This is one of our favourite cycle tracks along la Côte d’Azur, from Antibes to Nice “Promenade des Anglais”. Here are cyclists stopped at Cagnes-sur-Mer in front of the boat which is permanently anchored on the beach . I changed its name and colour to make it more sunny as the weather was particularly beautiful and clear that day. Yes even in late Winter you can enjoy a great outdoor life. All you need is to wrap up well!
The trees have lost their leaves and give a lovely calligraphic quality to a painting. I chose to paint the access to Valbonne village framed in the foreground by winter branches inviting the eyes to follow the entrance to a narrow street. In spite of approaching Xmas, the light is still very strong and and gives a warm feeling to everything it touches.
Cycling along the coastal path, we stopped at Cros de Cagnes for a coffee just next to the sailing club. I love the small port there with its very friendly atmosphere. Sipping my cup of coffee and enjoying the warm autumnal sun rays… I watched two men launching their catamaran in the water. They both were wearing a bulky yellow life jacket and I was particularly attracted by the bright sunshine going through the sails making the overall scene vibrant with colours.
Hello dear Artists Friends and Kindred Spirits, I have been invited as a guest artist to be featured in the blog DOODLEWASH.com which is part of the global movement created by Charlie O’Shields #WorldWatercolorGroup
Find the article here : https://doodlewash.com/2016/11/11/guest-doodlewash-hobby-sketcher/
It is all about community and connecting artists. There are over 20000 members sharing their passion of watercolour on line. What a great honour and opportunity to be part of such fantastic group you created Charlie…many thanks
I was in Cannes yesterday waiting for a train and had half an hour to kill. So I went to a square next to the Palais des festivals where the stars come for the film festival. This time the stars were 2 beautiful horses mounted by policemen having a drink in the local fountain square.I noticed that each horse was wearing at its rear a bag to prevent the manure to fall down on the pavement : I had never seen a horse”nappy” before!
While waiting to meet my friends at the market this morning, I drew this scene from the benches next to the café in Valbonne square. I completed the drawings with colours at home as I did not have enough time to finish it off.The 4 standing characters where looking intensively at something I could not see from where I was sitting; and the mother at the table came around and sat next to me to use the bench as a changing table for her baby ! Not the scene I wished to paint…
We had a lovely morning on the Cap d’Antibes yesterday.The weather was hot and sunny. I took this time a parasol to cover my sketchbook page not to be blinded by the white of the paper plus a sun hat and no sunglasses so I could see the real colours.
Morning at the beach last Sunday in Antibes : I started to sketch people although they were moving all the time, some exhibited longer “pauses” allowing me to draw them as fast as I could. The woman and the man standing seemed to be in a very animated discussion. Although I could not hear them from where I was, judging by their body language, the subject was rather serious !
Hobby Sketcher 