Bellegarde-du-Razès sketches

That bad bad cold is still taking a lot out of me. I don't even have the energy to sketch or paint. That's so frustrating. You know the feeling, when your body is so heavy and tired that you think it will never get better. And that's only a cold. God forbid I ever have anything serious! Plus I don't get summer colds, particulary in a good summer. Yes, I was at the doctor's surgery and a nursing home and on an airplane in the week before I got this cold, so that's probably why. And there is a theory going that I've been wearing myself out with all my activities and that maybe I should take it easy for a while. Well, I have no choice but to take it easy right now. My legs feel so weak I think I would struggle reaching the top of the road.

OK, enough moaning.

When travelling, always carry your little sketchbook with you, and a small watercolour set if you can! On this occasion, the set I brought with me was a mini Sennelier set. It's really tiny tiny, but perfect when you're sight-seeing and you don't want to carry too much. I brought one watercolour brush, my versatile Pyramid brush from Rosemary and Co., quirky but useful in that it can do both detail and good washes. I also brought one pen, my beloved Lamy Safari (extra fine nib), filled with DeAtramentis waterproof Document ink.

This was the view from the house in Bellegarde-du-Razès, all rolling hills and fields. I really liked it. If I was to build that house myself, I would change its orientation, with more windows and terraces facing that way. But then again, that's full South, so I can imagine that after one summer there, I'd be looking for the shade!

This view is from the village. There is a little square with a picnic bench, and it overlooks some of the houses and the fields and hills in the distance.

And then some airport and airplane sketches. Airports are the best place to practise drawing people: they are generally looking at their phones or reading a book, you can move to a different spot if you don't want to be noticed, you can do a combination of standing and sitting poses, there are plenty of bags and colourful outfits. It's a long time since I was in transit in Dubai airport, but if I went there, I would definitely bring my watercolour set, and the hours would pass really quickly. Maybe I should book a flight with a really long transit time? My fellow passenger would go mad of course, but I would be happy! Or book a flight to Donegal or Kerry and spend the day in Dublin airport just sketching! Well, now that I look into it, it would actually be cheaper to book a cheap Ryanair flight. Dublin to East Midlands is currently 14.99, versus 34.99 to Donegal. But then again, it depends what terminal I would want to work in. That would be a great project!