A trip to Provence in 2013, two years later.

I had a very quick, but wonderful trip to Provence with mon chéri a few days ago. He spoiled me with lovely dinners and a lot of patience when I did some sketches. I tried to be as quick as I can with pencil and left the ink lines until the very end so I could change to some neater linework where necessary. In some sketches I went in directly with watercolor and added the pen line work afterwards..maybe you'll be able to notice that?

all sketches done in watercolor block, HP, 18X26cm.

This sketch took me the longest. It was the first one of our trip and I was still very careful in getting it "right". And mon chéri was ever so patient. I then decided, I can't spend all of our very short trip on such long sketching..so then I sped up in the sketching, trying to get down just a little ambiance of the trip.

..Provence 1 ..

 

 

..Provence 2..

 

I am a "corner" person. I love little corners or scenes, or little vignettes. So it is usually a little interesting corner or a large scene that attracts my eye.

..Provence 3..

  

The lavender fields are stunning, stunning, stunning and there is no way I can do justice to them..of course had to attempt a field against a backdrop of this lovely mas. There are so many paintings everywhere to be found in Provence, depicting the lavender fields and the olive groves..sadly, I found them all the same, interpreted in the same manner. It makes me even more reluctant to try and paint it. But of course..like all the other painters, I will paint it!

..Provence 4..

 

I am also fascinated by staircases and uneven walls, foliage growing out of nowhere, of which there is an abundance in the south.

..Provence 5..

 

A corner of the facade of Le mas de la Mateliére where we stayed.

..Provence 6..

 

The rooftops, the streetlamps, the worn walls, the trees blown by the mistral...the charm of La Provence.

..Provence 7..

It seems I always nobly get to Provence on these 'quick' trips. But I have decided this is it. No more "quick" trips when it comes to Provence. My next trip will be nothing shorter than 8 days. I will also plan better in terms of subject matter so as not to be all over the place. Also do real paintings, and not only sketches, so the oils will go along. Provence is filled with huge painting opportunities and so, my goal is to spend my time making full use of the opportunities. 

I cross posted this also on my own blog, Africantapestry and photos of my trip to La Vaucluse will soon be posted on Myfrenchkitchen.

à bientôt

Ronelle!

A thunderstorm in Provence..

My three artist buddies are stuck in the Vaucluse without phone, without internet, but hopefully with enough cherries to keep them going! They had a huge storm last night which struck out the phone and internet and fired right into the wall sockets.
This storm has been brooding since the day before I left and I sat on the side terrace the afternoon sketching the skies over Mont Ventoux. It was hot and "lourd" typical storm weather and that night we had but a few large drops.

...clouds over Mont Ventoux...
gouache on paper
(started out as a watercolor flop and then I painted over it with gouache...here in Correze!)

So I hope we'll see some still lifes from them while they are confined to the house and surroundings today. Julian and Ruth have magnificent pottery which just beg to be painted. I got so enthusiastic about pottery when I was there that I am now looking out for some beautiful pieces of my own, even though I never though myself a pottery person!


I got to do only one still life of some of their pottery and if ever I would steal something from their lovely home....it would be this set of coffee pot and mugs and bowls...helas, my mom brought me up with a conscience, so it is still in the cupboard of Les Couguieux, but I at least have a sketch!!
Hang in there you three and do some still lifes in the meantime!!!

Saturday at Couguieux

Saturday started a bit grey and cloudy - but got better.  I went back to coloured pencil sketching while I pondered on the oil painting of the day before.

Here's a couple of sketches of our immediate surroundings at Couguieux.

The first was done in the morning when it was still rather grey

The wall at Couguiuex
11" x 16", pen and ink and coloured pencils in Moleskine

The next done was done in the middle/late afternoon as the sun came out and the blue sky reappeared

The Terrace at Couguieux
11" x 16", pen and ink and coloured pencils in Moleskine 

Now I`m off to gesso some canvas boards!

How will I get to Provence?

What has been my three companions' big question since the idea of Provence came up months ago,has now become my biggest question! I was the only one who had no problem with transport, since I live in Correze, which is not too far from Provence and I had my own car. But suddenly, along with the sudden change of weather and all the rains pouring down in France at the moment, I had a sudden change of circumstances too, along with my own rains of hiccups pouring down on all my fancy intentions!To deepen the scars of damage, we have a long weekend in France and the whole continent is on the travel to some far off destination.

Well, my name isn't Ronelle for nothing. I will dig up an alternative....

Maybe I could take Bella out of her facelift surgery for a week...?

...bella?...

Or perhaps Gaitchi could get me there, but will I want to be stuck with a painful derriére for a week...?

...gaitchi?...

My cute bicycle is a dainty solution...but oh , all those uphills..!!

...uphill?...

I could of course put on my running shoes, but seeing I've only started back on running recently, I'm not sure I will reach the Vaucluse before Christmas..?

...running?...

But, get there I will, and I'm leaving on Sunday morning first thing...even if I have to ride on my own thumb!

...thumb!!..

The Grillade Gourmande, Epernay

I had an absolutely splendid meal last night at the Grillade Gourmande in Epernay - the town which is the home to the great champagne houses of France.

After a very long day (up at 5.30am and an awful lot of travelling) I was very ready for a bit of a treat. Armed with my Michelin Guide to hotels and restaurants in France, I decided to try this restaurant as it is listed as a "Bib Gourmand" which means "good food at reasonable prices".

I had the Menu du Terroir Champenois so the only champagne I had was in the sauces!

Menu du Terroir Champenois, a photo by makingamark2 on Flickr.

Apologies for the colour - I`ll redo them when I get home

I also tried a new strategy. I managed to get all four courses onto a double page spread of my large folio Moleskine (size A4) - and, if I say so myself, the sketch is a wonderful memory of an absolutely delicious meal. (the image is to follow when I work out how to upload pics while on the move).The courses were as follows:

• Foie Gras de Canard au Ratafia de Champagne chit en terrine et configure d'oignon au vin rouge Terrine of duck fois gras cooked in Ratafia Champagne with red wine onion marmelade
• Filet de Bar Grille aux Asperges Verts Grilled Sea Bass with green asparagus Champagne sauce
• Pigeonnea de Champagne dessose cuit en feuillete, jus redoit au Chardonnay Local boned young pigeon with foie gras cooked in flaky pastry case
• Fraises au Poivre Noir au Champagne Rose Strawberries with black pepper and frozen rose champagne

I'll do the translation when I post the images of the two sketches I did. (now posted)


[Note:  See an updated and longer post about my stay in Epernay in Épernay and The Grillade Gourmande on my sketchblog Travels with a Sketchbook.  The sketch has been further developed to eliminate "dead cow" - see the comments - and it also includes another sketch and photos]

The Chunnel and northern France

The interior of one of the Eurotunnel car trains makes a bit of diffence to the usual shot of the interior of a plane when off on overseas travels with a sketchbook.

The BMW Lads - in the Eurotunnel, a photo by makingamark2 on Flickr.

I did a sketch of what I'm calling "The BMW Lads" - done while sat in my car travelling under the English Channel. There were an awful lot of flash and fast cars on the train - I lost count of the Ferraris and Porsches - and when I got to Calais I finally twigged. I'm guessing that it's the Le Mans 24 Hours race this weekend - beloved of all boys with fast toys - and tht they're all getting ready to talk engines and what their next car is going to be.

I've not yet worked out how to upload images while in the road so the sketch will be coming later.

I drove across the great big field which is northern France on the autoroute A26 - passing en route the place where the "Cloth of Gold" meeting took place between the English and French Kings many moons ago, plus the names of the First World War battles - the Somme, Vimy and Lens.

I'm now sat in my room just outside Epernay (south of Reims) and I'm contemplating a sketch of the champagne vineyards which surround the hotel.

However the next post will be about my sketching last night at The Grillade Gourmande - a Michlelin Bib restaurant - where I had the Menu Terroir Champenois, which I of course sketched before eating!