Archie my travel companion

I used to travel a lot with Archie in my car. Even on long trips, he never complained—though after six hours of driving, he always wanted a break every two hours. I thought that was very reasonable, and honestly, I probably needed the breaks too. When the car got warm, the air-conditioning didn’t quite reach […]
Venice restaurant

We had lunch at a restaurant in Venice, away from the busy tourist areas—if such places exist. In front of us, a local man, who clearly knew the restaurant owner, was enjoying his wine and spaghetti. He ate calmly and with focus, enjoying every bite. It was clear he felt completely at home.
Painted Christmas Cards

Painted Christmas Cards I have some small canvas squares attached to a board, each no bigger than 10 by 10 cm. I wasn’t sure what to do with them, so I decided to turn them into Christmas cards and send them back as gifts. I still have a few left, but here are some examples […]
Front and back cover of a holiday sketchbook

A year ago, I completed a sketchbook about my visit to Krk in Croatia. The front and back covers were made of canvas, so I decided to create two final sketches using oils: one of the small city beach and another of a wild, remote beach. The black stripes are from a band keeping the […]
A chateau in Ferrassieres

Near the little village of Ferrassieres, there’s a building the owners call a chateau. It’s not exactly a castle, more like an old school that’s been turned into apartments. In fact, it used to be a summer resort for kids, not a school. Now it’s owned privately but can be rented. It sits on a […]
Haute Provence

In Provence, whenever I walked my dog, I saw a tree in the middle of tall grass that seemed perfect to draw. First, I made a quick sketch, but then I decided it would be nice to paint it on a board. I started painting outside, but I couldn’t finish it in one go. The […]
Lavender Fields

Lavender Fields In the winter, the famous French lavender fields don’t have much color. All the pretty flowers have been picked, and what’s left are short, grayish bushes about 30 cm high. This year, it was very dry, and many fields were renewed, meaning the small plants were taken out, and the land was plowed. […]
French Colorado (Rustrel)

Nearby a small village Rustrel is a national park called French Colorado. It is a colourfull landscape with its ochre earth. The colour has been used since prehistoric times but also modern mines were once here. Not anymore. It is all protected now. The national park offers a 45 or 2 h walk.
Ferrassieres

View from my holiday apartment in Ferrassieres. I made a similar sketch a year ago during a summer on the same paper with watercolour. This time I used crayons.
Ferrassieres

This sketch depicts the distant hotel in Ferrassières. I encounter this scenery each time I return from a stroll with my dog. It accurately reflects our location and provides information about the altitude as well.