Sketching Ottawa – Part Two

Posted on April 25, 2016 by Larry Marshall

Yesterday I talked about not feeling well during my sketching trip to Ottawa. I want to post a couple more sketches from that trip and comment on some of the comedy of the trip as well.

Do you ever go somewhere and it seems that nothing is working in your favor? I mentioned that when I showed up at the Nature Museum I wasn’t feeling well. What I didn’t mention was that the entire bird exhibit was closed for renovations, as was the cafeteria. No birds, no lunch menu.

I went shopping in the Ottawa market, after becoming completely lost in the Rideau Centre maze (a more confusing mall I have never seen) to visit the paper store there, because I wanted to pet a few fountain pens. As I entered the store it was immediately evident that it wasn’t my lucky day.

The pen side of the store was completely covered in plastic and there were people behind the plastic installing new cabinets. Normally I would turn to all the nifty tidbits they sell but those racks were smashed up against one another to make room for the construction activity. I left without scratching my fountain pen itch.

I was starving at that point, wanted to visit the art store in one of the malls and so I drove to the St. Laurent mall. After a disappointing visit to the art store, I got myself a really nice vegetarian burrito, sat down to eat it, took one bite, and the fire alarm went off. The announcement said to wait for instructions so I started eating faster, wondering if I should eat or pack it all up for a rapid exit. Ultimately it turned out to be a false alarm but as I sat there I wondered, “what else could go wrong?”

I returned to the downtown area with the idea of sketching some of the buildings around Parliament. I went to a park that’s just east of Parliament because it offers a nice view of some of the buildings. Seems it’s a popular hangout and justifiably so. But, at the time I arrived, even an artist who was feeling well would have a hard time because of the bright sun smacking them in the face if they looked at any of those buildings. It’s definitely a morning sketching site. I turned to quick-sketching people instead and there were plenty of targets because it had gotten quite warm, something that, being from Quebec City really appreciated. I did a bunch of these quick sketches. Here are two of them.

The next morning was looking good. I was feeling better and I decided to sketch a gazebo in a park near my daugher’s apartment. I was having fun when it started to rain a little bit. With no cover to be found except for the gazebo, I headed downtown, knowing I could return to finish that sketch when I came back to meet my daughter for our departure for Quebec City. This turned out not to be such a great plan, though the bubble tea I had while waiting for the misting rain to stop sure was good. The problem then became cold as the wind picked up and the temperatures dropped as the front moved through and I finished this drawing as my bones cooled. When the ink dried, or maybe a little before, I headed for my daughter’s apartment to warm up and add the color.

In summary, a lot of little things went wrong on this trip, in addition to my not feeling well, but sketching always makes a trip fun and this one was no exception.

Stillman & Birn Delta (8x10), Platinum 3776, Platinum Carbon Black

Stillman & Birn Delta (8×10), Platinum 3776, Platinum Carbon Black

Just Got Back From Sketching Ottawa… Sort Of

Posted on April 24, 2016 by Larry Marshall

Sometimes things work out. Sometimes they don’t. I used the excuse of picking up my daughter so that I could blitz around Ottawa sketching everything in sight – or so thought when I left Quebec City at 4:30AM.

Why so early? Because I wanted to be at the Nature Museum when it opened at 9:30AM. And that’s what I did as I walked in the door at 9:35. There was only one problem. I was starting to feel poorly, like I gotta sit down poorly. I didn’t, but instead I started walking around my favorite museum. Everything I looked at seemed “so complicated” or boring. I had absolutely no energy for sketching, or much of anything else. I sat down and just stared across the lobby.

For the rest of the day I bounced around Ottawa, trying to right the ship and get some sketching done. I went to the War Museum for the first time. I’ll need a book light to sketch that place but it’s fantastic and I’ll return, hopefully with more energy.

I continued to mope my way through the day, walking a lot, accomplishing nothing. I did a bunch of little quick-sketches but little else. I’m not one to have a hard time finding things to draw or lacking in motivation to do it but there it was, in front of me… ALL DAY. What a wasted opportunity.

Eventually I picked up my daughter and we went out for a great Korean dinner and I spent that night crashed on her floor. In the morning we parted ways as she had an afternoon exam and I was determined to get some sketching done. I was feeling better and like that little train climbing the hill, I was chuffing “I think I can, I think I can.”

Stillman & Birn Delta (8×10), Platinum 3776, Platinum Carbon Black

And I did. I went back to the Nature Museum, which for some reason was being overrun by huge groups of kids. Normally I like interacting with the kids but there were so many of them I actually felt like I was in their way. I drew this sketch of a marsh wren and its nest and then decided to head for less populated pastures. I had an hour or so before I was to meet my daughter for lunch.

I actually did get some more sketching done but I haven’t scanned them, so they’ll have to wait for another day. Check back for part II of my Ottawa wanderings ‘real soon.’

Drawing Chapel Arches

Posted on April 15, 2016 by Larry Marshall

The Croquistes de Québec held their April sketchcrawl at the chapel associated with the Musée de l’Amérique du Francophone. It’s really hard finding indoor places to sketch in the winter and so I’ve been to this chapel enough this winter to say that I’m ‘all full up.’ Nevertheless, I always enjoy sketching with others.

Turnout wasn’t great, probably because others are as tired as I am of sketching indoors, but there were five of us in attendance and we had fun, though this sketchcrawl wasn’t as long in duration as our summer sessions will be.

I decided to draw some arches. I always have trouble drawing when I have to look upward. I wonder whether it’s because of the view itself or the fact that my sketcher head-bob up and down from subject to paper, is so extreme. Either way, it slows the sketching process and always results in some wonkiness working its way into my drawing. Next month we’re going to sketch the alleyways of Limoilu – outdoors. Spring had better be here by then.

Stllman & BIrn Beta (9x12), Platinum 3776, Platinum Carbon Black

Stllman & BIrn Beta (9×12), Platinum 3776, Platinum Carbon Black

Sketching A Native American Exhibit

Posted on April 11, 2016 by Larry Marshall

A pair of snowshoes provided some symmetry practice.

I went to our Thursday museum sketching session in spite of being more than a little bored with sketching at the museum. The walk was cold and snowy and when I arrived I wasn’t much in the mood to sketch but I found myself in the Native American exhibit, which is part of the permanent collection at the museum.

This large cup was made from seal skin and sewn with reindeer sinew.

I approached the morning with my little, red Field Notes book instead of my normal sketchbook. I spent a lot of time wandering but when I stopped I did these small sketches. It wasn’t the most productive morning but, as always, it was fun chatting with friends.

This is a small stone carving of an Inuit fisherman who is laying on the ice, looking into his fishing hole.

Birds, Birds, Birds: Sketching While Waiting For Spring

Posted on April 6, 2016 by Larry Marshall

The Croquistes de Québec held their April sketchcrawl yesterday. There were seven of us in attendance. We got to sketch in Les Collections at Laval University. I love sketching there and because it’s not open to the public, it’s a special treat. Big thanks to Yvan Breton who organized it and to Mme. Wagner who permitted us access.

This is a place that is piled to the gills with great stuff to draw, which is great. If there’s a downside it’s that it’s piled to the gills with great stuff to draw. Way too little space holds what used to be displayed at a full natural history museum and a huge collection of plaster casts that used to be used by the art department when they cared about artists learning to draw. Les Collections is a storage facility, not a display museum.

Stillman & Birn Beta, Platinum 3776

I decided to draw some birds because 1) I’m really bad at it and 2) because I’m really bad at it. To do this required that I sit in a very narrow space in front of a cabinet full of taxidermy specimens. Lighting was rather poor so seeing feather tracts and other details was nearly impossible but it was fun to draw them nevertheless. I’ll show you two of my sketches. I started a third but didn’t get a chance to finish it.

Stillman & Birn Beta, Platinum 3776