HOME FROM HOLIDAYS 2

                                       

 

We arrived at Benodet and found our campsite only a short distance from the shore with a fabulous promenade all around the headland and back along the river bank to the town itself.  This is a stitched picture of the sketch  below, using linen as a background with assorted organzas and yarns and a bit of inktense coloured fabric for the tree trunk.

 

I sat on a bench one afternoon to draw this in my new long sketchbook which is quite a challenge to use as I have to think carefully about how I'm going to fit in the image I want to depict. I used water soluble triplus pens on this trip as they are so quick and easy to add a bit of colour.

 

 

This another view from the promenade  around the headland looking out to sea and the yachts coming home after a day's sailing.  The cormorant posed on his rock just long enough for me to capture him and his strange movements as he tried to swallow a large fish!



                                         

 

We walked into town one day and found a very busy port with boats taking people out for trips up the river as well as to the nearby islands. There were coaches full of visitors and many bars and restaurants to choose from selling the local seafood as well as crepes.  We chose a bar with comfortable sofas facing the harbour wall to take a couple of beers to refresh us ready for the long walk back to camp.

 

 

 

The campsite was very well laid out with lots of attractive trees between the plots and this is the view through our front window.  I've left out the caravan that was actually where I've done the writing and used my Museum water soluble pencils to add the colour.

 

 

 

I picked a few of the red sycamore leaves from the tree on the left of the sketch to play with using the crimson water soluble pen from the triplus set.  I had wanted to pick one of the chestnuts from the tree in the distance but there was another camper on the plot and I didn't want him to think I was a total nutcase!

 

 

From Benodet we moved on to Arradon on the gulf of Morbihan and another campsite only a short walk from the sea.  We had arranged our annual get together with some camping friends and we spent three lovely days together, walking, talking, eating and drinking so I only have one sketch to show for it.  Carolyn and I took their dog Florie for a walk and sat in the sun to draw this while our menfolk went shopping for wine.

Now we're back home and I'm catching up on my family portrait project which I'll share with you next time.  A bientot!

HOME FROM THE HOLIDAYS

 

Back home now after a couple of weeks touring Brittany. 

We started at L'Aberwrach on the 1st of September where we celebrated our wedding anniversary with a delicious meal at le Vioben, an excellent restaurant renowned for it's seafood.

This is a sketch drawn while we were walking along the footpath by the edge of the river, I haven't added the blue of the water or the pale green hills in the distance as I wanted to concentrate on those wonderful tangled pine trees.

 

The path was lined with all sorts of plants like brambles and bracken but my eye was taken by the velvety looking sloes and the nibbled greeny grey leaves.  I used to gather these inedible berries to make sloe gin but as we haven't finished drinking the last batch from 2 years ago I thought I would leave them for someone else;  I also believe in only taking what you need from nature, not over collecting just for the sake of it!

 

From L'Aberwrach we drove on to Locronan, designated 'une petite cite de charactère' by the French tourist board.  The campsite was on the edge of town up a winding hill road and we were allocated a plot with a fabulous view through the front window which I couldn't resist drawing as I sat at the table in the morning.  I could see across the valley to the hills opposite with their éoliennes (wind turbines) turning slowly in the distance.

 

As always I took some sewing supplies with me and stitched this picture postcard view over the next 3 days. The background is a printed patchwork fabric perfect for this kind of work and then I layered up organza and other scraps as well as some of the confetti patchwork I prepared before we left home. I used a mixture of threads and yarns to depict the trees and leaves and chain stitch around the edge for a border.

 

In the mornings we visited the town to see what all the tourists came for and to have a refreshing beer before climbing back up the hill to camp.  The walk was very pleasant through the woods with glimpses of the view through the trees and then the roof tops and the old church spire came into sight.

Coach loads of people come here to see where many films have been made and spend money in the gift shops.  I felt there wasn't a lot of character though, just a lot of well preserved grey buildings and hundreds of people pointing their cameras in all directions.  We even overheard an American trying to persuade his wife to pose in front of the bank pretending to take out some cash!

We moved on to Benodet next but I'll have to save that till next time.

A bientot!