Jeni on Drawing 19 The Practice of Drawing
The impulse to make marks is as natural to humans as the impulse to talk. As babies,we spend our first year or so making strange sounds, imitating what we hear....
Jeni on Drawing 18. Drawing with Help
For many years, it was traditional to study under a ‘master’ artist to learn techniques and basic knowledge. An apprentice would study for years, helping to mix paint and...
Yield to temptation of the irresistible Dordogne Valley walnut cake – Meanderings through France n° 228
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny Dordogne Valley has recently been listed twelfth best holyday destination by the Belgian website “European Best destinations”. Dordogne valley...
Jeni on Drawing 17. Drawing from a Different Place
I wonder if perhaps because mark-making is such a primal human urge we expect drawing to be ‘easy’ somehow; that it should not demand practice or hard work....
Jeni on Drawing 16. The Practice of Drawing
The impulse to make marks is as natural to humans as the impulse to talk. As babies,we spend our first year or so making strange sounds, imitating what we hear....
End of an Elise era, as Lotus ‘does a Defender’ with promised replacements
IAIN ROBERTSON While there exists no connection between Lotus Sportscars and Land Rover, states Iain Robertson, observers cannot be blamed for thinking that they have been reading from the...
Welsh Witterings: The Romance of a Gypsy Caravan Holiday
When it comes to a Gypsy Caravan there is no doubt that they are incredibly romantic, they contour up images of escapism, life on the open road and a...
Drawing on Reality
No matter what training they may have had, all artists are ‘self taught’ to a certain extent. Progress is only made through constant study and practice. There are arguments...
Nefertari’s tomb, a tribute to love – World Meanderings (n°109)
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny Queen Nefertari died 3,275 years ago and after all these years she still is a model of feminine beauty. Her...
Jeni on Drawing 13 Drawing After
Creativity is best learned by inspiration. By copying drawings we admire, working in the style of someone else, we learn how it feels to move our hands and make...
Jeni On Drawing 12- Drawing Flat Out
I am a Flat-Earther when it comes to drawing. We have to draw on two dimensional surfaces so how can anything really be three dimensional in our drawings? Drawing...
Homage to C-Type is a dead cert for classic car collectors
IAIN ROBERTSON With a rallying call to Scots, fans, collectors and speculators, reports Iain Robertson, a faithful reproduction of Jaguar’s illustrious C-Type, the predecessor to both D and E-Type...
The golden Brioche Vendéenne is ready to conquer UNESCO – Meanderings through France n° 225
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny Every age has its pleasures and one of my childhood’s bests undoubtedly is the Brioche Vendéenne. This light and fluffy...
Trondelag, Mid-Norway
The Norwegians have a saying, There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing! Trondelag is in Central Norway, stretching up to the Swedish border. It’s known as...
Jeni On Drawing 11- Drawing on Imagination
A question that I am often asked is “how do you get ideas for your paintings? You must have a really good imagination!”. The answer is that yes, I...
Welsh Witterings: Making Festive Memories to Last a Lifetime
I often lament the loss of Christmas spirit and how each year the commercial elements of Christmas steal yet another inch of this special time of year, but...
Rob’s Favourite Article of 2020. A Rather Unusual Telephone Box
Photos by Rob Tysall, Tysall’s Photography It sounds bizarre but Ann Evans went along to Stratford-upon-Avon to see the unveiling of a telephone box! The work of...
Jeni on Drawing 10 – Drawing Forward
Before I settled in Malta I had spent a good six years of my life at art colleges, but really hadn’t much clue about how to make a living...
Jane Remembers.. Wrapped up in the Cotswolds House Hotel & Spa
It’s a cold January weekend and I’m wrapped up in a warm woollen coat. Quite fitting really as I’m in the heart of the Cotswolds, once a rich trading...
THE MAD MUSEUM. Ann’s Favourite Article of 2020.
Photos by Rob Tysall, Tysall’s Photography Ann Evans introduces us to a museum that runs like clockwork – Stratford upon Avon’s MAD Museum. If you or...
Jeni on Drawing 9 – Drawing is…. Mindless!
After all the left and right brain theory about the opposing effects of logic and creativity (see my last blog post) has gone over your head :), here is...
“Grana Padano”, a versatile Italian cheese – World Meanderings (n°107)
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny With over 400 different cheeses Italy can boast a true cheese heritage and Grana Padano has a well-deserved prominent place...
Malta Diary Searching for the soul – “the ultimate layer underneath the skin” Ray Piscopo’s paintings of haunting qualities
ALBERT FENECH e/mail – Facebook: Professor Oliver Friggieri, a Maltese poet, novelist, literary critic and philosopher who relentlessly promoted the Maltese Language, sadly passed away recently on...
Jeni on Drawing 8 – Drawing with your Right Brain. Part 2
As I said last week, the idea of there being ‘right’ and ‘left’ sides of the brain first became popular in the 70’s and was used to explain the...
Hatton Shopping Village welcomes new businesses
Five new businesses have opened at Hatton Shopping Village in Warwickshire, Ann Evans has the details. Hatton Shopping Village, the quintessentially English shopping village, is welcoming several...
Jeni on Drawing 7 – Drawing with your Right Brain. Part 1
A very important theory which became popular in the 70’s was that the brain worked in two quite separate ways – the left side dealt with logics and learning,...
London Mural Festival now open for all to enjoy
Artists have been brightening the streets of London, Ann Evans has the details. Londoners and visitors to the Capital can brighten up their journeys by keeping an eye...
Jeni on Drawing 6 – Drawing on Outside Influences
Art is a creative rather than a logical activity. Children learn to draw and paint by imitation, in much the same way as they learn language, or skills such...
The Ailing Tradition of Christmas Cards- Blessing or Loss
It’s not really news that the art of sending Christmas cards is an ailing one. I still like to send Christmas cards, indeed to me it is part of...
Karl’s Chronicles Article 52 Benchmark
Two steps up through an open painted door lead one into a garage that has long been overtaken, like the ivy spreading across the outer walls, by the...
Jeni on Drawing 5 – Drawing and Sketching
The differences between ‘drawing’ and ‘painting’ are not always easy to define. Drawings are generally personal, intimate things, often made quickly to capture a fleeting moment in time. Paintings...
Welsh Witterings: The Art of Making Flower Essences
When the sun is shining there is little dispute that being outdoors in a beautiful garden makes us feel happy, but it seems that it is not just from...
SHELLY BEACH SNIPPETS No 128, NOVEMBER, 2020.
Patricia Newell-Dunkley – Photographs Reginald J. Dunkley www: Greetings from down under with glorious sunshine and summer fast approaching. Travel is rather tricky at the moment with...
Jeni on Drawing 4 – Drawing Around
When you think about it, drawing lines around things is really trying to capture an illusion. There are no lines around anything we see, only edges where one ‘thing’...
Karl’s Chronicles Article 51 The Wicked Burning
‘Remember, Remember, the fifth of November, Gunpowder, Treason and Plot!’ Well, there is still plot in the nights terrifying logistics, plenty of gunpowder rammed into those exploding rockets, and...
Jeni On Drawing – 2. More on Drawing
All of us are born with an urge to make marks, to sing, dance and generally express ourselves individually. If you ask any small child if they can draw...
Massenez’s eau-de-vie and liqueurs, trendier than ever – Meanderings through France n° 223
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny Since 1870 Massenez is the gold standard in the world of spirits and liqueurs. For 150 years and through four...
Karl’s Chronicles. Article 50 Marrakesh – The Maze of Shadows
Pummelled and bruised like a failed fighter, the glum wasp-yellow taxi coughed its way down Rue Mohamed V. The broad artery named after the first King at Independence from...
Jeni on Drawing – 1
I can’t remember not drawing. Over the years I have put a lot of thought into the whys and wherefores of this delicious activity, especially when I started...
Malta Diary Intricate, precious and a labour of love – but very sadly dying out The art and skill of hand-woven Malta and Gozo cotton lace
ALBERT FENECH e/mail – Facebook: In Maltese, the word “bizilla” primarily means an intricate handmade lace weave in a significant pattern. However, the word...