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Coffee shop sketches

When I said yesterday I have nothing to post, I lied. I forgot I had these four sketches, which I did in February, just after France became a smokefree public area country. We are  almost 5 months down the road(why does it feel like more?) and it is still going well and the law is pretty much respected by all. Only nick now is that all the smokers stand right outside the entrance and you thus enter through this haze of smoke, holding your breath, closing your eyes and keeping your hand out in front in good hope you’ll somewhere hit the entrance! Ohh, I’m joking, it’s not reallyh that bad…I’m just happy for having a smokefree interior! Which allowed me in February to enjoy coffee at lenght’s desire in my three favourite coffee spots at the time…it’s changed by now, since I can’t stick to one thing for too long.

 le-duclos1.jpg

…Le duclos…

le-pt-gilles.jpg

…le pt gilles…

le-steven1-03-jan-08-8-25-32-am.jpg

…le steven…

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…les deux hommes, z…

All sketches in moleskine, done with pen and monochrome wash.

Posted on by Myfrenchkitchen · 14 Comments

Sketchbook exchange sketches

Now that our Flying Pictures Project is a little further down the road and everybody involved had already seen my first sketches posted on our blog FPP, AND since I don’t have much in the form of sketches to post here, AND I haven’t been around much, I thought it good to post my first sketches that were sent off in May. With my theme being “rainbow moments”, I took the first subjects that came into my view that gave me joy and this is what shaped the first two and half pages in my book that went off to Lindsay, and has just landed at Robyn.  So, four more stops, before it arrives back home.

Edited: To see Lindsay’s beautiful addition in oil pastel, see our Flying Pictures Project .

All sketches done in our handmade concertina sketchbooks with rotring pen, pencil and watercolour.

Posted on by Myfrenchkitchen · 13 Comments

Sketches from Dordogne and Perigord, France

We just came back from visiting the Dordogne area in France. The first sketch was done in Brantôme, while we were lunching on a baguette and saucisson among the ducks next to La Dronne.

 

…lunch with the ducks…

There are many “pigeonniers”, circular or square in the Périgord and Quercy. Before 1798 it would be only the owners of plenty of land, who were fortunate enough to own pigeonniers…used for fertilizer. They were elegantly attached to houses or were loose standing and elevated to prevent humidity.

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…mon pigeonnier à Sarlat…

…mon pigeonnier à Rocamadour…

..colour in the streets of 8th century, Turenne…

…a monochrome view on the ruines of le chateau de Turenne…

First 4 sketches done in pen and watercolour in sketchbook, and the last sketch is done in rotring art pen and wash.

 

Posted on by Myfrenchkitchen · 16 Comments

Sketches from Toulouse, France.

We are back from a wonderful time in Toulouse. Beautiful sunshine days and we were spoilt rotten by Marinell. It is so bad being back here and having no one to continue the spoiling!

In between all the coffees and lunches and soulful talks and laughter and movies and dinners and lots of walking and even rock concert by Maroon Five, I sqeezed in some drawings. I did the drawings on site and put the washes in when we took a break somewhere. Toulouse was swarming with people out on the streets, which made drawing extremely difficult. I didn’t even attempt painting.

Toulouse is known as La ville Rose (pink city), because of the amazing red brick used in its architecture. It is overwhelming and I felt totally incompetent, trying to capture some of it atmosphere.

The first three sketches were done in handmade sketchbook (22 x 25cm) in pen and pencil and watercolour.

…la ville rose…

…let in the sun…

…empty…

The next sketch of Pont neuf, crossing La Garonne, was done in handmade sketchbook, 22x15cm in rotring artist pen and wash.

..a wonky pont neuf…

A few people sketches  on Place de la Daurade and the ducks closing in to investigate. Rotring artpen and wash in handmade sketchbook, 22x15cm.

…so, who are the curious ones…

A while ago I came across a beautiful little handmade sketchbook, (30×12, which seems more like a marine sketch format) and this café scene was done in it with rotring art pen and wash. Unfortunately the paper doesn’t take wash well, so I’ll stick to pen drawings in the future.

…”une baguette, du vin, et du fromage si’l vous plait”…

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Singing in the rain…

It has been raining ALL day,  and I’m not exaggerating when I say non-stop!

♪…I’m si..ingin in the rain, just si..ingin in the rain… ♪♪…

Posted on by Myfrenchkitchen · 9 Comments

My sketchbook has taken to flight.

My sketchbook has taken off on its long journey to Lindsay in the US. This is how it looked just before I pushed it out of the nest to test its wings.

I baptised my little creation “Rainbow moments”, thinking that instead of chasing the “pot of gold” that is always somewhere else, we should look closer at home to find the beauty of the “small moments of rainbow”, right here in front of us and the bigger the mixture, the greater the beauty.

…cover…or wrapping…or dummy….or clue…?

This is my handmade sketchbook, going off to be something of a Phileas Fogg… which there are seven of involved in this voyage which we called the Flying Pictures Project; started off by Lindsay in the US, who acted on her wishful thinking and gathered us together from around the globe to act along with her. So, there is Robyn in Italy, Nina in Sweden, Vivien in the UK, and Glen in the UK and Caseyand I, in France. We decided to make our own books, accordion style, each one choosing what she wants to do with her book and starting off the journey with 2 and 1/2 pages of art. The person receiving it, will add her own paper and continue with her 2 and 1/2 pages of art. And so the journey continues until the books finally arrive back home after 6 stops. 

To be continued…