Tag Archives: Stillman&Birn Alpha

Sketching At Jardin botanique Roger-Van den Hende

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When I want to draw some plants I head to Jardin botanique Roger-Van den Hende.  It’s a very large garden that is something of a large library of plants rather than a coordinated esthetic garden.  So many textures, so many shapes.

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

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

Our sketching group met there on Thursday and the weather couldn’t be better.  Lots of sun, little wind, and it was warm enough that even I was searching for some shade.  I was planning on drawing flowers but didn’t draw a single petal.  Funny how fickle the sketching eye is and I went down a different path.  We’ve scheduled a sketchcrawl in the garden for July so many I’ll get to the flowers then.

Stillman & Birn Alpha (5x8), Platinum 3776, Platinum Carbon Black

Stillman & Birn Alpha (5×8), Platinum 3776, Platinum Carbon Black

While Out For A Walk

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Lots of people get their exercise and their dose of mental health by wandering through forests.  I’m more likely to do my walking through our old city, an almost fantasy world from the 18th Century.  Soon it will get really crowded as the tourists start to show up but right now it’s a restful place to walk.

This was a blustery day, putting a chill in my bones as I walked along so I was reluctant to stop to sketch.  I was looking for something I could sketch quickly, before the wind took its toll.  There are a series of large stone sculptures that form a fence near the seminary.  I hid from the wind behind a large statue and did this sketch as quickly as I could.  Hope you like it.

Stillman & Birn Alpha (8x5), Platinum 3776

Stillman & Birn Alpha (8×5), Platinum 3776

A Visit To The Pre-Winnebago Days

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An outdoor theatre group was in town for a week and one of their props was this old trailer.  I remember these when I was a kid, long before people started driving Winnebagos the size of a barn down our highways.

It’s not the most beautiful trailer, and I didn’t create a particularly beautiful sketch of it, but memories are contained within and I hope the sketch conjours a few of your own.

Stillman & Birn Alpha (8x5), Platinum 3776

Stillman & Birn Alpha (8×5), Platinum 3776

Rainy Tuesday Sketching

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We can’t catch a break with the weather it seems but Yvan and I sat under an awning in open-air atrium at the museum and sketched very large potted plants.  This area becomes a restaurant when weather permits and these huge pots will be moved around to decorate the area.  I was struck by the fact that while these huge planters were very similar to one another, none of them were exactly alike.

Large planters at museum

Stillman & Birn Alpha (8×5), Platinum 3776, Platinum Carbon Black

Back On The Plains Of Abraham

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Well, the last time I was on the Plains of Abraham (in Jardin Jeanne d’Arc) I froze because I dressed for summer and Mother Nature was still thinking early spring.  So, I returned on Friday, in long pants and wearing a jacket.  And I’m glad I did because it was very pleasant to sit in a grassy area and draw this scene.

Stillman & Birn Alpha (5x8), Platinum 3776

Stillman & Birn Alpha (5×8), Platinum 3776

The structure is an interesting one.  It is a military observation/gun emplacement built by the British to defend against a potential attack from the United States.  What’s interesting about it is that you’re looking at the “thin” side of the building.  The walls on this side are typical stone while on the side facing south the walls are very thick to withstand cannon fire, and maybe even a Trump speech (grin).