Thursday, February 5, 2009

Winter sun / Sol de Inverno


Short is daytime in the winter, and not always allowing a full enjoyment of the outdoors, and so a sunny instant on a Sunday provides a chance for the inhabitants of this small riverside village of Minho to update their conversations.
São curtos os dias no Inverno, e nem sempre o tempo permite desfrutar do espaço cá fora. Por isso, um instante de sol dominical é aproveitado para pôr a conversa em dia entre os habitantes de uma pequena aldeia minhota à beira-rio.
Fabriano cold-pressed 5"x7" - 140lb (18x12,5cm - 300g/m2) paper
Sold / Vendido

9 comments:

Unknown said...

Oh Paulo, you're making it very difficult to decide which painting is going to be my first. I love the dog scratching his ear and the lady on the balcony about to place another towel on the railing. And all the shadows! You never take shortcuts. Fantastico!

RobCarey said...

You just captured one of the most wonderful moments in life. A relaxing Sunday afternoon, the community joy. A little taste of heaven. You have a rare gift, Paulo.

Paulo J. Mendes said...

Thank you for your words, Sheila. I think you will have plenty of time to choose: I started a new one today, and it seems it will take me a while until it gets finished. Meanwhile I should be celebrating today, as I made my first Etsy sale :)))

Thank you, Rob. I like to paint and share images of life as I would like it to be. I agree these are the best moments from which we are always being distracted in today's crazy times.

All the best for both!!

Stephen Dell'Aria said...

Paulo, I sent this painting to everyone in my office where I work. I wrote a long piece to my friends on why it is we don't live in such beautiful surroundings. Wondering what it is that makes us in the states settle for highways and seas of cars and shopping malls.

Mineke Reinders said...

Every one of your paintings is a little gem, and like a moment snatched from time. I have only visited your country twice, and both times I felt very much at home, but your paintings give me a sense of time and place I could not experience in those short visits. Thank you.

Julio Rodrigues said...

Tanta beleza concentrada num pequeno pedaço de papel.

Paulo J. Mendes said...

Stephen, in my country we have our share of highways, shopping malls and a sea of cars too, and unfortunately more seems on the way. It is a small sized country, and I feel fortunate because only a short distance is necessary to escape from an ugly concrete world to get immersed in these small pieces of paradise that are still left intact, I hope for much longer.

Mineke, I understand your feeling: A short-time visit will allow you to get acquainted with the major sightseeing and monumental attractions. You would have to get into the countryside to find this kind of places, especially in the northern half, from where my inspiration is taken, yet the southern countryside has a beauty of its own, too.

Villager, cada um destes pedaços de papel é um concentrado de pequenas coisas que vou encontrando aqui e ali: Um rio, uma casa, um tipo de luz, um personagem característico... Tudo isto é depois "cozinhado" em conjunto :)

I wish you all a wonderful weekend!!!

Every Photo Tells A Story said...

Simply beautiful, Paolo! I want to crawl inside your painting and live there:)

Paulo J. Mendes said...

I have that dream sometimes, too.
Maybe one day :)