Vide Grenier Crozet 2019

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I haven't sketched outdoors lately, but I can't miss Crozet vide grenier! Now the 6th year in a row that I sketch it :)
A beautiful bright autumn day to be out.

Vide Grenier 2018

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This is one of the nicest days of the year in Crozet, the Vide Grenier. And it has become a tradition for me to draw it! 4th year already, three of them sunny. I've been lucky!
Great ambience, lots of known people, drawing, chatting... I just love it.

Around Villeneuve

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Today I had a beautiful and comfortable amount of time to draw, like an hour and a half which almost never happens. But as it turns out, I've spent a lot of it just turning around different villages in my car, trying to find THE place. I've been in Villeneuve, in Sergy, in Thoiry... And after a while I've just returned to the first place I'd been. In this little road in Villeneuve there are so many things to draw!

Despite all my indecision, I've had enough time to finish my sketch, and to be at school like 15 minutes in advance. Today, with this drawing, I've finished a sketch book. Tomorrow I will start a new one :D

Winter in Crozet

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Winters in Crozet since many years I pass them waiting for my daughter here at the parking of the télécabine in Crozet. With all children from the ski clubs descending at the same time, it is a bit like a lottery: she can be early in the line and come in with the first bunch, or she can be at the end and you freeze to death for an hour until she arrives! In the mornings though, the parking is quite quiet... and the slopes too! ;)

Drawing in the sun!

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These last days we haven't got much sun in Crozet. Only higher up in the mountain one could catch some rays. But today, finally, it has opened up a bit! Apparently it is not going to last, so I had to profit! This is in the Rue de Jura, in Crozet, a street where you can draw something at every step. Just lovely.

Day 24: Crozet

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I love Crozet, all of it. And how couldn't I having horses next to home.

Day 23: Some sun in Villeneuve

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Today it's been sunny after what it feels a while, so even if my day is quite full on Tuesdays, I had to go out and draw. An old house in Villeneuve.

Day 13: An original food container

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This one is close to where I was drawing two days ago. I pass quite often running or with my dog, and I always find it so funny. An old car recycled into a horses food container. 

And today, as bonus, a picture taken in situ:

Outdoors

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A little house which I don't know what it was for in the past, that I wanted to sketch a while ago. 

Jus de Pomme

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This morning we were selling apple juice with the Crozet Ski Club, to gather money to finance the children's activities. The juice was made by some of the parents, with apples from the region, and it was really good! Kids sold, adults talked, and I sketched. 

Ovejitas 

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After being the whole summer up in the mountains, sheep are back to the fields! It is now a week that they are around in Crozet, and we've seeing them every day in our way in and back from school. Today, finally, I had a quiet moment to sketch them. With the sound of their bells, the sun and the fields around, that was a perfect peace moment too.

This year's art exhibition

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Still ongoing, this weekend takes place the annual art and artisan exhibition in Crozet. This year I am exposing around 20 artworks, four of them illustrations, and the other sketches that I've done around in the Pays de Gex. So far the balance is very good, many people joined us yesterday for the vernissage, and this afternoon, although quieter than during the inauguration (of course!), the flow of people was constant and the room was never empty. And, at this point I've sold three of my works, all of them from Crozet!

This is a scene I sketched this afternoon during my shift. Maybe tomorrow I get to sketch some more... or not, one never knows!

Vide grenier 2017

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Another year, another vide grenier in Crozet! 
And, for the second year in a row, under a beautiful sun!

(If you don't remember what a vide grenier is, I invite you to check last year's entry, where I explain it in detail.)

This year, as usual, the night before I planned to get there very early, at first hour. And as usual, reality was way more relaxed and we only got there at around 10:30 in the morning. We walked around, got a little dinosaur for our youngest kid, and then I just looked for a spot to draw while my daughter had some fun with her old school friends and my husband and the two boys walked our dog back home. 

Drawing in the vide grenier is always funny, because there's lots of people who come by, comment, and give me nice conversation. The most eager talkers are children!

 After this first sketch we've grabbed some food at the buvette (the bar) for lunch. At the vide grenier, food is cooked by Crozet's grannies, and there are also hot dogs for the kids, so the choice to stay is easy! After lunch, I've stayed a bit longer for another quick sketch while my family went back home. 

Next week, La Foulée, and also the Arts Association in Crozet annual exhibition! :)

Our wild chicken coop

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Last Saturday it was 21 days since one of our hens has been incubating... so you can well imagine that these days there's a bit of excitement going around our chicken coop. We expect, if we are lucky, some little chicks to come out soon! I must say I don't take care of the chickens unless my husband is not around, but these last weeks I've been going over twice a day at least to check on the hen, and now, to see if there's some activity around. So far we haven't been lucky, as we only found an egg with a dead little chick... but there are still 4 to be born, and we keep our fingers crossed!

Today, as I went to check, I stayed a bit longer to draw again the chicken coop... which is, yes, in a quite wild state... 

Usual paths

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I pass by this little hut quite often, during runs or when going out with my dog, but I never stopped to draw it before, for reasons you might imagine ;) Today, both my husband and I were with the dog, so I proposed him to continue with the walk and come back for me in their way back so I could stay there drawing. And, oh, I enjoyed it so much. Drawing in the forest, under the leaves' changing shades, with the sound of birds and other insects. I told myself I should do it more often.

This is a little hut in the little forest path that joins Crozet with La Source de l'Allondon, a beautiful spot where the river Allondon is born, and where we usually take our dog for a bit of swimming. Behind the hut there's a little bee farm, that maybe I'll get to draw some other day.

I do not learn. Sketching with my dog

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Yes, I do not learn. Because despite all my plans and hopes, my dog is not a great companion for when I go sketching. He can be, but only if he's extra super tired and if it is real real hot. Otherwise, any interruption in what in his regard is HIS walk, is totally unfair. And yes, I know this, since a long time.

But today I thought, well, we've been in the mountains, so maybe he will welcome some rest. The day is beautiful, and I have just finished the first complete draft of the project I am working on right now, so I took today off. Part of the plan was, after the mountains in the morning, go out to draw in the afternoon. I wasn't initially planning on taking him, but all my wisdom vanished when he looked at me with this hope that he always has when I am going out. So I thought, well, why not, let's try, maybe after the mountain...

Well, the minute I stopped, I must say in a nice shade for both of us, and started unfolding my stool... the poor dog was so so disappointed, he has started moaning and moaning, finally half accepting the situation - oh yes she's really stopping here. Then after two minutes a moaning session again, then acceptation, then moaning. So even if I had almost 2 hours before having to be at school to pick up my children, I did my sketch in 10 minutes that seemed like an hour, and then walked in the fields for an hour more with my dog. Now it may read frustrating, but not really, as it is always good practice to sketch real fast, and I also enjoyed a lot the walk in the fields :)

My sketch at the top, and a picture of the poor victim, looking away with frustration here below:

Smelling of Summer

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What a wonderful day today. Hot and sunny, everything green. Mid-may and smelling of Summer. I had a bit of time before my afternoon class and I absolutely wanted to spend some time outdoors... but I had promised myself to take a rest, so... that called for a sketch!!

This one is right in my village, Crozet, the mairie at the right, some little houses, the little hutch where things to eat are sold during parties, and my beloved Jura in the back. And yes, it really felt like a beautiful Summer day, in May. And how lucky is that: we're having another one like this tomorrow!

Sketching with my students

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Today half of my class was away on a school trip, so I took the other half to do some sketching to a place of their choice. They chose the Café du Cercle, so off we were!

I can't share their sketches because some of them are a surprise for their parents and I have strict prohibition to even take pictures of them, but I share mine, that I did as a demonstration, while they were drawing. Because they also need, from time to time, a reminder to let themselves go free!

The little sketchers in action:

And my sketch:

My old but charming kitchen

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Sunday afternoon, youngest having his nap, oldest doing homework with a friend, middle one out in the forest with friend, husband and dog. Me, with a mild flu, not terrible but enough to be annoying. In these circumstances, drawing my kitchen seemed the best afternoon plan. It might seem surprising to some, but while one cannot read while having a headache... one can draw and forget about it for a while!

Cafe du Cercle

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Drawing freely this afternoon with with my daughter. This is the Café du Cercle, in Avouzon, just 5 minutes walking from home. The only bar in town, the Café du Cercle is full of locals in the evening. 

Ahhh!!! It felt so good to draw outside after such a long time!