Back to painting

Some soft days and the first butterfly were a sign to put table and chairs back outside, not that it is already that warm to sit there for long but in the middaysun it felt very nice and promising.(and I like the sight of it, ofcourse)
The house is quiet again and I started painting after nearly a fortnight not touching a pencil or brush.
Thoughts are tumbling through my head,fragments of conversations, stories, moments from the past days.
I feel rather tired but I got some work done . So here is another work in progress.

1 year

I've been blogging for a year this month.
It was a very interesting experience, meeting you all out there, all over the world.
Wonderful writers, photographers,sculptors,painters,dreamers,seekers and finders, lovers of life....
So this post is dedicated to you all...

it was amazing
reflecting
confronting
challenging
comforting..

encouraging
enriching
inspiring
sparkling...

Thanks!!!!
Love and xxxx

Sweet visitor

The main reason for my absence here is this little guy.
He and his mother are staying with us for a couple of weeks and I'm just enjoying it.
Family and friends are coming and going and he is an admired sweetie.
Still cold outside but sun and blue skies are luring us outside now and then.
There is definitely new life in the garden :)

And the winner is...

My sweet dear blogfriends, thanks for all your happy wishes,
I enjoyed them.
Your names went into a little bag and the one that was pulled out is
..................................
The Wild Magnolia !!
please email me your address my dear and the print of your choice will be sent to you, x.

In between

The end of February, not really winter anymore, not spring yet.
Just something in between.
No man's land.
No one rules here.

The lack of sunlight , the need of sunlight.
Wonderful photos of sunrise in the Aude (France) sent to me by my dear friend living there.
I gaze at them, I enter these images...it warms, it helps.

And a bright pink primula waits with me on the dividing line, a glimpse , looking ahead in time.

50 and a giveaway

Today is my birthday .They had this wonderful pastry made for me.
Vatel it's called, named after the famous French 17th century maître d'hotel and chef.
Roland Joffé made a wonderful film about him titled 'Vatel' with Gérard Dépardieu and Uma Thurman.
The pastry itself is very delicious and one of my absolute favourites, it's made of a crunchy almond pastry and butter cream.
But as I can't offer you a piece of this sweetness I will have a giveaway.
You can choose between two of my prints.
'Talk to the birdman' or
'She knew a safe place to keep secrets'
Just leave a comment with the print of your choice.
I will draw a winner next monday.
Have a nice week and good luck to you all ,x

Lost in France

Lost in France
acryl on canvas

Finished this one, for the moment, maybe later some things will be slightly changed..

And working out some more sketches.

The importance of links

The importance of links (especially the open ones)
gouache on paper 24 x 32 cm

Reds in the garden today

Had to look for some reds in the garden on Valentine's day ;)
The rest of the afternoon I will be painting .
The past week was very busy but now brushes are calling.

Saint Amour

L'amour est enfant de Bohème
Il n'a jamais connu de loi..
(Carmen Bizet)

Love is a gypsy's child
it has never, ever, known a law..


A lovely day to you all !!

xxx

With great pleasure I designed Boaz' birth announcement.

Vista gouache on paper 24 x32 cm

and just a happy Monday....

Garden pearls

Snowdrops come peeping through

The luscious leaves of Arum italium (italiaanse aronskelk/italian lords and ladies)

Trio on Mahonia aquifolium

Helleborus niger

Milder temperatures lured me outside today.
Beneath the warm safety of the rotting leaves a new world is slowly wakening.
It felt good ; fresh air, shades of green, patterns and forms...busy ladybirds.
Working in the garden doesn't really feels like 'working' , it is something else.

A fool has many names (some I know)

gouache 24 x 32 cm