objects – Page 12 – Africantapestry

Posted on March 22, 2007July 6, 2008 by Myfrenchkitchen

A doorknob is a thing of art

I love the doorknobs in my home. There are many. All the rooms have french doors that open onto a balcony. I counted all the doors – 12 of them. So I decided to draw them. I also enjoy hanging stuff on to the doors, as you’ll see and that changes with every whim.
In the guestroom, always a flower glass with something from the garden, in this case a daffodil.

In the bathroom, an old star made from recycled tin, which I bought from an old retired farmer, when we lived in South Carolina…I can still hear him say with a long, southern drawl: “Oh, lordiee, lordiee..” What a fun old man he was!

Then the market basket is always on the ready at the living room door.

And here comes a little cheating as well…a door yes, but not really a doorknob, only a huge, beautiful old key. I used an old door I found at the back in one of our caves and made a bulletin board out of it, on which I hung this key and a wooden “Bonheur” heart, which really does give “Happiness” above my desk.

OK, so maybe they aren’t all doorknobs, but purely for my enjoyment here, I depict them as such

…a pretty porcelain handle to the bathroom and last but not least, the heavy brass handle from the large green painted wooden gates. It is always tarnished but looks glorious once it is cleaned. Which happens only when I need to get rid of bad energy. Then I’m stuck with a tennis elbow for the next 6 weeks.

There are still more doorknobs and handles and levers and keys, but I’m done now with doorknobs being a thing of art.
24 comments:

Sue said…: I agree with you about the door knobs. How wonderful you get to have all different doorknobs! Great drawings. Nice touch including the things hanging on the doorknobs.; March 22, 2007 5:51 PM
Teri C said…: What a MARVELOUS collection of door knobs and accessories! I loved reading about your experiences with them and the drawings. Just wonderful!; March 22, 2007 5:55 PM
rful post, Ronell. Your watercolors are really good – and I had fun trying to recognize each doorknob.: March 22, 2007 6:47 PM
Susan Cornelis said…: I enjoyed the tour of your doorknobs. What a wonderful home ful of art you’ve created!; March 22, 2007 9:45 PM

Carole said…: Oh my goodness, you have been busy! I love how you’ve done this as a series of doorknobs. Beautiful lively illustrations – I love the way you’ve used the watercolour wash so loosely.; March 22, 2007 9:53 PM
Dave said…: What a great house you must have! I love these.; March 22, 2007 10:50 PM
Africantapestry said…: Thank you everybody, for the kind comments…they are much appreciated, like always.
Ronell; March 22, 2007 11:18 PM
Shirley said…: Ronell,
What a wonderful collection and fabulous watercolor paintings of them. Thanks for sharing your house with us.; March 22, 2007 11:49 PM
Lin said…: What a WONDERFUL doorknob study — to say NOTHING about your FANTASTIC rendering of them!!! WONDERFULLY DONE …exquisite execution!; March 23, 2007 12:18 AM
Anita said…: Such an enjoyable collection of sketches!; March 23, 2007 1:29 AM
aPugsLife-laserone said…: Wow, what wonderful doorknobs. We once lived in an old house (a run down leaky monster that had been condemned, when we were poor) but it had really neat antique glass doorknobs. The doorknobs you drew are awesome, I really like them! 🙂; March 23, 2007 5:35 AM
andrea joseph’s sketchblog said…: Ok these are good – very good. A fabulous collection of doorknobs. Your style works so well with the subject. Great colour. Lovely work.; March 23, 2007 10:39 AM
Laura said…: Ronelle, these are AMAZING!! I love seeing all the variations and plays on form and color. The green door is my favorite, though I like every single one of them. You and Casey must have such fun together–I’d love to come and sketch with you! Maybe on one of my next trips to France…; March 23, 2007 12:23 PM
Laura said…: Oops, sorry I added that extra ‘e’ to your name, Ronell. Old spelling habits die hard ;D.; March 23, 2007 12:24 PM
🙂 Silvia said…: I just don’t know what I like better, your watercolor paintings of your door knobs or your ideas how to decorate and style them. Both of them wonderful!; March 23, 2007 2:16 PM
Africantapestry said…: Thanks so much for the beautiful praise on what I’ve done here, it is so encouraging!
Ronell; March 23, 2007 5:33 PM
Christeen said…: These are SO COOL! Each painting is unique, and beautiful, and kudos to you for deciding to do a series about the humble doorknob. Love them!; March 23, 2007 7:31 PM
“Maggie” said…: What a lovely door handle series! What a lovely home you must have and the door handles are so unique. What year was the home built?; March 24, 2007 2:46 PM
E-J said…: They’re all wonderful, especially the last one with its gorgeous colours.; March 24, 2007 10:41 PM
phthaloblu said…: How cool! These are beautiful paintings and such interesting subjects.; March 26, 2007 2:41 PM
nik said…: Ronell, this is wonderful. I love the watercolors. They are so bright and brilliant.; March 30, 2007 6:39 AM
Africantapestry said…: Thank you for the great encouragement and praise..I appreciate it!
Ronell; March 30, 2007 9:13 AM
Sandy said…: wow wow wow

Posted on March 19, 2007July 6, 2008 by Myfrenchkitchen

A bowl is a bowl…is a bowl

According to most dictionaries a bowl is a round container, wider than it is deep and holds foods or fluids….That is apart from all the other meanings…shapes, sports, etc. So I took to searching my house for bowls. There are many. But then I also found other “containers” which I find have no boundaries in terms of their function.
I often use this big platter for meat dishes, salads, but I have also used it as a bowl, since it is just deep enough to prevent sauces from dripping over the sides…platter…or bowl?

Next I thought of, was my mother’s silver sugar container, I now use as a spoonholder. Since I grew up never asking :” Please pass the sugarpot/caddy/bowl”, but simply: “Pass the sugar”, I still don’t know what it really is, and should I now maybe ask to be passed the spoonbowl?

The third find in my home was the bird bath. Although it is frequented now by the birds for bathing and our cats for drinking, it did in its newly bought years serve us humans of the house well as a fruit bowl al fresco style.

Birdbath, spoonholder, platter, bowl…it is all in the eye of the beholder.

17 comments:

karen said…: Very nice line and wash, Ronell!; March 19, 2007 10:10 PM
phthaloblu said…: These are really nice! Great job!; March 19, 2007 10:15 PM
Teri C said…: Really nice bowls! You did a great on all the bowls.; March 19, 2007 11:04 PM
Linda said…: Great, great, and great! Wonderful highlights, which makes them just zing! 🙂; March 20, 2007 1:02 AM
andrea joseph’s sketchblog said…: osh these are good but I especially love the top one. It’s funny how you can see the skill involved more clearly in the most simple of images. Gorgeous. What medium did you use?; March 20, 2007 2:30 AM
SCquiltaddict said…: Very nice work…love the wash; March 20, 2007 3:00 AM
Christeen said…: These are so beautiful- nice work!; March 20, 2007 5:07 AM
Sydney Harper said…: Nicely done! They are all lovely but my favorite is the third one.; March 20, 2007 5:32 AM
Africantapestry said…: Thank you for all the wonderful comments..
Andrea, my mediums were pen and just plain old black watercolor.
Ronell; March 20, 2007 8:33 AM
caseytoussaint said…: wow, you’ve been busy! I love these ink and wash drawings you’ve been doing – I agree with Andrea – they’re all really good, but the first one is a stunner!; March 20, 2007 8:58 AM
Emma Pod said…: These are all beautiful! It’s amazing what can be done with variations of just one color.; March 20, 2007 7:43 PM
Lin said…: GORGEOUS! Those washes are just scrumptiously done!! BRAVA!; March 20, 2007 9:52 PM
aPugsLife-laserone said…: Beautiful Bowls! There’s just something about the first one, the simple one, that I really like. 🙂; March 20, 2007 10:30 PM
Africantapestry said…: Thanks again for the encouraging comments…they really inspire me to keep working at it!
Ronell; March 20, 2007 11:08 PM
Deb Salter said…: Your use of wash is just magical!; March 21, 2007 5:28 PM
Africantapestry said…: Thank you, Deb…”magical” does make my heart go completely wild!
Ronell; March 21, 2007 8:36 PM
“Maggie” said…: I just love this sketch of the spoon bowl-beautiful. I have one too sitting on my table filled with silver spoons we use every day.

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

Mood in a flame

After having glorious days last week, the rain settled back in yesterday, with a daring chill after the warmth of those perfect days. That drove me to a long, luxurious bath last night. As I watched my candle’s flame flickering mysterious images against the wall, I thought I’d post a drawing of this mood in a candle…

Ink and wash on Arches water color paper.

I made so many mistakes in this one – once again misjudged the size of my paper, tried to correct an off-centre line by putting in more line, thus accentuating the problem(left side above), keep on fiddling with the flame so it became completely without ambiance, and left too few “lost edges” by continuing coming back and doing more lines. The learning process is an uphill journey all the time….

7 comments:

SCquiltaddict said…: LOVELY JOB …sweet candlestick…; March 18, 2007 6:53 PM
Sandy said…: Maybe you had problems with is flame but I love the cherub and the overall structure and depth you achieved (yes we are all on the same journey uphill 😉; March 18, 2007 7:20 PM
phthaloblu said…: So beautiful! And I think the flame just adds a mysterious prescence to the overall piece. I love it!; March 19, 2007 2:41 AM
Emma Pod said…: The cherub candlestick is exquisite! Great job. And all of your vine drawings/paintings are beautiful. This is my first visit to your blog – lovely! Thanks for visiting mine.; March 19, 2007 3:16 AM
aPugsLife-laserone said…: This is realy beautiful. 🙂; March 19, 2007 8:22 AM
Lin said…: This is incredibly beautiful! Such wonderful shading!; March 19, 2007 12:00 PM
Africantapestry said…: Thank you everybody for visiting, I appreciate all your comments!
Ronell

Posted on February 7, 2007June 27, 2008 by Myfrenchkitchen

Sprout – Ill. Fr.

I chose the Brussel sprout, but now it looks more like a broccoli to me. Well, they’re both green and healthy….

Watercolor on paper

7 comments:

Nina Johansson said…: Hi, welcome to the EDM! Love your drawings and paintings, they are great! Hope to see more of your work in the future!; February 7, 2007 6:41 PM
Casey said…: Ronell, this is absolutely stunning! I love all the work you’ve posted here, but this is my favorite.; February 7, 2007 7:24 PM
Kunya said…: Hello, welcome to EDM. Lovely watercolors.; February 7, 2007 9:15 PM
Christeen said…: HIya, welcome to EDM- I really like your paintings, and this sprout is my favorite 🙂 Hope to see more!; February 7, 2007 10:35 PM
Africantapestry said…: Thank you for your warm welcome and the kind comments;I feel like it’s Christmas and I’m receiving one great gift after another!; February 7, 2007 11:01 PM
andrea joseph’s sketchblog said…: Wow this is such a great drawing. love the composition. The fork is just great. Fabulous and welcome! I look forward to seeing more.; February 8, 2007 12:19 AM
Sandy said…: I’m so glad I found your blog..I am loving ALL your art work.. sandy

Posted on February 7, 2007June 27, 2008 by Myfrenchkitchen · 1 Comment

Scissors

Watercolor on paper….
I don’t have any fond memories of scissors, in fact, I pretty much associate them with pain and blood, of which I have first hand experience. But then again, if I think of life without them, I can quickly conjure up images of pleasure. Like everybody else, we have scissors everywhere throughout the house. In the bedroom a small pair for removing labels or a loose thread here and there. In the bathroom…well, you know what scissors are used for in there..Then there is the handyman that cuts just about anything, although I don’t believe in this all-round-scissors. I want one for every purpose – one for cutting hair and one for cutting paper, another for cutting plastic and one at close hand when I can’t find the hammer, or the screwdriver or the can-opener…The sewing kit has a few of its own, and to my dismay, the huge fabric scissors is in high demand at Christmas when all the others scissors have magically disappeared. The kitchen is an interesting topic. I have yet to figure out the system – one for every task? But that would leave neither time nor place for anything else in the kitchen.

I had a pretty little old one from my mother which I kept in my handbag and forgot to take out before we had to board. I still have another one left, a very ancient model, frequently used by her and even though it lacks performance, its beauty stays unsurpassed. No psychedelic colored plastic in sight and the handle shows signs of hard use and yes, the blade is full of rust spots, but the lines are sleek and graceful and the grip allows for good comfort. Just a simple, beautiful, old pair of scissors from my childhood, one that comes from my mother’s sewing kit and is now not so much a utility as a connexion to the past. So maybe I do have fond memories after all….

6 comments:

: February 7, 2007 7:07 PM
nik said…: Welcome to EDM Ronell. I really love your scissors. They are beautiful. You are a wonderful artist. Greetings from Germany.; February 7, 2007 7:10 PM
Sandy said…: Ohhh these are Very Nice – Very Nice, Welcome and you will have a blast here and learn sooooooo much.
Sandy; February 7, 2007 7:17 PM
Africantapestry said…: Thank you, Nik and Sandy, for the warm welcome and for the kind words – I feel like a child at Christmas; the one super gift after the other!!; February 7, 2007 10:58 PM
SCquiltaddict said…: Bonjour Ronell…and welcome to EDM …i think you are definitely going to be a great contributor with your wonderful sketches…ils sont tres magnifique!; February 8, 2007 4:44 AM
Karen said…: Hi Ronell, welcome to EDM!

Posted on February 4, 2007August 23, 2007 by Myfrenchkitchen

A Peppery shake

This is my first contribution to EDM. I couldn’t find a single pepper or salt shaker in our home, since we’ve always used milled salt and pepper. In fact, I have such a huge variety of different salts and peppers…but before you think I’ve completely lost it; besides art, one of my other passions is cooking, so having al these different salts is nothing strange. For everyday cooking, I do what my mom used to do – a pinch of salt from the salt jar next to the stove, which holds grey sea salt. For table use, we have the wonderful Fleur de sel. For special occasions I would splash out with some delicate Maldon salt flakes and just for the kick of it, I would also use Kosher salt that my husband brings me all the way from South Carolina every once or so. And everyday and everywhere we’ll use the mill with the pink himalayan salt, which is apparently very healthy, but I have to admit, I choose it more for the looks! As for pepper, pretty much the same thing. The big wooden mill I use with big fanfare in the kitchen, then we have several smaller mills which I fill up with different peppers, depending on the meal and occasion; softer, mixed peppers, and a big favorite lately, the powerful Chichuan pepper(which is actually not a true pepper). So, here I am with all my salts and peppers and first drawing and very shaky legs(because of my first entry into this very talented and efficient and spontaneous group)…

I am so new to this blog-thing, so If I mess up or take more space than I ought to, or invade or whatever the case, I apologize…to be honest, I have saved this post almost 15 times as a draft, before I finally published it!

This was done with a brush pen and watercolor on watercolor paper.

Ronell

Casey said…: This is really lovely Ronell – a departure from your usual style! It has a stylized quality that would look great as a cookbook illustration.; February 5, 2007 12:29 PM
Brenda Y said…: Welcome to EDM! What a fabulous blog you’ve got here!! Your artwork is very lovely; I love the look of wood texture you have captured on the pepper mill. I agree with Casey, this would make a lovely illustration in a cookbook.; February 7, 2007 7:16 PM
Renate said…: I feel so poor now. With only one sort of pepper and salt …
Great start for blogging. The scissor painting is gorgeous!

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