World Earth Day 2017

World Earth day today......

Here is my contribution for today's thought.  The world is in turmoil and on the brink of utter madness. I think enough said...in the meantime "life" goes on.....

There are more examples of World Earthday prints further down the blog....click here to view post and slideshow

Abattoir Bressuire

 Sketching and Improvement

Last year I promised myself that I would do more sketching and develop sketch books that I could be proud of.  I also joined a few of the Craftsy sketching courses run by various artists (see here) which helped me so much to see things so differently…and I think that I have made great moves forward now. What do you think?

Here are a few of my latest all now done in one of my homemade sketchbooks.

Theatre Bressuire

Bisschopsmolen, Maastricht

Although I love painting loosely and printing in an almost abstract way I do love the working out and the “maths” of architectural drawing and adding colour. Although I regard myself a real beginner on perspective but love it when it works.

I am trying to be more disciplined in both regularity of drawing and in using my sketchbooks correctly

I also visited Maastricht, the oldest city in Holland, a couple of weeks ago and was completely blown away.  It was beautiful.  Artsy, quirky, old, interesting, colourful…I loved it.  Holland is very much bicycle culture and that was very apparent as soon as I crossed the border and drove along the river Maas.  Bikes everywhere...very daunting at first but eventually I even cycled into town with my daughter on the last day too.. Great fun!

Bonnefantum Art Museum

There was so much to see and experience, that a few days was certainly not enough time to absorb it all.  I will be back.

Matisse Museum

On my way there I stayed in a small town in northern France,  Le Cateau-Cambrésis on the Belgian border that houses the Museum and Gallery of Henri Matisse...WOW  what an experience.  I loved it.  So inspirational.  Well worth the visit

I even had time to sketch in the garden too!

Everyday in March Portrait sketching group

In March I also signed up to the Everyday in March group...mainly because the theme was portraits and each day you were given a type of person to paint....i.e.  scientist, male, female, male movie star, leader etc.  

I think its a bit like learning perspective...its such a thrill to get a likeness.  Oh what fun...Just my kind of thing (at that time)....so I did as many as I possibly could.  I think that I reached 20....

For slideshow click here 

If you have never joined a group like this I thoroughly recommend it.  Its a great motivator and fun too, with the added bonus, that you learn something everyday. 

Arty

Thats pretty much it for now..other to say that Arty our lovely cat is now growing up and moulting madly to get ready for the summer and is having great fun with the appearance of lots of lizards and mice...

He's the best ever addition to Bandouille...

More again soon

Bx

Supermoons and Sketching

I normally love this time of the year - Autumn - where the long summer days shorten and you can feel a slight chill in the air with the onset of darker evenings, leaves falling, bonfires and seasonal soups with stoves and fires lit.

Sadly, it seems it has gone straight from 37 degrees to 4 degrees 

No warning! 

Just straight from shorts and t-shirts to woolly jumpers and boots. Which acutally suits my wardrobe nicely.

But with the winter days coming towards us at a rapid rate we are given natures best gifts of stunning visions.   

Online Sketching Classes

As many of you know I have signed up with Craftsy.com and joined sketching classes with Marc Taro Holmes, Stephanie Bower, Shari Blaukopf and more recently James Richards.  I love these online classes as I feel that I am having one to one tuiton with each of the tutors. They are all very concise in their delivery and generous in the advice that they give out especially if you have a specific question.  Well worth paying for and not expensive.  Look out for regular special offers on all their courses covering a huge range of creative subjects.

Here are a few examples of my recent sketching work after learning from the above tutors.

Bressuire Mairie

Exercise from Stephanie Bower Perspective class

Perspective Exercise

Bressuire Theatre

Early morning sun - Bandouille

The Gite - Bandouille

The barn - Bandouille

Early morning sun - Bandouille

Le Verger de sculpture - Bressuire

Bandouille Lake

Arty Pants

From the kitchen                             Making walnut ink

As our walnut tree released some of its load last week I thought that I would take advantage and try and make walnut ink.

Something that I have thought to do for a long time.

First I gathered some walnuts.  But its not the fruit that interests me at this point.  Its the husks.  I collected all I could find.  The green, brown, fresh and dried up versions.

I then topped up the saucepan with enough water to cover.  The logic to me was, the more water the lighter the colour.

I put a lid on the pan and simmered for a couple of hours, pressing and stirring the husks a few times in between. Always checking there was enough liquid in the pan.  If not I topped it up with hot water.

Left to cool.

Walnut Ink

I strained the "black mush" through a fine strainer pressing it every so often. And left it to drip till it dripped no more.

Put the pulp aside.

I did get quite a good pass, but wanted the colour to be darker. I collected some more husks added that to the walnut pulp and set to simmer again using the ink that I had already produced.

This was the result. The amount is less than I got from the first run but its more concentrated in colour which is what I wanted..

Add a splash of alcohol to preserve it

Walnut Ink example

Here is an example of the colour just daubed on watercolour paper. Its fun to try something like this and to use natural elements from your surroundings.  I love the colour sepia and this is perfect.

Bixxy's bestest Tomato Soup 

Getting ready for the Draw in Stitch workshop tomorrow so prepping our lunch today! 

Homemade tomato soup. Yum!

Just roasting off vine tomatoes and cherry tomatoes, sweet potato, onions, head of garlic till soft and a tiny bit charred!

When done, add 1.5 litres of vegetable stock to a large saucepan, add the vegtables, teaspoon of fennel seeds, cover and simmer gently for 45 mins.

Using a hand blender, blend till smooth adding more liquid if you want too and a handful of basil. Season.

I like to have this sit overnight to develop the flavours and warm up and serve the following day.

If you like it creamier you can use some creme fraiche and mix it in or serve separately with toasted seeds and chorizo, and feta cheese...with of course some french bread!

Thats it for now as the sun is out.

Till next time

Bx

Autumn at Bandouille

Autumn - from Spring.....where has that time gone....and so much has happened!

Yes, again my blogging skills have lapsed, but all the better to play catchup.

The 2016 Art Holiday season  was packed with fun and wonderful paintings from both Tutors and guests. 

Sadly because of the work that this entails I felt that I had to resign from my role as Creative Designer from the Gel Press Team to give 100% to the holidays.  I throughly enjoyed the short time I had with them and the people I met through them too.  But I am following their progress avidly on their facebook page Gel Press Junkies. 

No doubt now that the Autumn has arrived I will be printing madly again.

The tutors we had this year were  Stephie Butler, Eugen Chisnicean, Joanne Boon Thomas and Jane Minter and they left their mark as usual by thrilling us all with their wonderful skills.

Stephie Butler

Stephie Butler

Here are examples of some of their work some of which we now have hanging on our walls at Bandouille

Eugen Chisnicean

Joanne Boon Thomas

Joanne Boon Thomas

Jane Minter

Of course all of our guest produced lovely works too and many of these can be found on our Facebook page .

Just select the album you wish to view and browse.  If you see any photo you would like to use as reference you may do so.

We announced earlier in the year that this year would possibly be our last at Bandouille.  I am pleased now to say that it wont be and business will continue as usual next year although we will be reducing the amount of weeks and tutors that we normally have.  So please be sure to check our website for available dates.  Or if you have a date in mind please contact us as none of the calendar is set in stone.

Also if you wish to bring a group let us know as we can organise group rates, pick ups and dietary requirements, which we do as standard.

The standard holidays essentially means that there will be no guest tutor and you are free to paint what you like with my guidance if required.  We will also go out visiting sites to either sketch, photograph or just enjoy.

Also the holidays are not restricted to Painting. Crafting, yoga, anything in fact if you need a venue for your groups.  Please enquire.

Arty is now just over 1 year old and is thriving in our environment and could not be a more delightful feline companion.  I shall leave you with a few pics of him too!  

With that said I will leave you for now and continue again in the next couple days upodating you on other things that I have done in the last 5 months.

A bientot

Bix x

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

A beautiful March day!

Inspired by the sunshine and the spring flowers poking their heads up went into the kitchen where the stove is burning, for a quick play with some Brusho (studio is a bit chilly at the moment) .

Of course finishing both these pieces from lines of William Wordsworth's "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" seemed appropriate.

I love the spring and the knowledge that the dark grey days are almost at an end I can go out more to sketch.

Sunny today with a touch of frost and perfect for a brisk fresh walk around the lake with Arty, before a lovely Beef roast dinner from our local farmer.....

He gets so excited when he sees us both get our wellies on and knows that its "round the lake time".

Of course he is dead to the world now this afternoon!

Thats it for now!

See you soon with some Gel Press updates!
Bix x