Sketching Quebec’s Aquarium

Posted on August 9, 2014 by Larry Marshall

I was supposed to meet sketching buddy Fernande at the Nouvelle-France festival but she wrote to say that it was supposed to rain and that maybe it would be better to go to the aquarium. I said ok, that I’d meet her there but that I bet it wouldn’t rain.

It rained. I was wrong – again. At least I’m consistent. When I arrived it was raining and Fernande had not yet arrived. I went to the main aquarium building sat in the corner of the foyer and sketched an outdoor scene through the window. One of the really great things about our aquarium is that there is a lot to sketch outdoors when weather permits and an equal amount of stuff to sketch indoors if it rains, even if you don’t think it will.

Stillman & Birn Beta (6x8), Pilot Falcon, Platinum Carbon Black

Stillman & Birn Beta (6×8), Pilot Falcon, Platinum Carbon Black

Once Fernande arrived we started wandering indoors, looking for sketching opportunities. Unfortunately, we chose the same day to visit as a convoy of school buses full of kids. The place was packed, prohibiting us from being able to sketch without being trampled. After a while we decided that eating lunch was the solution. And so we did.

Moleskine watercolor notebook (3x5), Pilot Falcon, Platinum Carbon Black

Moleskine watercolor notebook (3×5), Pilot Falcon, Platinum Carbon Black

In this case the virtue of patience was rewarded. The school buses packed up, the crowds thinned out, and we found something to sketch.

By this time, though, I was getting tired so I chose a small subject – a seahorse.

We’re heading back Monday for another session.

There’s Always Time To Sketch

Posted on July 27, 2014 by Larry Marshall

Today was the date for an annual gathering of portrait people at a Trait Carré gallery. This is a nice area on the north side of Charlebourg and north of where I live. I hopped on a bus to head there, knowing that it was likely that it would rain. And sure enough, no more than a minute after I got off the bus, the rain started to fall, and fall, and fall.

I put on my rain gear and like the silly sketcher that I am, I was still hopeful that I’d meet a bunch of other likewise crazy people and that we’d sketch together. Did I mention that the event was to be outside? I’m slow on the uptake but it didn’t take long for me to figure out that we weren’t going to be sketching outdoors on this day. I think the street turning into a river gave it away. So, I wandered back to the bus stop, thinking that I’d just grab the next bus and head home.

I wouldn’t even be writing this except for the comment I heard yesterday…and the day before that…and the day before that…and… So many people “want” to sketch but instead they say, “I’d love to sketch but I’m so busy I just don’t have time.” or some iteration of that sentiment. “Geez,” says I.

The truth is, I don’t know what to say when people say this. I’ve been passionate about a lot of things in my life and none of them have been as easy to accommodate in terms of time than is sketching. There’s ALWAYS time to sketch. Maybe if you’re a Systine Chapel ceiling painter you’d have to budget your time but not to sketch.

Dollarstore sketchbook, Pilot Falcon, Platinum Carbon Black

What’s that got to do with me standing at a bus stop in the rain? Well, I knew I was going to be there for at least ten minutes so I got out my cheap 3×5 sketchbook, a pen and started looking around for something to draw. I admit that the subject matter was somewhat limited but here are two simple sketches I did. I quickly added a bit of color when I got home but the cheap paper is not water-friendly. The two sketches were fun to do. They were good practice for when I have more time. They made my wait time pass quickly and made me regretful when the bus arrived. No time for sketching? That’s a good one.

Dollarstore 3x5 sketchbook, Pilot Falcon, Platinum Carbon Black

Dollarstore 3×5 sketchbook, Pilot Falcon, Platinum Carbon Black

Sketching At Parc Chauveau

Posted on July 22, 2014 by Larry Marshall

Denis Couture, our fearless leader

I don’t know what it is about French but the names of French organizations are impossible. This includes the Collectif des ateliers libres en arts visuels de Québec, the name of an artist group in Quebec City. They were established to facilitate winter life drawing sessions and that is still their principle activity but they are starting to organize outdoor summer activities as well. This past weekend was the second year that we assembled at Parc Chauveau, a park on the north side of Quebec City. It’s a beautiful place. The St. Charles River runs through it, providing considerable sketching fodder.

Organized by Denis Couture, a really nice guy who teaches drawing and photography at a local college, it was truly a shame that on this day, there were only three of us in attendance. The up side is that the day was a bit more laid back as we could do pretty much what we chose to do.

Our first stop was the river, in a place where a large tower of rock, remnants from long-term erosion, juts up from the river. It seemed fitting that we should draw it. I decided it might be fun to put it in the background and to make Fernande, one of my sketching buddies, the central focus for the scene. This was also the first time I got to use my new Namiki (Pilot?) Falcon. I think I’m in love. More on that later.

Stillman & Birn Delta (6x8), Namiki Falcon, Platinum Carbon Black

Stillman & Birn Delta (6×8), Pilot Falcon, Platinum Carbon Black

Denis knows the area quite well and he suggested that we climb back up to the road and cross the bridge to the other side of the river where there are rest rooms, picnic tables, and a trailhead for the Parc lineaire trail that runs for 32 km along the St. Charles River. In fact, if I would have followed it for about 16 of those kilometers I would have arrived home.

As we ate lunch Denis suggested that we walk the trail some and that the views from high above the river were wonderful. He was right about that but for my next sketch I plunked my tripod stool down in the middle of the forest, off the trail, and started drawing some unknown plant. For a building guy, I was surprised how much fun this was and how much I wanted to do it. I used a different approach from my usual pen first, watercolor as an afterthought approach. I think I’ll talk about this separately as this post is becoming a bit long.

Stillman & Birn Delta (6×8), Pilot Falcon, Platinum Carbon Black

In spite of the poor turnout for the event, we had a really great time. The rest of the folks just missed out.

Sketching The Parc Victoria Chapel

Posted on July 20, 2014 by Larry Marshall

Parc Victoria is a large park not far from my house and I’ve done a lot of sketches in it. I’ve told myself many times that I needed to sketch the small chapel that’s on the grounds. It’s no longer used as a chapel and I know nothing of its history. Currently, from the looks of things, it’s now used to store equipment for the associated pro-quality soccer field that was built a couple years ago. Here’s my take on this cute little chapel.

Stillman & Birn Delta (6x8), Pilot Prera, Lexington Gray ink

Stillman & Birn Delta (6×8), Pilot Prera, Lexington Gray ink

Sketching Behind The Scenes

Posted on July 17, 2014 by Larry Marshall

Moleskine watercolor sketchbook (3x5), TWSBI Mini

Moleskine watercolor sketchbook (3×5), TWSBI Mini

The older parts of Quebec City are very tightly clustered. There are no front yards and no space between the buildings. The result is many access portals into the rear parts of the buildings. Sometimes these are simple corridors. Often, though they are wide enough for a car, sometimes with parking available behind the buildings and/or courtyard gardens. I like the ones that lead to lots of clutter.

Here’s one such portal. It was done in a 3×5 Moleskine watercolor sketchbook using Platinum Carbon Black in my TWSBI Mini. Hope you like it.