:: John Coltrane Frame of Mind ::

Damn the rules,
it’s the feeling that counts.
— John Coltrane

I started listening to Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue album and then switched to John Coltrane — and that was my aha moment. This was the music that truly represented my frame of mind today… languid, relaxed and in a reading kind of mode. I sat next to the big windows in the living room, feeling the sun soak into my body as I was reading one of Rutherford’s historical novels “Londonium”. This is a big book, spanning over 2000 years of history, where you have to keep up with the names, places, kings and slings.

This is when I started to paint from a photograph that I had taken last week in St-Clet. I did not have the colours in my eye, so to say. Which blue would I use? Cobalt, Cerulean, French Ultramarine? Sooo I decided to put all of them, and almost met with a disaster! When I scanned in my painting, then my paint was not totally dry and a streak appeared. Oh well, one of these days where I am just probably a tad too relaxed -))) Painting from a photograph is never as spontaneous as painting in “plein air” as it is more intellectual than physical. The comfort of it is so nice though…

Paper: Travelogue Sketchbook
Watercolours: Mainly Cerulean Chromium, Burnt Sienna, Cobalt Blue and some Gamboge, Mineral Violet & Pyrrol Crimson

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Farm on Route 201 :: Ferme sur route 201

Coming back from my mothers today I decided to sketch this farm… the colour of the sky was fantastic and quite rare — just like in California — with no clouds. The air and views were crisp as the humidity levels are not too high.

En revenant de chez ma mère j’ai passé cette ferme sur la route 201 à St-Clet. La couleur du ciel était magnifique aujourd’hui — sans aucun nuage — comme en Californie… qui est quand même rare ici au Québec. Les vues et l’air étaient très clairs car le taux d’humidité était relativement bas.

Paper: Moleskine Sketchbook
Colours: S. Cerulean Blue, Yellow Ochre, Alizarin Crimson and Q. Burnt Orange
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McDonald Campus Farm :: Ferme sur le campus McDonald

This is the McDonald Farm on our college campus. What attracted me first to this visual space were the long shadows on the roof and the layering of the road, then the trees, then the snow which finally bring us to the building. For the sky I used Cerulean Blue and for the snow I used Cobalt Blue and New Gambodge with some Serpentine Green for the building. I painted early this morning as tonight we have been invited to dine with four of our oldest friends, dating way way back… we must have met about 38 years ago and still see each other on a regular basis.

Voici la ferme de l’université Mcgill sur le campus McDonald, juste à côté de mon Cégep. Ça fait bien longtemps que je passe en avant de cette bâtisse en voulant la peindre car les ombres sur le toit sont toujours magnifiques. Ce qui m’a attirée vers cette vue est les couches de profondeur. Premièrement la rue, ensuite les arbres, ensuite la neige pour enfin finir à la bâtisse. J’ai utilisé Cerulean Blue pour le ciel et Cobalt Blue pour la neige. Pour la bâtisse New Gambodge avec du Serpentine Green. J’ai décidé de peindre de bonne heure ce matin car ce soir nous sommes invités à souper avec quatre de nos très bons amis, avec qui on entretient des liens depuis au moins 38 ans! Nous avons voyagé ensemble, souper ensemble, discuté ensemble et fêté ensemble. J’ai bien hâte!

Paper: Larolan Sketchbook
Watercolours: Winsor & Newton, Daniel Smith & Schminke
Colours: New Gambodge, Cerulean Blue, Burnt Umber, Rose Madder Genuine, Serpentine Green and Cobalt Blue
Ink: Noodlers Lexington Grey
Pen: Pilot Flexigrip

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