Sometimes a gesture says more than a thousand words…
Sketches done in dip pen and ink(colour island coffee), with a wash, in moleskine.
Figure drawings
1. We started again with our figure classes last night. We had only one long pose and the goal was to make a “nice” drawing, with only pencil and hatching.
I used pencil 2B and 6B on large format paper, 42×59,4 cm (16,5×23,4″).
2. A previous class: This second drawing was extremely difficult, but it sure openend up the mind. The model would move forward into another position, while one “axe” remained in the previous position. It was sort of like motion drawing. Hard, hard, hard! I consumed a whole baguette when I got home after this class…
Graphite and sanguine on paper, large format
3. A previous class: The slim model with the dog that we’ve had on previous occasions and he lost even more weight, making it very hard to see something to draw.
Graphite on paper, large format
4. A portrait of the model and his dog. I did this when we had 5 minutes left of class. Graphite on paper, large format
5. This is the same model as the first pencil drawing, but on a different occasion where we did a draining million(well almost) quick sketches for two hours. And again I consumed a whole baguette afterwards..
Charcoal on paper, large format.
Something that needs fixing
The ironing is always behind.
I have to iron. I have to see sharp folds and straight flat edges on shirts and linen and skirts and yes, T-shirts. Except of course jeans. No straight folds there. That makes them look nerdy. I learnt that from my daughters.
Sketches done with rotring artist pen and water wash in moleskine.
Like with a desperate diet, I start off every Monday with the determination to iron immediately when something comes off the line. Just to see my diligence fade into submission by Wednesday. The result is a growing mountain of washing and a leaking cup of courage. So I let the mountain run its course… after all, it is already there….and wait for the magical day when my cupeth runneth over again.
I’ll probably always have this habit that needs fixing.
If all else fails, try vegetables
I’ve seen a few people on EDM struggling with being in a slump. I guess it is my turn. I can’t seem to get a hold on inspiration.
There is a whole wide world out there to paint, to draw and I can’t find anything. I have the pencil and brush in my hand, like a knife and fork, waiting for the perfect meal to come from the kitchen. Unfortunately I am the “cook” in the kitchen….so I literally took my pencil and brush to the kitchen and tried to cook up something…I painted the first things my eyes fell on. Just earlier today I bought fresh produce which were on the table and so here are my carrots and aubergines…interestingly, the striped one is called a Graffiti. I struggled through 6 sketches, going from bad to worse. So I threw away the rest and kept the first attempts.
Both these sketches were done in WC on Fabriano HP.
- alteredtome said…
- I just love your painterly style! So direct and fresh.
- Betty said…
- aahhhhhhh! I am very envious of your slump 🙂 This is so lovely, as always.
- hfm said…
- And they are so fresh and natural!
- martín said…
- Wow! These are so well done. The combination of colours and the touches with the brush on the paper. Two masterpieces!
- mARTa said…
- Ronell my favorite is the second one. Upon close inspection (hehehe)I have found numerous ‘jewels’ in this lively watercolor. I have several ‘favorite’ areas…the white veggie has lovely colour in it and a great blend of hard and soft edges. The contrast between the deep purple and blue is electrifying and the splashes of colour in the shadow areas keep the watercolor from vibrating too much. This is by far a most successful painting and the slump is offically over. have a great kitchen and painting day!!!
- caseytoussaint said…
- These are just beautiful!
- juj said…
- I never get tired of your style Ronell. LOVE those carrots.
- Robyn said…
- What Marta said followed by what Casey said. And I bet you cooked them as beautifully as you painted them!
- Lin said…
- GORGEOUS!! SO JUICY AND PAINTERLY!!!!
- brian nelson said…
- Very nice, indeed!
- Dave said…
- Wonderful; I love to see watercolours that look like watercolours! They are both lovely, the carrots are very striking, and the second one has some great touches, like the purple reflection in the blue one.
- mARTa said…
- Now my critic of the carrots. I do think this one was successful as well but i have one area that bothers me. The dark shadow under the leaves just stares at me. I think I am entranced by the subtle colour in the other shadow areas but don’t see any here. The variation of the red/orange color of the carrots has my eyes traveling and so it carries me throughout the sketch. Both of these are successful also in that you’ve allowed the colors to mix themselves on the paper and for me that is always so hard to do!
- Teri C said…
- These look good enough to eat. Except they are too beautifully colored-so fresh and bright.
- Deborah said…
- Ohhhh, these make me want to eat some veggies. Beautiful!
- Africantapestry said…
- Thank you for all the comments..I appreciate them.
Yes Marta, you’re spot on with the carrots. My shading is not at all successfull…under the leaves it looks like something standing on it’s own and it really does hurt the eye. I also threw in unnecessary shadings under the tips of the carrots, which does the same thing…and that v-shaped shadow which is supposed to follow the little tie around the carrots.. This is of course due to my uncontrollable habit of not leaving things alone! I had finished and then I thought I could maybe have them look a bit better and so the fiddling started! Thank you for noticing it and saying it…I really appreciate it….without positive critique I can’t grow!!
Ronell - biteyourowntail said…
- Lush aubergines Ronell – I’m in love with those colours.I actually like to draw and paint veg – they’re such satisfying shapes – not to mention colours.
- Carole said…
- Well done for clambering out of your slump and painting. I love both of these.Rather than throw away the ones you are less happy with, you could cut out the bits that do work (there are usually bits that do) and collage them, just for fun.
- Regula Scheifele said…
- Slump? – if you say so… though the paintings surely don’t show it.
I love the second one, the colour of the aubergines is perfect (I’ve tried painting aubergines as well, didn’t really get the colour the way I wanted it….).
Beautiful! - andrea joseph’s sketchblog said…
- Ronell I couldn’t agre more. These are brilliant brilliant brilliant.
- Lindsay said…
- Ronell, I’ve been there! Slumps can feel really aweful. The last time I was in one, I took myself on a date to and did some really relaxing and beautiful things. Sometimes, all you need are a few naps and a couple of low pressure outings for just yourself.
The carots are lovely!Take good care! - Cathy (Kate) Johnson said…
- Gorgeous, Ronell! I love the fresh, splashy look…
- Irene said…
- Very nice. Fresh and watery (is that a word?)
- Sandy said…
- Oh My God, there is nothing left to say – I love every bit of them!!! I may hate you 😉
- Sandy said…
- I like both of the pictures. So glad you updated. I come here almost every day just waiting, LOL..silently waiting…these are gorgeous Ronell.sandy
- Emma Pod said…
- Hi Ronell, these are beautiful vegetables! Great colors. I also like your frog from an earlier post!
- Linda said…
- bsolutely gorgeous! The carrots, especially, are just so ALIVE.
- good with color said…
- “sigh”Your paintings are so beautiful, it makes me feel happy and relaxed to look at them. especially those eggplants. I bought some today, to make ratatouille (sp?) but yours are so much nicer! Bunnies everywhere are longing for your carrots, I’ll bet.
- laserone said…
- Hey, that’s really good work for somebody who is uninspired! I especially love the aubergines, I just love blues and purples. 🙂
- Africantapestry said…
- Thanks for the comments, they are all so inspiring.
I alos found Diahn’s article on Wet canvas, very inspiring – makes me want to just get back into doing “small things”, but things that give pleasure. See Diahn at http://artbydiahn.blogspot.com/
Thanks again to everybody. - platitudinal said…
- Ronell, I love how you described holding the pencil and the brush in your hands like eating utensils, and you were waiting for the “perfect meal.”The vegetables looked so beautiful. I love the carrots (even though I don’t really like eating carrots). The orange and the yellow compliment each other so nicely, they’re such a delight to the eyes.
- Claudia said…
- W o n d e r f u l colours, Ronell! Keep up the good work! I always love to see more of it!
…And thank you for your nice words “whatever you chose to do, do it to the fullest!”
Kind regards from
Claudia - Tonniece said…
- I enjoy your art so much Ronell, whether in a slump or in perfect form, you always get it right.
- Laureline said…
- Wow!!!!!!!!Just amazingly gorgeous, Ronell!!! They’re so loose and colorful and watery—PERFECT!!
- Anita said…
- Ronell you turn everything into an uplifting rainbow, these are beautiful!!!
- Sandy said…
- just waving hello…looking for updates..no pressure…but looking for updates..LOL…gosh everytime I come here I get inspired…I love your stuff. By the way you have great links too…
- Pequete said…
- Well, if this is a slump… I just wish I had some of these myself! Both sketches are lovely, but I especially like the carrots one, so painterly and light.
- wagonized said…
- What a great approach. When i hit a drawing funk, even my favorite subjects are uninviting — that’s probably because i am less willing to “surprise” myself. These are gorgeous — just what you managed to do by pushing yourself into the kitchen is amazing. And i love the fact you chose to juxtapose the orange of the carrots with the purple underneath. Excellent.
- phthaloblu said…
- These are great sketches. Sorry to hear about your slump. Just keep ‘doing’ and hopefully you won’t be slumping for long. Your work is beautiful and so loose and I love looking at it. Good thought for you!
- Bill said…
- hy an I always hungry after visiting your blog?Beautiful!
- CrumpledPaperbirds said…
- These are gorgeous!!!
Lovely colors, and love the two pics next to each other…food for eyes.
Unknown faces on the train
Some faces on the train to Paris. All done in pen in moleskine and given a wash later at home.
- Anita said…
- They are all wonderful Ronell but I especially like the 2nd with the woman facing away, adds a sense of mystery and gets the imagination pumping!
- Lin said…
- BEAUTIFUL!! The softness of the wash is outstanding!
- Meinhild Selbach said…
- Great work! I really like your style.
Greetings from the Lyons area 😉
Meinhild (inselfan54) - Nancy Van Blaricom said…
- These are beautiful. Was it ink or watercolor you used for a wash? Your portrait sketches are so well done.
- Nina Johansson said…
- Great with those grey washes, I love these drawings!
- mARTa said…
- love these too! I did my daughter on the train into Los Angeles on friday….she was right in front of me so I could see her!!! I love how these don’t have color…the washes are beautiful.
- Jenny said…
- Enjoyed your train sketches. Ink and wash is perfect for these.
- Arty Velarde said…
- These are nice, I like the washes for the gray scale.
It looks cool! - juj said…
- These are fabulous Ronnell – Your linework is so free and easy, and the washes are the perfect touch. I love the sleeping man at the top and the one at the bottom. And there is something so compelling about the posture of the girl with the pony tail. Sly girl – capturing the people who wouldn’t notice what you were doing!
- Sandy said…
- Gosh how do you do this!!! I would love to learn watercolor wash like this…just beautiful and delicate. sandy
- Africantapestry said…
- Thank you to verybody for the kind comments…I really appreciate your encouragement.
Nancy – I just used some black watercolor.
Marta – will have alook at your daughter’s sketch today. I think someone right opposite me is a bit intimidating(a stranger)…I expect them to bite me any minute!
Judi – Yip, that is exacty how I caught Hartman…!
Sandy – I feel like I’m is actually cheating; really good sketching can stand on its own with only the lines, but I feel mine needs that extra bit of “oomph”..
Ronell - biteyourowntail said…
- Sneaky drawings of people – love them. And what better way to spend a train journey? Lovely work
- Dave said…
- These are lovely. So expressive and the wash adds a lot to the line work.
- Robyn said…
- Wonderful people! I too love the girl with the pony tail but they are a delightful lot. I think the sketches would stand up very well without it, but the wash is a lovely touch. Paris! Sigh! The last time I saw Paris….
- Tonniece said…
- A real wow factor here Ronell.
Great sketches - hfm said…
- Great work! Don’t know how you can draw on the train! I’ve tried but I can’t
- Ujwala said…
- the ink and wash portraits are beautiful ronnel! now i need me some trains to ride in 😀 actually i’d be too shy to pull out my sketchpad at such close proximity to the subject! 😀
- Claudia said…
- Oh, Ronell, you did so nice paintings and drawing while i was away on my hiking tours! I nearly can’t decide which I like the best! Your glass bells are so wonderful! But your garden sketches turned out so good as well!!! I like the colours you use!
And your train sketches are very nice, too! I want to see more!!! - Carole said…
- You are so talented, Ronell. You’ve captured a lot of character with these simple lines.You are brave, sketching people. I always feel too self conscious to attempt it, which is a shame as it would be a good way to spend the time on the train.
- Anonymous said…
- HELLO, i CANT TELL YOU HOW MUCH i LOVE YOUR WORK AND BOTH BLOGS. sINCE iM LEARNING ON MY OWN YOUR WORK HELPS ME ALONG IN LOOKING AT HOW YOUVE PAINTED THNGS.
tHANK-YOU SO AND HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY.
lINDA - caseytoussaint said…
- I somehow missed this post – it’s wonderful, Ronell! These are so full of character, so individual – I really love them. This seems like a new departure for you (?)
Summer guests
Every summer our Bed and Breakfast is fully booked. Mostly by regulars who visit year after year, finding our meals unsurpassed, our hospitality most gracious and our facilities nothing but quality; in short, five star accommodation at a reasonable price.
Mr Frog arrived later than usual this year and is still awaiting the lady of this affair to arrive. Every evening he protests his discontentment at her not being here yet, in his distinguished baritone voice. I hope she arrives soon, I don’t like seeing my guests unhappy.
Once again we had the honor of assisting in the arrival of Mr and Mr Swallow’s young ones. What a lovely couple they are, so caring and loving and protective of the live they have created. the happy event happened only 5 days ago and it was a grand event here. We opened up a bottle of bubbly and all the guests attended to celebrate the wonder of new life and admire the 5 adorable infants.
Miss White butterfly brought many more of her friends along this year and I really had to be inventive to accommodate all these teenagers. But I love every minute of their delightful company! We have come into the habit of sharing an hour or so together every afternoon, where I learn from them all about being a delicate and beautiful and delightful adolescent again. Along with the ever roaming dark and handsome bees, they enjoy energetic parties until late night, Fortunately the neighbors haven’t complained yet. I suspect they know and understand all about the habits of these young people.
We are also very honored to accommodate very well-known international models in our B&B every year, miss Dragonfly and company. They keep mostly to themselves, are very discreet and love their privacy. But when the moment shows itself, I’ll stare at them shamelessly, wishing I had their elegance and beauty Soon they will all be moving on to make room for the next half of the summer guests, leaving me just enough time to tidy up, restock the pantry and put out fresh flowers. The arrival of our summer guests, is a highlight in the season, something we look forward to year after year.
All these sketches were done in pen and WC in moleskine.
30 comments:
- Tonniece said…
- It sounds so super there, with all the guests, the night sounds, and the beginnings of new life.
Wonderful wc’s depicting all that activity. - Jenny said…
- You have such beautiful, interesting guests! Seems they give you infinite pleasure in return for your excellent accommodations. You are wise to appreciate your exciting life.
- Lin said…
- RONELL!!THIS IS ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTFUL! HUMOROUS, FUN, INGENEOUS, ENTERTAINING, AND SO BEAUTIFULLY PAINTED!! WHAT A DELIGHT!MOVE OVER WEE GUESTS, I, TOO, WANT A ROOM!BRAVA, CARA .. THIS IS FANTASTIC!!
- Andrew said…
- too much fun…couldnt wait to see what you were terming your summer guests…lol
- Anonymous said…
- Love this B&B!hfm
http://tcores.blogspot.com - juj said…
- Your sketches are – as always – simply wonderful, but I especially enjoyed the story. I have a much nicer perspective on the wildlife in my yard now. Thanks for the much needed break in my day.
- Brenda Y said…
- You had me going!! I was thinking, “hmm, I didn’t know Ronell ran a B & B,” only to discover very shortly the true identity of your “guests!” Outstanding story and FABULOUS sketches!! Loved every word and brush stroke.
- bec said…
- you had me going too! so cool, I thought….she runs a b&b! HA! You’ve brought your guests to life for me with your beautiful watercolors! Thank you!
- mARTa said…
- Well, it’s not going to take much more than this to convince me that I MUST come for a night and see what all this magic is about! I’ll have to email you soon so we can work out some dates! Will the dragonfly models be gone by October…so sad that I might miss them! What a midsummer night’s dream you live!
- Nancy said…
- I love it when I click on my digest e-mail and find that you have posted new sketches. It makes my day!
- good with color said…
- These are some of the nicet summer drawings/paintings I have seen in a long time. They will be great to look back to when cold weather returns with its different visitors. Your accompanying notes are a joy to read.
csqwbm - caseytoussaint said…
- What a treat! These are just delightful, Ronell. It’s so much fun to see all your ‘guests’ close up. I feel honored to have heard Mr. Frog complaining in person. You’ve brightened up this grey day for me – thank you!
- Ujwala said…
- i love all of them! very very nice. i hope mr frog finds his companion soon.
- Lindsay said…
- Ronell! I did not know you ran a B and B for such elegant visitors. I’m very impressed. My compliments to the gardner!This post is the essance of summer!
- Sandy said…
- Love your B&B post with the description of its’ guests. This was so fun Ronell. Paintings are beautiful and delicate as usual. Don’t let those teenagers wear ya out okay…I’m having the same problem with mine…very energetic and raucous…I must subscribe to your emails..I always come late to the party.sandy
- Christeen said…
- What a charming narrative- I felt like I was there, marveling at your guests in person 🙂
Your paintings are beautiful! - Sandy said…
- Ronell, you are just a blast – Lovely work as always! What a treat to be your Guest!!
- Diahn said…
- How lovely! If you ever start accepting human guests, I believe I’ll have to make a flight over and stay a while – such fabulous and interesting company it would be!!
- Carole said…
- Your blog is just a delight to read and look at! You’ve managed to make me smile on a cold, wet day here – thank you.
- Robyn said…
- They are beautiful guests, Ronell, the very best kind, I think. I would adore to have Swallows born in my garden and a cloud of butterflies in the lavender was one of my most magical early memories of a European summer.
Now I’m going to subscribe to your blog so I don’t arrive last with my praise! - Lynn said…
- What a wonderful post! Thank you for sharing this part of your life. I love your sketches.
- Dave said…
- You make it look and sound idyllic! Wonderful post.
- martha said…
- Wonderful nature sketches – so loose and colorful!
- phthaloblu said…
- What wonderful sketches and I just love the way you write! It’s what makes your blog so interesting.
- Nancy Van Blaricom said…
- Ok Ronell, here’s the deal. You have a contest offering the winner a weeks all expenses paid vacation to your b & b, then you pretend to honestly pick the winner… but all along it will be me that gets to come. Oh what fun it will be.Oh the other hand…. have you ever given thought of writing an illistrated book of a summer or fall etc in the life of Ronell? I think it would be wonderful to read and look at. You have such a way with words and paints…….. Give it some thought, for us, your fans.
- Africantapestry said…
- Thank you for all the kind comments.
You made an interesting point there, Sandy and Robyn…subscribing to a blog? I don’t know how that works and thought that was for “professional bloggers”…I would also like to subscribe to some work, because I also arrive late with comments…tell me too how to do it!
Ronell - Desiree said…
- OH what fun you are! I loved the story and was ready to sign up to visit your B&B, maybe you should think about writing ads for peoples business’! Great work.
- Sandy said…
- oh boy…how to have a subscribe button..I would go to the dashboard and read up from there. Maybe it will talk about it. If not just google how to put email subscription on blog, that ought to do it..but I would definitely sign up. I wanna be in line FIRST…its’ all about me, don’t ya know..hahaha.
- Jana Bouc said…
- This was such a delight to read and see. I’m awed by your creativeness, sense of humor and talent. A little butterfly landed on my knee the other day in my backyard and I got to study it for a quite awhile. It reminded me of how my mother used to give me “butterfly kisses” with her eyelashes as it was so delicate and gentle.
- luci said…
- Love, *love*, the story, Ronell. And of course the beautiful pictures that illustrate it all. Your garden is as magical as the one in Secret Garden. 🙂
Africantapestry 
