kazumiwannabe

About fish, a dog and a cat

2012-01-15T10:48:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry I've not been online much lately, I have not blogged at all, and it's been a long time since I've gone to admire my EDM friends' blogs... I'm busy, and trying to keep away from the internet as much as possible - but I miss blogging and being inspired by other blogs.

A little something I did this afternoon - first time in a long time that I take out the watercolor!
It's from a photo I've seen on the internet (not mine at all).
I think I will paint the background in black as in the original photo.
I've played a little with paint.net to see how it could look :

And I think I like it. That second one is watercolor + digital coloring.

Well, that's all for today, I'm afraid... I've done a few other things, but nothing finished yet.
I've got a new dog. He's 6 months old and quite adorable. My cat hates him (that is one of the things that keep me very busy!)
He's called Jack (I didn't chose the name). I'll probably try to draw him soon!

2 books, 15 faces, one tree.

2011-12-17T09:43:00.000-08:00

I've been reading the Binchy book for almost over a month, before, during and after my move from my old appartment to my new rented house. It was an incredible support as everything that could go wrong did during that time... But I had my book to go to everyday and it'll certainly remain one of my favorite books of all time.

The kids in Maeve Binchy's books are wonderful, so funny and natural, and the warmth and humor are just what I need these days.
The other book on the left was nice, seven little stories happening in as many countries. I tried to read a book by Douglas Kennedy before that one, and quitted after going painstakingly through 180 boring pages. As soon as I got time enough to go to the library, I happily quitted. I don't think I'll try another by this author, it's just not my cup of tea.

I'm still practicing drawing faces, more so these last few days. Here are some I did between august and now. Like always, the more I practice, the easier it gets.

And this I did today. I'm not very happy with it but I needed to do something new, use colors, anything. I'm a little sick and able to stay at home and rest for the first time in ?? so it was great to take out my watercolors again. They were dusty!

3 books, a coffee grinder, keys and a bell

2011-12-04T04:28:00.000-08:00

(Long post today - I will totally understand if you skip the words and look at the images only : ) !! I do that when I "read" Elle... )
I've got the internet again, and to my great surprise, I didn't really suffer from the lack of it - I was too busy to be bored, I think... I had it at work and it was almost enough.

Always time enough to read books, though. That's like breathing, I can't live without it!
On the left is Women who run with the wolves, by Clara Pinkola Estès. I've been reading it on and off for years. I like it, but I'm not sure I really get it. Maybe I will, in the long run.

I didn't like the illustration, until I tried to draw it. It's a Picasso painting and I don't like Picasso very much, generally. But it's funny, I started to feel really moved by these women and their ample body as I tried to follow their lines and feel the movement. That made me want to try with other artworks I don't get, see if it happens again. Because I love this painting now, I feel both the vulnerability and the power in these women, and I think they're beautiful, and this came only from reproducing them.

In the middle is a book by Arto Paasilinna, a Finn author I like a lot. I didn't like this one much, though, it was more a history of Finland, and not as fun as his usual novels.
On the right is a story that's hard to describe. I was attracted by what was written on the cover, I knew I needed to read it. It could be translated like this : "the little girls at the end of the road do you justice and they keep the fire." It's about women, rape, and fitting (or not). It's disturbing, , hard, often poetical, and it touched me like I knew it would because of those words.
The book title is translated (in french) from a poem by Voltairine de Cleyre called "We are birds of the coming storm". (I didn't know that poet at all, she wrote it in memory for the Haymarket Square martyrs, which I didn't know about either).

A few things I drew from my new place, which is nice, even if I don't have a kitchen yet, and some water damage in my living-room. But I'm so glad to have left the old place, I don't care (yet).
I even invited friends for Thanksgiving, and it was the first time I celebrated that, for it's not a tradition in France. But I've always loved the idea behind Thanksgiving, and I feel grateful to have moved at last, so we had a great microwave dinner! I'll do better next year, when I have a kitchen...

The coffee grinder in the drawing, I use to grind black pepper, it's a lot more tasty that way!

And I have a garden! It's very small, made of bad earth and rocks, and I'm learning that small is good, when you have to dig hard ground and break stones all over the place. Small feels very big, suddenly.

Now I'll shut up, and I'm going to have a look at everyone's blogs, now, I guess I missed a lot!

Clair de Lune

2011-10-29T05:12:00.000-07:00

I waited to post this because I really hoped I'd have something else to post with it... but it didn't happen. I'm moving out of my flat in 11 days, selling it a few days later, and I'm up to my ears amongst card boxes and piles of stuff. (is it among or amongst? I never know)

So in the pic is an older drawing, now colored (view from my current place), and leaves I found in the neighborhood, some kind of wild grapevines.

Going back to filling boxes, now... See you next month, I hope, when I have the internet again... I still have it until the 9th, so I'll try to keep in touch with the EDM blogs!

Books, and books.

2011-10-18T11:37:00.000-07:00

New books! I don't have time for anything else - the search for a place to live in took all my free time lately. Everything where I live is so expensive, and most of the rentals are seasonal. But I've found something, at last. I'm almost done with all that moving stuff.

On the left is a book by Anna Gavalda, awesome french author. This one was ok, but I really recommend her best seller "Hunting and gathering", it's so wonderful, when you finish it it feels like saying goodbye to good friends... They made a movie from that book with Audrey Tautou and Guillaume Canet, and it was great.
On the right is a book by Erica Bauermeister. I didn't get into it easily, but found myself slowly taken in the stories, and in the end, I liked it very much.

Serious stuff, for a change! On the left, a book by Jean Hatzfeld about the genocide in Rwanda. He interviewed the killers, in this one, in the prison they were in. It's not a pleasant read, but it's useful, if you're interested in understanding what makes normal people transform into soulless killers...
The two other books I've been reading for my sophrology training and thesis.

That's all, for today! I'll try to go and see everyone's blogs, but I'm not really going to have much time until mid november. I can't tell you how glad I am to be moving from my noisy flat!

Fish, squares, collage, blabla

2011-09-28T01:08:00.000-07:00

These are a few things I made this summer, while I was discovering and experimenting with acrylics. I forgot to post them and since I have nothing new to show you, here they are.

Some of these fish vaguely look like real mediterranean fish, the first one is all wrong, nothing I did could save him.

Testing colors and working with tape.

Collage - it's a lot more technical than I thought. The paper doesn't stay flat. Need to work on this. Had fun with it, anyway!

I wanted to thank all of you who commented on my last post, on the boat painting I made for my father. I was really nervous about it and you helped a lot!
I don't know if he liked it. He seemed to appreciate it, said it was nice, but then, he also said my hair was nice that one time I had a problem with my color and it turned orange. I learned later that he really thought it was particularly ugly and unfitting. My father is polite that way.

I sold my flat = great. I still haven't found a place to rent and I'm out of my place in 33 days = a bit nervous right now, and I don't have much time or desire for drawing...

Books, a building and a boat

2011-09-11T06:09:00.000-07:00

So I made this painting for my father whose birthday is today. I'm going to give it to him on tuesday. I really don't know what to think of it.

Will he like it, do I like it, is it complete crap? I usually don't have this kind of problems with my drawings. So any feedback will be welcome, critics included!

Easier, for me : books! On the left is a book I'm currently reading, by prolific french author Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt. He imagines what could have happened if Hitler had not been refused the entry of art school in 1908.

It's a fascinating read, I'm devouring it very fast! On the right is a book by Maeve Binchy who is not at all well known in France, so I tried this at random when I found it in English in the library. It's awesome. I read it too fast, though I didn't want it to end! I'll look for her other books, next time!

And this is what I see from my balcony. I'll be moving in one month and 20 days, not one day too soon. I hate the place I live in now with a passion. It's noisy, my neighbours love to cook and burn garlic since 9 am, I can't sleep, can't rest, can't not hear them all day and night long. I'm glad to go to work so I don't have to hear them for a few hours a day.

It doesn't seem that horrible, in drawing. Well, it is. Luckily, it won't be very long now until I move out.

It's my dad's birthday today, and also ten years after for New York, so I'm thinking about all those people who die each year because of terrorism, stupid, blind hate, not only in New York, but all over the world.

Abstracts, books and faces

2011-08-28T09:34:00.000-07:00

I had friends at home all week last week and couldn't post. Here's some stuff I did the week before that.

I spent a lot of time adding layers on this one. I may be the only one, but I like it!

In my head it's called Veins (probably inspired by Julia Cameron's Vein of Gold!)
Books, of course! On the left, awesome story from awesome Sarde author Milena Agus. She's unique, with a very original mind, and I love her books.

On the right is a best seller by James Redfield. A friend advised me to read it, but I didn't like it much. I thought it was a bit "easy". Some things were interesting, but not really new to me.

Faces, because I try to practise regularly. Each time I forget for too long, like more than a few days, I regress.
A lot. I like this practise because portraits are completely unforgiving : you've got to be accurate, so it's a great exercise.

And finally these are small squares I experimented on for hours (days!) before I was a little satisfied (less dissatisfied...). Well, I learned a lot even if the result isn't very interesting. The process was great!

Hope everyone is all right, especially those of us who live in the US East coast.
See you soon for new adventures!

A seahorse, 2 books, a flashlight, a singer and a wolf

2011-08-16T06:15:00.000-07:00

Another acrylic. I saw the little seahorse on a photo and wanted to draw it right away. The rest is color play, mostly! I really like this media, it's a lot more forgiving than watercolors - even messes turn right, sometimes, and anyway you can always paint over them if you want.

And books, at last. I've not stopped reading at all, but I'm a lot behind with drawing the books I read. Actually I don't draw everything I read. It would take too much time.
On the left is an awesome manga by Khoji Kumeta that's very funny with a lot of original and surprising ideas. I just love how this author thinks, it's delightful.

And on the right is another great story by Jim Harrison, in English it's called "The English Major". It was funnier than his other books, I thought.

I wanted to do another challenge, so here is my flashlight. It's not a very good drawing, and I had a problem with the shadow as the bottom of the page drank all the paint and wouldn't let me paint the shadow correctly.

And now, for something completely different...
I did this a while ago, wanted to finish it and never went back to it. The girl and wolf are inspired from photos found on the net, and I colored with Paint.net. I'm not very happy with the coloring. I could change it easily, but it takes a lot of time and patience (I have the time, not the patience).

I still have a few days of completely lonely and free time, so I'll be using it to the last minute, hopefully creating as much as I can!
I don't want my vacation to end, but I'll be so happy when the loud cohorts of tourists will finally head back home, it'll help swallow the pill!

Playing with acrylics, bathroom stuff, my weird face, Aix en Provence

2011-08-08T12:21:00.000-07:00

Continuing my experiments and playing with acrylics. It's really fun, and freeing.

I like how this one turned!
This other one, with the horses, I'm not so sure about it. Maybe I'll go back to it later, I don't know.

I missed doing real drawings in the spirit of Every Day Matters, so I sorted out all my drawings on Flickr and made an EDM album, and then I went back to the challenge list to tackle some more challenges!

So I spent some quality time in my bathroom!

And then I drew my face, just because.

I had my ears redone twice but the right one still doesn't want to play nice. I kept my hair long for a long time because of it.

Last week I was near Aix en Provence with my daughter, to spend some times with my best friend and her family. We had a great time. I can't resist showing you one photo, Aix is such a beautiful and pleasant city!

Manon and my best friend, in Aix.

Oh, this was a big post! Hope everyone is enjoying this summer as I am!

Bananas (sort of), egg head, faces, and a treasure map

2011-07-27T13:12:00.000-07:00

I've been very busy these last few days. My daughter is with her grand parents in Bretagne, learning to sail and enjoying the rain... And I've been playing with acrylic paints, totally new for me, and totally fun!

Some kind of strange bananas appeared.
Then things fused out of this egg head.

Meanwhile, I kept my routine of drawing faces, just not to "lose my hand" (that's a loose and unverified translation of a french expression - too tired too check it up, hope you'll get it : ) !)

And then I felt like drawing a map of what I want in my life, in the spirit of Shakti Gawain's Treasure Maps, and I made this :

Some things I already have, some I hope I'll have someday.

I also found a buyer for my flat (almost signed, crossing my fingers), worked on my thesis, and done almost everything on my to-do list.
I have a lot of other things in various stages of advancement, and not enough time to post, so who knows when I'll post next!
Morality : vacation is good!

Shells and books

2011-07-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

I was very intimidated by shells, but finally I realize they're not that terrible. I really like the blue I made for the background, it's just like the sea. My daughter said it's confusing because the shells aren't supposed to be floating on the surface like they seem to do in my drawing. She's right, but I don't care! I'm happy anyway.

My last two reads. On the left, a sad book, bittersweet, it said on the cover. Mostly bitter, I think, but I still liked it, I like Alice Hoffman and the way she tells her stories. On the right, a beautiful story of redemption. Very deep and touching, it made me cry at the end, but in a good way!

I'm about finished with uncluttering and sorting everything in my flat and basement. And I mean, everything. So now I'm left with other things to do that seem a lot more difficult to me. I wish I had a second basement, or a forgotten room so I could procrastinate some more...

Flowers, a bird, and flowers again

2011-07-12T10:56:00.000-07:00

Pages I did drawing from photos I found here and there, and adding quotes I like. I like how this one turned, I almost felt like I was controlling the way the paint went, for once. Nice feeling : ) !

This one, I'm disapointed with it, it looked a lot better when still just in black and white. Only thing I like is the branch, and I really learned something while doing it, so I'm glad anyway.

And this one I really like. I added the thick lines after the paint, I usually don't use that thick pen but I like the result.

And I love that quote, even though I'm not sure I understand it correctly. I helps me in my daily life, anyway, gives me some kind of guidance to where I need to go, what I need to do.

Quotes, doodles, faces

2011-07-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

Quotes and little drawing experiments, again. I still don't know what I really want to do, but I've begun cleaning and sorting everything in my little flat, and apparently this was what I really needed to do.

Quote says : Love is friendship set on fire. I wish.

Quote by Rumi : Let silence take you to the core of life.

So important, so hard to accept, silence and stillness...

Quote from Francesco Clemente : Every day you have to make sure the door is open.
I love that one. It's so easy to forget.

Faces from magazines. Sometimes it just doesn't flow, the lines are awkward, I feel stiff and the face is just wrong. And sometimes I get it and I still really don't control the process at all... Practice, practice...

Books, faces and a blue sun

2011-06-30T12:37:00.000-07:00

New books, because I really never stay away from books, and I'm not getting tired of drawing them either. Each cover is a little challenge in itself, and when I read the book, I often find myself wondering how I'm ever going to manage to draw that on paper...

On the left, a thriller from Norway by Jo Nesbo, great author, great story and characters. It's the second one of this author that I read and I wasn't disapointed.
On the right is the second book in the SF "Gaïa" trilogy by John Varley. I adored these books when I was younger, it's such a fun universe.

Some faces. On the upper right it's my daughter, from a photo taken two years ago. She had just dismounted from her horse after the class, she was still very concentrated and focussed, I love that photo (and my drawing, not bad!)

And a little easy picture, just because I wanted to see those colors and a blue sun.

Love the quote, loving hearing Francesco Clemente talking, he's very precise, very interesting.

Pictures, quotes and (too?) many words

2011-06-27T05:49:00.000-07:00

I'm still playing with those little naïve pieces and enjoying it. I'm learning something for what I don't have words, yet.

I'm learning to be lighter, for one. Letting go of a lot of things I don't want to carry around anymore.

It's written : A man who insists upon seeing with perfect clarity before he decides, never decides. Accept life and you must accept regret. It's a quote from H.F. Amiel - I don't know him, but I agree with him.

And a Julia Cameron quote, with a drawing from a photo I saw on tumblr. I love Julia Cameron books. I read and worked with The Artist's way first, and later with The Vein of Gold. I thought it would help me explore and develop my artistic side, but it led me to completely different and unexpected paths.

I allowed myself for the first time to aknowledge my long lasting and deep interest in everything about resilience, healing, therapy and personal development - and in a few months now, I'll be a therapist myself, when I get my final diploma in Sophrology.

I also bought a guitar, and play regularly. That was very inexpected too, since I've played piano in my childhood - I was forced to - and I was bad at it and thought I was lost to music forever. (I'm still bad at guitar, but the difference is, I take pleasure in it, and maybe, when I'm around sixty, I'll be a passable player!)

I can't recommend those books enough. I offer The Artist's Way regularly to friends when I feel they're looking for a change in their life and don't know where to begin.
And that happens a lot since many of my friends are around forty, like me, and suddenly realize life is not going to wait for them eternally.

In between

2011-06-20T05:05:00.000-07:00

Motivation is a strange thing. I feel pulled in several directions and most of the time end up doing nothing. I want to draw something, and at the same time not, it seems too difficult, too long, not worth the effort.

So I just continue with these little experiments, easy, fun, like little meditations. They satisfy my need for lines and colors.

I hope I'll feel inspired for more, soon. But in fact it doesn't matter. I'm trying to let go of a lot of unwanted baggage and attitudes, and the emptiness in between is confusing (and a little frightening, too).

The black thing in the middle represents nothing. It serves to hide a terribly failed face drawing. Poor kid, I couldn't let his face look like this.
Do you have times like this, when you really want to do something, create something, and nothing is really it, and the thing evades you?
I think it happens to me because of the changes in my life, and the fact that I'm really in between things, not where I want to be yet, but well on the way. And patience has never been my forte...

Happy, on the top of the world

2011-06-12T10:32:00.000-07:00

My exams are over, I did good ( no, I did great, I'm on the top of the world right now!!!)
More time to read and go outside! My last reads :

On the left is a graphic novel about three girls and their families in the Ivory Coast during the last seventies, early eighties. It's awesome, fun, exciting, and the drawings are fabulous. My daughter and I loved the whole series (6 books) and felt like the characters were part of our lives for a few weeks!
On the right is a book written in 1968 and it was said on the cover it changed many people's lives at the time.
It didn't change mine, but it was still a good read, a bit boring, but in a good way, because I went on anyway and found a lot of things to like. After all, that was about the desert, and deserts are boring, too, but if you're patient, you can see wonders in them.
(You can see the books bigger by clicking on the picture, if you want to see the titles and authors).

And this is one of my orchideas. I wanted to draw the four of them in bloom, but this one took everything out of me and I decided to go back to my usual, fast, fun faces drawings...

And that's it. Now I'm going to enjoy the fact that my exams are over and take a little break. Then back to work (I mean, homework after work...) because I still have a thesis to do and present before I get my full diploma. This means months of work with patients I need to find. But it's interesting and I look forward to doing it. I'm a student at heart, I guess.

Taking a break, finally

2011-06-05T06:59:00.000-07:00

I'm having a little time on my hands today so here I am, blogging again after two months away... How time flies, really. I've been reading, of course, although maybe not as much as usual.

On the left is what has been my favorite series of books for a long time, the Gaïa series by John Varley, great science fiction saga, space opera, awesome and delirious. I'm not enjoying it as much this time, maybe because it's the fourth time I read it, or maybe because I'm getting old and easily bored, I don't know.
On the right is the last Kate Atkinson novel, fourth in the Jackson Brodie series, and it was wonderful, and unique, and perfect as all her books have been for now.

A few portraits, from a page I begun in march, still not completely filled. I draw faces almost everyday, though, some fast and some very very fast (not showing those : ), but they're the most interesting in terms of learning !). I always draw very quickly, anyway, otherwise I get bored. (I think there might be a pattern, here, somewhere).

And this is just an experiment, in writing and putting paint on a page, because I've not been painting much, not been inspired, and I missed it. So I found this forgotten little sketch book under my bed, dusted it and began to fill it with paint and words and it feels good just doing it. Most often it doesn't feel good watching the results, though, but that's not the point.

My final tests, after my two years course in sophrology (kind of relaxation therapy) are in five days. If I'm not ready now I'll never be.

Family, random objects and unruly subjects

2011-03-23T02:05:00.000-07:00

Hello! I"ve not been around a lot lately. I seem to be very busy doing many things that lead me nowhere. Some of these things are enjoyable, though, so it's not as bad as it sounds.
My brother and his girl friend came last week. This is him in the middle.

On the right is his girl friend Charlotte. I drew very quick sketches of them, and then my brother drew a very quick sketch of me. You can see it on the left. I added the earrings but the rest is all his.

These are a few things I drew since the beginning of the year. Things sitting on my table, and things in the street. Yes, I've been sketching outside where there's other people around! I chose the street carefully. There was no one around. Desert place, closed houses.

One of my orchids.

And quick sketches while waiting for my daughter at the horse farm where she rides. Horses move a lot, unlike orchids. Interesting exercice, though, I think I'll try again. When it's warmer, maybe.

Three books and too many faces to count

2011-02-24T09:22:00.000-08:00

New books again. I've been too busy to concentrate on anything else than my usual practice with books and faces... On the right is a nice story that reads easily but isn't half as funny as promised on the cover. I didn't believe them anyway. In the middle is an awesome story by french author Tonino Benaquista (that's a pleonasm because he only writes awesome stories). The kind of story that makes you smile for entire minutes in a waiting room in pure jubilation, the whole world around forgotten...

And on the left is an interesting book about dreams and their interpretation. The author mainly says that the purpose of dreams interpretation is prediction. He also says that you cannot interpret your own dreams because the interpretation would only become another dream. You must ask an interpret he calls an "onirocrite" (in french), and the dreams have to be told just out of bed, before breakfast.
I'm interested by the prediction part, but I think I'll leave the rest, because it doesn't seem very practical. Not every body can have his own onirocrite waiting beside the bed every night.

And faces again. From magazine, daily papers, cook books, travel books...

My new exercise is to draw while watching my dvds. I try to draw the faces very fast, sometimes from memory, sometimes in several takes. For some (unknown to me) reason I really want to get good at that. I want to be able to "get" a face in just a few traits, like my favorite graphic novels illustrators and writers, Hugo Pratt and Joan Sfar.
I'm not posting the results, but I can tell you it's really a fun and efficient way to practise!

2 books, 16 people and a cat

2011-01-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

My last two reads. This is the third time I've read Kitchen, by Banana Yoshimoto, and each time, I've been mourning someone or something. Each time I get something new, and deep, from the book. It's a very special book. Very zen, in a way.

The other one is Fried green tomatoes by Fannie Flagg. Second time I read it and second time I love it. I found it darker this time. Funny how we get things differently as we age and go through new experiences.
Both are great books to read when you need to get through some tough times, anyway, to me they are.

And more faces from magazines and papers. Some are good, some are really bad, even the second time around! 3/4 faces are the hardest, I think. And animals are even harder than people! You wouldn't know it, but the cat really doesn't look like its model! (but he looks like a cat, I've managed that : ) !)

2 books and 14 faces

2011-01-22T09:01:00.000-08:00

I've been slowly reading! On the left book two of "a feast for the crows" by George RR Martin. I love this series, beautifully written and captivating. I liked this volume better than the previous one, but I felt it was long, sometimes. I hate the character who gets the more pages, the horrible Cersei. And I miss Jon, Bran, Aria and Thirion.

On the right is a lovely little book from Iceland and it's a warm and original story, about love, cooking, roses, fatherhood and family, but you've got to read the book to see for yourself, I'm not doing it justice. (title is "Rosa Candida").

And I've also been drawing a lot, from photos, and very fast with my pen. Like always I'm amazed how easier it becomes when I draw a lot.

Faces from various magazines, like "Psychologies", Elle, Geo, and teenager stuff belonging to my daughter ^^!
We've had snow in my area, but not right where I live. I hope we'll have a little bit of snow this year!

January and watery things

2011-01-15T11:49:00.000-08:00

I've been extremely busy for the last two weeks, no spare time and almost never at home. So these are already "old" drawings from the beginning of the year.

You can see : my cat, Mia, a litte pine branch, christmas decoration bears, a view of the harbor from the beach (yes! I finally managed to draw outside a little, between drops of rain!), a candle, my paintbrush again (raining, again...)
All this water made me think about fish...

As I'm writing this, we've had a few wonderful, sunny, warm days. We're luckier than some people in Brazil.

It's my first post of 2011, so I'll use it to wish a lot of good things, health, love, happiness , to everyone!
Bonne Année à tous!

Des feuilles

2010-12-30T08:42:00.000-08:00

My last post for 2010, I think! I'm at last daring to draw some leaves and other natural things... not realistic yet, just having fun with shapes and colors, but I'll get there (maybe. unless something else grabs my attention!).

I've been playing with watercolors for three years, more or less, and I still don't really know what's going to happen when I use them... must be a very slow learner. And I don't feel like working on it, at all. This is my playground, no "must do" allowed!
I thought the negative version was cool, so here goes :

I have no resolutions for 2010. I can't be more serious and perfect that I am already, so why would I make resolution? Oh, you think I'm kidding, I'm sure!
I have a wish list, though. It's very small and I won't tell to keep me luck.
See you next year!

Experiments, sister, and traditions in Provence

2010-12-26T07:17:00.000-08:00

I did a little drawing from a photo for my sister and her husband. This is the result after playing with it with my paint.net software!

I actually like it better than the original, it's a bit boring in comparison ^^!

I'll print the red one and send it to them too, in case they like it...

And this is a quick thing with acrylic paints on colored paper. I've never done that before, just play with colors. It's pleasing, in a strange way. I mean, I'm pleased by the result in a strange way, I'm not trying to judge it but I just like looking at it for some reason.

And this one, same thing :

I've also done other things that I'm not showing... I had done some drawings that I thought were really cool... and then I painted them, and it got worse and worse and now they're really rotten.

I hope everyone had a good time at christmas. I went to a Provençal traditional mass with friends who sing in the folk choir. It was a great experiment. Provençal traditions are both beautiful and fun because people in Provence have a great sense of humor and an incredible way to talk and tell stories. Their telling of the Nativity story is really unique - at some point there was an enormous piece of cheese involved - I didn't understand exactly what it was doing in the story as it was told in Provençal...

December things, books and girafes

2010-12-18T10:58:00.000-08:00

I found the heart shaped rock the other day on the beach. I went for a walk, trying to enjoy the first rays of sun in weeks and to beat my blue mood, and I found the rock. I felt very gloomy when I went, and I was fine when I came back with this rock and some nice others!

I tried to draw the top of my christmas tree but I think I'm not patient enough for that kind of thing.
The weed on the bottom left is wheat, here in Provence people grow it from the 4th of december for luck and money in the house. Anything that can help, I'm willing to try!

Last reads : on the right, La Cithare Nue (the naked sithar) by Shan Sa. It's so beautiful, from the first lines to the last ones, I couldn't believe it. It's like watching a painting, hearing music and reading a poem, during hundreds of pages - and the story is fantastic. I can't recommand that book enough! It makes a great Christmas gift, too!

The other one is by Tony Hillerman, Skeleton Man. I haven't finished it but it's great - I've never read a Tony Hillerman book that I didn't like! It had been a long time since I'd read one of his stories, and I felt the need for it. He's well known in France - present in every public library!

And a quick one I did yesterday and this morning. I wanted to draw something, anything, and found these girafes before the Ngorongoro mountains in an old Geo magazine. It's not very polished, but I like it anyway - and I have this urge to make things, like I've never had before. I'm really enjoying - and needing - the process!

Hermione Granger vs Mary Poppins

2010-12-11T01:32:00.000-08:00

Drawings I did last weekend! I took everything that was in my bag out and drew it. (if you click on the drawings you can see them bigger.)

I was sick and stayed inside the whole weekend - anyway it was raining again so no regrets... And actually, spending hours drawing and painting without thinking about anything made me feel real good and I was feeling recreated when I went back to work on monday.

Sometimes I also have other things in my bag, like a book, a cup for coffee, nespresso doses, chocolate, my umbrella, reading glasses, a scarf... It's a Mary Poppins bag!

Now yesterday evening I saw the last Harry Potter movie with my daughter (it was awesome!!) and I can tell you Hermione's bag beats Mary Poppins's bag by far!

Roses, chocolates, John Wayne, and an Advent subject.

2010-12-05T07:43:00.000-08:00

New page, new flowers! A friend offered me the roses and the chocolates (yes, the brown things below the flowers are chocolates in a box). I had to draw fast because the chocolates didn't last long. The roses are doing better!

And a portrait of John Wayne from a photo I found on The Impossible Cool .

And this an Advent calendar I made for my daughter. All the little cases are open and I put sweets, chocolate, and little fun things in them! She loves having her little surprise every day.

I made it with card board, scrapbook papers, a few pens, tape, glue, and a rainy afternoon (we've got a lot of those, that's why I'm able to update the blog so much...).

It's raining again, my work is all done and I'm drawing like a mad woman, so expect a new blog post very soon!

Flowers, my guitar, and thoughts

2010-11-26T06:03:00.000-08:00

First, I want to thank everyone who replied to my last post, for your advice and encouragements, and simply for sharing your own stories. It made me feel better about the whole thing, and it made me think (dangerous thing, that!)

So I took my sketchbook again and drew the flowers on my table, first time I draw flowers, and it shows... but I'm still happy with the drawing because it's colorful and I enjoyed doing it. On the left is a pinecone, in case you don't recognize it.

And this is the new love of my life, my guitar. When I was young I played the piano, it was a love/hate relation,and no one ever thought I should do something with it... (except maybe, stop).
I thought I was lost for music forever, being obviously not gifted at all. but I love music, I love the sound of live instruments, especially guitar, bass and percussions, so I treated myself and bought this and a method for learning.
I'm having fun playing, for my ears only (I'm not a cruel person). There's absolutely no pressure at all. The sounds and the exercices take me in a meditative state like nothing else ever did (great surprise!)

I think playing an instrument or singing just for pleasure is more understood and accepted than sketching or drawing. People seem to get the point better. But maybe I'm wrong, it's not something I'm very familiar with.

2 books, 1 journal page and some ranting

2010-11-11T10:20:00.000-08:00

Books again! Favorite authors, so no surprise but a lot of pleasure!
On your right, new book by Kate Atkinson, short stories (a genre I usually don't like much), fabulous. I feel she writes for me, I mean, it's the kind of things I'd like to write if I could write. But she really has a unique way of seeing and expressing things.

And, on your left, not new book by David Baldacci. I'm beginning to seriously love that author. I like thrillers, and action packed stories, but usually the characters are a bit simple and without depth in those kind of books. But not with Baldacci. I love his characters, they feel human and likable. And the stories are great.

And this a little page just for the pleasure of drawing, something I have missed doing, lately... My pen for drawing, my nespresso cup, little hen on my kitchen counter, ivy leaves, little statue at my parents' place.

Lately I couldn't draw anymore. I made a few drawings for friends and family. When I show my drawings, I often hear : "That's nice! You should make something of it".
Make what? I thought I was making something, actually. Like, a little drawing. Just for the pleasure. Isn't that something?

And then I stop drawing. Not the first time it happens.
I think I'm over it, this time. I just want to draw and not care why or what for.

Do you sometimes get these kind of remarks?

Shelves and a lot of books

2010-11-03T11:10:00.000-07:00

Two books I read in october. I liked the one on the left, by Nancy Huston, especially for the very interesting take on men and women, the power and the fears beneath the relationships and attitudes.

The book on the right "Horowotz et mon père" (Horowitz and my father) tells the story of a man who was Horowitz's friend in Russia before the revolution, when they were teenagers, and was at least as good a pianist as Horowitz.
He fights with the white Russians, flees to France, get married, and lives a very ordinary and rather happy life until the war and later his wife's death. His son tells the story, and it's great, interesting, tender, funny, clever...

I loved it even more because the story takes place in Paris west suburbs, which is where I grew up, and I felt the place in the book, like it is in my memories, and that was great!

And this is a view from my couch... Shelves in my living room, with some books, of course!
I'm trying to get back to my "first love" in drawing : the "Every Day Matters" style!

2 books and 2 boys

2010-10-23T08:09:00.000-07:00

This blog is still alive, and I'm still reading and drawing, just, not as much as before, because I seem to have become hyperactive, after years of sleeping in hibernation.

Reads of september (I know, only two books...) On the left a story by Jonathan Kellerman, that I didn't like very much. It took me ages to get to the end.
But I loved the one on the right, by David Baldacci.

It's a thriller, with a lot of action, but also a very interesting psychological angle and great characters you can really care about. I need to read other books by this author!

And two faces, I think I saw on flickr. A long time ago.
I miss blogging, so I'll try to keep up... Days are so short!

Books and balusters

2010-08-29T05:37:00.000-07:00

My last reads. First I read the one on the right, a story by Cathy Kelly, and I hated it. It was boring, and it was aggravating, and I wonder why I read it to the end. I thought something interesting was going to happen. But no, never. Also, I was busy with no time to go to the library...

On the left is a story by Ed McBain, and it was good. I've enjoyed all the books I've read by this author, great plots, great dialogues and characters, always.

And this is a trompe l'oeil I did in May for my parents, to replace the broken balusters temporarily. I drew them in chalk on a large wooden board and a friend sprayed some waterproof varnish on the whole thing.

I've not been drawing lately and I miss it, but I had absolutely no motivation for it. Now, seeing all the cool posts of everyone via the EDM group, I feel the motivation creeping back... Crossing my fingers.

Books and something completely different

2010-08-18T06:49:00.000-07:00

I've been not drawing a lot, lately. Last week I had some time to myself and this came out. It was fun to do and took a long time with all the little details to color... (I think you can see it bigger if you click on it).

Then I had to do something with the cluster in my appartment and basement, and I received the Chuck season 2 dvds, and I had to go to the beach not to lose my suntan, and the rest of the week disapeared very fast.
But I also managed to finish that - not reading much lately, so it's easier to keep update with drawing my books ^^!

On the left is a strange book by Kelly Kaplan about a village famous for its frog cooking restaurants. There's violence, jealousy, sects, sex, crimes, lies... it's very weird. I liked it mostly because it was told in a way that made me see the pictures really well (and no, I'm not talking about the sex part, that was not graphic at all), I could picture the story like in a child book. Otherwise it was a little too weird for my liking.
The one on the right was great fun. It's a thriller by Andy Mc Dermott with a lot of action and explosions, the characters are fun, I enjoyed it a lot!! Will read anything by this author now!

Bouquins, portraits, comme d'hab...

2010-07-25T10:05:00.000-07:00

The book on the left tells life as seen by a six year old little girl. It was rather sad. I wanted to beat the mother during all the book. The ending was great, though : the little girl leanrs how to read, and her world changes!

On the right is a book by Rose Tremaine, called "Trespass" in English, "les silences" in french. It was excellent, great characters, great story, beautiful writing. The story takes place in the Cevennes, that's in the south of France, it's very rural, and rough, and not very touristic. I could feel the place, reading, it was so well written (and it's a place I know well).

And a few portraits, again... Third one is my daughter, quickly sketched as she was reading. She said, "it's okay, but do I really have that many freckles?" I said no, you have more, but I'm bad at drawing freckles...
She wasn't all that pleased.

2 bouquins 8 portrait et 1 carte

2010-07-07T02:48:00.000-07:00

Time really flies! I've been busy drinking and eating a lot, and dancing and getting into swimming pools and the sea - that was nice! June is worse (better?) than december in terms of social gathering, I think.

Still had time to read, since this is a vital activity!

The book on the right was okay. In french, I'd say that "it doesn't breack bricks" (ça ne casse pas des briques") meaning it's okay but not that fabulous. It didn't help that the french translation was horrible.

On the left is Kundera's "the unbearable lightness of being", which I hadn't read yet. I should have read it sooner. I'm lacking words to talk about it, because if I had the words, I'd be Kundera and write 464 pages to explain... He has open eyes about humanity, what makes us love, what makes us follow.
He's not politically correct, he doesn't have pink glasses, but he's not cynical either. It's about love and totalitarism, and what in us make them happen.
I was intimidated with drawing the cover, as the picture is a reproduction of a Picasso painting! (not that you'd guess it now, seeing my version ^^).

Faces! All ofund on the internet. The last one is Katie Melua as seen on the cover of her CD (and for once I'm not too far from the original).

And faces again. The laughing boy was very difficult to draw. He looked very smug on the photo and I wanted to get that on paper. I'm not sure I managed.

And this is a card I made for Father's day. The lady is my father's wife and someone I love too. For the first time I did the drawing without looking at the photo, trying to get the feeling of her face. Copying was too difficult, it came out better with this method. It's not exactly her, but it's in the spirit!
Well, that's all!
I have more time on my hands now, so I'm going to go and enjoy all your blogs!

Books and faces, as usual...

2010-06-16T06:36:00.000-07:00

For a change, this week... Books!

On the right is a book by Jean Hatzfeld who has written several books about the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. In this book are the stories told by the survivors of the massacres and by the killers. They're now all forced to live together by the "reconciliation" political program.

I couldn't put this book down and was frustrated when I finished it. It's not a nice read, of course, but it adresses essential questions about being human, living, forgiving, believing (or not)... What's frustrating is that there is no answer, only more stories, more ways of coping, more questions.
On another level, the French spoken by Rwandese people is particularly beautiful, and precise, and I enjoyed that a lot. (not sure how it comes across with the translation). All his books are available at Amazon.com in english. This one is called "the antelope strategy". There are two others about Rwanda, and I intend to read them very soon too.
On the left is a book I read a few years ago (but I didn't want a "fun" book beside the Hatzfeld one). It's a young German officer (Ernst Jünger himself) telling his life during the 14-18 war. No answers here either, but it's a powerful, essential book. There's no judgement and no propaganda there, just noise, fear, and people trying to stay human.

To keep this post very original... portraits!
A young girl from Togo, a boy from Republic Tcheque, and the last one is a girl from Liberia, all copied from photos in the book "Si tous les enfants du monde". The third girl I saw on "Photo of the year.com" and she was called "Cambodian Princess".

I'll be at my sister's wedding this weekend (providing the airport is open since it was flooded and closed yesterday...). Will I have the courage to draw out my sketchbook and draw in public?
I'll tell you in a few days!

2 books, 12 portraits

2010-06-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

New books, for a change... Actually I have read another one since but haven't had the time to draw it yet.

Those two were fantastic. I'm not sure the first one has been translated in English yet. French title is Battements d'ailes, Ali di Babbo in Italian, from Milena Agus (author from Sardaigne). It's a small book, magical, poetical, funny, strange, with wonderful characters and a very original voice.

The other one, I couldn't let go, and "ate" very fast : ) ! The third angel, by Alice Hoffman.

I really want to read all their other books now.

I've been asked how many books I read a month, I don't know, it depends. Four, five, six, not counting those I read very slowly because they make me work, (personnal development books, for example), or the illustrated books... I read fast, and I need to read as much as I need to breath. I read a lot more when I was young - I had four library cards ^^ !

These portraits, I copied from a wonderful book called "Si tous les enfants du monde" (If all the children in the world). The girls are from Espana and Guinée Equatoriale and the boys from Haïti and Malta.

Two more children from the book, little girl from Cambodge, looking up, little boy from Ivory Coast (he's much cuter in reality, I didn't manage to get the cuteness on paper, he's very small, my version looks older...)
Men from Parker Fitzgerald and Arte te tra flickr streams.

A young woman from David Urbanke flickr stream - my version is not as beautiful as she is in the photo... For some reason, my version looks a bit like my grandmother (must be the sad expression and thin neck - my grandmother was from Flanders and not beautiful at all...)
A young girl from Kazakhtan (and I made her look older, once more...)
A woman from Tibet seen on Falsalama flickr stream, and a woman seen on Internet, random search, no name.

I find it very hard to draw the small children, and the women. The more cute and/or beautiful they are, the more difficult.
And, also, people showing their teeth! Much harder!

I haven't had the time to admire anyone's blog but I'm going to get to it now!
This weekend I had the first year final exam for the course of Sophrology I'm following. I had a little problem with the time, almost didn't manage to finish... But I think it went well.
It's a fantastic course, I'm very glad I'm doing it. Hopefully I'll graduate next year and be able to begin practicing!

Street scene and portraits

2010-05-30T06:46:00.000-07:00

So this is the street concert in Collobrières, in color this time! And the reference photo below.

Collobrières is a small and lovely village, very isolated, and well known for its production of chestnuts (and chestnut cream, icecream and so on). This was during the chestnut festival in october 2008.

This is my dad. I took an old photo and tried to make him look older to match better with him now. The hair is not right but the rest is him, I think. I offered it to his wife for Mother's day (because she's important to me too) and she loved it.

Those little ones are Maxime and Pauline, my friend's children. This was for her birthday.

I loved drawing them, I felt the cuteness, it was like being with them. They're all far away and I miss them.

And my last series of portraits found on the net!

Man and woman from Milano, seen on The Sartorialist's blog (I think they look like brother and sister), Nat King Cole, and a Japanese young woman with red hair seen also on the Sartorialist's blog (she's my personal favorite!).

I'm off to draw the last book I read!

2 books, 4 faces, 1 street concert

2010-05-22T10:19:00.000-07:00

As usual, books! On the left a book by Jacques Salomé, a French author who writes about communication between people with very interesting ideas and views. The other book is a thriller.

I usually don't like very much this type of stories with a lot of action, and perfect heroes who are so incredibly intelligent, skilled and beautiful. But James Rollins'stories have something more, despite the clichés, and I enjoy them. The end of this one was awesome, and in complete synchronicity with my current spiritual fumblings, that was amazing (I won't tell, I don't want to spoil it if you want to read the book! - I think the English title must be "the Darwin Bible".)

Faces again. A girl in Berlin (seen in the Sartorialist's blog). A London portrait from Paul Bence's Flickr stream (great gallery!). A not very good version of Jean Seberg (and it's not the first time I try... - one day, I'll succeed!) . A young teen from Hans Silvester's book about the Omoo people (Ethiopia).

This is from a photo I took last year in a nearby village. I'm going to color it, but I like it in black and white, too, so here it is. The group was playing Tzigane music, and they were so good. The kids were sons of some of the band members and they were really funny to watch!
(You can click on the drawing if you want to see it bigger).

2 bouquins, 1 collage et 12 portraits

2010-05-13T23:27:00.000-07:00

I just finished "The elephant vanishes", by Haruki Murakami, and it was fantastic. At first I didn't want to read it because it's short stories - and I usually don't enjoy reading these. But I couldn't find another Murakami at the library that day, so I tried - and was enlighted!

The other one, by David Foenkinos, was great, too. Very orginal, funny, with a lot of unforgettable and delightful moments.

A little collage. From a set I made on the Polyvore site.

Portraits! From photos in my Geo magazines collection, and some from Flickr.

Here, a girl from Logan Jack's flickr stream, Commandant Cousteau, a Svanetian woman (from Georgia), a Japanese man.

The first two don't look like the originals at all... The third one is Marguerite Barankitse, a fabulous woman who has saved and helped hundreds of children in Rwanda and Burundi (I made her look a little older than she does in reality : ( - The little girl is from a photo on Rebecca 812 flickr stream.

A young Australian man in a rodeo contest, girl from Yuna's flickr stream, Javanese man.... and Mitchum again (I needed one more drawing to complete the squares...)

I've got the day off and it's not raining. Isn't that great?

Zoziaux, tasses, légumes, portraits.

2010-05-04T07:33:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to try something new and so this is it... I keep seeing beautiful birds everywhere and I had this great magazine about tropical birds, so I copied two of them using color pencils on black craft paper. Then I cut the drawings and glued them on colored cards. (I did three birds but the third one is really horrible).

And did the same, while I was at it, with my favorite cups :

And some vegetables I'd just bought :

It's a beginning. I'll try some more, I think.

I've not been doing many portraits, so I had to put an old one I'd already posted to be able to complete the four squares mosaïc...

Three of them I did from flickr photos (not mine).
The first one from LightMirror flickr stream, the second one from iam-zin flickr stream, the third one from Hanjosan flickr stream. The fourth is Robert Mitchum, I hope it shows ?!

OK, enough computer time now. I need paper time!

Books, EDM 260, an orchid, a girl, Mediterranean Coast

2010-04-25T13:07:00.000-07:00

I've finished my big sketchbook for books drawings. I like how these two came out!
The Murakami (After Dark) was nice but I prefered Norwegian Woods, my favorite so far. "Kafka on the Shore" was great, too.

Case Histories by Kate Atkinson was awesome. My favorite of all her books, now. And I loved them all!
I love her take on life. She writes detective stories like she really feels along with the characters, not just for the thrill. Her books are a lot more than just detective stories. And she has a great sense of humor.

This is the illustration of a dream I had. A fish in a suitcase. Looking almost exactly like that. (don't ask...)
What's funny is I dreamt that the night of the first of april, and on this day, french children cut little paper fish and stick them on people's backs with tape...

The suitcase is mine, I found it in a flea market. And after drawing this I discovered that EDM 260 was : Draw a Filled Suitcase! Great. Haven't done an edm challenge for ages!

Two little drawings on my small sketchbook. My oldest orchid, and my daughter painting her nails. I drew her very fast because she kept moving, so she's completely disproportionate, with big legs. She doesn't like the drawing at all! But I do. I find her cute even with big legs...

And this I did during a walk along the sea side. We have a beautiful coast here, rather well preserved and protected.
And I realise I'm drawing more than before, even though I still don't feel like it.

1 lamp, 1 boat, 1 mouse and why I draw the way I do.

2010-04-16T01:01:00.000-07:00

So I'm drawing again! Thank you so much for your comments on my last post, they really cheered me up and I needed it!

I found a very small book and decided that I could do at least one very small drawing a day. And it works. I'm getting the same surprised pleasure as I felt when I first discovered Danny Gregory's books and yahoo group.

This is a little lamp in my bedroom. I bought it for myself after I divorced. My ex hates that style, so it was very liberating!

A little piece of one of the six fishermen boats we have in my little touristic town. Here the sea doesn't smell anything except petrol, and cat piss near the fishing nets (where I was sitting. Best place in the whole town, at least it feels real). Here where I live everything is false. We are 6000 in the winter, 60 000 in the summer. Buildings everywhere, look like they're built in plastic, simili Roman architecture, very expensive life all year round. I came here for love, stayed for duty, and now I'm stuck. (Hopefully not for long anymore.)

This is I la Souris (her name is prononced "E"), my daughter's oldest stuffed animal. She's called E because it's the sound mice make, and at the time Manon named her she didn't know many more words : ) !
Here E is sitting against my fantastic orchid who has thirteen flowers in bloom.

Drawn2Life made a very interesting post explaining why she draws the way she does. Really made me think. It's here :
http://drawn2life.wordpress.com/2010/04/13/why-i-draw-the-way-i-do/http://drawn2life.wordpress.com/2010/04/13/why-i-draw-the-way-i-do/
Because I'm very slow I haven't finished thinking about it (it should take a few more years and I'm done).

I'll try, anyway.
I draw the way I do because I'm not (yet) able to draw better. Getting the proportions right is the hardest, for me. And I'm totally unable to draw from memory, so I'm limited on the subjects.
I've begun to enormously enjoy drawing since I read Danny Gregory's book, especially "The Creative Licence".
I use his method of drawing, mostly (described in the book) : I draw the exterior first, without looking much at my drawing, except for checking I'm not completely getting out of the page ^^. Then the interior and the details.
I usually draw very fast. I prefer to draw directly with a pen, but I use a pencil when it's difficult and I want to get it right absolutely. Usually I don't especially want that!
I'm always surprised when it looks good and that's a big part of the pleasure! (I love good surprises).
In a drawing I love the lines. I love color, too, but I think what I enjoy the most is the line work.

Pure lines make me feel clear and happy. Like I understand the world better and it's cleaner and prettier.

My favorite all times illustrators are Walt Disney, Hayao Miyazaki, Masamune Shirow, and Hugo Pratt. I love Natsuko Takaya very much, too (she did the Fruits Basket manga series).

It's time to wake up, now, my rambling is finished!
That's all, folks ^^ ! A la prochaine!

4 portraits

2010-04-13T05:19:00.000-07:00

From photos I found on flickr (from theses flickr streams : krakote est point com, itzik, crazycrazy, LightMirror).

I'm not drawing at all these days, I don't know why. Not even a small portrait. Nothing. (these were done last month).
I feel stuck, and not only with the drawing thing.

4 livres

2010-04-01T10:07:00.000-07:00

These are books I recently read.

I love the George R.R. Martin saga (Song of Fire and Ice) and this is the eleventh I've read. I thought it was a bit long sometimes, but I still want to know what happens next. And it's beautifully written.

The other book is from an Indian journalist and author and was an awesome read, thrilling and very interesting. (english title : Tarun Tejpal, the Story of my Assassins).

And these two were offered to me for my birthday (cool!)

The first one is about a hysterical woman who has a problem with her age. There were some good moments,here and there, made me smile.

I wonder why my friend bought me that?? Should I feel concerned?

The second book is a love story, delicate, funny and surprising. I loved it.

Author is Daniel Foenkinos, I don't know if he's been translated in English. The book is wonderful - I want to read the other ones now.

Une girafe, une nana bleue et une brune

2010-03-25T08:32:00.000-07:00

Most of my time, when I'm not working or driving my daughter here and there, is spent trying to sell my flat

and find a nice house to live in (and obsessing about the whole thing).

But, I sometimes manage to sit and be quiet with my pens and paint, and so I did this :

From a photo a friend took in Kenya.

And this :

From two photos snatched in old magazines and transformed...

And this :

From a portrait found on flickr, and this time I didn't forget to note the name of the photographer : it's "krakote est point com" on flickr, and the original photo was taken on march 15th.

Le bureau, la machine à café et un sac

2010-03-10T09:52:00.000-08:00

Another room for my future house! Dreams cost nothing!

Copied from a photo I found somewhere, (not mine), and sadly I didn't think to note where I found it...

This is where I'll receive my future patients!

I'm following a two years course to become a "sophrologue" - that's a therapeutic pratice, with relaxation, visualisation and positive activation. I take classes during weekends, about two a three days every month. And go back to work on mondays...

That's why I need good coffee!

I already have a nice nespresso machine, but I wouldn't mind having this one :

And this nice bag to carry my books...

I'll just ignore the price of those things for now!

Un bureau, une chambre

2010-03-03T06:38:00.000-08:00

I'm dreaming of my future house.

Just dreams for now, but it doesn't hurt, and I feel inspired!

This is from a photo I found in a magazine and changed a little.

And the same, by night (thank you, negative option of my scanner!)

I want a lot of wood in my future place.

2 bouquins, 1 jeune fille et 1 homme mystérieux

2010-02-17T10:30:00.000-08:00

Last reads. I loved both, they both involve young people, going to university and trying to find meaning in their lives, they're both a little weird, funny, whimsical and awesome.
And they're both written by fantastic authors. Murakami's book title in English is "Norwegian wood".

Drawing books is one of my greatest pleasures. Small pleasure, it's like an active meditation, absolutely stress free, I don't use a pencil, don't erase anything, put any color I feel like... It's great : )!
And of course it allows me to stay a little longer with my books.

Another portrait, done fast, no eraser (I don't like working with pencil and eraser much, I think...). She's not exactly like the model, but not too far either, and I like her anyway. Gypsy girl from India.

And a little valentine drawing for me because I wanted one, too... I firmly believe that next year I'll be able to draw "the mysterious man's face. I'm not going to stay alone forever, nom d'un chien!

(nom d'un chien" means something like "damnit". Well, literally it means : name of a dog : )!)

Des portraits et un peu de fantaisie

2010-02-13T06:28:00.000-08:00

I made a little card for my daughter to open on valentine's day, with her portrait on the front. She's not a red head, but red suits her, and she loves those colors.

I draw a lot these days, but I don't put everything on line, because it takes way too much time and I'm trying to keep away from the computer as much as I can.

I managed to make a version of the wedding invitation that finally looked like my sister... They liked it, it should be the final version :

I'm doing a lot of portraits and really finding it difficult. I want to work on drawing nature, too, trees, leaves... I'm not patient, so it's going to be a little bit challenging for me...

And because I wanted to do something fun withtout any pressure, I had fun drawing this little character and his baby goat - a cabri, in French!
Lettering says : an afternoon in the hills.

2 livres et 2 essais

2010-01-27T09:17:00.000-08:00

My last two reads. The book by Carlos Ruiz Zafon was ok, but a bit long in the end, for me.

The Atkinson one was awesome, it's the second book I read by this author and I really love her mind and her style! It's funny, and sometimes completely awful, and never boring.

I had fun drawing this page - thses days I spend a lot of my free time trying to draw my sister's wedding invitation.

It seems I can't get her face right, I must have drawn her 50 times, and it's never really good.

I tried this, but they didn't like it much, apparently.

And I've tried this :

And this drawing is the first of a very long list that I like a little. I'm beginning to recognize her face.

If they don't like it, I'll try with another photo - I think I'll never manage a better drawing than this one from this particular photo.

Maybe I should have told them I'm a complete beginner at portraits, before accepting the task...

Couleurs

2010-01-15T13:12:00.000-08:00

A few of my favorites on flickr- love those colors, especially the first row!

1. Old House 12141, 2. The Orange One, 3. Ivy Windows, 4. High Line November Sunset, 5. 5306 Kevelaar Germany, 6. 2tutus, 7. metamorphosis, 8. Flower Teapot, 9. decay

Un ado, un chaton, deux livres

2009-12-28T01:00:00.000-08:00

He's a teenage boy from the Omo people in Ethiopia. I drew him from a photo I found in a book by Hans Silvester who photographed them for two years.

Little kitten, in blue, and in negative :

And books I read recently.

The Jim Harrison book was great (they're all great), and I loved the other one too, by Kate Atkinson. I almost stopped reading at one point, because it was so dark and I wanted something good to happen, but I'm glad I went on reading, because it was awesome. I want to read her other books, now.

English title is "When will there be good news?", and she really makes you wait for them, but it's worth it!

Un garçon, une fille, une citerne.

2009-11-21T07:59:00.000-08:00

Got Hans Silvester's book about Omo people at the library. They are a primitive people living in the east of Africa. They decorate themselves with all sort of nature finds. The teenagers especially (teenagers always love to look stylish, anywhere!). They're incredibly beautiful and facinating.

There are wars raging all around them and they probably will disapear soon, civilized and cut from their traditions.

I hope they hold on a long time. Looking at them is like looking at something precious. I get the same feeling when I see an eagle. A little bit of hope and nostalgia for something lost but not completely gone nor forgotten.

And this is my little girl, Manon.

Drew her in response to the prompt : your biggest success!

This is a water tank. There are lots of these up in the hills, in case there's a fire. The land is very dry and the wind can be very violent here.

Youpi, un Award!

2009-11-20T06:51:00.000-08:00

I've got an award, I'm so glad!
And it was given to me by two people who's art I love and admire a lot, Bénédicte and Elaine.

Bénédicte has a blog filled with awesome drawings (fantastic cats! but that's not all) and unique ideas. It's very varied and inspiring and I love going there and getting surprised!

Elaine does beautiful, soulful (hope that's a word?!) watercolors, and very cool journal pages with great little cartoony characters - they're funny and expressive and often cute!

I love your art and your sense of humor, both of you! Thanks so much for this award!

I need to pass this award on to five people, post on their blog to let them know I left this award, and then I need to answer a list of questions in ONE word.”

There are a lot of people with great blogs and great art! Here are five I love :

Marancat has a cool blog and a great style. Lots of neat drawings and watercolors!
Krista who does beautiful watercolors and I love her virtual Paris tour!
Judy with her beautiful nature and birds paintings, some sumi e style.
Winna - I love her style and her awesome compositions.
Starr who's very busy but when she posts it's always great!

And now for the one word questions..
Let's try this.
1. Where is your cell phone? kitchen
2. Your hair? short
3. Your mother? dead
4. Your father? nice
5. Your favorite food? food
6. Your dream last night? bizarre
7. Your favorite drink? champagne!
8. Your dream/goal? improvement
9. What room are you in? bedroom
10. Your hobby? drawing
11. Your fear? taboo
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Earth
13. Where were you last night? here
14. Something that you aren’t? naïve
15. Muffins? ok
16. Wish list item? travel
17. Where did you grow up? Boulogne
18. Last thing you did? sale
19. What are you wearing? jeans
20. Your TV? none
21. Your Pets? cat
22. Friends? essential
23. Your life? good
24. Your mood? good
25. Missing Someone? yes
26. Vehicle? Xzara
27. Something you’re not wearing? watch
28. Your favorite store? books
29. Your favorite colour? all
30. When was the last time you laughed? morning
31. Last time you cried? forgot
32. Your best friend? far
33. One place that I go to over and over? hills
34. Facebook? no
35. Favorite place to eat? restaurant

2 têtes

2009-11-17T10:18:00.000-08:00

La tête dans les étoiles - head in the stars (I don't how to translate that correctly).

Et la tête de la sorcière - the witch's head (this one is easier : ) )

I made this little head with salted dough for modelling and painted it before drawing it. (hope I got the translation right for pâte à sel...)

4 femmes, 1 pourri, 2 livres

2009-11-13T12:03:00.000-08:00

This is from a photo found in an old (1997) issue of Geo. The old lady in the middle is Princess Kamamy from Madagascar. Thought they looked beautiful.

I'm using prompts from this blog to write and draw in a liitle journal. This is for prompt 7 "What makes you, you?" Difficult question... Found the girl with the camera on a flickr photo and played with it.

And this is for prompt 13, "Thank someone". Choose to thank someone who was a real bastard, because without him I probably wouldn't be who and where I am, and I like it here... Found the photo on Flickr too, using the word "damned" for search.

And my last two reads!

I liked "The secret life of bees", it was nice.

But I LOVED The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Wonderful book! I wish I could go to Guernsey and meet the characters!

La maison de la sorcière

2009-11-01T11:28:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed myself a lot with this!
This is a witch and her little house.
I wonder if she's good or bad. (that's what the text says, too).

Caroline R. avant et après

2009-10-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

This is for Inspire me Thursday - this week the theme is "Madame Caroline Rivière", so here she is. I've been watching a little too much of Dia de los Muertos/Halloween stuff, apparently : ).
In France November 1st is called Toussaint (All Saints) and some people traditionally bring flowers to their dead, and that's all. Catholic people do more, certainly. Some kids put costumes on and a few people decorate and keep sweets for them, but it's not really popular, it's not a tradition here.

Des livres et des visages

2009-10-27T02:12:00.000-07:00

My last reads. I loved the Dan O'Brien book, it was very interesting and a pleasure to read. I love M. O'Brien's view of life, he's very wise and he has an eternal student attitude (that's probably why he's so wise). I learned a lot about nature and ecosystems with this book.

I'm experimenting with kids faces, not very pleased by the results but I feel like doing these anyway... So I'm going on with the feeling...
I've not been blogging, very busy these last few weeks. A lot of work, car problems, lots of activities and on going projects - very good, I'm glad (except for the car troubles, but it's just material, doesn't matter).

1 moto, 3 mouflets, 3 bouquins, 8 moustachus

2009-09-05T12:21:00.000-07:00

Made this for my july calendar page. I love bikes, I'll have one one day when I'm all grown up.

The top half of my july page. I'm not sure of the colors, maybe I'll change the color of the sky behind the bike. Or not.

Last reads : a manga, Nana, by Ai Yazawa. I love it. I used to prefer shonen manga (manga for boys, with a lot of action) but now I'd rather read shojo (manga for girls). This one is my favourite. A serious book by French author Marguerite Yourcenar, very interesting lady. And a kind of detective story, french style, with a lot of word games and old french slang, a language I love that's called "la langue verte" (the green language), and that the young don't know, unless, like I did from a very tender age, they read a lot of old detective books / watch old gangster movies!

And just for fun...

Novembre

2009-08-22T00:37:00.000-07:00

Finally finished my november page. Now I know this calendar will never be ready for 2010. Like we say in french, I've put all my eggs in the same basket, some are going to fall down and break... (plus, I'm lazy, it doesn't help.)
Some bits of the page :

These are not eggs, in the boy's basket. It's ceps. My ex-husband is very good at finding them, and I'm not. I miss his cooking, sometimes.

Un chasseur de primes, une belle caisse et deux bouquins

2009-08-17T05:25:00.000-07:00

That's Lee Van Cleef in "The good, the bad and the ugly". I love this movie, seen it several times always with the same pleasure. Saw a Korean movie last december with my brother that was called "the good, the bad and the crazy" and it was great, in another style, really crazy and fun!

Another car for my calendar, it's a Ford Capri - so I'm told, I don't recognize cars unless I've driven them or been driven in them for years - and I've never had a Capri, too bad, it looks cool!

And two new books.
Centering on Pottery, Poetry and the Person is a fabulous book. I don't know exactly why I felt compelled to buy and read it but I love it. It's very difficult for me, because of the writing, not my first language, and a beautiful, unique, poetical way of writing, and deep meaning. I read it very slowly and feel things moving and growing inside as I read and re-read each paragraph - it's that difficult for me : ) !
The other book is a big thriller, well done, very good for reading near the swimming pool, if you have one, or in bed until very late because you want to know the end and begin something else.

Des confitures, des cuillères et un camion

2009-08-13T05:28:00.001-07:00

This is another page of my future calendar. At the rate I'm going I think it could be finished for 2012.
This is Août (august).

I'm drawing a lot these days and not blogging much. I seem to have absolutely no discipline at all, I mean even less than I usually do.
It's really nice...

10 Indiens et un filon d'or

2009-08-01T00:53:00.000-07:00

Loved the book on the left, it was powerful and interesting, the kind that gives you a lot to think about. English original title is "Ten Indians", by Maddison Smartt Bell.
"The Vein of Gold" was as amazing as "The Artist's Way". It took me almost a year to read them (and work with them) and they're really life changing books.

"The Vein of Gold" really moved me in ways I never would have imagined. It made me explore and do things I never do, think in a different way, engage in projects I had never thought about before. I can't recommand it enough!

2 filles, une baleine et une 2 chevaux

2009-07-28T00:46:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to make a new calendar for next year. These are little pieces of the "september" page.

I'm going to draw cars and motorbikes on every page! Here's my favorite of all times, "la deudeuche" - Citroën 2CV.

2 livres, une locomotive, une jolie nana et 2 tourterelles

2009-07-24T10:28:00.000-07:00

New reads! Loved both books, one a great thriller, the kind you don't let go easily! Read it on the beach mostly, it was nice : )! The other one took some time because it was so rich, a wonderful book about love and reading, and solitude, and books, et caetera... Loved it. I'm sure it's translated in English too. The author is Italian, and the story takes place in Milano, New York, and Belle Ile in France.

Did these two cards for my parents, they liked them!

4 bouquins et 26 chats

2009-07-13T01:03:00.001-07:00

Even when I'm not in the mood to do much, I still like to draw books, it seems...
On the left, a thriller. Didn't like it much, it was violent and I didn't care much for the characters. Not bad, either, it was okay for an afternoon with the kids on the beach. On the right, an essay about neo-paganism, what it is, the various groups and tendancies. Interesting.

These were great! On the left, French fabulous author Tonino Benacquista, with a fun story about a Newark ex-maffia family hidden in a small french village, and raising hell there. And on the right, Finland fabulous author Aarto Paasilinna, with a fun story about Suedish midwives and Finnish lumberjacks stranded on a not so desert island.

And twenty six cats. Seventy four to go and I'll be able to draw a cat properly, I hope. (read somewhere that if you draw something a hundred times you can begin to really get it right - meaning, you understand it better.)

Therapies et fantaisies

2009-06-27T00:39:00.000-07:00

I hate the month of june. Thankfully it's almost over.
Things I'm currently reading :

I'm very interested in alternative therapies. In november I'll begin training in sophrology, while still doing my current job. Hopefully in two years I'll be able to practice as a sophrologist and in a few years be able to do it full time. I'm so fed up with the french education system. I like teaching, and I like the kids, (most of the time...), but I'm tired of the stupid bureaucracy and inept chiefs. They really know how to demotivate their troups.
Bought this, from Arto Paasilinna. Strange and fun, and a cool read, as usual with Paasilinna!

Une forêt, des mugs, une palissade, des jolies filles

2009-06-13T00:28:00.000-07:00

I've been trying a lot of things in my new and first moleskine book - I've waited nearly two months to use it, it made me shy or something... It's over now, I'm doing my usual messes on the pages and being very happy with that...
This, I'm not very happy with it. It was better at some point, I knew I had to stop painting, and I didn't listen to the little voice... Must learn to keep some parts white.

The photo is not mine, and sadly I forgot to note where I found it. Love the colors in those mugs.

I glued a photo and painted around it. The photo is not mine either, don't remember whose it is. Loved the colors, too.

Girls from fashion magazines.

And my daughter watching tv. For once, it's not from a photo. Did it very quickly and she was nice and didn't move too much.

2 livres et un rêve sur papier

2009-06-07T00:46:00.000-07:00

Two new books. I've recently bought four books from the same collection, all from Asian writers. The one on the right, Tio, was wonderful, poetical, a bit magical, and a very pleasing read. On the left, it's Hurree Babu from the Kipling book, Kim, meeting Sherlock Holmes and the Dalaï Lama, and it's fun. Great descriptions of colonial India and old "Thibet".

I probably watched too much American/Californian/Hawaaïan stuff on tv when I was young... this is my vision of paradise... not very original, but effective - it really makes me happy!

I've never been on a surf board... Been on a skate board for one second, once, and hurt my elbow badly. Been on a snow board for one afternoon, and loved it, but I still have troubles with my right knee since... so now I stick to skiing and avoid boards except on paper.

Un moine, un maître de fengshui et ma doudou

2009-05-21T10:19:00.000-07:00

The two books I read last. The one on the right is called Shanghaï Fengshui, it's funny, and the characters were cool. The one on the left is the story of a Tibetan monk, it's very interesting and I read it very fast because it was great. It's a biography, and the hero of the story is a very lovable and wise person.

This is my daughter, Manon, from photos. I think I'm improving, I actually recognize her in these and she doesn't seem to be eighteen either.

Parapluies et parasols

2009-05-18T11:25:00.000-07:00

We have a great weather today, but here in the south of France, we've had the rainiest year since the thirties! We're not used to it at all... The good thing is that the country is incredibly green and even more beautiful than usual with all that water, and it was much needed after several years of drought.
More umbrellas to celebrate these rainy months!

In French we say "parapluie" (protect from the rain) and "parasols" (protect from the sun). And we also have the word "ombrelle", that's not very used anymore. The word "ombre" means "shadow".
Parasols, then:

Des parapluies

2009-05-15T23:22:00.000-07:00

"Umbrellas" was Inspire me Thursday's theme of the week some times ago. It was raining yesterday and I was stuck at home with my sniffling and coughing daughter, so this came out : ). I like umbrellas, they're lovely objects!

I really made four little squares (10 x 10 cm) and played with flickr toys afterwards.

2 éléphants, Bibi, un bateau en bouteille, une deudeuche jaune et des souvenirs pour touriste

2009-05-10T01:05:00.000-07:00

Drawing with a marker on my altered book. The bigger elephant is just lazying in the grass, and the little one is the baby brother playing with him. (found this somewhere on flickr)

This is me, looking at myself in the mirror and trying not to glare... Sometimes I think I look better than this, I've not been very gentle with myself : ) but it's still me, no doubt about it...

I wanted to draw this, out of nowhere, I don't know why...

One of a series of little 2cv citroën drawings. I think I'm going to make cards out of them.

Drawn after my visit in Paris with the students. We bought some little souvenirs and I added a subway ticket.

mon chemin

2009-05-09T13:43:00.000-07:00

Still playing with Polyvore. I love doing collages, and the possibilities are endless... The drawing on the front is mine, the rest isn't, it's collected everywhere.

créer le chemin by kazumiwannabe on Polyvore.com

Nouveau jouet

2009-05-08T06:27:00.000-07:00

I'm having a lot of fun with this new "toy", the Polyvore site where you can make collages and admire others. It's like playing with Barbie dolls, I think. I never did, so I'm doing it now, thirty years late... I've even begun wearing feminine things in real life. There's still hope for me.

éternelle étudiante by kazumiwannabe featuring LRG scarves

optimiste by kazumiwannabe on Polyvore.com

Je veux tout! by kazumiwannabe featuring Sass & Bide shorts

Bob Dylan, et plein de trucs.

2009-05-03T01:02:00.000-07:00

I've been playing with an old book I bought for 2 euros and trying new things, drawing faces, using a marker, drawing very very quickly, and generally having fun.
This is Bob Dylan (I'm not showing all my tries ; )! )

I saw this idea of a fake journal on The Happy Painter's blog. Roz apparently created it and a blog for it to take place during all last month.
I love the idea, and I'm having a lot of fun with it!
So here is my weekend in London (where I've never been, and it wasn't really the weekend either):

Now here I am, in Tokyo, on my fantastic futurist bike, speeding at night on the motorway.

Feeling more romantic for a day :

Oh, this one is not fake. Had my car repaired and bought a book in a thrift market.

2 bouquins et le clocher de Saint-Tropez

2009-04-25T10:39:00.000-07:00

The last two books I read. My favorite fantasy series by George RR Martin, so well written (and translated!) and I'm still hooked even if it's the tenth book of the series! And Best Love Rosie was great, in another style!

This is in Saint Tropez, not far from where I live, in black and white before I color it... never know how my coloring will turn so I wanted a souvenir because I like it now...

Semaine à Paris

2009-04-18T03:23:00.000-07:00

I was in Paris last week for work - visiting with the girls from the fashion/couture workshop at school and two colleagues/friends... it was not a hardship at all : )!
These are some of my favorite places/things in Paris.

Faux collage

2009-04-03T10:14:00.000-07:00

I made a collage with bits of magazine pages and then copied it in watercolor. I didn't use the pen, draw directly with the brush and liked the feeling. It's rather big (30 x 40 cm). It gaves me some ideas for future things!

Une maison, une tête de pierre, une fille cachée dans les bois

2009-03-31T11:18:00.000-07:00

Still having fun with my paints and trying things... there's a lot of stuff that comes out very strange, and I'm not showing everything!
Little dream house (except I'd like it bigger and not lost in the woods, already done that, hate it - just at the end of the street would be great : )

By night. Birds still fly in this place at night.

Stone I found on the beach. It's part of a brick, polished by the stand. I collect these things, enameled stones, polished glass... This one is about the size of my palm. It looks like a head with eyes... maybe I'll paint it, make a little statue with it!

When I was young I used to tell myself stories and draw them... seems I'm doing it again! It looked dull at first, so I added black contours and now I like it.

Le désert, la Sibérie, une île déserte, une deudeuche et un petit garçon en train de lire

2009-03-25T11:05:00.000-07:00

Still having fun with music and watercolor... For this one I was listening to Jeffrey Oryema's album Exile, so beautiful. He's from Ouganda but has been forced to leave his country when he was twenty something. I've never been to the desert but I've lived in Africa for three years when I was young, and still miss it. His music just takes me there.

Hmm. Kamchatka drums, with an old witch singing. Very strange music. This is a very free interpretation based on totally undocumented feelings about Siberia...

That's a kind of journal page. I'm not explaining what it means!

A 2cv Citroën. There are a lot of them where I live. I love this little car. I'd love to have one, but it's not very safe nor very comfortable, and I think it's a bit expensive to take care of.

I don't remember where I picked this. It's from a photo I saw on someone's blog, I think it was Blue Yonder ... hope it's all right to draw it.

Cinq danseurs, deux musiciens, une fillette en rangers et deux petits promeneurs

2009-03-20T12:29:00.000-07:00

I've been trying new things, like painting without drawing first and without a model, and it's fun, I like it. This was done listening to Senegal jembé music, it's naive and messy but I like it, it's fun, I did very quickly and I like the energy of it.

I didn't manage to get the colors right with my scanner. The original is brighter.
This one is done the same way, listening to - guess what - Andes traditional music (hope it shows a little, even if it's a free interpretation!)

Just because I thought she was cool with her big shoes and wind in her hair. She comes from a children's clothes catalogue!

And the boys were on an ad for Timberland shoes.

Trois livres, un sac, une paire de Converse et deux danseuses

2009-03-08T13:04:00.000-07:00

New books! I'm re-reading Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way, it's an amazing book. It seems to me I've been engaged on a strange and fascinating trip since I began to read it. I'm reading another one now, The Vein of Gold, and it's ... amazing. In a very good way!
The book on the left is a sort of illustrated chronicles and thoughts by a great French comic books dessinateur (means, he makes drawings) and story teller. It's a great book.

The Bruce Chatwin I already talked about in the last post, it was a fantastic read. Now I recycle and re-use drawings so I have more in my posts, I'm cheap like that!

This is a lovely Longchamp bag, and no, it's not mine. I wouldn't mind if it was. I wouldn't mind having most of the bags I see in the shops and magazines, actually.

This is from a photo made by a lady whose blog is there. She makes beautiful photos. among other things. Maybe I'll color it later.

This is just a try. No pen and no model, just for fun, never done that, no since I was very little!

I was listening to flamenco music.

Dancing in the night now. Olé!

Un lézard et trois bouquins

2009-03-01T07:58:00.000-08:00

I haven't drawn much lately. Not one post in february... but it's a short month, that's why.
I've done a lot of other things, I have projects, and my life is moving a little more than usual and in quite interesting ways.
I tried drawing a mandala because I didn't want to draw anything "real". It was fun.

This is the negative version - I've been inspired by Margaret's blog and her wonderful drawings and negatives! I like that negative version a lot!
This is the original one, but I think I didn't set my scanner right, it's brighter in reality.

Just read this, it was enormously interesting. I'll buy it, because it's so rich, I want to be able to reread parts of it all the time. English original title is "Songlines". First time I saw Bruce Chatwin's work was in a photography book I found at random in the library. I loved it. Since then it seems Bruce Chatwin's name appears in everything I read.

And these are two other books I read before the Chatwin. I loved the one by Sherman Alexie, it was wonderful, made me laugh and cry, and I sent one to my parents right away, for their education. The other one I struggled with, because I didn't like the dialogues, but maybe it was the translation. I love that author usually. The story was great, anyway, I didn't regret forcing myself to finish it.

Hétéroclite

2009-01-29T09:59:00.000-08:00

I've been drawing a lot, just when I thought I had no motivation for it... I think the comments helped, (thank you very much!). Then, very often, just at the moment I say something, or write it down, I begin to do exactly the contrary. Last time, I told a friend I'd never cut my hair short again... And less than a week later I had it cut shorter than ever...

Little fantasy, about things I find nice, places I'd love to visit...

I can't wait for the weather to warm up so I'll be able to take those diving lessons I promised myself. Always been scared of the water, and now I can't seem to stop drawing fish and ocean related things.

Petit voyage

2009-01-24T09:43:00.000-08:00

I've had trouble finding things I wanted to draw, lately. I had always a "good" reason to do something else. I finally found images I liked and just did them, just to get into it again.
This is in Mongolia, but I don't remember if the family is genuine or comes from a movie.

This is a house in Troyes, in the Champagne area in France. With a lovely scanner print right in the middle of the image!

This is in Brasil, in an island when the little green parrots are apparently nice pets for the children.

And this is a stamp from French Guyana, where one of my best friends lives. I miss her!

I drew them all on one page at first then cut the page in pieces because the whole result was horrible...

and I still don't feel much like drawing. I've got a bad motivation problem...

Proximité

2009-01-24T00:38:00.000-08:00

Nice surprise for me the other morning because Captain Elaine sent me this award :

I love Elaine's journal and paintings, so I was glad!

Proximidade is described as follows:'

This blog invests and believes in PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes for self-aggrandizement!

Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers!'

The rules are: This blog award should be sent to your favorite eight bloggers and they, in turn should forward to eight of their favorites. You should include the text for Proximidade (above) in your announcement blog.

I'm a bit impressed with the award description. I'm not spending much time blogging, these days, and I'm not sure I'll be able to deserve the kind words in the future...

Anyway it's nice to receive ; ) and now I'm passing it to eight of my favorite blogs :

Kathleen the Hammered Player

Starr

Chris Hack

Margaret Ann

Donna the Happy Painter

Mark Hill

Anetka

Clare

Et voilà!

3 bouquins, 6 cartes

2009-01-08T10:20:00.000-08:00

The holidays are over, I'm back from Paris, back to work, broke, and satisfied - it was great!
I haven't drawn anything for weeks. This is the last thing I did along with the calendar pages : books I've read in december.

I've used pink for the background just because I could! Because I have pink watercolor paint now! And light blue, so I now have 10 different colors to play with.

Made these little greeting cards with my scans, Flickr's toys and paper and glue.

It says "Bonne Année" on the cards, and that means "Happy New Year".
So, HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone who passes here!

Deux oiseaux, une otarie et un poisson

2008-12-20T07:51:00.000-08:00

I've finally finished my calendar!

I'll just print the pages, cut them at the right size, and offer them in a package with the little shelf you can see below. The pages are 10x7 and the self is A4. Maybe I should add the year on the shelf, above the pages. I don't know.

Only three days left and I'm on my way to Paris to see the family. With all the little shelves in my bag... And the prints, if I can find some color ink for my printer before tuesday, and that's not certain. I've only managed to print two calendars so far and couldn't find the right cartridge when I went shopping yesterday...

That's the kind of thing that happens to me all the time. I wish I was able to think ahead and be organized, sometimes. It must be really nice, not to be late all the time and worry and run everywhere like a chicken without its head.

I'm definitely not Kazumi yet...

Nemo et plein d'étoiles de mer

2008-12-10T04:11:00.000-08:00

Only four months left, I think I'm going to finish the calendar in time... It's not that it takes that long to do the pages, but between work, daughter, house, and my terrible habit of losing myself in reading and daydreaming... Time flies!
This is Nemo, for august :
And little stars for july. In France we also have our national day in july, I thought the stars would look festive : )

Going to buy the christmas trees and decorate this afternoon, with daughter. Love that! The cat is going to be happy too, she will play with the decoration and send half of them crash everywhere. Lucky we don't walk barefoot at this time of year...

Une tortue, une seiche et un papillon

2008-12-02T08:20:00.000-08:00

The new months... awfully difficult for me to paint. Not too happy about how they turned out, especially the backgrounds. Not too unhappy either, but I liked the others more.

I think I'm going to manage to finish on time for my family, but I'll never be able to finish fast enough to have the time to print it like a regular calendar. I began too late for that.

To be able to offer it, I'm going to print the pages on thick paper with my own printer, then present them on a little wooden shelf. Some of my students made the shelves for me in their wood work class. I'll show you the photos soon.

If you're interested by the calendar, just download it! Next year I'll try to do something more finished!

And I'm happy to show the award I received from June, and to pass it on!

June has given me the Butterfly Award! I feel very happy about that! June has several great blogs, and makes fabulous photos and drawings.

Here are the rules that go with the award :

1. Put the logo on your blog, you can right-click and copy it from above.

2. Add a link to the person who awarded you

3. Nominate 10 other blogs for this award

4. Add links to those blogs

5. Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs

6. Give a reason why you consider their blogs cool.

Now, ten cool blogs I love (I love many more but ten is already a lot when you think you have to tell all of them about sending them the award...)

Mark great ideas, very cool drawings, now a great series of drawings in alphabetical order!

Margaret Ann wonderful art, celebrating nature and colors

Anita Davies great journal pages, great drawings, sketches and paintings

Anetka always something new on her blog, great drawings and a lot a ideas and great work!

Starr beautiful drawings, beautiful lines and ideas

Andrea Joseph I'm totally awed by her drawings. So neat.

My Fiddlestix beautfiul drawings and great journal pages

Alla Prima great paintings, beautiful unique style

Monette draws and paint a lot of birds, beautifully

Rock Kyndl great neat, precise drawings

Christina Jonsson she's an illustrator and I love the neat lines of her drawings.

All this reminds me that I didn't say as much about the other blogs in my last posting so I'm going to edit that one as well.

That's not good... I was supposed to work on my calendar...

Marie Antoinette, avec sa tête

2008-11-28T08:29:00.000-08:00

Still not having much time to blog these days, but Mark from Paper Raven Art, whose blog and drawings I love, sent me this Marie Antoinette Award, and I wanted to enjoy it and pass it on!

Here are the Rules for the Award:

1. Please put the logo on your blog
2. Place a link to the person from whom you received the award
3. Nominate at least 7 or more blogs
4. Put the links of those blogs on your blog
5. Leave a message on their blogs to tell them.

And I'm passing it on to :

Jim cool drawings and subjects

The Happy Painter great paintings, wonderful portrait galery

Captain Elaine cool journal pages and lovely paintings

Mia great drawings and journal pages

Linda Sarah wonderful illustrated poems and songs

Freebird cool and beautiful drawings

Kathleen beautiful art, great drawings and paintings, love her style

All nice, fun people with great blogs and great art - every one from Every Day Matter's group, except Linda Sarah, who does amazing whimsical, fun and wonderfully illustrated stories, songs and poems.
All done!

Oh, by the way, my message title, Marie Antoinette avec sa tête, means Marie Antoinette with her head, because the poor woman lost it in 1793...

Un iguane, un crabe, et six trucs sur Bibi

2008-11-23T09:26:00.000-08:00

Two new ocean related animals for my calendar!
I wonder if I'll manage to get it finished in time... I like this one, he's cute in an ugly way. I'd love to have a pet iguana (but only if I could leave someplace where he could be free).

This one gave me trouble. Not easy at all. He looks a lot like Captain Crab - Bob Square Pant's boss (don't know if he's got the same name in English?)

And I've been tagged by Lynn to say 6 random things about myself...

So, very randomly...

1) I didn't know I could draw anything other than rotten doodles until may 2008 when I found art blogs and tried to draw something for real. I've had a lot of fun with drawing since then.

2) I don't watch tv much, except a few animes and comics with my daughter (I mostly hear them) and sometimes an action or funny movie or tv show.

3) I love to laugh. I laugh easily, I have a rather rotten humor and I tend to friend people who don't take things very seriously. On the surface, at least.

4) I love to read. And write. And dream. I have a very active unreal life... I never get bored when I'm alone.

5) I've stopped smocking twice. Hope this one is the last one. Been not smocking for 1 year and a half now. I've spent nearly half of my life smocking, began very young. Not proud of it at all.

6) I feel at home everywhere and nowhere. I like where I am because I'm used to it and I've made friends, but I could easily go elsewhere. I'm staying mostly for my daughter to keep her friends and daddy near.

Now I'm tagging every one who's coming here on my blog! Feel free to play or not!

The rules:1. Link to the person or persons who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

I've spent way to much time on the internet today... It was great!

Deux ours polaires, un vieux phoque barbu et deux auteurs en -da

2008-11-12T09:26:00.000-08:00

I have not been blogging much recently. My real life has been a bit complicated, especially at work - it is, still, but I enjoyed the blogging and sharing, and I don't want to abandon that.
I didn't draw much but I did two pages for a calendar I want to make for me and my family. If I manage to finish it on time, I'll print it, I think. I like to have deadlines, otherwise I usually do nothing...
Two "little" bears for january. I found them in a cool book about oceans.

An old bearded seal for february. He's called "bearded" seal, I don't know why, he seems to have a mustache, to me, not a beard.

And the last two books I read - not reading a lot of serious stuff these days, more silly things on the internet than real books...

The one on the left is from French best seller author Anna Gavalda, the kind of books you read in two or three days and nights, and get tired for not sleeping because of it.

The one on the right is from Luis Sepulveda, and as usual, it's awesome, and makes me want to go to Patagonia now.

That's all! Hopefully there will be more soon...

Des trucs qui flottent et 4 cartes

2008-10-19T12:55:00.000-07:00

I couldn't not do something for the last EDM challenge, something that floats.
Because like everyone, I know that witches don't float, but ducks do, and sometimes hats too.

And here are the four last cards I received from the EDM postcard swap we began in june, I think :
From Jen Hook in Australia, this beautiful railway station :

From Kelly in Texas, those lovely colorful flowers:

From Deb in Virginia, another beautiful railway station that's now a museum :

And from June, this superb door that leads to the castle and a place with swans and everything you dream about, I suppose!
I was very happy and thankful to receive the cards. This swap has been a wonderful experience!

3 matous

2008-10-15T13:18:00.000-07:00

I finally finished the second part of my cats drawings. I'm not very happy with them but they're done and I can think about something else... I rather like the kitten, though. I found the photos of the kitten and the white cat in a book called "Chats insolites", by Anne Camberlain.

This is Mia, my cat, in her usual active position. I was quite happy with the drawing I managed to do of her before she moved! Of course I forgot to scan it and I'm not as happy with the color part...

This is Mia again. She's a nice cat. Lovely and a bit skittish but she can be affectionate sometimes.

I'm not drawing very often these days and that's not good... I need to do something about it - preferably something fun!