It's the little things

I'm at a point in my sketchbook where I still have a few pages to fill but not enough to take it with me on a trip anymore.

Call me obsessive, but I don't like to have a few pages about the same trip spread over several sketchbooks.

So I'm slowly filling it with drawings of various little things from everyday life, trying out compositions, colours, techniques.

Wonky contour drawing and play with writing...

The wonkiness makes it fun

...illustrating a quote from Fabio Consoli from Sketchbook Skool...

Who doesn't like a good plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce?

...keeping a memento of delicious treats from Strasbourg.

I'll have to bring more next time.

It's the little things that fill the sketchbook.

A hen party

Last weekend I attended a friend's hen party.

Her matron of honour told us that she had requested 2 things for her hen party: that we had a pic-nic and that there be a pink princess cake.

The plan was to surprise her in the morning, dress her up in a pink tutu, a princess tiara and special t-shirt  and, little twist to the story, take her to Strasbourg for the weekend.

The bride-to-be in her outfit for the day

After we arrived and left our luggage at the hotel, we headed towards a parc where we had a nice pic-nic with the star of the show, the princess cake.

I have to say it was really pretty and I think the matron of honour did a great job finding it. Plus it was quite yummie, so alltogether well done.

A princess cake for a princess bride

After the pic-nic we went for a walk during which the bride-to-be had to distribute candy and small toys to people.

It was fun to see some people wave at us from the distance when they understood what was going on. The pink tutu and crown were a dead giveaway for sure.

A ride on the carousel on place Gutemberg finished the princess part of the weekend and we had a delicious dinner at a Brazilian restaurant I can only recommend, the Rio's.

The following day we strolled around some more - this time the future bride didn't have to wear the tutu -, bought some souvenirs and had lunch at Flam's, a place specializing in tartes flambées (or Flammekueche), before heading back home, tired but satisfied with the weekend.

Eating Flammekueche, miam!

Easter impressions

To me, Easter celebrations mean family gatherings complete with eating lots of food for afternoons on end.

It is also an occasion to look around and see the little things that brighten up the house, like these flowers my mother had at home and whose colour just screams Easter to me.

Yellows, oranges, light greens ; friendly colours.

It is the time when my brother and I got spoiled with a cute chocolate bunny. Getting spoiled like this by your mother never gets old.

It was almost a pity to eat it. Almost.

Like most years, Easter is also the occasion to see parts of the family again. This year was no different, as I was invited for long lunches at at by mother's cousin on Sunday and by one of my cousins on Monday (Easter Monday is also a free day here, lucky us).

The biggest surpise is always to see how much the children have changed since the last time I saw them.

I have a 5-year old cousin, one of the sweetest little boys you could meet. This portrait isn't really flattering nor is it accurate, but it was the best I could do with a subject that has a portrait thwarting super sense or something like that.

How else can you explain that this fidgety boy would decide to scratch his nose, rub his eyes, bite his lip at the exact times when I got to those parts of the portrait?

Signed by the spoilsport himself.

Figure drawing in Stockholm

During my stay in Stockhom, I met with Nina Johansson who invited me to a figure drawing session.

I was thrilled for I very rarely have the occasion to attend one.

The model was very experienced and we started with poses alternating between 5 and 10 minutes...

 

 ... followed by quick 2 minute poses. I had a lot of fun with these shorter ones.

We ended with a couple of longer poses again.

She had a very interesting face, so I tried to make her portrait in-between poses, specially during the longer stretches. I didn't quite manage to capture her features, though.

Anyway, I had a lot of fun and wish I could do this more often. Thank you again, Nina, for taking me and, of course, for the delicious dinner!

A Merry Christmas

It's funny how Christmas is one of the most awaited periods of the year and when it comes you barely have time to register it.

This year I spent a few days with my parents and brother. Nothing fancy, just lots of delicious food, good mood and a few presents to make it all even better.

I also found some time to scribble a few things here and there.

The Advent wreath was lit one last time until the cadles burned out.

The Advent wreath has done its time

The delicious turkey was very much appreciated.

Turkey delight

And Christmas decorations added warm light to the jolly mood.

Took hours to complete, but it was a fun little companion

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas time, whether you celebrate it or not, and wish you a very happy New Year!

Little things from Japan

I have this friend in Japan, Sari, whom I mentioned in a previous post.

We met in Strasbourg for a language exchange (French-Japanese) when we were both studying there.

We ended up speaking mainly French because I was too shy with my very limited knowledge of Japanese.

One day, we had an interesting conversation that went something like this:

Me (very proud to be able to say one full sentence in Japanese): Kyou ha, watashi no tanjoubi desu. (Today is my birthday)

Sari: Heeeeee?! Me too!!

Me: Really?!

Sari: Yes! What year were you born?

Me: In 1981, and you?

Sari: Heeeeeee?! Me too!!!

Me: So we were born the exact same day?! Just on the opposite side of the planet!

The following week we both had a small present for each other, without having previously agreed upon that.

And that's how it's been between us ever since. Every year we send each other a present.

This year I got a very cute package including a bookmark in the shape of a fan, some colourful masking tape and an assortment of crayons.

I found it all so cute that I just had to draw it for posterity!

Surprise flower bouquet

I was in Prague on my godchild's third birthday, so last weekend we celebrated it belatedly. I wasn't expecting to receive a beautiful bouquet, though, which was a lovely surprise.

I have no idea what the flowers are called, but they enticed me to pick up my pen and watercolours.

This type of subject is quite complicated to me, because I tend to lose myself in the details and not know on which leaf I left off, for example.

I really took my time for this one, overlooking any impatience that I was occasionally feeling.

Looking back, I know exactly at what moment I should have stopped: the background. Or at least the greenish colour I put on the corners.

Lesson learned for next time!

Trying to imitate Tommy Kane

A piece of Italy

Agnes den Hartogh, one of the members of Sketching Workshop, is preparing a community project for an exhibition in Palazzo Moretti, Pozzuolo, Italy.

Her idea was to take 32 photos of streetview and let different artists interpret them into individual art pieces.

She will then put the panoramic streetview back together for the exhibition.

In this context, she asked if members of the Sketching Workshop group were interested in participating to this project and I got a piece of street as a result.

Here is the reference photo she sent me.

And here is my interpretation.

Yes, the windows are all crooked and deformed. For some obscure reason I just felt like they needed to be like this, haha.

I have seen some of the other finished squares and can't wait to see the finished result. It's going to be great!

The exhibition will be open during April and May, so if you get the chance go see it!

Merry Christmas!

This jolly Santa was in the newspaper today.

When I saw him I could just imagine his booming laughter :)

Ho! Ho! Ho!

 

A study on a gear shift

A few days ago we went on a trip to Strasbourg to enjoy the Christmas market.

My father was driving and since it is a two hour trip I took the opportunity to sketch something to pass the time.

The result is slightly wobbly because of the driving, but I'm quite satisfied with it.

"I don't like the yellow" - was my father's reaction, haha

Dead orchid bloom

We have a beautiful white orchid at the office.

I call her Simone. That name just seems to suit her.

Last time she bloomed, she looked so wonderful that I couldn't throw the dead stalk away when it dried out (she has a new one growing as I type).

So I decided to stick it in a pot that I still had there.

It has a sort of ikebana-type of appeal, I think.

First splashing attempt