Vacation Time! - back to the Limousin, France.

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photo & art copyright Judith Nijholt-Strong

The Travelling Sketch Kit - 2011

(pictured is my drawing of the side of a Limousin Chestnut Wood Basket)

Off we go again! We're headed back to the Limousin region of France, specifically Chateau-Chervix (not far from Limoges), for about a month. My husband and I simply love this region of France - it's so beautiful and peaceful.

As you can see by the photo above, I've packed my paints, colored pencils, pens, and sketchbooks - ready to continue my "Travels in France Moleskine" vol.4. :o) I'm eager to finish this volume of travel sketches/drawings.

I like keeping, making, painting, drawing the moleskines of my travels in France. Yeah, I know, (I've read) , some people who think this is too organized, too planned, or too finished ... "Pffft" say I, who cares?!! My travel moleskines are not really planned at all, I just like having the memories/drawings of my travels all in one place (or in this case, 4 volumes). 

Aww well, isn't it nice that we have the freedom to be different from others? I think so, and I think you can see by the photo above that I'm not really a very "organized" artist - lol!

So we're travelling by car .....

No known copyright restrictions

Autotoerisme / Tourists in a car - circa 1910

Netherlands National Archive - Spaarnestad Collection

No! Not in that car pictured above, but aren't those hat scarves, that the ladies are wearing,  mighty fetching?!? ;o)

I'm not sure if or when, I can or will, post to the blog while I'm away. If I can, I will post at least once about something...who knows what?!

So, it's bye-bye for now. I'll be back posting to the blog, with some drawings, come mid to end June.

P.S. If you're interested in old photos of the Netherlands and her people, see this collection in the Netherlands National Archives : www.spaarnestadphoto.nl/

:o)

Au revoir!

Judy

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Photo Friday - "Closed!" Door in Utrecht, Netherlands

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photo copyright Judith Nijholt-Strong. all rights reserved

Closed!

Door of the University of Utrecht's Academy Building

2011 ~ Utrecht, Netherlands

Since Blogger had been "closed" for the past day or so, I thought this was a good image for my Photo Friday.

To be honest, I love old doors. I find myself taking pictures of so many doors, locks, handles, grillwork, letter slots, trancepts, door knockers, etc. Maybe I like them because I always wonder what's on the other side. :o) The word "trekken", that you can see on the little plaque above the doorknob, means "pull"  - but the door is always looks locked! There must be another way in ...

This particular door belongs to University of Utrecht's Academy Building. A gift to the University from the City of Utrecht, the Academy Building is located on Dom square by the Dom Cathedral. The oldest part of the building is the auditorium, built in 1461. It was here, in the year 1579, that the Union of Utrecht signed - 1579 is considered the beginning of the Dutch State.  The front of the building, where this door is, was built between 1891-1894 in the Holland Renaissance style. The Academy Building is used for holding special ceremonies, lectures, symposiums, etc.

Apparently, housed in the building is a collection of over 500 paintings (portraits), drawings, etchings and sculpted busts of scholars and administrators of the University since the seventeenth century. A large part of the collection is accessible to the public. Hmmm ... I must put that on my "to do" list!  

doei!

Judy

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"Holding It Together" - Colored pencil drawing using only Red, Yellow and Blue, plus White.

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drawing copyright Judith Nijholt-Strong.   all rights reserved

Holding It Together - May 2011

colored pencil on stonehenge paper ~ approx. 5.5"square

I just finished this little colored pencil drawing of one of my Chinese pincushions. I've drawn and/or painted this particular pincushion many times before. Yes, I have several different pincushions (a small collection), but this one, bought 40 years ago, is still my favorite. :o)

The drawing was done using only 3 colors (Red, Yellow & Blue) plus White - no black pencils were involved! The "blacks" you see in this drawing are a mix of only red, blue & yellow.

The colored pencil brands & colors I used on this piece were:

• for the Red - Faber-Castell Polychromos Magenta & Prismacolors Raspberry
• for the Blue - Prismacolors True Blue & Faber-Castell Polychromos Phthalo Blue
• for the Yellow - Prismacolors Canary Yellow & Lemon Yellow; & Faber-Castell Polychromos Cadmium Yellow
• for the White - Prismacolors White (the only white cp I prefer)

A lot of my work with colored pencils is done using only Red, Yellow & Blue + White pencils. I find the limitation of using only 3 colors, (and the blending processs), fascinating and extremely satisfying; a great learning experience. Here are links to other drawings I've posted on the blog, done in the same manner : Red, Yellow & Blue - Rood, Geel & Blauw and Pretty Peony .

tot ziens,

Judy

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Photo Friday: Canal Reflections

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photo copyright Judith Nijholt-Strong. all rights reserved.

Canal Reflections in the Netherlands - May 2011

Utrecht ~ Netherlands

The canals are full, the flowers & trees are blooming (or have bloomed), the birds and water foul are happy, everything's very pretty - but we really need some rain in Holland! It's been many weeks now without much rain, only a tiny sprinkle here or there (however, no rain in my garden :o( ...).

Keeping my fingers crossed that we see some rain this weekend ... and I thought I'd never be wishing for rain! lol

tot ziens,

Judy

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