Grocery store

An abandoned grocery store in the Cevennes, in France. This drawing is not made "on the spot'', but made from a photo I took back in 1993. It was in a little village of which I don't know the name anymore, but I do remember the old guy sitting in the shades of a big tree next to a War Memorial. When I sat behind him to drink and to rest a bit from the long drive in the boiling heat that day, he told me he survived the two big wars, WWI and WWII. By the looks of his face that couldn't be a lie. In my best French I tried to tell him that I've found that a big achievement, but he was more impressed when he heared where I came from. All the way from the Netherlands. On a bicycle! I can still hear him say: "Incroyable!" (unbelievable).
Of course my French wasn't that good that I could explain that I transported my bike by bus to the south of France. But that would have killed the wonderful story he could tell that day at home or at the local bar about the lonesome cyclist who came all the way from the north to their small village.
Ink and watercolor on 300 grs Canson, 30 x 40 cm.

Farewell to Cevennes

This is the fourth drawing I made regarding my holiday in France, back in 1995. It's always relaxing to draw something you were impressed by during your stay. It sort of brings back good memories. Although I don't remember what part of the scenery impressed me most when I was standing on this spot. I guess the serenity of a little village in a empty landscape.

Cevennes revisited

Somehow the scenery of The Cevennes in France prooved to be a great inspiration for me. I don't know why, but after the first time ever I visited this part of France, I've said that I would come back. A few years after my first visit I did indeed and I had almost the same experience as I've had the first time. Although I traveled in a different 'corner' of the Cevennes, I had the feeling that I've been there before. Just as I had experienced the first time. And now, as I look back at the drawings I made then, just as the one you can see here, it all looks very familiar to me.
Pen and watercolor on 300 grs Canson paper, 30 x 40 cm.

Cevennes

Just to proof that it's not always raining when I'm having holiday in France...
Another piece I made back in 1993 or 1995. I remember I've had a rather scary moment when I made the sketch for this drawing. As you can see it's a peacefull, tranquille road deep in the heart of the Cevennes. Suddenly I heard a roaring sound, I guessed it was a car engine. On the moment I made that conclusion a big, fat rallyecar appeared around the corner and passed me by without even slowing down. It was a blue Renault, appearently testing out something. Within a blink of an eye the car disappeared around the next corner.
Technique: pen and watercolor on Canson 300 grs.