LOADS OF VIEWS, REVIEWS & EVENTS |
My wheelbarrow has been propped against a backyard tree for months, just waiting for me to sketch it at its new home. But I’ve been too busy getting to know my new garden. Plus, I have another good excuse. I just returned from the South of France, where I gave back-to-back workshops in Provence, sketched to my heart’s content, and ate more than my quota of baguette and cheese.
I thoroughly enjoyed every minute. We stayed in the tiny historic town of Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, and the pros at French Escapade, who organized the workshops, did a fabulous job supporting me and my participants every step of the way. They’re a class act. We not only had fun in the workshops, we enjoyed stimulating sessions where we learned so much from each other.
My journey to France began in Lyon, where I spent a few days recovering from jet lag, checking out an art supply store, and giving my sketching muscles a bit of a workout. I wanted to be at my best for teaching.
Now that I’m back home, I look forward to staying put for at least a couple of months. Maybe I’ll finally get around to painting some favourite subjects closer to home — maybe even in my backyard. I hope you enjoy this issue of The Wheelbarrow.
While in Provence, I managed to fill most of a new Saunders Waterford sketchbook with the light and colour of one of my favourite places on earth. Along the way, I also fell in love with this sketchbook. Sumptuous 100% rag watercolour paper. 10” x 11” deckle-edged pages. Stitched binding. So what’s not to love? I bought it online, from Bromleys in the UK, and it is rather expensive. But worth every penny.
Even though I say The Wheelbarrow includes “Loads of views, news and reviews,” realistically speaking, I have room for just a sampling of sketches. To see all my sketches from Provence (and from other trips to France), have a look here.
ST-RÉMY-DE-PROVENCE
On our outing to St-Rémy-de-Provence, we spent a morning sketching the asylum grounds where Van Gogh was resident and recovering for a year. Then in the afternoon we moved to a square in the town centre. The South of France is so visually rich, it can be overwhelming — where do you even begin? So I asked my workshop participants to narrow their focus on just two elements: windows, and Provence’s iconic plane trees. To get them started, I then did a demo incorporating both elements, with moody dappled light pooling below.
SNACK THE BIG FRED
With a bit of time between workshops, I absolutely had to sketch this local institution. Tourists and locals stop in all day to chat with Fred, seen here behind the counter. They order up a sandwich, a plate of frites and a PAC a l’eau to enjoy at a few scattered tables and chairs. Local character, signage, colour and — bonus content! — a Coke machine. Snack The Big Fred was just begging to be sketched.
Derwent Inktense Pencils
I sometimes find myself in sketching situations — museums and airport come to mind — where access to water is limited. So I’ve been meaning to try out Derwent Inktense pencils as one possible solution. These pencils are made with water soluble leads, so all you need is a touch of water, or a water brush, to activate their pigment. I always visit art supply stores when I'm in a new city, and this trip was no different. I picked up a basic set of 12 while in Lyon.
As you can see above, the colours are brilliant, so they’re well suited for colourful subjects. For each swatch, I made some dry pencil lines and then “painted” over them with a wet brush. Note the beautiful watercolour effects as the pigment spreads and dries.
There are several ways to use Inktense pencils. 1.) Drawing with a dry pencil, and then painting over the strokes with a wet brush. 2.) Wetting the paper and drawing with the pencil directly into the dampness. 3.) And, my favourite technique, dipping the pencil into water and “painting” with it.
I used all three techniques in the sketch below. I found that Inktense pencils are at their best when layering, as opposed to mixing colours. For example, note how I layered green and blue over a yellow background.
The night before I returned from France, my sons attended their friend Emilio’s wedding and brought home four bud vases from their table, each one filled with different flowers. (They knew mom would want to sketch them.) So, not too long after landing, I lined them up at my kitchen window and gave my Inktense pencils a good workout, using the techniques I describe above. Then I presented the sketch to the newlyweds.
|
|
Provence Aquarelles
Paintings by Fabrice Moireau, Text by Jean-Marie Dallet and Philippe Testard-Vaillaint
|
I am a long-time admirer of Fabrice Moireau. I’ve long admired his precise drawings, his sense of proportion and composition. I’ve admired his mastery of colour, and how cleanly he lays down each brushstroke. And, because I’m an urban sketcher, I’ve also admired how scenes come alive in his books. Handwritten texts, small vignettes and lush, large-scale watercolour paintings combine to truly give you a sense of place. Without knowing it, you’re plunged into a scene, experiencing the light and heat of a summer’s day.
Well, now I have in my hands a book by Moireau — Provence Aquarelles — that I know I’ll treasure forever. I treasure it because it was a generous and thoughtful gift from my workshop students in France. Moireau has published many fine travel books dedicated to European countries — there’s also one from New York City — but this one is entirely devoted to Provence. It’s evocative and drenched in the sunny colours of the south.
While this edition is in the original French, the book is also available in English as Provence Sketchbook, with an informative and often funny text by John Burdett and Philippe Testard-Vaillant. It’s the next best thing to visiting Provence, or keeping the memories fresh, if you’re lucky enough to get there.
To my wonderful workshop students, all I can say is merçi beaucoup!
|
|
Painting in Provence
In the short time between workshops in beautiful Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, I also managed to record a new YouTube video. This tiny village dating from the Middle Ages is home to France’s biggest natural spring. Everywhere you go, the sound of cool rushing water surrounds you. So, naturally, my subject had to be an ancient waterwheel making slow turns beside a stone bridge. It was fun sketching this on a Sunday morning. I invite you to look over my shoulder.
|
|
|
COLOUR TRIADS
I was delighted that Artists Magazine once again asked me to submit an article on watercolour technique. In the July/August issue, I chose to discuss how I use colour triads to evoke mood, unify a scene and suggest a sense of place. The article is illustrated with swatches of seven triads, along with sketches and paintings where I used each one. In the text, I explain why I chose a particular triad and how I used it. Check it out on news stands or online now.
|
|
|
JUST FLOWERS
Just in time for gardening season, I recently bundled my three top-selling online courses on flower sketching. In case you missed it, JUST FLOWERS: My 3-Course Bouquet combines Sketching Spring Flowers: My Favourite Blooms in Watercolour; Wet-in-Wet Blooms: An Intro to My Favourite Watercolour Technique; and Sketching Fresh Flowers: Late Summer Blooms — all at a discounted price.
|
|
|
Bar Harbor, Maine
Let’s capture the fall colours of scenic villages, secluded harbours, rugged coastal scenes and crashing waves. Join me this fall and discover why Bar Harbor is more than a destination—it's an experience you won't want to miss. Only a few spots left. NEW THIS FALL: Madeline Island School of the Arts is now accepting day students!
October 14-18, 2024
|
|
|
Tucson, Arizona
Join me for an all-inclusive week with Madeline Island School of the Arts at Tanque Verde Ranch, where we’ll experience together the desert’s untamed beauty, its subtle colours and distant mountain vistas. A great escape from winter!
January 20-24 and January 27-31, 2025
|
|
|
Hudson Valley, New York
I’ll be teaching for the first time with Hudson River Valley Art Workshops, so I’m excited to join you in discovering the historic architecture and landscapes of upstate New York. Weather permitting, this workshop will combine studio and plein air work, and will focus on telling a story through the choices we make in composing a scene — elements that together evoke time and place.
September 7—13, 2025
|
Thanks for reading.
