Here are a few sketches from my final days in Limoux in June. These sketches were unfinished, so I’ve been finishing them up and reliving the quality of the light in this lovely town. One of my favourite spots was the terrace of Le Monastère where we stayed. The first is taken from the balcony and the second in the courtyard. The last is a square just a block away.
My sketchbook by the end of a trip starts to be pretty grubby as you can see. 
We were at the cottage for Canada Day weekend and the following week. (The reason for no posts.) This first weekend of the summer is always a weekend of family. Our younger son has always celebrated his birthday at the cottage–and now there are three of the next generation who have joined the tradition. Somehow the cottage affords opportunities for close encounters that don’t seem to materialize in the city. I don’t unusually include photos of family on the blog, but I couldn’t resist posting this picture of a grandson having his first hooking lesson. I didn’t know we were being photographed but was delighted when my daughter-in-law sent this along. And below–the sheer joy at the freedom of life on the island.
The Fiona mat is just awaiting the date which is about a month away. I’ve loved hooking this mat with its bright pops of colour. The background is my favourite, a series of textured yellows, checks and dots. The rest of the mat is from my leftover basket, combining like colours in the border and using complements in the dancing hearts and circles. It is my preferred way to hook…with serendipity. Using what is on hand seems to always comes out the best. This little mat measures 24″x16″.
I love to search for local fabric when I travel. So from Scotland, Harris Tweed, and from the south of France? Toiles-du-Soleil! We were lucky to spend a beautiful day in Collioure. It is an inspiring place with picture frames mounted about the town showing you the exact view painted by Matisse, Derain and others. We sketched and took the little train through the vineyards to the top of the hills but I also had time to search out a store I remembered which sold Toiles-du-Soleil. This bright striped fabric perfectly captures the atmosphere of Collioure. I bought enough for half a dozen bags and a couple of pouches. This colourway is called Collioure Rouge–perfect. So here are the first of the bags of this gorgeous fabric, trimmed in red leather.
The first is a cross-body bag, the perfect summer carrier. It is lined with moss birdbrain fabric, and has an interior leather pocket, an adjustable shoulder strap, red durable metal zipper closure and a leather bottom. It’s bright and cheery and will carry all your summer essentials. 10″ wide x 12″ high x 4″ base.
And then there is the tote. It has an exterior red leather pocket and leather base and woven cotton handles. Inside it is lined with moss green waxed canvas with a large birdbrain pocket. It closes with a durable metal zipper in red. This is a great summer carrier. 16″ wide x 13″ high x 5″ base
It’s been a week since I arrived home from my sketching trip in the south of France. I am gradually scanning my sketches and finishing the half-done ones. Here is the last sketch I did, one of my favourite streets in Limoux, narrow and winding as they all are, but this one with its own arch. It’s just off La Place de la Republique and on the way to the Vieux Pont, a well travelled route. I stood leaning against a wall and sketched the view, paint added later.
And here is the first sketch done the day after we arrived. Again a narrow, winding street but his time I had a bench to sit on. I was working on perspective the whole time I was there, so I hope you can see some improvement from this one to the top sketch. 🙂
I find that it is the small sketches, done quickly as I am sharing a cafe table or leaning against a wall that are the most memorable. This one in La Caunette, a tiny village with a great outdoor café.
I loved this red door alongside the town square in Camon.
A finally the view from the hills above the town of Puivert.
Here is my progress on the Fiona mat. You can see I am still developing the design. And of course, I don’t yet know the date. I’m thinking of a row of dancing hearts across the bottom and the date along the right hand border. Around the very outside will be a couple of rows of dark to echo the colour of the text. I like hooking anytime, but I find it the best activity when I am trying to process a big trip and return to my life here. Calming, meditative, productive. 
And here is a burst of bright colour from my trip. This is Catalan fabric which is woven in the south of France. When I was last in Collioure in 2011 I bought some of this fabric and made some small pouches. I was delighted to find the store still in the same place still selling their famous stripes. I bought enough to make several totes and will pair the fabric with leather bottoms and straps. A great combination. The fabric is durable as it is woven for deck chairs and the colour is unbeatable. Stay tuned for these gorgeous totes.
I’ve been away in the south of France, in the small town of Limoux. We stayed in the marvellous Le Monastère and travelled around the area to the many scenic locales. I was with a group of painters who were all working on large oeuvres–but I like best to just use my small watercolour palette and sketchbook and do ink and wash sketches. But I had some goals: 1. pay more attention to composition, 2. work on juicy washes, 3. learn to draw cars (so many urban sketches have cars and the European cars just invite you to sketch them!) and 4. fill the sketchbook with as many sketches as possible.
I enjoyed travelling to the various painting spots, Collioure on the Mediterranean my favourite, but I liked best, early in the morning or at then end of day, sitting in a secluded spot and trying to capture the life of Limoux. It beckons to be sketched. Here are a few.
I have had an old sketchbook from 2011 out this week, an early one in my collection. I’m interested in this particular sketchbook because it documents my trip to Limoux, France in the summer of 2011. I’m leaving tomorrow to return to Limoux for two weeks for more sketching. It will be interesting to compare how both my actual sketching and my approach to sketchbooks have evolved. I like the documentary quality of this one with its maps and memorabilia–but I do hope I’ll see an improvement in actual quality of the sketching. We’ll see…hope to post from my ipad when I am there.
I’ve also started to sew clothing again. I discovered Grainline patterns which are simple and well-fitting. I bought the pattern for the Willow dress which I plan to make from blue striped fabric I got at the Textile Museum sale. But I tried the pattern out first as a top in a linen/cotton blend and I am delighted with it. It’s already in my suitcase ready for France.
I like hooking best with a general idea, but not a pattern. I draw as I go. First the text, then the bird. Once they were done, I added the border idea and the coloured circles. I’m thinking of a row of hearts along the bottom and, of course, the date of arrival. And probably a couple of dark rows along the outside border to tie in with the text and ground the mat. It is playing with colour that I enjoy the most, both the variations of the solid yellow and red and the complimentary colours in the circles, each circle its own little creation.
You can see where I started out here. I hope to post an update by the end of the week.
This week’s New Yorker has a great cover. You can check out the story behind it here. Cartoonist Roz Chast has done a brilliant piece of work, a neat play on the phrase motherboard, just in time for Mother’s Day. And as you can see, the image is dynamic, depicting the evolution of the piece from the near blank canvas, to the finished cover. She has even included her needle. Those of us who work on projects like this know we are a bit crazy about documenting the stages!
But what is most intriguing to me is the video imbedded in the article describing the cover. In it, Chast reflects on the development of her style and then shows a large rug which is she is currently hooking as a tribute to her father. We see her sitting at her hooking frame working on it. I love the connection of drawing and other forms of handwork. And who couldn’t be delighted that handwork has been elevated to its rightful position in the Innovator Issue of the New Yorker?
