ronell van wyk – Page 46 – Africantapestry

Posted on June 13, 2007July 6, 2008 by Myfrenchkitchen · 2 Comments

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.; June 13, 2007 11:17 PM
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.; June 13, 2007 11:30 PM
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!!; June 13, 2007 11:34 PM
Andrew said…: too much fun…couldnt wait to see what you were terming your summer guests…lol; June 14, 2007 12:00 AM
Anonymous said…: Love this B&B!hfm
http://tcores.blogspot.com; June 14, 2007 12:48 AM
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.; June 14, 2007 12:54 AM
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.; June 14, 2007 1:21 AM
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!; June 14, 2007 2:22 AM
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!; June 14, 2007 4:01 AM
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!; June 14, 2007 4:03 AM
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; June 14, 2007 5:48 AM
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!; June 14, 2007 11:32 AM
Ujwala said…: i love all of them! very very nice. i hope mr frog finds his companion soon.; June 14, 2007 1:18 PM
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!; June 14, 2007 3:17 PM
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; June 14, 2007 5:07 PM
Christeen said…: What a charming narrative- I felt like I was there, marveling at your guests in person 🙂
Your paintings are beautiful!; June 14, 2007 5:14 PM
Sandy said…: Ronell, you are just a blast – Lovely work as always! What a treat to be your Guest!!; June 14, 2007 5:15 PM
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!!; June 14, 2007 6:02 PM
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.; June 14, 2007 6:19 PM
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!; June 14, 2007 7:40 PM
Lynn said…: What a wonderful post! Thank you for sharing this part of your life. I love your sketches.; June 14, 2007 9:47 PM
Dave said…: You make it look and sound idyllic! Wonderful post.; June 15, 2007 12:03 AM
martha said…: Wonderful nature sketches – so loose and colorful!; June 15, 2007 12:54 AM
phthaloblu said…: What wonderful sketches and I just love the way you write! It’s what makes your blog so interesting.; June 15, 2007 1:40 AM
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.; June 15, 2007 5:16 AM
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; June 15, 2007 6:28 PM
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.; June 15, 2007 7:21 PM
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.; June 16, 2007 7:30 PM
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.; June 17, 2007 8:08 AM
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. 🙂

Posted on June 9, 2007July 6, 2008 by Myfrenchkitchen

Urns and tennis

I have a passion for urns…Medici, cast iron, soapstone, old stone…I love their shape and touch and smell, their poise and nobility. While I watched the tennis today, my hands looked for something to do. Since I’ve been longing to do a few urns for some time now, I thought I should start right away with the first one, an old French cast iron urn. The first painting is oil on linen which I did a few years ago.It is close to my heart.

This next one is one of three watercolors I did while watching the ladies final at Roland Garos this afternoon. I wanted to go for the same composition as the oil just for comparison. This was the last of my attempts and probably the one closest to what I intended. Maybe because by this time the tennis result was a clear cut thing, no doubt who the winner would be, so my attention was mostly on the paper.The shape is awkward though, but that doesn’t bother me too much. I’m never too fixed on realism. My watercolors are a bit sloppy lately, but my goal is to bring more expressionism into them, to accentuate color more and the big one …to fiddle less

This sketch comes in second. I’m not happy with it, although there is something that makes me look at it again. It is very wild and uncontrolled, dark a with lot of confusing leaves….that actually sounds very much like my mind…. or it could be the tennis. By this stage in the match, it was a very one-sided gameAnd finally, my first attempt right at the beginning of the match, when I still thought it was going to be a tough battle and my attention was eagerly turned more to the game.

There is really no interest in this one, very flat and floating with no excitement. After these attempts I had enough of this urn, however much I love it. I’ll try some others for next time

22 comments:

Dave said…: Interesting exercise to paint the same thing three times. I like all of them, but I think I agree with your order of preference. The oil is outstanding!; June 9, 2007 7:43 PM
Renate said…: I’m in love with the oil painting. There is something very intriguing in it. Maybe the way you get the light … Don’t know. But it’s great!; June 9, 2007 7:59 PM
Sandy said…: Love the oil painting too and of the three, my favorite is the bottom one…just gorgeous. But…I’m still thinking about that outdoor kithen and alfresco cooking…yum…I’m hungry..; June 9, 2007 9:35 PM
🙂 Silvia said…: All of the paintings are great, but the first one is really outstanding :)!! It’s understandable that you are very fond of it.; June 9, 2007 11:18 PM
Robyn said…: The urn was the winner on the day. Beautiful all ways. I love the oil – awesome, but my favourite of your ‘tennis’ paintings is the first one. Smashing!; June 9, 2007 11:18 PM
janey said…: Yes the oil is excellent but actually my favorite is the last one. I like the freedom and the colors.; June 10, 2007 12:43 AM
Jenny said…: I like them all, and there’s no reason for me to pick one over the others. :)Sports on television cannot hold my attention and something else to do must me found. Needlework is my usual choice if it’s at an uncomplicated point.; June 10, 2007 2:07 AM
caseytoussaint said…: Ronell, whenever I stop paying attention I miss another fabulous post! this is great, I’ve always loved that oil, and it looks wonderful here – I think my favorite of the watercolors is the last one – it looks like you’re sure of your subject and know where you wanted to go with it, maybe because the composition is a bit simpler. Delightful.; June 10, 2007 4:56 PM
Lindsay said…: Wow! You have an amazing eye for detail! Great wc sketches too.; June 10, 2007 4:58 PM
Jana Bouc said…: hese are all amazing and I’m so envious of your oil technique. I think my favorite images of the urn though are the first one (the oil) and the last one. The surface of the urn in the oil is perfect and it looks so weighty and substantial. The values in the last watercolor image are just right and it really stands out.; June 11, 2007 6:45 AM
hfm said…: Love your persistency… and for me they are good and transparent as I like them.; June 11, 2007 10:40 AM
Anita said…: Oh Ronell, we share a passion. I can’t pass an urn or a column or ballistrade without running my hands along it’s curves…Which can be rather embarassing for those who are with me at times. LOL!
Your paintings are beautiful. The oil is exceptional and the watercolours show your personality, knowledge of subject and love of colour.
Truly gorgeous!; June 11, 2007 12:40 PM
Africantapestry said…: Thank you for your commenst…I rellay apprecieate it.
Ronell; June 11, 2007 4:09 PM
Bonny said…: Fabulous, Ronell! To me, all the urn sketches are interesting for their own sake. I don’t think I’ve ever concentrated on drawing one thing several times to compare the results. Neat idea!; June 11, 2007 4:21 PM
Laureline said…: Hey, I love that last one—so what am I, chopped liver?? The whole group is such fun to see and, as always, your narrative is charming and compelling, too.; June 11, 2007 8:10 PM
Sandy said…: Each rendition is wonderful in it’s own – I cannot sit still to do the same subject repeatedly but this shows how much variety can be achieved – Great work as always.; June 11, 2007 8:17 PM
wagonized said…: Such an intricate shape to draw / paint. The first one blows me away, quite simply. I think oil is very appropriate for the weight of the urn.; June 12, 2007 5:22 AM
Carole said…: How do you find the patience to paint the same thing three times! You must learn a lot from doing so. I love the differences in these three paintings, and they all have characteristics that I like. I like the loose expressive style and think you’ve achieved it well. My favourite is, of course, the oil painting. It’s simply stunning.; June 12, 2007 6:31 PM
Tonniece said…: As always lovely pieces. The oil painting is wonderful Ronell.; June 13, 2007 11:13 PM
Andrew said…: wowoowwww these are just awesome…so did you watch much of the match:>; June 14, 2007 12:01 AM
Serena said…: WOW! I’m flat out painting something once let alone four times. The oil is my absolute favourite but the other’s are vibrant with colour and flair. Well done, Ronell ~; June 20, 2007 6:20 AM
platitudinal said…: I love how your paintings give us hints of your self, Ronell. Today we learn that you have a passion for urns and the reason behind it.Your talent never ceases to amaze me.

Posted on June 7, 2007July 6, 2008 by Myfrenchkitchen

From shade to shade in summer

In summer we travel from shade to shade.

Early mornings, cup of coffee in hand, are spent on the terrace, sitting on a rock at the entrance to one of our caves and contemplating. The shade of the huge cliff at your back is a welcome relief after a hot night’s suffering. These stairs, leading up to the terrace, were done in pen and watercolor, on Fabriano WC paperHP(extra white).

After all that meditating and musing, while watching the sun brightening the skies, it is time to move out of the shade and into the working shoes, which are ready on the go at the kitchen door. These are actually the working boots of Hartman, mine wasn’t to be found, but they aren’t as characterful as his anyway. But, pretending they are mine, they will prune and dig and weed and water, while the sun still has a gentle caress. This was done in pen and watercolor on Fabriano CP paper.

All the prunings and snippings of early morning will go into some vase somewhere in the house as well as an empty container in the garden in a shady spot, like the mint in this old kettle on a crooked, rusty chair. This corner was sketched in pen and watercolor on Fabriano HP(extra white)

Finally the day will end in the welcoming shade of our summer kitchen right at the back of the garden, where we enjoy the most wonderful alfresco meals, prepared by Hartman. (The door right at the back goes into a cave, which accounts for the wonderful coolness in summer)This is his kingdom, where he cooks and fries and experiments and flips and flops, with me in the role of sous-chef and lighting candles and lanterns, picking herbs, fiddling here and meddling there. We play guitar and sing and eat and while away the beautiful summer evenings, ending it all with some more contemplating and musing. Tomorrow we’ll start the day again, moving from shade tot shade. This was done in watercolor on Fabriano HP.

29 comments:

Christeen said…: Wow- what a great entry! Thanks for sharing this illustrated peek into a summer day for you and Hartman… gorgeous stuff!; June 7, 2007 6:13 PM
Sandy said…: So lovely Ronell and restful and light – makes me yearn to get out into my garden.; June 7, 2007 6:22 PM
Dave said…: Lovely to hear about your summer days and to see your illustrations of it!; June 7, 2007 7:56 PM
Robyn said…: I love them all but the mint in the kettle is my favourite. Delightful post as usual, Ronell and I learn for the first time that Hartman likes to cook. We are so lucky to have such men! Your garden, with all its special nooks, looks like paradise; June 7, 2007 8:03 PM
Claudia said…: I enjoyed v e r y much reading your blog entry and seeing the wonderful, loose sketches!!! Keep up the good work!!!; June 7, 2007 9:15 PM
Bonny said…: Ronell, you have been busy doing these lovely paintings! They are all fabulous! My favourite one is of the teapot and the mint growing in it. The ‘cave’ is fascinating because of the perspective and the story behind it.
Thanks for sharing!; June 7, 2007 9:59 PM
Anonymous said…: Gorgeous work! I love the shoes.hfm
http://tcores.blogspot.com; June 7, 2007 10:50 PM
mARTa said…: oh, I am envious of you as well! These are all so lovely and inviting! I am already in a mental travel mode and anticipating my trip this fall. I am so excited about meeting you, Casey and Robyn! My day was spent having my nails done, a pedicure and out for sushi with my husband and then an art show this evening. Maybe tomorrow I should play in the garden!; June 8, 2007 12:23 AM
Susan Hosken said…: Yours is the first shade challenge response I’ve seen. I can’t think of what to do so was pleased to see your response.
Lots of love from Susan in Australia; June 8, 2007 12:46 AM
Lin said…: WOWOW!!! What a way to live a life .. what spectacular sketching and painting!! I am awed!; June 8, 2007 1:16 AM
Brenda Y said…: If there were “best blog entry” awards–you would get it!! What a fascinating narative of a day in the life of. . . The drawings and loose watercolor technique is absolutely FANTASTIC! My favorite is your summer kitchen/cave entrance–OHMYGOSH I would absolutely LOVE to cook in that kitchen!!! What a wonderful life and so happy you share it with us-THANKS!!; June 8, 2007 2:11 AM
Lindsay said…: I love your “day in the life of”.
Lovely sketches. The stairs are so lyrical!! Thanks for sharing a slice of your day.; June 8, 2007 2:56 AM
Ujwala said…: sketches are lovely and the post well written. i especially like the first one because you’ve tackled perspective which is one of my stumbling blocks.; June 8, 2007 5:44 AM
caseytoussaint said…: What a beautiful, poetic rendering of you private world, there behind the big old wooden gate. Those cars buzzing past have no idea what a paradise you’re hiding!; June 8, 2007 9:00 AM
Stacy said…: Lovely story, beautiful paintings and the perfect way to spend a summer day! Thanks for sharing!; June 8, 2007 2:58 PM
Carole said…: What an idyllic way to spend the day – thanks for sharing! Beautiful paintings, as always. I don’t know how you manage to keep them so loose and casual looking, and yet have such accuracy in things like the chair, steps and perspective. You talented lady!; June 8, 2007 4:32 PM
Nancy Van Blaricom said…: What a wonderful story teller… I could read a whole book with you as the author … bravo!I can’t pick a favorite of your watercolors….. I want them all. Beautiful colors depicting a summer day.; June 8, 2007 4:43 PM
SCquiltaddict said…: lovely as usual…what time is dinner???:> and whats hartmann cooking?!; June 8, 2007 5:31 PM
Anonymous said…: Hi RonellI frequently visit you block to check on latest post and commentaries. Normally I refrain from commenting but this time around I can not resist. Maybe I was compelled by the fact that I was implicated so much this time around.Being true to your philosophy of telling stories with painting I could read much more in your carefully constricted associated text. Of course I have an additional advantage above your normal critiques by the fact that I know these place so well myself. But what the heck something must compensate for my lack of artistic expertise.For instance I could feel the shade and almost smell the associated odor of the moss on the wall while looking at the painting of the stairs. I could sense the relive of the end of the days work in the garden associated in the pair of shoes hinting to fact that they have been taken off only moments ago. The mint in the cattle spoke of you and the combination of your love for the garden and antiques. I could not help to immediately visualize many moments of joy in the garden or “brocante” after an unusual find.However what struck me most was the emotions and many memories of good times that were evoked by looking at the painting of summer kitchen.I believe that artist are feeling good if the can touch people and their emotions with their art. If they can get people to act or react they are in euphoria. Well…. This time around you can reach euphoria because looking at all of this it moves me to stop working immediately……. make may my way home…… to our summer kitchen…. to start a fire …… so I can be KING..Well done RonellHartman; June 8, 2007 5:32 PM
Teri C said…: STUNNING!!! The art and the commentary!! As the paintings downloaded I loved the next one and then the next one. Just stunning!!!; June 8, 2007 6:01 PM
Robyn said…: Okay – that’s done it! Now I’m in love with Hartman!; June 8, 2007 7:28 PM
Sandy said…: I’m ready to move.. Can I catch a plane tomorrow. Will you meet me at the airport. Can I eat with you. Can I sit in the shade with Hartman. Wonderful wonderful post and paintings…sandy; June 8, 2007 7:59 PM
Lynn said…: Absolutely wonderful! What a fabulous life you live. You are an inspiration.; June 8, 2007 10:21 PM
Africantapestry said…: Thank you so much for all your kind and encouraging comments and a special thanks to Hartman for his appreciation…for having had me sitting and crying here…because I’m happy.
Hie hie Robyn, you make me laugh…you and your husband should hop on the plane and come visit…them men can cook and we can…well..do what we do best?
And that goes for you too Sandy, come and cook and eat!
Thanks everybody!
Ronell; June 8, 2007 11:18 PM
bec said…: wish I had a summer kitchen… is it really in a cave? lovely paintings!; June 8, 2007 11:19 PM
mARTa said…: ah ronelle…is that invite still open to me next fall? LOL…I’m in love with Hartman now too!; June 9, 2007 6:43 AM
Tea & Margaritas in My Garden said…: What wonderful art and words!tea
xo; June 9, 2007 5:01 PM
Robyn said…: Oh Ronell, we’d so love to come but our dogs have shocking table manners!; June 9, 2007 11:23 PM
phthaloblu said…: These are beautiful paintings and great commentary.

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

Two cars

Two cars…Only for the show.
They serve their purpose well in adding a quirky touch to a corner in the house somewhere…on a pile of antique books, under a cloche, on a dinner table, on a stack of DVD’s..I bought the chevy( right?)when we lived in South Carolina, at a stop next to the highway.
The “coccinelle” is a lovely reminder of my own I once dashed around in.
Watercolor and ink on Arches HP paper

Sandy said…

I adore these cars and the amusing still lifes you created, Bravo; May 30, 2007 6:17 PM
Carole said…: These are both great paintings. I love the quirky things you find to paint, and the colours you choose to use. The little green car is really cute – I’d love one of those!; May 30, 2007 7:18 PM
brian nelson said…: Great job on the cars! Great paintings.; May 30, 2007 8:26 PM
Lin said…: FANTASTIC WORK!!! Love the wee things!; May 30, 2007 8:57 PM
Dave said…: Lovely work! And such interesting subjects.; May 30, 2007 10:14 PM
platitudinal said…: And the doors open too. Wow!
Great illustrations on the theme, Ronell! And, another glimpse to your life or in this case, your house 🙂; May 31, 2007 12:06 AM
Lynn said…: I love both these compositions. They are exquisite!; May 31, 2007 12:07 AM
Lindsay said…: Very cute cars. Love the shading on them.; May 31, 2007 7:56 AM
Robyn said…: Lovely whimsical still lifes, Ronell. There seem to be quite a few women painting cars lately. It must be evolution 🙂; May 31, 2007 10:20 AM
Tonniece said…: So detailed, I love the the colors, the moveing parts, and the fact that you actually own miniature cars, how cool.; May 31, 2007 1:31 PM
juj said…: I’ve never noticed how little pen you use to make your wonderful sketches until I looked at the VW Bug large, and I don’t know why it facinates me so much but it’s amazing and makes me love your paintings even more. Great work on both these sketches. LOVE the colors – especially those spots on the cds.; May 31, 2007 2:28 PM
suzanne said…: Such a smart way to illustrate cars! I love the fact that you like to have quirky touches around your house. Me too!; May 31, 2007 3:22 PM
Teri C said…: Great cars!!! That top one is a ’56 Chevy I think. They both are so neat and what a great subject!; June 1, 2007 4:05 AM
Viv King said…: Hi Ronell – your site is SO COOL- it is so accessible and you can see changes all the time – you must be one hard-working chick!! Thanks for the comment on my “portrait” – it is nice to get some recognition at last after so many years of trying – did you ever have anything to do with the SASA while you were in Stellies – I find them to be quite a “cliquey” bunch!! Keep in touch, hey ou skat!

Posted on May 23, 2007June 27, 2008 by Myfrenchkitchen

Inspirations in color

I am in search of Inspiration. I find it in people. That does it for me. Creative people, people with strong character, the survivors, the gentle, caring ones, the courageous, daring ones…I have them all in my small circle of friends.
Voici two of them. Two wonderful inspirations. Very far away, so I had to rely on photo’s. I don’t mind that much.
I chose to do the following sketch, because I love the way this friend interacts. She is a beautiful woman, an extraordinary talented florist; you can give her a dry stick and she’ll turn it into a magical creation. And she can’t talk without her hands. I love that. When I dropped by her floral shop, she was busy with a romantic bouquet for Valentine’s day and we stood for about 30 minutes chatting, while she held this wonderful creation in the one hand and expressed herself with the other. She wears this delightful “apron” when she works, to protect her clothes. Being around her, is feeling the creative juices flow…it is inspiring.

This was supposed to be only watercolor on HP Arches paper. Then I had to “fix” it by adding pen! It seems I have to fix everything lately.

This friend is a lovely romantic, in heart and soul and in appearance. She carries a bit of yesteryear with her. With her angelic hair and fair skin and soft features, she posed many problems to paint. This is my fourth go at her and it still not what I’m after and this time pen wont’ fix it. I want nothing less than a soft, flowy watercolor painting. I’ll probably try again and again…Maybe its because I know that she isn’t ALL romantic – she can swim faster than anyone I know, she can climb a rock as fast as the young guys, she can paddle a kayak through some scary rapids and she’s not afraid of any marathon! She exudes a wonderful zest for life, nothing is too hard or too boring for her, she does everything that comes her way…it’s contagious. This is watercolor on Fabriano CP (extra white)

27 comments:

Stacy said…: Ronell, your friends sound lovely and look lovely too! I love how their personalities influenced you as much as their appearance did.; May 23, 2007 6:08 PM
Lin said…: STUNNINGLY GLORIOUS!!!; May 23, 2007 7:06 PM
Bonny said…: You have a wonderful talent, Ronell. Not only do you connect in a special way with people, but you portray them beautifully, too. Love the painting of your florist friend. She almost looks fey like a fairy princess. Gorgeous!; May 23, 2007 7:45 PM
Teri C said…: Beautiful paintings Ronell!! I love your commentary with all your art-they were made for each other.; May 23, 2007 8:17 PM
Dave said…: Well, you certainly fixed it well! Wonderful portraits, and what wonderful friends it sounds like you have.; May 23, 2007 8:39 PM
Anita said…: Oh Ronell I LOVE everything about this entry.; May 23, 2007 9:07 PM
Claudia said…: Ronell, w o n d e r f u l watercolours, especially the first one! It has something magic!; May 23, 2007 10:45 PM
Lindsay said…: What a sweet and beautiful post. A nice tribute to your friends too.; May 23, 2007 11:56 PM
martín said…: Beautiful portraits Ronell. The first one really talks. Your friend does it with her hands and you through your paintings.; May 24, 2007 12:31 AM
SCquiltaddict said…: fun wc…great stuff…gotta get my paint brushes back out! keep it up; May 24, 2007 2:04 AM
Jana Bouc said…: What a fabulous portrait–both in words and paint. I love the second one–it’s so loose and fresh and has a sweetness about it.; May 24, 2007 6:15 AM
Tonniece said…: Love this post Ronell
I’ts so great to have friends, good friends, and being able to capture their essence as you have here is a wonderful gift to them and all of us as well.; May 24, 2007 6:51 AM
Carole said…: I really love how you have composed and painted these to capture their character as well as their features. They are beautiful paintings and charming descriptions of your friends.; May 24, 2007 9:18 AM
suzanne said…: Wow Ronell….these are both breathtaking. Not only in the sense that they are technically outstanding, but also in the fact that you have captured the personalities of your inspirations so well. Not knowing them, I think I could have pretty much described their personalities in exactly the way you did, only by looking at your paintings.Your inspirations are inspirations to me.; May 24, 2007 4:39 PM
Arty Velarde said…: This is nice. I like the watery, “juiciness”!; May 24, 2007 6:47 PM
janey said…: These are very soft and pretty and I like the descriptions that go with them. It makes the paintings come alive even more.; May 25, 2007 1:33 AM
juj said…: Oh Ronell – These are lovely! I especially like the second one, so soft and loose – I love the expression on her face. And the deep red of the necklace is such a nice accent to the whole and balances her glasses perfectly. Your friends both sound wonderful. You must feel very fortunate to have them in your life.; May 25, 2007 3:45 PM
Nancy Van Blaricom said…: I simply love the stories that go along with your watercolors. The watercolors could stand alone with not comments, but you bring such life to them all….; May 26, 2007 3:37 PM
Robyn said…: Both friends are lovely – I love the mood as well in the first watercolour and the second is beautiful in the lightness of your touch.; May 26, 2007 7:07 PM
ksklein said…: I love the top pic. Very romantic. It reminds me of weddings, brides, valentines,…
I would have loved to nsee a little more of her face though.; May 27, 2007 8:58 PM
Emma Pod said…: These are both wonderful paintings of your friends. In the top one I can almost hear her talking…the hand gesture is so nice! Nice work!; May 29, 2007 5:35 AM
Regula Scheifele said…: Both your paintings and your descriptions are loving and beautiful – what a gift you have and how nice for your friends to have you paint them!; May 29, 2007 2:09 PM
Sandy said…: Ronell, these are beautiful and I loved reading how they inspire you..sandy; May 30, 2007 9:48 PM
platitudinal said…: Beautiful paintings of those you hold dear in your heart. 🙂; May 31, 2007 12:04 AM
Serena said…: Beautiful work, Ronell, and a very nice tribute to your friends. 🙂; May 31, 2007 12:30 PM
phthaloblu said…: These are both beautiful paintings, but I know how you feel when you’re trying for a certain result and you can’t get it. But, these are very beautiful. I think lots of us look to the people we know when we need inspiration. That’s how we re-energize. When we are feeling down, we gravitate toward someone who is immensely positive so we can feed off of that positiveness. Does that make sense? Anyway, it sounds like you have some wonderful friends to look to for your inspiration. Full of life and creativity.; June 1, 2007 5:27 PM
austin of sundrip said…: I’ve scrolled through your page here but I keep coming back to the girl with flowers, it catches my eye and won’t let it go. Awesome work, awesome.Austin of Sundrip

Posted on May 18, 2007July 6, 2008 by Myfrenchkitchen

Bon voyage to Casey!

Bon voyage to Casey.! May she have fun in Hong Kong, may they be kept safe and may she come back with great sketches!

Lin said…: DITTO DITTO DITTO!! GREAT BOWL, TOO!; May 18, 2007 5:17 PM
Teri C said…: Wonderful tribute to Casey. What a good friend you are. Great bowl!!; May 18, 2007 7:16 PM
platitudinal said…: Love the bowl and the chopsticks to illustrate the trip to the Orient.; May 18, 2007 9:13 PM
bec said…: Oooh Hong Kong… I’ve never been there. It will be interesting to see Casey’s sketches. I like the colors and subject of your painting !; May 19, 2007 3:32 AM
caseytoussaint said…: Wow – thanks Ronell! I’m not sure I’ll be able to reach this standard, but I’ll do my best.; May 19, 2007 10:17 AM
Robyn said…: Such a pretty bowl! Reminds me how much I miss Chinese food. I lived in HK for a couple of years so really envy Casey.; May 19, 2007 2:26 PM
Claudia said…: The sketch looks so real!!Well done!; May 19, 2007 8:13 PM
mARTa said…: love chinese food! I have a bowl similar to your although I prefer to eat out! Love your wc sketch! I must try hot press paper!; May 20, 2007 4:17 AM
Brenda Y said…: What a clever idea to paint a chinese bowl and chopsticks!! I LOVE it!!! And oh yes, we will look forward to seeing what Casey brings back.; May 20, 2007 5:50 AM
Anna said…: Beautiful colors!; May 22, 2007 11:28 PM
Ben said…: what a sweet thing to do…and its lovely…; May 23, 2007 2:36 AM
Fanta said…: What a wonderful job. The perfect colur combination , perfectly balanced. It’s such a warm painting.
And yes, I also hope Casey will surprise us with lots of stuff. I bet she is sketching right now as I type. I really can’t wait!; May 23, 2007 9:44 PM
wagonized said…: Holy crap. I love how you handled the colors.; May 24, 2007 3:17 AM
laserone said…: omg i JUST love this. The colors are GORGEOUS. I have an almost identical bowl, but without the design on the bottom. Wow, this is really nice. 🙂; May 30, 2007 6:08 AM
Serena said…: Fabulous work, Ronell! I gave an oriental bowl and chopstick set to my daughter last year…same colours too. LOVE this!; May 31, 2007 12:28 PM
andrea joseph’s sketchblog said…: Absolutely STUNNING.

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