Art in February: Tokala the cat.
Hard to believe that February is here. That actually suits me fne. The worst month, January, is over. Now I can start thinking of spring and the garden and planting…
But first I have to get my dried up art process going. February is a perfect month to do just that. I have done several sketches and these two turned out the best. It is Tokala, one of my two beautiful cats, who always remind me of the heather in Scotland.
Tokala
watercolour pencils and mini TWSBI pen in moleskine, 21X13cm
à bientôt
Ronell
EDM – art 26 & 27: A sign & something furry.
Two things I always have to do when I go up to Paris. I have to say hi to the Eiffel tower and I have to go visit the jardin de Luxembourg. It has become my two love affairs over the years. So what could be more appropriate than showing off the signs everywhere to be found in le jardin de Luxembourg.
..signs in le jardin de Luxembourg..
Pentel brush pen and watercolour in S&B sqketchbook, 14X21.6 cm
Cats have more than six senses, I am sure. As soon as I start sketching them, they become uncomfortable and move away. Just sometimes I can catch enough on paper to present a recognizable sketch.
..a sleeping Tokala..
coloured pilot pens in S&B sketchbook, 22.9×15.2 cm
EDM art 8: Handles.
I first considered sketching my seductive love handles in a mirror and I even started, but in fear of having my grotesque image become viral on internet, I thought the better of it. So I stuck to an ordinary door handle. On the stable door. Our 2 year old filly loves this handle and discovered that it is a great scratching tool for her nozzle and head and everything which can reach so far. She also discovered that she can open it. She fits her nose right under the latch and with a quick swift she lifts and pushes at the same time, making the door swing backwards. And then of course she just casually steps out as if this is normal everyday routine and hits the road. Fortunately the door has swollen now from all the rain and gets stuck at the bottom. She couldn’t yet figure that one out. To her utter dismay, I might add.
..Dumêla and the stable door handle..
watercolour and nib pen and J. Herbin inks in Stillman and Birn Alpha sketchbook, 22.9×15.2 cm
à demain avec “something with an interesting label”.
Ronelle
Koi fish in watercolor
I have been doing quite a few koi watercolors. Some different styles and techniques and sizes.
Some are more loose than others, which is my usual style of painting. I also tried some watercolour techniques, like using masking fluid, different brush sizes but finally decided it is not my way of painting….I prefer only the brush, water and color. I also tried a more true “watercolour painting” style and not my usual washes or loose line work. Once again, I came to the conclusion that it’s just not me. It just goes to show…one can’t really lie in making art. You can perhaps get away with it for a while, but in the long run, the true you needs to surface. It is quite freeing to have finally come to this conclusion: I don’t want to do true watercolor paintings. I just love line and wash.
..koi 1..
watercolor and dip pen and indigo blue HErbin ink, 24X32cm
..Koi 2..
in watercolor and lamy safari pen, 24X32cm
..koi 3..
watercolor and dip pen and indigo blue HErbin ink, 24X32cm
..Koi 4..
watercolor and lamy safari pen in Stillman and Birn sketchbook, 14X21.6cm
..Koi 5..
watercolor and lamy safari pen in Stillman and Birn sketchbook, 14X21.6cm
..Koi 6..
watercolor and dip pen and HErbin ink(Café et Gris nuage), 24X32cm
..Koi 7..
watercolor and lamy safari pen, 24X32cm
..Koi 8..
watercolor and lamy safari pen in Daler Rowney sketchbook, 21X29.7cm
à bientôt,
Ronelle
Sketching Tokala, the cat.
It’s been a while since I’ve done sketches of my cats. high time to do it again.
Tokala was chosen as the model, because she has a lot of finicky tricks when grooming herself. A good thing she isn’t a human, she would be unbearable! I caught some quick movements which are actually more gestures than anything else and one or two poses that she was willing to keep for longer. Good exercise to focus and concentrate. the colour was added later after all the sketches were done.
..Tokala the cat..
All sketches in watercolor and Prera pilot pen in Stillman & Birn sketchbook, alpha series.
à bientôt
Ronelle
September 26: Three chickens.
It is very very hot and humid. Everybody is moving around like limp fish. The horses are in permanent rest under the apple tree, the cats don’t lift an eyebrow when I walk past the them and even the chickens lay motionless in the shade of the hibiscus bush. I was busy, or trying to be. I took down washing, hung the next basket full, every time walking past the chickens. When they didn’t move when by the third pass, I thought they might just keep that pose for another 30 minutes. Et voilà, indeed they did, or almost. This was fun.
..Three chickens..
oil on board, 30x30cm
.à demain..
Ronelle
Birds and chickens sketches.
With this very first post of 2013, I wish you all a very good new year..may it be all you wish it to be!
I have gotten myself back to the easel and sketchbook..a great achievement here in January. For myself, I hope that 2013 will be a better year than the previous, especially on the art front. But of course, that only depends on one person..me.
Of all the sketches I did today, the following ones are the most successful. The three chickens kept still long enough with their backsides to me, so I could practice my observation skills which got lost during the past year.
..three chickens in a row..
done in watercolor on Aquarelle block, HP, 18x26cm
It is a different story with the birds. The mésanges(tits) are way too quick for me and I could only succeed in blobs of colour which looked more like flying saucers and even that would be an insult to the Martians. So I took closeups and put my own sketch together. According to my own rule, it is then not by definition a sketch, but more of a drawing, using sketching techniques. That is a mouthful! By my definition a sketch is only a sketch when done right in front of the live subject, “sur le motif”, we call it in French. when using the help of otter media..magazines, photos, it becomes drawing. The observation and rendering become totally different. By saying I used “some sketching technique”, I suggest that I used about 4 different photos, composed 2 birds on my paper, referred to the photo’s for colour and lastly added some branches and seeds from direct observation from the tree. So, finally, the whole sketch is my own composition with my branches and seed block being a true sketch with birds drawn onto it…
..Feeding two mésanges..
done in watercolor in Hahnemuhle watercolour sketchbook, 15.3x25cm.
