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Francophile Friday : Ode to Odette, Paris

24.7.20

Odette - Choux Pâtisserie in Paris illustration © Shell Sherree all rights reserved

Fancy shooing the blues away? These choux can do!

Today's illustration takes us armchair travelling to the 5th arrondissement in Paris, where you'll find the ever-so-charming Odette pâtisserie and salon de thé tucked into the crook of rue Galande's arm. {There's another on rue Montorgueil in the 1st, too.}

At a glance you'll be forgiven for assuming those are towers of macarons. Mais non, Odette is the home of choux, in myriad individual flavours, beautifully boxed, or when you really want to share the choux love: procure one of their tempting towers. I'm starting at the top and working my way through. Shall I order us tea for two? And on that note...

Happy Francophile Friday to you!

PS: The photographic inspiration for today's illustration is kindly thanks to Mirjam, author of Destination Paris, a story about three gals and their intertwining lives and passions in Paris. Release date September 2020, so hop on over there to stay updated! And pop on over to my online studio store to order this as a fine art print sent directly to your door. Merci, grazie, thank you!

SHOP SHELL SHERREE

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Francophile Friday : Paris Window No.9 - Cat in the Flat

31.1.20

Paris Window No.9 with Black Cat - Paris art illustration © Shell Sherree all rights reserved

Paris Window No.9 with Black Cat - Paris art illustration © Shell Sherree all rights reserved

How much is that kitty in the window? Priceless, I'd say.

Today's Paris illustration sees a little black cat in a flat, but not wearing a hat. That said, I wouldn't mind seeing what she does with an elegant chapeau. Perhaps next week in that direction we'll go. And on that note ...

Happy Francophile Friday to you!

SHOP SHELL SHERREE

::: Original artworks, fine art prints, illustrated leopard silk scarves :::

~ UNCOMMON ART for a BEAUTIFUL LIFE ~

Paris art * Venice art * Animal art * Fashion art * Ballet art

Furry Friends Friday : If You Can't Lick 'Em

15.3.19

Labrador Lavender Ice-Cream Love dog illustration © Shell Sherree all rights reserved

Labrador Lavender Gelato Love dog illustration © Shell Sherree all rights reserved

Never let life's letdowns lick you.

A golden labrador on the other hand? One of the best things ever! And on that note ...

Happy Furry Friends Friday to you!

PS: When you book a custom illustration for your favourite animal lover, you're embarking on an experience that's unique and special: a gift they will treasure furever. Choose which option suits best here or please get in touch with me directly for something tailored to you. Thank you!

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Furry Friends Friday illustration : Lattes of Love Puppuccino

28.9.18

Lattes of Love Puppuccino illustration © Shell Sherree all rights reserved

Lattes of Love Puppuccino dog illustration © Shell Sherree all rights reserved

One lick or two?

Today's illustration of a cute labrador slipping a cheeky tongue into this unintentional puppuccino is brought to you with lattes of love. As are my posts. I hope they keep putting a smile on your dial! And on that note ...

Happy Furry Friends Friday to you!

PSST ~ yes, you: Looking for a unique and personal artwork gift for that special someone who makes your heart sing? Christmas will be here before we know it ~ please get in touch with your ideas by reply email if you're a VIP subscriber receiving this post in the comfort of your inbox or by clicking here and I'll confirm pricing tailored to your brief. Not sure where to start? Fret not, I'll take care of all the ideas for you! Let's talk ...

SHOP SHELL SHERREE

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Fluffy Friday Illustration : Kitty Cat High Tea

16.3.18

Kitty Cat High Tea Fashion and Fluffballs illustration © Shell Sherree

Kitty Cat High Tea Fashion and Fluffballs illustration © Shell Sherree

When it comes to high tea, this definition is unlikely to be in the dictionary.

In today's fashion and fluffballs illustration, a chandelier becomes a tempting trapeze in the eyes of these kitties. Cupcakes are clearly to be toyed with ~ and if you can juggle your fine bone china on your knees, you're bound to please. And on that note ...

Happy Fluffy Friday to you !

Francophile Friday: Pain et Chocolat

21.9.12

Illustration of Pain & Chocolat, Paris, by Shell-Sherree: ink & watercolour

Another weekend: another Paris pastry crawl. Whoever said one can have too much of a good thing must surely have been one baguette short of a picnic. Thanks to dear Genie for the inspiration for today's illustration. She'll be sitting in one of those chairs very soon. According to Genie's reconnaissance, the lovely hubby and wife team who own Pain & Chocolat do the baking and serving themselves, and lap blankets are provided in the cooler months. {That's lap blankets, not lap dances, but perhaps if asked nicely...} While my thoughts can turn to putting away the winter woollies, I have deferred to the seasonal lead of Paris in choosing our attire for today. But lest we take ourselves too seriously, I'd love to team it with this. And this. Could any day not be made brighter by a skateboarding pug? And on that note...

Happy Francophile Friday to you!

Pain et Chocolat
16, avenue la Motte Picquet
75007, Paris

PS: September is Save the Koala Month. You can find out more by clicking here... thank you.

Francophile Friday: Macarons Take a Stand

11.5.12

ink pen & watercolour illustration, 7" x 8.75" [18 x 22.5cm] BROWSE PRINTS

Boulangeries and pâtisseries are regulars on the illustration playlist Chez Shell, offering up their wicked, sometimes-flaky, oft-pastel, always-sugary wiles within. And it occurred to me that I've been leaving their interiors to your {beautifully qualified} imaginations for far too long. Today, a lone plate of macarons is utterly insufficient. I present you with two tiers {inspired by this}. Make a wish and they refill automatically. In light of that, we might need to free ourselves from the puritanical sensibility of belts. {Make another wish and the hemline adjusts to your preferred length automatically.} And on that note...

Happy Francophile Friday to you!

Francophile Friday: Merry Macarons to You

23.12.11

ink & watercolour illustration, 7" x 8.75" [18 x 22.5cm] BROWSE PRINTS

A valiant effort, though I haven't quite covered the partridge, turtle doves, calling birds and I don't think these little feathered friends would pass for French hens, either. But I have a feeling you'll excuse me for trading five golden rings for this tower of raspberry macarons {if you close your eyes and make a wish, yours will turn into whatever flavour you fancy}. Thank you, dear Virginia of Paris Through My Lens, for the lavish inspiration provided by you and Printemps in Paris. I've decided to call this style Bacchanalian-chinoiserie. Could we be daring enough to wear this while we indulge? And when the last crumb has gone, we can visit animal refuges to make donations and give out cuddles. {To give just by clicking your mouse, no money required, please pop over here. Often.}

Wishing you a Christmas filled with love and laughter with those who make your heart sing and your spirit tap dance. And on that note...

Happy Francophile Friday to you!

Tea for Tuesday: On Wings of Teacups

22.11.11

ink & watercolour illustration, 7" x 8.75" [18 x 22.5cm] BROWSE PRINTS

Surprise! I'm back already, with a large pot of ginger tea brewing left of stage. Which is entirely different from left of centre. Or so I'm told. I took this inspiration on a flight of fancy by replacing the perfectly functional handles with golden winged ones. Somewhat cumbersome to drink with, but worth it for elevation of the Fetchingness Factor. Please, take your cupcake at your leisure and I'll pour when ready. No tea party would be complete without some music. Ella prefers her namesake's rendition, though the Muppets come a close second. Stop me now. And on that note...

Happy Tea for Tuesday to you!

Francophile Friday: Macarons Stripe You Lucky

7.10.11

ink & watercolour illustration, 7" x 8.75" [18 x 22.5cm] ACQUIRE PRINTS

Firstly, I must apologise. My hand-engraved invitation to Hugh to announce the winners of my giveaway went astray. Never hire a chicken to do a carrier pigeon's job. As a result, there's no opening number ~ no singing and dancing or sailing in on a highwire {the latter is probably for the better, given he's a bit accident-prone when airborne}. But perhaps I can distract you from your disappointment with some macarons and tea. And this picture of Ella wearing the hat we used to draw the names.

Without further ado, here are the winners of my Paris postcard sets, in reverse alphabetical order to keep us on our ballet pointes: Susan Campisi, Pop Culture Nerd, Petrea Burchard, Ms M, mise, the GyPsY, Favourite Vintage Finds, Cafe Pasadena, altadenahiker.

Felicitations and congratulations to those who ~~bribed Ella best~~ had their luckiest vibes on! Please contact me via shellsherree[!at]gmail.com to advise/confirm your address, and I'll have your postcards on their way ~ enjoy!

Thank you so much for your lovely comments and friendship. As the sun sets on my 3rd blogoversary celebrations, I shall be taking a little break to recharge my blogging batteries. But first, please stay a while. We shall graze on this bottomless plate of macarons and drink from these bottomless striped teacups, or those bottomless rose-coloured glasses, filled with your beverage of choice. And on that note...

Happy Francophile Friday to you. À bientôt!

PS: As a valued reader of my blog, you have until 15th October to receive 20% off all items in my store. Simply enter the discount coupon code 3RDBLOG during the checkout process.

Francophile Friday: Scooter to a Tea

24.6.11

ink & watercolour illustration, 7" x 8.75" [18 x 22.5cm] ACQUIRE PRINTS

This weekend, we're taking a tea leaf from Hugh's book. Our kitty mascot is leading the pastel scootercade through Paris to this beautiful salon de thé. Merci and hugs to sweet Genie of Paris and Beyond for the magnificent inspiration. I usually prefer a half-strength latte when I'm out and about {it's a slippery slope down the caffeine precipice from there}, but I'll happily take a refreshing pot of tea when it involves meeting up with friends somewhere as pretty as this. I'm thinking darjeeling with organic rose petals and pieces of vanilla bean, hand-cut by a Tibetan monk. If you're after something of a more medicinal nature, you might procure a glass of red at the same establishment. The choice is yours. And on that note...

Happy Francophile Friday to you!

The Doo-the-Macaron-ron-ron...

17.8.10

ink & watercolour illustration, 7" x 8.75" [18 x 22.5cm]

This is me in my kitchen. My real kitchen doesn't have those curtains, or a mixmaster, or a mouse. Or me looking as tall as that, but it's my drawing and I can stretch myself if I want to. I don't have pierced ears, but I do have an oven, a tea towel, freckles and a fringe, and I did bake my very first batch of macarons on the weekend. Hoorah! They are pale pink with dark chocolate ganache filling, and while far from perfect, have a delicate crisp shell and lightly chewy texture ~ and aren't too shabby at all. No, they don't come out of the oven ready-assembled, but ~ well, I don't really need to explain it again, do I.

The kettle's boiling {"One lump or two with your déjà vu?"} so here's your white damask napkin and I'll assemble the mismatched Limoges...

Friday Fleurish: A Spot of Tea, Petal?

1.1.10

A spot of rose tea seems a gentle way to ease into the New Year. I have to admit, I love it more for the pretty visual it creates than the flavour ~ pouring just-boiled water over several pink rosebuds in a delicate porcelain cup and watching the petals drift and eddy is very relaxing. I don't recommend drinking this one, as it's all rose petals, no tea, but it's a sweet addition to the table. May your cup this year runneth over with beauty, love and la dolce vita...

Happy Friday Fleurish to you!

The Legend of the Lamington

24.11.09

Much speculation surrounds the origins of the humble Lamington. The story I love most involves a Frenchman. {Of course.} Yes, just as we've observed in the past, the French find their way into the most surprising and seemingly innocuous of things, including a sweet treat that's considered to be an iconic Australian food. The most romantic of the legends {or so I think} starts in the grand old household of Lord and Lady Lamington, residents for a time of Old Government House, just down the road from this, and overlooking the Brisbane River and the old City Botanic Gardens. According to the official website for Old Government House {newly restored and one of Brisbane's sandstone beauties}, "Lord Lamington was the ninth governor of Queensland and it was his French chef at Old Government House, Armand Galland, who first thought to coat cubes of stale sponge cake in melted chocolate and then dip it in coconut, a touch thought to be inspired by his Tahitian wife, when unexpected visitors arrived in 1901."

If you want to make some of your own from scratch, you could try the more traditional version here, or a modern take by Gourmet Traveller here. {Australian measures used throughout.}

Old Government House has its own Tea Room based in the 1872 kitchen and spreading to the shady central courtyard of this gorgeous old sandstone building, where you can take High Tea and other refreshments, including lamingtons made to the original recipe. {"Original" according to this legend, at least.}

Bon Appetit!

Francophile Friday Fleurish: Pencilled In

11.9.09

I was sitting down to paint something for you when I became sidetracked by an email from iconic French saddle shop-turned-fashion house, Hermès. First, the illustration in the email gave me a chuckle. Then I realised it was a while since I'd soaked up the whimsical drawings on their website, so with the aid of a magical cyberspace carpet ride {in the guise of a link in their email}, off I flew and fell in love with Alice Charbin's work all over again. I wanted to show it to you in case you hadn't seen it yet. Alice is the children's book illustrator who created those charming drawings ~ absolutely my cup of tea. What a dream job that would have been. From the little I could find out about her, she lives in Paris with her hubby and several children {and most probably at least one puppy and kitty}. But of course.

Anyway, her work reminded me that way back when, I worked a lot in pencil and watercolour rather than ink and watercolour. And it reminded me of how the pencil imparts a softness that I love and will use more often. I did a little pencil and watercolour doodle and decided what the heck, I'd show it to you, since my other drawing was no further advanced. {That's a teensy koala in the teacup - one of my favourite animals and way too vulnerable. You can find out more about these Australian treasures here.} I added some flowers for the sake of the Fleurish. So ~ happy Friday Fleurish/Francophile Friday to you!

Francophile Friday: Macarons of Brisbane

21.8.09

Bonjour! It's Francophile Friday and this afternoon, I'll be eating macarons for afternoon tea. Here in Brisbane? Mais oui, that is correct! I'm so happy, so happy, happy, happy! Yes, I'm doing my happy dance because I discovered there's a French couple creating macarons almost on my doorstep! Yes - the genuine ones like those of Ladurée and Pierre Hermé in Paris - a delicate, crisp shell that yields to a chewy yet tender alchemy of almond meal, egg whites and whatever else makes it so bewitching.

Thierry and Sylvie Serplet moved to Brisbane with their children 18 months ago for the lifestyle, and decided to set up a bakery. They sell directly from their Twist'n'Roll premises in Rocklea, a tiny 20 minutes drive from my place. They also sell online, at the markets on weekends, and through several of the most chic and upmarket delis and pâtisseries around town. {You can find out where on their website.} They bake other niceties too, but frankly, I haven't torn my eyes off the macarons long enough to look at anything else. I've only met Thierry, who is shy, kind and ever so helpful - and looked quite chuffed when I asked him to add a "framboise" {raspberry} macaron to my selection. You can tell from this lovely bit of local press here that his wife Sylvie is a honey too.

This afternoon, I may even read a few pages from my French copy of Agatha Christie's 'The Mysterious Affair at Styles' while I munch on my violet macaron. Actually, it's lavande - lavender - with cream filling. I'm still deciding on my favourite. I figure it will take a lot of macarons to make such a decision...

"Crumbs. Did anyone deliver the cakes?"

30.5.09

Marie Antoinette might not have been the first to utter those immortal-yet-possibly-fallaciously-attributed-words, “Let them eat cake.” It seems there is a trifling issue with the timeline. In the 1760s, when political philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau quoted “a great princess” as saying it, Marie Antoinette was still young enough to be making mud pies and playing with toy tea sets ... and at least a year or two away from marrying.

Oh, fiddle-dee-dee. It sounds far more appropriate coming from her than some lesser known Duchess elsewhere in Europe. And it adds to scenes like these in Sofia Coppola’s movie.

I thought it was a very generous thing to say when I first heard it, having interpreted it as, “Peasants: the cake’s on me.” It could actually have been a PR exercise that went horribly wrong in the execution process. Is it a coincidence that it's so easy to lose one's head in the pâtisseries of Paris? I think not...

Brunches Inc.

19.4.09

Autumn outside. If you live up north, Spring outside. Either way, it's a gorgeous time for brunch. Maybe a table set out in the garden. Or a rooftop garden. Or just a rooftop, if you're a bit eccentric and like living dangerously. Why not!

A worn, frayed linen sheet serving as a tablecloth. Perhaps some little old-fashioned milk bottles or jam jars filled with casual handfuls of greenery and flowers plucked from the garden or the local farmers markets. Buttermilk pancakes with caramelised peaches, a little chunk of real, dripping honeycomb and cream. Lots of cream. Teapots covered in funny hand-knitted cosies. Family. Friends. Who's at the top of your invite list? Excuse me while I put the kettle on.

Fairy Cake Detox Diet

14.4.09

Fairy cakes. That's my philosophy on how to start a gradual detox after Easter. Rather than risk sending the body into some kind of vegetable juice imposed shock, detox gradually via fairy cakes, cupcakes, patty cakes... these contain an ideal ratio of plain cake to sugar-rush content for this purpose.

One of my favourite places for such a detox is the Shingle Inn. This franchise started in the 1930s in Edward St in Brisbane city and was popular with not just the locals, but also American service personnel in WWII. {I hope that doesn't make their cakes high GI?} The fair ladies of the city also went there {wearing gloves, I'm sure} and as they became mothers and grandmothers, took their children along and created generations of fond memories of heavy silver tea and coffee pots, imitation gas light fittings, mock-Tudor timber panelling and booths, and some the best cakes to be found in the city.

Sadly, the original icon was dismantled in 2002 to make way for Queens Plaza. I'm so glad I drew it before then. Everything was photographed, tagged and stored with the intention of rebuilding it as it was, but to date, that hasn't happened. Disappointing as that is, there are a number of newer Shingle Inns around the city and suburbs, and though they'll never replace the original, they do know how to do lovely teas.

Save Your Wedgwood

20.1.09

Jasper Conran's 'Chinoiserie' design for Wedgwood isn't all white but I'd be tempted to break my 'all white dinner ware' inclination for a few feature pieces of it. Or bend it slightly, at least.

My rendition shows the green Chinoiserie but it's also available in a white body with coloured pattern. If I were to succumb, I'd likely go for a few key pieces in the patterned white and work them in with my white self-patterned Strawberry & Vine dinner service. (It's upwards of 14 years old now and it has witnessed more nights of food, friends and fun than I can begin to count. It is worth everything I paid for it and more.)

If you like it, buy some now. Sadly, it looks like some of Waterford Wedgwood's UK and Irish subsidiaries (at least) succumbed to the downturn and went into administration on 5th January 2009 . But hopefully buyers can be found to save this iconic company that was founded in 1759! Its quality and beauty will be sadly missed at dinner parties and High Teas if not.

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