Day 584 Inside St Sauveurs

February 6, 2016Leave a comment

A quick sketch drawn while sitting in the lovely early morning quiet of the church. Not that Les Andelys is a hub bub of noise and activity!! It was lovely to sit in the still in the old rush seated chairs and admire the 16th century stained glass windows.

I think I really enjoyed drawing this one because we could not even stick our noses into the Rouen Cathedral or even see the whole facade due to the Christmas market construction at the base.

All that way and no good looks at Monets famed cathedral. Sigh! I guess I will just have to go back!!!

I coated the sketch with an initial coat of Winsor yellow and let it dry. I also used a lot of Quin burnt orange on the walls of the apex.

Shadows are burnt orange and Inathrodone. Not quite as dark as burnt umber and Inathrodone. A nice light alternative.

Windows – marine blue, ultramarine blue, purple and bits of Winsor yellow. Each color was allowed to dry before the next was added.

Thanks for reading.

Margaret xxx

Day 583 – Eglise Sainte-Sauveurs

February 5, 2016Leave a comment

In Les Andelys. 10″ x 16″

This was drawn leaning on an old building across the narrow street. Very hard to get a good view. Hard to draw in a floppy sketch book with nowhere to put the book but hey how often do you get a chance to draw a church built in 1198-1202 a very short period for such a huge building.

Because of the short building period it’s very cohesive in its early gothic design unlike most of the churches and cathedrals which took two or three HUNDRED years to build.

This lovely gothic Eglise aka church sits in the heart of the small river town Les Andelys, Richard the Lionhearted’s stronghold on the Seine. A small park or market square sits beside it where the citizens could promenade under the trees and enjoy the weather.

Originally I painted it a little too grey so I perked it up with a very diluted wash of Winsor yellow and hits of Quin gold.

Most of the churches and cathedrals are really not grey but the color of limestone which is yellower. The grime of centuries has turned them grey.

A bit of history. Richard the Lionhearted would not allow the town of Les Andelys to be built til his Chateau Gaillard was built. What the king wants the king gets right?! Another interesting bit of history. Most French churches are topped with a crowing rooster.

More about the church at http://lesandelys.com/church/

Colors used. Winsor yellow background. Stone cerulean French ochre and burnt sienna. Inathrodone blue and burnt umber shadows.  Strathmore 500 mixed media journal, Konrad Noodler, carbon platinum black ink.

Thanks for reading.

Margaret xxx

Day 579 – More Chateau Gaillard

February 2, 2016January 31, 20162 Comments

I did say I drew Chateau Gaillard a lot! This was my first attempt and the same view as yesterday post.

I seriously ran out of room before I could get the whole town in at the base. Just rooves looked odd so guess what’s under the accounting ledger?! You got it!! The bit of town I drew before I turned the page and started over.

This turned into a fun opportunity to do a bit journaling, mixed media and add some stamps.

I chose this quote because Richard was the quintessential adventurer traveling from France to the Holy Lands, got kidnapped and ransomed, hung out with Robin Hood, battled the wicked King John and his lackeys. Now that’s a life spent in adventure. He even took on his father the original tough King Henry II to usurp the throne.

Colors – the same as yesterday’s.

Thanks for reading.

Margaret off to class in Aiken. Xxx

Day 580-One Last Chateau Gaillard

February 2, 2016January 31, 2016Leave a comment

I sat on the corner in Les Andelys watching my cruising companions hiking up the hill from which “many don’t return” according to my new friend Gus’ husband Bob. Gus and Bob have done the Paris to Normandy cruise several times annually.

This painting was done wet on wet and is one of my favorite paintings to date. I felt like I was finally getting Charles Reid!!

Since hill hikes make my asthma go crazy I elected to draw while they hiked. Les Andelys is just a charming tiny village. A cute row of shops. A church dating to 1200! Half timber buildings.

What’s not to love?! And Richard the Lionhearted walked these streets. Fascinating to me with our young American history.

Once again same colors.

Thanks for reading.

Margaret xxx

Day 578 – Chateau Gaillard

January 31, 2016February 5, 2016Leave a comment

I drew Chateau Gaillard several times while we were in Les Andelys. It sits high above the Seine Valley dominating the river and the quintessential French village at its base.

Richard the Lionhearted built it to control access to Normandy via the Seine around 1180-1200. No housing could be built until the Chateau aka castle was finished in a record ten years. Imagine a French winter in what tents?! Or sleeping outside for ten years?!

The second son of Henry II of England spent most of his life in Normandy even when he became king of England.

Legendary characters in Bristish history surround King Richard from his parents Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitane to Robin Hood who came to his aide.

The machinations of Richards younger brother, Eleanor’s favorite son -the notorious King John Lackland, and the infamous Sheriff of Nottingham who had the Germans kidnap and held him for ransom on his return from the crusades in the Holy Land are the stuff of many movies.

So there it’s sits wrapped in legend glowing in the French sun begging to be drawn. And I did.

This was drawn sitting in the warm lounge of the Viking Pride. Talk about cushy urban sketching!! Does not get any better!! Comfy chair, feet up, huge glass windows with incredible views and a glass of wine! What more could you ask for??!

Colors used – DS Green apatite, dioxzine purple, Quin gold Quin red orange. The castle is Winsor yellow and cerulean with raw umber and yellow ochre.

Read more about the Chateau at http://lesandelys.com/chateau-gaillard/

Thanks for reading.

Margaret off to enjoy this gorgeous 70 day.

Xxx

Day 576 – How many Gargoyles?!

January 29, 2016January 30, 2016Leave a comment

At St Mclou Rouen. St McClou is not a very tall cathedral so the gargoyles are close enough to the ground so that you can see them.

Drawn from a bench in front of the Cathedral. If you look closely in this picture you will see the gargoyles sticking out of the cathedral.

They also bristle from the left side and climb down the peaks. Eek! Fancy drain spouts.

Colors used Cobalt cerulean and burnt umber. Drawn with a Kuretake brush pen.

Thanks for reading.

Margaret xxx

Day 575 – Monets Cathedral

January 28, 2016January 28, 20165 Comments

Due to the Christmas Market construction it was impossible to get close by to sketch so I stood in the middle of the street – swarmed by shoppers on the Rue de Gros Horolage which runs into the Rouen Cathedral.

Since Monet painted it 28 times I could not resist its lure and sketched. Sadly it was also closed so no tours that day. Rouen I shall return.

It’s gone thru lots of changes. This is the original light version of it.

I darkened the cerulean sky to make the cathedral pop aka contrast. Originally this was painted w a coat of Winsor yellow and vermilion for shadows with touches of cerulean and burnt sienna. I was trying to keep it light and airy.

Last nite that didn’t suit so I darkened the sky with Marine blue and added darks of Inathrodone Blue and burnt umber plus more burnt sienna to the cathedral.

A second sky wash did not make the Strathmore mixed media journal happy. It was very crummy and blobby. I almost wish I had left it alone.

Which do you prefer?! Tell me what you think oh readers. I can take it. 😘

Thanks for Reading!!

Margaret on 26 heading to Asheville. Xxx

Day 574 Place de la Concorde

January 27, 2016Leave a comment

The perfect ending to a gorgeous fall day exploring Paris, the Louvre and the Orangerie. Sitting with my feet propped on a bench overlooking the place de la Concorde Parisians swirling around us walking dogs and enjoying the late afternoon sun I had to draw the scene in front of me.

The tall ornate fantastical gold leafed street lights all by themselves were amazing. Nothing like that in Georgia or South Carolina. Add in fountains and statues and obelisks, the hustle and bustle of city life. Time to draw!

Madame guillotine who used to reign over the Concorde has been replaced with beautiful fountains statues the obelisk and the fantastic lamppost on the left. The Concorde is so vast that the cars and bus near the fountain were tiny. It’s truly an enormous vast open space near the Louvre.

The obelisk is one that Napoleon brought back from Eygpt on his conquests.

Can you find the Jack Russell in the sketch? Who knew they were all ver Paris. Such an English dog for a Parisian to own. I even met one in Rouen walking his mistress one early morning.

Colors used winsor yellow and Quin gold, Andrews turquoise from cheap joes, Holbein marine blue and the usual suspects. Quin red orange, burnt umber and sienna. Inathrodone, Quin magenta Quin coral Inathrodone Quin magenta.

Thanks for reading.

Margaret off to paint. Xxx

Day 574 Place de la Concorde

January 27, 20162 Comments

The obelisk is one that Napoleon brought back from Eygpt on his conquests.

Can you find the Jack Russell in the sketch? Who knew they were all ver Paris. Such an English dog for a Parisian to own. I even met one in Rouen walking his mistress one early morning.

Thanks for reading.

Margaret off to paint. Xxx

Day 569 – Rolling down the River -Moisson

January 23, 2016Leave a comment

I was really into the sketch out the window by the time we got to Moisson. Or should I say floated by Moisson.

If you go there you won’t see this exact landscape started with the church and kept adding interesting houses as we passed them. The foreground trees were added last.

A fun challenge to see how quickly you could draw the passing buildings.

Odd now that I think about it we didn’t see people in the landscape. Or maybe I was so fascinated with the unique character of the buildings I didn’t notice the people?

The trees lining the riverbank were often a frothy light green and always loaded with mistletoe. As one of our guides said ” We French like to kiss a lot so we leave the mistletoe in the trees.”

Colors used Apatite green and hookers. The apatite green granulates into lovely purples and Browns. Quin gold and red orange in the rusty trees. Winsor yellow to lighten the greens. Greys are burnt sienna and cerulean or Inathrodone. Blacks Inathrodone and burnt umber. Sky water blues cerulean.

Thanks for reading.

Margaret watching the grey muddy Savannah River rush by during another deluge. Xxx