Lost, Stolen or Strayed

After being in denial for months, I have to accept that this wonderful postcard from Albrecht has gone missing, having been posted last year (December, or November?) Aren't they just beautiful sketches of tits on his balcony - at this time still in the middle of winter in the Rhine Valley. I hope they've all survived the cold into the coming Spring!
Albrecht sent me an email saying,

"If my tits on the postcard would have been live birds, they would have had arrived in a few days.

8.619 km, that's nothing for them.

Obviously Lufthansa's crane is a lame bird in comparison...

Next time I will use trained pigeons for delivering my cards.

But that's the wonderful thing about our postcard project.

We are testing our post offices. Who knows how long they will go on existing in times of internet, emails, facebook, twitter..."

 

Who knows indeed. Our post office has been on strike so I haven't sent or received mail for weeks - and I was behind on my postcards even before that! Perhaps once they get back to work and clear the backlog, Albrecht's card will emerge from under a pile of neglected mail and they'll find their way here yet...I can live in hope...

 

My card from Albrecht

I'm once again so happy to be the owner of this card from Albrecht. His use of pencil to capture a scene is a joy. You can almost see the pencil dancing across the card - adding here and there a little detail, hatching to achieve the darker tones and leaving the white to show the flash of sunlight.

Turner's painting of the Castle

He's siting on the famous Goethe Marianne Bench at Heidlberg Castle and when I  researched to find out more  I've realised what an important historical place it is and I've added an illustration of a painting by Turner to show it's significance.

Albrecht has also drawn a carving on the limestone bench of Ginko leaves and a Hoopoe. Thankyou Albrecht.

Teaching to Observe - Albrecht in Bavaria

Derwent Graphitint

Last month Albrecht was busy teaching in Majorca .  This month he's been teaching in Bavaria.  I'm the lucky recipient of a card he drew when he and his students were at lake near Bad Reichenhall, not far from the Austrian border and the city of Salzburg.  It's one of his students in the shade overlooking the lake  -  clearly engrossed in his own sketching!

You can see more images from this course on Albrecht's blog  here  Some great photos of his students drawing mountains and various other studies.  There's a very impressive standard of draughtsmanship amongst them.  It's definitely inspiring to see the kind of detailed observational drawing Albrecht teaches. 

Albrecht has a book coming out later in the year.  I am hoping we will be able to obtain copies over here in England! 

Shacks and Backyards

This wonderful wonderful postcard from Martin completes my collection. This is Martin ‘starting to play with oil pastels’ and I am enjoying looking at it very much propped up behind my keyboard. I love the richness of the colours and the wonderful composition of the old houses/shacks and their backyards. Certainly a style of vernacular architecture tht we don’t see down here.
Thank you Martin – I love it.
What a wonderful collection of postcards I now have from all my special friends !!

Growth and Transcience in Nature

A truly stunning card from Albrecht. I would be delighted to receive just one of Albrecht's pencil sketches but now I have two and both are equally beautiful! On the front is coloured pencil drawing with the words 'Growth and transcience in nature. On the way to Holy Mountain (Heiligenberg)'.

On the back, another very delicate sketch from Heidelberg. I'm at a loss to describe how lovely this card is but I think you'll agree it speaks for itself! Thank you so much Albrecht!

An Indian Summer from Heidelberg

A glorious sun-dappled pathway up the Heiligenberg is my eagerly awaited card from Albrecht this month. I can clearly sense the delight of walking here in this bonus bit of summer, bringing with it a range of colours never seen here before - of which Albrecht thoughtfully drew up a chart for me to 'fill in' his drawing with!! But Albrecht, you forgot to put the numbers where each colour should go... ;-) Besides, the line drawing is quite descriptive enough. On the other side, a sparkling sketch of plane trees in front of his window give me a good idea of the colour version - what a beautiful postcard, I love the touch of the sketchbook perforations down the side.

Another view of Dresden

Bautzener Strasse in Dresden

I'm not quite sure if I'm posting late or in advance as Desiree has also posted a postcard this from Martin from Dresden.  However I think there's a few which are a bit out of synch so I'm not going to worry and will post in any case!

This is a pen and ink sketch of Bautzener Strasse in Dresden where Martin was taking a short holiday.

Martin tells me that the street is very famous for being home to a shop called Pfunds Molkerei (Pfund's Dairy) - which today is a cheese shop (the link is to the website which is in German).  I put the website through Google translate and it came back with an English Translation telling me that the shop is in the Guinness Book of Records for being the "most beautiful dairy shop in the world equipped with 247.90 square meters of hand-painted tiles from Villeroy and Boch".  You can see a photograph of the interior here - it looks truly amazing!  Wikipedia (Germany) also has some good images.  For anybody wanting to visit, this its location on Google Maps.

Thanks for thinking of my taste buds Martin!

The City of Dresden- from Martin

I received my postcard from Martin today! It is a wonderful sketch of the city of Dresden and one of the famous Castles views and bridge. He says he often comes here to see something? I must say that if Martin wasn't an artist I would think he was a doctor with the handwriting I am unable to read! Sorry Martin, I love the card all the same! It has such a mood to it, as do all your cards. The wonderful values  give the river a real shine. There is even a hint of color in the hills!

A Vineyard in Watercolour

Albrecht is busy working on a commission to design various wine labels for a traditional winemaker family. I think the enviable side of this work is having to visit their vineyards and I wonder if tasting the wines is a necessary part of his project!! He describes this particular vineyard as "orbiting an old castle of that family west of the Black Forest overlooking the wide Rhine valley with a fantastic view of the Cathedral of Strasbourg and the Vosges Mountains in France."

I've never been to this part of Europe so find it very interesting to view it through Albrecht's eyes. 

If this lovely, fresh delicate watercolour is a reflection of the area it seems to be well worth a visit. The composition and drawing on the card shows Albrecht's skills as do the beautiful subtle colours found in the shadows. Click on the image to see the cool mauves - beautiful.

And thank you too for this wonderful cat study.

A Great-looking Canadian in Germany

 Isn’t he/she (it’s hard to tell with Canada Geese) a beautiful bird!  This one looks especially striking painted by Albrecht Rissler in gouache on (IMHO) the perfect shade of softly grey-toned card.

I’d have to say, however, that the appearance of Canada Geese is just about their only redeeming feature.  Albrecht was nice enough not to refer to them as an invasive scourge, but the Americans are not so forgiving… I’ve heard they regularly bag a few hundred Canada Geese and feed them to the homeless, and I wish somebody would do the same here in Victoria!  Our defenses have been limited to barking dogs – quite effective, on golf courses for example, where they employ Labs and Alsatians.  But the geese do not respond well to condominium-sized dogs, whom they out-weigh and ignore.

Something Very British In Germany! .....(summer weather)

I received this wonderful depiction of brooding, dark clouds from Martin in Germany which he painted at the end of July.  On the reverse he wrote
        "It seems we have a very British summer this year.

         Lots of clouds, rain and cold, which now travel to you by card."

Looking out of my window right now it's absolutely bucketing down and Martin I blame you! The rain clouds have definitely followed your card here!  Obviously your painting is just too realistic! I love it though, especially the bright of the lush grass against the shadow of the cloud.  

Martin I do hope you have had some sunny days since you painted this.  On the other hand sunny scenes produce far less dramatic, interesting paintings.  So in a way, I am glad it rained on you,...... I got to benefit with this super card! 

Apple trees and sunlight from Albrecht

An apple tree on his balcony by Albrecht

This beautiful study of sunlight filtering through the leaves of an apple tree on Albrecht's balcony arrived today.  I found it quite hard to scan because of the lovely subtlety in the tones and colours in the leaves and the glow of those slightly rosy/russet apples.   If you have a better photo Albrecht, I'll substitute it.  

And on the reverse one of his great pen studies of a tree boll

 

Another gem :>)  from someone who really understands trees and draws/paints them so beautifully.

Thank you, I love it.

Zaisersweiher, Germany

What a delight to recieve this card from Martin! On the back Martin has written 'These black and white greetings show a neighbouring village named Zaisersweiher (ink on paper).' From that description it sounds like a modest sketch but in reality it is very thick so perhaps it has been pasted onto board? I'm reminded of Cathy's words describing the back of another of Martin's cards as being like having a sample of his busy working studio, because it has some wonderful marks and textures, it's full of energy and industry. Also like Cathy, I put this on my mantlepiece, admiring the composition and the values, and then I found that it seems to change and reveal more details depending on the distance you are from it! It's a real treasure, thank you Martin!

A Winter Postcard from Germany for winter in Sydney

I received my June card from Albrecht a little early....but I put it away till it was June. Now Albrecht’s beautiful actually relates better to what we are experiencing here in Sydney..although we have blue skies and sun, (no snow!) and a fresh 15C (that is cold for us!!). I can feel the longing for spring in the black and white pen sketch with the colours below....just one touch of of spring green on the right hand end! Because we only have a few deciduous trees (introduced species – all native gum trees are evergreen) we always have plenty of green around.

I really love both the front and the back of the card- more lovely sketches and some great stamps too! - thanks Albrecht for a truly beautiful card

Valley Study for the Month of May

Martin Stankewitz, Germany

Here it is....My very own Martin original Gouache.

Very cool!!!

This ideal valley is very near to Martin’s house where he paints his Sketchercise contributions.  I have gotten to know these trees very well and so appreciate his ability to use gouache, design and color to convey these areas of heavenly solitude.  I love how my eye is drawn through the painting by the positioning of tree groupings, placement and overlapping.

Apple blossoms from Germany

What a lovely thing, on a drizzly, mizzy autumn day (very unseasonal - we are supposed to be having cool but clear, crisp autumn weather) to find this great, solid chunk of spring in my postbox. I thought it was made of wood at first, so thick and heavy is this postcard! Martin's characteristic strong composition was easy to recognise, with the season's apple blossom and fresh new greens - and of course, trees! On the reverse side, a sample of his busy studio with marks of inks and prints, as well as the postmarks of it's journey here. I'm absolutely delighted to own this beautiful card - and am keeping it propped up on my mantelpiece to give me a reminder of spring through our cold months coming up.

Spring and a new view from a Handschusheimer garden

Garden in Handschusheimer - finally Spring!

Albrecht has sent me a splash of Spring with this vibrant yellow plant growing in a garden in Handschusheimer - just north of Heidelburg.  It looks very much like forsythia to me and is a real tonic for the eyes.

On the reverse is another sketch and a little map which I found to be absolutely fascinating as I unpicked it but by bit.  This is what Albrecht says (I've added in the links to the places!)

The view from the garden overleaf (over the campus of the university of Heidelburg)

This is a historic moment!  One of the cooling towers of the Nuclear Power Plant at Philipsburg doesn't smoke anymore!  Yesterday one unit has beeen shut down in response to the nuclear problems in Japan.  Finally!  From where we live the distance is only 35km!(21 miles)

Then he has annotated the little map in the bottom left to highlight:

• the Romanesque cathedral Dom Speyer (Speyer Cathedral) 1025-1106 by the River Rhine.  I looked it up and it's been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Speyer Cathedral, a basilica with four towers and two domes, was founded by Conrad II in 1030 and remodelled at the end of the 11th century. It is one of the most important Romanesque monuments from the time of the Holy Roman Empire. The cathedral was the burial place of the German emperors for almost 300 years.
UNESCO

• a place where there are lots of hanging willow trees in a reserve (on what looks like an ox-bow lake) - and we already know how much Albrecht likes willows!
• an area where there are many natural reserves (nature reserves?) - so I guess these are places Albrecht likes to go to sketch.

Lots of information about Heidelburg

I looked up all the places on Google Maps - like I always do - and was amazed to see the shape of the snaking River Rhine and all the old oxbow lakes it created prior to being channelled. These are so very evident from the satellite view and reminds us of the power of inland waterways to change the landscape over time.

A lesson in gouache from Martin

I've been the recipient of a wonderful example from Martin of how to work outside in gouache despite adverse weather conditions. I follow Martin's Blog regularly in the hope of learning more about using this medium. Seeing his working process step by step there and reading about his struggles to get his wet works home when the rain is still pouring is a great source of inspiration. Knowing that, I'm amazed at the quality of this postcard - and also that it travelled all the way from Germany uncovered and unscathed.

I love the expressive limited palette which creates the atmosphere and the composition Martin has chosen. Thank you for this Martin. I'm going to learn a lot by having it on my wall as a reminder of how gouache can be used whatever the weather.

I love the reverse of Martin's card too with it's paint spatters!

Springtime at Heidelberg Castle from Albrecht for Desiree!

I couldn't wait to share my amazement as I opened my mailbox to see such a large and perfectly traveled postcard from Albrecht in Germany! It was if he had sketched it during an outing and then cut it from his sketchbook and dropped it into MY mailbox. The corners are not even damaged. The front of the card is the most amazing graphite/pencil sketch somewhat reminiscent of an old European postcard you might have received before color was available, done by one of the masters of the time. The tiniest, most graceful lines make his view of Heidelberg Castle beckon me to visit!  I love the mature tree line that seems to frame in the castle. Then, like a bonus gift I turned the card over to see a beautiful watercolor and pen sketch of the oldest care house in the world built by Carl Benz in 1907 in Ladenburg, very close to Heidelberg. He goes on to say that Ladenburg itself might be the oldest city on the right bank of the Rhine.5000 years old. He also says that is the beginning of spring, finally! It is warm enough to sit here for awhile.

Thank you so much Albrecht for my wonderful card, it gives me a glimpse into your world! I also just love all the stamps that arrived, nicely canceled in the middle as to not ruin anything about this perfect card!

First signs of spring in an orchard in Germany

My postcard from Martin Stankewitz has arrived! Fortunately, it was meticulously encased in cardboard, so is in perfect condition, despite being painted on relatively fragile, softly textured paper. The subtle effects in this little watercolour gem can only be achieved on this sort of paper, which I find quite difficult to work with.

Neither Google (where I checked out Streuobstwiese) nor Martin himself would elaborate on just what kind of fruit trees these are, but aren’t they magnificent!