“Does she only paint cats?” do you ask.
The thing is, at the moment I can just grab this bit of time, in the morning. At least I have this, there will be better times for bigger paintings, but for now it’s this. Oskar and Knut. Knut and Oskar. Actually, more of Knut cause Oskar is a respectable older tomcat, he appreciates to be my model but after a while he gets sleepy and goes downstairs for a nap on his (uh, my) favorite armchair.
Knut’s World – Ink and pencil on 24 x 32 Canson Paper 260 gm
This morning, they sat so peacefully, looking out of the window. Their tails crossed, I thought that looked so sweet, I had to draw it.
Pencil and ink, on yellowish stationary paper
This is a painting I did in Germany, and I posted in on my Parisdreamtime blog already. Nevertheless I think the people who come here do not necessarily go there, so here it is. This is really about how I FEEL this garden and what it represents for me. Snuggling up in it, I feel safe. Back in Paris now, we finally have a fine summer, too. Have a wonderful day, enjoy nature and the fleeting moment, greetings from me to you, Andrea. AHdP
Ink and oil on paper (Canson 24 x 32 cm – 250)
KNUT - ink drawing on A4 Canson Paper
This weekend I went to see graduating Clowns at “Le Samovar” , a school for clowns and physical comedy, in Bagnolet at the gates of Paris.
According to the college brochure “…The Samovar teaches the art of clown, from the creation of a character to the skills involved in creating shows. The whole process is based on the specific qualities and desires of each individual…..”
It’s a wonderful school that teaches a two year course for people who want to work as a clown on the stage. If you are interested to know more about the school and the courses, here’s the link for more information, in French AND in English! LE SAMOVAR
Each clown presented a personal sketch with his/her creation of a special character. The different sketches included singing, dancing, playing music with various instruments and also athletic acts. Sketching the clowns is a challenge, as they are always doing something….you have to let your hand and your eyes do the work and be quick, and lay several sketches together on the same page.
I sat sketching , holding 6 different ink pens in my left hand, trying to avoid putting ink on my left neighbor’s dress. It also felt like 100°F (38°C) in there and I felt the sweat running down my back but it just felt right to embrace the fleeting moment, and to accept that everything changes continually. I had the immense pleasure to share those captured images with some of the clown students after the play, when they all came outside and mingled with the public. The funny thing is that they recognized themselves in the drawings, and were so happy to see their efforts in ink on paper.
Artists to artists, we nurture each other’s creativity, come and have a look and let yourself be inspired to see the world with a clown’s eyes. There’s a clown in every one of us.
Illustrations on Canson paper (ink and mixed media – 24×32 cm (9.4 x 12.6 inch)
MADAME FERTILE and RICTUS
GUILLAUME TELL
LE BEBE
APPLE
LA CONCEPTION – LE PARADIS
LE POEME DE TANK
ADONUS, CEDRIC ET ISABELLE
LE MONSTRE
Oh, Dear, I hear something, downstairs……. Did you hear it too? …What’s that thing there in the corner, I have to take a look…..grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr………..oh well, just a dead fly….. Too early anyway….let’s take another nap.
Knut in the morning – ink drawing
Ink and watercolor sketch
What are you doing? Will you play with me? Oh, you draw….Ok then, I’ll take a little nap!
Andrea and I are having a love affair with pasta, but who does not? I also have a huge love of lemons. I can’t get enough lemon. A while back I heard someone talking about Lemon Pasta which sounded really good to me. I thought I could come up with some recipe for a Lemon Pasta and this is what came of said thought. It is a very basic recipe and many things could be added to it to make a wonderful meal. I even change it around for myself, as I cannot have any dairy products. You could add some nice dark green veggies, chicken or fish if you eat such things, how about chopped walnuts or just about anything you like. You could even make it a creamy lemon sauce by adding cream or take it in a Greek direction with feta cheese.
So here is what you do. Cook you favorite shape pasta the way you normally do, but save some of that cooking water at the end. When the pasta is cooked, drained and in a bowl, toss in lemon zest, lemon juice and the garlic. These quantities depend on how many people you are feeding. Most people like one lemon per serving, but I prefer two. One garlic clove per serving is my preference, but some people may want more. At any rate, once the lemon and garlic are tossed with the hot pasta, then add in that reserved pasta water. Begin adding by a large tablespoon (I do not mean the measuring type, but the serving type) at a time. When you feel there is a nice, light sauce you can stop. There does not have to be a lot, but enough to keep it moist. Place this in a serving bowl and top with a beautiful, hard Italian cheese. You can grate or chip that cheese, depending on your preference.
I buy as much organic as I can and encourage you to do the same. If you cannot tolerate wheat, why not try rice noodles. While the pasta water may not make as nice a sauce, I think it would work very well. If you cannot tolerate dairy, nutritional yeast or a vegan Parmesan would work just fine. This is such a flexible recipe, I think you will be able to easily make it your own! While it does have pasta, it does not have any oil, butter or other added fat. That is a plus.
Lemon Pasta is a lovely base for leftovers, so I hope you enjoy it!
Do you like Salmon? We had Salmon for lunch yesterday. My boyfriend cooked, I painted.
Here’s the recipe:
Saumon à la Moutarde – ink and oilpastel
ingredients:
a big filet of Salmon for two, (if it still has one side with the skin, put it skin down) – freshly ground black pepper, – sea salt, - freshly chopped parsley (and if you find it, some chervil and red juniper berries), – Dijon mustard, – olive oil.
Put the salmon in a baking dish, spread a thick layer (1 cm) of mustard onto the filet, and sprinkle the spices over it. Then pour some olive oil (at least three big soup spoons full) around the filet, tighten a piece of aluminum foil over the baking dish.
Into the oven with it, for 20 minutes, at 200 °C (392 °F)
BON APPETIT !
PS: If you can, buy organic (bio-) salmon.
PPS: Wow, I’m really hungry now….
I am working on doing some quick (not drafted) sketches. They don’t always come out straight, but it is nice to allow yourself what comes out to open up for ideas for larger painting ideas. This particular sketch was of a few things which were on my table the other day. The body cream you see here is by 100%Pure. They have amazing products made from natural, organic ingredients. I, personally, have very sensitive skin, so they are a life saver to me. Their mascara is the only brand I have found I can tolerate. So if you have sensitive skin or you are just concerned about the products you put on your body as well as in it, I highly recommend 100% Pure. Do you have a brand you like?
