:: Dorchester Square & Place du Canada ::

“If you want your children to be intelligent,” Einstein is credited with proclaiming, “read them fairy tales. If you want them to be very intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”
Brainpickings

The Montreal Urban Sketchers met up today at Place du Canada. While I was driving round & round to find a parking space, I must have seen at least 15 sketchers, facing the sun as it was quite frisky with the factor wind in Montreal. Finally found a parking space & saw the amazing views behind Place du Canada & decided to stay on the other side of the street in Dorchester Square, facing south to get the views & the warm sun rays. As I was starting to draw the monument in front of me, a man came up to me & suggested that I draw an axis in the center to help me out in my drawing — he was right! Feeling overwhelmed by the complexity of the monument, I turned around 90 degrees & sat facing the CIBC Tower, which I decided to paint. When I was in my early twenties, I used to work on the 14th floor of that tower… what incredible views that I had!

Les Urban Sketchers de Montréal se sont rencontrés aujourd’hui à la Place du Canada. Alors que je conduisais en rond pour trouver un stationnement, j’ai vu au moins 15 sketchers, faisant face au soleil car la température était très fraîche. J’ai décidé de rester sur le côté du Square Dorchester, plein sud pour obtenir les vues et les rayons du soleil chaud. Comme je commençais à dessiner le monument en face de moi, un homme est venu me voir et a suggéré que je dessine un axe dans le centre pour m’aider dans mon dessin – il avait raison! Me sentant dépassée par la complexité du monument, je me suis tournée vers la Tour CIBC, que j’ai décidé de peindre. Quand j’étais au début de la vingtaine, je travaillais au 14e étage de cette tour … quelles vues incroyables!

Paper: Travelogue Sketchbook 5″x8″
Paint: New Gambodge, Raw Sienna, Cobalt Blue, Burnt Sienna
Location: Dorchester Square in Montreal, Québec, Canada

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:: Portrait ::

“There is something in personal love, caresses, and the magnetic flood of sympathy and friendship, that does, in its way, more good than all the medicine in the world.”
— Walt Whitman (May 31, 1819–March 26, 1892) from Brainpickings

I just tried having fun with this tonight & did a quick portrait of myself.  It is grungy looking & I kind of like it as grunginess represents me well. On another note, the Spring temperatures have finally arrived & apart from hundreds of Pine Siskins, Yellow Warblers, Chickadees at my feeders, life is good. My semester is terminating in 3-1/2 weeks & I have been in a frenzy of correcting, reading, giving off marks, which always leaves me depleated & empty but finally I can see the end of the tunnel. I have never met a teacher that enjoys correcting…

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Save this date :: July 10 juillet 2016 :: Inscrivez cette date

We are hoping for a warm summer so that we can enjoy sketching the great outdoors of Montreal. On Sunday July 10th the Urban Sketchers Montreal has been invited to a Picnic Vernissage Day at Stewart Hall’s Cultural Centre in Pointe-Claire. Stewart Hall is situated in a gorgeous historic mansion and is a unique cultural venue located on the bank of Lake Saint-Louis. Everyone is invited to sketch with us on that day starting at 10:00 am. It is an absolutely stunning spot to sketch, in all seasons! More details to follow soon.

Nous espérons avoir un bel été chaud afin que nous puissions dessiner/peindre les grands espaces de Montréal. Le dimanche 10 juillet 2016, les Urban Sketchers de Montréal ont été invités à participer à un Picnic Vernissage au Centre culturel Stewart Hall de Pointe-Claire. Stewart Hall est une demeure historique sur un lieu culturel unique situé aux abords du Lac Saint-Louis. Tout le monde est invité à esquisser avec nous ce jour-là à partir de 10h00. Un endroit absolument magnifique pour faire des croquis, en toutes saisons! Plus de détails à suivre bientôt. 

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