Quiet Night

https://www.carolinadeluca.com/illustration

As days grow shorter and nights grow longer, there's plenty of quiet evening hours at home during the weekends (yes, even with three kids!). And peaceful family times are sometimes a source of inspiration.

Geometrical Landscape

https://www.carolinadeluca.com/illustration

I've gone full color to black and white in a couple of days. I guess it is the never ending rain, or the end of holidays or both? 
Just kidding. To me, black and white or color, it doesn't have that straight meaning.
Have a nice week!

Chalet Armion

https://www.carolinadeluca.com/chaletsofthejura

First chalet from today's long run with a friend, the Chalet Armion at 1197m in Lélex. The funny thing about this chalet is that as many of the locals, I have passed by many many times while skiing, but never really saw more than the roof of it, covered in snow, the chalet itself hidden in a hole made of layers and layers of cumulated snow. It was a surprise to see how charming it is surrounded by autumn colors!

Arbol

https://www.carolinadeluca.com/illustration

La Polvette

https://www.carolinadeluca.com/chaletsofthejura

Yesterday it was a beautiful day and I had the chance to have a long run planned in a place with many chalets! I don't know if I will draw all of those I passed by yesterday, but I have material for at least a couple for sure. Excited!!

Today's chalet is La Polvette, at 1487m above St Jean de Gonville. You know, it was a first time for me here! I had been very close by from both sides, but always coming up or down in paths right before reaching this chalet. La Polvette is situated between La Chaz and La Capitaine, and below La Grotte de la Marie du Jura. It has wonderful views to the Montblanc, the Crête de l'Eau and the Rhone valley and is easily reachable by 4x4. I love the Jura, all of it, but there are places with more charm than others, and this one touched me.

I happen to know the family who takes care of this ancient chalet, maybe once I will visit them there... :)

There's more interesting info on the chalet in this page: http://www.refuges.info/point/3692/cabane-non-gardee/jura/la-polvette-ex-chalet-demorney/

Spring Mountains

I finished this one yesterday. I was thinking I would let it rest and add some color later, but it might be as well I don't add color at all...

This an interpretation on how mountains look like in Spring around here. Flowers everywhere, snow patches, clouds and clear skies, and wind!! The drawing is quite big so I can't scan it, this is a picture taken with the cellphone. Background should then be completely white. I hope I get to the couple of previous ones I did soon! :)

Wolves

http://www.carolinadeluca.com/illustration

A colorful one because I guess I am feeling colorful too? 
Have a nice weekend!

Mountains II

http://www.carolinadeluca.com/2018onedayonedrawing

I keep using this link although my project has evolved into something more like "draw as much as I can whatever I want to" :) Today, another one of the series Mountains, this one less controversial than the previous one ;) It took me long to finish, with several days with just the time to add few details. But the last days I made good progress. Now, colour?

Animals, animals, everywhere

http://www.carolinadeluca.com/illustration

It's been a bit since I posted the last time. And I must say I've drawn more than I've posted, because yes, I am feeling quite lazy on the internet lately... also today!
So I won't write much, just... enjoy the illustration :)

Ovejitas 

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

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.

Los colores de Jujuy
Jujuy's colours

http://www.carolinadeluca.com/illustration

This week that I've been back to work and the children to school I've found some calm to draw for my pleasure again. I didn't have a clear idea of what to do, just let the pencil move in the paper. And then this came out. The beautiful and impossible colors of Jujuy. 
I hope I will be back again, to run in those mountains some more, and to draw them some more. Because one cannot ever get enough of them.

Already in Tilcara

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

We passed the first day in Jujuy right there where we were staying, in Tilcara. The car stayed parked at the hostel, and we visited everything by foot, starting with the ancient village of El Pucará, and after that hiking to La Garganta del Diablo, a waterfall at about 5km from Tilcara.

The visit to the Pucará was impressive: the place, its situation and also the explanations by the native guide, who already from the first moment gave us a nice perspective about the place we were in. And yes, Jujuy is The Earth, and the Human connected to it, a profound bond that travels back in time to the most ancient civilizations. Jujuy is the earth, the dust, the mountains and its canyons open like if they were wounds. Jujuy is color contrast, nature and ancestral cultures. And still many things I could not finish to describe.

While children were playing among the reconstructed houses of the Pucará, I managed to sketch the view of the valley towards Humahuaca. Light wasn't yet at its most, but what a wonder anyway.

Then we got lost in the streets of that ancient town that in its best times was home to a thousand, enjoying the landscape, the stones, and the giant cactus (cardones). 

After the Pucará, we bought some tortillas with ham and cheese and started our hiking towards La Garganta del Diablo. Even in winter, there, in the north, right in the tropic, with the sun over our heads, weather was ideal for an excursion. In the way in I stopped at a crossing for a quick sketch, while everyone took a sip of water.

We finally got there, had lunch and spent a bit playing with the water. My husband and I ran to the natural waterfall together with a street dog that had accompanied us since Tilcara. He was black as our dog Ludo, and it almost felt like having him with us. In the way back to Tilcara I stayed a bit longer to sketch some little stands by the road, and ran part of the way back to catch up with the family. That day was great. 

Our wild chicken coop

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

Back to the mountains

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

There couldn't be a best place for us to live than right where we are. In a small village, right in the mountains, with amazing views and beautiful playgrounds for all, children, parents and dog. 

This long weekend my sister-in-law is visiting us, and since it was such a beautiful sunny day we did a short family excursion to the Chapelle de Riantmont, in Vesancy. It was new for all of us, and it worked beautifully. I could even do two sketches! 

This one is the Chapelle:

And just turning myself around, a view that is much appreciated by everyone around here, the Panorama of the Montblanc:

What a wonderful afternoon! Coming back home, everyone was happy.


To finish, a picture of me and my daughter sketching, taken by my sister in law:

Before the snow melts down

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

This little field with the small red house and the few sheep is just some steps down from home, and like all things I have close by, I feel like I have all the time in the world to sketch it. But today, with the snow melting down, drawing this got kind of urgent. Urgent, and also ideal for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Everyday places

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

I've been sketching with my daughter this afternoon under a wonderful sun. This is the ancient customs office between Switzerland and France, in Mategnin. My husband passes by this little stony road in his way to work everyday, and suggested the place. When we got there, we chose to sat in the Swiss part because the French one was in the shadow. A tiny pedestrian road which still got the name of a big one, probably from when not that many cars circulated around. Now, this road, the abandoned little building, and the fields around, are there to remind us how small was the world just a few decades ago.

And my daughter's sketch, she's 11 and she's really catching me up! :)

La Campagne

http://www.carolinadeluca.com/illustration

This illustration actually came up while thinking on the landscape and atmosphere for a book I am working on with a friend. Then it was put away in a folder for some time, while other more immediate things kept coming up. And yesterday, after a wonderful walk in the mountains, I finally found the time and the mood to finish it. And yes, this landscape is in a way so similar to the fields around my house, where I always walk my dog, and where I never get to stop and sketch.