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someone saw him paint

Wednesday 26 August 2009
Michaël Zancan painting in his workshop Rue du Couvent - Photography by Claire Delmas

For whoever thought I was dead (including myself)

Watercolor speedpaint

Friday 7 August 2009
I bought this little sketchblock, that has a rather low weight but it suited for inks and water-based paints. Strangely, it works: the water doesn't pass through _ although the paper tends to go all wrinkled. I automatically found it convenient for speed painting.

I did that one between two mouthfuls of corn flakes. I have this big table that occupies nearly the entire room, that endures the function of drawing area, paper storage, dining table, computer desk, candle holder and much more ( not to mention its glorious past has multi-users office table, and as .. hmm no, let's shut that part).
090805 Home desk - Watercolor speedpaint
Well despite it was speed-painting I arrived very late at work. I like the painting. Was caught: a bottle of painting medium, a Delirium Tremens beer, sketchbooks, a candle, an Ikea cutlery bucket converted to a pencils pot, a small canvas for my dad with lineart longing for some paint for ten years, the awesome and inspiring 2008 Aubade photo calendar, my psychotic interpretation of the black baroque wallpaper, and that's it!


090808 Cafe - Watercolor speed paint
There is also this quick watercolor sketch, done on the terrace of
a bar in Arcachon, on the basin shore. Weather was dull and girlfriend pushed to hurry, so it ended up lightspeed watercolor ( ten minutes is cruel timing for the slow me) but I also like how the foam ended up looking tasty.

quelques dessins du Canada

Friday 24 July 2009
090628 Dessin rapide aéroport CDG

Ici c'est à l'aéroport, un croquis d'une salle d'attente en contre-bas. C'était étrange, il n'y avait absolument que des femmes sur ces bancs (je n'ai même pas eu le temps de les dessiner toutes)

090629 Dessin Elodie Blindfold

J'ai essayé de dessiner dans l'avion bien que l'on fut un peu trop serrés. Elodie s'était endormie, une modèle bien sage que voici, mais ce bandeau lui faisait vraiment une drôle de tête, toute allongée vers le haut. Mon dessin était assez ressemblant je me souviens; mais dans la vraie vie, ma cousine est beaucoup plus jolie que là!

090708 Forest trees in quebec
Trees. Lots of. We've been traveling north in a rental car, doing some camping, hiking, canoe and other sightseeing. The weather wasn't too nice to us, and we felt like we spent most time in logistics hence the lack of drawings. But we were lucky enough to meet with a bunch of wild animals and take a whole lot of pictures.

090710 Drawing People in montreal

Here are some people doodled. Even a doodle of a doodling man. Another kind of forest, the crowd when you sit down. Not some good sketches here, which outlines the fact that practicing should be a everyday habit.

Below is a little watercolor that I painted for my friends Pat & Anna. It represents a view from their balcony, from the house where they kindly hosted us in Montréal.
090712 Aquarelle pour Pat & Anna
I made it the day of their wedding, and sent the postcard the next day so that they receive it in their mailbox after we went back to France. This way, they would get both the surprise and the stamp with wedding date ( almost) and their home address as a souvenir.Postal art is always at risks, but it arrived perfectly safe!

Moleskine pages

Thursday 25 June 2009

Those are recent sketches from my Moleskine notebook, which is small enough to fit in a pocket, my little companion of eclectic doodles and those moments when you have to watch the time pass.

Drawing of Aunties' house in Astaffort, south west France

A house in Astaffort, small typical village in south west France, a place I much endear, holding memories of my most innocent childhood _ and my mother's and grandmother's as well. Smells of sun and wood and of deep countryside, the company of sheep and dogs, and the warm laughter of my aunties.

Drawing of St Emilion Cloitre Eglise Collegiale

In the cloister of Collégiale church, in St Emilion, where was held a talk by philosophers Barbara Cassin and Heinz Wismann in a sunny afternoon, as part of a festival of philosophy.

Insomniac drawing of a busy kitchen

Middle night insomnia, no place else but the busy kitchen not to wake up the lady, and in the traced lines, retrieve the peace needed for a proper sleep.

absolution in stone

Monday 25 May 2009
Martina Topley-Bird Sandpaper kisses



There's no actual point about drawing churches and cathedrals in terms of creativity. That was a big task and I deepened into it because all in all, it made much more sense than just sticking inside my head and observe the failure of my feelings and my behaviors.
Detailing the whole sight was basically intended as a humble gift to someone deserving much more but also a self-inflicted punishment in practice. Though I was happy of it eventually (except the large dark slate roof that ended up messy due to watercolor on bad paper) and feel ready for another intricate image of spiritual and severity symbolism whenever it is needed to bring that troubled man into line.
The drawing is a view of the gothic cathedral Notre-Dame de Rouen ( link ), seen from a fifth floor apartment, almost facing the south portal. The paper is like A2 format and it took about 12 hours of standing on a small balcony. Luckily, I had a very compassionate weather on my side. Clicking on the image pops up the full picture in original cropping.
Sorry for being both confused and mystic again. ;)

Dessin de la cathédrale de Rouen, encre et aquarelle

cloche pied + croche pas

Monday 4 May 2009
Sur le parvis le vent me dit
Certains y croient pourquoi pas toi
Tu as la tête en l'air tu questionnes les pierres
Tu vas le nez en bas tu recomptes les pas
Ce soir c'est samedi tu te mures en ta grotte
L'amour c'est pour les autres
J'ai pour toi quelques facéties ta ta ta taaaa
pétales et riz

aurore

Friday 1 May 2009
[...]
Pendant cette soirée, imprévue, improbable, je me tenais plus droit que d'ordinaire, plus sûr, plus confiant certainement. Observant avec un pas de recul les délires des humains, leurs pores plein de sueur, leur pupille pétillante voilée par le poids d'une paupière supérieure plus pesante qu'il le faudrait.
Tous ceux qui se frôlent, se butinent comme les antennes des fourmis, échangeant des mots, des prénoms oubliés la seconde qui suit; tout ceux qui là, s'évadent, vers une nature plus humaine, ou bien plus inhumaine, le temps d'une emprise alcoolisée_mais qui n'en font rien.
Je crois en la conscience des êtres. En cette substance enfouie, sédiment spongieux absorbant les éclaboussures avant qu'elles ne tâchent, couche valeureuse de raison et de vrai.

Oui nous sommes beaux
Abandonnés, mais beaux. Et je souris à ce visage tenu dans mes deux paumes, et l'embrasse, dans le cou, pas sur les lèvres. C'est un autre sourire qui étend vers moi ses commissures, que je pourrais saisir, et saisir encore, indéfiniment, dans ces songes dont je n'ai jamais honte; un chapelet de dents pour lesquels je n'aurais pas, comme là, le goût âpre du tabac. Des yeux noirs, ouverts grands, qui ne jugent jamais, qui voient trouble mais savent sans demander.

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7/8/2009 Watercolor speedpaint
26/8/2009 someone saw him paint