2003 - "Stupendous Sun Drenched Landscapes of France"

Learned colour vision turned "off"

From a private viewing in Gordon's Studio

Dear Gordon,

I had hoped I'd be able to look at your paintings with you, so that we could talk about them. As it has worked out, that is not to be, so I'm going to look at them again myself, and write down what occurs to me.

Firstly I have to say that I feel privileged to hold them. They feel immensely precious, and I feel being with the originals rather overwhelming.

In some ways the series of three, of the same clump of trees, are my favourite. I love the texture and intensity of detail, and the lustre. Particularly the pinks and reds in the bottom corner of the 'green' painting. Although they're not the first thing I see, they are so important. [Visit Study of trees in a breeze (1), Trees in a breeze 2 and Trees in a breeze 3.]

Almost for the same reasons, I like what I think is an older, but similar painting, a small one with a sandy coloured ground between some textured trees, with purple mixed with the greens. It is quite special. [not on the web site].

Different but absolutely lovely, are the series including the landscapes looking towards Albi. [East of Montmiral - towards Albi.] Your handling of the hilly landscape is lyrical, almost musical. It makes me want to move my body, at least my hands. Owes a lot to Cézanne I know, but there is movement of say, Derain there. And an immense sense of depth.

That village scene with the clear blue sky, [Ville Castelnau de Montmiral] keeps drawing my eye. I am becoming more and more obsessed by it. The balance between the detail and the texture of the trees, and the crispness of the buildings...

I could go on and on, but time and the train press. Too much for such a short time.

I overlooked to mention the beach painting which I had felt very drawn to. I mean the one painted a while ago, of empty flat sands with perhaps ?? A small flotilla right in the centre distance. It is a painting both peaceful and stimulating at the same time [La Plage de Notre Dame De Monts].

And the small one with an irregular margin you said had been created to use up the paint left over at the end of the day. Well!! What a remarkable lack of waste of resources. It is outstanding [Dans le Foret de Sivens.]

AMB