CHURCH AT AUVERS, THATCHED COTTAGES, BANK of the OISE RIVER

The siren was set for 6:30 so we're ready to welcome Buffy at 9ish.  The sun is coming up in the east as I type this....that's always the first miracle of the day.  

Update on spring tidy-up......bedroom #1 is finished.  Yay!  Such a good feeling to have the project underway, taking it in small increments.  At our age, we prefer the turtle to the hare, for obvious reasons.  

Also sorted through the paperwork that piles up on the kitchen counter.  Makes me cry the trees that give themselves to junk mail.  There's one source that makes me want to upchuck, and that's the mail we get from crematoriums.  People our age talk about their arrangements and it's good to be informed.  I don't know, it just seems like they want to be sure they are the ones to throw me in the toaster.  

Haven't gotten our income tax paperwork put together yet.  I've contacted our accountant, and all I have to do is mail some figures to him and he does the rest.  He's used to me being a late lady, but with computers, ours probably takes him ten minutes max.  Then we drive to sign the forms, pay our fee, and that's it.  People who own farms and have a lot of properties and businesses have a massive task to tend to this time of year.  Sometimes there are perks to being simpletons.

Ordered a planter and potting soil online for my olive tree.  If we're gonna jazz this place up, then we're going all in.  The olive tree is gonna have a snazzy house, too.  I'm giggling to myself, though.  I ordered the potting soil but didn't realize I ordered a 25-lb. bag.  When it was delivered,  with all the kindness the boyfriend could muster up, he raised his eyebrows and sorta smiled.  Poor man.  I must be like a life sentence to him.  Might have to buy some more plants so I can re-pot 'em.  

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  

The Church at Auvers - 1890

Auvers-sur-Oise is a small town near Paris.  Note how the foreground of the church is brightly lit by the sun, but the church itself sits in its own shadow and neither reflects nor emanates any light of its own.  In a letter to his brother Theo, Vincent wrote how the dark emptiness inside a church symbolizes 'empty and unenlightened preaching.'  

This church, built in the 13th century, is flanked by two chapels, with a split pathway to each of them.  A woman hurries on her way.

Vincent lived in Auvers for less than two months, he painted 70 works in Auvers, most of them related to the town and its landscapes, like these......

Thatched Cottages at Cordeville - 1890
(A Hamlet at Auvers)

Characteristic of Vincent's style, this painting narrates crude motion....in the clouds and even the cottages.  The thatched Cottages and landscapes are distorted, flowing and blending into one another.  

Houses in Auvers - 1890

Vincent painted the buildings huddled together in leaning, uneven rooflines.  

Houses at Auvers - 1890

This painting shows the landscape of early summer.  The view from above creates a tapestry of shapes in which tiled and thatched Roofs form a patchwork of color.  Note the red flowers painted in the forefront along the ledge.  

Farms near Auvers - 1890

Bank of the Oise {River} at Auvers - 1890

In this painting, Van Gogh filled the canvas with vivid colors, working mainly with greens and blues to form the environment.  He incorporates brighter and warmer tones in the line of boats along the shoreline.  He makes thick, angular brush strokes  in the trees and water to render expressive textures. This painting portrays two ladies and one man in boats. It looks like the one lady might be holding a fish pole.  What do you think?   Take a close look at the sail boat toward the back of the painting.  Once again, this is one boat that is different from the rest.   

Each painting that I post, I think maybe it's time to wind down our Van Gogh study.  But, there are too many of his works yet to be studied and admired before I succumb to the conclusion.  If nothing else, I'd be pleased if my readers will become familiar with my favorite artist of all time and be able to recognize his works.  🖌