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Two more garden corner sketches in watercolour.

I sat myself in the same  spot outside on the terrace as yesterday and did 2 more sketches . I have now almost made a complete 360 degrees turn and sketched what I saw in front of me. This time I faced the house and sketched one of the two comfy chairs under the kitchen window on the terrace. The chandelier hanging under the grapevine was next with the crystals catching the sunlight and flashing in all the colours..I can’t do it justice, but I remember it.

comfy chair on the terrace

watercolor and nib pen with blck ink in Daler rowney sketchbook, 21X29.7cm

chair on the terrasseChandelier hanging under grapevine

watercolor and nib pen with blck ink in Daler rowney sketchbook, 21X29.7cm

cchandelieron terrasse0001

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EDM – art 23, 24, 25: Detail of a building, keys, cover for something messy.

Our porcherie(little pighouse) at Coin Perdu. A fairly dilapidated outbuilding here on the farm where the pigs were kept. It will be turned into something, don’t know yet what.

..porcherie..

watercolour and dip pen in S&B sketcbook,

porcherie0001

We have a magnitude of keys, some from the brocantes, some found in the attic, some dug up, some lost ones, some unknown ones and some…well, just some.

..keys..

watercolour and Pentel brush pen in S&B sketcbook,

keys

My shoes are covered in oil paints. I wear them when I go plein air painting and when I go to town. I wear them whenever, because they are comfy and being so colourful, they go with everything.

..painting shoes..

watercolour and Pentel brush pen in S&B sketcbook,

painting shoes

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EDM-art 16 & 18: Measuring tools and lipsticks.

We have more measuring tools in our home than we have food.  Fascinating stuff..all these rulers, square edges, the laser beams, the ultrasonic beams, I even have tiny pocket tapes for a handbag. An unending array of measuring tools, never to be found when needed

..measuring tools..

dip pen and Sennelier ink in S&B sketchbook, 14X21.6 cm

measureing.

Lipstick. What does your lipstick, or lip balm say about you. Our good friend, Google, says the following:

  1. sharp angled tip:  opinionated, high spirited, hates schedules, outgoing, selective of friends, likes attention, argumentative…
  2. flat top: high morals, dependable, to the point, quick-minded, loves a challenge, careful about appearances…
  3. sharp angles on both sides:  spiritual, seeks attention, curious, mysterious, loves life, big ego..
  4. flat top, concave : great detective, make friends easily, inquisitive, adventurous…
  5. round, smooth tip: easy going, peacemaker, even-tempered,  steady, likeable, generous..

..5 lipsticks for 5 personalities..

dip pen and Sennelier ink in S&B sketchbook, 14X21.6 cm

5 lipsticks

à demain

Ronelle

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EDM-art 9: An interesting label.

I find labels fascinating. So much so that you will often find me in the alcohol section of the supermarket. That is where the most interesting labels are to be found. I don’t even drink alcohol, except for my glass of red wine in winter or rosé wine in summer and champagne when I feel chic. I can spend a whole morning in  the alcohol aisle scanning top to bottom, browsing the beautiful bottles and the labels, like you would books in a bookstore and yes, I do sometimes succumb to buying a bottle of “I don’t know what‘ just because of the label. Especially the beer bottles. The labels are fantastic! When I am asked to buy beer, I always choose the bottles with the prettiest label, irrespective of instructions as to which brand I should buy. After all, isn’t it good to test new grounds?Then it turns out at home to be the most awful beer.  As if I care, I don’t drink it! Now I am not asked to buy beer any more.

..2014 Mille et une pierre rosé wine from our area..

watercolour and J. Herbin inks in Daler rowney sketchbook, 21X29.7 cm

label on rose winesee you tomorrow with the theme…something you can turn on/off..

Ronelle

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EDM art 6: Bristles

Some time during my school years I read a book on Frans Laarmans, an office clerk who decided to quit his job and start his own company. Full of optimism he started planning; his office equipment, all the tools he needed such as printing paper, letter heads, pens, everything he thought a successful busniness should have in his office. He was so frantically busy setting up all that office, that he never got around to what is really important, his business. This book made such an impression on me. So when I walk into an art store, picking up another watercolour brush or oil brush, or pen, I stop and ask myself…do I need it? Will it really turn me into the legendary artist of the 21st century?  Well, you all know THAT answer, because we are all at some time or another a Frans Laarmans, acquiring  one art tool after the other.In the end it comes down not to the amount of bristles you have, but to doing what needs to be done. But maybe…just maybe that Kolinksy brush in the art store will make my art soar…

..bristles on an art table..

watercolour and dip pen with ink in Daler rowney skatchbook, 21X29.7 cm

bristles-brushesà demain

Ronelle

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EDM-art 4: Spice bottles.

I struggled with this theme today. Not because I don’t like spices, au contraire, it is a delicious theme and I love it. But the ideas didn’t show up today.I couldn’t fix my pen on a cool composition and the brush didn’t work for me either. My wrist  was stiff and unforgiving in sketching these bottles. Instead of having a free hand and sketching with some wonk, which is my usual style, my sketches become overworked and controlled. Not me. Not me at all. In this process of struggle today, I paged back through the last few sketches and artwork I did…and there I saw it; Stiffness and control. Slowly but surely during the last few sketches I moved towards controlling the pen and colour, while they should actually have more of a will of their own. That is how I raised my daughters and that is how I like my art.

Sketch 1: a himalayan salt and black pepper mill, totally overworked and in good ole French…“n’importe quoi!”

watercolour and pen in Daler Rowney sketchbook,21X29.7 cm

epices 2

Sketch 2:  without interest, overworked, not funk or peps, actually a bit boring.

watercolour and pilot prera pen in Stillman & birn sketchbook, 22.9X15.2 cm

epices 3

Sketch 3: this ws my last sketch and almost there, but not quite yet. I think I got tired at this stage, but there is a bit more interest in the dynamics, a bit more wonk and interpretation.But still sloppy. (a loose, free style doesn’t mean sloppy.)

epices 4Sketch 4: This was the second last one and I was a bit angry here, trying and trying and not getting what I want (almost went into tantrum mode…). This sketch is downright sloppy.

watercolour and pilot prera pen in Stillman & Birn sketchbook,14X21.6 cm

epices 1See you tomorrow with sketch(es) on the theme…something hot!

Ronelle