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! :)

Drawing in London V

http://www.carolinadeluca.com/urban-sketching

Last Wednesday April 19th was our last day in London. It was sunny and a bit cool when the wind blew, but otherwise even staying in the shadow felt quite good. We walked across the Thames in London Bridge, and went to see St. Paul's Cathedral. There, my daughter and I took a moment for a sketch under the sun of its stairs.

Corner between Dean's Court and St. Paul's Church Rd from St. Paul's Cathedral entry stairs

After that we went to Camden Market where the girls were happy to look around the shops... and me I was happy to have a fish and chips right before heading to the airport! 

And this is basically our three day trip to London. I couldn't draw other places I'd wanted to sketch, like the Tower Bridge and others. But I am sure I will be back to London sooner or later. During all the commutings we made I drew people, because that is the other thing, London is FULL of people! I don't find that many people, different people, in these mountains around my house. But this will be for another entry. 

Marché de Divonne

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Today it's been, so far, a wonderful day. Sunny, bright, and full of things I like to do. After a good hike with my husband and my dog, I've been sketching in Divonne's market while my dad walked around and took some pictures. It has been a year now, since the last time I was in the marché de Divonne, and it is for me a tradition, to go with my father, usually around Christmas, to draw. This year it has been delayed a bit, but we managed anyway.

The market was full of people, and as it is tradition in France, people hanged out in small tables, having a cup of white wine with fresh oysters. Some of them came along, and they were happy to recognise themselves in my sketch. And they were nice enough to give me some conversation and a cup of wine!

And some pictures of the ambience, courtesy of my dad

Sketching the Vide Grenier in Crozet

http://www.carolinadeluca.com/urban-sketching

Once a year people in Crozet empty their houses of the stuff they don't use anymore, and a big market is organised. It is like a giant garage-sell, where everyone from the villages, or from neighboring villages, can participate. It is called a "vide grenier", which literally means "empty barn", because probably the barn, or the grenier, is where people used to accumulate the stuff they wouldn't use anymore. 

In a vide grenier you can find almost everything, toys, clothes, bikes, books, music, useful things and things that you have no idea what are they for. You can also find all types of sellers: professional ones, with high prices and who participate in all possible vide greniers; normal people who are still attached to their things so they put as well very high prices and sell little. And others who just want to not come back home with their stuff and they almost give away their things. 

And yes, the other thing you find it the vide greniers is buyers, or people walking around, people talking, touching, negotiating. People. People everywhere!! So that's what I drew today :)

This is the first sketch of today. In the background you may recognise the mairie of Crozet, which I sketched yesterday with my daughter.

The second sketch, people shopping, looking around and passing by, with the chapiteau in the background.

And the third and last of my sketches. The little bar restaurant where everyone buys their lunch, also myself :)

The day has been great. Super sunny, but not hot, nice environment, and nice people who stopped next to me while I was drawing and gave me nice conversation. Few of them also posed in funny ways and had a good laugh. So I'm looking forward to sketching La Foulée in Crozet next week!

Urban Sketching

Mercado de Plainpalais (Ginebra), hoy

Marché Plainpalais (Genève), aujourd'hui

Urban Sketching Project: 
Vide Grenier Crozet 2014

Sol, gente y muy buen ambiente!

Beaucoup de soleil, beaucoup de gent, trop d'ambiance!

Sun, people and a very good atmosphere!