Catherine Stock's Blog, page 6

Escape

Finally finished and Fedexed off the illustrations for my latest book last month. This is what my studio looked like, so I was in dire need of some fresh air and space.
Nothing like a week's camping on the seashore with one's dog to clear body and soul.

Summer wedding

Five years ago, Doug, who was living in Boston, called his girlfriend in New York to invite her to go with him somewhere for a week. "And bring your passport," he added, almost as an afterthought.
Little did Yuki know that not only was she about to be whisked off to a small village in southwest France, but that she would receive a proposal, the kind that comes with a diamond ring.

On Friday, Le Tramizal was honoured by their return to pledge their vows, toast each other with champagne, and feast on traditional specialties like foie gras, a panache of seafood, cheeses and a wedding  tower of cream stuffed choux with a small group of family and friends in the garden.


The weather, the local chef, the florist, and the patisserier extraordinaire all rose magnificently to the occasion and little cottage and garden are still aglow with happiness.

Cynthia' snaps of July 2012 Watercolour Workshop

 Here are some shots that Cynthia, one of the watercolour workshoppers, took during the two week July class. Memorable moments were Bea's enthralling tales of training WWII fighter pilots as a glamourous nineteen year old, Wendy's birthday on July 4th, lunch with Tony and Elisabeth in the little country restaurant in Lavergne, running into Ian in the Martel market just in time to join us for a picnic lunch, sketching goats, ducks and treed foxes and lynx in the Gramat animal park, and rekindling my interest in getting a camping van after inspecting Cynthia and Ian's Rosie after class (and a couple of glasses of rosé.)

Off to the gallery

Potiron et radis
Rocamdour
Rocamdour (do a lot of these with my students)
St Cirq Lapopie
Hot day in Carlucet for the basket festival
Fruit
Flower study
Surprised and delighted by a couple of recent sales, I thought I had better get some more work out there, only to discover that I am running out of inventory.  So here are a couple of more watercolours that will be in the gallery in Rocamadour. (Unfortunately some of the glass reflect a glare on the left.) Please contact me for sizes and prices, somewhere between 175 and 275 euros, matted but not framed if they are to be shipped. Better get those brushes swishing pronto.

Le Rignac Café

This is Pascale and Ludovic. Pascale manages the new Rignac Café and is fabulous. I have already discovered two new favourite drinks here. The one is rosé with a dash of grapefruit concentrate- delish. The other is her non-alcoholic gingerbeer. I snooped around the counter and see that it's made with fresh ginger, lemons and sugar, but she won't give me the recipe.

On Monday evenings an old battered pizza truck pulls up and dishes them out. They're great with a frosty glass of Belgian Leffe beer. Not good for the diet...

Santé

Sunday stroll in Rignac

Walked down through the village yesterday morning to take some photos of my work in the show. Dogs came along for a swim in the pond. Took a few more snaps on the way back. The village allotments are ready for planting and my neighbour has started his. I must get cracking on mine.

Our fortified church dates back to the 12th century and the huge old plane tree in the square was planted during the French revolution.

Just one note, the last few paintings are by my friend Sophie Raynaud. I like her work very much and usually buy one or two.

Fourth Monday night life drawing group show

     
In spite of a long, cold and wet spring and a threatening weather forecast,  we were blessed with a balmy summer evening for the opening of our annual show. It was held in Rignac's fabulous new community centre this year, next to our buzzy new café which has revived the heart of the village. (You can see the new petanque court and new pond with our vegetable allotments in the background of the above photograph. There is also a children's playground- all the inspiration of Daniel Wattier, our mayor and painting participant.)
   I offered to make the opening speech this year as I wanted to tell everyone a little about our drawing evenings, hoping to augment our numbers. I pay my models quite well so money is always a concern.  Anyway here is my speech for those of you qui parle la langue:
Je suis sûre qu’il y a des gens ici qui sont un peu curieux pourquoi il y a plusieurs voitures devant ma petite grange les lundis soirs. Peut-être qu’il y a des gens ici qui demande, pourquoi dessiner des gens? On peut faire mieux avec un appareil photo…
Nous avons tous des passions. Il y a des gens qui font la cuisine, qui font le jardinage, qui écrivent, qui font de la musique ou le sport ou même la chasse. Nous avons tous besoin de faire plus que manger, dormir, et rester au chaud en hîver. C’est l’état de l’être humain. La créativité est interpreter, communiquer et participer dans le monde.
Quand nous commençons les soirées avec les poses, nous quittons le monde exterieur. Nous avons deux, cinq, dix, quinze, ou vingt-cinq minutes pour voir, interpréter et capturer la pose avec des crayons, des pinceaux, des couleurs... Tous nos modèles sont impressionés par notre concentration intense.
Chaque peintre a une raison personelle. Pour moi, comme illustratrice professionelle, je dois toujours en satisfaire d’autres. Les lundis soirs, je suis liberée pour faire ce que je voudrais, sans être consciente des résultats. Je peux explorer même les façades plus sombres de ma personalité.Il y a des participants qui vont et qui viennent, mais nous sept artistes fideles avons travaillé ensemble pendant quatre années maintenant. Nous sommes de vrais amateurs: nous faisons ce que nous faisons pour l’amour.
C’est important pour nous d’avoir une pause de temps en temps pour exposer, pour refléchir, pour voir notre progrès…Car nos efforts créatifs ont besoin d’un public pour completer le processus, Clare, Nicole, Patricia, Sophie, René, Daniel et moi vous remercions de votre presence ce soir.
Finalement, nous ne sommes pas une association fermée. Si vous voulez vous joindre à nous un lundi soir pour dessiner ou même comme modele, nous ferions bon acceuil à votre presence.
Catherine Stock25 mai 2012

Reflections on a sunnier time

So sick of this long wet spring. My thoughts are turning back to my week in Cape Town in Feb, ending with a fabulous lunch with old friends.

Spring cleaning

After several weeks of cold wet weather, I spent the last three days getting Le Tramizal into nick: dusting, sweeping, scrubbing, wiping, washing, painting, shaking, mowing, trimming, raking and pruning.

First official guests arrived this weekend so I had to get the Winter Cottage and garden into tiptop shape.  Tough work.

Here are the results: first the winter cottage, then the garden, then the summer cottage, and finally the barn/gallery.

Le Tramizal and La Sirène du Causse gallery at their best, behind curtains of white wisteria blossoms buzzing with honey bees.

Lighting

Some drawings from Monday night. There is strong lighting from above that seems to pull the forms out of the shadows in a quite dramatic way. I am aware that I am painting around the figure, rather than the figure itself.