Frustrated January Sketcher And Other Stuff

Posted on January 17, 2015 by Larry Marshall

I apologize for not posting much since Christmas. I’m full of excuses if that will help. You see, while most folks get to return to normal after January 1st, my holiday season is in full swing. My daughter was home for the holidays. Both Chantal and Jodie have birthdays in the first half of January and we just returned from Ottawa. Oh…and it’s VERY cold, so for a street sketcher it’s a tough time of year.

I looked at my total sketching experiences from my Ottawa trip and two things happened. First, I sighed and did a mental ‘woe is me.’ Then it occurred to me that it might be worth mentioning a couple things about the result, so here it is.

Clearly this isn’t a post about my great art. Rather, I want to talk about some philosophical and pragmatic things that these two pages represent. You see, this is a brand-spanking new Moleskine sketchbook. Now I’m not a fan of these sketchbooks for ‘real’ drawing but I had the opportunity to get one cheap and so it’s going to serve as my daily ‘quick-sketchbook.’ I carry one of these with me at all times and not stuffed away in my man-bag (which holds my regular art stuff) but rather in my pocket, with some sort of quick-sketching pointy device tucked away with it. It can be brought out in seconds and is often returned a couple minutes later with a new sketch between its covers. I started doing this about two years ago when my buddy Yvan Breton convinced me of the power of such an approach.

Two things occurred when I started carrying such a sketchbook. The first, and most important was that I started doing a LOT more sketching. In the past couple years I’ve filled about 20 of these little 3×5 or 4×6 sketchbooks in addition to my regular sketchbooks. Most of the pages are filled with quick sketches, though sometimes I’ll do something more complete. No matter how you slice it, that means a lot more sketching fun and sketching practice and I can do it when no other kind of sketching is possible. The other thing that has happened is that my ability to see shapes quickly has improved immensely and it allows me to be more loose with my line work than is my typical style.

The sketch on the right is typical. I was sitting in a restaurant with my family and we were waiting for our food to arrive. This woman was standing at a bus stop across the street. I took out my sketchbook and pen, a Uniball Vision, and quickly sketched her. I doubt that it took two minutes, which included having to wait for a large truck that blocked my view as it waited for a light. Then the book went back in my pocket and I was ‘back’ with my family.

The left page is also interesting as it shows my lack of respect for the space so many treat as hallowed ground – the pages of a sketchbook. When you worry about whether every page is worthy of posting on Facebook, you will lose many opportunities. My small sketchbook is a place where ‘who cares’ rules.

In this case I’d started a sketch while leaning against the wall of my daughter’s apartment. I was looking out the back window and had started drawing a nearby building. I was using a Zebra 301A ballpoint. It was announced by my boss…err..wife, that it was time to go so the book went into my pocket. We were headed for Ikea.

We hadn’t been in an Ikea in a decade and acted like farmers in a big city for the first time. We ate meatballs and wanted to buy everything in sight. Realizing that we had to write numbers of stuff we might want to buy, I pulled out my Moleskine Sketchbook and started writing. Would you do that with your sketchbook? It’s to your advantage to be willing to do so as otherwise you won’t start a lot of sketches because you won’t feel you have time to ‘finish’ or ‘do the sketch justice.’ We did buy that kitchen island, by the way, and hauled it back to Quebec.

Now, do you need a Moleskine sketchbook for this? Heck no, and in fact I’d advise against it. The paper is ok for pen or pencil but it stinks for watercolor isn’t necessary for pen, and they’re ridiculously expensive. Most of my small sketchbooks are 3×5 or 4×6 sketchbooks that I’ve bought at our dollar store, though they typically cost me $2.

Sketching At The Mt. Herman Cemetery

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Larry Marshall

Last Saturday our sketching group, Le Collectif, held a sketching event at the Mt. Herman Cemetery. It’s located just south of Sillery and stretches down to the cliffs overlooking the St. Lawrence. This cemetery is nearly 200 years old, and contains, mostly, the remains of British, Scottish, and Irish people who did much to grow Quebec into what it is today. And as you wander the rolling hills of the cemetery, below its canopy of old maples, ashes, and elms, you can’t help but be drawn to the names on the headstones, many dating to the middle of the 19th Century.

It must have been the case that marble was a lot cheaper back then than it is now as there’s a lot of it in this cemetery. Tall, statuesque monuments, requiring a team of people to put in place, have stood for 100 years or more and they provide enduring symbols of what materials and craftsmanship can accomplish.

Our trip coincided with a memorial/commemoration of the retirement of the last of five Treggetts, that have acted as directors of the cemetery. This was a bonus on the day as I got to meet Mark Brennan, the new director, his right hand, Maureen, and several other fine people who didn’t seem put off by my poor French and even allowed me to speak some English. Oh…and they gave use cookies and coffee.

Stillman & Birn Alpha (10×7), Pilot Falcon, Platinum Carbon Black

But it was sketching we came for so it was sketching we did. The morning was cold, wet and windy so actually sitting down to sketch was a struggle, and bordering on foolhardy. Ultimately I came across this scene and set about putting pen to paper. There are dozens, if not hundreds of scenes like this so I hope to do more sketching here before it becomes too cold for outdoor sketching.

Moleskine watercolor book (3×5), Pilot Falcon, Platinum Carbn Black

The cold morning fatigued me and it was hard to get onto the next sketch so I was slow in doing so. Besides, the other sketchers were scattered around the grounds and I wanted to say hi and see what others were doing. I’m nosey that way. So, I did a lot of walking instead of sketching and it was fun. I did sketch this headstone, dated 1871.

Moleskine watercolor book, Pilot Falcon, Platinum Carbon Black

Fernande, my regularly sketching partner was there and we ate lunch together and chatted about the day. By then the sun had come out and it sort of revitalized us a bit. After this late lunch we started looking around for something that plucked at our 2PM sensibilities and I found it in this modest headstone, made of large, cast stones with a Celtic circle and plaque attached to it. I found three in the cemetery that used similar construction, though each was unique. I’m doing the ink-sketch-a-day event that’s going on right now so I approached this as an ink-only sketch, including a lot more hatching than I would normally add. Then I decided to add some color anyway.

By the time we finished it was time to head up for the memorial. Sadly, the time we were given for this was 3PM but by 2:40, when we arrived, the service was over. We were, however, in time for coffee, cookies, and comraderie with some very fine folks. Thanks, Mark and Maureen. We had a great day.

A Street Sketcher Selfie

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Larry Marshall

Digital cameras brought about the phenomenon of the selfie. I think it’s relevant that it required ‘free film’ and social media for this narcissistic portrayal of oneself to become so popular but that’s probably the grumpy old man in my talking.

When I was enrolled in the Sketchbook Skool’s “Seeing” semester I did at least one example of each homework assignment except one…the selfie. I didn’t know how to do it. I’m a street sketcher, not a studio artist. The only time I draw at home is when I’m watching TV and that’s mostly doodling, with no specific goals in mind.

I thought about finding a reflective store window and doing one but felt that public selfie drawing was beyond anything I could endure. So, I just passed on the assignment…until a couple days ago. I was on a long walk, enjoying one of the last sunny, warm days we’re likely to have this year and I looked down. The sun was creating a negative of my image – most would call it a shadow.

So I got this bright idea to take a photo of it and then draw from my cell phone screen. Great idea in principle, not so great in execution as the sun made the screen image barely visible. I started this way but, ultimately, I “posed” myself a couple times, trying to capture pieces of ‘me’ from memory of those poses. The result is definitely a ‘close enough’ image and in the end I was happy with it. You can see my art bag (right side) and I even added my hand (sort of) holding my phone up to take the photo. I mean, what’s a selfie without a cell phone? Better, I think 🙂

Moleskine watercolor sketchbook (3×5), Pilot Falcon, PCB ink

The Value Of Sitting

Posted on September 26, 2014 by Larry Marshall

I’m a street sketcher. I wander my city looking for things to sketch. I’m not too picky and actually shun the things tourists photograph. I guess I’m more of a “mundane sketcher” as I like the challenge of creating something that looks good from something most wouldn’t even notice.

But there are times when I “can’t find anything to sketch.” I put that in quotes as it’s a common phrase among sketchers that really makes little sense, but the person saying it knows exactly what they mean. Yes, there are trees, planes, trains and automobiles to sketch but nothing is speaking to them.

When I find myself in that situation I sit down. Yep, it’s that simple. If I sit, pretty much anywhere, I start to see things I don’t see when I’m walking. I’ll sit and start looking around. Rather quickly, I’ll find something interesting to sketch. Remember, I’m not searching for Mona Lisa. I just want something that motivates me to get out my sketchbook and pen.

This sketch is the result of sitting down in a tiny park along the St. Charles River. I sat on a rock as it was dryer than the benches because it had been raining as I walked. Before I got to add color to this sketch, it started raining again so I had to add the color when I got home.

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

I was returning from a long walk and I sat on a bench in Parc Brebeuf, along my river (the St. Charles) and decided to sketch this small scene of a part of the river bank. Done quickly, I added color to this one when I got home as well.

Moleskine watercolor sketchbook, Pilot Falcon, Noodler’s Lexington Gray

So, the next time you’re out and looking for something to sketch, sit down. It may help.

Can’t a City Horse Get A Drink Around Here?

Posted on September 18, 2014 by Larry Marshall

It seems that with all of the issues that face us these days that New York’s Mayor de Blasio could pick something more pressing than elimination of horses from Central Park. Then again, that is consistent with a lot of the weirdness we see from our politicians these days.

But indeed, this anti-equine maybe claims he wants to replace the horse carriages of Central Park with electric cars. Progress? Throwing tourist dollars down the drain? Eliminating one of the few ways for city kids to see animals? Are horses just too much nature for New Yorkers, or just for Mayor de Blasio?

I bring this up because here in Quebec City we have horse-drawn carriages. Tourists pay way too much money to be transported around the old city and parts of the Plains of Abraham, behind one of the many beautiful horses who work for… well, I’m not sure who signs their checks.

But the horse union, long ago, must have lobbied long and hard for proper facilities. Behind each horse is a ‘waste capture device’ which prevents horses from being embarrassed by things they might drop along the way. And when the tourists are paying large fees, horses have a ready supply of oats to snack on.

But horses are no fools. They also got the city to install several horse-sized drinking fountains around the city. They didn’t settle for plain old metal or concrete troughs either. No…they wanted something with class, fountains with running water. None of that stagnant stuff for them.

And so, thanks to horses, we’re blessed with several beautiful drinking fountains, big enough for horses. I realized, after walking by them a gazillion times, that I’d never drawn one. I have rectified that omission and present the results here.

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