I’ve said this before…if all else fails, paint food. It really works. Whether it is the sensuality of food, or the colours or the health apsect or hunger or satisfaction or all of it together…painting food is a delight. It has been so for ages as you will see further down below. I had some poivrons cornes de boeuf and some pak choy. Both greens which is good practice in the greens once again.

…green peppers…

…pak choy…

…Sketches done in moleskine with rotring pen and watercolour….

When Katherine visited in October, she and her sister and niece came over for dinner on their last night in France. (See both her sites at Travels with a sketchbook and Making a mark – where she has some interesting facts in her latest post on Technorati.)

Apart from the bottle of champagne they brought which we décapitée (beheaded) Napolean style, they brought me this beautiful book too  – Boire et Manger, which they bought at Chateau Chenonceau. I have read it from front to back and back to front again. I love symbols and mythology and traditions and of course everything that has to do with food and art and this little book has it all. (I’m sorry, I can’t find this book anywhere to order or even in a book store for you online – you will have to come visit me and we can go buy it at Chenonceau!) *If someone comes across this book online, please let me know, so I can add the link.

It is all about the traditions and symbols showing up in old works of art, throughout the ages; how artists chose to paint certain food and scenes, involving food  for their symbolism, to depict the traditions and cultures and habits – in short, life during their time.

I want to share some of it with you. Different examples can be seen at Myfrenchkitchen.

…BOIRE ET MANGER…

.. bacchus adolescente:Le caravage(1596-1597)…

…la chanteuse des rues; édouard manet (1862)…

Cherries – meaning: Passion of Christ, fruit of paradise

1. One of the first portraits of Victorine Meurent, who was one of Manet’s favourite models until 1875.
2. The cherry was a symbol of love, becasue of its deep red colour and round voluptiousness that reminded of the curves of the feminine body.
3. All the sensuality in this scenes evolves around the woman bringing the sweet cherries to her mouth.

…la céne: Jacopo Bassano ( 1546-1548)…

Lamb – meaning: sacrificial victim.

1. The lamb signifies the sacrifice of Christ.
2. A fruit, resembling the apple, signifies the original sin.
3. Next to Judas lies the knife, symbol of the treason which would follow.
4. With his left hand, Jesus Christ himself points to the lamb which is a symbol of his own sacrifice.

…le jambon: édouard manet  (1875-1878)…

Meat ; conserved/dried: ham taken from the porc, signifies gluttony sin.

1. French dried ham had a strong international culinary meaning for Manet, because of its ancient gallic imports and long French tradions.
2. In the 19th century the ham became a commercial product and thus also made its appearance in the city bourgeoise home after being traditionally country fare.
3. In the rich Parisien home the ham would be served on nothing less than silver plattters, giving the ham a “worthiness”.

…scéne de cuisine: Frans Snyders (1630-1640)…

Porc and wild boar: sin of the flesh.

1. Frans Snyders was a student of Rubens and specialized in refined commissios, usually overladen scenes of buffet tables with exquisite  food.
2. The head of the boar was very sought after and seen in this “hunting” painting could be evidence of a commission by  some articrat.
3. The lobster was already at that stage seen as one for the more rare sea foods, giving it an importance on the refined table.
4. The little detail of the dog only sniffing the game, hints on aspects of respect.
5. The presence of the artichokes is an indication of the choice of the painter to include only exquisite foods.

Every year I paint these clementines from la Corse. See last year’s sketches at CLementines.

…clementines from Corsica…

Sketch done in moleskine with pen and watercolour

The next two sketches were done a while ago. I just sketched some things around me – a container in the living room with brushes and pens and stuff and part of a bookshelf. I try very hard to keep the bookshelf, neat, but I am starting to think we will never have neat bookshelves.

..brushes and pens…

…disorder…

Sketches done in Moleskine with rotring artist pen and water wash.

On Myfrenckitchen, I have posted some photo’s of a vendange in Vouvray that we did in Octobre. Good freinds have a bio vineyard where the harvesting is still done by hand. On one Saturday during the harvest period in October, all their family and friends get together for a day of grape harvesting. It was hard work, but a fun day, with a delicious lunch,  many laughs and jokes and a messy grape fight towards the end of the day. I only took photos, because I didn’t want to hide from the work behind my sketchbook! you can see some photo’s here at Pears in red wine and a wine harvest.

I am a collector of Carnets de voyage (travel sketchbooks).  They are scattered throughout my home, atelier and Coin Perdu in Correze and I enjoy them all over and over again! The problem is that I can get so caught up in them that I stay there and revel in their beauty and travels and strokes and stories and not get onto my own page. Here are a few of my favourites…

At the bottom you can find a list of links to some of the artists.

…carnets de voyage…

…rochefort – denis clavreul…

…iles de bretagne – Patrick Camus

…patrick camus…

…onze peintre de la marine ..

…ronan olier…

…le mexique – didier lisetti…

…didier lisetti…

…aveyron – alain marc…

…alain marc…

…le jardin de l’ile de Batz – denis clavreul…

…denis clavreul…

…eban…

…mali secret – stefano faravelli…

…stefano faravelli…

…balades a montrichard – yves de st. jean…

…yves de st. jean…

• Denis Clavreul
• Stefano faravelli
• Alain Marc
• Didier Lisetti
• Eban
• ronan olier
• Francoise Baume
• Michel Duvoisin
• Patrtick camus
• Yves de st jean

How to sketch/paint/draw/do any kind of art, when you’re in a slump.

I don’t know. I had such good plans when coming back from Hawaii and just suddenly, the pencil or brush refuses to do what I ask it to do. Not to mention the motivation that just disappeared into thin air. Why does this happen. How can it happen almost overnight? Why does it take so long to get back into it? And how to get back on track? Million dollar questions.

I walked up and down the Loire this morning. In the wind. With only a sketchbook and pen. Oh, and a coffee. Stopped at a little bench to finish the coffee and veil myself from the wind. But determined to get at least one or two sketches, I took the wooden steps down to the river.

I sat on a sand bank  here and there and only scribbled down some small puddles with stones and grass and debris. The wind drove me home earlier than I desired and I gathered  leaves to take along. At home I indulged in a hot chocolate and gave a wash to the ink sketches, which I shouln’t have done. They definitely looked a bit better only in ink. I “overwashed”  them all and now I feel like I’ve been doing colouring in; I couldn’t stop…SIGH…but at least I didn’t scratch them out like I have been doing with all my artwork lately!

With these last few sketches I conclude the reportage on my trip to Hawai’i. Since then, back here at thome, so many things had happened that made my life so full with running around – all good and exciting things! Hopefully I can recount on some of it later – I have already told of Katherine’s delightful visit! And I’m trying my best to get into my atelier to do some “island inspired painting”, for which I still only have the ideas tolling about in my head and nothing on paper or canvas yet…  Why does time fly by so quick when we have  a lot to do? Why does time fly by so quick when we get older? Why does time fly by so quick when we are happy? Why does time fly by  so quick when life is good?

…across the lagoon…

Sketches done in pen and watercolour in moleskine.

Some art work from well known artists from Hawaii:

1. Susan McGovney Hansen: (I can’t find a website of her, but you can try google her)

2. Suzy Papanikolas – who “makes Hawaii’s people come alive” by telling astories with color and canvas.. You can read and see more about her artwork on her website – www.papanik.com

3. Calley O’Neill. See more about her at her website – Calley O’Neill

4. Yvonne cheng, who also does batik. See more about her on Cedar street galleries

You can see some more art pieces here on Myfrenchkitchen: Travel.