Le Rendez-vous International du Carnet de Voyage, Clermont-Ferrand

 

Every mid-November it’s annual travel sketchbook time in Clermont-Ferrand.

I left early Saturday morning in pitch dark to catch the 7am train🚊 I even left extra early 🙄 I still got lost going out of the wrong metro exit at Bercy. At last we arrived to a warm sunny day - highly usually for freezing 🥶 Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne mountains.

All to see a gazillion artist’s sketchbooks 

From 130 international artists 

A chance to endlessly browse and get inspired.

Every artist tries hard to make their stand appealing and to reflect the theme of their travel sketchbooks. Many artist seem much more adventurous than I am 🤔

And so you will stop & look 👁️ Like putting sketchbooks in an ice cream 🍦display case!

This was an absolute first!

I’ve been coming since 2016,

It’s always an inspiring event.

I love Stephan’s drawings ✍️ A master draftsman.

Every artist has to produce a small book 📕 of sorts that you can buy at AUTO ÉDITÉS.

Then you take it back to the artist and they will sign it often with an original drawing while you wait!

My friend, Lis Watkins,(and her French-speaking son, Mathew)

Lis has a beautiful new 48-page book 📕 on Toulouse/Barcelona. You can sign up for Lis’ fun watercolor newsletter HERE. And if you live in the UK you can join her weekend sketch walks around London.

Or watch her watercolor demos on YOUTUBE.

A selfie - Lis & I at the fair.

An attendee was so reved up, he sat on the floor and started sketching ✍️

The art supply companies that make you feel 

You are in a candy store. I bought a tiny watercolor fan brush (very restrained for me). 

So tempted by this minuscule paintbox I def do NOT need for 25€ ! 

Did I say everyone was chatty and friendly. It’s a nice place to meet new artists. Join me next November! Start planning now 👍

The next morning I doodled like crazy till they threw me out of my hotel room at 11:30 All reved up 😀