“Kellas’ Lamb” – a glimpse of the beauty of Scotland, based on a photo taken by Kellas Campbell, Edinburgh, United Kingdom (used with permission). I’ve had a social media friendship with Kellas for several years. She’s a wonderful artist and photographer.
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A small river can be very relaxing, especially if there are a few cattle grazing in the distance in a pasture on the opposite bank. This pencil drawing is a preliminary sketch for a possible painting. A quick colored pencil sketch is a great way to capture the moment, or key aspects, for later reference in the studio. But in this case, my sketch is not done so quickly; it’s more “finished,” which allows me to better understand how I might best approach the painting.
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I spent a fine morning at Vaux-le-Vicomte, the château of Nicolas Fouquet, Marquis de Belle Île, Viscount of Melun and Vaux. The great estate has magnificent gardens and statues. I was drawn to this statue, where a light early morning fog seemed to enhance the distance. This colored pencil sketch is a preliminary for a possible painting, and allowed me to explore the hues, soft morning light, and values of the view. As a preliminary sketch, there are flaws, available as is.
Silverpoint drawing of trees along the Saone river in France
A silverpoint drawing of trees along banks of the Saône
Creatively planted and groomed copses, such as this one, are spaced at intervals along the banks of the Saône river in France. I made a sketch of this one late one morning in the fall.
I’ve drawn this image from my original sketch using a medieval drawing technique called silverpoint (or metalpoint). The method flourished during the Renaissance, but was obsolete by the 18th century; graphite had become the preferred medium.
Light reflecting off silverpoint drawing.
This drawing is done entirely by dragging metals across the gessoed surface producing a light gray tone. Darker values are achieved by going over areas several times. For drawing tools, I used what I had handy—a brass belt buckle, gold and silver jewelry, a sliver-plated spoon, and a cast bronze belt buckle. Because the image is drawn entirely with metal, it reflects light when viewed from various angles (as shown here).
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“Sur Rue Claude Monet, Giverny” 8x10in. Acrylic on stretched canvas.
I visited Giverny, in Upper Normandy, France. Giverny is the birthplace of Impressionism and was the home of Claude Monet from 1883-1926. This window overlooks the street named for Monet, and is just a few blocks from his house. It was overcast and chilly on this particular morning in October, and hot coffee was the order of the day.
This place, sadly, has been remodeled since I was there. It was at first a country grocery, then a cafe-bar during Monet’s time, and now a bed and breakfast called “Le Coin des Artistes.” I’m glad I came across it before the renovation.
The title translates to: “On Claude Monet Street, Giverny.”
$180
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