Tag Archives: Sketch

My Love Affair With Street Lamps

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Long ago, Pete Scully introduced me to the notion that the mundane in our lives could be great sketching subjects with his series of fire hydrant sketches.  I started drawing every fire hydrant and garbage can in sight.  When you start looking at these things as art objects, they become art objects and that Pete’s important lesson to the rest of us.

I feel the same way about street lamps.  I draw them all the time.  They serve as practice; they serve as fun.  They also serve as the basis for sketches that give me joy.  Here’s one I did recently in Tadoussac where my family spent the day last week.  I’ll talk more about sketching Tadoussac in a future post but for now, imagine a place with these all over the place.

Stillman & Birn Beta (6x9), Esterbrook J9550, diluted DeAtramentis Document Black

Stillman & Birn Beta (6×9), Esterbrook J9550, diluted DeAtramentis Document Black

Taking A Break By Drawing A Bridge

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I was out walking the other day and realized that I’d forgotten my stool.  This limits where I can sit to sketch so I started looking for the magic sketcher’s triad.  A shady spot, a subject to sketch, and something to sit on.  Eventually I found a bench under a tree and the end of a bridge I could sketch.  This was the result.

Stillman & Birn Alpha (5x8), Esterbrook J9550, diluted DeAtramentis Document Black

Stillman & Birn Alpha (5×8), Esterbrook J9550, diluted DeAtramentis Document Black

Backyard Urban Sketching

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You don’t have to go far from home to do urban sketching.  All you have to do is get a wife that’s an avid gardener and scenes worth sketching just pop up around your house.  I have one and this is a sketch I did one afternoon.

Stillman & Birn Alpha, Esterbrook J-2048

Stillman & Birn Alpha, Esterbrook J-2048

Trinity Church Entry Gate Sketch

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Yvan and I had been quick-sketching people at Place d’Armes in Quebec City when the sun just became too much for us so we started walking around.  We decided to sketch the entry gate to the small parking lot in front of Trinity Church.  Mine is rather spartan as my arthritis was acting up and I was having some difficulty directing my pointy device.  Thought I’d share it anyway.

Stillman & Birn Alpha, Esterbrook J-2048

Stillman & Birn Alpha, Esterbrook J-2048

Summer Sketching On The Plains Of Abraham

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The largest park in Quebec City is officially called Battlefield Park.  It’s just west of the “old city”, the walled part of Quebec City and it was named Battlefield Park because this is where the British climbed the cliffs and fought the French for control of the city in a famous battle.

But we locals still call it the Plains of Abraham because, well, that’s what it’s called.  Abraham was a farmer who farmed the land before the Brits came along and it’s not likely that we’ll start calling it Battlefield Park anytime soon.

On this day, however, we were there to sketch, near a large open area that has rollerblade and running circuits that measure, I think, a kilometer around.  I sat in the sun and made this sketch of what used to be the natural history museum before it was decided that we didn’t need one 🙁

Stillman & Birn Alpha (5.5c8.5), Platinum 3776

Stillman & Birn Alpha (5.5c8.5), Platinum 3776