Back in Gex

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For various reasons, it's been a while since I been drawing in Gex on a Wednesday afternoon. Today, happily for me, I was back!! And because I was so eager and drawing fast, I was done well before having to pick my daughter up, and could sketch some of the other people who were also waiting for their significant ones. Two in one, I couldn't ask for more!

First, I dropped my daughter and went to the Promenade des Bergers Journans, a path that goes parallel to a little river (yes, Le Journans, you guessed it!). It is full of nature around, but just going down the steps to access the area I was captivated by the view of the chaotic old houses in Gex, and I stop right there to draw them...

When I was done I still had more than half an hour left. I decided to take it easy and wait for my daughter in the hall of the MJC, where she is taking her theatre classes. Over there, I found some others that were also early as I was. Some looked around, others at their phone, a young girl was reading a book... and me myself, I had a very productive afternoon! ;)

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!

After the hailstorm... at home

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Wind, rain, thunderstorms... my dog does not care about anything, he will always want to go out for a walk. And I will take him willingly, because really, everything has its own charm. But I think he liked as much as I did being caught in the hailstorm today. And after that, while some of the children were playing board games, the small one was having his nap, the only thing that felt good for him was to nap too, and for me, to draw again from the sofa, again my living room but probably from a slightly different angle, and probably with more stuff added to the general chaos since the last time I drew it a couple of months ago. 

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Next to home

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Finishing a lovely day today sketching in my road, only two steps from my home door. 

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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

Ski race

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Today in La Faucille my daughter has participated in her first ski race. I've been there to sketch this special moment :)

First sketch: while she went with her friends and trainer to "recognise" the slope, I invited my father to a coffee. I sketched the cafeteria just for the sake of doing one sketch, my only one today, without my hands freezing...

Second sketch: we arrive to the arrival line. My hands are already cold. The slope is very long (slalom géant) and I don't even see its upper end. In the arrival line there's a small hatch for the commenters. People is checking and validating the slope before the race starts. We discover my daughter was put in the boys group... but no problem, she will run with the girls :)

Third sketch: the organising Club has prepared a small bar (buvette) where they sell crêpes, hot dogs, and hot drinks like tea and hot wine.

Last sketch: My hands have frozen by now. My daughter has already run her first race, we are waiting for the second. This is the view from where the race ends.

And here myself taken by my father....

And a special bonus: the happy skier!

Rooftops

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Today we've had a taste of Spring. More than 10 degrees temperature, sun and snow melting down. Coming from last weeks' -10C, 10 C positive feels like it is really warm. This might not be ideal for the snow in the mountain, but it is way better for sketching, so off I've been! 

This afternoon, in Gex with my dad and my dog, showing my dad around the places I've lately discovered in the beautiful vieux Gex, I've ended up in the Passage de l'Abondance, where I was last October, today drawing it from another angle, and focusing more in the messy and ancient rooftops. And this one, with just the lines, as no color is needed to translate to paper the charming chaos of the rooftops in this little street.

And a couple of pictures that my dad took :)

Before the snow melts down

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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.

Frozen watercolors

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Today I somehow forgot how cold it is, and thought, oh, I'll go and sketch a bit before my daughter comes back from ski. So off I went. And yes, today, not only my feet were frozen, but at -5C, you can well imagine that also the water of my watercolors was quickly becoming ice in my sketch! I didn't have to decide when the drawing was done, that was the moment when my pencil was totally frozen!!

This is the small crêperie at the foot of the télécabine in Crozet, where all children line up to get their hot chocolate crêpes after a good afternoon skiing. Next time I'll bring the owner a copy, and maybe he will offer me a hot drink in exchange, since today I'd forgotten my wallet!

And this is where I wait...

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This is the hall of the gym where my daughter goes dancing, and this is where I waited last Thursday when I sketched myself sketching, and also where I waited today. Now thinking if I will sketch next Thursday, or if I will instead bring work to do...

Waiting... 

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When you pass almost every afternoon driving your daughter around to her various activities, and have to wait for her to finish because driving back home and then again to pick her up is not a possibility... well, you do what you can to make time go faster!

Hotel Bellevue

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This afternoon, while my daughter was in her theatre class, I didn't have to go to the groceries, nor I had anything urgent from work to do, nor I had any important obligation... so I just went and had an infusion in the Hotel Bellevue, in Gex, and sketched until I had to pick her up. Yes, you can say it, what a life! :)

Snow!

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I was so eager to draw today. And I still hope I get to do another one, but this time indoors. Yesterday I'd been to the forest while it was snowing and it was so calm and beautiful. But I hardly could draw there, as I was with my dog who does not enjoy waiting for me while I draw, it was cold and humid, and I was in the mood of going as far as possible in the time I had. Today it was tight too, but I managed to steal 20 minutes in my way to school. Aaah it feels so good! But yet too short!

This is a view to the snowy mountain in Crozet, with its wonderful forests and challenging slopes, some houses of the village, the rightmost one being the Cafe du Commerce, one of the historical places in Crozet.

The first entry of 2017

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It seems an obvious name for this entry but it really suits it. Because we just started the year and we put the counter to zero and suddenly everything we usually do becomes "the first time". So yes, this is the first time I write in the blog in 2017. The first time I post a drawing. The first time I went back to bring my daughter to her dance class. Also the first time I stayed because I have no time to go back home, do something useful, and come back. For all of these, the first time, but in 2017. Now a real first time: the first time I drew someone in her class!

Today I had a lot of envy to draw. And I passed the day in the mountain and brought my stuff with me. But it was so cold and windy that stopping even for few minutes seemed impossible (I even had my sandwich walking!). So when I brought my daughter to her class and had to wait there, well, it was obvious what to do. I usually don't draw there because my subjects are too far away... but then, this was the first of first so no excuses!

My daughter takes African Dance lessons. And this is one of the drummers playing in her class, so cool! 

Happy New Year to you all! 

Everyday places

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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! :)

An unexpected sketch

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I clearly wasn't expecting to be able to go out to sketch this afternoon, but, as it happened, I had a moment, and I just took it. So today December 24th it seems it's going to be a full day. Mountain in the morning, sketching in the afternoon, cooking in the evening, dinner and opening presents at night. Let's get to the cooking now!

A quiet afternoon in Pregnin... 

Merry Christmas! 

Home sweet home

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Cold, foggy, small children in holidays, my husband still working... not ideal to find places to draw outside. Still, I find little moments to draw at home. 

19/12/16

This is a view of my living room from what we could call my sofa spot. I use to sit in this corner of the sofa because I have the bookcase next to me, and I can easily put there my mug, my computer, my books... So as it happens, I have drawn this view more than once already... and also in these three last days!

20/12/16

Yesterday I engaged one of my sons to sketch objects while the other was taking his nap. It was so fun, and he was eager to use the water brush. So I just used it a bit, then I had to do with markers or no color ;)

Later in the night, just sketching the chaos in my room... The sketch is clean and it makes it look better than it actually is.

21/12/16

Late in the morning my sons have watched a bit of TV. Even like this, peace lasts only a bit... they don't stop moving. Ever.

In fact, after few minutes the youngest was already climbing over my back while I was trying to sketch the dog, Ludo, who was napping next to me. This has of course made Ludo move before I had finished... so only the silhouette.

And the last one of today, already tonight, again from my sofa spot, but this time trying to just draw lines, and also getting to that really busy corner at the right, which is really really chaotic, and my father tells me I leave out on purpose. But, as I told him, I had already drawn it once... 

Drawing by the fire

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Things that start well go well and end well. Sometimes at least. Like this weekend. I really feel like I couldn't ask for more. Nothing extraordinary happened, and maybe that's the most extraordinary of all, just enjoy the ordinary. Isn't it?

December baking

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This is a busy month for everyone. Exams, deadlines, school parties, Christmas and holiday preparations... the list can go on and on. December is, also for me, a particularly challenging month. Because to the above list I still add a couple of birthdays of my own children. And, as every mother will know, besides the parties themselves, each child may need a cake for the family party, a cake to bring to school, a cake for his birthday party with friends at home... 

Today, while baking the fourth cake in a week, and seeing a fifth one coming for this weekend, I just felt this was the right thing to do!

La Campagne

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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.

Avouzon, for a friend's 40th birthday

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Yesterday people was telling me how lucky I was, because I could always offer my drawings as birthday presents, while they often struggle finding them. And I told them that not really, that I don't offer illustrations as a normal thing, since, as everything in life, not everyone may be excited about getting such a present. And drawings have a very special value. 

But, this week a friend has turned 40, and yes, for him it was an easy decision. And it was an enormous pleasure to see him so happy and touched when he saw it was a drawing already when he sensed the package's shape and weight, and later when he realised it was his house in which he has been working now for a long time. And, it is thanks to his party that today is going to be a long long day!

The Place de la Fontaine in Avouzon, Crozet.

Mothers Talking

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Thursday evening, waiting for my daughter to finish her dance class, other mothers were waiting too :) They were talking, I was quickly sketching them.

Experimenting

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Wednesday afternoon. Gex. It is a bit too humid and rainy, and I feel lazy to draw outside. I go to a bar, and I try something else. Once there I think it is funny how often I drew in bars during my youth, and how little I get to do it now. So I enjoy the moment. It is early afternoon and the bar is calm. There's only few people who seem to be the habituals, as the bartender seems to know everyone by their name. Almost everyone watches the horse races displayed in the TV, and one of the clients wins 4 euros. Then is time for me to go. I ask the lady, and she kindly stamps my sketch. 

As a side note: This is an example on how inspiration works. Because without yesterday's drawing, I probably wouldn't have thought of trying this today ;)

Letting myself go

Drawing is for me, before anything else, a pleasure. And yes, in the end, in life, one must have fun. Because it is only by having fun drawing, that we will draw over and over again, and while drawing, get better. It is funny how often people think we can develop muscle to run a race, but not to draw. And, by "getting better" I don't necessarily mean, as often people think, to be able to draw exactly what you see in front of your eyes. It is more about developing your own unique way to express yourself. To give this special value to things. Think it this way: it is obvious we all have our own handwriting, all beautiful and unique in their own way. Why, if drawing is so much related to handwriting, should be different? 

If you like to draw, just do it. Without thinking too much. This is a free drawing I made yesterday night in one of my multiple "telephone drawing" notebooks, and doing it was fun, and it gave me new ideas for newer drawings that I might think better :) In the end, inspiration, creativity... is all about this. Letting yourself go. Free.

PS. When doing classes I am always faced with the preconception (or misconception!) that drawing well means being able to transfer the reality as it is to a paper with your hands. And how wrong is that. Maybe I'll get to show this one to my students so they'll also learn to let themselves go, without any fear or complex!! 

Windy, warm and sunny Sergy

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This afternoon it was windy, but it was one of these warm winds from the south, so I actually enjoyed it. It was sunny too, perfect for drawing. Also perfect that my youngest son is still in need of a nap so I have an hour to sneak out :) So I went off, and found again this little corner in the Place de la Mairie, in Sergy. I had been here a bit more than a year ago, when that tree still had leaves, and had drawn a larger view. Today I just focused on this tiny and charming shack. 

I will be back here again, some other day, in the morning, because this square has so many more beautiful corners on the other side, today in the shadow.

Rooftops in Gex

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Another Wednesday afternoon in Gex, but today with my dog. 
In the morning we'd been in the mountain, so I thought he wouldn't mind some rest laying down next to me while I drew. But oh! how mistaken I was!! I got the first whining after 10 minutes! But this time, although he didn't remember the mountain but I did, I ignored him for a bit longer than usual, and then gave him a walk :)

This is the drawing I managed in the end. It's a spot I always walk by on Wednesdays and think, I should sketch this. Well, finally today I felt like it was the day.

And my nice dog, aka "the victim". He really looks bored, poor him :D

Washed out

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Today we've had the first real snow of the season. You can picture it: everything is white and calm and beautiful, and I am eager to go out and draw. Like every Wednesday afternoon, I have to go to Gex, so I plan to sketch something there. Everything seems to just fit: it is still snowing on my way on to Gex, I have an umbrella, snow is calm and easier to manage than water. I also know beforehand where to go, since some days ago I had discovered a nice spot while walking my dog during my daughter's dancing class. Like I said, everything is just OK.

But oh, when I get myself installed, which is no easy thing (imagine: the snow, my back-pack, the coat, the gloves, my stool... and the umbrella), some wind starts blowing... not too strong, but enough to move my umbrella which I am only keeping in place with my armpit. My sketchbook starts getting soaked in water. I discover that my marker does not work in too wet paper. I turn my stool a bit to at least partially stop the wind with my back. Of course part of my stuff fells down in the snow. I pick it. All OK again. I manage to start. My expectations of what I will manage to do get downer every passing second, but I am OK. It is fun. Then at some point it starts raining, and then yes, that's a mess. Everything is soaked in water. My umbrella never seems to be big enough, and ok, I end up managing something as dirty as the washed snow, and I run away as quick as I can!

Autumn Leaves

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It is snowing here, but it is still autumn isn't it? Or at least this is my calendar says. Not the temperatures outside though! 

Anyways, I had some leaves prepared for my students to draw, and there is no better motivation than seeing the drawing of the teacher first, so I went ahead, and I had a lot of fun. I hope they'll enjoy the exercise too :)

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The post office

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This morning it was sunny and beautiful, and not too cold if under the sun. I could have done many things, but what I needed was that bit of time for myself. So I took my stuff and went to sketch the post office in Chevry. I made myself happy, and also my father, since he'd been asking me for this drawing since some time, before that monster that we call progress replaces it by something more modern, more functional, but less charming.

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