What I used to do – part I
It has been a trip on memory lane since I started sorting out all of our stuff prior the moving. Among other things, I found a lot of old photos that I had forgotten about. Like these:
Acrylic on canvas and wood
Acrylic on canvas
Acrylic on canvas
All photos were taken circa 1993-1995
When I came back from Belgium in 1992 (that’s another story), I had to find a new job. A friend called to offer me a position as a decorative painter. I had never worked on big pieces or faux-finishes before, but that job seemed waaaaaay better than having to do polls by phone. Worst thing that could happen would be to get fired and have my pride crushed. I ended up working there for three years, until the company went out of business.
It was a good but tough school; we had to work fast and we tackled various tasks like painting on canvas and on furniture, create marble mosaics, layer gold or silver leaves on large walls, produce enormous chandeliers out of twisted metal wire, sculpt wooden surfaces, etc. We also travelled all around Canada to install our production. That part was like being in a washer machine for a week: we started working at 7 am and finished at around 10 or 11 at night. I always came back exhausted and weighing a few pounds less…
Turnip lady
Ink, ecoline and paper on paper, 2008
We spent the past three days in Montreal, in part to celebrate our birthdays (Nicolas’, his twin sister’s and mine), but also because we have to start packing. We have kept our apartment in the city as long as possible while living in the countryside but now it is time to make the move. We will be staying full time in the Eastern Townships!
I feel a bit sad to leave this place even if I love the countryside. We have lived in this apartment for a long time. So many memories are associated with this place, including a LOT of dinners with friends and family. I hope the new tenants will appreciate this space as much as we did.
We still have a few weeks before vacating the apartment, until then it will be sorting, sorting, sorting, getting rid of (how much stuff can someone accumulate in twelve years?) and packing.
Here are a few picks of the garden in Montreal, when it gets out of control!
This month’s inspiration
It’s my birthday today so I decided to treat myself with a good dose of colourful inspiration!
Lauren Redniss: illustrations from the book Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie: A Tale of Love and Fallout
The story of Marie Curie through the two invisible but immensely powerful forces that guided her life: Radioactivity and love, via Brain Pickings Weekly
Jenny Brown, via Buy Some Damn Art
Ching Ching Cheng via Brown Paper Bag
Hairy Fools, also taken from Brown Paper Bag
Happy Easter!
Nature is awakening but Snow White is still sleeping
Nature is slowly awakening; you can see spots of green here and there. Snow has almost all melted away so Roupie the Mittens decided to join us for our walks in the forest.
And Belu still spends most of his days sleeping. We shall rename him Snow White.
graphite on paper
These are sketches for an upcoming drawing… A special request from Nicolas!
Take a look at Claire Desjardins’ vibrant colours on MocoLoco…
See you on Friday!
Smells like Easter!
Gouache, ecoline and acrylic on paper
Our two white rabbits
I remember decorating eggs with my mother for Easter. She showed us how to blow out the egg and how to dye the shell. We then filled the empty egg with Jello! We ended up with a basket full of coloured and edible gelatin eggs.
I might just do that this year (except the Jello) and here are some inspiration and tips:
Jeana Sohn’s beautiful painted egg
Crazy EggManLand
Drilled egg shells (How is that even possible!?!)
20 Easter egg tutorials
What do you hear?
Ink on paper
Recent albums from Quebecer artists:
Ariane Moffat – MA
Patrick Watson – Close to paradise
Richard Desjardins – L’existoire
David Jalbert – Les Variations Goldberg (I am designing his new website, should be ready in a few weeks!)
What are you listening to?
Light
Watercolour, graphite and marker on paper
Light as in the sun and light as in floating…
Three weeks ago… Today
The light and the colour in the work of Anne Lindberg (via The Jealous Curator).
The light in dark times (via Mocoloco).
Thinking about spring?
Ink and acrylic on paper
Is this my subconscious’ way of telling me it’s time to kiss winter goodbye and say hello to spring?
I have been trying to be more spontaneous with my drawings lately, to let the brush go where it wants. There is enough planning and controlling in other parts of my life right now so it feels good to let the brain wonder.
The mind being what is it, it jumped from “let the brain wonder” to “poetic map of the brain”??? I googled it to see what would come up, here is one result: Evidence, Narrative and the Forensic Imagination.
Have a good and relaxing weekend!
In Montreal
Ink on paper, 2007
I get the feeling that time is going to fly by: I am in Montreal for a week and then Rouyn-Noranda (Abitibi-Témiscamingue) for a few days.
I will see you next Tuesday with a new post, until then, have a beautiful week!
Worth seeing : the ruins of Detroit captured by French photographers Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre.
February’s inspiration
Lauren Humphrey via Brown paper bag
I love Julie Van Wezemael’s work. I stumbled upon her drawings while browsing through Flickr. Since then, I impatiently wait for her next post. They don’t come very often but they are worth the wait! The textures she creates, the compositions, the strong shapes combined with delicate backgrounds make her world really beautiful.
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