It is a warm January morning in the village of Villefrançhe, on the south coast of France. The sun has risen over the Cap Ferrat peninsula, and the morning breezes have begun to coax the waves onto the shore. The palm and eucalyptus trees across the street from our apartment sway in the breeze. In the distance, stark limestone cliffs loom over the towns of Eze-sur-Mer and Beaulieu. Although we’d only arrived a few days before, this scene had already captivated us. Each day brought new perspectives — the local fishing boats that set out right at dawn; the lighthouse at the far end of the peninsula that flashed its light across the bay on foggy mornings; the waves breaking onto the rocks; the light show of sunrises with skies ablaze in orange & yellow; a salvage crew resurfacing a sunken sailboat from the bottom of the bay.
I’ve returned from a very mild winter in the south of France with so many inspirations for my next paintings. I thought it apropos to post my first work from the view that greeted us from our apartment terrace for the first several weeks of January. I am certain there will be many more to follow.