Month: April 2013

Sketches / Drawings / Paintings, Urban Sketching

The Rite of Spring :: Le sacre du printemps

by Jane HannahLeave a Comment on The Rite of Spring :: Le sacre du printemps

I listened to Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring as I was driving into Montreal this morning… and this music stayed with me all morning. About 15 Montreal Urban Sketchers regrouped today at the Atwater Market on this wonderful spring day… everyone was there… musicians, bikers, babies, parents… as if spring was urging us to get outside after hibernating for 6 months. I painted with Jennifer and Uma and we chatted along as we were painting. Quite fun, relaxing and nice.

J’ai écouté le Sacre du printemps de Stravinsky en conduisant à Montréal ce matin… et cette musique m’a enlacée toute la journée. Aujourd’hui nous nous sommes regroupés environ 15 personnes au Marché Atwater pour peindre ensemble. Tout le monde était là… musiciens, cycleurs, bébés, parents… comme si le printemps nous avait donné l’ordre de sortir de notre hibernation annuelle. J’ai peint avec Jennifer et Uma, et c’était super! Relaxant et agréable.

20130428_AtwaterMarket

Sketches / Drawings / Paintings

“Pick me, pick me!” said the crutch… — «Choisis-moi» a dit la béquille

by Jane HannahLeave a Comment on “Pick me, pick me!” said the crutch… — «Choisis-moi» a dit la béquille

It seems as though I have painted or drawn everything that there is to draw in my house and as my eyes were perusing my environment this morning, they fell upon my crutch that has  stoically been with me for two months now… always there, always ready to do the job. It cried out: “Pick me, pick me!” and lo and behold I realized that I had never painted it even though it has been a big part of my life for awhile now. So here it is.

If you feel like joining me tomorrow Sunday April 28th, the Urban Sketchers of Montreal are gathering at the Atwater Market for 10:00 am… they are announcing plenty of sunshine, so it should be perfect for sketching. Here is the LINK and information.

Il me semble que j’ai peint ou dessiné tout ce qu’il y a à dessiner dans ma maison…. jusqu’à ce matin, quand mes yeux se sont reposés sur ma béquille. La béquille qui me suit depuis deux mois, qui est toujours là disponible et fiable. Elle m’a criée du bout du salon: “Choisis-moi, choisis-moi” a dit la béquille. Donc la voici!

Demain matin, dimanche le 28 avril, les Sketchers urbains de Montréal se regroupent au Marché Atwater pour 10 heures. Si ça vous tente ou chante, venez-nous rejoindre. Voici le LIEN et l’information nécessaire.

20130427_crutch

Sketches / Drawings / Paintings

To mix? Or not to mix? That is the question…

by Jane Hannah6 Comments on To mix? Or not to mix? That is the question…

My husband bought me some beautiful tiger lilies that smell like heaven. So I decided to paint them… I have been painting flowers for the past two weeks and have not posted them as they were just too awful to post :) The first painting that I did I decided NOT to mix any colours and use all of the colours that I saw. New Gambodge, Rose Madder Genuine, Serpentine Green, Sap Green, Vivianite and French Ultramarine. This represents a cacophony of colours and even though the painting is interesting, there is nothing that is holding it together–linking it.

Voici la première peinture que j’ai peint avec beaucoup de couleurs différentes… en fait, j’ai utilisé 6 couleurs. New Gambodge, Rose Madder Genuine, Serpentine Green, Sap Green Vivianite et French Ultramarine.

20130422_TigerLily2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, when you look at my second painting I only used three colours… Rose Madder Genuine, French Ultramarine and New Gambodge. I created the greens mixing the FU and NG together, I created the oranges with NG and RMG and the grey was made with all three colours. The painting has a sense of softness and of being held together because the colours are linked to each other.

 Par contre, cette 2e peinture je n’ai utilisé que trois couleurs primaires (jaune, rouge et bleu). Les voici… New Gambodge, French Ultramarine et Rose Madder Genuine. Avec ces 3 couleurs primaires, j’ai mélangé pour créer les verts, gris, mauves, etc. Ne trouvez-vous pas que ces couleurs lient la peinture ensemble? Qu’elles appartiennent et unissent la peinture ensemble?

20130422_TigerLily1

Which one do you prefer?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pen: Pilot FlexiGrip, EF
Ink: Noodlers Lexington Gray
Paper: The Colours of Water Sketchbook from the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

Sketches / Drawings / Paintings, Urban Sketching

Rusty Old Wood Fence :: Clôture de perche toute rouillée

by Jane HannahLeave a Comment on Rusty Old Wood Fence :: Clôture de perche toute rouillée

The sun was shining today and we can actually see the grass after our never-ending winter. It felt so good to be out in the car sketching with the sun out (even though the outside temperature was only 5C). I bought a new sketchbook from the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Montreal and it was my first sketch in it today. The paper seems so dry and I had to add tons of water… and when you add water you then have to add pigment or else the colours are all washed out. So I struggled with my colours and the paper  today… but it was pure joy to paint. From the rusty painter painting a rusty fence.

Après la dernière pluie de la semaine passée, la neige est disparue dans les champs (pas chez moi, en tout cas). Quand je peins dans mon automobile, avec les vitres baissées et le soleil est au rendez-vous, la vie est tellement belle. Aujourd’hui j’ai commencé à peindre dans un nouveau livret à aquarelles que j’ai acheté au Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal. Je ne sais pas si je l’aime encore car le papier semble très sec, donc j’ai dû ajouter beaucoup d’eau… et quand on ajoute beaucoup d’eau on doit ajouter beaucoup de pigments, sinon la peinture devient lavée, fade. Voici ma clôture de perche toute rouillée de la peintre qui est toute rouillée.

Colours: Cobalt Blue, Raw Sienna, Burnt Umber and Burnt Sienna
Pen: Pilot FlexiGrip, EF
Ink: Noodlers Lexington Gray
Paper: Musée des Beaux-Arts Watercolour Sketchbook 25$

20130421_RustyFence

Sketches / Drawings / Paintings

A very special Day :: Une journée bien spéciale

by Jane Hannah5 Comments on A very special Day :: Une journée bien spéciale

Today is my mother’s 88th birthday and her 62nd wedding anniversary with my Dad. My life is privileged, as both of my parents are still living, healthy and smart. So I wish you a Happy Birthday and a Wonderful Anniversary to both of you. So to celebrate this event, I painted this landscape (even though I know that my Mom hates winter). I was hoping that the corn fields would be showing some instances of grass peeking through, but in my neck of the woods, we are still covered in snow.

This day is also special because I have just finished my 6th sketchbook since I started on this journey in early 2012. I have gone through 3 Moleskines, 1 Strathmore, 1 Stillman & Birn and 1 Larolan Sketchbook and many loose leaf sheets.

C’est la fête de ma mère aujourd’hui et elle fête ses 88 ans! Mes parents fêtent aussi leur 62e anniversaire de mariage… quelle vie ;-) J’ai peint ce paysage pour cet événement, en espérant qu’il y aurait un peu de brins d’herbe qui apparaîtraient… mais dans mon coin de pays, tout est aussi blanc qu’en hiver… mais dans très peu de temps, les herbes vont apparaître. J’ai hâte!

Cette journée est aussi spéciale pour une toute autre raison. Je viens de finir mon 6e livret croquis. J’ai passé au travers de 3 Moleskines, 1 Strathmore, 1 Stillman & Birn et 1 Larolan depuis que j’ai commencé sur ce trajet artistique.

Colours: Cerulean Blue, Alizarin Crimson, Burnt Umber & Aureolin Yellow
Pen: Sailor Extra Fine Pen
Ink: Black Carbon Ink

20140414_WinterLandscape

Sketches / Drawings / Paintings, Urban Sketching

Montreal Cotton Co. :: La coton

by Jane Hannah2 Comments on Montreal Cotton Co. :: La coton

This is how we named this company when I was young… “la coton” or the Montreal Cotton which transformed raw cotton into textile. This company came to Valleyfield in 1875 because of its hydroelectric power and Valleyfield was one of the first cities to receive electricity in the province of Quebec. It had 3000 employees and they also had a dairy and animal farm which they named “MoCo” (abbreviated for MOntreal COtton). On October 1st, 1900 employees went on strike in order to get better wages. If this story interests you, click on this LINK.

La “coton” ou la Montreal Cotton était une compagnie de textile qui s’implanta en 1875 à Valleyfield à cause de son pouvoir hydro-électrique. Il y avait 3000 employés. Le 1er octobre 1900 ils sont allés en grève pour avoir de meilleurs salaires. Si ce sujet vous intéresse voir ce LIEN.

Watercolours: Winsor & Newton and Daniel Smith
Couleurs: Cobalt Blue, Burnt Orange, Alizarin Crimson
Pen: Pilot FlexiGrip
Ink: Noodlers Lexington Grey

20130405_MontrealCotton