Tuesday, May 19, 2009

A small town / Pequena vila


A gray and wet day doesn't make less interesting the landscapes of the Atlantic stripe north of Porto, with its small towns of colorful houses and fertile fields across gentle slopes. Those places inspired me to this "balloon view" of an imaginary town somewhere along the now closed Póvoa de Varzim - Famalicão railway.
Um dia cinzento e húmido não torna menos interessantes as paisagens da faixa atlântica a norte do Porto, com as suas pequenas vilas de casario colorido e variado e férteis campos em terrenos de suave declive. Foi nesses lugares que me inspirei para esta "vista de balão" de uma vila imaginária num qualquer ponto da desaparecida linha ferroviária Póvoa de Varzim - Famalicão...
Fabriano cold-pressed 7"x5" - 140lb (18x12,5cm - 300g/m2) papel
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5 comments:

GlorV1 said...

Oh how fantastic. The colors are awesome. If one looks closely people are going about their business. They wait at the train station and the train is arriving. A person walks towards the tracks,a lady tends to her garden,
people on the sidewalk just tending to everyday things.It looks like it's morning and the streets appear a little wet. Maybe it rained. Oh I just love your paintings that have storys to tell. Thanks so much. Have a great day/evening.

Paulo J. Mendes said...

Gloria, I'm always delighted by your descriptions. It's like if you really walked around the streets of this small village, observing every corner and detail, despite the small rain. So happy that you enjoyed it. Have a wonderful day, too :)

Julio Rodrigues said...

Que riqueza de cenas quotidianas…complementada pela atmosfera chuvosa do dia. Uma beleza.

Mineke Reinders said...

I'm always amazed at how much you can put into a 7"x5". Here, a bird's-eye-view of a whole town with all that is going on in it. I like the little train especially - carrying people to the next town perhaps, or further afield. Gray and wet has its appeal for me certainly, it's part of life, and sometimes more "true" than a sunny day.

Paulo J. Mendes said...

Amigo Villager, é uma delícia passear por estes lugares perto de casa em dias chuvosos: São tanto ou mais inspiradores do que com tempo de sol.

Mineke, these delightful tiny Dutch railcars are now a memory from the past, but I wanted to include them as they still alive in my memory. You are right about the appeal of gray wet days: Some colors, especially the green of the fields and trees, seem to be enhanced by this weather, and there's an overall melancholic atmosphere that worth to be painted.

Villager, and Mineke, an excellent day for both!