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Landscape Oil Painting Painting Places

Corsica’s Port Centuri Harbor (Virtual Paintout)

Centuri Port, Corsica, Oil on canvas, 9x12"
Centuri Port, Corsica, Oil on canvas, 9x12"

I painted this from a Google Earth street view photo for the Virtual Paintout blog. For the month of January they are painting Corsica, France from images on Google Earth. I’d heard of Corsica but had no idea where it was so it was fun to learn a little about it. And I’d never really explored Google Earth before (except for looking at my house) and was amazed. You pick a spot and then click the arrow to move further down the road, not knowing what you will come to until you get there, just like real travel. You can also swivel the view to see what’s off to either side. A town named “Mute, Corsica” intrigued me so I started there for my virtual travel.

I spent way too long exploring Corsica and only had a couple hours left to paint last weekend once I’d picked an image. But the painting went really well and I probably should have just left it as it was. But I came back to it today to do some “finishing.” But I’d lost my focus so did some painting, wiped it off, painted, wiped off.  Finally I gave myself a pep talk: Focus and Finish! I did.

Fini.

20 replies on “Corsica’s Port Centuri Harbor (Virtual Paintout)”

I hear you. Must have spent two hours “driving” around Corsica, looking at the landscape, trying to find a scene that tickled my fancy. Yours certainly is charming with all those pinks and golds in the houses and reflected in the water.

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I know about searching for a view of Corsica too. I spent hours and haven’t come up with a view to sketch or paint, and decided to stop and use the time more productively.

You seascape is lovely. I like “haystacks” colors used for seascape. Well done!

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I signed up for Virtual Paintout long ago; but I spend so much time trying to find a good view that I always give up. Yesterday I spent hours looking around after seeing all the gorgeous paintings. Yours is beautiful!

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That’s funny that everyone has had that same experience of “driving around” for hours looking for a good view. I kept telling myself, “Just pick something!” and then I’d go just a bit more down this road or that. Jana

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gorgeous!!! I’ve done one painting for Virtual Paintout, then forgot about it!!! You’re inspiring me to get back to it….a great way to explore the world from home (which, of course, is not as good as exploring the world for real but is usually cheaper).

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Love the boats especially. And you managed those boxy houses they have really well. Thanks for the VP reference; I lost ALL LAST NIGHT wandering the streets and trying to find your reference as well as one for me!

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Ahh, sorry to have led you astray and away from a good night’s sleep! If you still want my reference I think I could find it for you. I changed the scene a bit from the original though (artistic license). What’s funny is that Bill posted mine and another artist’s view of the same scene together and they’re very different. His is very contrasty with lots of dark and mine is very high key. Did you paint yours yet? Jana

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Ah, a virtual vacation. Your painting is somewhat of a virtual vacation, too. It has that Mediterranean light or what I think of as Mediterranean. Anyway, it is very beautiful and makes me wish I was sitting on that dock for real. (But the water looks better than real.)

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Thanks for saying that about the water. I wasn’t too sure I’d gotten it. I finished this painting I’ve been back working on the stupid Lovers, Mongrels series and I’m getting really frustrated with the acrylics and want to go back to painting something I can see, in oils, instead of imaginary stuff in acrylics. Maybe that’s just not me (or not me right now). Jana

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