7 slivák / 7 plums

EDM #174: Draw a bridge - Nový Most ( Bratislava, Slovakia)

2008-06-29T02:12:00.000-07:00

Nový most ( New Bridge , formerly Most SNP ) is a modern structure crossing Danube River (Donau, Dunaj ) in Bratislava, Slovakia. It was built in early ´70s (exact 1967-1972) and is 7th largest suspension (cable-stayed) bridge in the world.

Whole bridge hangs on steel ropes (in 3 points) from a single 85m high pylon, which is in fact an A-shaped steel column on top of which is restaurant and café UFO watch.taste.groove accesible from street level by an fast elevator for 10 people in one beam of the pylon (or by an emergency stairwell of 430 stairs in the other beam ). From top of roof is amazing panoramic view over the city, the river Danube and surroundings 100 km far away. LOOK AT IT HERE !

The bridge is 431,8m long, 21m wide and has two decks (upper is for car traffic, the lower 3,5m wide for pedestrian and cyclists). The entire steel structure weighs 8000 tons in total. It was done by architect J.Lacko and engineer A.Tesár and was declared the structure of the century for Slovakia. It is 27th and most lower building in World Federation of Great Towers but the only one being pylon of the bridge...

19th World Wide Sketchcrawl Bratislava, Slovakia

2008-06-22T03:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the 19th International Sketchcrawl . Wheather was fine, quite hot (there was 31 degrees of Celsius at 18:00 evening! ) , but perfect for all day walk around Bratislava . I start several kilometers long walk by Donau river (unfortunately the times when it was called "blue" are definitely gone ). You can see New Bridge , which steel constuction,hanging on steel cables, is 432 m long...I think it will be soon part of EDMS drawing here (174 Draw a bridge) in this blog.
Through bank of river you come to town..to the Slovak National Museum with Memorial Of Czechoslovak Statehood with bronze lion on 14,85 m tall column. Lion holds shield with state emblem of (former) Czechoslovak state.
The next street from Slovak Muzeum you can find bronze Duck Fountain made 1914 by the sculptor Kuhmayer. It is nice fountain with interesting story...soon here in this blog :-)
Going to the Old Town is the opportunity watch ( and sketch) people resting, walking, listen to street performancers ,..
The sketches are done in plain paper notebook ( Donau river in aquarell Moleskine) with Lamy fountain pen and VanGogh watercolors )

Go to the nature

2008-05-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

Long ago
I forgot how can be pleasant
simply go to the nature
sit and look at the river
listen to song of birds....

Done in plainpaper sketchbook with pen and wc pencils

A Perfect Day

2008-04-13T12:46:00.000-07:00

Spring is finally here ! Not by calendar, wheather is a king !

Daffodil Day / Deň narcisov 2008

2008-04-10T12:10:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow you can again (like each year in the beginnig of April) meet collectors from Cancer Society (Liga proti rakovine) on the streets of Slovakia towns. It will be 12th Daffodil Day here in Slovakia.Young people, students and scouts will be exchanging small yellow badge in shape of daffodil against small voluntary contribution in favour of oncologic patients.
Blogged in 2006 and 2007.
Zajtra opäť (tak ako každý rok začiatkom apríla) môžete stretnúť mladých ľudí dobrovoľníkov, ktorí Vás oslovia v mene Ligy proti rakovine s prosbou o podporu boja proti rakovine a pomoc ľuďom, ktorých táto choroba postihla. Za Váš dobrovoľný príspevok dostanete malý odznak v podobe malého žltého kvietka narcisu. Zajtra je totiž už 12. Deň narcisov , čo je asi najznámejšia verejná finančná zbierka na Slovensku.Minulý rok sa aj vďaka Vám podarilo vyzbierať neuveriteľných 20.678.712,- Sk! Dúfam. že ich ani tento rok neobídete.
Deň narcisov na tomto blogu v roku 2006 a 2007 .
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*This daffodil is linocut printed on hand made "silk" paper from Tibet , 12 x 10 cm.
*Tento narcis je linoryt na ručne robenom "hodvábnom" strašne jemnom papieri z Tibetu, tlačené ručne na kuchynskej linke s pomocou polievkovej lyžice, veľkosť 12 x 10 cm.

Chinese New Year

2008-02-06T17:53:00.001-08:00

Today, on February 7th, is beginning the Year of the Earth Rat , the first in the next astrological cycle.
Chinese New Year is one of the oldest and most celebrated traditions in the world. Chinese calendar runs on a 12-month cycle, each of them has name after the animal derived from Chinese folklore as a method for naming the years. According to legend, thousands of years ago Buddha called all the animals to a meeting telling them he would make the first twelve animals arriving associated with a year, creating the signs of the Asian Zodiac. The animals follow one another in an established order and are repeated every twelve years - rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. Each animal has particular characteristics and people born in a certain year are believed to take on these characteristics.

The rat is a highly respected animal in Chinese culture (unlike its western image), to rat was given first place in the zodiac and declared to represent new beginnings and keen intelligence. Those born under this sign are alert and persevering. They save and work hard for things they most desire.

*
In the Year of the Rat , we can expect 12 months of plentiful opportunities and prospects not to mention being relatively free of turbulence, (which is great to know especially if you're planning on making some long-term investments, starting new projects, or keeping the home fires burning brightly). This is a time of hard work, activity, and renewal. This is a good year to begin a new job, get married, launch a product or make a fresh start. Ventures begun now may not yield fast returns, but opportunities will come for people who are well prepared and resourceful. The best way for you to succeed is to be patient, let things develop slowly, and make the most of every opening you can find.
A good, calm year for the RABBIT, No surprises, no big problems, but not as fruitful as he wishes either. Progress will be steady as no serious opposition is foreseen in his work or home areas. A time to make plans for the future or buy property.
May you have longevity, prosperity and wealth .
*
(Linocut colored with watercolor and watercolor pencils )

Illustration Friday - Tales and Legends 2 - Man In Black

2008-01-29T15:50:00.001-08:00

On the building of Old Town Hall complex, right next to a Gothic bay window, you can see a picture of the man in black who is mentioned in one of the oldest stories - about a widow and a false oath.

Every Wednesday , people used to come to the town hall court with their complaints to seek justice. Once a widow stated that her husband´s field had been robbed by one of the municipal lords who was sitting in the room. He replied that the woman is mad and pulled out a document with a seal which confirmed that the field was his. "The document can´t be right! " screamed the desperate widow. "Let the Municipal Lord swear that he is telling the truth ! " He did so, and added, " If it is a false oath, let me be punished justly." Then the whole house shook and became smoky, from the smoke appeared a devil, he threw the liar over his shoulder, and before he disappeared with his booty touched the Town Hall wall with his black hand, and left for ever pressed into it picture of the lying Municipal Lord. Or his own , who knows it exactly today?
And here it is Devil/man in black , done in watercolor and Lamy ink pen on WN CotmanNOT/cold pressed 300 gsm watercolor paper

Illustration Friday - Tales and Legends 1 - Joker Posmievačik

2008-01-29T15:18:00.000-08:00

There is only a few cities in the world which has so many tales and legends still living among people, like Bratislava. Many of these found their artistic realisation in fountains, pictures or statues.
*
In the niche of Neoclassical house (on Panská street 29) is a small mid-nineteenth century statue of a crouching boy laughing malevolently to which has stuck the nickname Posmievačik (Joker)
The Joker is linked with a story about a beautiful girl living in Pressburg (former name of Bratislava) who could not decide between two admirers. As a result of her quandary, she said that she would marry the suitor who could build a house more rapidly. (Clever girl , isn´t true ?) Both masters started to build houses on sites standing opposite each other. The winner got the bride. In a niche on the front of his house the Joker sat to mock his neighbour for his loss. However,some city inhabitants say that the statue is only boy who wanted to see a coronation procession, so much, that he peered over from his potty where he was sitting. Others say that the boy is looking at flood waters to see if they have started to fall. Finallu, according to some, he is showing sailors the way to the previous location of the red-light district - the Vydrica.
Who knows it today ? It´s a tales and legends all about.

The Joker is done with watercolors (Yarka White Nights) and Lamy pen at WN Water Colour 300 gsm Cotman NOT/cold pressed paper

17th World Wide Sketch Crawl / Bratislava, Slovakia

2008-01-19T09:32:00.000-08:00

Today was a day for 17th WWSC. Here in Bratislava was terrible weather, it was foggy, rainy and windy. Despite of this I spent two and half hour in Old Town sketching down some maybe interesting objects.In my art goals for 2008 standing : depicting of 12 views of Bratislava here in my blog. There are a plenty of interesting buildings, statues, fountains here . On sketches you can see Ganymede´s fountain right at front of the Slovak National Theatre building, funny statue of Papparazzo and brave soldier (all are friends of Čumil and Schoene Naci ) , with short break for hot tea with view to a Old Town Hall with Roland and his fountain,now covered for winter time).Drawings are done in normal HB pencil and watercolor pencils , sorry for weak scans .

Illustration Friday - Stitch

2008-01-17T14:16:00.000-08:00

Done in watercolor pencils Koh-I-Noor Mondeluz on Tillia watercolor paper 250 g

...gone

2008-01-15T02:08:00.000-08:00

This is how I feel last 3 months...completely burnt out.

Happy New Year

2008-01-01T12:49:00.000-08:00

To each of you, each member of EDM group and each visitor of my blog , thank you for your supportive comments and permanent inspiration.

Let your year 2008 be CREATIVE & HAPPY !

BIB 2007

2007-10-04T14:32:00.000-07:00

Each two years in early autumn time I am looking forward to most prestigious contest in the children's illustrations' world which is held here, in Bratislava, Slovakia. The title of this contest is “Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava”, with the official abbreviation “BIB” and the particular year added.
The Biennial of Illustration Bratislava (BIB) is an international juried exhibition of originals of illustrations made for children's and juvenile books. The BIB International Jury awards the following prestigious awards: GRAND PRIX BIB, BIB GOLDEN APPLES, BIB PLAQUES, and a HONORARY MENTION TO A PUBLISHING HOUSE. An award of the Biennial's highest award gives an artist the right and opportunity to mount an individual exhibition of his/her own book-illustration works at the next year of the BIB. During particular BIB years, winners of H. C. Andersen Award and NOMA CONCOURS Award (the UNESCO Asian Center in Tokyo, Japan) holders have a separate group exhibition in Bratislava. And it is feast for eyes not only for children.

The winner of the Grand Prix in this year´s BIB 2007 is Einar Turkowski from Germany :

You can find the works of the other winners here.

*
Ticket to exhibition looks like this - with illustration of Slovak artist Jana Kiselová-Siteková :

The Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic, Slovak Commission for UNESCO, and BIBIANA, International House of Art for Children are the principal organizers of the contest.
The participation of artists in the BIB is provided for through and administered by national IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) Sections in individual countries. Only in the event that no national IBBY Section works in the country where an artist lives/works, those interested may file their applications with publishing houses, artists’ associations etc. and ask for their cooperation. As well, independent individual applications may be submitted in such cases, too.
The next BIB 2009 this GrandPrix will be yours , maybe .

Autumn haiku - Congrats to Elizabeth

2007-09-25T00:24:00.001-07:00

Today's is Elizabeth Perry's 1000th consequtive posting of sketches and drawings over at her blog Woolgathering and as part of her online celebration, I am posting my autumn haiku. Congratulations Elizabeth and we are looking for the next 1000 !

autumn wind
colourfull leaves gently
sweeping through garden

Coming down with flu

2007-09-24T13:57:00.000-07:00

Rocks and gravel - Zen garden

2007-09-07T17:02:00.000-07:00

An exercise in rock and gravel textures for Kate's online class. I must say it was a great fun.

17 x 24 cm, watercolors on Rubens 220g paper

EDM #135: Draw a salad (Shopska salata)

2007-09-05T14:23:00.000-07:00

This drawings is in my sketchbook from last summer holiday in Bulgaria .
Cuisine of Bulgaria is a special subject. Because of its geographical position and long history Bulgarian cuisine is a mixture between the best parts of the Slavonic, Greek and Turkish cuisines. This country is one of the world leaders in number of long-livers. And the reason of such high life interval is first of all a healthy food. Bulgarian cuisine is quite heavily centred on salads, which are varied and tasty.In every restaurant in Bulgaria the first thing you will notice on the salad menu is Shopska salad which is Bulgaria’s most famous salad. It is named after the Shoppi, or natives of Sofia (the capital of Bulgaria). This salad is perfect in the summertime, when all the ingredients are freshly picked from the garden, but it is tasty and easy to make the whole year-round. It was my favourite meal during hot day.

Shopska salata is nothing more than diced tomatoes, cucumber and grated cheese (rather like Greekfeta) . Bulgarians have their own white cheese, Sirene . Sometimes is added baked and peeled pepper and onion,too. Salt, vinegar, oil to taste . Top with black olive. Enjoy !

Drawings is done in watercolor and inkpen in my sketchbook

Schoener Náci

2007-09-04T15:57:00.001-07:00

You already know there are several goofy statues here in Bratislava , each of them has their unique story. Not far (maybe 40 steps) from Čumil you can pass by the another statue . It is well known Schoener Naci (here is the photo with my daughter).The Schoener Naci was a man who lived in Bratislava in the early 20th century, when Bratislava was called Pressburg. He was a poor, polite and always smartly dressed ( in worn out tail-coat, polished shoes , a top hat and noble white glows ) man who wandered around the Old Town during the day.They said to have become mad as a result of an unhappy love and therefore he daily for almost four decades walked the city with stick in one hand and a donated packet from some coffee and cake room in the other hand (It was rather effective advertisement!) He was ready to help everyone who asked and he was gallant to women he met on his route..."Kiss your hands" was his greatings to nice woman ! His real name was Ignac Lamar. "Naci" is the nickname for Ignac and "Schoene(r)" is the German word for "handsome".
It is not coincidence I mention it , because his remnants coming back after 40 years to Bratislava on last Sunday, where there was several hundreds people saying good bye to him !

The statue itself is work of sculptor Juraj Meliš and was several times badly damaged by English "stag" parties. Drawings is done with Lamy pen and watercolor pencils

Coronation ceremony

2007-09-01T14:17:00.000-07:00

Bratislava became a coronation city of Hungarian kings in times when Hungary lost its Coronation status due war with Turks. Old Bratislava became a meeting point of kingdoms, seats of kings and archbishops. In the St. Martin Cathedral in the years 1563 – 1830 10 kings, one ruling queen, and eight kings’ wives were crowned. The only ruling queen crowned was Maria Teresa from house of Habsburgs, she was crowned on the 25^th September 1563. The last coronation which took place in the city was on the September 1830 and it was Ferdinand V.

Nowadays traditions of coronations in Bratislava comes to life every year in the first weekend of September. Celebration processions through the streets but also night tournaments, puppet theatre shows, belly dancers and fire eaters offer an opportunity for fun in the streets of the old town. It is one of the biggest cultural events in Slovakia and helps to understand the historical coronation ceremony of Hungarian kings. According to historical documents in the Cathedral of St. Martin the ceremony of coronation itself is displayed written, during which the king is baptized and receives a coronation insignias: St Stephens Crown, sword, robe an apple and the staff. Then in the streets of the town the next parts of the ceremony take place: the knights of the golden spurs are knighted, an oath is given to the country, and the king rides up the coronation hill where he blesses all major compass points. In the framework of the coronation ceremony the representative of other king towns come to greet the king, workshops present their crafts, instead of water there is wine in the fountain, knights tournaments take place and a folk banquet takes place where there is offered roasted bull.

Today started 5th Coronation Ceremony of the Hungarian Queen Anna Tirol, wife of King Matthew II., crowned on the 25th of March 1613 in Bratislava. Despite of bad wheather it was spectacular performance. Ceremony was for the first time on main square , for the first time in Latin language and it last more than 1 hour !

King´s route from St.Martin Cathedral through the old town is marked .

Drawings done in daily sketchbook with Lamy pen and portable WN Cotman watercolor

Thailand seascape

2007-08-30T12:23:00.001-07:00

Today is a grey, rainy day here and my thoughts are rovering along the beaches of sunny and hot Thailand. You are looking on my last week´s homework from Cathy´s class about creating textures in watercolor (btw. her book is really awesome !) .Here you can see scraping with toothpick, scratching with sharp blade knife, splattering with water and with paint, and salt , too. This last one is not too much to see, because it was a fine sea salt- you can see results on right side between sea water and sand . It is not easy depict water texture .

Kate´s class - Foliage

2007-08-27T15:21:00.000-07:00

This picture is an last week exercise for class of Cathy Johnson .I don´t know , I still have tendency add some pen drawings there.

EDM #131: Draw a spray bottle

2007-08-21T11:52:00.001-07:00

Done in Lamy Safari pen with Caran d´Ache Blue Night ink and sepia watercolor in daily sketchbook (not watercolor paper )

Two castles

2007-08-18T14:26:00.001-07:00

I am taking wonderful watercolor class (of wonderful Cathy Johnson , why not you ? ) and for this ocassion here is coming time for better watercolors for me. On eBay I was succesful bidder for Winsor Newton watercolor Sketcher´s Pocket Box ( inside with 12 halfpanes of Cotman WC and neat retractable brush). It is so small I can take it really everywhere with me. So this sketch I made in my daily sketchbook from city beach on bank of river Dunaj. It was really quick and with this small pocket you are not a center of view for people all around.Of course, first I need to know these colors, but I am very satisfied with it.
Bratislava´s castle is done in Lamy pen and WN watercolors in my (no branding) sketchbook Here is another castle, this is castle hill in Alanya (Turkey) taken from Cleopatra beach, sketch from last holiday . Besides some scanner troubles ( no blue sea or sky) you can see that for example green is quite different from WinsonNewton . This sketch was done in Koh-I-Noor watercolor and Lamy pen.

Happy months

2007-08-02T11:09:00.000-07:00

It is a long ago I last updated my blog. Even not updating, I still create, draw, paint or make a photo each day.Only this posting.... :-( Let´s say I take a blog holiday.
But these months was so exciting that some of the events must be mentioned.

For example gigantic monstrousus concert of the rock legend, music band GENESIS. This group started 40 years ago and now, after 15 still years, they are on stage again. Present new world tour „Turn It On Again“ are going through twelve European countries (starts from Helsinki to Rome) and I think from September people from USA and Canada can enjoy their music.
The concert in Prague was performed on Sazka ARENA 20th June 2007. Tony Banks, Phil Collins , Mike Rutherford, Chester Thompson and Daryl Steurmer was perfect on gigantic stage in front of 25 000 people standing here . The drawings I did are drawings as seen from two megascreens , I was standing maybe 70 meters far from stage.The colors are finished later at home.

During these two months I became happy winner !!! Normally I have no luck but this is so special I named it "East meets West" right here , in Bratislava. On the photo you can see two small parcels, one from free Moleskinerie giveaway (contains lovely ruled notebook Moleskine ), second one right from fabulous printmaker David Bull (contains small print "Fuji from Edo Castle" ). Both of these sites are definitelly worth of seeing and bookmarking !!

And holiday, of course. This year in Alanya,Turkey again. I made small travel sketchbook , for this moment I will publish only two pages , the rest next time.

Illustration Friday - Cars

2007-05-29T15:12:00.001-07:00

Illustration Friday theme for this week was set to "Cars". There are probably thousands of various possible ideas, but for me thinking about cars this week always ends on island Malta, at memories on yellow buses I met and used .
Public bus transport on island Malta is an experience itself ! There are about 250 buses working on route transport throughout the island every day. And each one seems to be older than other ones, you can see it here. They are old several decades and delightful, now are painted all in white-orange-yellow. The main bus terminal is in Valletta , on place with huge "Triton" water fountain. Bus fare is cheap, you can buy tickets right from bus driver. But be prepare for hot bumpy and usually very crowded ride. The doors are always opened ( natural aircondition ? ) and very often jump in men from outside to check your ticket and again jump out.When you want to stop , you simply pull the cord across whole bus, thus ring the bell on the ceiling above driver. Buses are frequent and you can travel easily all around the island. Newer buses are ,of course, gradually being introduced but these pieces of history somewhat belongs to old Malta , they are a symbol for Malta and nobody really wants to do without them. I like it !
Old FORD EBY 537 done in smal Moleskine with watercolor , watercolor pencil , later with ink.

Nice guys packs their bones

2007-05-24T13:26:00.001-07:00

This is one from the last dinosaur skeletons in shopping mall Aupark in Bratislava. Exhibition (I report about it 2nd of May) ends 20 of May and now is everything in process packing to boxes and moving to new place for exhibition.
This quick sketch is done in ink-liner and watercolors.

Queen in Bratislava

2007-05-24T12:47:00.001-07:00

	Queen Beatrix, the first Dutch monarch to visit present-day Slovakia, arrived in Bratislava on Monday when starts a three-day state visit of our country. She met briefly on Monday with President of Slovakia Mr.Gašparovič and with Prime minister. But, as you see (on official photos SITA press agency) she cannot miss another important person - Čumil :-)

You can met Her Majesty Queen Beatrix on streets of Old City of Bratislava in Tuesday. I think the biggest joy was between japanese tourists - it seems like competition of who make the best and most photoshoots per second :-) . By the way , she is absolutely cute old lady in hat, with broad smile on her face. I think a lot of time if I could post this picture from my daily sketchbook. OK, my apologies to peoples of Netherland , but here it is . You donˇt meet Queen everyday, don´t you ?
Done with ink-liner 0.3 Kooh-I-Nor and watercolor.

Čumil

2007-05-22T05:37:00.000-07:00

Done in small moleskine with Faber-Castel watercolor pencils and waterbrush.

There are several goofy statues here in Bratislava , each of them has their unique story. On the corner of streets Rybárska brána , Panská and Laurinská streets you can see man sticking his head out of a manhole. Meet Čumil . Author of this bronze statue is Viktor Hulík and here is from 26th Jul 1997 . From this time is one of the most photographed "citizen " of Bratislava because Bratislavians and tourists love him. Children love to abuse him by sitting on his head, adults love make photo with him or simply touch him for luck.

Great discussion have taken place as to what actually the man is up to..was he a sewer worker during the Second World War and had hid below ground to escape the bombs. With the war over, he’d climbed back out, thus explaining the satisfied grin on his face ? Or that Čumil was a guerrilla leader fighting against the Soviets ?

NO !

A close look at the statue reveals that instead of a helmet, a cap with a strap covers the head. It means Čumil is a normal boy observing beautiful girls (maybe up their skirts , who knows ) passing by, as Bratislava is also famous for an unusually high rate of beautiful girls per square kilometre.

Btw. Čumil is word from noun "čumieť" in Slovak language , in English it means man who is gazing, man who stare at something .

14th World Wide Sketchcrawl / Noc muzei a galerii

2007-05-20T00:44:00.000-07:00

Today was a 14th Sketchcrawl Day and Night of Museums and Galeries , when you have all day free admit entry to all museums and galeries up to midnight. There was a plenty of exhibition, so no mater how, you can´t visit every thing. But I am sure now I will visit more frequently because there is plenty of ideas for drawings ( look for example excellent blog of Elizabeth Perry ) and there will be less people than today .
So, some exhibitions about nature of Slovakia...
...some about history of Slovakia......some about art (actually about baroque art in the Middle Europe ) ...
..some sketchbooks too :-) And evening Artsy Saturday - visit a new muzical , in this case
"The Three Musketeers "

Lotos

2007-05-20T00:34:00.001-07:00

This lotos seed pod is sitting on my shelf for awhile that I don´t know from which place I bring it, probably from Thailand. It is really so grey and old and dry , like on the picture. That´s it why is so interesting .
Done in sepia ink and watercolor .

Hommage á Teri C

2007-05-17T14:07:00.000-07:00

This is my small tiny Haworthia, placed on sunny kitchen window, preparing itself for blooming, I think. I got this small flower 2 months ago and only now I found courage to draw it . This small white "hairs" on "leaves" , they make me crazy ! The drawing is equally small like plant. And is dedicated to TeriC , which drawings of Cacti are so beautiful !
Done on Canson Esquise 90g paper with watercolor pencils.

Daily doodles

2007-05-17T13:54:00.000-07:00

Daily sketches in my small sketchbook. Salmon bagel is done with inkliner and color markers on salmon bagel´s bag , now I am not sure it was a good idea. Memory stick is done with watercolors, inkliner is applicated afterward.

It´s a season now

2007-05-14T14:40:00.000-07:00

Asparagus, ‘the queen of vegetables’, is highly prized for its delicate taste. The asparagus season usually runs from 1 May to 21 June, so now it is the right time for enjoy it.

Asparagus, a member of the lily family, originated in the eastern Mediterranean and Asia Minor , wild and cultivated varieties were popular with Greeks and Romans in the first century AD . Due delicate flavour and diuretic properties asparagus has been used as a culinary vegetable. The shoots are usually boiled or steamed and served with sauce hollandaise, melted butter or olive oil and Parmesan cheese . I like it grilled over charcoal grill , wrapped in slice of bacon.

Asparagus contains more folic acid than any other vegetable. Asparagus is also low in calories, no fat, no cholesterol, very low on sodium, but rich in fibre, potassium, thiamine, vitamins A, C, and B6, and glutathione, which is a powerful antioxidant. One of the richest sources of rutin, a drug which strengthens capillary walls. If you have never tried asparagus before, you should try it , you know : It´s a season now !

Drawing done in watercolor and ink-liner inside daily sketchbook.

435 years old

2007-05-13T12:05:00.000-07:00

There are more than 100 water fountains here in Bratislava. The oldest is Roland Fountain (sometimes referred to as Maximilian Fountain ; in Slovak language Rolandova or Maximiliánova fontána) , located on Main Square. It belongs to the most famous fountain of Bratislava as well is known as a popular meeting point.

Its construction was ordered by Maximilian II Habsburg , the first Hungarian King crowned in Bratislava in 1563, to provide a public water supply in case of future fires because after his coronation was a big fire which ravaged the town. The fountain was built in 1572 in Austrian workshop of stonecutter Andreas Luttringer from Deutsch Altenburg. Diameter of the fountain basin is 9 m, pillar has 10.5 m and on the top is standing statue of knight in armor . It could be Roland, knight known as the protector of the city, yet the man atop the fountain is actually Maximillian II. Fountain´s current appearance is probably far from the original look, since it was modified and rebuilt several times. However its popularity remains unaltered and around this fountain are centred many legends.

Roland stands on his place, with his face turned towards the town hall. Once a year, precisely at the midnight at New Year Eve, he turns and bows in the direction of the former town hall, honoring the twelve councillors who in the past gave their lives in order to save the town.
He is also rumoured to come to life on Good Friday. On this occasion, in broad daylight he moves from his pedestal and woves his sword, Durandal, in all four directions, so that the town can feel that it still enjoys his protection. However, he can be seen only by a born and bred citizen of Bratislava, with a pure heart, who has never harmed anyone.
The Roland is done in watercolors and watercolor pencils in small watercolour moleskine

Illustration Friday - Citrus (again)

2007-05-12T14:41:00.000-07:00

Today I want to try something new , something I didn´t try until now. My inspiration came from Belinda Del Pesco Fine Art Blog (from November 2006 ) and has name collograph print.
Collographs are made by assembling a collage on a substrate, inking the surface, and printing from the inked & wiped face of the collage. This was my idea , of course it was the first time I try something like that so maybe results are not so satisfied like it could be . I have not printing ink , so I made print with use of black acrylic color. I "print" it with small tea spoon :-) . The picture itself is tiny 43 mm x 12o mm , is "printed" on aquarell paper and is colored with watercolours. I must say that probably no one recognize what is on the picture (that´s why I add a photo what it could be ) but it was definitely a fun ! I will repeat this more time ! Try it , too !

Illustration Friday - Citrus

2007-05-11T13:18:00.000-07:00

Done with inkliner and watercolors in daily sketchbook

Long weekend in Prague

2007-05-10T14:28:00.000-07:00

There was a several free days here in Slovakia which I spent in my favourite town , Prague , capitol of Czech republic. This city has always full hand of things to see , to hear , to visit , to taste. This time my visit was so "artsy" , I visit performance of several musicals ( dark Excalibur , monstrous Golem , crazy Láska je láska ) . I try make some sketch there , but actors was so quick and dynamic , that I finally had only pictures of several pieces on the stage :-) So , in my sketchbook is picture of official banner of muzical Excalibur , done in pen and watercolor.
One of the place, I always don´t forget to visit, is lovely little tearoom "U zeleného čaje" . Great variety of tea from all over the world, good for snacks too. When you seat here over the cup of smelling tea , you can see exactly the same picture of shop´s windows like past several hundred years. The nearest is in my sketchbook now, done in color pencil.

Greatest joy waits for me.. I find the shop where sells Moleskine notebooks . Now, I am proud owner of small watercolor Moleskine, too . I have to test it, of course, so first sketch is done in pen and watercolor on place Kampa , under the Charles bridge.
And they sell not only Moleskines, actually it is a bookshop, probably the biggest in Central Europe , Palác knih . And right there I met one of my favourite writer , Mr. Robert Fulghum . Mr.Fulghum wrote new book What On Earth Have I Done ? and here was book signing (I am not sure this is right meaning - simply he signed new books )

I must mention visiting old Prague castle , famous Cathedral of St.Vit,...and so on. You must visit Prague , you feel history on each square meter there. And because , human body need food not only for soul , there was some pub visits during these days ,too :-) . Do you know famous Czech beers ?

Gumball 3000 (finish) in Bratislava

2007-05-03T16:16:00.000-07:00

Today´s entry in my blog was planned quite another way....First time in history of Slovakia was route of rallye Gumball 3000 crossed through borders of Slovakia and checkpoint was right on the Hviezdoslavovo square.
Gumball 3000 this year means 7 days, 17 countries , 3000 miles (4800 km ).It starts 29. april in London and through Amsterdam,Frankfurt, Istanbul, Thessaloniki, Athens, Tirana,Dubrovnik would come to Bratislava, later to Berlin and back to London.
Today´s entry was planned be full of drawings of nice cars , but ...I wait for several hours on checkpoint but no cars occurs until midnight. And it seems that Gumball 3000 finish its 2007 route here in Bratislava.

Issued by Maximillion Cooper on behalf of The Gumball 3000 Rally - 21.30 / 03 May 2007. : Following our earlier release reporting yesterday’s accident - As a sign of respect we have decided that this year's Gumball 3000 Rally will not travel any further and will end in Bratislava this evening, May 3rd 2007.
As the organisers of the rally we feel that it should be stopped as a mark of respect to Vladimir Cepulyoski who died today after an accident involving one the participating drivers.
We are very saddened by what has happened and feel that it would be wrong to continue. On behalf of Gumball 3000, we once again extend our deepest sympathies to his family and we are doing everything we can for them.
This is the first time anything like this has happened in 9 years of travelling through over 40 countries with 1000's of drivers and it is with deep regret that I make this announcement.

This is picture of bridge SNP over river Dunaj in Bratislava, on top of pillars is rotating Restaurant UFO , where tonight party was planned.

Dinosaurs from Patagonia

2007-05-02T12:18:00.000-07:00

One of the most important in South America, THE EGIDIO FERUGLIA PALAEONTOLOGICAL MUSEUM , Trelew, Argentina (thanks for the link, Martin) prepared unique exhibition "Dinosaurs from Patagonia". This touring exhibition is now installed in one of shopping malls in Bratislava , in Aupark. It is really fascinating to see this enormous dinosaur skeletons which lived some tens of millions of years ago.
Done in ink liner Centropen and watercolors in daily sketchbook.

EDM#116 : Draw something green

2007-05-01T01:40:00.001-07:00

Done with watercolor and watercolor pencils. Believe me, in reality it is more greenish , it seems my scanner is blind for green .Second picture "green" is from past , yesil is green in turkish. This is a manner, I try to learn and remember foreign language on my vacation holiday place.
Done in watercolor and liners.

Happy birthday Miška

2007-04-30T11:58:00.000-07:00

Today my clever daughter is 16.
All the best to you, Miška !
This is real "personalized" post stamp !

Deň narcisov - Daffodil Day

2007-04-13T13:53:00.000-07:00

Today was a Daffodil Day in Slovakia. It was 11th year from 1997 when collectors from Cancer Society (Liga proti rakovine) are exchanging small yellow badge in shape of daffodil against small voluntary contribution in favour of oncologic patients.
* This daffodil is done in ink roller Centropen and watercolor pencil in my daily sketchbook.

Dnes už po jedenásty krát sa na Slovensku konala verejná finančná zbierka na podporu mimovládnej organizácie Liga proti rakovine Slovenskej republiky. Táto organizácia ako jediná medzinárodne uznávaná organizácia riadi na Slovensku program boja proti rakovine spoločne s VAMI všetkými. Minulý rok sa v rámci kampane Deň narcisov vyzbieralo 18.373.517 Sk. Táto suma umožnila podporiť mnohé regionálne projekty, psychosociálnu starostlivosť, klinický výskum a informačné programy zamerané na prevenciu, starostlivosť a poradenstvo.

Illustration Friday - Green

2007-04-12T03:30:00.000-07:00

Done in watercolor pencils .

Happy Easter 2007

2007-04-10T13:38:00.000-07:00

Short trip to Egypt

2007-03-13T00:54:00.000-07:00

* new Blogger :-(

2007-02-01T02:40:00.001-08:00

it seems not working :-(

*new blogger from now

2007-02-01T02:40:00.000-08:00

Sunday Evening in Old Town

2006-12-10T13:46:00.000-08:00

Start of the Christmas season

2006-12-03T10:27:00.000-08:00

For most Christians, the Christmas season begins on the Sunday closest to November 30th...the Feast Day of Saint Andrew, one of the Twelve Apostles. This Sunday is known as the First Day of Advent.Because the day it begins changes from year to year, so does the length of each Advent season. This year, Advent begins today.
Advent has probably been observed since the fourth century.The word "advent" is Latin for "coming towards" ("ad" meaning "towards" and "ven" or "vent" being the core of the Latin verb "veno," which means "to come"). In this context, Advent refers to the coming of Jesus Christ on Christmas Day. Even as the Christmas season has become more secular -with advertisers urging holiday gift-givers to buy and buy some more - Advent still brings joy and the observance of ancient customs.The four Sundays of advent are often traditionally celebrated with four candles with one to be lit each Sunday. Each candle has a specific meaning associated with different aspects of the Advent story. The first one almost always symbolizes expectant hope sometimes associated with prophecy. The others are organized around as a way to unfold the story and direct attention to the celebrations and worship in the season, such as Peace, Love, Joy. A fifth, white or gold, candle -- called a "Christ Candle" -- is often lit in the center on Christmas Day or used to replace the wreath altogether.
According to old German tradition, on the first Sunday of Advent, the children should write their Christmas letter to the Christ Child. Accompanied by Angels, it is Christkindl...the Christ Child...who will bring the Christmas tree, together with all the good things to be found both on and beneath it.Hmm, but question is, to whom I should write my Christmas letter ? :-)

Illustration Friday - Invention

2006-11-28T14:29:00.000-08:00

When you say invention , the first person I would have in my mind like probably the best inventor has name Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519). He is best remembered as the painter of the Mona Lisa (1503-1506) and The Last Supper (1495) . But he's almost equally famous for his astonishing multiplicity of talents, he is celebrated as the inventor of extraordinary machines and mechanical devices that entered our culture several centuries after his death : he dabbled in architecture, sculpture, engineering, geology, hydraulics and the military arts, all with success, and in his spare time doodled parachutes and flying machines that resembled inventions of the 19th and 20th centuries. Unfortunately, many of his scientific projects were never completed. He recorded his technical notes and sketches in numerous notebooks. After Leonardo's death, Francesco Melzi, his favourite student, brought many of his manuscripts and drawings back to Italy. In fact, Leonardo's manuscripts are today nothing like the way they appeared and were grouped together during his lifetime. Pompeo Leoni, a sculptor at the court of the King of Spain, split up the original manuscripts, cut and pasted pages and created two separate collections.
One is now called the "Codex Atlanticus". This Codex, kept in the Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan, today consists of twelve leather-bound volumes, comprising 1,119 supports which gather together pages of different sizes, contains some of Leonardo's most famous drawings and notes.

There is a my contribution to this week theme , done in sepia ink and with watercolor pencil.
In Leonardo’s day, systems for working at a deep level underwater were already being studied. Leonardo devised a leather diving suit. Cane hoses fixed together by leather joints enabled the diver to breathe through intake/outake valve. Steel spirals were inserted into the joints so as to prevent them from being crushed by the pressure of the water. The tubes used for breathing stuck out of the water and were held in place and protected by a dedicated cork floating device which served as a buoy. Leonardo also came up with webbed gloves and flippers which are very similar to the flippers now used by frogmen.
*
This photo is from summer 2006 exhibition in Slovak National Museum - Leonardo Da Vinci -curious genius , which was based right on "Codex Atlanticus" (exactly on 68 pages only and 21 models) . It is european project of itinerant exhibition in cooperation with Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy and various cultural institutes and UNESCO. It is worth of visiting it !
*
Leonardo wrote in Italian using a special kind of shorthand that he invented himself. People who study his notebooks have long been puzzled by something else, however. He usually used "mirror writing", starting at the right side of the page and moving to the left. Only when he was writing something intended for other people did he write in the normal direction.This practice contributed to his discoveries and observations remaining unread and undisseminated for centuries after his death.

Illustration Friday - Smoke

2006-11-05T13:28:00.000-08:00

The topic at Illustration Friday this week is 'smoke'.

Watercolor and woodless color pencil Progresso (both Koh-I-Noor).

Autumn is here - Grid project

2006-10-08T13:04:00.000-07:00

Today was a wonderful sunny day. Inspired by Nina and Renate (they originally inspired by Patty ) I decided to take part in "grid challenge", too. Here it is , my autumn memories from today !
Watercolor & inkpen on Terra 250 g/m2 paper 148x210mm

Illustration Friday - Quiet

2006-09-29T13:30:00.000-07:00

This week's topic is Quiet. There are several sketches in my sketchbook which I think are related to this topic.

The first one has origin in Turkey, namely in Alanya, last year. This is old cemetery , right in the middle of the town. Next behind this wall is busy, really crowded beach, but here was divine silence. It was something I was suprised by - this quiet. You can feel it there and I feel it each time I see this picture. There was nothing, only tombs, sun-dried grass, me and quiet.
What is interesting, too, you can see different tombstones used for gender , man and woman. Done in watercolors and watercolors pencils.

Next picture depicted a small pond, somewhere in Slovakia, Tomky, Záhorie. I was on the way to my client when suddenly before my eyes was opened this view .That week, I remember, was very quick and busy, so when I see this view I was overhelmed by peace and quiet of this place. I stopped the car, take out my watercolor kit and made this quick sketch. I am sure I could not find this place today again, but this quiet stay for me in this sketch forever.

The third picture is from Thailand. It was so : When you are on the beach you are target of beach dwellers sellings various things. If you think that if you buy something and it is over - you are wrong! Like flies have some right direction to the pot of honey, these unsuccesfull (until yet) dwellers find way directly to you. I know they are poor and I don´t want be rude, but I know ,too, I cannot save the whole world. So there was some moment I found some thai newspapers you cannot read any word there and found this picture, start drawing it and there was curious thing - they sit around in semicircle and waiting in quiet until I finished . There was something strange, I am no artist who easy draw between unrelated people, but here ... there was no problem, I was concentrated on this picture. By the way, from this moment they don´t disturb me with selling (they want to see my drawings :-) )

Prague again

2006-09-24T16:14:00.000-07:00

Last week including weekend was so busy , so I am back in Prague. There are pictures depicted several "house signs" on Nerudova street.It is for this moment my excuse for EDM challenge "store", because these signs were often signs of shops located in this house , or family names, or something similar.

Prague weekend

2006-09-21T15:18:00.000-07:00

The summer is quite over , so where can I spent last summer weekend ? I am sure I told you sometimes somewhere in this blog : I love Prague. If you will have this possibility , please don´t miss it. Prague is lovely town, especially Old town- but not only there. Your eyes can see this (view to a Prague Castle over the river Vltava) :
Or something like this ( view from Carl´s bridge) :

Or this , in better quality , of course . This is sketch of Carl´s Bridge from opposite site , from Malá Strana , done in watercolor and inkpen.
Buildings on Malá Strana are interesting , too. You can feel history from each and every corner.

From my sketchblock :
This sketch is memory of visiting Dan Landa muzical "Tajemstvi" (Mystery) , which is dark story about curse of family, about love and hate,about paralell quests from past and present, muzical full of knights and werevolves, about mystery game, with dynamic muzic and good artists. And with surprising end.
For afternoon tea (but not only tea) I recommend visit to a probably the best Prague tearoom "U zeleného čaje" ( "At Green Tea") on Nerudova street. Here, in haze of fragrant tea you forget tourist crowded streets outside. As you can see on my jasmin tea picture, you can draw , too.

Last but not least.EDMC #84- Draw a bread. This is a quick sketch from old Czech pub "U provaznice" done with inkpen and PITT pen.

Illustration Friday - farm

2006-09-12T16:50:00.000-07:00

My contribution to Illustration Friday´s topic of this week "farm". Here is depicted salaš , place where in Slovakia on hill´s meadows was sheeps and cattle for long period of the year, in english probably sheep-cote. Shepherd´s hut , this small wooden house, has name koliba. Shepherds (valasi) and boss (bača) not only take care for sheeps (favourite meal of bears and wolves) but in next door sheep´s chees diary make a various products from sheep´s milk, mostly bryndza , which is a special type of soft sheep cheese, absolutly necessary for slovak national meal Bryndzové halušky (some type of potato gnocchi) ! Fabulous is oštiepok, hard sheep cheese, dry smoked .
It was hard work,but adventure & romantic in one. When I was 5 years old, I run away from home because I want to be a bača :-)

The picture is pen&ink, watercolor pencils and watercolors.

Theatrical masks from Myra

2006-09-02T15:37:00.000-07:00

In this post I return to Myra, ancient town of Lycia (now in Turkey). As you know from previous post, the facade of the Roman amphitheatre in Myra was richly decorated with theatrical masks and mythological scenes.Now it is in ruins and everywhere around are lying stones with faces, most of them not damaged, very artistic and nice.

Back from the Land of Half-Moon

2006-08-31T07:57:00.000-07:00

The last two summer weeks we usually spent in Turkey, on so called Turkish Riviera on the coast of Mediterranean Sea .This year in Kemer , which was formerly small town, now seaside resort .One of the major attractions of Kemer is it´s natural beauty.
The clean sea, forests and the Taurus mountains combine here in harmony.But more, the area around is full of ancient cities and archeologicals points of interests. So, you can imagine, there was no time for boring on my holiday.

As a very favourite part of my holiday is a tasting of turkish cuisine. I must admit, there is no meal you could not give thumbs up . Gözleme is a savory Turkish pastry made by rolling dough with a thin roller and repeatedly folding it. It is filled, and browned in a pan.

Next pictures are from sunken city of Kekova, an ancient town, which was destroyed by an earthquake during the second century A.D. You can see see parts of houses through glass bottoms of boats . Very impressive !

Next town I visited, Myra, was one of the six most important cities of ancient Lycia and eventually was made the capital of the Roman province of Lycia. As a result of Arab raids, earthquakes, and the flooding of the Myrros stream, the city became largely abandoned.The ruins of Myra consist of an impressive necropolis and adjacent well preserved Roman theatre and are located at about 1.5 km north of present day Kale - Demre. The Roman theatre is large with 35 consecutive rows of seats. The facade of the amphitheatre was richly decorated with theatrical masks and mythological scenes. To the west of the theatre the steep cliff is honeycombed with closely packed tombs, most of them of the Lycian house-type.
In early Christian times, Myra was the metropolis of Lycia. The town is traditionally associated with Saint Paul, who changed ships in its harbor. Saint Nicholas of Myra was a bishop of Myra in the 4th century, he had a reputation for secret gift-giving, but is now commonly known as Santa Claus. The earliest church of St. Nicholas at Myra was built in the 6th century.

In 1863 Czar Alexander II of Russia bought the building and started to have it restored, but the work was never finished. In 1963 the eastern and southern sides of the church was excavated, in 1968 the former burial of St. Nicholas was roofed over. The floor of the church is made of opus sectile, a mosaic of coloured marble, and there are some remains of wall-paintings. A Greek marble sarcophagus had been reused to bury the Saint, but his bones were stolen in 1087 by merchants from Bari, and now held in the cathedral of that city.

Karpuzkaldiran Waterfall , is approx. 40 meters high and the water gushes down onto the massive rocks with great force.This waterfall is located in Antalya, near Lara.Don´t worry, there was still plenty of time for sea and sun, and for some drawings, too. Despite of bomb attacks in near Antalya and annoying Russian tourists in hotel, it was fun-tastic time again.

EDM#76 : Fresh flowers

2006-08-13T11:48:00.000-07:00

Today we spent a day at parents of my friend and right there , on the sunny backyard of their house I found a plant-pot with blooming pomegranate (Punica granatum ). I was suprised how many blossoms was on this small tree. Did you know that pomegranate is native to southwest Asia (mostly Iran) and alongside the grape and the fig has a position of importance ? It is mentioned in Bible, by the Prophet Muhammad and in Greek mythology. Pomegranates are a symbol of fertility because of their many seeds, yet of death because of the vivid blood red of the pulp.In the development of European iconography, the pomegranate developed into the Orb that a monarch holds at coronation.
One pomegranate delivers 40% of an adult's daily vitamin C requirement. It is also a rich source of folic acid and of antioxidants.In several human clinical trials, the juice of the pomegranate has been found effective in reducing several heart risk factors, to reduce systolic blood pressure and juice has also been shown to be effective against certain cancers such as prostate cancer.The juice can also be used as an antiseptic when applied to cuts. Be aware , pomegranate juice stains clothing permanently unless washed with bleach ,therefore is used for natural dyeing of non-synthetic fabrics. The pomegranate also gave its name to the hand grenade from its shape and size (and the resemblance of a pomegranate's seeds to a grenade's fragments).More interesting you can read here or here.

So , my first picture is done with watercolor pencils and waterbrush pen only, the second one is done with markers.

________________

This orchid is example that you don´t need a special conditions for culture orchids. You only need "the green fingers " of my friend´s mother :-)

On this plant is 21 flowers , no greenhouse , common window in common bedroom.

Holiday in Telč

2006-08-07T14:44:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I spent in lovely town Telč , in Czech republic.This town in the South of the Českomoravská Vrchovina (Bohemian-Moravian Highlands) contains a castle and a long urban triangular plaza with well-conserved Renaissance houses with gables and arcades. The towns origins date back to 1099, since 1992 has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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The plaza has so distinctive atmosphere (as you can see) for painting and drawing , unfortunately most of the time was bad weather , was raining cats and dogs.

Holidays in Telč is a summer 14-day music festival and presentation of music groups supplemented with theater and movie performances. Strong evidence of growing popularity is the fact that the festival enters its 22th year of existence and is attended by approximately 20.000 visitors every year. And despite falling water from the sky there was plenty of people willing to see theater performance and (fortunately in shielded space of cellar ) concert of folk group KOA - that was a highlight of the evening for me !

How I said , most of the time was rainy , so I made only quick sketches in my daily sketchblock. Sketching in concert was opposite , more- less (more more than less ) blind contour :-) No, not really , but imagine...drawing in full crowded semi dark room .

EDM#74 : Clouds

2006-08-01T13:51:00.000-07:00

View from 10 km elevation . These clouds was like hills of cotton candy.

Bulgaria, Nessebar

2006-07-14T13:38:00.000-07:00

So , I am back from my vacation, which we spent in Bulgaria, on the coast of Black Sea.Primary, we was on Sunny Beach(Slnečné pobrežie), but the very first day there was so big waves (this year´s up-side-down weather! ) , that there was still a red flag and swimming was no allowed. Fortunatelly, right opposite the beach is a small rocky peninsula and a lovely town on it :
That was very good idea, because that was not only interesting, it became literally "a feast for me and my sketchbook". This old town is ancient city of Nessebar, one of the oldest towns in Europe.
The more than 3,000-year-old site of Nessebar was originally a Thracian settlement (Menebria). At the beginning of the 6th century B.C., the city became a Greek colony. The city's remains, which date mostly from the Hellenistic period, include the acropolis, a temple of Apollo, an agora and a wall from the Thracian fortifications. Among other monuments, the Stara Mitropolia Basilica and the fortress date from the Middle Ages, when this was one of the most important Byzantine towns on the west coast of the Black Sea. .
The peninsula itself is not a big, you can walk around in about 30 minutes. But hey, what a treasures ! There is about 9 churches or remains of churches . On this quick sketch her is church of St. Johan Aliturgetos . It starts like watercolor sketch, but there was so hot, that paints dry almost immediately.

Oh, I found some fire hydrant :-) and fulfill my promise from EDM 66 :
Wooden houses built in the 19th century are typical of the Black Sea architecture of the period.

Nessebar´s abundance of historic buildings prompted UNESCO to inscribe Nesebar on its list of World Heritage Sites in 1983.

* Sorry

2006-07-01T13:50:00.000-07:00

I am on holiday trip up to 14.July .

EDM#73 : Mailbox

2006-06-30T11:56:00.000-07:00

mail·box :
1. A public container for deposit of outgoing mail. Also called postbox.
2. A private box for incoming mail. Also called letterbox.
3. A computer file or set of files for the collection and storage of e-mail.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

This is not my own private mailbox, because mine is not interesting in any way. This one is very simply, very "boxy" , old , used and rusty, but still functional. From my point of view - it is the most romantic mailbox I´ve ever seen.

You can find it on the beach Flic en Flac (depicted below in these small photos), located on the west coast of island Mauritius. When I saw it for the first time, it was interesting. For the second time I cannot resist to make picture of it.

3in1: Trip to Macocha

2006-06-26T14:24:00.000-07:00

The third day we visit abyss Macocha.
Abyss Macocha is a huge doline, which is 138,7 m deep, with fascinating ground dimensions: 174 by 76 m.
The name of the abyss has its origin from a legend:
In the village of Vilemovice once lived a widower with his son. He married a second time and his little son got a step mother.
In time, the woman gave birth to her own child and wanted to get rid of the stepson. She asked him to join her in collecting the fruits of the forest. As they came close to the very edge of the abyss, the woman threw her stepson down into the depth.
However, the boy was spared from death by being caught on extending tree branches. Wood cutters, working nearby, heard the desperate cries, and saved the boy. Upon hearing the tales of the wood cutters, the village people of Vilemovice threw the step mother over the abyss.
Since that day the abyss has been called Macocha, the Czech word for stepmother.
This doline is part of the cave system Punkevní Jeskyně. The tour shows the abyss from the ground.
The visitors walk through mighty underground spaces and corridors decorated with stalactites and stalagmites. The foot walk is followed by a motor boat ride along the Punkva underground river. The ride includes the visit to the Masaryk Cave, one of the most beautiful caves of the Moravian Karst.

3in1: Trip to Karlštejn

2006-06-26T14:12:00.000-07:00

The second day was dedicated to Karlštejn castle , which is situated in the Central Bohemia cca 40 kilometers from Prague.This High Gothic castle (founded in 1348) is the most visited and the most famous castle of the Czech Republic. It was built by Czech King and Roman Emperor Charles IV as a place for safekeeping of the royal treasures, especially Charles's collection of holy relics and the coronation jewels of the Roman Empire.

This is a detail of an ancient gate to the castle.You can smell a breath of history.
Entirely unique is the original decoration of wall paintings dating back to the 14th century, collection of 129 panel paintings by Master Theodoric in the Chapel of the Holy Cross (the world largest if its kind), the largest portrait gallery of Czech rulers in the country, exhibited replica of St. Wenceslas crown - the coronation crown of the Czech Kings as well as the unique castle well.
From my sketchbook (in the castle is forbidden taking a photography) you can see wooden statue of St.Nicholaus made personally by Charles IV with lead glass behind, rare vase from emperor´s private bedroom , or drawing of replica Czech crown,original is pure gold with gems and pearls and with torn from Jesus´s crown, weight is about 2.5 kg. Replica is from gold coated silver , but it is still gorgeous view.

You can see panoramatic view of several halls and rooms in this castle , look for symbol of eye on this web site

3in1: Trip to Prague

2006-06-26T13:59:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we spent in Czech republic,that is a reason why 3in1 title. First day right in the capital city, in Prague. I must say I love Prague, especially Old town with it´s nostalgic atmosphere , Prague is full of interesting views and details .And if you want to draw.... :-) A must for me is always stop at the Clockhouse Tower :
As you see , it is still working, each hour doors are opened and you can see 12 apostols marching. Your next steps can go through Old town to Karl´s Bridge over river Vltava, where you can see stunning view to Hradčany . I try a quick sketch :
Another popular place is Venceslav´s Square , where is National museum . Aim for me this time was exhibition "Hundreds years with the silk ".

This exhibition show unique collection (from China National museum) of silk , from the oldest fragments of silk fabrics (dated b.c.) up to modern times.Very interesting !

EDM#69 : Favourite beverage - Shaken,not stirred

2006-06-04T13:39:00.000-07:00

I am a big fan of James Bond films and books and I cannot leave unused the oportunity to draw some of favourite drink :-) :

The ingredients and method to prepare Bond's martini was invented by him and first requested in Ian Fleming's novel Casino Royale (1953). After just meeting his good friend Felix Leiter for the first time, Bond orders the drink from a barman while at the casino Royale-les-Eaux.

"'A dry martini,' he said. 'One. In a deep champagne goblet.'
'Oui, monsieur.'
'Just a moment. Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?'
'Certainly monsieur.' The barman seemed pleased with the idea.
'Gosh, that's certainly a drink,' said Leiter.
Bond laughed. 'When I'm . . . er . . . concentrating,' he explained, 'I never have more than one drink before dinner. But I do like that one to be large and very strong and very cold, and very well-made. I hate small portions of anything, particularly when they taste bad. This drink's my own invention. I'm going to patent it when I think of a good name.'"
(Casino Royale, Chapter 7: Rouge et Noir)

This is the only instance where Ian Fleming's Bond orders his martini with both vodka and gin; it is later referred to as a "Vesper," named after the Bond girl, Vesper Lynd. Throughout Fleming's adventures Bond appears to prefer vodka martinis, but also drinks regular gin martinis. In total Bond orders 19 vodka martinis and 16 gin martinis throughout Fleming's novels and short stories .
The film adaptation of Casino Royale (Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Caterina Murino) is in production phase now and you can see it in cinemas November 17 ,2006 .

Note: For me this was good practice in watercolour to depict shiny metal surface, transparent and semitransparent objects.
And no , I don´t know taste of this cocktail :-)

Sioux tagged me ! 5 things

2006-05-15T14:11:00.000-07:00

I’ve been tagged by Sioux to write five things in my refrigerator, car and closet. I must admit , I was a little confused, who on this world will be interested in content of my fridge, huh ?. I am a ordinary man, so I have nothing special...But, OK , for this fun I make it.

So, here it is.

5 things in my refrigerator , beside standard things ,yoghurts ,cheeses and vegetables :
- mustards ...you can find there 8 various kinds of mustards at this moment , ... Hot english, barbecue , honey mustard, wasabi, ....I simply love it. I love cooking, grilling, etc. So it belong to it,isn´t it ?
- Thai ingredients for cooking , sweet chilli sauce, fish sauce,satay sauce,plum sauce,coconut milk....because ...did I say you that I love cooking ?
- coffee , ground bean coffee, Guatemala Grand Cru , 100% mild arabica in bio quality in air tight container...I preserve coffee in fridge , I think it will stay fresh for longer time
- salami, for this moment 3 various types there , because... I am not a vegetarian
-a few glasses of yummy pickle young corn ears , hand made by my sister

5 things in my car :
- a small canister with 6l of fuel..for the case I or somebody will need it.
-a startin´ cables...for the case ...you know it :-)
- a small re-chargable battery light
- map of Bratislava and Slovakia, because I need it to my work
- small plush mouse from my daughter (because her diminutive name you can read like ´small mouse´)

5 things in my closet :
- suitcase ( in fact 3) , ready for next holiday or trip
- coats, jackets and winter coats.....thank God it is spring now !
- sweaters in tight vacuumsealed bags
- boxes of summer things ( snorkels, twins, hats,..) and boxes with winter things ( hats, gloves..)
- rechargeable vacuum cleaner , ready for use

Enough for me, I tag Alison and Nina for fun .

EDM#66 : Fire hydrant :-) or some city mobiliar

2006-05-13T12:47:00.001-07:00

I know this is not fire hydrant :-). It seems like a good idea to draw fire hydrant . Unfortunatelly , we have not fire hydrants on the streets in our country ( especially those like you can see in american films). Our firemen bring cars with cisterns of water in case of fire. Or in public buildings are some "red box" with some hose ,but nothing spectacular.
I promise I will look for some hydrant to draw .

The alternative was to draw some city mobiliar. This is one of the lamps on Hviezdoslav Square (Hviezdoslavovo námestie ) in Bratislava ( btw.here are placed the US and German embassy in Slovakia ) , drawn today (ouch : in public , on full crowded square ) with ink pen and watercolor pencils&penbrush.
The second picture is the same location , another corner of Hviezdoslav Square , another time , done in fountain pen from windows of McD .

Illustration Friday - FAT

2006-05-13T12:23:00.000-07:00

What about a true animal star ?

Next pictures are from my "holiday " collection :-)
Everything done in watercolor pencil.

EDM#65 : Noses

2006-05-04T04:22:00.000-07:00

The topic of this EDMC was funny. Drawing "the nose" alone is quite strange , when is missing some "links" to eyes, lips, the rest of face. Each nose is unique , and sometimes drawing of the nose look other way than in reality.
My reality linked to the nose today is ...suffering . It is second week when some flowers or trees are blooming and my eyes and nose are full of tears .

EDM#64 : Sink

2006-05-02T17:54:00.000-07:00

Here it is ! Our bathroom sink.
I think I must practice more, especially on shining chrome and shadows on the white porcelain.
Done in ink pen and watercolour pencils.

EDM#63 : Nature walk find

2006-05-01T12:26:00.000-07:00

This is another my daily sketchbook´s picture from time of my holiday. Now I am glad I made it, because you can not take out shells and corals from country Egypt. This rule is not valid for these in your sketchbook :-)
Done in ink pen and watercolor pencils.

Illustration Friday - UNDER THE SEA

2006-04-30T04:27:00.000-07:00

This is picture by which I recall our snorkelling trip at the Red Sea.The green fish really exists , it was about 2m long , the name was napoleon fish.
Done in watercolor.

Happy birthday Miška !

2006-04-29T10:28:00.000-07:00

Moja fantastická a šikovná dcéra Michaela dnes oslavuje svojich 15 ! Želám jej všetko najlepšie a na budúco-týždňové prijímačky držím silno palce. Ľúbim Ťa , Miška !
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My fantastic and clever daughter Michaela has birthday today - she is now 15 years old ! I wish her all the best and especially for her next week´s entry examination for secondary school. I love you, Miška !

Look here for more

Holiday

2006-04-26T14:17:00.000-07:00

I am sorry for my absence here but for a last few days we were on holiday. We spent it in Hurghada , Egypt , here

It was very hot and we have a lot of fun, especially when I want to learn some moving on windsurf.

Egypt seems to be very one-color country (due to sand of desert) but you can find a lot of colors everywhere around you.

Illustration Friday - SPEED

2006-04-11T13:03:00.000-07:00

EDM#61 again : Draw a grouping

2006-04-09T10:11:00.000-07:00

Because I was not satisfied with my posting of EDMC No.61 (grouping) I try it again , but this time I try it a little harder for me , because I have no experiences with watercolors, no tuition or practice. So this is my stand for my pipes done in (and only) in watercolors on watercolor paper Terra. I try it really hard, for example black is mixed , not used black from pan.
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Second picture is a preparation, done with watercolor but not on regular watercolor paper - it is done in my small daily sketchbook....you can see difference !

Daffodil Day

2006-04-09T10:09:00.000-07:00

7.apríla sa na Slovensku uskutočnil Deň narcisov a to už jeho 10.ročník. Asi 13000 dobrovoľníkov vymieňalo malé žlté odznaky v tvare narcisov za dobrovoľný finančný príspevok na celonárodnú zbierku na pomoc onkologickým pacientom.
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7th of April was a Daffodil Day in Slovakia. It was 10th year from 1997 when collectors from Cancer Society (Liga proti rakovine) are exchanging small yellow badge in shape of daffodil against small voluntary contribution in favour of oncologic patients.

Bratislava - evening mood

2006-04-06T03:42:00.000-07:00

You can see bridge over the river Dunaj here in Bratislava. On the top of bridge, in this UFO plate, is located restaurant with gorgeous view to an old city and whole Bratislava. Author of this picture is my (allmost)15-years old and very clever daughter Michaela.

EDM#61 : Draw a grouping

2006-04-04T14:12:00.000-07:00

Draw 2 or more objects that are the same or similar.
OK. Let´s say : Thai fruits unknown (to me).
When I spent some days in foreign country I always try to get the most of it, get feelings, smell it, taste it. And Thailand seems to be the most colorfull country in this point of view. You can walk down the street and the vendors offers so strange fruits and vegetables you hardly know a half of it - not only by name , by taste too. So that is a case for courageous investigator and his devoted notebook.When you are later in safety of your home , it is sufficient to open the old worn sketchblock and ...voilá : tastes and smells are here again.
The drawings are done by ink pen and watercolor pencils, but paper is absolut wrong (ok- maybe for writing only), it is very soft for pencil and not suitable for water in any case (you can see it at the red rose apple)
But how can I resist so nice handbound sketchblock with hand made paper ? :-)

Illustration Friday - SPRING

2006-04-02T12:54:00.000-07:00

Today was a wonderful day. Apart from still high level of water and still present danger of flood in some areas of our country this day became warm and sunny. We spent it at house of parents of my wife, approx. 40 km to south from Bratislava.
They are both pensioners and they have a small garden where you can really see signs of coming spring. The drawing is budding leaves of Datura ( a.k.a. Angel´s Trumpet) in their garden, is done with inkpen and watercolor pencils in sketchbook.

This church you can see when you sit at the yard.It was very pleasant sit here, take a warm sunbath and enjoy a lazy sunday afternoon.

Finally, this lovely potflower was first what captivate my attention. It´s name is clivia a.k.a. Kafir Lily (Clivia miniata) and is really very nice.They own this flower several years and annually is blooming at the beginning of spring.

EDM#60 : Draw an automobile or a part of one

2006-04-02T12:48:00.000-07:00

So,here it is. The first thought I made for this challenge was some nice old car , I mean REALLY old car. But this week was so busy, so finally I ended with seat in front of our family car . It is very reliable Nissan Primera 2,2 td . And yes , it has still ads on it - each head will turn when you goes by, but hush - thieves don´t have to know it :-)
Done by watercolor pencil and pen brush in daily sketchbook.

Illustration Friday - MONSTER

2006-03-29T13:35:00.000-08:00

Monštrum: GOLEM - Veľká a neforemná kreatúra v tvare človeka vytvorená z hliny a prebudená k životu pomocou kabalistických prostriedkov je hebrejským mýtom , o ktorom sa zmieňuje talmud. Toto monštrum malo mať na čele napísané slovo "emet"(pravda) a mohlo byť zničené vymazaním písmena e na "met" (smrť).Ostatné vízie popisujú tabuľku s nápisom vloženú pod jazykom Golema. U nás poznáme skôr povestný "šém" uprostred čela Golema z filmu "Císaruv pekar,pekaruv cisar"(1951) s Janom Werichom v hlavnej úlohe.
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The GOLEM- A large bulky and somewhat featureless creature in the shape of a man that can be made of a lump of clay and brought to life by Kabbalistic means is a Hebrew myth that is mentioned in the Talmud. This monster should have "EMET" (truth) written on its forehead and it can be destroyed by erasing the letter E - leaving "MET"(death). Other visions describe a tablet with writing on it worn or placed under the tongue of Golem or in our country well-known small ball "shem" in the forehead of Golem , by film "Cisaruv pekar,pekaruv cisar "-"Emperor's Baker and the Golem /The Emperor and the Golem"(1951) with Jan Werich.

EDM#59 : Sign of Spring

2006-03-21T13:31:00.000-08:00

Som rád,že v prvý jarný deň môžem publikovať výsledok mojej interpretácie Everyday Matters Challenge č.59 - Znak jari.Zdá sa to byť ľahká téma,ale kedže tohoto roku nejako zima nechce povoliť a hoci sneh už konečne tento týždeň zmizol,odhalené igelitky alebo psie exkrementy za takéto znaky považovať nebudem.Ja som za znak nastupujúcej jari vždy považoval dve rastliny : snežienky a bahniatka. To druhé nie je rastlina, ale tuším kvety na vŕbe.Až po nich kvitne zlatý dážď (Forsythia) a moja bonsajka na balkóne (Višňa plstnatá)
Bahniatka som ešte tohoto roku nevidel.
Snežienka jarná (Galanthus nivalis)pochádza z Európy a malej Ázie, je asi 15-20 cm vysoká,rastie z cibuľky a kvitne zhruba v období február-marec.U nás je chránená, ale bežne sa pestuje i v záhradách. Je jedovatá !
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I am glad I can post my EDM#59 right the first day of the spring.It seems like a simple topic but this year is winter quite tough and snow is dissapear this week only.For me ,the signs of the spring are 2 plants : common snowdrop and flowers of willow ( exactly like here ).After that coming next forsythia and my small bonsai tree on my balcony (Cherry tree).
Common snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) origins from Europe and small Asia , is about 15-20 cm high, growing from small onion and flowering approx. February-March. Snowdrop is protected species in our country according CITES (Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora , Washington) but is commonly in our gardens , too. Snowdrop is poisonous !

Illustration Friday - TATOO

2006-03-18T06:17:00.000-08:00

Today, when almost everybody has a tatoo, it is more like sign of unification, not diversification.
Done in gel ink pen & PITT artist pen

EDM#58 : Hat or cap

2006-03-14T18:03:00.000-08:00

This is my entry for EDMC#58 : Draw a hat or cap.Because it looks quite strange on the picture I draw , you can see it on the photo , too. And is not sentimental in any way. I love wear it because even is winter now I have not DARK cap on my head .
Done in watercolor and ink.

Toto je môj príspevok pre Everyday matters challenge č.58 : Nakresli klobúk alebo čiapku. Pretože na obrázku,čo som vytvoril vyzerá prinajmenšom divne, na fotografii ju vidno aj v reále. A nie je sentimentálna. Rád ju nosím, pretože aj keď je momentálne zima, nenosím na hlave TMAVÚ čiapku.

EDM#57 : Picture frame

2006-03-13T06:25:00.000-08:00

This is actually picture which owns my friend, it is small village under the cover of snow , winter country somewhere in north of Slovakia, Kysuce.It is oil on wood and I must say it was no so easy draw it, because is quite dark - dark brown frame , dark brown picture.
My picture is done with pen&ink and watercolor.

EDM#56 : Self - portrait

2006-03-12T14:25:00.000-08:00

This is my self-portrait how I see myself in bathroom mirror .I must admit it was quite hard but I did it .
Fountain pen & sketchbook .
Btw. I don't know this face :-)

Illustration Friday - INSECT

2006-03-03T13:57:00.000-08:00

That is my picture for IF topic "Insect" It was the first what pop-up in my head about this topic ..nice Basho´s haiku .
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Did you know that there is 5500 species of dragonflies in 30 tribes ? The biggest can be 6,5-9 cm wide !
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Toto je môj obrázok pre IF tému HMYZ.To bolo to prvé,čo ma napadlo..krásna haiku od japonského básnika Bašó.
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Vedeli ste,že je známych 5500 druhov vážok v 30 čeľadiach? Tie najväčšie môže mať rozpätie krídel 6,5 - 9 cm !

Dragonfly is done in my "daily" sketchbook , background in watercolor,drawing by glass dip pen and sepia ink Ferrario .

Illustration Friday - TEA

2006-02-28T16:22:00.000-08:00

Illustration Friday - SIMPLE

2006-02-24T13:54:00.000-08:00

This is my picture for IF Simple . Done on tea stained paper with watersoluble pencils Faber-Castell , with simple one color.

What I use

2006-02-24T13:23:00.000-08:00

This is what I use when I have creative mood...nothing special: watercolor in round box Koh-I-Noor ,they are very small and good for sketching outside,but not an artist quality , brush pen (I think it is Kuretake ), small brushes , watercolor pencils Faber-Castell,mechanical pencil and common pencil,four liners Centropen 0.1,0.3,0.5 and 0.7 with colour-fast and waterproof ink and something new : Faber-Castell artist pen PITT.
Sketchblock for daily sketches (small) is common sketchbook 9.5cm x 13.5cm,actually I bought in IKEA :-) Paper wrong takes water but for fountain pen or for liners is good. The bigger sketchbook is for travel , it is made from hot pressed aquarell paper I cut for 16.5cm x 24cm and binder is from local print&copy shop.
No moleskine - you cannot buy it in our country :-)
Btw. in small sketchbook is CHAIR for Illustration Friday, in travel sketchbook again pictures from summer holiday in Turkey - banana fields in one nice valley, and Anamur Castle which is really rare with 39 towers . From one is this picture.

A sneží a sneží ...

2006-02-07T12:21:00.000-08:00

Celý deň sa sype z oblohy sneh.Ja viem, je február a je to normálne...Lenže prečo to nie je normálne aj pre tých,čo sa starajú o cesty ? Lebo jazdiť dnes po Bratislave,to teda nebol žiaden sviatok . Mám dojem,nech je zima akákoľvek,vždy to tých zodpovedných prekvapí ! Na Slovensku dnes hlásili desiatky havárií, Bratislava je zablokovaná kamiónmi. Úžasné ! V noci má začať mrznúť...

A preto je tu na porovnanie obrázok z našej poslednej dovolenky v Turecku v auguste minulého roku. Je to pláž v mestečku Gazipasa,jedna z našich obľúbených.

As a contrast to snowing presence a sketch from vacation last year.It was lovely beach in town Gazipasa, Turkey , painted by pen and watercolor in my sketchbook.

Jedinečné a famózne Tiramisu Koklesovo

2006-02-05T13:34:00.000-08:00

Tiramisu ako dezert pochádza z talianskej kuchyne, i keď nemá s "originálnou" kuchyňou nič spoločné, skôr s takou novodobejšou , pre turistov :-) Keď pozerám akékoľvek kuchárky,v každej je to o inom. Aj tak je najlepší recept tento :-).
Každý raz je trolilinku iný,pretože samozrejme to závisí od surovín. Normálne tam má byť mascarpone,ale je to jednak drahý špás a jednak je to potom moc maslové uhladeneé. Najlepšie výsledky sú s českou Lučinou,tými kockami á 100 g. Ani tá pomazánková vo vaničke nie je zlá,ale pridáva tomu takú pikantnú chuť.

Piškóty sú veľmi dôležité,trošku je problém ich zohnať.Treba dlhé,nie okrúhle. Bežne dostupné Pafino sú nanič,ale dajú sa použiť iba z núdze, vtedy,ak to spotrebuješ najneskôr do druhého dňa,potom sa beznádejne rozmočia.Najlepšie sú buď talianske,čo majú napísané Savoiardi,prípadne Lady Fingers. Dobré sú aj nemecké,či rakúske,také ružové,neviem ako sa volajú,tuším ich ale vyrába Manner.

K veci :

4 vajíčka , rozdeliť na bielka a žltky
4x100g Lučiny (Mascarpone )
4 lyžice cukru,bežného kryštál,lepšie dať 3 a 1 lyžicu medu
hrnček silnej kávy,vychladnutej
piškoty
trochu višňového likéru,nemusí byť ,prípadne mandľové Amaretto
kakao na posyp..granko,...

-Do mixéra dáš 4 žltka,cukor,prípadne med,mixuješ,pomaly pridávaš Lučinu.
Vedľa spravíš tuhý sneh zo 4 bielkov,najlepšie sa to podarí so štipkou soli
Tuhý sneh jemne vmiešaš do žĺtkovej masy.

-Na dno misy,kde to bude,kvapneš trochu višňového likéru,nemusí byť.Piškoty rychlo namočíš do kávy a poukladáš na dno.V prípade piškót Pafino naukladaj piškoty na dno suché a pomocou polievkovej lyžice ich zvlhči,inak sa rozpadnú.
na vrstvu piškót príde polovica krému a prípadne posypeš kakaom,toto nemusí byť,ale urobí to dobrú chuť.Tu sa dá použiť Granko.
Príde daľšia vrstva piškót,s kávou a na to zvyšok krému. Dáš do chladničky,aspoň 2 hodiny,najlepšie do druhého dňa. Povrch posypeš kakaom,najlepšie bežným kakaom cez jemné sitko.
Hotovo.

Dá sa to skombinovať aj s ovocím, ale to už nie je ono,má to byť jednoduché a pritom výrazné,cítiš tam kávu,kakao,višňový likér a Lučinu.

S pozdravom : nech Ti chutí

2006-02-03T15:02:00.000-08:00

EDM#52 : Draw a dog

2006-02-02T14:38:00.000-08:00

everydaymatters@yahoogroups.com / 52 - Draw a dog

Byť tak zase v teple...

2006-02-02T12:58:00.000-08:00

Dá sa pozerať na svet zle ?

2006-01-31T14:37:00.000-08:00

Najmä ak je taký celkom pekný ? :-) Toto je záber z cesty zhruba pred mesiacom lietadlom QATAR Airways smer DOHA ( a ďalej BANGKOK )niekde nad Arabským poostrovom.