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Fernando Boavida

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2022

Inspired by some paintings by Leo Putz, a fantastic Tyrolean painter that I really admire, I did this small study: "Vase with flowers", oil on wood, 20 cm x 12.5 cm.

I really admire the work of Leo Putz, a Tyrolean painter unknown to the general public. This is why, sometimes, I like learning from him by doing some copies of his paintings. I use to say that the only painter that did not copy other painters' work was the first painter in the history of mankind (and nobody knows who he was). "Lady in hat", oil on wood, 25 cm x 20 cm, inspired on Leo Putz's painting 'Lady in Florentine hat', 1900.

At this time of year (August), even compulsory painters only think of the seaside. I'm not yet at that stage but, anyway, here's a small, quick study on the seaside done in 30 minutes: "Praia Grande, at Porto Covo II", oil on wood, 12.5 cm x 20 cm (5 inches x 8 inches).

In August 2022, after returning from holidays at Porto Covo and Vila Nova de Milfontes (in Alentejo), I did some quick studies based on some charcoal sketches that I did on location. Here's one of them: "Praia Grande, at Porto Covo", oil on wood, 15 cm x 23 cm.

Throughout the years, I did lots of studies based on other painters' work. Although I can now paint anything I like, I still study other painters, as there is no limit to what one can learn from others. Here's one of my favourite studies, based on a Leo Putz painting: " In the garden", oil on canvas, 40 cm x 30 cm.

Vila Nova de Milfontes is a coastal village in Alentejo, in the south of Portugal. As any other Portuguese village, it is full of narrow streets that on sunny days create amazing light and shadow effects, perfect for photographers and painters: "Narrow street in Vila Nova de Milfontes", oil on canvas, 60 cm x 40 cm.

For me, the sea, the coastline, and the sky are endless sources of inspiration, as I can find all sorts of colours and contrast in them. We live, in fact, in a wonderful world. "Silvery sea at Vila Nova de Milfontes", oil on canvas, 40 cm x 50 cm.

Unknown to the general public, Leo Putz is one of the painters I really appreciate. This is why I keep studying his work. Here's one quick study that I did, based on one of his paintings: "Hot day", oil on wood, 15 cm x 20 cm.

Painting is about creating an illusion, through some abstract paint marks done on a surface. There is no need to draw details, just suggest something. The mind of the viewer does the rest. "Low tide in Vila Nova de Milfontes", oil on canvas, 30 cm x 40 cm.

Sometimes, planning a painting takes much longer than painting it. This is what happened with this small painting that took me some months to plan in my mind and only one day to paint. I wanted to paint a joust, but the reference I had did not please me. After a long ‘internal’ debate, the solution came to me: more than painting the two knights, I had to paint the movement! This is why, in the painting, only one of the knights is in focus and everything else is blurred. Can you ‘see' the movement? “Joust”, oil on canvas, 30 cm x 40 cm.

Whenever I'm in a park or in a garden, Louis Armstrong's famous song "What a wonderful world" comes into my mind. I then feel the urge not to paint abstract, 'contemporary', pseudointellectual, meaningless themes, but the real, simple and extraordinary world which we often forget is right here: "View of the gardens at Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (Lisbon) II", oil on canvas, 50 cm x 70 cm.

Back to the year 2000: "My daughters Inês and Joana", oil on canvas, 60 cm x 50 cm.

Juan de Pareja was Velázquez's slave, helping him with several painting tasks. He was also a very good painter. Eventually, Velázquez granted him a letter of freedom. Here is a quick study I did based on Velázquez's portrait of Juan de Pareja (1650): "Portrait of a painter", oil on wood, 20 cm x 15 cm.

Here's another of my paintings whose theme is Perros-Guirec, a popular seaside resort located in Brittany (in northwestern France): "House in Perros-Guirec", oil on canvas, 35 cm x 45 cm. The balcony that we see in the painting overlooks the sea. Nice house, isn't it?

(December 2022) One important exercise all painters do is to paint small with large brushes. The objective is to loosen the brushwork. Here's my smallest painting ever: "House near the fishing harbour of Vila Nova de Milfontes", oil on wood, 10 cm x 13.5 cm.

Children are the most important thing in the world, an irreplaceable and unique combination of joy, life, and unlimited hope in the future. "Little girl", oil on canvas, 60 cm x 40 cm.

(December 2022) Leo Putz (1869-1940) was a Tyrolean painter. Relatively unknown to the general public, he was an amazing painter. I've been studying him for quite some time and I did several studies based on his work. Here's one of my studies: "The kiss", oil on canvas, 40 cm x 30 cm.

(December 2022) I like painting gardens, as they are always full of contrast. In a garden one can find not only light and shadow, but also beauty, countless colours, life in all its stages, warmth and freshness, struggle and peace, coexistence of the natural and artificial worlds. "Inner garden at Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (Lisbon) II", oil on canvas, 45 cm x 35 cm.

(December 2022) Candal is a hamlet in the mountains of Lousã, in the district of Coimbra. From the bridge on the tight bend of the main road, visitors can look down at the fast running waters of the creek that used to power the long abandoned water mill: "Water mill in the hamlet of Candal", oil on canvas, 45 cm x 35 cm.

(December 2022) Even when she was only some months old, my second daughter, Inês, was always bossing everyone around her. Here she's clearly in control, with a watch in her hands and being attended by her mother: "Maria João and Inês in October 1991", oil on canvas, 40 cm x 50 cm.

(November 2022) A dynamic painter never stops studying other painters' work. In fact, even completely 'new' and 'disruptive' artistic trends can sometimes be traced to work of painters that lived centuries ago. This is why I keep studying painters such as El Greco, Velázquez, Sargent, Zorn, Sorolla, Boldini, Leo Putz, and many others. Here's one of my quick studies: "Gentleman", oil on wood, 20 cm x 15 cm, based on a detail of Velázquez's "Portrait of a Spanish Gentleman (José Nieto)", 1635.

(November 2022) Last summer I did several pencil drawings while I was at the beach. Using one of those as basis, I now painted a quick study in oil: "The beach at Vila Nova de Milfontes", oil on wood, 15 cm x 23 cm.

(November 2022) Here's a very small painting of a very large (and extraordinary) city: "Sunny afternoon at Central Park, New York", oil on canvas, 27 cm x 35 cm.

(November 2022) One thing I like about Alentejo is that it is full of nice beaches. Here's a quick study on one of them, done in less than 45 minutes: "The beach at Zambujeira do Mar", oil on wood, 15 cm x 20 cm.

(October 2022) Just by looking at these two brothers we can see that a strong, special bond will always connect them. This was, in fact, the only reason I accepted to do this painting at the request of their grandmother: "Two brothers", oil on canvas, 70 cm x 50 cm. Their names are Rodrigo and Inês.

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