THE ART OF TRAVEL

"Little Venice" ©Jay Koka

Little Venice

Title: "Little Venice" by Jay Koka, © 2024
20”w x 24” (50x60cm), acrylic on canvas, with the studio

This new original work features the barques of "Little Venice" in Comar, France. Ever on the lookout for the next painting, Jay Koka came across this wonderful location on a recent visit to the town. Known for its network of canals and bridge, medieval Comar is located near the border with Germany. The waterways are filled with half-timbered houses in pastel colors while the town center features cobblestones and traditional architecture. Not published.

"Longtails in Phuket" ©Jay Koka

Longtails in Phuket

by Jay Koka, © 2021
44”w x 34”, acrylic on canvas, Artist Collection

A 2017 trip to the Thai peninsula resulted in first, the 2018 painting "Welcome to Patong Beach" and now "Longtails in Phuket".
The magnificent beach and nearby dock is crowded with these boats called "long-tails". Named because of the exceptionally long drive shaft leading to the prop...as much as 2 meters or more...creating the appearance of a "tail" while in motion. The engine (with prop shaft) can be rotated 180 degrees as shown in this work to store the assembly while docked.
This wide arc of motion also makes them exceptionally maneuverable. The engines are mainly secondhand car and truck engines making purchase and ongoing maintenance economical. Hugely popular, they are not however unique to Thailand, seen throughout Southeast Asia.

"On The Nile 2 - Esna" ©Jay Koka

On The Nile 2 - Esna

by Jay Koka, © 2025
44”w x 34”, acrylic on canvas, Artist Collection

Following up on "On The Nile" a second work was a long time coming, about 12 years in fact... but here it is again floating down my favourite river. This time, capturing a few of the incredible number of Nile cruisers at the port of Esna. Esna is on the west bank south of Luxor .

"On The Nile" ©Jay Koka

On The Nile

by Jay Koka, © 2021
44”w x 34”, acrylic on canvas, Artist Collection

A long trip to Egypt that included 6 days on a boat from Aswan to Luxor created an intimate experience of the Nile River. Described as the heart and soul of Egypt, it flows through the country's center with magnificent ancient monuments on each river bank.
The gift of the Nile is its rich soil and each bank is devoted to agriculture... but the desert, especially the edge of the Sahara... is never far from the river's edge and almost always in view.
The painting captures the warmth and languid feel of a relaxing afternoon as you float down the river.

"Evening at Place des Vosges" ©Jay Koka

Evening at Place des Vosges

by Jay Koka, © 2020
44”w x 34”, acrylic on canvas, Private Collection

Place des Vosges is the oldest square in Paris. Initiated by King Henri IV in 1604, it was inaugurated in 1612 as the "Place Royale". Napoleon changed the name to that current in 1800. Many famous Frenchman have called it home including Cardinal Richelieu and Victor Hugo. Hugo lived there 1615 to 1627 and wrote most of "Les Miserables" while there.
The Place des Vosges is located in the historical Marais district in the 3rd arrondissement near the Place de la Bastille.

"Place de la Concorde" ©Jay Koka

Place de la Concorde

by Jay Koka, © 2019
44”w x 34”, (110x85cm) acrylic on canvas, private collection

A return to Paris to exhibit in the 2019 RetroMobile show presented the opportunity and inspiration for this work. Of course the fountains were off and there were very few people since it was an early morning in February but a more spring-summer setting was chosen for the painting to display the fountains in their full glory. (There are two, the second is at the far right.)
The "Tour de France", the Patterson Collection's pristine 1959 Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France, fits perfectly and also somewhat appropriately for the background.

"Bourdonnais et Rapp" ©Jay Koka

Bourdonnais et Rapp

by Jay Koka, © 2019
44”w x 34”, (110x85cm) acrylic on canvas, private collection

A beautiful sunny February morning in 2018 in the Champ de Mars area of Paris has been exceptionally fruitful in providing inspiration for new works. (The park is named after the Campus Martius (Mars Field) in Rome, a tribute to the Latin name of the Roman God of war.) First "Pres de Champ de Mars" ("Near the Champ de Mars") featured a wonderful cul de sac that ends at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. And now, just a few blocks up the Avenue de la Bourdonnais is the latest work "Bourdonnais et Rapp" which features a typical Paris cafe/bistro located on Avenue de la Bourdonnais at the intersection with Avenue Rapp.
The magnificent 1938 Delahaye 135MS Teardrop Coupe is parked in the "LIVRAISON" zone in front of the cafe. A major new work that premiered at the 2019 Retromobile Show in Paris.

"At the Darwaza Gate" ©Jay Koka

At The Darwaza Gate

by Jay Koka, © 2018
48”w x 32”, (110x57cm) acrylic on canvas

The 2012 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance featured a special exhibit of "Maharaja" cars from India. Fast forward to 2017 and another Koka Asian voyage leads to Agra, India on the grounds of an area commonly referred to as the Taj Mahal. Jay Koka: "To say it is beautiful is an understatement of epic proportions. It is the equal of "The Great Pyramid" and "Machu Picchu" in every sense of the word. The "Taj" is perhaps the most beautiful building I have ever seen. An odd thought when one considers that it is a mausoleum." The "Star of India" is now back in India in the hands of Maharaja Mandhatasinh Jadeja, grandson of the Maharaja of Rajkot, the original commissioner of the magnificent 1934 Rolls Royce Phantom II.

"Welcome to Patong Beach" ©Jay Koka

Welcome to Patong Beach

by Jay Koka, © 2018
44”w x 56”, (110x140cm) acrylic on canvas, private collection

The bay at Patong Beach in Phuket, Thailand may well be one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. It certainly looked like it one morning in 2017. The bay boasts pristine azure waters and a magnificent sweeping arc of a sand beach stretching in both directions as far as the eye can see. The intersection of Thawewong Rd (the beach road) and Thanon Banga features an improbable yet remarkable and audacious welcome sign that I just couldn't resist. Taking advantage of a lull in traffic and an empty road, a McLaren 720S makes its way up party central avenue. Premiered at the AFAS Exhibition at the 2018 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

"Pres de Champ de Mars" ©Jay Koka

Pres de Champ de Mars

by Jay Koka, © 2018
44”w x 34”, (110x85cm) acrylic on canvas, private collection

The iconic Eiffel Tower is located on the Champ de Mars in the 7th Arrondissement of Paris France. In Paris early in February of 2018 exhibiting at the RetroMobile show with the European ArtistAuto group, the Champs de Mars is a short tram ride from the show site and once there ... a gorgeous sunny day, some excellent coffee and the prerequisite patisserie. The Avenue de la Bourdonnais and the Rue de l'Universite intersection. The base of the tower framed by the buildings on this gracious cul-de-sac was irresistible. A Ferrari 275GTB/4 rounds the corner.

"Around the Corner" ©Jay Koka

Around the Corner

by Jay Koka, © 2016
60”w x 36”, acrylic on canvas, Private Collection

‘Old Propaganda Posters’ is an immensly successful travel art example based on an old Chinese quarter setting in Hanoi. The completely modern LaFerrari turns into an intersection in a incongruously old and cluttered setting.
"Around The Corner" is a followup to the 2015 work. The title isn't a play on words... the setting really is "around the corner" from the previous painting.
This time, an F12 gingerly winds its way into an intersection cluttered with cars, scooters and pedestrians. The setting is actually "enhanced" to get across the idea of clutter and activity. Close examination reveals a representation of the inconceivable number of scooters and mopeds that ply the streets of Hanoi.

"Breathless in Shanghai" ©Jay Koka

Breathless in Shanghai

by Jay Koka, © 2016
60”w x 44”, acrylic on canvas, Private Collection

A photo of a billboard in Shanghai presented the concept for this work. There is something really captivating about the model...she is obviously quite beautiful but sort of in your face with attitude at the same time. The core of the idea…the concept of the painting is that she, her spectacular emerald jewellery and the Ferrari 488GTB will leave you "breathless". Much work was spent on incorporating the original "wrong" word. The corrected word is, loosly translated, "Wow". Actually it means "Ye" in Mandarin which would be the exclamation made by someone in Shangahi under the circumstances. The small text at the bottom? Most people can figure out what that says.

"Seven Tuks in Bangkok" ©Jay Koka

Seven Tuks in Bangkok

by Jay Koka, © 2015
44”w x 34”, acrylic on canvas, Artist Collection
NOT FOR SALE

In big tropical cities like Bangkok, tuk-tuks are the ubiquitous Taxi. Closer examination shows that first they are very different from each other and second that they perform an immense number of jobs. For example, in the painting there are a number of Taxi's but there are also a couple of "freight" tuks, sort of like small transport trucks that carry everything that can possibly be strapped, balance or wedged into their somewhat limited space. The 3rd and 7th from the left are "transport-Tuks". Jay Koka, "I came across this group of Tuks in Bangkok at what could best be described as a "tuk- stop", a watering hole for the locals."

"Old Propaganda Posters" ©Jay Koka

Old Propaganda Posters

by Jay Koka, © 2015
60”w x 44”, acrylic on canvas, Private Collection

‘Old Propaganda Posters’ is an amalgam of Saigon and Hanoi recently visited by Jay Koka. The sign: 'Old Propaganda Posters' and a Gallardo rounding a nearby corner formulated the concept for the painting. The old quarter with its cluttered art shops, flower sellers and purveyors of just about everything has a feeling of age, perhaps even pleasantly decayed contrasts with the the very newest and the very latest... which the Ferrari LaFerrari most certainly is. A very large painting, 60 inches wide by 44 inches captures the level of detail needed in the painting to communicate this foreground-background contrast.

"Calao" ©Jay Koka

Calao

by Jay Koka, © 2014
48”w x 30”, acrylic on canvas, Private Collection

Spring of 2014. Visited a large number of seaports and very quickly became of the gigantic container cranes. Gigantic does not do them justice... you actually have to stand underneath one of these incredible machines to fully appreciate their scale. Calao is the seaport for Lima. The cranes at Calao are manufactured by “ZPMC” Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries, the largest manufacturer of port equipment in the world. The 1967 Ferrari 275GTB/4 Scaglietti NART Spyder was selected because, aside from being a drop dead beautiful car, it is more or less the same color as the crane. Although this Ferrari probably never came anywhere near this port, somehow the car and the crane live well together.

"Directions in Cartagena" ©Jay Koka

Directions in Cartagena

by Jay Koka, © 2014
48”w x 36”, acrylic on canvas, private collection

The quality of care and restoration of "old" or "center" parts of South American cities varies but the walled city in Cartagena, Columbia belongs at the top of the list. Although still a work in progress, many spots in the old city are simply, irresistably beautiful. Plaza Santo Domingo is one of these special spaces and no less for featuring Fernando Botero's definitive work "Gertrude". It is perhaps one of Botero's best know works exploring figures in both two and three dimensions with large, exagerated volumes. Features the 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster. Not a wasted line, not an unecessary line anywhere… the Roadster has all the beauty and design integrity that made the 30's such a Golden Age for automotive design.