Dr. No (1962)
Dr. No was the first James Bond film, starring Sean Connery and Ursula Andress. The movie was based on a novel of the same name written by Ian Fleming, who created the fictional character in 1953. There appear to be 27 James Bond films in total, and if I can trace them all, I will […]
Not a pencil but silverpoint drawing
The pencil was invented in France. More precisely, it was invented and patented in 1795 by Nicolas-Jacques Conté. This is fairly standard Wikipedia knowledge, but it raises an interesting follow-up question: what did people use before the pencil? The answer is that you can make a mark with almost anything. However, for precise drawing, artists […]
Jackdaw
Jackdaws aren’t endangered—at least not in my garden. They’ve claimed our oak tree as their hangout spot and start chattering at dawn, only quieting down when night falls. They’re remarkably clever and constantly find new ways to outsmart my efforts to feed the smaller birds. At this point, the garden has basically become their private […]
Balthazar hiding
Balthazar loves hiding behind the curtain in the living room. It’s a complete mystery why he does this, since it’s always obvious where he is — his head and paws stick out every time. He’s been doing this since he was a puppy, and even now, at a year and a half old, it’s still […]
Acorns
Acorns make a great subject for watercolour painting because they show such a wide range of colours, from bright yellow to deep brown. The large oak tree in our garden produces many acorns, and sometimes they grow with unusual attachments. In the sketch below, you can see an example of one of these curious structures. […]
Final sketch for the Public Places project
This is my final sketch for the Public Places project. I’ll definitely keep sketching, but not in the 9 × 9 cm format I’ve used for most of these works. I have to admit, though, that carrying a sketchbook of this size makes it very convenient to quickly outline a drawing while outside. The coloring, […]
An exciting discovery
Balthazar’s sense of smell is still developing, but this summer he made an exciting discovery: the pantry holds something special—his food. He’s not quite sure if he’s allowed to be sniffing around in there, but his nose is a strong and powerful guide.
Gardening
Although Balthazar is a hunting dog meant to focus on birds, he has taken an interest in gardening. Here, he’s still in the apprentice stage, watching how it’s done. Unfortunately, he also has a more hands-on approach—digging holes in the garden. We’re not sure where this behavior comes from, but it certainly wasn’t what we […]
Baltazar learns that there are house rules
Then our little Balthazar found out that there are house rules — and that can be quite a letdown. He has to listen, even as a puppy. Of course, we only expect puppy-level obedience, but still. Luckily, he has a secret weapon that can melt even concrete like chocolate cake on a hot summer day: […]
Carry On Movies (1930–2001)
The Carry On series includes 31 comedy films made between 1930 and 2001, all featuring a recurring cast of actors. I’ve watched many of them, though not all. The films are classic examples of British comedy, often including familiar character types—like a flirtatious blonde in revealing outfits, a clumsy person, or someone with a squeaky […]