This little scene is in Victoria Park, near my home in Quebec City. As it’s my favorite subject, I had to sketch it. The sign on the tall post is to let people know where the hydrant is when everything is covered in snow.
Stillman & Birn Beta (7×7 spiral)
Here it is, the middle of May, and we’re still having a hard time getting outdoors in Quebec City because of cool weather and a lot of rain. But it happened. In fact, we had a bright, hot summer day on the 16th and our little sketching group took advantage of it. We headed to an older part of the city where they have alleyways.
Alleyways provide sort of grungy views but views with lots of shapes that make for great sketching subjects. I just love them. In this scene you’ll find two large “towers.” These are actually enclosed stairways, loosely constructed but effective in keeping the snow off the stairs. They are very common in these neighborhoods. I had a lot of fun doing this one.
Stillman & Birn Beta (8×10), Pilot Falcon, DeAtramentis Document Black
When I was a kid I remember Howdy-Doody and Buffalo Bob, Captain Kangaroo, and Sheri Lewis and Lamp Chop. When my daughter was little she watched Mister Rogers and Sesame Street. Kid shows with a mix of adult and puppet characters have always been popular.
A show I never did see was very popular in Quebec and involved Bobinette, a wooden-headed puppet, and Bobino, a guy sporting a vest and bowler hat. I’d heard of Bobinette but never seen her until, because of rain (again) we were forced into the museum. A new display provided some insight into this early TV show and provided a chance to draw her. The show was called Bobino and ran from 1957 to 1985. Bobinette was Bobino’s sister. Isn’t she a doll?
Stillman & Birn Beta (8×10)
Besides yelling at the sky because of all the rain we’ve been getting (parts of Quebec are considered disaster areas because of the flooding), I’ve been struggling with arthritis in my drawing hand. The two things are related because low barometric pressure triggers my arthritic problems. Regularly I think of Babette, in Gilmore Girls as she runs down the street saying “It’s gonna rain, my ankles are never wrong” as I’m in the same boat it seems.
But I did get out one damp, cool day. It was only 7C with on/off misty rain but I was out walking and decided to do a quick drawing just to say I did. Here’s one of the side entrances to our city hall building. I hope things get on track soon so I can get out and do some real sketching.
Stillman & Birn Beta (7×7), Pilot Falcon
This crazy spring is causing us to be drawing in museums even into May and we found ourselves, once again, sketching at the hunting and fishing museum in St. Augustine, Quebec. I should consider myself lucky because many in Quebec are dealing with their houses being flooded from all the rain we’re receiving. I’m just disappointed that I can’t sketch outdoors, which pales by comparison.
I spent some time with a wolf on this day. I have to admit that I’m really getting a bad case of cabin fever and less and less in the mood to draw in museums but what’cha gonna do? Unfortunately, I think this is beginning to show in the results. Here’s the first drawing I did.
Stillman & Birn Beta (8×10), Pilot Falcon, DeAtramentis Document Black
I decided to compliment this drawing with one of a wolf skull. If you extend the back of the skull in the drawing just a bit, you’ll see a pretty decent rendition of a wolf skull. Fun thing about this is that while I was drawing I kept thinking I was drawing everything too long, when in fact, I’d drawn the back of the skull too short. Better luck next time.
