Drawing Dinosaurs

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Today my husband and I brought the children to an exhibition about dinosaurs that is now taking place in Palexpo, next to the airport in Geneva, Switzerland. In fact, going there it was my idea. And yes, I have to recognise I had a hidden agenda this time: while they were looking around, I sketched! Because it is great to profit of these opportunities to draw things we don't get to usually draw. After the tour, my daughter joined me drawing, and, really, she's got a brilliant future ahead!

This one is my daughter's sketch. So good. She's 10, turning 11 at the end of this year. And no, she's not drawing dinosaurs in her free time :) (I deserved a proud mother time, didn't I?)

During the visit I got to sketch four dinosaurs, and this is the summary:

And here some details:

1. Brontosaurus

2. Stegosaurus

3. T-Rex head, real size (compare to the people below!)

If it wasn't so expensive (Swiss price), I think I would go back to sketch the rest of them! So funny!

Rainy Sunday

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While my children go on Halloween fever decoration, I get to do some drawing. Inside, at home, because outside it's raining. 

A special colouring book

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Back in Spring last year I worked on a project... Now, just this week, this project has been made public, and I can also share it with you! Because yes, there's sometimes a long time passing between the moment when I finish something and the moment when comes to light.

My part in all this was making a series of illustrations for a special colouring book for children, a book thought to encourage them to ask questions about the world, about its elements, about how matter is formed, about how and why things happen, and maybe, with luck, get few of them to continue asking themselves these questions in the future, as scientists, when they will be adults. 

The book is edited by the ATLAS experiment at CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, and they have posted a video here to present it: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jwkZ63eezY&feature=youtu.be

The whole idea of the book was to introduce the particles as ingredients using the analogy with a cooking recipe book. My work consisted of creating and illustrating the elementary particles we know the Universe is made from, in a way that young children will find them funny and engaging. Here's a taste of the elementary particles I drew:

The book is available here, for all children (and adults!). If yours are curious, or you are, and love colouring, maybe you can print it for them (or for you!): https://atlas.cern/colouring-book

Have fun colouring!

And the day ends...

...as it had started. 
My daughter watching a film in the computer. Me sketching her. The same sofa spot.

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A good start of the day 

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Finally a moment very much needed by everyone of us at home: first morning of school autumn holidays!! This year, the rentrée has been quite charged, we were all tired, and we have all taken this moment very easy. Also myself :)

So while my daughter was building something, and my sons were watching TV, I did this sketch of my son while he was mesmerised by Tom And Jerry. So good to start the day sketching with a hot coffee in my hands. 

Wednesdays in Gex

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As many mothers, I pass my afternoons driving my children around to different activities. Not every afternoon, but some. Wednesdays I have to go to Gex, one of the largest villages around, and which is like 15 minutes away from my home. Although I have time to go back at home, I prefer to stay in Gex to sketch. The Vieux Gex is beautiful, and I always discover amazing places. This one is a little passage that starts in the Rue du Commerce, a small rue where cars are not allowed, and which ends going up and up surrounding the Château de Gex, high in the hill in Gex, and right next to the forest. A really beautiful and quiet place.

A typical Sunday afternoon

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Yesterday I had a lot of fun drawing my husband so today I came back to it. I feel like I found a jackpot for this coming winter!! :D

This is how a typical Sunday afternoon at home looks like: little one takes a nap, the other two play or watch a film, my husband corrects exams or prepares his classes. Myself, sometimes I am working, others doing housework, others sketching! 

Saturday night good deal

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Don't you agree this is a good deal I got myself today: my husband does the dishes, and I draw him :) Today, using something different: a colored paper, and color pencils. 

Autumn Rain

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It is in autumn, and only in autumn, when I reconcile myself with the rain. 

Have a nice weekend!

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Going towards winter

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I had happily forgotten what it is to sketch when it is cold. This afternoon, back in Gex as I'll be every Wednesday for a while, the 12 degrees Celsius reminded me of it. Yes, it is not that low, but after a bit sitting still, and when few days ago I was happy with my 25 degrees Celsius, well, it felt cool, at the very least!

This is a little square without a name, in Rue de la Fontaine, in the center of Gex.

You can click on the image to view it larger.

And the Expo, again

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And to finish this super productive weekend, the last sketch I made this afternoon of the Art Exhibition taking place in Crozet this weekend. This was my first exhibition as president of the Arts Association in my village, and I am happy everything went so well. Also for me, since I sold 9 artworks, got a couple of visits planned to my art studio, and won the first artist prize! 

La Foulée

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This weekend has been very busy, with the exhibition and then today the cross in Crozet. Because it is difficult to have a lot people to draw in small villages, I always want to profit of the events taking place in mine. I get people to draw, but also a nice diary of what goes around here, which is also fun and interesting.

Today it was the 14 edition of the cross in Crozet. Many people run, from the eldest to the youngest children in the village. The foulée is fun, not only to draw, but also to be there. Today I was there with my dog, and I moved around to sketch different people. Some of them I knew, others I didn't. And it was tricky, because everyone, public and runners, moved a lot around!

The image is very wide, and you can click on it to view it larger.

Quiet moments during the Exhibition

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There were some quiet moments during my afternoon shift today at the Art Exhibition in Crozet. Some of the artists sharing shift with me were talking, and I was sketching them. We're 13 in total, so this is just a small sample, but which illustrates the variety of the works exposed. 

Tomorrow is the last day, and maybe I'll get to sketch some more of them, but this will be tomorrow!