SEPTEMBER TRIP AROUND BRITTANY

 

At the end of August we were ready for a holiday as we hadn't actually had more than a few days away from home since February.  We didn't want to go very far and as the weather was fine we drove only 2 hours to the west to L'Aberwrach at the far end of Finisterre.

 

We stayed on a campsite at Sainte Marguerite we had seen when we used to come here on the boat. On the first evening we walked along the dunes to see the lighthouse and identify the channels we used to use when we were sailing.  The last time we came along here we were being towed in by the lifeboat after midnight when our engine had broken down and there was no wind to sail by.

 

The next day we cycled a bit further along the coast path and I drew a few more of the channel markers essential for safety to avoid all the rocks in this part of Brittany. I've stuck in a bit of the map to show where the campsite is, right by the sea.

 

We finally arrived at the port and had a delicious lunch at Captain Crepe, a friendly creperie we've been going to for many years.  We sat on the quayside and reminisced about our sailing years and how much we used to love coming here.

 

That white buoy on the right is probably one that we tied our boat to and spent many happy days relaxing in the sun and rowing ashore to shop and eat in the many restaurants along the waterfront.

 

We cycled a lot while we were here this time and found some new places we hadn't seen before.  Here's another pile of rocks mostly covered by the tide as it came in.

 

I'm always interested in the wild flowers I find growing in the different places we visit and pick one example of each to take back to camp to draw later.  This sea-holly was very prickly and I was glad I had a plastic bag to put it in to carry it.  I love the delicate pale green of the leaves with their whitish edges.

 

Another day and another long cycle ride and lunch in a different place we found ourselves sitting at the fishing boat end of the port watching the boats unloading.  To start with many bags of nets were craned ashore and we wondered "why no fish?"

 

We soon saw the answer, the fish came out last!  An enormous refrigerated lorry backed along the quayside right up to the crane and many crates of fish started to come up to be emptied into fridges in the lorry, then sent back into the boat to be reloaded.  At the same time a queue of people arrived carrying bowls and bags to buy their fish directly from the boat.  There were 3 fishing boats lined up all awaiting their turn to unload while the tide was high and they could moor against the wall.

A NEW SKETCHBOOK

 

I hope you've all had a happy Easter, I haven't done a lot of artwork this weekend so I thought it was time to show you my new sketchbook, no 35.  This photo shows all the ingredients I used to make a map themed sketchbook.

 

Last year I ordered a batch of samples from Ruscombe paper mill where they make beautiful drawing and watercolour papers.  They came in square, stapled batches with the name printed on one side and I spent quite a while pondering how I was going to use them in a sketchbook as I didn't want to just have loose sheets with drawings on them.

 

I had acquired a collection of unused Michelin maps from Marius, our neighbour, who used to do attic sales before his wife had a stroke.  The map paper is rather thin so I devised a way to attach the samples with a couple of stitches in the inner corners after sticking down the outer edge to the map and folding it over to protect the edge and make a border.  I added a strip down the middle of each sheet where it would be stitched into the signatures as reinforcement.

 

I didn't want to waste the other side of the pages so I painted a square of gesso on each sheet so that I could draw and paint freely without the paper becoming waterlogged.

 

The cover is cut from a printed fabric I found in Brighton when we were there last year and I used a strip of fake leather for the spine to complete the look.

 

Opened out you can see where I've alternated the pages so that I can test all the samples as I work through the book and as the corners are only stitched I can unpick to check the label if I decide to purchase a particular type of paper from the mill.

 

I love the combination of bright pink and turquoise I've used for the end papers and title page.

 

Here is a test I did on one of the gessoed maps to see how it performed and the watercolour works very well as the gesso seals the paper perfectly.

As soon as I've completed sketchbook no 33 I'll be getting started on this exciting new project, maybe when we go to Italy for our summer trip.

SUNSHINE AT LAST!

 

At long last after a very wet and windy few weeks the sun came out and the temperature warmed up enough to go out for a walk. On Thursday afternoon I set off down our lanes wading through the puddles and looking at what was going on in nature.  I saw the first primroses and the gorse was covered in flowers. I had decided to pick a sprig when my neighbour came along carrying her long hedge trimmer with the intention of collecting some ivy for her goats. She very kindly cut some for me and we stopped for a chat.  While we were talking I noticed the ferns moving in the breeze and the wonderful golden spores on the underside of the leaves which matched the yellow of the gorse.

 

 

In the morning we went into town for Bob's dental appointment and after a look around the shops I took a coffee in the cafe opposite the church. It looked lovely with the blue sky complementing the pink granite it's built from.  I had plenty of time to do this sketch although the arched doorway does look a bit narrower than reality!

 

This painting of Vaison la Romaine on hand made paper was the card I made for Bob's birthday last year.  It brings back lovely memories of summer exploring the 'Cotes du Rhone villages' wine region in Provence.