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Sketches of a future kitchen window an an apple tree.

Work is still continuing here at Coin Perdu. I made a sketch of my future kitchen window from the outside in. It will be one of my most favorite places in our mountain home, that is for sure. From the inside it has the most stunning view and I can already imagine the inspiration on my cooking!

On a  late afternoon, while the fire was crackling for our dinner, I stood at a little table with watercolor, black Indian ink and a charcoal stick and just scribbled down an apple tree down below. The paper was far too small for such an exercise but it was the only ones I have here. I’d like to do this again, but with large pieces of paper. the exercise was good though, bringing a bit of freedom to a stiff wrist.


The bottom sketch (to the right, apple tree 2) is upside down. I put down the tree trunk in ink with a big brush, left it to dry, took off to see to the salad and when I came back, the wind took it from the table. I picked it up and watercolored int he foliage, only to realize after a while I did it upside down. Well, it still served the purpose, not needing to be good art.

All sketches done in Indian ink with Japanese brushes, watercolor and charcoal sticks on CP watercolor paper, 29,7x42cm (11 3/4″x16 1/2″)



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Wildflower sketches

In spring the wildflowers are just beautiful. At Coin Perdu, the hills are covered yellow Pissenlits,  ( dandelions). On my sketchercise walk, I normally only take a pen or pencil, but since this was a long but leisurely walk, I took my watercolour paints as well. Put on my straw hat, walking boots and wandered into the hills, losing myself in the sun and flora.

All sketches done in my Coin Perdu garden journal with pencil and watercolor.

…buttercup and dock…

…dandelions…

…our wine crate table top which greeted my on my return…

…the latest addition to our family…Petronella and Stephanie…

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Sketches of a rock garden

I’ve started my garden at Coin Perdu. We are still working on the house, so I am limited to where I can garden for the moment. A rock garden close by the barn we’re living in for the moment works good. It also serves as a little lay in garden where plants can with for their permanent place in the garden. It was hard work, since it is a little grass covered hill that I had to dig out, remove the grass, lay down big bolders, fill with rocks, treat the soil, add compost and all necessary, leave it to settle and then plant some plants.  It still needs work, but for now it is filled with plants loving sun and rocky corners and it has steps that lead up to a little corner on the hill where a bench waits patiently for someone to sit and admire my handiwork…? It is adjacent to the old pigsty, that will soon become my laundry room and the bench will be a welcome repose from all the washing that needs attention on a farm!

The top sketch is of bags with compost and soil and stuff(I don’ t have my own yet!) and some plants from the pepinier(I don’t have my own  hothouse yet!). the second sketch is the rock garden, just competed this morning.

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A sketch from the garden and a walk.

Two sketches from a sketchercise walk by the Loire, where I do my usual thing…sketch with a pencil or pen in watercolor sketchbook and adding a wash at home.

A waterpump in the tiny knotted garden by the Maison de la loire .

The narrow tree lined pathway by the Loire.

And lastly a sketch of my “chicken”  in the garden.

All sketches with pen/pencil in watercolor sketchbook

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Sketches from Oslo.

We were in Oslo last week. My first time. I mentioned how much I loved Helsinki, but I fell head over heels for Oslo! It is a lovely city, with beautiful architecture, a warm ambiance, wonderful views, great people…it is wonderful! I can’t wait to go back for a longer and a decent visit.  My next stop will be Greenland!

Time was too pressed to do much, but at least I got to see “the scream”  by Edvard Munch up and close, definitely not one of my favourite paintings. The secret to his work, I think,  is that it should be viewed from a distance. His strokes are sometimes so messy and careless from close by that it bothers and disturbs the eye, but from far, his work has magic and I could even fall for “the vampire“, though I dislike  all kinds of vampire pictures and tales. His dawings and sketches and lithographs also attract me far more than his paintings and there you can really see that he has a swift and sure hand. I especially enjoyed his “Towards the forest” drawings, his alpha and omega series, his “Starry night“, so different from Van gogh. I still can’t really make up my mind whether the art of Edvard Munch “speaks” to me…but Oslo certainly does!

Photos of Oslo can be seen on Salmon-with-a-creamy-herb-sauce-and-a-trip-to-Oslo at Myfrenchkitchen.

All sketches done in pencil and watercolor in watercolor sketchbook.

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Sketching in Vouvray

Well, never too late to be back…or something like that…

I went sketching just in time yesterday. It was beautful and sunny with clear skies and warm. to suddenly fall upon today where we have one of the coldest days I have experienced so far this winter..we have the blue skies, but icy icy cold with a wind that slices us relentlessly in juliennes!

After a long time of no sketching, I found myself back in that corner where I fixate on detail and try to put too much on to the paper. So my objective for the next few weeks will be to get back into only capturing the necessary, sketch faster and not worry about doing it right!

It is good to be back…!

…vouvray 1…

So, Yesterday. I stopped across the river Loire at Vouvray, a quaint village with houses set into the cliffs next to the Loire. Parking my car in the sun, flinging open the door, basking in the warmth of the sun, I did these two sketches at the same spot. Just moving my focus on with the road. With the first sketch, Vouvray 1,  I used my new bottle of black  ink to draw with, not realizing I bought water soluble ink. So when I washed with the watercolour, all the ink just flooded all over. With the second sketch, Vouvray 2,  I just fell back on my rotring tikkky graphich pen to draw with and then added my wash of water color.

…vouvray 2 – further down rue du petit coteau..

Both sketches in pen and watercolor in watercolor sketchbook, 15,3 x 25cm.