Myfrenchkitchen

Posted on May 23, 2007June 27, 2008 by Myfrenchkitchen

Inspirations in color

I am in search of Inspiration. I find it in people. That does it for me. Creative people, people with strong character, the survivors, the gentle, caring ones, the courageous, daring ones…I have them all in my small circle of friends.
Voici two of them. Two wonderful inspirations. Very far away, so I had to rely on photo’s. I don’t mind that much.
I chose to do the following sketch, because I love the way this friend interacts. She is a beautiful woman, an extraordinary talented florist; you can give her a dry stick and she’ll turn it into a magical creation. And she can’t talk without her hands. I love that. When I dropped by her floral shop, she was busy with a romantic bouquet for Valentine’s day and we stood for about 30 minutes chatting, while she held this wonderful creation in the one hand and expressed herself with the other. She wears this delightful “apron” when she works, to protect her clothes. Being around her, is feeling the creative juices flow…it is inspiring.

This was supposed to be only watercolor on HP Arches paper. Then I had to “fix” it by adding pen! It seems I have to fix everything lately.

This friend is a lovely romantic, in heart and soul and in appearance. She carries a bit of yesteryear with her. With her angelic hair and fair skin and soft features, she posed many problems to paint. This is my fourth go at her and it still not what I’m after and this time pen wont’ fix it. I want nothing less than a soft, flowy watercolor painting. I’ll probably try again and again…Maybe its because I know that she isn’t ALL romantic – she can swim faster than anyone I know, she can climb a rock as fast as the young guys, she can paddle a kayak through some scary rapids and she’s not afraid of any marathon! She exudes a wonderful zest for life, nothing is too hard or too boring for her, she does everything that comes her way…it’s contagious. This is watercolor on Fabriano CP (extra white)

27 comments:

Stacy said…: Ronell, your friends sound lovely and look lovely too! I love how their personalities influenced you as much as their appearance did.; May 23, 2007 6:08 PM
Lin said…: STUNNINGLY GLORIOUS!!!; May 23, 2007 7:06 PM
Bonny said…: You have a wonderful talent, Ronell. Not only do you connect in a special way with people, but you portray them beautifully, too. Love the painting of your florist friend. She almost looks fey like a fairy princess. Gorgeous!; May 23, 2007 7:45 PM
Teri C said…: Beautiful paintings Ronell!! I love your commentary with all your art-they were made for each other.; May 23, 2007 8:17 PM
Dave said…: Well, you certainly fixed it well! Wonderful portraits, and what wonderful friends it sounds like you have.; May 23, 2007 8:39 PM
Anita said…: Oh Ronell I LOVE everything about this entry.; May 23, 2007 9:07 PM
Claudia said…: Ronell, w o n d e r f u l watercolours, especially the first one! It has something magic!; May 23, 2007 10:45 PM
Lindsay said…: What a sweet and beautiful post. A nice tribute to your friends too.; May 23, 2007 11:56 PM
martín said…: Beautiful portraits Ronell. The first one really talks. Your friend does it with her hands and you through your paintings.; May 24, 2007 12:31 AM
SCquiltaddict said…: fun wc…great stuff…gotta get my paint brushes back out! keep it up; May 24, 2007 2:04 AM
Jana Bouc said…: What a fabulous portrait–both in words and paint. I love the second one–it’s so loose and fresh and has a sweetness about it.; May 24, 2007 6:15 AM
Tonniece said…: Love this post Ronell
I’ts so great to have friends, good friends, and being able to capture their essence as you have here is a wonderful gift to them and all of us as well.; May 24, 2007 6:51 AM
Carole said…: I really love how you have composed and painted these to capture their character as well as their features. They are beautiful paintings and charming descriptions of your friends.; May 24, 2007 9:18 AM
suzanne said…: Wow Ronell….these are both breathtaking. Not only in the sense that they are technically outstanding, but also in the fact that you have captured the personalities of your inspirations so well. Not knowing them, I think I could have pretty much described their personalities in exactly the way you did, only by looking at your paintings.Your inspirations are inspirations to me.; May 24, 2007 4:39 PM
Arty Velarde said…: This is nice. I like the watery, “juiciness”!; May 24, 2007 6:47 PM
janey said…: These are very soft and pretty and I like the descriptions that go with them. It makes the paintings come alive even more.; May 25, 2007 1:33 AM
juj said…: Oh Ronell – These are lovely! I especially like the second one, so soft and loose – I love the expression on her face. And the deep red of the necklace is such a nice accent to the whole and balances her glasses perfectly. Your friends both sound wonderful. You must feel very fortunate to have them in your life.; May 25, 2007 3:45 PM
Nancy Van Blaricom said…: I simply love the stories that go along with your watercolors. The watercolors could stand alone with not comments, but you bring such life to them all….; May 26, 2007 3:37 PM
Robyn said…: Both friends are lovely – I love the mood as well in the first watercolour and the second is beautiful in the lightness of your touch.; May 26, 2007 7:07 PM
ksklein said…: I love the top pic. Very romantic. It reminds me of weddings, brides, valentines,…
I would have loved to nsee a little more of her face though.; May 27, 2007 8:58 PM
Emma Pod said…: These are both wonderful paintings of your friends. In the top one I can almost hear her talking…the hand gesture is so nice! Nice work!; May 29, 2007 5:35 AM
Regula Scheifele said…: Both your paintings and your descriptions are loving and beautiful – what a gift you have and how nice for your friends to have you paint them!; May 29, 2007 2:09 PM
Sandy said…: Ronell, these are beautiful and I loved reading how they inspire you..sandy; May 30, 2007 9:48 PM
platitudinal said…: Beautiful paintings of those you hold dear in your heart. 🙂; May 31, 2007 12:04 AM
Serena said…: Beautiful work, Ronell, and a very nice tribute to your friends. 🙂; May 31, 2007 12:30 PM
phthaloblu said…: These are both beautiful paintings, but I know how you feel when you’re trying for a certain result and you can’t get it. But, these are very beautiful. I think lots of us look to the people we know when we need inspiration. That’s how we re-energize. When we are feeling down, we gravitate toward someone who is immensely positive so we can feed off of that positiveness. Does that make sense? Anyway, it sounds like you have some wonderful friends to look to for your inspiration. Full of life and creativity.; June 1, 2007 5:27 PM
austin of sundrip said…: I’ve scrolled through your page here but I keep coming back to the girl with flowers, it catches my eye and won’t let it go. Awesome work, awesome.Austin of Sundrip

Posted on May 21, 2007July 6, 2008 by Myfrenchkitchen

A necklace and a statue

A painting of a piece of jewelry as suggested by MArta.

Done in watercolor on white Fabriano CP.
30.5 cm x 45.5 cm

20 comments:

Deborah said…: I love the contrast between these two subjects and your background is fabulous! Great work.; May 21, 2007 5:46 PM
Bonny said…: This statue is pretty cool! Great colours! I like his expression, too.
The necklace is really fabulous!; May 21, 2007 7:43 PM
Robyn said…: All of the above and that stone background is really so simple but so effective. Can you tell more about the necklace – it looks ceramic.; May 21, 2007 8:18 PM
🙂 Silvia said…: Ceramic? Oops… to me it appears to be a golden bracelet.
It’s a fantastic contrast however, as well in color as in material/surface (stone, metal, terracotta).
What color was the CP you painted on?; May 21, 2007 8:59 PM
Lin said…: SUPER JOB, Ronell!!! GREAT looking necklace too!; May 22, 2007 12:35 AM
Lindsay said…: I love the colors and the textures.; May 22, 2007 4:38 AM
mARTa said…: oh gosh, I better get going on my painting! I love the wild feel of yours! Hope to have mine done by the weekend!; May 22, 2007 5:19 AM
Brenda Y said…: Fantastic textural contrasts!!! How in the world did you capture the differences in the different materials? It’s really amazing – my guess is the necklace is a metal, the statue is clay and the background is stone. Am I close?; May 22, 2007 5:57 AM
clare said…: this is great ronell. your ‘odd’paintings are ver good, I like the way you do watercolours.; May 22, 2007 7:51 AM
Africantapestry said…: Thanks for noticing the contrasts..it is what I was after…the necklace is ceramics and brass, the statue is of clay and I set up the still life against some rocks in the back of of our caves.
Ronell; May 22, 2007 8:07 AM
Tonniece said…: Good morning Ronell
As always a great piece. What a cute statue, and lovely necklace.; May 22, 2007 12:56 PM
platitudinal said…: Clay, ceramic, brass, and stone. Ronell, you painted four different materials, each with its own characteristics and textures. This shows remarkable skill. Bravo! 🙂; May 22, 2007 1:40 PM
Teri C said…: What a fascinating layout for these articles. Your caves??? Love all the different textures and colors.; May 22, 2007 7:23 PM
Carole said…: He’s an interesting little chap. I like the colours and textures. Have you used some sort of resist e.g. wax on the left? But then that would be giving away your secrets!; May 22, 2007 10:41 PM
Africantapestry said…: I haven’t given enough comment on this post..sorry for that!My mind is a bit fractered lately…
Yes, Carole, I first layed one wash, let it dry and then rubbed a candle all over(should’ve done a better job, I went TOO random, so the texture on the stone doesn’t actually make sense) and then I added a darker wash.
ronell; May 22, 2007 10:50 PM
Ben said…: ah said the blind man..now i see…glad you elucidated!!! verrryyy interesting; May 23, 2007 2:39 AM
bec said…: what do you mean by caves? real caves, like big holes in rock? must be an interesting place you live! and thanks for filling me in on the wax resist…. very interesting!; May 23, 2007 3:46 AM
phthaloblu said…: Nice contrast between the two subjects. Great job!; May 29, 2007 4:22 PM
laserone said…: Oh I just LOVE this! It’s very funky and unique… I love funky and unique. 🙂; May 30, 2007 6:04 AM
Serena said…: I love the contrasts on this one, Ronell! Very nice indeed ~

Posted on May 18, 2007July 6, 2008 by Myfrenchkitchen

Bon voyage to Casey!

Bon voyage to Casey.! May she have fun in Hong Kong, may they be kept safe and may she come back with great sketches!

Lin said…: DITTO DITTO DITTO!! GREAT BOWL, TOO!; May 18, 2007 5:17 PM
Teri C said…: Wonderful tribute to Casey. What a good friend you are. Great bowl!!; May 18, 2007 7:16 PM
platitudinal said…: Love the bowl and the chopsticks to illustrate the trip to the Orient.; May 18, 2007 9:13 PM
bec said…: Oooh Hong Kong… I’ve never been there. It will be interesting to see Casey’s sketches. I like the colors and subject of your painting !; May 19, 2007 3:32 AM
caseytoussaint said…: Wow – thanks Ronell! I’m not sure I’ll be able to reach this standard, but I’ll do my best.; May 19, 2007 10:17 AM
Robyn said…: Such a pretty bowl! Reminds me how much I miss Chinese food. I lived in HK for a couple of years so really envy Casey.; May 19, 2007 2:26 PM
Claudia said…: The sketch looks so real!!Well done!; May 19, 2007 8:13 PM
mARTa said…: love chinese food! I have a bowl similar to your although I prefer to eat out! Love your wc sketch! I must try hot press paper!; May 20, 2007 4:17 AM
Brenda Y said…: What a clever idea to paint a chinese bowl and chopsticks!! I LOVE it!!! And oh yes, we will look forward to seeing what Casey brings back.; May 20, 2007 5:50 AM
Anna said…: Beautiful colors!; May 22, 2007 11:28 PM
Ben said…: what a sweet thing to do…and its lovely…; May 23, 2007 2:36 AM
Fanta said…: What a wonderful job. The perfect colur combination , perfectly balanced. It’s such a warm painting.
And yes, I also hope Casey will surprise us with lots of stuff. I bet she is sketching right now as I type. I really can’t wait!; May 23, 2007 9:44 PM
wagonized said…: Holy crap. I love how you handled the colors.; May 24, 2007 3:17 AM
laserone said…: omg i JUST love this. The colors are GORGEOUS. I have an almost identical bowl, but without the design on the bottom. Wow, this is really nice. 🙂; May 30, 2007 6:08 AM
Serena said…: Fabulous work, Ronell! I gave an oriental bowl and chopstick set to my daughter last year…same colours too. LOVE this!; May 31, 2007 12:28 PM
andrea joseph’s sketchblog said…: Absolutely STUNNING.

Posted on May 17, 2007July 6, 2008 by Myfrenchkitchen

Some odd sketches

Today is an odd day. The weather is odd. I feel odd. I had two odd migraine attacks in a week, normally I’ll have two in a year. In an odd way I don’t feel like doing any art. So I just chose some odd subjects. I did these all in my moleskine, which felt odd after a long time of not using it. And I used odd colors. Ultramarine blue, burnt sienna, raw umber and payne’s grey. For no specific reason, my eyes just fell on them. In order to do some of these subjects, I had to twist my body oddly to see them, since I refused to get out of my “comfort zone”…

Ten to twelve…it’s an odd clock, it can’t be trusted.

An old pitcher with an old, hand crocheted “doily” from my mom’s kitchen, frequently used to keep out the odd insect.

An old candy bowl, now used to hold old porcelain pieces I pick up everywhere. Many of them were dug up when we established our garden. It’s a habit I learnt from a good friend in SA many years ago and we both still do. I miss her on this odd day. There is always a piece of old porcelain lying around on the ground, telling a story of times long past.

Ostrich eggs, straight from the farm. Odd bird, the ostrich; quick and vicious despite its calm looks.

Just a lamp, nothing odd about it.

25 comments:

Dave said…: You set yourself an interesting challenge! I think my favourite is the lamp, though they’re all good.; May 17, 2007 6:25 PM
mARTa said…: ah Ronelle, oddly beautiful…all of them! I suffer from migraines as well…about 4 to 8 a month…I understand the odd.; May 17, 2007 6:53 PM
Robyn said…: Odd is nice – very Alice in Wonderland. I like this odd palette. Lovely sketches, the milk jug cover with the beads took me back to my grandmother. She had crochet with beads over everything, even dangling lamp shades. To me it was like Aladdin’s Cave.; May 17, 2007 6:57 PM
Lin said…: Ronell — I LOVE your limited palette use – it looks great!! And even feeling odd-your work is still divine!!!; May 17, 2007 7:50 PM
Tonniece said…: Migraine, and not in a mood to do any art………and still here are five great sketches. Although they are all super I like the eggs and the lamp.; May 17, 2007 7:55 PM
Teri C said…: You even manage to have great stuff when having an odd day! Maybe odd is good. Hope those migraines go somewhere else.; May 17, 2007 7:56 PM
Nancy Van Blaricom said…: Great work all of them, but I’m sold on “ten to twelve”. I love the composition and the colors… and the line… Great work.; May 17, 2007 8:40 PM
Jeanette said…: Wow! So beautiful…I will definitely come back! Soon!; May 17, 2007 9:21 PM
Sandy said…: Oh how I love your loose, light touch – Just Great , all of them!; May 17, 2007 9:56 PM
Stacy said…: I really like your “odd” sketches and how the palette ties them all together in a set. My favorite is the lamp, something in the way the paint flowed. Odd explaination, I know. Your description of how each item was odd was much better. 🙂; May 17, 2007 11:20 PM
shirley said…: These are lovely – so many wonderful reflections.; May 18, 2007 12:53 AM
Lindsay said…: Odd how I just happened to drop by! I, for one am really glad you shared your odd day. These are poinent (sp) and sweet.; May 18, 2007 6:14 AM
Brenda Y said…: They may be odd to you, but to me they are exquisite!! You have such a wonderfully loose and fluid style and the limited palette is fantastic (something I’ve been working on lately too!) I love the idea of collecting odd pieces of porcelain and putting them in a jar. I do hope you get over your odd feeling and your migraines.; May 18, 2007 7:21 AM
caseytoussaint said…: Ronell, these are wonderful – I really love the clock and candlesticks, and as Brenda says, the limited palette works beautifully. I hope you feel better, I’ve been worried about you….; May 18, 2007 10:21 AM
Rebel Alliance said…: nice drawings… congratulations!; May 18, 2007 3:26 PM
platitudinal said…: These sketches are lovely. They truly capture the beauty of every day. There’s peace and serenity in them. I hope those elements color your days, and less odd days frequent your doorstep.; May 18, 2007 9:12 PM
Carole said…: I do love the way you turn your everyday life into these quirky writings and beautiful moody sketches. I like that colour palette and the slightly out of focus look about the sketches.I hope you are feeling better.; May 19, 2007 11:00 PM
martha said…: These are fantastic! I can only aspire to such looseness and juicy color.; May 20, 2007 8:36 PM
ksklein said…: actually all the odd stuff turned out to be really good.; May 21, 2007 1:29 PM
Emma Pod said…: These are all beautiful odd things! You did an especially nice job on the glass objects. I hope you are feeling better!; May 21, 2007 7:49 PM
Africantapestry said…: thanks for commenting, I appreciate it!
ronell; May 22, 2007 8:08 AM
Laureline said…: Wonderful collection of oddments! It’s really fun to see your mind working, the way you string together your sketch vignettes!; May 22, 2007 9:23 PM
Fanta said…: The eggs are just wonderful. But so are the glass containers. How on Earth can you make them look so lively, shiny, airy and beautiful???? You have a real talent there.; May 23, 2007 9:48 PM
Jana Bouc said…: What a feast for the eyes! I like the candlesticks and eggs the best.; May 24, 2007 6:16 AM
austin said…: I’m drawn to burnt sienna and clocks so this painting is one I would love to posses. The colour combo is very calming so I use these as often as possible in my home. I find them soothing. Your “odd sketches” are moving.

Posted on May 12, 2007June 27, 2008 by Myfrenchkitchen

Barefoot and happy

A handful of years ago, we packed our two small girls and with a suitcase and a chair or two we headed for the unknown. In this case it happened to be Suffolk, England. We arrived in February, stayed in the Orwell hotel in Felixstowe for some weeks while in search for a haven to unpack our lives.
Two days ago Hartman called me from Felixstowe, where he was working for three days. While he was walking by the sea, eating fish and chips, visiting all the places we lived, buying Fox’s crunch creams, we remembered. We remembered how young our girls were. We remembered how cold it was, how wet, how grey, how exciting, how awful, how lonely. This led to many memories old and dear. It took me far back to our homeland, before we packed up, to days of golden sun, warm cuddling friendships, lazy beach days, back breaking work sessions, hat wearing sports events… all of which happened barefoot.
We learnt in England to wear shoes, after the girls have been frowned upon for running at school events barefoot, for running barefoot through the lobby of the hotel to quickly pick up Dad from work(truth be told, it was February…), I have learnt to keep shoes close by for when the doorbell rang and I learnt not to kick out my shoes when arriving at a friends house.
It has been a long time since I’ve had to remove some thorns from my feet. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt mud squishing up between my toes, or heated up my feet in a warm puddle of cow dung,….disgusting maybe, but those who grew up on a farm, will know what I’m talking about. They’re quite beautiful now, my feet, very soft and supple, lovely pedicured and all, which is something to be grateful for I suppose. But when the chance for being barefoot shows up at our door, we still happily kick off those shoes and dash across the lobby.

In the light of my melancholy, I did 3 quick sketches with some pen and watercolor on Fabriano HP paper….and even trampled some mud…

40 comments:

Ujwala said…: nice 😀 i wish i could draw my feet with as much ease. i do know about running around barefoot though 😀 pretty common growing up in India. Took to wearing slippers when i discovered that not doing so was one of the triggers for an allergy attack .; May 12, 2007 5:28 PM
Kunya said…: Gorgeous & sensual. Love to look at these.; May 12, 2007 7:34 PM
Renate said…: Not only are you beautiful with pen and brush, I’m also very touched by your words. A poet, for sure …; May 12, 2007 7:52 PM
Bill said…: Beautiful thoughts and paintings.; May 12, 2007 8:07 PM
Lin said…: Ronell — OH WHAT WONDERFUL FEET!!!! And memories and thoughts! I used to run around NY sidewalks and mud with barefeet .. grew many a callouses .. and sure do miss those days …!; May 12, 2007 8:35 PM
shirley said…: I LOVE your paintings and your use of shadows.; May 12, 2007 10:51 PM
Fanta said…: Wonderful tale, gorgeaus feet sketches (not to forget the gorgeous feet:)). My absolute fav. has to be the first one, I just love its vibrant colours and the dramatic treatment of the shadows.
I can’t wait to get back to China where I can have my weekly reflexology sessions for the fracture of the European price… I love to have my feet pampered. I can imagine cow dung can be very pleasant too, but never tried it. Well, not yet.; May 12, 2007 11:27 PM
Robyn said…: I don’t think I can remember running through cow dung – but I still wince at the memory of chicken poo. Vivid, entertaining writing, as ever, Ronell and sweet feet!; May 12, 2007 11:37 PM
Susan Hosken said…: To celebrate your blog entry I’m going to go paddling down at the beach and feel sand between my toes. What a treat.
Enjoy the journey
Lots of love from Susan in Australia; May 12, 2007 11:55 PM
Serena said…: I loved reading this post, Ronell. It brought back memories of our trip to England to visit with family back when I was fourteen. Granny was shocked that my siblings and I were barefoot a lot of the time. Once, when my sister and I walked down the street to the corner shop barefoot, people would actually stop and stare at us like we were freaks. LOL Being barefoot was so much the norm back then in Australia. Nowadays, we tend to go barefoot only in our homes, yards and, of course, at the beach. Sorry for digressing….LOVED your sketches….great feet!!; May 13, 2007 12:11 AM
Arty Velarde said…: Very, very cool.
paintings and story that is!; May 13, 2007 2:46 AM
Anita said…: Beautiful post and fabulous sketches Ronell.
Living in the Fens, in England, I can happily report that my children are rarely seen wearing shoes of any kind. My youngest walks upon the shingle, thistles, stinging nettles…barefoot. My eldest feeds the animals and dashes over to my parents opposite the yard…Barefoot.
Me…Well let’s just say my feet are anything but beautiful. Tough, mostly naked and always looking a little grubby which is fine until I need to wear evening shoes!
It’s good to feel the earth you walk upon, freeing!
I also have it on good authority that it is very good for you to walk upon the early morning dew barefooted, especially women. I often do this and, damp footed, I breath in the virgin fenland air at the start of a new day…It’s a very calming way to start the day and allows me time & peace to appreciate all I have.; May 13, 2007 3:11 AM
mARTa said…: lovely paintings and wonderful memories. I am fortunate enough to live in a climate where I run around barefoot ALWAYS at home. We do kick off our shoes when we come indoors or visit! And it’s sandle time so time for toe rings and ankle bracelets!; May 13, 2007 7:05 AM
Jana Bouc said…: These are wonderful Ronell. I grew up barefoot too, in San Diego, California. I never wore shoes (except to school or jobs) and my feet were so tough I could walk on the hot beach sand or the hot sidewalk with no problem. When I took my drivers license test the examiner tried to tell me I had to wear shoes but I told him there was no law that said so and he gave in. It wasn’t until I moved to New York City when I was 19 that I stopped going barefoot. My first walk down the street I stepped in glass, spit, etc. and that was the end of that. I still go barefoot at home and around the yard though. I actually liked the way it sounds to warm ones feet in a squishy cow pie. I bet it felt better than mud!; May 13, 2007 7:32 AM
Emma Pod said…: Wonderful feet and good colors too! I got “tagged” to tell 7 things about myself on my blog and then tag 7 others. I tagged you as one of my 7 (if you haven’t done it already) on my post tonight.take care! Mary; May 13, 2007 8:19 AM
Africantapestry said…: Thank you for the comments- I loved all your stories about your barefoot days…wonderful to hear that it is a freedom still loved by many. It is so true what Anita says…to feel the raw earth beneath your feet, is to feel something freeing your soul.
Thanks
Ronell; May 13, 2007 9:18 AM
Tonniece said…: What a wonderful story Ronell. I have never liked being barefoot in my entire life, till that is, I got to that magical age all we women must endure. I now find the floors so soothing and (cooling). As for the great outdoors and bare feet I’ve never done that, but you make it sound so relaxing and fun. As summer is fighting to stay here in Canada, I just might give it a try.
Love the sketches. (being barefoot dosn’t seem to have done them any harm).; May 13, 2007 9:35 AM
Lindsay said…: Ronell, I loved this sweet and sentimental post. The paintings and your nostalgia are a lovely combination. Japan might be a great home for your feet!!; May 13, 2007 3:30 PM
SCquiltaddict said…: great story about your feet…and going barefooted…too bad you were not in the south…you could have gone barefooted here!; May 13, 2007 3:51 PM
andrea joseph’s sketchblog said…: These are really great. All of them. I love your approach Roneel. It makes me quite envious!; May 13, 2007 6:06 PM
Nancy Van Blaricom said…: Wonderful post. (I love reading your story’s)Wonderful memories for you.Wonderful sketches.Happy Mother’s Day to you.; May 13, 2007 6:35 PM
Natalie Ford said…: That reminds me of this – done years ago!; May 13, 2007 6:48 PM
Sarah said…: This time I hope it gets posted … enjoyed your post and the paintings are lovely – particularly the middle one. Reading about being barefoot made my toes curl in delight – I love the feel of dew-wet grass.And strangely enough, I live in Ipswich – and am regularly in Felixstow as it’s my nearest coastal town and I miss living by the sea. Small world!; May 13, 2007 7:31 PM
Robyn said…: Ronell – Just wanted to let you know, since I so enjoy your blog, I’ve tagged you. Just follow the link to my post http://havedogswilltravel.blogspot.com/2007/05/tagged.html; May 13, 2007 7:45 PM
E-J said…: As a three-year-old, I was evidently known as “the little girl with green feet” because going barefoot was seen as such an oddity! My father was originally South African, though … perhaps that’s the connection …Suffolk!! It’s so close to where I am now.Love your sketches, and your words.; May 13, 2007 11:20 PM
Silvia said…: Wonderful story and paintings. I can only agree with all that has been said before.; May 14, 2007 12:25 AM
bec said…: ahhh ! barefoot. I’ve enjoyed going barefoot since I was a child too… now I find it so freeing especially when I play music-I’m a violinist- it always goes better when I’m barefoot! I always enjoy your free and happy sketches.; May 14, 2007 3:46 AM
wagonized said…: They are beautiful feet! Not just the way you painted them, but simply them, their shape!; May 14, 2007 4:01 AM
aPugsLife-laserone said…: Wow, what a fantastic post. I love hearing about people’s lives through their posts and their art. I am very… I am not sure of the word. I tend to think about the past a lot. I moved around A LOT growing up and so I think about towns and houses I used to live in growing up. I miss some of them. Some I do NOT miss but still think about or dream about in my sleep. 🙂; May 14, 2007 7:48 AM
caseytoussaint said…: What a great post, Ronell! I also went barefoot all the time when I was a kid, even in New Jersey – and sometimes I forget and answer the door here in France with bare feet. The looks I get are terrifying!; May 14, 2007 8:39 AM
Carole said…: I get such a sense of freedom from your description of enjoying your barefootedness! And the paintings seem to communicate that revelling in such simple freedom. Lovely post!
By the way, I’ve tagged you – but just realised reading through your comments that I’m not the first. Sorry!; May 14, 2007 12:12 PM
Alison said…: Beautiful – I used to stub my toes so often as a child as I went barefoot all summer.; May 14, 2007 2:02 PM
Jan said…: Great feet Ronell. And I’ve tagged you too! Seems someone else got here before me, but it’s too late to change. I’ve got you up on my blog. So come on over and check the details!; May 14, 2007 2:15 PM
ksklein said…: Hi there, You have been tagged. To check it out have a look at my blog!I like the first feet pic.; May 14, 2007 4:27 PM
Sandy said…: What fun, both story and sketches, Both show so much of who you are and it is simply GREAT. For someone melancholy you ROCK!; May 14, 2007 4:28 PM
Teri C said…: What fun!!! I especially love the one with mud between the toes, that’s about as free as you can get!!; May 14, 2007 5:09 PM
Biby Cletus said…: Cool blog, i just randomly surfed in, but it sure was worth my time, will be backDeep Regards from the other side of the MoonBiby Cletus; May 14, 2007 9:15 PM
Stacy said…: Ronell, it seems your foot post was a hit! I enjoyed it too! I always liked being barefoot as a child and found that I haven’t yet outgrown it. Shoes suffocate my feet. My kids are taking after me and take off their shoes as soon as they get home. In warm weather we often wear flip flops when we need to go out because they are the most minimal shoes allowed.; May 15, 2007 6:04 PM
platitudinal said…: Melancholia may be a fleeting moment, but it certainly knows how to make its presence known. Hope you are feeling better. Love the bare feet sketches. I have a bit of a hard time imagining the delight of squishing around the cow dung, but was tickled by the idea that some people do not mind 🙂; May 16, 2007 1:44 PM
phthaloblu said…: Oh my! I grew up barefoot. The bottoms of my feet were as hard as leather from going everywhere barefoot. My husband hated that (he’s from New Jersey) and wouldn’t let our kids go barefoot. I told him, sorry, you married a hillbilly! lol! Anyway, he hates it when I get back from girl weekend, especially if we’ve been in the mountains because the first thing I do is ditch the shoes. Thanks for bringing back some memories.; May 16, 2007 5:13 PM

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Posted on May 6, 2007July 6, 2008 by Myfrenchkitchen

I give you… Christeen

A fun exchange in emails between Christeen and me a while ago, turned into work in the end! Not that this wasn’t fun. Too much, I would say…I actually attempted three paintings! But it sure was difficult…I was very worried about not doing justice to her beauty and wonderful character. She assured me though it is about the process, and not the end result(for this time, I’ll believe it, although I would normally believe that the result does carry quite a bit of weight too!)
She also sent me a picture of her and her brother at four years, which I’ll attempt a bit later. By her own words, she now once again has the playfulness, enthusiasm and humor she had when she was four and that was what I tried to capture. I can see it so obviously in her face, but capturing it, is another thing. She has these amazingly long eyelashes behind which she carries the sparkles of mischief, a mouth full and round with humor, and hair, wild like a free roaming lioness. See Christeen’s excellent take on this!!…. as well as the original image here
So, here I give you Christeen…..in graphite on paper; then watercolor on Arches and last, oil on linen.

shirley said…: All absolutely wonderful! What a huge project….; May 6, 2007 4:21 PM
Christeen said…: Ronell, you are one amazingly talented woman!! Holy smokes! These are awesome!; May 6, 2007 4:22 PM
Dave said…: Ooh, these are all good. I think the graphite one is my favourite. No, perhaps it’s the oil. Although now I come to look at the watercolour again…; May 6, 2007 4:29 PM
caseytoussaint said…: Wow, Ronell, these are great! My favorite is the oil – it ‘s so full of life.; May 6, 2007 5:09 PM
Lin said…: RONELL! STUNNING! GORGEOUS! PHENOMENAL WORK! MERCY … THIS IS TRULY OUTSTANDING!; May 6, 2007 5:35 PM
Claudia said…: I like the watercolour one the most! Wonderful work, all three are superb!; May 6, 2007 5:44 PM
Nina Johansson said…: hese are just lovely! Incredibly good, you captured Christeen perfectly!; May 6, 2007 7:01 PM
martín said…: Ronell, I absolutely agree with Christeen, you´re amanzingly talented!!! I can’t say I have a favourite, I can’t decide since I like the three of them very much. Each one has its own character. GREAT JOB!!!; May 6, 2007 7:45 PM
Sarah said…: Amazing paintings – isn’t it interesting how the different media seem to emphasise different aspects – they’re all alive and vital, but the watercolour shows a more reflective person, the oil brings that hint of mischief out more and in the charcoal drawing she looks more curious, almost about to challenge someone (I should say – that’s how they look to me anyway); May 6, 2007 8:45 PM
SCquiltaddict said…: Ronell THese are just super…they got better and better as i scrolled down the page…cant decide WHICH is my favorite…they are all MAGNIFICIENT!!; May 6, 2007 9:19 PM
Cathy (Kate) Johnson said…: Oh, Ronell, your charcoal is GORGEOUS, and so is Christeen!; May 6, 2007 9:21 PM
Cathy (Kate) Johnson said…: Ooops, graphite! You did such a rich, deep job with it I just assumed it was charcoal!Read ALL the words, Kate…*G*; May 6, 2007 9:23 PM
Silvia said…: All of the portraits are wonderful :), but I think I like the second one even best :))!; May 6, 2007 9:58 PM
Kristin Saegaert said…: Wow! I think I like the graphite the best, but with your amazing talent it’s really hard to commit to that!!! Thanks for sharing your art with us!; May 7, 2007 12:42 AM
Shelly McC said…: Stunning painting!; May 7, 2007 1:49 AM
Kay Cox said…: Ronell, these are just beautiful. I aspire to be able to paint like you someday. Thank you so much for sharing your lovely work. Lucky Christeen!; May 7, 2007 2:23 AM
bec said…: What a fun project! My favorite is the watercolor… nice play of light on the subject. Did Christeen draw you?; May 7, 2007 2:35 AM
Robin Neudorfer said…: I love the graphite drawing. So spontaneous. What a fun project; May 7, 2007 2:49 AM
Nancy said…: I love the graphite drawing and keep gong back to it (your model is beautiful by the way). I love to look at your site – I leave feeling inspired.; May 7, 2007 4:12 AM
Serena said…: These are awesome! I think my favourite is the graphite. 🙂; May 7, 2007 9:08 AM
Africantapestry said…: Thank you for all the comments -Sarah…thank you for being so observant..you’re spot on! I’m so glad you did see a littel of what I tried to do…see down below.Nancy: Yes I had a beautiful model to work with!Bec: and Christeen does have a snapshot of me, so when she has time, she’ll do one too.note: This was a very intimidating experience for me….doing a painting of someone you don’t know or haven’t met face to face, and in a weird sense is actually a friend(like you all would agree, I’m sure) and all you have to work with is a photograph – you haven’t seen some personal mannerisms, like how her mouth moves when she smiles, how she crinkles her nose, how she plays with a string of hair, how the light in her eye changes…anything that can give you an idea of something more than physical…. Normally I would’ve preferred to have Christeen’s face say something more than just displaying rendition, tell more of a story, but I didn’t feel confident enough to do that. Who knows, maybe our paths might cross and then I’ll redo these.
Ronell; May 7, 2007 9:15 AM
Regula Scheifele said…: So I’m going to chime in and say how much I admire your work and your courage as well… I couldn’t say which one I like the most, since they all have a different feeling to them, like showing different aspects of Christeen’s personality? – Would be interesting to know which one she thinks portrays her best?; May 7, 2007 9:29 AM
Ujwala said…: all three are wonderful but the oil is my favourite 😛 sounds like a fun project and i hope we can see christeen’s work too.; May 7, 2007 12:14 PM
Tonniece said…: OOOH, I LOVE THEM ALL RONELL, BUT I TRULY THINK THE GRAPHITE IS MY FAVE. I; May 7, 2007 12:35 PM
Sandy said…: WOW – big WOW you are a master (bowing down before you); May 7, 2007 3:52 PM
Robyn said…: I love the graphite one, Ronell. it looks so spontaneous and very much from life. That, I find, is terribly difficult to achieve from a photo which usually lends itself to a more formal portrait. You are very clever – I’m so in awe of the oil too!; May 7, 2007 6:30 PM
Fanta said…: I like the first one best, maybe because I love graphite, maybe because you truly did capture the child in her expression.
The last one truly looks like a lioness, even the twirls in the background resemble the presence of a lioness! Awesome!; May 7, 2007 9:49 PM
platitudinal said…: Truly amazing work. You’re not only attempting a likeness of her, but also her essence. That’s very difficult to capture, and yet you did. I think each medium emphasize more of certain characteristic, but all and all they’re all there. Superb job, Ronell.; May 7, 2007 10:02 PM
Carole said…: Well done – these are stunning! It’s so interesting seeing them done in three different media, and noticing how each gives a different feel. My favourite has to be the oil painting because I am such a huge fan of your luscious way with oils. Oh, to be able to paint like that!; May 7, 2007 11:16 PM
Anonymous said…: Hello I cant tell you how much your work has inspired me to practice daily and hope that someday I also will be able to turn out wonderful works of art. You are a wonderful artist and I thank-you for letting us see your work hear.
Linda; May 8, 2007 12:49 AM
mARTa said…: wow! how different they all are yet how smashing! Your blog is always a joy to the viewer!; May 8, 2007 2:13 AM
Renate said…: Wonderful. They all have there own charm. I love the eyes from the graphite one, but my favorite is the one in oil.; May 8, 2007 8:50 AM
wagonized said…: It is hard to tell which one strikes me the most — as each of them stresses something different about Christeen. Love her hair in the graphite one.
Thank you, Ronell, for your comments on my funk of the past few days. Your words, which i found on Suzanne’s blog, have stuck in my head ever since i read them. Yesterday, i just showed up at the page… 🙂; May 8, 2007 4:03 PM
Christeen said…: I keep coming back to marvel at these. I’ve never seen a drawing or painting of myself before, and I enjoy them SO much!Your graphite drawing really captures how my hair feels to me- men have lost watches in it! It can be incridibly difficult to coerce into submission!I love the loose, fresh approach in the watercolor. You’ve made the light SO beautiful- I feel like I’m outside, just looking at it. I am also impressed with how you kept the line of my nosering thin and delicate in the midst of those wonderful washes of color. You’ve got my squint wonderfully.And the oil- wow. The brushstrokes are really lively. Thje background supports your lionine take on my hair, and suggests wind tossing it around (and it was VERY windy the day I took that shot). The colors are luscious. The colors you’ve used for my skin are particularly impressive to me.So, all that said, thank you SO much for applying your creative talents to this swap of photos! You’ve inspired and impressed me, and I’m so glad we gave it a try.; May 8, 2007 7:56 PM
andrea joseph’s sketchblog said…: Great work Ronell – not just this post throughout your blog. These are great, I think I like the pencil one the best.; May 9, 2007 1:10 AM
aPugsLife-laserone said…: These are really fantastic! You’re so talented. 😀; May 9, 2007 6:37 AM
E-J said…: You’ve been so busy! You and Christeen have really taken this challenge by the horns. I think the oil is especially good.; ay 9, 2007 1:52 PM
Linda said…: These are all great! Christeen’s painting of you is wonderful, too — you two are cooking up some fun stuff! 🙂; May 11, 2007 4:18 AM
Anonymous said…: Come across to your blog and loved it. I will return.http://tcores.blogspot.com; May 11, 2007 2:40 PM
janey said…: These are great, I love the color and texture in the last one.; May 11, 2007 6:15 PM
Africantapestry said…: Thank you for all the generous comments!
Ronell; May 12, 2007 8:26 AM
phthaloblu said…: What a grand project! I love the graphite the best, but that’s just me. All of them are simply superb.

Africantapestry

Author: Myfrenchkitchen

I live in beautiful Provence. With my art, my cooking, my garden and my husband by my side, life is just good. On Myfrenchkitchen I try to convey the good side of life here in Provence.

Inspirations in color

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I give you… Christeen

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