One of my favorite paintings Merida Decadence

Merida Decadence

I was emailed over a week ago informing me that two of my paintings sold to one person. The Gallery owner did not tell me the titles but the price of each painting that sold. By the price I knew I had sold two of my oldest Paintings in the Gallery. The oldest "Creole Street scene" painted in 2005 before hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and I was surprised to find out that "Merida Decadence"  sold after only being placed at the Gallery for only 24 hours!  Painted in Baltimore in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina.  

Merida Decadence in a 19th century French gold leaf frame

Merida Decadence is one of my favorite painting I have kelp it all this time as I would not sell it without getting my price. Merida Decadence shows a actual beautiful Neoclassical building in Mexico. I dated someone in New Orleans that moved to Mexico and I traveled there in June of 2005 a few months before Hurricane Katrina. I don't know what I was expecting when I traveled to Mexico as I'm not a big fan of Spanish or Mexican culture. But I will say I was greatly impressed with old Historic Architecture in Mexico. 
 
As I do everywhere I travel I take many photo's especially of historic architecture so I can paint in future paintings. I fell in love with the building in Merida that I painted in this painting. Dating from the late 18th century early 19th century. I love the stars and rosettes on the cornice moldings and the white Ionic columns with the orange background color of the stucco building. Thru the window you can see a well dressed lady in Romantic attire in the center window above her is a gilt metal two arm gasolier, next to her is a nude male behind a Louis XV wrought iron grille making the painting risqué. I have painted Louis XVI style canvas shades in the windows painted with vases of garden flowers and leaf scrolls.

Boy with a book

I dropped off a painting I painted in 2008 titled " Boy with a book". It shows a boy holding a book sitting on a Rococo Revival footstool in front of a Greek Revival Egyptian black & gold marble mantel in a parlor.  Over the mantel is a gilt ornate Rococo Revival mirror and on the mantel is a pair of Empire Old Paris porcelain classical vases and cast iron oil lamp in the center of the mantel. The plaster Greek Revival cornice molding has egg & dart motif.

Creole street scene

The other painting that sold was is called "Creole street scene" Showing a Brother and sister in a New Orleans street scene of paved sidewalk of New England flagstone trimmed in Quincy granite. A two story center hall home in the center. This is a actual home in New Orleans located in the Irish Channel not far from the Garden district built in the 1830's by someone original from the Carolina's making it a unusual house style in New Orleans.

I have been so busy lately I'm working on over 10 paintings at one time and the last few post for this month. The French Egyptian style has been a fun post to work on and I will post it at the end of the week. plus for the last few days I have been hand washing 40 19th century linen damask napkins I picked up at a local thrift store for 50 cents that's right folks I bought two bundles of 19th century linen damask napkins with around 20 napkins in each bundle marked 50 cents each. When I went to check out the Nun informed me that they were having a sale and the linens were half off. I thought I had hit the jackpot as I'm a big collector of 19th century linen damask and already own well over a hundred 19th century linen damask napkins mostly French. I remember in the 1990's when I bought them at two dollars each I thought I was getting a deal but this price takes the cake. linen is a lot of up keep as I always wish my linens by hand, hang them and iron and starch them. No one gets a paper towel at my home.