ANNIE ARKWRIGHT IN PARIS

Here is my last painting from our holiday in France.  You wouldn't believe who we bumped into, yes Annie Arkwright from Accrington.  In our favourite Parisian Restaurant, Chartier in Montmartre.  An 'historique' brasserie.  An old traditional building with high ceilings and lots of brass, good reasonably priced food.  The order is written on a paper table cloth!  I am sure the waiters have been there for years.

Anyway, Annie has been learning french. She ordered Le Heinz Soup de Tomate avec le legs de frog, main course Le Pie de Porc and Pomme Frites.  For dessert Le Spotted Dick (A British dish Annie, not French they won't have that here).  Er Pardon Madam?????  Er, her eyes lit up, something she understood, Peche Melba then. The waiter was in a turmoil.  Then finally, she said, avez-vous une cuppa?  Mon Dieu he shouted and shrugged his shoulders, as only the french can do, Zee crazee Eeenglish woman. She spoke in a broad lancashire accent which didn't help.  Eeeh by gum lass, tha needs ta take more lessons.

She is still there, one of the waiters fell for her!!  A reet grand rendez vous, for our lovely Annie.

BRUSHO WITH JOANNE BOON THOMAS

I recently went to a workshop run by The Brusho Queen, Joanne Boon Thomas.  Very informative   but fun thrown in for good measure.  She is very generous with the information she passed on to us and is warm and friendly.  Here is a the work that we did.  They are on Half Imperial Langton Paper.

  Can't say the name of the flower but remember it is An Enemy - er really an anenome!  Some spraying technique and then used like like watercolour.  Such vibrant colours.

Just using two colours.  Turquoise and Orange! A tiny bit of  Ultra under and in the boat. Same method as above.

If you haven't heard of Brusho and would like to see it in action, you can find a video by Joanne Boon Thomas on Youtube and many of her painting on google.

Brusho is like dye crystals or ink, like salt, you can sprinkle and spray, use bleach and play with the paint or use like watercolour.  You can get effects with it that you can't with watercolour.  I call it my playtime when I use it.  Originally it was used for textiles.  It is also used in schools as it is non toxic. It does, however, stain your fingers temporarily, so I have to wear an apron, as I am a messy painter at the best of times.

Do check out her lovely work on google images, pinterest or visit www.artybyboon.co.uk.

NORMANDY HOLIDAY

What a lovely week we had and here are some more memories that I would like to share with you.  All done in a small Khadi sketchbook approx. 6" x 6".  Some w/c and some using various water soluble pens, these pens are the quickest way to do a sketch, well for me anyway.

I said sorry to my hubs, I just have to paint this old mill.  He duly sat patiently while I painted away.  Sometimes he is an angel!

Photo stop at the Normandy Beaches, Omaha beach.  A sculpture in stainless steel,  To me it looks like an explosion.  Such a lovely place.  It is hard to image the carnage that took place there.

Rouen Cathedral.  A lovely medieval city.  Famous to us Brits anyway, as it is where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake.

A picturesque little place called Les Andelys.  The castle was built by Richard the Lionheart, way back in ancient times. Boy was it hot and hard work walking up that blinking hill!!!

Quick sketch with water soluble pens of a fountain at the Palace of Versailles.  Classical music was playing. A Perfect last sketch and last day in France.

Well I had to paint some food didn't I. Cheese and grapes, just in case you don't know what they are.

Au revoir La Belle France.

Have a lovely weekend fellow bloggers and thank you for dropping in to see me.

PARIS & NORMANDY

Here's some sketches from my recent visit to France.  I tried to do a sketch a day, however quick. And the equipment I took.  Was in a really happy mood, so each one is a happy memory!  I do try and sit somewhere very discreet as I get all embarrassed if someone is watching me.  Are you the same?

These next three sketches are what I do when I am hanging around

Rouen Cathedral.  This lovely middle age city has narrow street, timber beamed houses and is famous as being the place where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake

Just in case I fancied doing a bigger painting I had a larger pad with me, but didn't use it.  The Khadi pad is really handy and the plastic oil dipper containers for my water.

I wish you all a lovely weekend, see you next week sometime. Au revoir.

BONJOUR!!!

Lucky me.  Just come back from a visit to Paris and Normandy.  Highlight was a visit to Monet's Garden.  It has been a dream of mine to visit there.  I wasn't disappointed. We picked a really good time of year to go.  And, of course, I just had to do a quick sketch while there.

Drawn in green water soluble pen.  Quick sketch but the memory will last forever!

Me in action.  Very small notebook in hand and soaking up the atmosphere while sketching.