We’re having a heat wave.  In French it’s called a canicule.  Regardless of what language you use, it means hot and humid and we’ve certainly got that.  I blame myself.  I spent so much time whining that I couldn’t go sketching because winter wouldn’t end that, it seems, someone from down south sent us a dose of hot.

Stillman & Birn Alpha, Pilot Prera, Lex Gray ink

In spite of the heat, though, this sketcher marches onward.  I was to meet sketching buddy Claudette at Place d’Youville, a busy area just outside the St. Jean Gate into the old city.  While I waited for her I did this sketch of the entrance toan Italian restaurant.

When Claudette arrived we headed into the old city to find something to sketch.  Our goals were a bit atypical because what to sketch took a back seat to finding a shady, cool place to sit.  It wasn’t easy.

Eventually, though, we found ourselves in Carmel Park, a tiny little park (you can easily throw a stone across it) that’s up on a hill within the walled city.  Trees gave us shade and our altitude gave us access to a nice breeze that kept us comfortable.  Claudette sketched church steeples while I fixated on the back porch of an apartment building that was probably 30-40 feet below me.  Mostly I got caught up in the gorgeous flowers, flowers I didn’t do justice to I’m afraid.  Nevertheless, we had fun and stayed cool.

Stillman & Birn Alpha (9×6), Pilot Prera, Lex Gray

I wander my town, sketching the older buildings of our fine city.  They remain my favorite sketching subject.  I try to avoid the touristy buildings; their spirits have been stolen by the gazillion photographs taken of them annually.  I’ve been doing building portraits it for about 2 1/2 years.

It may be, however, that I’ve missed the best subjects because I’ve always drawn the front doors, the facade, the part of the building designed to invite you in.  Here in Quebec, however, some of the older areas of the city present challenging and interesting subjects if you walk “around back” where some of the age and development of the city are more visible.

In these neighborhoods you see porches, old garage areas, tiny apartments and sheds, all scrunched together such that no space is underutilized.  It’s as though the logic was that ‘Here’s a wall.  We only need three more and we can…’   Quebecers refer to it as “rebouter”, which I think translates to “tied together” or something similar.  All I know is that it’s in these rear spaces you can find unrenovated structures that must date back to the 1800s.

Claudette and I were out on a sketching adventure when we came across this opportunity.  Across from this scene is a nice little park area with lots of shade.  Guess where we sat as we drew this scene.

Stillman & BIrn Alpha (9×6), Pilot Prera, Lex Gray