watercolour – Page 42 – Africantapestry

Posted on April 2, 2007July 6, 2008 by Myfrenchkitchen

I would simply have to snap my finger and…

…. strawberries would always be in season…

….chocolates would never make you fat…

….aspararagus would be available all year round….

…. onions wouldn’t give you a smelly breath…

….coffee would be considered a health food…

….my purse would always have money in it…

….my house could self-clean by the push of a button…

….I would have a chauffeur to drive me where I want….

….I would never again have to fly economy class…

In a perfect world, I suppose I would never have to snap my finger…

🙂 Silvia said…: Great ideas – and wonderful paintings!; April 2, 2007 5:30 PM
jill said…: i am right there w/ you on these things. way to go! great way to look at the challenge and achieve!; April 2, 2007 5:48 PM
platitudinal said…: Oh, Ronell, I pray for your perfect world to materialize. Then, I’ll come a knockin’ and a beggin’ for you to let me in. Everything look so delicious, even the onion! Superb paintings.~Luci.; April 2, 2007 5:54 PM
Carole said…: What lovely loose watercolour illustrations! I like your perfect world, too.Those lifedrawings are impressive as well. Your lines are so sure and cleanly drawn. Must take years of practice to achieve.; April 2, 2007 6:47 PM
Teri C said…: WONDERFUL!!! I love every painting and every word you said!! Ronell for President!!; April 2, 2007 7:07 PM
nik said…: Ronell, your paintings are fantastic. I love the box of strawberries. What watercolor brand do you use?; April 2, 2007 7:07 PM
Lin said…: OH MY GOSH!!! I SO AGREE — AND TO ADD TO THIS FANTASTIC SNAPPING OF WISHES — I’D ADD — TO SKETCH AND PAINT AS WONDERFUL AS YOU!!! GLORIOUS SKETCHES!!!!; April 2, 2007 7:11 PM
MrsSnowy said…: Oh, I wish these were mine! Fantastic – and the final tea is just beautiful, Ronell.; April 2, 2007 8:53 PM
MrsSnowy said…: Sorry! It was coffee not tea. And I agree about economy class travel – from Italy to Australia is about as bad as it can get!; April 2, 2007 8:55 PM
caseytoussaint said…: What a great post, Ronell! I agree with you about everything, and these paintings are really marvelous.; April 2, 2007 9:00 PM
Africantapestry said…: Thank you for all the lovely comments, everybody..
Nik, I’m almost embarressed to confess – I don’t have a specific brand of watercolor…I use everything that is on the market, so I have half pans and tubes and full pans of this and that and there isn’t one that I can say I truly don’t like or particularly prefer. When a color is finished, I just replace it by whatever I feel like buying when I’m in the store…not very artist-like, I suppose, sorry..!I do favor Arches and Fabriano papers though.
You are actully spot on, Robyn, it is Rooibosch tea in the last image(which is ironically, a very healthy tea!!) but I was too lazy to draw the coffee and I WANTED coffee on the list, so I just used this image…forgive me for cheating there!
Ronell; April 2, 2007 10:45 PM
gabi campanario said…: very clever concept for ‘snap’ and great watercolors, love the light and brightness of the strawberries; April 2, 2007 10:56 PM
Emma Pod said…: Really wonderful paintings! I especially like the asparagus. I love your ideas…could we have someone do our exercises for us too??; April 2, 2007 11:36 PM
Kristin Saegaert said…: I’m all for the self cleaning house! And I love your illustrations – wonderful watercolors and drawings! Very interesting – every one of them! Thanks for sharing your creativity!; April 2, 2007 11:36 PM
Alison said…: This is a lovely set – great idea for the topic. An inspiring blog.; April 3, 2007 1:11 AM
Felicity said…: Beautiful paintings! So lovely and juicy looking!Can you read my mind – this could almost be my list! And is that Lindt chocolate?; April 3, 2007 9:46 AM
why said…: these are beautiful!!; April 3, 2007 4:15 PM
Sandy said…: Oh – Please let it be so!!!! Great post and I love your whole blog!!; April 3, 2007 5:22 PM
martha said…: ….and I could spend all day sketching! Wonderful drawings; you have a great touch with watercolor.; April 3, 2007 10:08 PM
Susan Cornelis said…: Oh! You’re making me so hungry. I think you’ve manifested the perfect world by painting it.; April 3, 2007 10:41 PM
Peceli and Wendy’s Blog said…: Discovered your blog today. What a prolific artist you are – with such fresh paintings of everyday subjects and your life drawings are so animated with great poses.
Lovely work.
w.; April 4, 2007 3:32 AM
Africantapestry said…: Thank you for the lovely comments everybody, once again, I appreciate the time you take to comment here. Thanks
Ronell; April 4, 2007 9:08 PM
Jana Bouc said…: Spectacular. I’m just loving these collections of words and pictures. Great work!; April 6, 2007 7:39 AM
andrea joseph’s sketchblog said…: Wow Ronell,
these are absolutely stunning. I’m in awe. The lovely loose style, the colours are fantastic – just all of it really!
My own favourites; the onions, I just love the way you can almost feel that papery skin, amazing. The bottom one is just brilliant too, as well as the asparagus……; April 6, 2007 11:25 AM
ksklein said…: May I join your perfect world? 🙂

Posted on March 30, 2007July 6, 2008 by Myfrenchkitchen

A french guesthouse

I’m doing some paintings for a lovely Irish lady with a lovely Irish accent! She has a beautiful guesthouse in the countryside, not far from here. These paintings were done in the beginning of spring, so I’ll have to redo them when her roses are all in full bloom. I’d like to do another painting of the house too, since I think I’ve done this one a bit gray? The house dates from the seventeenth century with lovely little turrets which were used by monks. For more information on the guesthouse http://frenchguesthouse.com/ click on the images to enlarge. Both were done in pen and watercolor on Fabriano HP paper. 30.5 x 45.5 cm.

12 comments:

Robyn said…: I don’t think it’s too gray. I think it is elegant and inviting and beautifully loose in your painterly style. I also love the Wisteria around the tower.; April 30, 2007 7:28 PM
🙂 Silvia said…: Such a beautiful house – I really can imagine how fantastic it will look with all those roses in bloom 🙂; April 30, 2007 8:30 PM
Sandy said…: What a lovely home and you have captured it with a light bright touch, I want to do home WC sketches and now that I understand saving whites better perhaps I will give it another try – you inspire me!; April 30, 2007 9:55 PM
Dave said…: This looks like a lovely house; it is certainly a lovely painting.; April 30, 2007 11:45 PM
Lin said…: OH MY GOSH, RONELL!! THIS IS ABSOLUTELY GORGEMENTOUS!! It look so romantic and beautiful!! FANTASTIC WORK, my friend!; May 1, 2007 12:34 AM
Nancy Van Blaricom said…: This building looks so intreging… romantic yet mysterious at the same time. Lovely painting.Hmmmm, I’ve all of a sudden realized that I have never watercolored a building…. how odd.; May 1, 2007 4:00 AM
platitudinal said…: This is a beautiful house and I think you portrayed it so well in your painting. The grey roof gives the house a formal air, yet not cold. It looks great as it is, but now that you mentioned full bloomed roses — it does make me wonder how it would look like with them.Is that the monks’ turret with the wisteria climbing around it? Very pretty!; May 1, 2007 4:14 AM
Cin said…: hi Ronell, many thanks for your comment today, your blog is new to me too, lovely watercolors! I hope one day to learn this medium.; May 1, 2007 5:49 AM
mARTa said…: I agree with Robyn, not too grey. I love how you work in watercolor. I have noticed you like HP paper. I’ve only tried it once and wasn’t sure about it as it wasn’t quite what I am used to. I might have to give it another chance. La maison c’est tres beau!; May 1, 2007 7:18 AM
aPugsLife-laserone said…: WOW! When I saw the house one, I was like “OHHHhhh, my goshhhh”. These are just gorgeous! I love architecture and I just love when someone draws or paints architecture beautifully, which you do. 🙂; May 1, 2007 9:21 AM
Anita said…: Oh Ronell it is perfect just as it is! Simply gorgeous!; May 1, 2007 7:42 PM
phthaloblu said…: What a beautiful home. Inviting, quaint. You did a really wonderful job on these.

Posted on March 25, 2007July 6, 2008 by Myfrenchkitchen

Spot the differences

Play along and spot the differences between the two pictures.

Stand on your head to read the answer at the bottom.

casey said…: My, you are productive! I really like this one too. I’m running out of adjectives here!; March 25, 2007 5:43 PM
Teri C said…: Good thing I have a laptop:) because the only difference I see is the lighter one on the bottom.Wonderful painting!!; March 25, 2007 7:18 PM
Lin said…: I must be blind but I don’t see a difference — but I LOVE the sketch!!!; March 25, 2007 8:03 PM
aPugsLife-laserone said…: I can’t see any differences, but I’m not awake, LOL! But I do love the painting! 🙂; March 25, 2007 9:04 PM
🙂 Silvia said…: There are 7 differences??? My oh my… and I am only able to spot 2 of them…
What a creative idea :)!; March 25, 2007 9:41 PM
Ujwala said…: Spotted 2 too and if you’re counting the colour difference then one more 😀 neat idea for the ilo.; March 26, 2007 6:01 AM
Africantapestry said…: Hi everybody…thanks for the comments and playing along…there are really 7 differences(lines), maybe a bit more subtle than expected..it is actually hard to see on the small image and not easy to flick between the two images..but thanks, it is more about the idea anyway.
ronell; March 26, 2007 8:20 AM
phthaloblu said…: This is such a cool idea. And the paintings are wonderful even tho I can’t see the differences.; March 26, 2007 2:45 PM
Fanta said…: I only spotted three differences.
Thanks for commenting on my blog, your works are wonderful, and so glad I found you through Casey’s blog.; March 28, 2007 11:40 PM
MrsSnowy said…: Wow – there is so much that pleases me here. First of all, I love the simple but so effective style of this sketch – now I’m going to bookmark your blog and enjoy it when I’ve done some housework! ciao Robyn; March 29, 2007 1:16 PM
Carole said…: Well, I found 3 plus the colour difference! Lovely paintings. I like your pen and wash of the fisherman too.; March 29, 2007 7:49 PM
Africantapestry said…: Again, thank you for the wonderful words, everybody, I really apprecite it!
Ronell; March 30, 2007 12:37 AM
Marilyn said…: really don’t see any differences. See, we always see our own “differences” and think everyone else sees them.
I love your blog. You’ve done some mighty fine art.

Posted on March 24, 2007July 6, 2008 by Myfrenchkitchen

Fresh from the sea

A drawing in ink and wash. I started out, planning this to be a painting, but somehow it ended up as a sketch with a wash. I chose the wrong day to do a painting…a bit low on energy that day. I used one of my photographs I took on my recent trip and it can clearly be seen in this sketch – it is lifeless and without feeling, without energy. I find that I cannot do a sketch from a photograph, somehow I don’t have the ability to give it …oomph..
Click on the image for a larger view ( hope it works this time, since I have been having problems with this clicking-thing.))
This sketch is pen and wash on Fabriano hotpressed paper.

Bonny said…: Ronelle, I think you’re being a bit too hard on yourself. This is a great sketch!
If you really, really think this is medioce (which I don’t agree with), think of it this way:
The sketch is a nice reminder of your trip and what you saw that particular day. When you look at this weeks and months down the road, you will be reminded of that day.
I like this. I can make a story from what I see in the sketch: what the fisherman is doing or thinking, what he might do next. It’s a wonderful sketch!; March 25, 2007 4:00 AM
casey said…: From here, this looks active, vibrant, spontaneous – everything a sketch should be! I don’t see what you don’t like about it. This is beautiful work, Ronell.; March 25, 2007 5:38 PM
Lin said…: MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE IS PEN AND WASH AND HTIS HAS THE VIVID SPONTANEITY THAT MAKES THAT METHOD SO GORGEOUS! I THINK IS THIS GLORIOUSLY DONE!; March 25, 2007 8:02 PM
Africantapestry said…: thanks for the comments…I do feel better about the sketch, Thanks!
Ronell; March 26, 2007 8:24 AM
mARTa said…: Ronelle….this is how I wish to paint! This is so lively and reminds me is many ways of a Singer-Sargent….really lovely; March 29, 2007 5:44 PM
df said…: hi ronelle thanks for visiting my blog so that I could get to yours! I love this sketch. It’s very loose and energetic. Of course we have to work from photos every now and then. There’s no way I could ask everyone that I wanted to paint to hold the pose for twenty minutes. Can you imagine asking the fish guy to just hold it for a minute?
Plus, I love the self portrait that you have in your profile area. Very wonderful!

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 16, 2007July 6, 2008 by Myfrenchkitchen

Picking grapes

These are my last sketches on the vineyards and grape picking in Stellenbsoch. They were done in pen and wash. I plan on using all these sketches to put together a series of paintings…hopefully it will move beyond planning!
This was much more difficult than sketching the “pickers” when they were taking a break. They really picked so fast and their heads were constantly bobbing up and down in the vineyard. Just as I thought I could capture one, he would disappear. In the end I stood further back to only capture glimpses of color in the vineyards.
The first sketch is of one of the many women pickers. This woman had such a presence about her and after a few hopeless attempts to sketch her picking, I asked her if she would keep still for maybe just one minute? The minute turned out to be much shorter than I know a minute to be, but I did manage to get her down.

The last sketch of the pressing machine was very boring for me to draw. I don’t like machines of any kind, except of course my coffee machine…I didn’t succeed in capturing it’s function, so it is hard to see what happens where, but at least you have an where the grapes fall into the shaft…

Posted by Africantapestry at 1:47 PM

11 comments:

caseytoussaint said…: Wow, Ronell, these are incredible. They tell so much – travel journaling at it’s best. I hope there are more to come!; March 16, 2007 6:41 PM
Lin said…: These are STUNNING!!! Fresh, VIBRANT! GREAT USE of ink and wash — lovely lovely lovely!! DITTO!! MORE !!!; March 16, 2007 10:33 PM
gabi campanario said…: ronell, i can blog-travel to these vineyards thanks to these moments you captured so well with your pen and washes! i really like them. the first one is my favorite. look forward to more!; March 17, 2007 4:33 AM
Ujwala said…: the whole series of them are fabulous! and i hope that you do get around to making paintings from them.; March 17, 2007 8:15 AM
Jana Bouc said…: Wonderful work! All that’s missing is the glass of wine! You really captured all the steps along the way and your drawings of people are really excellent! I love the colors.; March 17, 2007 5:21 PM
Africantapestry said…: Thank you all, for the encouraging comments..
ronell; March 17, 2007 9:07 PM
Anonymous said…: Hi Ronell This looks cool.; March 18, 2007 3:00 PM
phthaloblu said…: What can I say except that these are just beautiful!; March 19, 2007 2:39 AM
aPugsLife-laserone said…: Oh my gosh, these are just beautiful. Really nice work!!! …by the way, “Peeps” are little marshmallow candies coated in colored sugar. I just did a second Peep drawing on my art blog and also wrote a bit about peeps and provided pictures and links. Heheheh. 🙂; March 19, 2007 8:22 AM
“Maggie” said…: Ronell,I love your loose sketches and colors of the vineyards and that capture moments of time. Wonderful!I want to say thank you for visiting my blog and glad you liked my blind contour. I love drawing them!; March 19, 2007 1:14 PM
Africantapestry said…: Thank you everybody for the nice comments, I really appraciate your visiting!
Ronell

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