dip pen – Africantapestry

Posted on September 17, 2015September 17, 2015 by Myfrenchkitchen · 4 Comments

Sketches of old Fench soupiere and plates.

I love my old French tableware…soupiéres, platters, plates, bowls and other dishware. Sketching them is quite challenging though, since they have such nice old patinas that I would love to capture. The only way for me to get that is to use different media. In the 2 sketches below, I used J. Herbin inks, De-Atramentis inks, watercolour, watercolour pencils, nib pen, pilot prera pen and gouache. I think I sort of got some patina on the dishes..

The sketches below are an old French soupiére, a Polish jug with my chickens’ feathers that I stick in at will.The second sketch is an old French platter and oval plate.

French soupiére and Polish jug

mixed media in Stillman & birn sketchbook, epsilon series14X21.6cm

Old French platter and plate

mixed media in Stillman & Birn sketchbook, epsilon series14X21.6cm

à la prochaine

Ronelle

Posted on July 29, 2015July 29, 2015 by Myfrenchkitchen · 24 Comments

A selfportrait.

I broke my leg a week ago. Played ball with Lindiwe, our young German Shepherd girl and slipped when running down a hill and I just heard that bone break when I hit the ground. Now my leg is up to the knee in a cast and I am on crutches.

..selfportrait of poor me ..

dip pen and black ink in Daler rowney sketchbook, 21X29.7cm

That is the worst…these crutches. They frustrate me beyond belief. The first few days it felt like someone on either side of my arms were pulling me apart across my chest and my leg carrying the weight felt like it was carrying a freight ship. I moved like a hiccup…in short jumps, trying my best to take a painless step forward. Each time someone tried to encourage me or applaud my effort, I felt like whacking them with the crutches. If I didn’t desperately need both crutches, I probably would have done so. I have never broken anything. Sure, many stretched or torn muscles because of sport, but never a broken something. So using these crutches was for me, the ever impatient one, a miserable punishment. But I just had to picture people less fortunate who live like this every day of their lives, and I would get up, let go of the feeling-sorry-for-myself-upper-lip and get moving.

My daughter told me to do a selfportrait of miserable-me during this time. And so I did. And it was the perfect way of taking a step back and end up laughing at myself and be grateful that it is only a broken leg.

..my children decided the white plaster is far too boring, so we decorated it a bit with a black marker..

My next post will be on splashes, splotches and splatters. Keep an eye out if you are interested in seeing how I splash and splatter paint on paper.

à bientôt

Ronelle

Posted on July 24, 2015 by Myfrenchkitchen · 2 Comments

Resketch the gargoyle and fountain.

I wasn’t satisfied with the gargoyle sketch 2 posts ago and even leaving it to the art fairy didn’t help. In fact the more I looked at it, the worse it got. So today I decided to redo it. I am still not in heaven about the sketch, but at least it is a bit better and I am tired of that spot in the garden. I suppose you can’t win all the time.And now I have to move on.

Gargoyle fountain

watercolour and dip pen with black ink in daler rowney sketchbook, 21X29.7cm

Posted on July 23, 2015 by Myfrenchkitchen · 3 Comments

Two more garden corner sketches in watercolour.

I sat myself in the same spot outside on the terrace as yesterday and did 2 more sketches . I have now almost made a complete 360 degrees turn and sketched what I saw in front of me. This time I faced the house and sketched one of the two comfy chairs under the kitchen window on the terrace. The chandelier hanging under the grapevine was next with the crystals catching the sunlight and flashing in all the colours..I can’t do it justice, but I remember it.

comfy chair on the terrace

watercolor and nib pen with blck ink in Daler rowney sketchbook, 21X29.7cm

Chandelier hanging under grapevine

watercolor and nib pen with blck ink in Daler rowney sketchbook, 21X29.7cm

Posted on July 22, 2015July 22, 2015 by Myfrenchkitchen

Aquarelle sketches of garden corners.

I sat out in the garden today and turned my chair 180 degrees to get to 4 sketches. My anduze pot with a young cycad , then the apple tree behind a table, the gagoile fountain next to a potted lemon tree and lastly the old barn door with a lost sunflower beside it. All 4 sketches are somewhat wonky: the cycad in the first sketch is really terrible and the gargoyle is yotally off scale and askew…in reality the gargoyle is beautiuful, orignating from the 13th centurychateau de Chauvigny and it was a birthday giort from mon chéri many years ago.

..anduze pot with a young cycad..

watercolor and pentel brush pen in Daler Rowney sketchbook, 21X29.7 cm

..apple tree and table with terracotta pot..

watercolor and pentel brush pen in Daler Rowney sketchbook, 21X29.7 cm

..gargoyle fountain beside a potted lemon tree against a stone wall..

watercolor and dip pen with black ink in Daler Rowney sketchbook, 21X29.7 cm

..old barn door with wilted sunflower..

watercolor and dip pen with black ink in Daler Rowney sketchbook, 21X29.7 cm

à bientôt

Ronell

Posted on May 22, 2015May 22, 2015 by Myfrenchkitchen · 4 Comments

EDM-art 2 : Favorite spot to read.

I can read anywhere and I have too many favorite spots to name. It can be outside or on the couch, or in a cafe, in a movie, when people bore me or when I feel boring to others .. But, if you want me in la-la land, give me a book in bed. We don’t have a television in the bedroom. Or a radio, or any other kind of electromagnetic/electronic/ultrasonic/robotic appliance. And I can’t read in my bed. My bedroom is romantic and beautiful to be in.. My bed is beautiful to sleep in. And a book only makes me a sleeping beauty.

…my bed, not my favorite spot to read..

nib pen and ink with wash in S&B sketchbook, 22.9X15.2 cm