Art Paper for the Door Queens
One thing I learned when we were in Paris is how much variety the French (or maybe the Europeans) have in art paper! I have a fetish for both pens and paper, I was in heaven in the art shops and Andrea was the perfect guide. One day she stopped by our hotel and walked with us across the river to the old Sennelier shop. What an amazing place! If you ever have the chance to visit this old art shop, do. It is an adventure you will never forget. I know I shall never forget it. The thing which struck me was the variety of papers available. Andrea told me about Moulin de Pombie paper she had used with great success, so I walked away with (paid for) a small booklet.
Here is the thing, if you ever have the chance to purchase this paper, don’t do as I did and make the purchase of a small bit, but a larger one and even sheets of the stuff! It takes liquid color like magic! I love it.
This is the very first sketch I did in this little book. I am drawing a lot of doors as Andrea and I have the Door Queen’s Project going and it is getting very exciting as we consider the impact of doors. It is also great fun. Andrea has also started some door painting (not just a doodle, mind you) which looks wonderful. We will see where this project leads each of us, but for now, we are having a great time.
I also came home with a sketchbook which I am loving made by Hahnemuhle (which I think is German). It is not for wet media, but I am enjoying the pen and ink drawings in this one.
I used the Copic pen seen in the photo to try another, looser rendition of the first Paris doors, on Rue Royale, I shared with you.
You may see these doors again, as I am working to get the sketching loose yet clear. You can see the shakiness of the line as I still struggle to let go of drawing with tools. You would think I could do this, but those nasty old brain tapes keep playing in my head! Do you have these issues? Professors chatter continuing to come back to you? In some ways, it is comfortable for me to use these architectural features and in other ways it is a major challenge. I love the psychology behind the architectural elements, so I move forward with that. I can absolutely see the challenges and the rewards of this Door Queens Project!
Now this afternoon I head into my studio, crank up the music and cut loose with some serious, free-flowing abstract work. I have lots to show you there, too! How about you? Are you finding lots of projects to keep you busy with your art? Do you consider the psychology behind the work you are doing? What are you doing which helps you feel as though you are so much more yourself when you work on it?
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There are 8 Comments to "Art Paper for the Door Queens"
I remember buying all of those things!!
What fun we had. Your door sketches are beautiful. They are like the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland. I love you, Mom!
We had so much fun, didn’t we? Really? The rabbit hole! I am honored, truly, coming from you that is HUGE! I love you, too Sweetheart!
I’ve gotta go out right now but I’m looking at this later! You’ve got my FULL attention here!!
Hi Chrissandra!
Great, I look forward to what you have to say! Have a good time.
Hi Kim,
I hope you’re well. Sorry it’s been so long! It’s great being inspired by new materials and surfaces isn’t it? What a treat going to that shop must have been!
I’m about to embark on making my own paper from plant materials. I’m a bit nervous to get started for some reason but I’ll let you know how I get on with it!
Your door project sounds great! Have you read ‘The Poetics of Space’ by Gaston Bachelard? It includes alot about the psychology and philosophy of such spaces. I’m currently obsessed with doors too! I’m using them as a building material.
Great post as usual Kim!
Hello Fiona!
I am so excited to visit your postapocalypticwomble.com site. I can just imagine the amazing things you have been working on…then again, you always exceed my imagination. I plan on a cup of tea and a nice, long, quiet time.
It was so much fun going into that shop. The next time you take Eurostar to Paris you should go there to feel the history and to just enjoy the energy of the space, in general.
Do let me know how you get along with this new adventure of paper making. I hear it is very addictive to get into, yet extremely rewarding. You will do great with it…maybe the nerves are just excitement! You know? The great news is England is a great place to collect plant material …guess you will be visiting The New Forest with some regularity. Is the gorse in bloom now?
I am having a great time with the door project. I haven’t read that book, but I am going now to have a look/see. It may be the next one on my list! I have a lot of architecture/design books from my past life, but this one sounds wonderful. Ah, doors as sculpture? That is perfect! You are so good with that, so I am eager to see what has been going on.
Okay Fiona, have you finished your BA now? Are you headed to grad school? I can just imagine you having the time of your life! Thanks so much for stopping by and I am so eager to explore your new web site.
Oh how I love this paper too:) I checked on the internet to find a link to Moulin de Pombie but apparently the factory has shut down! The other paper I got is Moulin de Larroque and is not at all the same thing, it’s a lot more rough, more like the rough Khadi paper I painted the bridge painting on.
It’s so sweet what Elizabeth says about the door looking like the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland…and I can see that too. Your first sketch too reminded me of wonderful fairytale drawings from my childhood, which I loved and which are “fixed” in my memory. There is life in your doors! They live:) This one has big eyes:)
NO! You know when I did the search to see if I could locate some of this here, I couldn’t find any! ARGH! Well, so much for that. Are you going to buy some of it to have on your shelf? It is truly extraordinary. I wonder if anyone will pick it up as they did with the Moleskines? This paper just does something with the liquid color which you normally don’t see. I used ink on mine and it was outstanding!
Thank you for your kind words about the door sketches. I am truly having a lot of fun doing them and maybe this is what I need to consider…taking the standard doors and making them into something more. As you say, making them my own! What a sweet thing to say, “There is life in your doors! They live
” You honor me! Thank you, Andrea!