
Here are three totally unrelated paintings. The still life, I usually lable as being a self-portrait. After all it is a bunch of things I use when painting. It happens to be one of my favorite paintings and so is not actually for sale, unless someone else sees what I see in it and offers me what I think it is worth.
The painting of the water lillies is based on a photo I took when in Florida years ago. The painting was originally in tempera (gouache) and then painted over in oil. I really struggled with this one. It doesn't resemble the photo much, but then that was never my intention. It took my months to do. Finally I got it to where I was happy with it. In the end I couldn't explain how I got the result I did, or even why it should please me now and never did before. Odd, but when doing a painting it is as though I am asleep, dreaming maybe. Then I wake up every so often to see what I've produced. Sometimes I am so unhappy that I wash everything off and start again. Sometimes I am amazed to find the bare bones of the painting I wanted to be working on is sitting under all the paint I've just washed down the drain. An expensive process, since I use good gouache paints.

The painting of the lillies has now been sold and is residing on a wall in Belgium. It was bought as a wedding gift.
Then, here are three buteri, Italian cowboys, sitting on their horses. One is someone I know, not well, but I do know him. I was amazed that people recognized him and his horse, because he sits his horse in a particular way. I privately called this painting
Buteri with GPS, but it caused people to ask me too many questions. I have sold this painting to a sometimes client, who always comes looking for my work when he and his wife have yet another wedding present to find. They amuse me because they always choose one painting they think the couple getting married will like, and then end up buying the painting they would like to hang on their own walls. I suppose there is some sense in this. If you know the couple well, then when you go and visit you get to enjoy the painting you would have liked to have owned yourself.