Lost Art #45: Place Charles de Gaulle, Paris

Hello, everyone! 

During this time that we've all been locked inside, there haven't been many objects lying around in the street, begging to be painted on. But now that we're all venturing back out into the sunlight again, somebody was kind enough to leave this wooden desk drawer out on the sidewalk for me to find, and you know what that means ... the return of Lost Art! I painted this one on the Place Charles de Gaulle, looking up at the Arc de Triomphe. I hope that someone will pick it up and take it home, perhaps as a celebration of our triumph over the lockdown period, or in hopes that we will one day triumph over the injustices that people are rallying to fight around the world. If you find it, please drop me a line to let me know! I wish you all a bright and liberating summer! 

This painting, acrylic on found desk drawer,  38cm x 42cm x 16cm, was left on Place Charles de Gaulle, 75008 Paris, on June 23rd, 2020, at 1:00 pm.

If you have found this piece, it is yours to keep, but please let me know in the comments!

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Lost Art #44: Square George Cain, Rue Payenne, Paris

Hi everybody! 

I know it's been a while. I've been doing a lot of traveling and have been distracted by other projects, but I wanted to lose at least one piece of art before heading to the states for the rest of June :). This one is on a disused laptop I found. I painted it in my friend Rich's favorite park, over in the third arrondissement of Paris (map below). Let me know if you find it! 

This painting, acrylic on found laptop, 32cm x 43cm, was left in the Square George Cain, Rue Payenne, 75003 Paris, on June 12th, 2019, at 1:00pm.

If you have found this piece, it is yours to keep, but please let me know in the comments!

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Lost Art #41: Place de la République, Paris

Hey everybody! 

I know, I know, I know. I'm always saying that the next one is coming soon, and this one has been coming forever. But it's been an exceptionally busy year. Since my last Lost Art, I did another big portrait commission, a site-specific performance and projection in Holland, and just finished installing a new audio/video piece for a group show back here in France. I've been spinning around, and working hard in all directions. But I'm always looking forward to getting back to this project whenever I get the chance! As for this piece, I actually found the broken chair and began the painting at Republique a while back, but just never had the opportunity to finish it and drop it off. So here it finally is! The plastic chair is returned to the streets from which it came. I hope that somebody finds it and drops me a line. Let me know if that somebody is you! I also hope that you're all having a lovely late autumn, and that the cold doesn't stop you from going out to look for art in the streets. You never know where you might find it! (I'm losing it everywhere!) It's great to be back :). 

This painting, acrylic on found broken chair back, 47.5 cm x 40 cm, was left on the Place de la République in Paris, on November 25th, 2017 at 4:30pm.

If you have found this piece, please let me know in the comments!

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Lost Art #39: Place Maurice Chevalier, Paris

Hey everybody! 

I hope you're all enjoying the lovely weather! I managed to venture out and lose some art today, in a neighborhood I rarely get to, in the 20th arrondissement. I happened to have a broken piece of chimney pipe that I'd picked up in the street, and this church on the place Maurice Chevalier seemed like a good fit for its dimensions. I hope that somebody finds it and gets in touch! Now that the summer is here, I'm already looking forward to losing some more art in the coming weeks. As always, if you know somebody in the neighborhood, please share and spread the word. And if you have any questions about the project, don't hesitate to drop me a line!

This painting, acrylic on found broken chimney pipe, 16.5cm x 31.5cm, was left on the Place Maurice Chevalier in Paris, on April 26th, 2017 at 3:00pm.

If you have found this piece, please let me know in the comments!

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Lost Art #35: Square Thomas Jefferson, Paris

Hello everyone,

Lost Art is back!  After a long hiatus, during which I primarily worked on my portrait series at the Chateau de Courances, I'm very happy to be back to work on my Lost Art series! This new one was one of the most challenging yet, as the stove top element I found was heavy and difficult to maneuver. It broke both my easels while I was working on it :(. But I managed to get it painted, and to leave it in the park near the home of a friend of ours in the 16th. I left a sturdy Ikea bag with it, so that anyone who finds it will have a fighting chance of taking it home with them. I hope that its weight doesn't dissuade someone from taking it! I had mixed feelings about that problem. But in the end, I was inspired by the object, and it was already discarded in the street anyway, so I guess I didn't make its fate any worse. Now we'll just have to see if someone else is inspired enough by its new incarnation to pick it up and give it a good home. If you're in the neighborhood, maybe you could walk by and check on it for me? And if you know somebody nearby, please feel free to share. Next week I'm on my way back to the States, so hopefully I'll be leaving one there over the holidays. My warmest winter wishes to you all!

This painting, acrylic on found stove top, 58cm x 51cm, was left in the Square Thomas Jefferson, at Place des États-Unis in in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, on December 14th, 2016 at 4:30pm.

If you have found this piece, please let me know in the comments!

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Lost Art #32: Boulevard Edgar-Quinet, Paris

Hello again, everyone! 

It's finally starting to warm up a bit, so I'm excited to get back to losing my art in the streets. A few of the paintings have recently been found, so there will be some updates coming soon! As for this one, I found a handful of hours last week to go sit on the Boulevard Edgar Quinet, near the Montparnasse Cemetery, and paint this (sort of) view of the tower. I'm still trying to spiral out into the parts of the city where I haven't left paintings yet. So if you're hoping to find one in your neighborhood don't lose hope! I'm sure I'll get there eventually! I hope you've all managed to survive the winter with your spirits intact, and I look forward to filling the streets with paintings over the coming months. I hope you'll let me know if you or one of your friends finds one! Happy April in Paris!   

This painting, acrylic on found hub cap, 42cm x 42cm, was left on the Boulevard Edgar-Quinet, in Paris, France on April 5th, 2016, at 2:00 pm.

If you have found this piece, please let me know in the comments!

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Lost Art #29: Quai de la Marne, Paris

Hello everyone! 

It's been a busy but fun time lately, with FIAC going on and all kinds of art to see in Paris, so I almost forgot to find the time to set this one free! But I had a lot of fun last week, painting on this skateboard deck alongside the canal de l'Ourcq in the 19th arrondissement. That is, until it started pouring rain and I had to run for it!  Anyway, I've always enjoyed the view of this railroad bridge, which I often pass by when I'm running, and I'm glad I finally had the chance to paint it. Hopefully someone else in the neighborhood, who also likes the view, will find this painting and get a kick out of it. Or hey, maybe even a young skater will decide that the deck is worth saving and screw some trucks and wheels onto it! If so, I hope he or she drops me a line and lets me know. I kinda like the idea that one of my paintings might wind up grinding a curb somewhere in the middle of the night! 

This painting, arylic on found skateboard deck, 78.5cm x 19.5cm, was left on the Quai de la Marne, in Paris, France on October 23rd, 2015 at 4:30pm.

If you have found this piece, please let me know in the comments!

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Lost Art #28: Place de la Nation, Paris

Hello again, everyone! 

I'm happy to say that I'm back in Paris and that the beautiful autumn has arrived. I'm also very happy to say that I found this old computer monitor on the ground the other day while I was walking near the Place de la Nation. It looked sad. It looked like it wanted a purpose in life. It looked like it didn't want to be finished, thrown away, forgotten on a junk pile forever. It looked like maybe it would rather be a painting instead. So now that's what it is. I hope that somebody sees it in its new incarnation and gives it a home, gives it a life, gives it a second chance in the world. And I hope they drop me a line to let me know how the little fella is doing! 

As for me, I've already found some other objects and started working on giving them a new start. I'll keep you posted if I get any updates about our friend here!

This painting, oil on found computer monitor, 41.5cm x 37.5cm, was left on the Place de la Nation, in Paris, France on September 25th, 2015 at 2:30pm.

If you have found this piece, please let me know in the comments!

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Lost Art #27: Grande Rue, Moigny-sur-École, France

Hello again, everyone! 

I know, I know. It seems like every time I post one of these lately, I'm looking forward to posting more often. But then I get swept away by the rhythm of life and it takes me another month to get one done. Hopefully the suspense isn't killing anyone out there! Once again, we've been babysitting the little house out in the French countryside this summer, so I thought it would be fun to venture into some of the neighboring towns to do some painting. Last year, I did paintings here in the village of Courances and in Milly-la-Forêt, the bigger town nearby. This time I went just beyond the hedges and did one in the next-door town of Moigny-sur-École. I found this broken-off slate of terracotta roofing that seemed to need a new purpose in life and I painted this view of the Grand Rue onto it. I hope somebody in town finds and enjoys it! I don't know if I'll be able to do another one while I'm out here, but as always, I'll be hoping I get to do more of them soon. I'll be going back to Paris next week. I'm sure there must be a neighborhood there that I haven't gotten to yet! If you have any suggestions, please feel free to let me know in the comments. 

À bientôt !

This painting, acrylic on found terracotta roof slate, 22cm x 32cm, was left on the Grande Rue, in Moigny-sur-École, France on August 20th, 2015 at 3pm.

If you have found this piece, please let me know in the comments!

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Lost Art #25: View of L'Hôtel des Invalides, Paris

Summer is finally in full swing in Paris! Great weather for wandering around and exploring new parts of the city. This week I was walking behind the L'Hôtel des Invalides and this view caught my eye. It was a bit hot in the sun so I found a nice spot in the shade and painted my 25th Lost Art painting. I hope you enjoy it! And as always, if you find it, please let me know in the comments! This will be the last Lost Art in Paris for several weeks, as I'm headed back to the States for some quality time with my family. I'll do my best to get out and about and Lose some more Art while I'm over there! Not sure yet where all I'll be or how much I'll be moving, but I'll keep you posted as I go. Stay tuned! 

This painting, oil on found metal (heating element cover), 54.5 cm x  27 cm, was left on the Esplanade Jacques Chaban Delmas, near the intersection of Rue d'Estrées and Avenue de Breteuil in the 7th arrondissement of Paris on June 21st, 2015 at 5:30pm.

If you have found this piece, please let me know in the comments!

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Lost Art #24: rue Montmartre, Paris

Hello everyone! 

I hope you're all taking advantage of this beautiful spring by going out to search for abandoned artworks in the streets! With the weather a little more suited to longer walks, I've been trying to expand my reach a little lately. This week I found myself up in the 2nd near the rue Montmartre. While I was working on this piece, I was approached by a very sweet man who lived on the streets in the neighborhood. He said that he had found a pen recently and that he wanted to donate it to my cause. So now, thanks to my new friend, I have a new pen in my collection of Lost-Art-making supplies :). He left before I could get his name, but he wished me luck and he made my day. It would be nice if he turned out to be the one who found my painting! But if not, I'm sure that whoever does will give it a nice home. As for me, I'll have to make sure to use my new pen in my next piece! Thank you all for staying tuned, and if you live in a neighborhood I haven't been to yet, I'm always open to suggestions!

This painting, acrylic on found corrugated cardboard packaging,  17 cm x  35 cm, was left on the small place between the intersections of rue Montmartre, rue d'Aboukir, and rue du Louvre in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris on May 12th, 2015 at 6:30pm.

If you have found this piece, please let me know in the comments!

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Lost Art #23: Palais Royal, Paris

It's official! Spring is now in full bloom. April in Paris, and all that jazz. The trees are leafy green and the temperature is getting very friendly. It even got a little hot while I was painting this one in the lovely garden at the Palais Royal. I headed over to the 1st arrondissement to do this painting so I could catch a glimpse of the Paris marathon on my way. I wished I could have been running in it, but since I wasn't registered, I was very happy to be doing something else I love: painting. Luckily, I found another soul enjoying the sunshine in the garden that day. I wonder if she noticed me painting her? In any case, I hope someone finds this one and enjoys it as much as I did! 

This painting, acrylic on found Styrofoam block, 22.25 cm x 22.25 cm, was left in the garden at Le Palais Royal, in the 1st arrondissement of Paris on April 23rd, 2015 at 4pm.

If you have found this piece, please let me know in the comments!

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Lost Art #22: Rue Bichat, Paris

Springtime is finally starting to show some hints of its arrival, so I guess that means it's time to start spending some more afternoons painting on trash in the streets :). I'm trying to get into some other parts of the city, a little farther from my own neighborhood, which means the walks are getting longer. But hopefully it also means that different people are getting the chance to find one of these pieces lying around. If you live in Paris and want to suggest a neighborhood for my next painting, please feel free to let me know in the comments. I try to spread the love around! I left this one on the rue Bichat in the 11th, where I often go to draw with a friend of mine. It's a view of the Hopital Saint-Louis not far from the canal. As always, let me know if you find it! 

This painting, acrylic on found oriented strand board, 67.5 cm x 36.5 cm, was left on the rue Bichat, near the intersection of rue Richerand, in the 11th arrondissement of Paris on March 29, 2015 at 4:30pm.

If you have found this piece, please let me know in the comments!

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Lost Art #20: Place Saint-Sulpice, Paris

Hello again, everyone!

I hope you're all having a good 2015 so far. I took a little unexpected break for the past few weeks, but Lost Art is finally back in action! I'm in Paris again, and today I left #20 in the series on the Place Saint-Sulpice. Hopefully I'll get back into my rhythm so the next one won't be such a long wait. It has been unusually cold here lately and difficult to stay outside painting for long periods. But the winters in Paris are never very bad for very long, so I'm optimistic that my painting pace will pick up soon!

This painting, oil on found tinted plexiglass, 27.7 cm x 61 cm, was left on the Place Saint-Sulpice in Paris on Feb 9, 2015 at 5:00 pm.

If you have found this piece, please let me know in the comments!

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Lost Art # 19: Square René Le Gall, Paris

Well, we made it back from Egypt and had a few days in Paris before going home for the holidays, so I thought I'd go out and leave a new painting while passing through! This one is on a park bench in the Square René Le Gall in the 13th. It's a lovely place to sit and paint, if anybody is looking for one of those :). Next week I'll be back in the States for a little while, but I'll hopefully be painting more in Paris in the new year. I wish all my Parisian friends a warm and happy holiday season and I hope that someone enjoys this little gift I've left behind. As for my friends in the US, keep your eyes open! I might be leaving some paintings over there soon!

This painting, oil on found wood, 22 cm x 23 3/4 cm, was left in the Square René Le Gallon in Paris on Dec 11, 2014 at 2:15 pm.

If you have found this piece, please let me know in the comments!

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Lost Art #12: Place du Général de Gaulle, Courances, France

UPDATE: Lost Art #12 has been found!

I was so happy to get this anonymous comment (below) from someone who has found my painting in Courances! I was afraid it might have been destroyed in this afternoon's rain, but instead it has been rescued, for which I am very grateful. And I am proud to have left a piece of myself in this town :).  

[original post]

This week Lost Art makes a trip out to the French countryside. I've been lucky enough to spend the last few weeks of summer in the lovely little village of Courances, and I did this painting on the Place du Général de Gaulle just in front of their Mairie (the local town hall). Courances is pleasantly clean, so for several days I didn't find any trash or discarded material to paint on. But finally, the other day, I found this loose chunk of cobblestone on the side of the road and decided to give it a new life. If I'm lucky enough to find anything else, I'm going to try to do at least one more while I'm out here before returning to Paris the last week of August. I hope you're all having a great summer, wherever you are, and I hope you find some art in the street!

This painting, oil on dislodged cobblestone, 14.5 cm x 14.5 cm, was left at Place du Général de Gaulle in Courances, France on August 13, 2014 at 3pm.

If you have found this piece, please let me know in the comments!

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Lost Art #11: Place Georges Pompidou, Paris

This week's Lost Art painting was left on the slope of ground in front of the Centre Georges Pompidou. It was a fun place to paint, and it seems like a natural place for some Lost Art to become "found." It's also my first painting on found concrete, which made it a lot of fun to carry across town :). If anybody does find it, and want to keep it, they'll have to work a little to get it home! I'm heading off to the countryside for a few weeks, so this will be the last one in Paris until the end of August. As always, if you know anyone in the neighborhood, who might find this piece, please feel free to share!

This painting, oil on a fragment of exposed aggregate concrete, 34.5 cm x 20.5 cm, was left at Place Georges Pompidou on July 29, 2014 at 1pm.

If you have found this piece, please let me know in the comments!

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Lost Art #9: Avenue de France, Paris

Lost Art makes its triumphant return to Paris, France this week! 

I'm very happy to report that Lost Art #8 was found and given a home last week in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania on my trip to the United States. You can read all about that one here. 

Today's painting, #9, is on a bench overlooking the train tracks on Avenue de France, near the intersection of rue George Balanchine, in the neighborhood between Bibliothèque and the Pont de Bercy. As always, there's a map below to help you out if you're searching for it! I'm excited to be back in Paris and hoping that some of the paintings I do here over the summer will be discovered. Be sure to sign up for the blog if you want receive all the updates!

This painting, oil on found plywood, 32 1/2cm x 14cm, was left on Avenue de France on July 7, 2014 at 12:00pm.

If you have found this piece, please let me know in the comments!

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Lost Art #5: rue Charlemagne, Paris

This week, Lost Art made its first official trip across the Seine into the St Paul neighborhood in the 4th arrondissement. This is the fifth painting in the series, and still no word from those who have found the first four, but the project continues to spread! Over the next few weeks, Lost Art will make its first appearances in the United States (I'm talking to you, Pennsylvania!) so keep a lookout for them there. The series will resume in Paris at the beginning of July. I hope you're all having a great summer, and as always, let me know if you find one of the pieces!

This painting, oil on found broken wood, 31cm x 85cm, 

was left on rue Charlemagne near the intersection of rue du Fauconnier in Paris on June 8, 2014 at 5:30pm. 

If you have found this piece, please let me know in the comments!

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