fabriano artistico hot pressed

Posted on January 30, 2015January 30, 2015 by Myfrenchkitchen · 3 Comments

Cream tulip sketches.

I still have 2 days left to capture some bulbs. Not that it means we are in spring. On the contrary, with snow forecasts for this weekend en cold to the bone weather and the fire burning high in the fireplace, it is everything but spring. Inside my barn though, I have forced bulbs everywhere and tulips in vases. Nothing can stop me from bringing some spring inside.

I used lots of different mediums and styles, just simply playing around, messing around. I enjoy working with gouache, I don’t do that enough, so it was great to do some sketches with gouache today. the last image is one of the gouache sketches..but I ruined it of course with that enormous name I signed…tried to be too artistic…

..Tulips..

..contour lines with black Lamy safari pen on Fabraino watercolor block HP, 18×25.5cm

..Tulips 2..

..watercolor and J. Herbin ink, café des iles in Stillman & Birn sketchbook, Epsilon series, 14×21.6cm

..Tulips 3..

..watercolor and in Stillman & Birn sketchbook, Alpha series, 22.9x15cm

..Tulips 4..

..gouache and black Lamy safari pen on Fabriano watercolor block, HP, 18X25cm

Posted on January 29, 2015January 29, 2015 by Myfrenchkitchen · 3 Comments

Still doing bulb sketches.

The potted bulbs all have some flowers and today the little Iris reticulata had its turn. Some quick line work in inks and blotches of watercolor was all that I was in the mood for.

..Iris reticulata 1..

..watercolor and J. Herbin ink(bleu myosotis and lie de the) on Fabriano HPwatercolor block..

The top sketch was done on Fabriano hot press watercolor paper, my favorite and the inks just work beautifully with the nibs and inks. The bottom sketch on cold press was a different story. The nibs get stuck on the paper with its rough texture and I just don’t like any other paper than hot pressed. you can just look at my signed name to see how I struggled to get a fluid line down.

..Iris reticulata 2..

..watercolor and Sennelier ink(sanguine 270) on Fabriano CP watercolor block..

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Myfrenchkitchen · 5 Comments

Sketching Hyacinths.

I’ve mentioned how slow I am in January. I fiddle everywhere without getting anything done. With aw eek of January left, I decided to give myself a project for this week. I always work better towards a deadline with objectives and projects. I have some forced bulbs and for these few days I will render them in more ways than one. My technique is busy changing, which is of course a good thing, but in the process of that change it is without definition and all over the place. Experimenting with brush and line may just open up a new door for a February project.

So the first bulbs are the hyacinths. Lovely to look at, but they really cornered me. I did several of which I show only these two.

hyacinth bulb 1

done in watercolor an prera pilot pen on Fabriano HP extra white watercolor block, 23×30.5cm

hyacinth bulb 2

done in watercolor and Lamy safari pen on Fabriano HP extra white watercolor block, 23×30.5cm

..à bientôt..

Ronelle

Posted on February 2, 2013February 2, 2013 by Myfrenchkitchen · 8 Comments

Umbrella, ombrelle, parasol, parapluie, they all say one thing…sketch me!

An umbrella is easy to draw..right? DING! Wrong!

So many things to consider: Convex, concave, round, shadows, transparency, folds, foreshortening, colour, patterns…

A good challenge!

..two half open umbrellas..

pen and watercolor on Fabriano artistico watercolor block, HP, 23×30,5cm

..wide open umbrella..

pen and watercolor on Fabriano artistico watercolor block, HP, 23×30,5cm

..two closed umbrellas..

pen and watercolor on Fabriano artistico watercolor block, HP, 23×30,5cm

Posted on November 15, 2012November 15, 2012 by Myfrenchkitchen · 8 Comments

Reds in autumn

Voilà all the reds from fall, the last of my autumn colours.

..the palette for all the autumn reds..

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..line drawings in pen and aquarelle added last..

18×25.5cm aquarelle arches block, CP

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.. wetting the paper, dripped some aqaurelle pigment, leave to dry and finished with pen line drawing..

23×30.5cm aquarelle Fabriano block, HP

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deraing in pan and dripping drops of colour..

18×25.5cm aquarelle arches block, CP

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..drawing in pen and aquarelle wash afterwards..

18×25.5cm aquarelle arches block, CP

Posted on August 24, 2011September 4, 2011 by Myfrenchkitchen · 12 Comments

Sketch of a market day in Beaulieu sur dordogne.

I took today off…apart from making my bed, I decide I am doing nothing else today. In terms of working that is. So I dressed myself pretty, put on some make up, which I haven’t done in ages. A dash of perfume…well OK, that I do every day, even when feeding the horses. But you know what I mean. A day where I ignore all kinds of “must do” lists and let the day run free. Yes, I know, I’m fortunate to be able to do it.

…market day in Beaulieu sur Dordogne…

pen and watercolor on Fabriano watercolor paper, HP, 18x24cm

So I took off to Beaulieu, not to open my gallery, on the contrary, I hung a notice…”gone painting” on the door. which is of course not the truth. I had many coffees, chatted with friend and foe, shopped at the market, ate a delicious “flamiche au saumon”, I paged through the cote Sud and cote Est and Cote Ouest, found inspiration and new ideas, and yes. I caught a sketch. Of the market. While sipping my third coffee.