Sunday, January 29, 2012

Etienne Squares




The family October holiday in the woods turned Etienne from his facade d'Internet and towards a quieter place. It is not that he has ceased to paint and draw, but, rather, that he has ceased to talk much about it.



With a little twisting of his arms, and with the encouragement of his cheri, I have persuaded him to allow me to post. I thought I would begin with a few of his recent accomplishments.



These are tres petit, only six American inches square. Perhaps, once you see, you will understand why I begin with these?



Etienne has been forever fascinated with trilobites. He told me he spent hours as a boy splitting rocks in search of these and other animaux antique. My bones hurt considering how the trilobites got in the rocks. So long in there, like genies in bottles. This painting (en acrylique et prismacouleur) was the first.




Then the escargot. It seemed to Etienne that these were all to be animaux petit. The muse had spoken.




Then there was a wren, which Etienne calls "the Ninja." The other birds fear the wren; it is here then there and not between.


















Et finalement, Etienne asked me to pose.



5 comments:

susan said...

Sometimes there are times when nothing needs to be said. Your work is good and always nice to see.

Thank you Grenouille.

L'Adelaide said...

what a nice surprise. i love that little wren, he's just what a wren should be.

xx

Vincent said...

This is my favourite post yet! At any rate different from its predecessors. J'aime beaucoup le use of franglais, the wit, and the series of paintings.

If I were a rich man, I'd bargain with you on the spot to purchase that set of little paintings: where "bargain" means "name your price".

Grenouille said...

Bonjour, Susan. Etienne himself often says that he is at his best with his mouth closed, and that he would perhaps be better off if half the time it were open only to partake of food and wine.

Bonjour, Linda. The wren is the local variety, named "Carolina." Etienne often calls it a "sauce pot."

Merci, Vincent. Etienne says I speak a dialect of Froglish, and means no harm. I am, after all, not French because I am a frog. Mais non, I am French because I am French (the best reason). C'est tout. Etienne is still wrestling with the notion of selling the petit paintings. He thinks he will eventually post them to the gallery, perhaps to be sold all together. But for now they are muses of the studio table.

L'Adelaide said...

and i love your little portrait, little grenny...finalement, Etienne asked me to pose.