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Google carnet de voyage and you get 38,200 images to pour over. But wait till after you read this post PULEEZE! Maybe I'll become the 38,201 image...qui sait?
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To make paint you need a binder - basically a glue that will make the dry pigment stick to your surface. The then-manager nudged me on, saying, "It's just like making pound cake - a pound of sugar, a pound of flour, a pound of butter etc and mix.."
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![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1886/2780/400/4%20corot%20in%20italy%20copy.jpg)
After Corot in Italy, watercolor, 4 1/2 x 6 1/2 "
BTW most of my hand-made sketchbooks are filled with Tuscan landscapes - an obsession at that time. I worked really small for years - 4 1/2" x 6 1/2" and smaller. Moving up to 6" x 8 1/2" was a BIG step. I even convinced Travel Roads to give me a 3-week artist residency in Poppi (not far from Arezzo) with these little watercolors.
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1886/2780/400/5%20Maine.jpg)
Owl's Head, Maine, watercolor, 4 1/2 x 6 1/2"
Back to making paint - I took myself off to London to an instructor from the Prince Charles' Drawing School and we spent a morning testing different formulas and making test pans. 5 days later the pans were still wet = NOT GOOD.![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1886/2780/400/7%20making%20paint%20catalog.jpg)
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![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1886/2780/400/9%20Eurostar%20window.jpg)
Eurostar Window Scene, watercolor, 4 1/2 x 6 1/2"
The French (see this IS a French-related post after all) have been way ahead of us in the travel sketchbook arena, publishing piles of facsimile carnet de voyage books. I was going to do a MACARON post today, but I was not happy with my mac watercolor, so it will just have to wait. Hang in there macaron fans !
Beautiful sketch paintings. You do amazing work. I'm putting your link on my blog today!
ReplyDeletewow! making your own, I am impressed, I used to do egg tempra and loved the ritual. am going to check out those paints to your formula, I love the richness of your colours.
ReplyDeleteWhat's up Gillot! I must say this is my favorite post so far. I love the images of your first travel book....they remind me of the kinds of notebooks one finds in Peru. My grandfather used have a few for book keeping. I love the landscapes. You should show more of your work. And Kremer will be happy to know you're advertising the product. Maybe I can get him to come up with Colan's Oil Paint Medium :)
ReplyDeleteI love your 'After Corot in Italy' watercolor. And the sensuality of making your own colors sounds very appealing. well done
ReplyDeleteCarol; can I brag on your blog? 'Cause as you may or may not recall, back when I knew you when, you gave me one of those 1/2 filled vineyard sketchbooks. I LOVE LOOKING THROUGH IT! And sadly...you CANNOT have it back.
ReplyDeleteI will finish the other 1/2 of it with my WCs...and perhaps post it when I do my blog. Thanks for sharing!
Carol,
ReplyDeleteI love your paintings!!! They are gorgeous. You know there are pastries in France called "gateaux de voyage" - little pastries for teatime, to transport you away into happiness - that is what your carnets de voyage are like:)
Amazon.fr owns me. English books at half the price of WH Smith on Rivoli, just so you know.
ReplyDeleteCan I worship you? You make your paints and your carnets? My god, woman... what is your secret?
Carol, each time i visit you i walk away smiling, and want to run back and listen to you again and again!
ReplyDeleteI just returned from Cape Cod with a completed watercolor Moleskine. I was going to spend the day unpacking and getting organized, but after these posts, I'm headed to the art store for another one and then into the city to find a suitable cafe for chocolat chaud and painting!
ReplyDeleteWell, Laura sent me, and I must say I am in awe.
ReplyDeleteMaking one's own paints...and doing beautiful luscious work with them...am just stunned by the limpid, lively, punchy watercolors I see here.
Ahhhhhhhh, just what I needed this morning.
Love them! love them! inspiring!
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