Illustration – Page 8 – Africantapestry

Posted on May 4, 2015May 4, 2015 by Myfrenchkitchen · 6 Comments

EDM-art 4: Spice bottles.

I struggled with this theme today. Not because I don’t like spices, au contraire, it is a delicious theme and I love it. But the ideas didn’t show up today.I couldn’t fix my pen on a cool composition and the brush didn’t work for me either. My wrist was stiff and unforgiving in sketching these bottles. Instead of having a free hand and sketching with some wonk, which is my usual style, my sketches become overworked and controlled. Not me. Not me at all. In this process of struggle today, I paged back through the last few sketches and artwork I did…and there I saw it; Stiffness and control. Slowly but surely during the last few sketches I moved towards controlling the pen and colour, while they should actually have more of a will of their own. That is how I raised my daughters and that is how I like my art.

Sketch 1: a himalayan salt and black pepper mill, totally overworked and in good ole French…“n’importe quoi!”

watercolour and pen in Daler Rowney sketchbook,21X29.7 cm

Sketch 2: without interest, overworked, not funk or peps, actually a bit boring.

watercolour and pilot prera pen in Stillman & birn sketchbook, 22.9X15.2 cm

Sketch 3: this ws my last sketch and almost there, but not quite yet. I think I got tired at this stage, but there is a bit more interest in the dynamics, a bit more wonk and interpretation.But still sloppy. (a loose, free style doesn’t mean sloppy.)

Sketch 4: This was the second last one and I was a bit angry here, trying and trying and not getting what I want (almost went into tantrum mode…). This sketch is downright sloppy.

watercolour and pilot prera pen in Stillman & Birn sketchbook,14X21.6 cm

See you tomorrow with sketch(es) on the theme…something hot!

Ronelle

Posted on May 2, 2015 by Myfrenchkitchen · 6 Comments

Every day in May – (1)a favorite food and (2)a tree.

“A favorite food,” says the list of the art group EDM for this month of May.. Only one favorite food? That is a huge punishment! I can draw a favorite food for a whole month and even beyond. How then to choose between all my wonderful favorite fruits, the colourful vegetables, the meat…(yes, you Greenies, I love my meat!) And then there are fish and shellfish and how about a slice of cake? Or a cookie. And dessert. I never skip dessert. I won’t even mention chocolate and that first cup of coffee in the morning. Only one favorite food?

However, I can sometimes play by the rules and this time seems appropriate enough to do so. So one favorite food it is. I confess my weakness for macarons. Those beautiful, sensual, romantic and utterly delicious delicacies our patisserie in Beaulieu so shamelessly flaunts in the display window. By just looking in my eyes, they know I am there for a box of macarons. Yellows and purples and pinks and reds which vary between red fruits and blueberry and strawberry and lemon and vanilla, chocolate, coffee, caramel and my big favorite, that green one, the pistache. I love them all. I leave the patisserie on an euphoric cloud and with my precious macarons gently tucked next to each other in a quaint box and artfully tied with a pink ribbon. All that is left now, is to nail this sketch, so I can retire with my box of macarons to my favorite chair in my favorite corner…..sigh. I rest my case.

..macarons..

watercolor and dip pen with Sennelier indigo ink in S&B alpha sketchbook, 22.9×15.2cm

***************************************************************

I can totally understand why there are nutcases walking around hugging each tree they come across. sometimes I am one of them. Cause a tree is not just a tree. It is a friend, it stirs our emotion, it is a refuge, that safe place under/or in its branches where we hide from all that scorches us..the sun, the world. The olive tree is all of that for me. I do hug my olive trees and talk to them, touch them, stroke them, care for them, love them. They make me think of sunshine and heat. They makes me hear the cigales. They bring me the scent of lavender and wild herbs in the fields and I see colourful vegetables drizzled with the golden oil from its olives, glistening with crystals of fleur de sel. That is my olive tree.

..olive tree..

watercolor and Prera pilot fountain pen in S&B epsilon sketchbook, 14×21.6 cm

à demain

Ronelle

Posted on April 21, 2015 by Myfrenchkitchen · 4 Comments

Sketching at the Dordogne.

Today was a burst of sunshine and blue skies. I decided on a much needed break and took off with my sketch tools to la Dordogne in Beaulieu sur Dordogne. It was beautiful by die river, under the trees, with only a jogger here and there. Sat on the edge, I sketched the opposite side with its quint homes on the river. Hunger drove me to Café Douceur for lunch, before I could get in another sketch. The empty table next to me became a second sketch.

..la Dordogne..

watercolor and TWSBI-mini pen in Daler & Rowney sketchbook, 14,9X21,0 cm

I tried a new pen today after reading about on a blog and I am highly disappointed. The TWSB-mini struggles to write over dried aquarelle and it scratches. When it does draw, it is thick and unforgiving, even though it is a fine point. Back to my preferred pilot prera.

..table and chair at Café Douceur..

watercolor wash and TWSBI-mini pen in Daler & Rowney sketchbook, 14,9X21,0 cm

à l bientôt

Ronelle

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Myfrenchkitchen · 9 Comments

Sketching a streetscene in Beaulieu sur dordogne.

I sat on the terrace of Café Douceur this afternoon and while sipping my coffee, I sketched the street. My pen ran dry on my halfway through the sketch, which resulted in some thin, scratchy lines. I hope the colourful splashes watercolor make up for it..

..street in Beulieu sur dordogne – close up 1..

Pen and watercolor in Stillman & Birn, alpha series sketchbook, 22.9X15.2 cm

..street in Beulieu sur dordogne – close up 2..

..street in Beaulieu sur dordogne..

And lastly some people sketching..done on Fabriano artistico watercolor block, 27X18cm

à la prochaine.

Ronelle

Posted on April 11, 2015April 11, 2015 by Myfrenchkitchen · 7 Comments

Sketching in the garden

This morning it rained. then the rain made way for the sun. We decided some grilled fish would be great for lunch. While mon chéri grilled our daurade over the coals, I lazily, splashed watercolor and squiggled pen lines in two Stilman &Birn sketchbooks. White tulips in an urn and white daffodils among boxwoods…simple scenes turned into messy washes…how I love it..!

..Sketching in the garden 1..

pen and watercolor washes in Stillman & Birn sketchbook, alpha, 22.9×15.2cm

.Sketching in the garden 2..

pen and watercolor washes in Stillman & Birn sketchbook, Epsilon, 14×21.6cm

à la prochaine!

Ronelle

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

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