A Postcard From My Walk

196 Cards from A Postcard from my walk - a tribute to Earth Day

noreply@blogger.com (Africantapestry and Myfrenchkitchen) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Our project has come to an end. With many stories to tell about lost cards and some destroyed by rain and some never received and some resent...it was exciting, kept us on our toes and we were constantly challenged to come up with interesting and original subjects. But here we are...a little over a year later and very appropriate for earth day 2012, we look back on our cards and a great satisfaction and contentment bring a smile to our faces. It was a year well spent around the pencil and brush.

Click on each image to see the bigger version.

Cards sent by:

Albrecht Richter - Germany

Alison Staite - England

Bridget Hunter - Scotland

Cathy Gatland - South Africa

Charlene Brown - Canada

Desirée Dianne Habicht - USA

Felicity Grace - Switzerland

Katherine Tyrrell - England

Liz Steel - Australia

Martin Stankewitz - Germany

Pat Reece - USA

Robyn Sinclair - Italy

Ronelle van Wyk

Vivien Blackburn - England

Thank you to everybody who shared this trip with us around the world, whether it was by regular visits or leaving comments or simply just stopping by. The more the company, the merrier the spirit!

Thank you!

Strawberries, apricots and gifts "sur la table".

noreply@blogger.com (Africantapestry and Myfrenchkitchen) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:42:00 +0000

My last card was from Desiree and it came wrapped as a big surprise.
An enticing strawberries card, seeing how much I love food...

-watercolor on watercolor paper, 12,5x18cm-

...and a beautiful apricot branch in bloom(may I receive the apricots card soon..)..

-watercolor on watercolor paper, 15,5x11,5cm-

...both hidden inside THIS...with its own bookmark(handmade of course by the artist herself....

I am spoiled! Thank you sweet friend from sunny California!

The Emmarentia Dam in South Africa

noreply@blogger.com (Bridget Hunter) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Thankyou for this beautiful watercolour postcard. Over the exchange I've got to know a little of South Africa and its landscape through Cathy's sketches and its been quite a surprise - not at all what I'd imagined. This view towards the Emmarentia Dam wall includes the Sea Scouts Hut which is rather odd as the sea is many miles away!

I always admire Cathy's figures and this card includes two - man and duck. These add to the atmosphere as do the beautiful greens and the skillful way the water has been painted.

A Fuschia to end this wonderful exchange.

Shacks and Backyards

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Steel) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 11:00:00 +0000

This wonderful wonderful postcard from Martin completes my collection. This is Martin ‘starting to play with oil pastels’ and I am enjoying looking at it very much propped up behind my keyboard. I love the richness of the colours and the wonderful composition of the old houses/shacks and their backyards. Certainly a style of vernacular architecture tht we don’t see down here.
Thank you Martin – I love it.
What a wonderful collection of postcards I now have from all my special friends !!

Felicity's Postcard

noreply@blogger.com (Pat) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +0000

This lovely painting from Felicity was such a pleasure to receive. She has captured here in this rendering of this colorful flower a special botanical just for me. I and thrilled to add it to my collection of treasures. I have to point out the spatter of paint identifying the opposite corners of the card from the stamps. This delicate detail is just another variation of eye candy that Felicity has provided for the observer.

Felicity Grace
Watercolor on paper
Postcard

I was surprised to find out that I had missed calculated in my last post. I thought Ronelle's was my last postcard but now I have found one more in my mailbox.

Thank You Felicity for my Postcard From Your Walk.

What a Finale!

noreply@blogger.com (Robyn Sinclair) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:30:00 +0000

My last postcard has arrived safely and how appropriate that it is from Katherine Tyrrell, who brought us all together through Sketchercise.

Do click on the image and you will see I've posted a large version so everyone can enjoy Katherine's beautiful fine penwork and her skilled approach to overlaying different layers of coloured pencil to achieve wonderfully natural colours.

This is certainly more painting than postcard - 16.5 x 24 cms on Arches HP. It's a drawing of the new Chinese Pagoda in London's Victoria Park. Such beautiful reflections in the West Lake which Katherine says is not yet full again following the major desilt operation.

Thank you so much, Katherine. This one is now in search of a suitable frame.

Postcard from Pat

noreply@blogger.com (Felicity) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +0000

I can't really call this a postcard from Pat as in reality it is 10x8" and is so exquisite it needs to be framed and hung on a wall! The scan doesn't really do all the colours in this card justice but it shimmers with warm Californian sunshine and the darks lead you into the distance and draw you along this beautiful path.

Pat's great sense of humour comes across with these gorgeous little painted stamps on the back!

As if all that wasn't enough, there is also a fabulous pen and watercolour sketch on the envelope! Thank you so much, Pat!

Postcard from Ronelle

noreply@blogger.com (Felicity) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I've been greatly looking forward to getting Ronelle's postcard as I've been a big fan of her work for years. What a lovely surpise it was to see her characteristically fresh, vibrant style coupled with a cool, muted winter palatte! It was done in inks, watercolour, gouache and pen and in the flesh it has wonderful texture too with raised splatters of gouache.

The envelope, containing some lovely arty goodies, was instantly recognisable with another beautiful splashy guoache sketch! Thank you Ronelle, for this amazing treasure!

A winter cliff walk with Bridget

noreply@blogger.com (vivien) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Bridget Hunter, The Cliff Path near Ayr

This lovely moody card of a walk along the cliff path near Ayr arrived from Bridget. My last card of the exchange. I've had it a while, enjoying it, but it had to wait in the queue to be shown here. Her paintings of the area make me want to visit.

She says that the view across to the island of Arran is always beautiful and that there is a 'great wee coffee shop'! always a good thing :>) I can feel the struggle of those trees to grow in their exposed position, stunted and gnarled by the winds.

Lovely loose marks and great use of colour, capturing the essence of a scene - typical of Bridget's work.

A lovely last card and well worth waiting for :>)

It's sad that the exchange is over for me now - but look forward to seeing the last arrivals for others.

A Scottish Country Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy Gatland) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 12:05:00 +0000

I've had Bridget's card, my last one of this exchange, propped up on my mantelpiece for a week or more, to gaze at and enjoy - and think of what I could say about it that it doesn't eloquently say for itself. Gorgeous rich colour, expressive and varied marks that describe her winter garden so vividly - the dormant stalks, withered leaves and brave new snowdrops in the muted, wild looking landscape. I absolutely love my little piece of Scotland, and of the painterly way it's presented - apparently casual yet so masterful! Thank you Bridget - hope that back is well on its way to recovery so you can get to zumba and walking again - though you clearly don't need to go very far to produce wonderful work.

Tea and Victorian Filigree from Australia

noreply@blogger.com (Papierflieger) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I apologise for being so late to show this beautiful final card that I received from Liz Steel already at the beginning of February. The stylish building fits very well to the scent of the High Mountain Oolong tea from Taiwan, served in the most precious cup you can imagine, a real Shelley. It is worth while to check out the Victorian filigree in Sidney, which I never heard of before.

Thank you Liz for this stylish card!

The Willow Tree always look beautiful... my Card from Alison

noreply@blogger.com (Albrecht Rissler) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Willow Tree Across the Lake February 2012

This card from Alison is the last one of this great project. She wrote me...

The weather is now a little warmer, so I was able to sit by the lake in Richmond Park and paint this by any freezing! It was a day with grey sky, but the willow trees always look beautiful even in the winter. I know that you especially like willow trees so it seemed appropriate that I tried to paint it for you!

Well done Alison! Thank you very much Alison for this thoughtful and special dedication.

Now I'm proudly present my collection of cards you have sent to me in the last month. Thanks everybody!

Roof Top Ambiance

noreply@blogger.com (Pat) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 01:59:00 +0000

Here it is….Ta Da!

Ronelle’s postcard.

Roof Tops of Vayrac, France

Ronelle said she painted this scene, from a hill top, of a cute little village she likes to go to, for the best coffee and ambiance. You can see even the roof tops have ambiance, let alone having a bistro that serves great coffee. I am on a plane tomorrow for that…..I Wish! Of course when you have something like this in your hand every line and wash of vibrant color just makes your heart tingle.

Here is a corner of the envelope.

As always, when you get something form

Ronelle, even the envelope is deliciously rendered.

I am so sorry to say that this is the last postcard I will receive from our 14 month adventure of the blog “A Postcard From My Walk”. And Yep!, I have 14 original paintings from 14 great artists (that I soooo! respect) and from all over the world.

Winter Trees and Warm Wishes From Heidelberg

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Staite) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 12:01:00 +0000

This is my card from Albrecht in Germany. It really shouts of stark cold winter. Albrecht is a true master draughtsman and it is such a privilege to receive something like this. On the reverse he has taken time to show step by step, how he builds up the composition to it's final stage. I have learnt so much by looking at it, such as how the pencil should move and twist to produce the twigs.

Winter can sometimes seem a gloomy time of year for artists, but it's a great time to draw trees. The bare branches have so much character. Thank you so much Albrecht, it's a wonderful final card!

Sheep - With a little French Chic!

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Staite) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 12:01:00 +0000

This is Ronelle's card to me. A gorgeous array detailing some of her neighbours sheep. I love the way she has managed to catch their expressions. The one on the far right looks extraordinarily haughty, looking down her nose as if to say "La, who are you interrupting our lunch time?" I think she has been to see a coiffeur to have her eyelashes curled - only a French sheep could look that chic!

The envelope matches the card with another wonderfully expressive painting. As others have said in previous posts, Ronelle's use of gouache against the brown of the envelope works really well. I don't have any gouache paints nor do I have any brown tinted paper - but I might have to go out and purchase some!

Willow reflections

noreply@blogger.com (Africantapestry and Myfrenchkitchen) — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 11:57:00 +0000

Katherine's card popped up at Coin Perdu in the New Year, but it was actually done still in the old year. Maybe reflecting on the old year, while sketching the reflections of the willow...?

..the willows..
done in colored pencil and pen on Arches HP paper, 19x28.5cm

Between the full sketch and the crop below, one can get a great feeling of the marks Katherine makes with her pencils and pen. a lot of cross hatching, some erasing for the higlights, some darker pressure here and a soft touch there... I especially love the darkness of the reflections breaking up into softer tones and hues and more highlights and finally disappear into the lefthand corner, adding such lovely diagonal movement. I feel as if I'm slowly passing in a canoe, dragging my hand through the ripples and reflections.

...the willows(detail)...

Katherine chose to compliment the Loire here in my world with her sketch of the willows at the basin of the Regent's canal there in her world...very appropriate and very special! Thank you for a lovely card Katherine!

A Moody and Changeable Day in Cornwall

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Steel) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I received this beautiful card from Vivien this week.
"Distant rain, the wet sand shining with pinks and mauves and layers of cloud"
Vivien has captured it perfectly with her watercolour washes overlaid with coloured pencil.
I really wish I could draw/paint coastal scenes more, and haven't been able to get out to the beach much this summer (due to our wet and cold weather) so it is a real treat to have this propped up in front of me ... enjoying and studying it all month.

Thanks Vivien!

My last postcard is from Ronelle, well worth the wait!

noreply@blogger.com (Desiree) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Well the tales and pictures of the wonderful packages that Ronelle sent to everyone was almost too much to bear all year. I knew that I was going to be last and I could hardly stand the suspense of what she might be sending. When the package arrived in my mailbox I was giggling with glee, knowing that it was here!! The beautiful painting on the envelope was amazing, making me completely baffled on what could possibly out do that. I truly loved the envelope painting so much I am going to frame that one, I love tonal papers and paint, wonderful. When I opened the package I was thrilled to see gifts sliding out, candy, paper, postcard but you all know what she sends! She writes that she painted her horses for me since she knows I had horses at one time. She mentions that she would love to sneak a few more onto the property, when she can. I remember the wonderful years we owned and raised horses, it was a magical time! So many beautiful memories with Jennifer, running the hills, exploring the mountain trails with the dogs by our sides. Enjoy this special time in your life Ronelle, may it last forever and be all you hope it to be. Thank you so much for making the end our our International Postcard exchange so memorable!

I also want to take this opportunity to thanks all the amazing artists that participated in this exchange. Each month I couldn't wait to get my postcard, to see the world through your eyes and share a minute in time with each of you. It has meant so much for me to be able to say I was a part of this group and I will cherish the time we have spent together. Also, a big hug and thank you to Ronelle and Katherine who worked together to make this happen for all of us, you are much loved !

Desiree

Standing together in Orvieto with Robyn, someday!

noreply@blogger.com (Desiree) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

My card from Robyn arrived, reviving wonderful memories of the Piazza Duomo in Orvieto, Italy. She talks about the quaint little buildings in the shadow of the church. An amazing church, I remember so clearly as there happened to be a wedding the day we were there and I have wonderful pictures of the bride on the steps. I also bought some of the hand painted tiles that are sold in the village shops. They say that the local children paint them, I don't know if its true but I want to believe it is. We carried home those tiles and some hand forged, iron rings for our outdoor room where they sit today and a reminder of our wonderful trip.Her postcard is a painting of the clock tower that I think we climbed to the top of and took some amazing photos of the surrounding vistas! Next time we shall meet in the Piazza for a gelato or a cappuccino and sketch together!!

My card from Liz!

noreply@blogger.com (Desiree) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

My card arrived from Liz some time ago, I have been so distracted with family issues I haven't posted it until now although it brought me much joy! I don't know how she manages, in a few perfectly placed strokes, to convey such beautiful buildings. Ahhh, I am so glad to study the card so I can try and apply Liz's techniques during my next plein air session! If the building weren't enough on the other side of the card were wonderful friends of BB's, Paddo, Peter-Lewis,Palmer-Portland,Hamish-Edinburgh,Llyr-Wales. Looks like the many friends he has met on his many vacations with Liz. Oh I wish I had the life of this bear! Thanks so much Liz, I love my card, and Jenn does too!

Angel Wing Begonias from California

noreply@blogger.com (Albrecht Rissler) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

This card reached me in the middle of the winter, when it was extremely cold here in Germany. You can imagine that this sunny greetings from California came at the right time. It's is a beautiful outlook to coming springtime. Desiree wrote about the warm days and cold nights over there, and that the yard is blooming soon. The Angel Wing Begonias are among her favorite flowers. Their color can change from pinks to red depending on the amount or lack of sun, she wrote.
Thank you very much for this precious little piece of art, Desiree. I love it!
Albrecht

Softly rendered perfection of mysterious origin

noreply@blogger.com (Charlene Brown) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 12:05:00 +0000

Vivien Blackburn

Vivien sent me these exquisitely-defined feathers collected by her students on a nature walk. As there was no sign of the previous owner, they had to guess what birds might have lost them – poor things will be missing that lovely downy warmth, whoever they are!

In fact Vivien was quite sure an owl and a quail were involved, but I went ahead and did some speculation of my own after noticing this disgruntled cat (I wish I could draw cats as easily and expressively as Vivien!) on the stamp on the back of the card…. I know cats don’t have feathers, but I believe this one suspects Vivien has hi-jacked his colour scheme for that lovely big feather in the middle. This is not a working cat BTW, Vivien’s postcard was carefully enclosed in an envelope, with a regular British stamp, so the Queen did the heavy work in getting this tiny perfect masterpiece all the way from England to Victoria in a record four days!

Warm colour from Cold Geneva

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy Gatland) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I have been looking forward to seeing Felicity's exquisitely delicate drawings up close and personal, and when I opened the clean white envelope from Geneva (I am very quick to clear the postbox after what happened to my card from Charlene!) there it was, my very own original Felicity Grace botanical. Her artwork looks ready for print in a fine art book - from the subtlest variations of tone and colour to the even splattering of the background, every detail is just perfect. Even the two bird stamps are colour co-ordinated and look quite in their element with the oak leaves and acorn.

On the other side, her trademark little snail, and two daffodils - she's eagerly waiting for Spring to arrive in freezing cold Switzerland. Spring over there means Autumn here, and I'm not at all ready for that, sorry Felicity, I'm selfishly hanging onto summer for a while longer, but I'll have your lovely oak leaves to remind me of what there is to look forward to!

The Barrier Reef

noreply@blogger.com (Pat) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:09:00 +0000

Alison's Sketchercise took her for a swim near the Great Barrier Reef. While spending time in this uniquely beautiful place she took the time to paint and send me a postcard. I feel very special. You can see by the intense color that this is deep clear and clean water. Not something you see every day. I have lived near the coast all of my life but this is not color you see in my part of the world. I think you have to be under the water for this kind of color. My camera has not done the colors justice but still it is a remarkable painting. I will treasure this beauty, thank you, Alison.

Cold cold snow and warm pools from Charlene

noreply@blogger.com (vivien) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Upper Hot Springs swimming pool by Charlene

Charlene says this is the pool where she learned how to swim. It's above Banff (not of course our original Banff, in Scotland - hypothermia would be the result there! but it's namesake in Canada) . The water is 40C, which she feels is the only temperature to swim in . Warm water in the snow - amazing.

I remember seeing a film of monkeys in Japan lazing in hot pools in the snow - with blissful faces :>) - it must be a heavenly experience, swimming in nice warm water and seeing that view.

Charlene's marks are kept so simple and uncluttered - but the grandeur of the scene and the activity of the swimmers comes across so effectively.

Thank you Charlene :>)