ButterflyHands

Protea

ButterflyHands — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:32:49 +0000

The South African protea from Kirstenbosch

oil on canvas – 20 x 20 cm

Wooden shed

ButterflyHands — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 08:32:50 +0000

Everywhere in Switzerland you see these wooden sheds. They are old and skew, which is so different to everything else that are neat and clean. I could see how they could be the subject for pencil sketches. With lots of detail. As we drove around I took photographs from the car and came back with a lot of blurred photographs… but a few came out ok.

I’m still trying out pastels. I just keep on drawing really small pictures that does not work with pastel sticks at all. I’ve bought a few more pastel crayons, but my colour range is still limited. … definitely need to buy large pastel paper. : )

Karoo child

ButterflyHands — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 10:39:11 +0000

I am still in the art class here in France. I can say that I am enjoying the art, but if my french has improved? …don’t think so. : )

A friend took photographs of the people in a small Karoo town in South Africa and was kind enough to let me use them.

oil on stretched linen 38 x 46 cm

The sea and the Karoo.

ButterflyHands — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 10:42:44 +0000

Paternoster…

A Karoo scene from a photograph taken by a friend…

small paintings… oil on canvas 20 x 20 cm

Powder pastels and Monet

ButterflyHands — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 12:09:24 +0000

A friend and I visited the musée Marmottan on Wednesday. That happened after a lovely lunch at the musée Jacquemart-André. Well, after all the art we saw there we were all inspired to take up our brushes and become really good. I have to admit after seeing works of old masters you actually want to stop… how can anyone paint so perfect and precise!

The musée Marmottan houses the largest collection of Claude Monet’s works. Many of his Nymphéas, although some of them we thought that he was just trying out something, or making a pre-sketch. So, at least there were some works that had us wondering if we aren’t actually a bit better than some of the famous people. (This is said with a smile and a wink. : ) We just need the name! : )

I received a small box of soft pastels from my sister a few years ago, and have not really gotten into that. I have always admired the works done in soft pastels by South-African artist, Hanneke Benade. Inspired by her and the really good works we saw and the not so good works we saw, I got into my pastels. : ) … to just have a bit of fun and not create a really good work. : )

my pastel ‘work’ on normal printer paper… : )

Drawing little people

ButterflyHands — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 10:04:54 +0000

Still practicing to draw people with the help of a friend’s lovely photographs.

conté crayon on paper

Painting people

ButterflyHands — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 12:50:06 +0000

j-boarding…

oil on stretched canvas 20 x 20 cm

Little pictures

ButterflyHands — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 23:24:29 +0000

oil on stretched canvas 20 x 20 cm

Little windows

ButterflyHands — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 16:14:13 +0000

when it was still summer…

oil on canvas – 20 x 20 cm

The french art class

ButterflyHands — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 07:20:23 +0000

To join a new art class is always a bit difficult. Even if you do it in your own country and your own language. You never know what to bring. You arrive with your whole oil painting kit and then you actually needed just a pencil and paper. Well, I joined an art class here in Beynes in October. Now its even more complicated, because my french is so bad. That was part of the reason to go to this class, to get to know people and learn french. That I will have to do quickly. I always hope I understood the teacher correctly, and don’t paint blue when he said green. : )

But, one can always learn more from art people, even if they only speak french. I have never done a wood scene before. I’ve used this same photograph (taken in Cergy) before for a pen sketch, but using oils was a different story. I started wrong and had to cover some mistakes. Yesterday I said to the teacher that I have to finish this now, after three months I’m now tired of this painting. In french of course… : )
And of course when I told this to my family, my daughter Mandi asked: ‘So exactly how did you say this in french?’ Ok, I said it’s been too long, not that I’m tired. I didn’t know the words. The main thing… I think my painting came out better than my french. : )

done in oil on stretched linen