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 #43: Porte de Javel Haut, Paris

Hi everybody! 

I'm finally back, after a long and intense summer where I wasn't able to break away and lose some art. I did nip into Paris around the 4th of July, and did this one while out on a walk with my friend David. But I never had the chance until now to come back and drop it off. So here's a memory of summer, for anyone who happens to be on the quai this afternoon. Let me know if you find it!  xo

This painting, acrylic on found toilet seat, 43cm x 38cm, was left on the Porte de Javel Haut, near the Pont Grenelle in Paris, on October 6th, 2018, at 4:30pm.

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 #42: Cimetière du Père-Lachaise, Paris

Hey everybody! 

Finally the first days of spring! It's been a rough winter. There were only a few breaks in the nasty cold/snowy weather, and it's been hard to catch one of those moments, but I did finally manage to get out there! I was so excited to paint on this beautiful guitar I found sticking out of a pile of trash. I wanted to find a very special spot for it, and I think I did. I took it into the Pere Lachaise cemetery! I'll need your help though, as I'm afraid the caretakers of the cemetery will be apt to toss this one back in the trash again as soon as they see it. They stopped by several times while I was painting it to make sure I wasn't planning to play it. I fear that if I'n not there to defend it, it might get tossed out rather quickly. So I've left it early in the day, leaning against a tree, out of direct sight from the path that the guardians were taking. I hope there's enough time for someone to find it! And if you do, then please let me know!

This painting, acrylic on found guitar, 100cm x 37cm, was left at the intersection of Avenue Casimir-Périer and Chemin Serré, inside the cemetery Père-Lachaise in Paris, on March 21st, 2018, at 1pm.

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 #38: Port des Champs-Élysées, Paris

Hey everybody! 

It looks like spring is finally arriving in Paris, and that means that I'll be doing a lot more outdoor painting again. Our good friend David Wise was in town visiting from Toronto last week, and he was making a film about his trip. He thought it would be fun to film the process of making a Lost Art painting, so we picked up this old discarded record player and found a nice place to sit with it by the river. Believe it or not, I think this is the first time the Eiffel Tower has made an appearance in one of these paintings :). David filmed me painting it while he asked me some questions about the series. Then I took the painting home to dry and it took several days for me to find a moment to go drop it off. Today, I'm finally releasing the record player back into the world, and leaving it in the place where I painted it. As always, there's a map to the location below, for you treasure hunters who want to go looking for it! And if you have friends in the area, please share the post in case they might want to grab it. Also, keep an eye out for David Wise's film! I'll be sure to post a link to it here when it's available for viewing. I hope you're all having a lovely April, and I look forward to losing a lot more art in the weeks to come!  

This painting, acrylic on found broken record player, 33cm x 33cm, was left on the Port des Champs-Élysées 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 #37: Place de l'Europe, Paris

Lost Art is back in Paris!

Hey everybody! It's not easy to find good outdoor painting days in the winter, but this past week in Paris has had a couple of great ones. And I also found this beautiful old leather briefcase sighing its last breaths on a lonely sidewalk, so I decided to take it on a walk with me and see if I could give it a new life to live. It's great to be out painting again, and trying to rescue curious objects from their demise, and leaving unexpected gifts around town. I hope that this one brightens somebody's day today!  If you know somebody in the area, feel free to share this post with them. Otherwise, if you're just out for a stroll around Paris yourself, swing by the Place de l'Europe and see if it's still there. Whoever finds it first gets to keep it! Consider it my Valentine to you ;). 

This painting, acrylic on found briefcase, 45cm x 35cm, was left at Place de l'Europe in Paris, on February 17th, 2017 at 4:30pm.

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 #33: Place Lucien Herr, Paris

Hey everyone! 

How did it get to be summer already? I've spent most of this spring working on a big portrait commission, so I haven't had the chance to get out and lose as much art in the streets as I would like. But it has been beautiful painting weather! So I'm excited that this week I finally found a moment to get back to work on my favorite project :). I decided to visit a favorite 'stop and think' spot of mine. I've spent many quiet moments in this small park, and had some profound thoughts here. So it's a very special place for me. I hope I have managed to impart some of my fondness for this place onto the bar stool seat that I found in the street not long ago. And hopefully it will find a good home! If you know anybody in the neighborhood, share this post and see if one of them finds it. More to come soon!

This painting, acrylic on found stool seat, 32.5cm x 32.5cm, was left on the Place Lucien Herr, in Paris, France on June 17th, 2016, at 4:30 pm.

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 #31: rue des Saules, Paris

Hello again, everyone! 

After a big break I was finally able to get back to losing some art. The past few months I've been traveling around the United States on a schedule too tight to be able to leave paintings along the way. I've been missing my "letting go" therapy sessions but today, despite the cold, I was happy to get back to it! I left this painting in the picturesque Montmartre neighborhood. One of the first areas I had the pleasure of living in when I first came to Paris. It was great to have a chance to re-visit these streets and lose some art here, I hope you enjoy finding it! 

This painting, acrylic on found wooden shelf, 49cm x 24cm, was left on the rue des Saules, in Paris, France on Feb 16, 2016, at 12:30 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 #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 #21: Rue de Charenton, Paris

It's already March?

How did that happen? It's been unseasonably cold in Paris this year, and a little bit difficult to paint outside. But recently we have finally seen signs of the winter giving way, and the sunny days have cast a lovely light back into our beautiful city. So the other day I found myself on the rue de Charenton, where the rue de Prague turns into the rue Abel. And I also had with me this old jigsaw puzzle that I had picked up in the street. So I decided to sit down and take advantage of the pleasant light, the survivable temperatures, and this view of the Coulee Verte, to paint my 21st Lost Art. Then I brought the painting home to dry for a few days, and when I noticed that today was also looking sunny and pleasant, I went back out to leave it where it was painted. I hope that somebody else on an early-spring stroll picks it up and takes it home!

This painting, oil on found jigsaw puzzle, 36.5 cm x 49.5 cm, was left on the rue de Charenton, near the intersection of rue Abel, in the 12th arrondissement of Paris on March 2, 2015 at 12:00pm.

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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