It’s been bitter cold in Quebec City so my sketching itch has me haunting the Musee de la Civilisation on a regular basis. Maybe it’s too regular. I have evidence.
First evidence came from a guard. I was sitting with my buddy Yvan, who was drawing a horse statue as I recall. A guard came by and offered him a chair (we normally sit on our sketching stools). When he returned with the chair they started chatting about Yvan’s sketch. Then the guard mentioned the ‘other’ guy who draws a lot in the museum. “He stands in the Samurai exhibit and makes very nice helmet drawings.” At least he thought they were nice.
The second bit of evidence is even more clear that I’m going there too often. When you are a museum member like I am you have to go to the info counter and show them your membership card. They write your name down and give you the sticker you’ve got to wear to have the run of the museum just like those paying for a single visit. Two days ago I walked towards that counter and before showing him my card the guy said, “You’re Larry Marshall. What do you do here every day?” Yep…coming too often. But we had a quick chat about sketching and I showed him my sketchbook, and my Samurai sketches.
It seems time to share some more of them with you as well. While those who follow this blog have seen some of them here, here and here, I’m including five more in this post. Click on them to get larger images. Lots of fun to sketch and some are significant challenges but I need a building sketch fix.
All of these were done in a 5.5×8.5 Stillman & Birn Epsilon sketchbook, using a Pilot Prera pen with Noodler’s Lexington Gray ink. Color comes from Faber-Castell watercolor pencils and a waterbrush which is idea for use in a museum. Hope you like them.
Cheers — Larry
You know you’ve made it to the VIP club somewhere when the guard and/or someone at the reception knows you by your first name…. Hanging out at museums to draw is an enviable way to spend your time!
Cheers — Larry
Hi, Larry
I guess it is very cold in Quebec. A museum like this is the ideal place to draw, if you have free time.
The drawings of samurai hats are gorgeous, all of them.
A hug…
Yes it is, Mikel, though the weather folks say it’s supposed to ‘warm up’ today. It may get up to the freezing point, they say. Hope so as the last week has been REALLY cold. Thanks for the compliments on my helmut sketches. You’re right that museums are great places to draw. It’s a cold one-hour walk from my house and I’m leaving for there in a few minutes.
Cheers — Larry
I think it’s great they are coming to know you and your friend and what you both are doing!!! I think it’s nice to be recognized by name rather than just another face of someone visiting the museum. Fantastic sketches!!!
You’re right, Susan, it is a good thing. This museum is part of a group of museums here, though it’s the largest, that have reciprocal agreements and policies. Because Yvan has come to know some of the people, we’re going to have our next sketchcrawl in a large ‘chapel’ associated with one of the other museums. It’s no longer a religious building but its interior is fully of great columns, statues, and stained glass for us to sketch. Should be lots of fun.
Thanks for stopping by and for your kind comments about my sketches. It means a lot coming from someone like you.
Cheers — Larry