Postcard from Provence, 1549 original daily paintings by Julian Merrow-Smith

Cool, incisive, darkly beautiful.

Still life with Peaches, Knife, Goblet and Bowl

One of the best...the dark depths...the glimmering knife...just lovely.

I sense a difference in this one...something deeper.

Your paintings have made a joyous and lovely coda over this year. Thanks so much.

Here you are appealing to something deep in our souls: the temptingly dangerous (the knife); the mysteriously soft as well as colourful (the peaches); the inscrutably curious (the 17th-century pewter goblet that makes us wonder what kind of wine it contains); the unfound (the bowl that one can only divine, since it's so hidden). You do make us think, as much as we appreciate. This is a powerfully poetic as well as religious painting. Merci.

Elegant in design and colours and very mysterious. B.

I look forward to the comments as well as to the paintings--I was already drawn into this dark and gleaming scene, and the remarks by the previous 4 commentators make me appreciate it even more. L.