To show how big the complex was we did 2000 steps just going for breakfast and back to our room. Amenities wise there was everything you could ever need on this type of relaxing holiday and we soon acclimatized.
The first couple of days were spent getting used to the area with a visit to Santa Maria which involved a twenty five minute walk, firstly along the road and then cutting through to a walkway along the beach. This proved a daily routine as the days progressed. 
Arriving at the pier, we walked along viewing the small craft stalls selling local souvenirs, offering 'hand made' mass produced turtles. Here we watched the locals gutting fish ready for sale. Strangely they were dropping these guts through the walkway into the sea, where several yards away people were swimming.

Walking into town we viewed the small souvenir stalls, with lovely brightly coloured bags, and scarves, but unfortunately most of these items would look out of place in other places and all the stalls had similar things for sale. Finding a nice cafe, which became our 'go-to' place, we sat for a refreshing drink and to people watch. Although, there were a couple of instances where people were approached by men selling trips, or recommending stores and cafes, there was always a couple of police wandering along the main road and everywhere felt very safe.

As well as going for walks, we did a little sunbathing on these first couple of days. We also walked down to the beach which stretched for miles. We were told that this was a windy island and this proved to be very much the case and certainly effected the sea most days, with waves breaking and the red flag being flown. These waves proved to be my first inspiration for an iPad drawings, one more realistic and one more stylised.

After two days settling in, we decided to go on an organised Island tour from the hotel. We were picked up in a small coach and set off on our journey. Our first visit was to Kite Beach where we stood in awe of the skills involved and strength of the kite flyers out at sea.
Our next visit was to a small tropical garden and animal sanctuary. We had a short wander through the small grounds, visiting a few cages and the cactus garden as well as the essential toilet break. The highlight was the sight of the newly born donkey. 

Setting off again  we had a short stop to view the distant mountains and a short walk to the sea over this rugged landscape. Our next stop was at the capital Esparagus, where we were told there was some excellent street art., , as well as it being a stopping point for the large cruise ships. 
This proved to be the biggest disappointment as it was a quite run down area and we could only find a few examples of the artwork and after being shown the shop we needed to buy souveniers from there were a lot of youths who were hanging around. 

Next,  we went to Burracona to see the natural phenomena the 'Blue Eye' The roads at this stage were mainly dirt tracks and uneven in places. We were glad we decided to go by coach and not on the back of an open truck as the strong wind and dust meant you felt you were being sand blasted whenever you were out in the open. The eye was quite spectacular as were the crashing waves in the bay. Setting off on another track, we stopped to view the distant mirage, unfortunately, the cloudy day wasn't ideal and it wasn't as good as it could be.
Moving on, we arrived at the Salinas salt mines where we could float in the salt waters. Putting on our costumes we walked down the steep road to the lake. This was a new experience for us and quite an unusual one. Getting in wasn't the easiest as there were rocks on the bottom, but we were soon floating quite happily, getting out was more problematic as it was quite hard to stand up from the horizonal position and you could fall back quite easily.
​ Soon we were back on the coach with a short final stop for a cocktail drink at a small bar as a nice way to finish the trip. 

An enjoyable way to see the island and as there were few highlights to see on such a small island,  this covered most of them. We didn't do the 'Sharks Bay' trip where we could wade with Lemon sharks as this didn't appeal to us.  Certainly this was good value for money with an excellent meal and all drinks included and a chance to get a feel for the island
On the tour we did pass through the poorer areas and shanty towns and it was interesting that this was where the local lived and it was slowly being developed. An interesting fact was that the coaches used by the tour companies in the day brought the workers to the hotels in the morning and home again in the evening when the tours were over. This seemed a good use of resources.

The two images on the left show my digital drawings done at the time and a more recent acrylic paintings done from these drawings

An interesting comparison in style between the two!

This holiday was certainly different from the ones we have had recently, Although, the weather should have been ideal during our visit in February, unfortunately, the windy conditions effected our stay. If we had arrived a week earlier when the wind wasn't as strong or cold it may have changed our outlook on the area. A different experience and we must now search for different ones next winter.

#EcclesCross #eccles #salford #northernart #salfordartist #oilpainting #cityscape

Initial reflections on your Artwork
The dark blue sky in the Eccles Cross oil painting evokes a sense of mystery and intrigue, while the luminous yellow reflections from the streetlights create an atmospheric feeling of magic and wonder. The cityscape at night is brought to life by the vibrant colours, instilling a feeling of peace and solitude in the observer. The painting is captivating, inviting the viewer to explore the scene further and uncover its secrets.

It reminds us of...
John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836-1893): Grimshaw's paintings often featured night scenes lit by the moon and streetlights, with a focus on the atmospheric elements of the landscape. His dark blues and yellows create a harmonious colour palette similar to the painting described.

Claude Monet (1840-1926): Monet's series of paintings of the Rouen Cathedral have a similar night landscape style, with dark blues and yellows creating a harmonious colour palette. The works focus on the atmosphere of the night scene, and the luminous reflections of the streetlights.

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890): Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night has a similar focus on the night and its atmosphere, as well as its colour harmony of blues and yellows. His painting also features luminous yellow reflections from the night sky.

Maximilien Luce (1858-1941): Luce's night scenes often featured a combination of dark blues and yellows, creating a sense of harmony in the painting. His works also focus on atmospheric elements of the night landscape, and many feature luminous yellow reflections.

Features which are particularly good
This oil painting of a cityscape at night has an impressive range of colour harmony, with an interesting contrast between vibrant hues of blue and orange. The artist has used a dynamic range of colours to capture the vibrancy of the night sky, making this painting particularly impressive. The interplay between the colours creates a beautiful effect, allowing the viewer to become lost in the enchanting cityscape.

Areas for improvement
1. Consider adding a vanishing point in the distance to create a sense of depth in the painting.
2. To further enhance the sense of perspective, vary the colour and size of the buildings to create a sense of distance.
3. Pay attention to the placement of the street and car lights in order to create a more believable 
 cityscape. 
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Visiting Liverpool, as a birthday treat for my wife, we met our daughter for breakfast before deciding to have a cultural morning.
After dodging heavy showers, we arrived at the Walker Art Gallery. We have visited this excellent establishment many times over the years and we would recommend it. 

Our first port of call was the John Moores Painting Prize 2023 exhibition. Having seen one of these many years ago it was interesting to see the work of these new artists. After the last visit, I had decided against trying to enter this as my work wasn't what they were looking for and this was again the case from what we saw.
Like most exhibitions there were some paintings that we really appreciated and others certainly led to heated discussions. It was interesting to get our daughter's opinion because she has a different outlook on artwork, whereas at times we both can appreciate what the artist is trying to achieve.
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​At least the winner won approval from us all and others we spoke to. 
​(shown here)

The two paintings below caused the most debate. The first consisted of two words, one at the top of a large white canvas and the other word at the bottom. Later, we read the artist's text that accompanied his work in the exhibition's catalogue and that was, in our opinion, more interesting and relevant than the painting on display.

The other painting was based on the tragedy of the Grenfell Fire Tragedy in London. This triptych was inspirational and as well as capturing the image was a tribute to the people who lost there lives there and the firefighters, medical staff etc. who helped on the day.
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These two paintings show the extreme differences of approach to a piece of art  and exemplify ultimately the importance of an artist's vision. Having such  wide examples included in the exhibition makes the show more interesting. Coincidentally, both were priced at the same amount.

The painting that really summed up some aspects of modern art and needs no comment was!

Leaving this exhibition, we explored the rest of the art gallery, stopping and discussing paintings that caught our attention. We all liked the ladies gathering and joked about this being the future for 'ladies who lunch' groups.
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Having watched every series of Portrait Artist of the Year, it was interesting to see one of the previous  winner's portrait of Kim Cattrall, although I believe it's placing against these traditional portraits wasn't suitable and it should have been with more modern art in one of the later galleries.

An enjoyable visit to a gallery that is always worth a visit.