Audible Drawing #1

It took a certain time to prepare it, but here it finally is: Audible Drawing number one.

This is the first one in an unlimited series of 'audible drawings'.
It is pencil on paper, measures 12 x 12 cm, and comes in a CD jewel case - accompanied by a CD.

The CD is a recording of the drawing: The sound of the pencil on the paper, recorded during the entire creation process of this very drawing. Besides the pencil scratching, some environmental noise can be heard as well, such as birds or cars passing by: You can hear exactly the same things as I have heard while I was drawing. Assist in the birth of a drawing, re-experience the atmosphere of the landscape - become an ear witness of fourty-eight minutes of my life...

The audio is recorded to a printable CDR in a 'limited edition of one'.

I'll sell it on ebay soon, except if anyone wants to buy it before I have the time to do so - special price for this first one: 50 Euros, postage included to anywhere in the world, Paypal accepted.

Villefranche-sur-Mer #4

Pencil, 14 x 12 cm (5.5 x 4.7 in.)

Apologies for the long silence... I've had a very busy month (like all of you probably), here is just another little Villefranche drawing from this afternoon.
I hope that you've all had a Merry Christmas, and that you'll have a Happy New Year!

Pipe

Pencil, 12 x 16 cm (4.7 x 6.3 in.)

Landscape #18

Paysage numéro dix-huit (route des Dolines, près de la Médiathèque de Valbonne)

Pencil, 12 x 16 cm (4.7 x 6.3 in.)

Haut Sartoux, Place Bermond

Pencil, 16 x 12 cm (6.3 x 4.7in.)

Landscape #17

Today I went to a slightly different place than usually. The landscape is more or less like all the other ones I drew recently, and the mountain in the background is the same - but something was special here... maybe the light falling from the side. It's a light that creates a certain depth, I think (at least, in the drawing).

Aujourd'hui j'ai dessiné à un endroit légèrement différent : le paysage est plus ou moins le même que d'habitude, avec le même sommet à l'arrière-plan - mais quelque chose était différent ici.... c'était peut-être la lumière que tombait du côté - il me semble que c'est une lumière qui crée beaucoup de profondeur (au moins dans le dessin).

Pencil, 12 x 16 cm (4.7 x 6.3 in.)

Landscape #16

Now that I've uploaded this scan to the blog, I have the impression that the sky is a 'landscape behind the landscape'. I think on the original drawing it looks more like a sky... maybe I should use glossier paper...

Maintenant que j'ai chargé le scan dans le blog, j'ai l'impression que le ciel est un 'paysage derrière le paysage', alors que dans l'original il ressemble plus à un ciel ... peut-être je devrais utiliser un papier plus lisse...

Pencil, 12 x 12 cm (4.7 x 4.7 in.)

Landscape #15 or small landscape

This is a small drawing I made on Friday (the 16th), but since my internet access at home is currently interrupted, I can only post it today.
I took a small piece of paper (16 x 12 cm / 6.3 x 4.7 in), traced a smaller rectangle into it (8 x 4 cm / 3.1 x 1.6 in), and then drew this landscape (en plein air, as always).
You can click on it to see a higher resolution.

Ceci est un dessin de vendredi (16/11), mais comme mon accès à internet à la maison ne marche pas actuellement, je le publie seulement aujourd'hui.
Sur une petite feuille de papier (16 x 12 cm), j'ai tracé un petit rectangle (8 x 4 cm) dans lequel j'ai dessiné ce petit paysage (devant la nature, bien sûr).
Comme d'habitude, on peut cliquer dessus pour voir l'image en plus grand.

Pencil. Paper size: 16 x 12 cm (6.3 x 4.7 in) - drawing: 8 x 4 cm (3.1 x 1.6 in)

Saturday afternoon

On Saturday afternoon we had a coffee at Opéra Plage (in Nice). The weather was a bit unstable, but most of the time excellent. The places in front of us were all empty, though there were more guests in the café, but most people had taken the tables closer to the wall to avoid the wind - like we did.
Before we arrived at the beach, we passed by a market of old books, where I found a bilingual edition of the 'Deck Diaries' by Giorgos Seferis, which captured my attention not only because it was Greek with German translation, but also because it had some nice illustrations by Andy Schellemann. Reading poetry in a café on the beach on a warm autumn day is certainly one of the most precious privileges this world can offer today, so just let me share this impression with you…

(An English translation of the poem on these pages can be found here.)

Landscape #14

I should use litho ink more often. I like this medium quite a bit, but I still have some trouble using it correctly - the 'blue' sky in the upper right corner shouldn't have this grainy structure that it took in my drawing. Anyway, I've just tried to capture the first snow in these mountains that I had drawn so often during the summer (landscapes #6, 7, and 9). Yes, it's getting colder on the Cote d'Azur these days, and I've protected the hibiscus on our terrace with a winter protection fleece this evening, before we went over to our neighbours to taste the Beaujolais nouveau.

Je devrais utiliser l'encre lithographique plus souvent - j'aime beaucoup cette technique, mais j'ai toujours du mal à l'utiliser correctement: Le ciel 'bleu' ne devrait pas avoir cette structure granuleuse qu'il a pris en haut à droite. Peu importe - je voulais juste capturer ce moment où la première neige est tombée dans ces montagnes que j'ai dessinés si souvent cet été (paysages nº 6, 7 et 9). Eh oui, il fait froid maintenant à la Côte d'Azur, et j'ai protégé les hibiscus sur la terrasse avec un voile d'hibernage ce soir, avant d'aller déguster le Beaujolais nouveau chez nos voisins.

Litho ink / encre lithographique, 40 x 30 cm (15.7 x 11.8 in.)

Free drawing #15

It might be a little bit difficult to identify, but this is a cute little photo frame with an elfin lying on it — kitschy? who said that? — which I've placed outdoors on a rock. In the frame you can see the photograph Anthony Gripon has taken of my free drawing #11, the drawing that I've made of the photograph that Sarah Wimperis has taken of my free drawing #8, which shows the photograph Ed Lisieski took of my drawing "Building #1".

C'est peut-être un peu difficile à voir, mais ce que l'on voit ici c'est un petit cadre photo avec une elfe couchée dessus - et dans le cadre, c'est la photo qu'Anthony Gripon a prise de mon dessin gratuit no. 11 - le dessin que j'ai fait de la photo que Sarah Wimperis a prise de mon dessin gratuit no. 8, qui montrait la photo prise par Ed Lisieski de mon dessin Building #1.

Pencil on paper, 15 x 10 cm (5.9 x 3.9 in.)

• Update Nov. 15: This drawing goes to Edward B. Gordon.

To learn more about "free drawings", please visit this blog.

Landscape #13

You may remember my post Half a landscape where I scanned only the left half of this sheet - today I finally finished it.
The smell of thyme was all around me while I was drawing this, and that's probably why I have the impression now that this drawing evokes the smell of thyme, although it should actually rather have a smell of fixative ...

Vous vous rappellez peut-être de mon dessin Half a landscape : voici enfin le dessin complet que j'ai enfin pu terminer aujourd'hui.
L'odeur de thym chatouillait mes narines pendant tout le temps que j'ai travaillé sur ce dessin, c'est probablement la raison pourquoi j'ai l'impression maintenant que ce dessin évoque l'odeur de thym - alors qu'il devrait plutôt avoir une odeur de fixatif ...

Pencil on 175 g paper, 40 x 30 cm

Free Drawing #14

In this drawing you can see the photograph Joëlle (my wife) has taken of the drawing that I made of the photograph "akiba-kei" has taken of the drawing that shows the photograph taken by Craig Stephens of my drawing showing the photograph Chuck Law has taken of the drawing that I've made of the photo Elaine Bond has taken of my drawing "Tree Tops".

Sur ce dessin, on voit la photo que Joëlle a prise du dessin que j'ai fait de la photo prise par akiba-kei de mon dessin de la photo prise par Craig Stephens du dessin de la photo que Chuck Law a prise du dessin que j'ai fait de la photo qu'Elaine Bond a faite de mon dessin "tree tops".

Pencil on paper, 15 x 10 cm (5.9 x 3.9 in.)
To learn more about "free drawings", visit my other blog.

• This drawing goes to Mette Joensen.

Es steht ein Soldat am Wolgastrand...

The phenomenal Ivan Rebroff this evening in Menton.

Pencil, 24 x 16 cm

Philippe drawing

Philippe drawing in an Irish pub in Nice where we've eaten this evening.

Pencil, 24 x 16 cm

Cime de Baudon

A view from the "Cime de Baudon" eastwards - in the middle, above the crest, the Italian town Bordighera.

Pencil, 24 x 16 cm

Landscape with a dead tree

Pencil, 16 x 24 cm

Serge Klarsfeld

Serge Klarsfeld this afternoon during the unveiling of a Commemorative Plaque in memory of Betty Tszinski and François Jacob, two children from the Ecole Saint-Philippe in Nice deported in 1943/44 and murdered in deportation because they were jews.

Pencil, 12 x 16 cm

Half a landscape

I had hoped to be able to finish this drawing this week, but it's only about half finished. What you see here is only the left half of my sheet. The right half being only rudimentarily outlined yet, I renounce to scan it now - this part already fills my whole scanner surface anyway...

I found a three today

Believe it or not, instead of a "B", it was this beautiful number that was lying on the sidewalk this morning when we went to the flea market.

Landscape #12

Pencil, 40 x 30 cm (15.7 x 11.8 in.)

Florent Mattei

A quick little portrait of Florent Mattei during his happening Bouge! at Nice this evening.

Pencil, 16 x 24 cm

Tree study #2

"Zulu" pencil on 175 g paper, 40 x 30 cm

Villefranche-sur-Mer #3

A view on Villefranche with the Fort du Mont Alban in the background.

Indian ink, 16 x 24 cm

Landscape #11

Ink (fountain pen), 24 x 16 cm (9.4 x 6.3 in.)

Tree study

Pencil, 16 x 24 cm (6.3 x 9.4 in.)

Free drawing #13

This drawing shows the photograph Thomas Schlosser has taken of the drawing of the photo Petra Klusmeyer has taken of the drawing I made of the photograph taken by Christian Öhlerich of my drawing Crossroad with Clock.

For this drawing, I fixed Thomas' photograph on a twig in my "favorite landscape", with the Pic de Courmettes in the background...

Indian Ink and pencil, 15 x 10 cm (5.9 x 3.9 in.)

• Update September 9, 2007: This drawing goes to Stefan Nuetzel in Vienna, Austria

Sunrise in the Mercantour

I just draw the sunrise in the Mercantour National Park this morning, before visiting the petroglyphs in the "Vallée des Merveilles".

Indian Ink, 24 x 16 cm

Landscape #10

Indian Ink, 10 x 15 cm

Pianelluccio

View eastwards from Pianello to Pianelluccio

Indian ink, 24 x 16 cm

Monte Cristo

The island Monte Cristo (view from the Corsican beach)

Indian Ink, 24 x 16 cm

The Pianello waterfall

La cascade de Pianello

Indian ink, 16 x 24 cm

Corsican landscape (#1)

Indian ink, pencil, and charcoal, 24 x 16 cm

Landscape with Sea

A view eastwards from our friends' garden in Corsica, with the Mediterranean Sea in the background.
No, the little dots aren't moskitos ... it's just that towards the horizon, the sky was getting a bit darker (maybe I haven't chosen the best solution to show that).

Indian ink, 24 x 16 cm

Landscape #9

Pencil, 24 x 16 cm (9.4 x 6.3 in)

Free drawing #12

This drawing shows the photograph "akiba-kei" has taken of the drawing that shows the photograph taken by Craig Stephens of my drawing showing the photograph Chuck Law has taken of the drawing I've made of the photo Elaine Bond has taken of my drawing "Tree Tops".

Voici le dessin de la photo prise par akiba-kei de mon dessin de la photo prise par Craig Stephens de mon dessin de la photo que Chuck Law a prise du dessin que j'ai fait de la photo qu'Elaine Bond a prise de mon dessin "tree tops".

Pencil and acrylic on paper, 12 x 16 cm (4.7 x 6.3 in.)

• Update August 11, 2007: This drawing goes to ... my wife.

Hasard in the garden

"Hasard" (hazard - Zufall) is the name of my brother-in-law's cat.

Litho ink, 21 x 15 cm / 8¼ x 6 in.

La Rochelle

Pencil, ca. 15 x 21 cm / 6 x 8¼ in.

Free drawing #11

This drawing shows the photograph Sarah Wimperis has taken of my free drawing #8, which shows the photo Ed Lisieski has taken of my drawing "Building #1".

Indian Ink, Postcard size

• Update 9th August 2007: This one is for Anthony Gripon in Sarlat, France.

Free drawing #10

This drawing shows the photograph Petra Klusmeyer has taken of the drawing I made of the photograph taken by Christian Öhlerich of my drawing Crossroad with Clock.

Knowing that I wouldn't have much more spare time than my noon break at work, I took the framed picture with me this morning, and in my break placed it on a rock nearby my office to do the drawing.

Indian ink, postcard size

• Update July 16, 2007: This drawing goes to Thomas Schlosser in Stuhr, Germany

David Krakauer

David Krakauer was in the Théâtre de Verdure in Nice tonight.

Pencil, ca. 15 x 21 cm / 6 x 8¼ in.

Rose garden

In the rose garden of the Cimiez monastery in Nice.

Pencil, ca. 15 x 21 cm / 6 x 8¼ in.

I found an arm today

I found this arm on a parking lot today and picked it up – this might be something for Duane Keiser's new blog, maybe I'm going to send it to him.

Clouds

Pencil, 15 x 21 cm / 6 x 8¼ in

Noon shadows

Ball pen, 21 x 15 cm / 8¼ x 6 in

Thank you

Some of you might be interested in this picture: This is how I've framed the different photographs I received by now from those of you who participate in my free drawings project.
In my previous posts you have already seen the drawings I made of each one. From left to right: Ed Lisieski, Craig Stephens, Chuck Law, Christian Öhlerich, Elaine Bond.
The list is growing slowly ... but steadily.

Awaiting a Bus #2

Pencil, postcard size

I found an "a" today

Here is landscape #8.

When I left this place to return to my job, I found a real little "a" on the way.
Before I picked it up to take it home, I took a picture of it in its natural place.
This is really funny because last year I found a "z" on the street.


Extrapolations might show that I can expect finding the complete alphabet by the age of 63.