Laurelines

Goodbye, little pupper

Five years old, more energy than any three other dogs put together, truly gorgeous, with a deliriously happy disposition, she fell in midstride yesterday morning and never got back up. Our Abby.

Normandy gardens, mostly

We went to see gardens and see them we did. Clos du Coudray, Jardins Agapanthe, Jardin Plume and Bois des Moutiers were among my favorites. I have lots more sketches which I hate to eke out this way, but, ah well, there we are, subject to time and life constraints, all of us. Happy first day of summer! I love how my Maruman accordion sketchbooks, by virtue of their format, create a storyline out of loosely-associated images. You get unexpected correspondences, such as the shape of the eyes in the train woman and the Rodin bust here, and the arabesques of train curtain and bas-relief at Rouen Cathedral.

Normandy and Paris, Part 2

First week back, I had to go visit my mother (who continues to defy the dire prognosis of last fall and is tiny, witty, beautiful and very much alive) and then my wonderful husband had a tri-part surgery on his foot---meaning he has to sit down, lie down, or hobble on crutches for six weeks.

So, it's a one-woman show around here these days.

But, enough about me and mine. Where are the sketches??

Here are a few. More to come, bien sûr.

< I loved this bust study by Rodin. I've been reading about his drawings and watercolors ---none of which the Rodin Museum in Paris HAS, by the way!! Big disappointment. But when I saw this bust made of plaster, wax, newspaper, and clay I was thrilled---he's done this the way he did his drawings---pasting, pastiching, reworking lines, being as free as a bird. This figure really spoke to me.

Sketches from Normandy and Paris

Well, it WAS even better than I thought it would be, this trip. And it's the last for a good long time, so it's nice to have such fond memories. Here are some sketches from the trip, but I made LOTS and I used all sorts of materials to do so. Except for the large sketch of Jardin Agapanthe, these are from my small Maruman accordion sketchbook, pictured on the bed in the last post.   Finally, here is a sketch made in Paris, during an afternoon with Flickr buddy, wonderful artist and great guy Rick Tulka. I love it when I get a chance to meet in person one of the loose group of about 100 sketchers and artists from all over the world who, like me, have been blogging or Flickring for years. You can tell a lot about a person by looking at her/his artwork and reading his/her stories and comments. And, without exception, those I've met have been the real thing----warm, talented, good people. Rick is all that and more.