Carnets d'Alpage 2024

Carnets d'Alpage 2024 a encore été un bon cru.

Tout a commencé par une randonnée magnifique au lac de Lessy, accompagnée par la très professionnelle Solenn Patrigeon, la Grandocroquis.

Cette randonnée sur deux jours est ponctuée d'ateliers avec les 3 organisateurs et leur invitée Laëtitia Locteau, munie de ses calames et de ses encres.

 

Des ateliers variés et de très haute qualité par nos artistes invités
Jessica Cognard, Matthieu Dorval et Lorenzo Dotti malgré les caprices des nuages.

Des sketchwalks, des expositions de carnets sur tables et des apéros.

Une exposition des œuvres des artistes invités à la galerie l'Esquisse.

Quel plaisir de voir tous les participants, les nouveaux comme les habitués, pour leur bonne humeur et pour leurs belles réalisations.

USk Nantes 2024

 

The annual USk France meeting took place in Nantes from May 17 to 20.

After having organised the meeting in Toulouse in 2023, I had the pleasure to attend as a simple participant.

However, I only stayed 2 days and a half, that was too short to see all the places indicated in the program, but enough to see the ever-growing success of the USk.

In my sketchbook I am amazed by the oversized skies and the omnipresent boats.

 

 La rencontre annuelle des Urban Sketchers de France avait lieu à Nantes du 17 au 20 mai 2024.

Après l'avoir accueillie l'an dernier à Toulouse en 2023, j'avais le plaisir cette année d'y figurer en simple participant.

En revanche, je n'y suis resté que 2 jours et demi, ce qui était trop court pour voir tout ce qui était au programme mais suffisant pour constater le succès toujours grandissant des Urban sketchers.

 Dans mon carnet je remarque la taille démesurée des ciels et les bateaux omniprésents.

Montagne de Tabe

wood plate carving

printing the first block

printing the red seal on the final print

 Moku Hanga woodblock print. Sumi ink on Awagami Shiramine paper.
This print is inspired from the following sketch done at the break of day in the Pyrenees.

Basilique St Sernin

The Urban Sketchers chapter of Toulouse uses to meet at least once a month, on the last Sunday. February's meeting leaded us to sketch the iconic basilica of Saint Sernin. This huge and richly ornamented church is nothing less than the largest remaining Romanesque building in Europe.

On this cold and rainy winter Sunday, there was almost no way to sketch from outside the bell tower or the imposant apse and its nine chapels. Most of the participants took refuge in the Saint Raymond museum of antiquity next door. But not far from here, the Chapelle des Carmélites, fully covered by XVIIIth century baroque paintings, was also a pretty nice shelter.

We were less numerous to stay inside the church under the barrel vaults of the nave and the ambulatory. I always feel comforted by the harmony of the semicircular arches and by the sensation of being able to see the interior volumes much better than in Gothic and its countless angles and edges.

Since the organization of the USk national meeting in May 2023, each local event now brings together at least 25 people in winter and 50 the rest of the year.

Friday night sketcher

In this early February Friday night, the temperature is pretty cool. I go out to sketch the church chancel that has just been renovated.

Tonight the cultural center is hosting a concert of groovy Indian music. From the aisles I can feel the excitement and joy of the participants who come outside to refresh their overheated bodies in a too long winter night.

Then the music fades, the crowd disperses, the streets are quiet again. At 00:40 the cats come out and the public lightning goes out.

Sunny day in the mountains

A whole day in the mountains, when you are so excited that you do 12 sketches per day! The first one was made the day before at sunset.