Happy Easter-Pigging out

We have 2 days of bank holidays here in the UK, so time to relax (albeit in the snow...) and "pig out" on the piles of chocolate that will no doubt materialize!  I hope to get my pencils out a bit during these 4 days and bring back sketches of the rural parts of the Lake District!  In the meantime HAPPY EASTER!

 

Martini Olives

I read somewhere that Martinis are for alcoholics.... probably true.  But the olives are always such a cool thing to watch in that recognizable-shaped glass!

Mangelwurzel or mangold wurzel

I learned a new little mangled word when showing one of my watercolours: "Mangelwurzel" !

Sounding very medieval or saxon and referring to this:

(FOR SALE at Achilleas on Mill Lane (London NW6) or contact us here)

or quite possibly this:

Wikipedia tells us that Mangelwurzel or mangold wurzel (from German Mangel/Mangold, "chard", and Wurzel, "root"), also called mangold,^[1] mangel beet,^[1] field beet^[2] and fodder beet, is a cultivated root vegetable derived from Beta vulgaris. Its large white, yellow or orange-yellow swollen roots were developed in the 18th century as a fodder crop for feeding livestock

Apparently Brits used to eat "Mangowuzels" during the war and that left an upalatable dislike for this root vegetable! Not having experience that, I personally love root vegs, and they still looks good enough to paint.

Cheveux Poivre et Sel - Salt and Pepper Hair

We now have the pleasure to illustrate the French Edible idioms on a regular basis over at the lovely Chocolate and Zucchini site.  Here is the latest:  "Cheveux Poivre et Sel" or "Pepper and Salt Hair" explained skillfully by Clotilde!  The comments are also so fun and Thank You Sylvie for the compliment!

The entire edible idioms series can be found here.

Achillea Flowers

We met Clare, of Achillea Flowers on Mill Lane at the West Hampstead Christmas Market.  The mom and daughter shop is bursting with beautiful flowers that are not your typical Florist offerings.  Bursting with what I can only describe as vintage chic with a pinch of countryside natural organic beauty, the shop is located slightly outside reality.  You step in and surrounding the masses of perfumed flowers, there are little antiques, vases, teapots and various knick knacks collected over the years.

It reminds me very much of the movie Practical Magic, where the witchy sisters had the most insanely beautiful decorated house complete with a green house for their potion plants.

Long story short, you can pick up a Melinart watercolour there now with your trendy bouquet if you are local to West Hampstead!!  We even offer the possibility to order custom paintings of whatever antiques are in the shop!

I made these little business signs to put under the first watercolours to be presented there.  Hope Achillea's clients will like the paintings!

Custom Business signs or Family Logos

Handmade sign from Melinart! These were on display at our Christmas market stand.  They announced the sale of MelinArt watercolors and the Mister's wonderful French wine uphostered boxes. Handmade sign for MAN-made boxes!

If you would like your own original handmade sign for your business or a family logo contact us here!

 

Your own business sign inwatercolour or pen and ink that can be ordered from here or here

 

 

 

And the MelinArt sign!

 

Heart-shaped Owl or Chouette!

This little barn owl, screetch was a christmas present custom-made for a person who loves all things owl.  It reads "Effraie de Clocher".  Their name describes that they live in church roofs. They are the archetypal French owl.  Recognizable in the way their face is heart-shaped.

If you would like you own custom watercolour, contact us!

A little juicy detail

The Carrots Of Love

Carrots are one of my favorites subjects to paint.  Don't know why I find them oddly relaxing.  That and I love all shades of oranges.  These includes the purple and yellow carrots found at the farmer's market. 
In a soup with cabbage and leeks, the carrots give sweet creaminess and body.

Christmas market

2012 is drawing to an end.... (but of course it is not an end to our drawing....:)
Here are pictures of our stall at the West Hampstead Christmas market, with our goods on proud display.  Melinart paintings of vegetables, fruits and donuts but also Mr MelinArt upholstered storage boxes, made of Toile de Jouy and French wine boxes.  We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly, talking and sharing coffee and cookies with our neigboring stalls and the happy visitors of the market.  We hope to do it again next year.  In the meantime, we are celebrating the holidays with family and the new year with the happiness that is wanted and needed for all of us.

 

 

 

Zesty Clementine

This juicy sweet clementine was taken by the little hands and dispatched before I return to complete the leaves.  We also made a cake with the rest of the lot, using all the juices and zests.  Poppy seeds added for crunch.  YUM!

This watercolour is now displayed in a little girl's room, and she is named Clémentine!

If you would like your own custom watercolour, contact us!

Woohoo 2

The lovely Clotilde strikes again.  Featuring a Melinart illustration on her famous and mother of all food blog site,  Chocolate and Zucchini
This series features French Food Idioms and has been so interesting over the years, mixing a bit of French history and litterature with the food theme. Check it out!

Thank you Clotilde!

Just Beet it!

In the famous words of Michael Jackson....!  :)
Ok so his one will be on sale at the Xmas market this Saturday, unless of course you snatch it before by contacting us here !

Close-up of the wonderfully runny colors..!

Back Talk

I really like this English expression which is now very handy now that I find myself with a teenager and little ball of toddleristic energy!  "Back talking" also mean "giving lip" as in "Don't give me lip!"

This watercolor is inspired from a painting I did with a macaron been eaten.  I isolated the mouth and the watercolor ran a little.  It ended up looking so nice that I did another one and shook the paper to get it to run again! That is one of the effect I like the most in watercolor, the randomness that becomes integral to the drawing!  You can get that in cooking somethimes with leftovers that become a perfect one-time only dish!

Hope you enjoy!

FOR SALE Original watercolor 6x6 inch (15x15 cm)

Chocolate & Zucchini - WOW

What an honor!  An illustration by melinart is featured in Chocolate and Zucchini today in the series on French Food Idioms!
The idiom is "Papa Gateau".  I let you read all about it there!

This blog was the first I ever followed some 9-10 years ago when we moved to London.   Clotilde Dusoulier, software developer-come-Parisian foodie has such a nack for writing about the latest foodie trends, somehow combining it with the local, seasonal and traditional french passion for food.  She's has had an amazing career, branching out in many cookbooks (her own or in collaboration for the HUGE "I know how to cook" reprint).  She possibly has the best recipe for cumin gougeres in the world...!  She does talks, radio events, seminars.  And not least of all is a new mom.
Can you tell I am a groupie?
Thank you Chocolate and Zucchini!

(alternate design)