Most people who know my sketches know that I like fire hydrants. Their variety is simply amazing. This little guy was in the middle of a large park in Quebec City. You’ll notice the sign that sits on an 8-foot high pole. It indicates the existence of the hydrant. They all get covered with snow here and the signs let people know where they are. For me, they will forever be fun to draw.
Stillman & Birn Alpha (9×6), Pilot Prera, Noodler’s Lexington Gray
There was a time when Quebec City had a zoo. It was a good zoo. It was a place where you could go to not only commune with animals but also to walk the large, wooded grounds and have a picnic. Then a really dumb, and completely unavoidable political decision, was made and we no longer have a zoo.
What do you do with a huge tract of land that had a bunch of moats, fences, and buildings scattered all around it. What Quebec did was fence off most of it and turn the front section into a small park to serve the population in the northern portion of the city. It’s a beautiful park, with waterfalls scattered along the small river that runs through it. It’s also just a short bus trip from my home.
My daughter and I went there. She took her Kindle. I took my sketchbook. We had a grand day, enjoying one of the first days where we could be outside without coats. I chose this scene. The small building used to be one of the administration buildings of the museum.
cheap toned paper sketchbook, Pilot Prera, Noodler’s Lexington Gray
It’s amazing! As I headed for the museum I couldn’t believe it. Spring had really sprung. The sun was out. It wasn’t windy. And it was warm. Well, maybe not warm by normal standards. It was 47F, but compared to what we’ve been experienced it was warm.
I’d told Yvan that I’d meet him at the museum but I couldn’t resist stopping in the park in front of the train station to draw a cool kiosk that resides there. I was about 20 minutes late to the museum but it was worth it. It felt sooooooo good to be sketching outdoors.
Stillman & Birn Alpha sketchbook (9×6), Pilot Prera, Lexington Gray
I spent about an hour sketching at the museum and decided that I “needed” to get back outside to enjoy the sunshine. I was almost giddy as I walked the town, looking for things to sketch. But I didn’t want to stop to draw. I was having too much fun wandering, taking inventory of my city, making a mental list of things I want to sketch. In the end, I only did a couple really quick sketches but I walked nearly nine kilometers. It was sooooo fun, but I was beat by the end of the day. It’s gonna be a fun summer.
Quebec is at the threshold of spring. It’s starting to act like early April, with fluctuating temps and rainy days. This is a good sign even if it is May. I was on my way to a sketching session at the Museé de la Civilisation and noticed a new park bench that had been set out on 3rd Avenue. It was cool (mid-40s) but sunny and the bench was out of the wind. Opportunity thought I, and I sat down. Sometimes you choose your subject, sometimes you choose a place to put your butt. I looked around for something to sketch and decided on this small corner store.
I worked quickly but admit to being a bit chilled by the time I finished and I was happy to get back to walking. I met Yvan at the museum and here’s what I drew there. It was a fun day and it looks like outdoor sketching is gonna happen ‘real soon.’ Fountain pens are still more fun than pencils.
It’s the end of April and our high temps are still in the mid to low 40s (F). Couple that with spring rains and I haven’t had much opportunity to sketch outdoors. So, when the new Masters of Olympus exhibition opened at the Musee de la Civilisation I saw it as an opportunity to sketch something new. Museum sketching is a winter thing, even if winter is at the end of April.
This exhibition is a presentation of Greek and Roman gods, mostly in the form of statues, busts, and painted pottery. The exhibition must have been laid out by a sketcher as there are lots of little nooks and crannies in which you can stick a stool to sketch and most of the statues are viewable from multiple points of view. In fact, following the opening ceremony the news promo for the exhibit made a point of saying that people were there sketching. I love my sketcher-friendly museum.
I decided to start this new exhibit by putting a toe in the water. In fact, I drew the whole foot. This foot came from what must have been a huge statue as this broken portion of the foot is at least three feet long.
Pilot Prera, Lex Gray ink – Stillman & Birn Alpha sketchbook