ESPRESSO CHAMPAGNE AND LAGER

recent paintings from Italy, France and England

John Lovett
EXHIBITION PREVIEW

Thurs 24th Nov. - 5th Dec. 2005
McGrath's Art Gallery  
240 Miller St,  NORTH SYDNEY, 
Ph. 02 99556589

Drawing on the relaxed confusion of Italy, the style and beauty of France and the ordered tradition of England, Espresso, Champagne and Lager is a diverse collection of paintings united by a loose, emotive style,  simple palette and engaging, ethereal atmosphere. 

The subjects for these paintings include fragments of Tuscan village life, the textures and reflections of Venice and its surrounding lagoons, rural Provence and the graceful beauty of Paris. The grey skies of London reflected in the Thames contrast with the colour and atmosphere of traditional British Pubs and the Gothic beauty of the city. 

While most of the paintings depict, to some extent, places or objects, the real subject is always less tangible. An incident, a time of day, a sound or an idea. It is these emotive qualities,  reinforced by the more abstract elements of the paintings that make them so engaging.  

The paintings are executed in watercolour and mixed media and range in size from large 1200x900 pieces to small 350x250 studies.