Every day in May – (1)a favorite food and (2)a tree.

“A favorite food,” says the list of the art group EDM for this month of May.. Only one favorite food? That is a huge punishment! I can draw a favorite food for a whole month and even beyond. How then to choose between all my wonderful favorite fruits, the colourful vegetables, the meat…(yes, you Greenies, I love my meat!) And then there are fish and shellfish and how about a slice of cake? Or a cookie. And dessert. I never skip dessert. I won’t even mention chocolate and that first cup of coffee in the morning. Only one favorite food?

However, I can sometimes play by the rules and this time seems appropriate enough to do so. So one favorite food it is. I confess my weakness for macarons. Those beautiful, sensual, romantic and utterly delicious delicacies our patisserie in Beaulieu so shamelessly flaunts in the display window.  By just looking in my eyes, they know I am there for a box of macarons. Yellows and purples and pinks and reds which vary between red fruits and blueberry and strawberry and lemon and vanilla, chocolate, coffee, caramel and my big favorite, that green one, the pistache. I love them all. I leave the patisserie on an euphoric cloud and with my precious macarons gently tucked next to each other in a quaint box and artfully tied with a pink ribbon.  All that is left now, is to nail this sketch, so I can retire with my box of macarons to my favorite chair in my favorite corner…..sigh. I rest my case.

..macarons..

watercolor and dip pen with Sennelier indigo ink in S&B alpha sketchbook, 22.9×15.2cm

macarons0003

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I can totally understand why there are nutcases walking around hugging each tree they come across. sometimes I am one of them. Cause a tree is not just a tree. It is a friend, it stirs our emotion, it  is a refuge, that safe place under/or in its branches where we hide from all that scorches us..the sun, the world. The olive tree is all of that for me. I do hug my olive trees and talk to them, touch them, stroke them, care for them, love them. They make me think of sunshine and heat. They makes me hear the cigales. They bring me the scent of lavender and wild herbs in the fields and I see colourful vegetables drizzled with the golden oil from its olives, glistening with crystals of fleur de sel. That is my olive tree.

..olive tree..

watercolor and Prera pilot fountain pen in S&B epsilon sketchbook, 14×21.6 cm

olivier0001

à demain

Ronelle

A sketch in centre ville in Beaulieu.

The weather is so fantastic lately…if only I could be that fantastic…

..Centre ville à Beaulieu…place Marbot..

Pilot Prera pen and aquarelle in Daler rowney artis’s sketchbook,14.9X21 cm

centre villel BeaulieuUntil next time

Ronelle

Sketching a pansy and boxwood in the garden.

While waiting for a delivery…and everybody knows how that can turn into a long wait…I sat beside the pansies. I couldn’t help myself. The urge for capturing in a sketchbook was too strong for me. I finished the pansies. I checked my watch…still waiting. I moved on to a boxwood with a little statue.  Then the delivery showed up.

..Pansies..

watercolor and pilot prera fountain pen in Epsilon Stillman & Birn sketchbook, 14X21.6 cm

Pansy..boxwood and statue..

watercolor and pilot prera fountain pen in Alpha Stillman & Birn sketchbook, 22.9X15.2 cm

boxwood0001

..some blue pansies.. painting pansiesà la prochaine fois

Ronelle

Sketching at the Dordogne.

Today was a burst of sunshine and blue skies. I decided on a much needed break and took off with my sketch tools to la Dordogne in Beaulieu sur Dordogne. It was beautiful by die river, under the trees, with only a jogger here and there. Sat on the edge, I sketched the opposite side with its quint homes on the river. Hunger drove me to Café Douceur for lunch, before I could get in another sketch. The empty table next to me became a second sketch.

..la Dordogne..

watercolor and TWSBI-mini pen in Daler & Rowney sketchbook, 14,9X21,0 cm

la dordogneI tried a new pen today after reading about on a blog and I am highly disappointed. The TWSB-mini struggles to write over dried aquarelle and it scratches. When it does draw, it is thick and unforgiving, even though it is a fine point. Back to my preferred pilot prera.

..table and chair at Café Douceur..

watercolor wash and TWSBI-mini pen in Daler & Rowney sketchbook, 14,9X21,0 cm

table et chaise

à l bientôt

Ronelle

Sketching a streetscene in Beaulieu sur dordogne.

I sat on the terrace of Café Douceur this afternoon and while sipping my coffee, I sketched the street. My pen ran dry on my halfway through the sketch, which resulted in some thin, scratchy lines. I hope the colourful splashes watercolor make up for it..

..street in Beulieu sur dordogne – close up 1..

Pen and watercolor in Stillman & Birn, alpha series sketchbook, 22.9X15.2 cm

street beaulieu &

..street in Beulieu sur dordogne – close up 2..

street beaulieu 2

..street in Beaulieu sur dordogne..

Streetscene from Cafe douceur

And lastly some people sketching..done on Fabriano artistico watercolor block, 27X18cm

two men

à la prochaine.

Ronelle

Sketching in the garden

This morning it rained. then the rain made way for the sun. We decided some grilled fish would be great for lunch. While mon chéri grilled our daurade over the coals, I lazily, splashed watercolor  and squiggled pen lines in two Stilman &Birn sketchbooks. White tulips in an urn and white daffodils among boxwoods…simple scenes turned into messy washes…how I love it..!

..Sketching in the garden 1..

pen and watercolor washes in Stillman & Birn sketchbook, alpha, 22.9×15.2cm

ronelle van Wyk - watercolors - sketching in the garden

.Sketching in the garden 2..

pen and watercolor washes in Stillman & Birn sketchbook, Epsilon, 14×21.6cm

ronelle van Wyk - watercolors - sketching in the garden-001à la prochaine!

Ronelle