Sue Boal - Painting in the South of France

Bessie Smith, Empress of the Blues

I've always enjoyed the songs of Bessie Smith, full of passion and courage and very often wickedly funny. Nic Cottis and I devised and performed a show about her life and music to celebrate the 100th anniversary of her birth. We did it in the studio of the Exeter and Devon Arts Centre - great fun! This portrait is based on a photo taken by Carl Van Vechten in 1936. She died in a car accident a year later. She was only 43.

The Red Jug

Size 24x35 cm

Les Grenades

Size 35x24 cm

The Avenue, Poujol-sur-Orb

Size 38x55 cm

Very typical of the South of France, these Plane trees, planted for their shade line the roads all over the region. Sadly, many of them are being cut these days. They've grown too tall and their roots have spread and threaten to fracture gas and water pipes under the roads. The trees shed their bark and are thus able to thrive even under conditions of extreme pollution by traffic fumes. The patterns of light and shade they cast on the roads dance in the Midi sunshine.