Object sketches – Africantapestry

Posted on May 18, 2015May 18, 2015 by Myfrenchkitchen · 7 Comments

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

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

sharp angled tip: opinionated, high spirited, hates schedules, outgoing, selective of friends, likes attention, argumentative…
flat top: high morals, dependable, to the point, quick-minded, loves a challenge, careful about appearances…
sharp angles on both sides: spiritual, seeks attention, curious, mysterious, loves life, big ego..
flat top, concave : great detective, make friends easily, inquisitive, adventurous…
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

à demain

Ronelle

Posted on September 21, 2013September 21, 2013 by Myfrenchkitchen · 4 Comments

September 20 & 21: Garden urns.

I believe in drawing as a basis for all mediums of art. Whether doing aquarelle or oil painting, statues of abstraction..it all comes down to understanding an object/subject and nothing else than good old drawing can get one to that point. Not forgetting doing it on large format. Just my personal opinion. I don’t draw enough. There was a time when I was much better at drawing than I am now. Doing life model drawing saw to that. I have to get back to live drawing sessions with a model. Perfect for drawing skills.

..Garden urn..

rotring Tikky graphic pen on drawing paper, 21×29.7cm

I actually enjoy doing urns, bowls, jugs…they are a good mixture of simple shapes put together in a complex way…ellipses, round shapes, triangles, rectangles, value shapes, light shapes, depth.. good practice for seeing shapes rather than lines, even though I do like line work.

Charcoal on drawing paper, 29.7×42 cm

Aargh…so many booboos in these 2 drawings, but it is OK. At least I didn’t ‘feather’ my drawings into correctness, like I see so often and I find it terrible. Rather a sure, continuously wrong line than a hesitantly feathered correct “line”. Once again, only my personal opinion.

à demain

Ronelle

Posted on November 17, 2011November 17, 2011 by Myfrenchkitchen · 3 Comments

Still life with quince.

I have moved on from autumn colours to still lifes, done in the atelier. Working in thin washes, laying wet washes over dry ones. not my usual way of working, but I am quite chuffed and will do a series of these watercolors.

I need to bring in a bit darker values and I want to have more informal compositions. I think my inspiration comes here from Cézanne, whose watercolours I love. There is currently an exhibit of Cézanne in the Musee de Luxembourg in Paris until 26 February 2012, for those who want to jump in their private jets for a visit…and a lunch afterwards, maybe at the Mini palais restaurant?

…Still life with quince…

watercolor and pencil on Fabriano artistico CP, 30,5×45,5cm

I’m posting a close up to show the layering of thin washes.

…close up…

Until the next post where I’ll be back with another still life…hopefully a better one with darker values, more expressive compositions…and one where my patience has reigned!

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Myfrenchkitchen · 13 Comments

A handpainted aquarelle sketch and provencal pots.

When you forget a paintbrush at home, you use what you have available. In this case, it was my hands. And for this occasion it worked fine, although it will definitely not become my preferred way of working. I will in tie or glue my brush to my bag so I’ll never forget it again.

…interior of “la panettiére” in Toulouse…

pen and watercolorin watercolor sketchbook, 18x24cm..

The next sketch was done in the barn one evening.. and I only noticed the slant during the daytime the next day..the light in the barn at night is just not good enough for any art making, but I quite like the quirky feel to these pots. They are two of my very old terracotta pots from Provence and I adore them! I’ve started doing an oil panting with these pots..a canvas that has already been standing a few weeks on the easel…and now I’m subjecting my name to scandal by admitting it here..

…two provencal pots…

..pen and watercolour on Arches watercolor paper, CP, 18x26cm..

Posted on June 4, 2011June 4, 2011 by Myfrenchkitchen · 7 Comments

A May postcard.

My postcard to Liz in Australia was a challenge and one I really enjoyed. Liz is an avid tea drinker and she is on a quest to try out all the different flavors on the market. I’m not a tea drinker, but I can handle my coffee quite well. So the logical choice for a post card to Liz was of course…an early morning french coffee and a croissant!

…a French coffee and croissant…

Pen and watercolor on watercolor paper.

…and a hint on the envelope…

Pen and gouache on brown envelope

Posted on January 3, 2009January 3, 2009 by Myfrenchkitchen · 22 Comments

Clowns

I sat around a coffee inTours the other day, then still the Old Year, waiting for our youngest who got her hair trimmed. All around me in the brasserie hung these clowns along with clown paintings. They made me giggle. A clown does that. And they make me sad. But these clowns can’t make me sad. Because they aren’t real. And because it was the last day of the Old Year. I didn’t want to end the year sad and I want this year to be filled with much more laughter. I didn’t laugh enough in the previous one. And so the clowns worked their way into my moleskine.

May we all have a year overflowing with good, old fashioned, unashamedly wild laughter and may we laugh the hardest at ourselves.

…haaa ha ha ha ha ha!…