Sketches of the Atlantic / Charente coast.

At last I've started to sketch in my Moleskine journal.

I don't know why I was hesitating. 

It's so lovely to paint in,
I'm  really enjoying dabbling at trying different techniques.

I wish I'd used it sooner.

Talmont was the village we stayed at.
 I knew I'd love painting these chocolate box style cottages.

I didn't see the sign not to pick the seeds.
Préserver notre site. 
Ne pas cueillir les fleurs et gralnes
~~~~~
Protect our site
Do not pick the flowers or seeds.
~~~~~
 until I'd slipped a few seed heads into my pocket.

To compensate for my
vraiment grave erreur / really bad mistake 

 I bought some postcards which two lovely elderly ladies 

had had the initiative to put the card in a see through bag
and add lots of the roses trémières / hollyhocks seeds
then embellish the bag with a pretty etiquette
Plaisir d'offrir  / The pleasure of giving .
How thoughtful is that.

We went further along the coast to Meshers, and walked along the cliff edge over looking the Atlantic, where we saw lots of  huts on stilts, some painted blue.They're called  Carrelets  and are used for fishing.They have large square nets with a sturdy frame, which are lowered into the shallow water to catch whatever fish might be passing.and then a crane like lifting device is used to lift the net which needs two or three men to operate as they are very heavy.

Les Grottes.

The caves originally carved by nature, later the holes were then enlarged by man to become

 the 19th C. real troglodytes.(some caves are still occupied today )

Translation

Be it at the bottom of these lost holes 

under those layers of fossils

that happiness is nesting

M. Brossard 

Naturel Scientist  1891

~~~~~~


I hope you enjoyed seeing the Atlantic/Charente coast
through my sketches in a Moleskine - Carnet Aquarelle 21x13 cm.
Using a Micron /pigma 01 pen and painted with W & N water colour paints.

à bientôt

Barbara Lilian