27.11.11

Ben l'Oncle Soul

Sometimes you come across the work of a very talented person on a unexpected place or at an unexpected time. In this case I heard a very nice tune sung by a candidate on a television talent seeking show called 'The Voice of Holland'.
It took me some time to figure out who was the original artist who sung this touchy song. I just had to buy this guy's cd! It turned out to be a young French artist, called Ben l'Oncle Soul. According to his biography "Ben l'Oncle Soul is a French soul singer with a retro style who made his eponymous Top Five hit album debut in 2010. Born Benjamin Duterde in 1984 in Tours, Indre-et-Loire, France, he took his name and look from Uncle Ben, the fictitious elderly African-American man dressed in a bow tie who serves as the brand image of Uncle Ben's Rice. The moniker Ben l'Oncle Soul was chosen rather than Uncle Ben to avoid any charges of trademark infringement."
So the next time you'll eat your rice, put on his music and enjoy!

14.11.11

Auguste Gusteau

One of the fine characters of the great movie "Ratatouille" is the late master chef Auguste Gusteau. His motto and book "Anyone Can Cook" made him famous, but unfortenately he could not enjoy this succes. He died mysteriously.
Never the less his role in the movie is a great one and for me a prequel should be made with the rise and fall of this character about how he became such a great chef. Including lots of nice scenes of Paris, which plays such a great role allready in the Ratatouille movie.


9.11.11

Gustave Doré

I remember seeing the work of Gustave Doré for the first time in my life. It made quite an impact to me. Especially the way the gray parts of the black and white drawings were printed. Later I found out that Doré made the drawings and a team of highly skilled engravers made then the drawings suitable for printing. His work pushed the printing of illustrations in the nineteenth century to a higher level.
Gustave Doré was a self-taught artist, lived from 1832 till 1883 and left an enormous oeuvre of fantastic drawings for the world to enjoy.

Driving Home For Christmas

 Pen and pencil, 140 x 210 mm