Cultural Center

A sketch of the east front of the Chicago Cultural Center along Michigan Avenue. I remember it more as the old Chicago Public Library. The buildings to the north and to the west are merely suggested. Felt tip marker on tracing paper, approximately 8 1/2" by 11" original size, drawn April, 2012.

Greatest Hits

Coming up to six months since I established this blog, I thought that the audience might like to know which posts have been viewed the most. The view of the Tuileries from Place de la Concorde in Paris (top sketch) has received the most hits, followed closely by the sketch of Paris' L'Arc de Triomphe (middle sketch). The most hits in one day goes to the watercolor of Bunny's Liquors in Urbana, IL (bottom sketch). Now, how does one explain the audience's interest? Some of it has to do with the subject matter of the sketches, I suppose; or it might be the medium that the drawing was done in; or it could be the style of the sketching technique. In order to make it easier to find a type of sketch or technique or media, I recently added more labeling gadgets.

Place Charles de Gaulle

A sample of one of the pages of my Paris sketchbook showing views of the Arc de Triomphe, one of which was previously posted. Felt tip marker on Canson tracing paper, approximately 11" by 8 1/2", done October, 1971.

Bosquets de Versailles

"No water so still as the dead fountains of Versailles." So wrote Marianne Moore in her 1935 poem, "No Swan So Fine." A sketch of a still fountain in the gardens of the palace of Versailles. Felt tip marker on tracing paper, approximately 6' by 9" original size, done October, 1971.

Petites Écuries

A pencil sketch on paper of a sculptural keystone medallion at a window arch on the façade of the Petites Écuries, Versailles. 6" by 8" original size of drawing, done in January, 1972.

Place Charles de Gaulle

Back to the right bank of Paris with a sidewise view of the Arc de Triomphe. Drawn on site in felt tip marker on tracing paper, October, 1971.

Place de l'Odéon

A rapid sketch done on site with the Odéon Theatre on the left. This Parisian public square reminds me of the Piazza della Rotonda in Rome, which also has a somewhat lunette shape in plan, but with the Pantheon as the focal point. Original size: approximately 3" by 3", felt tip marker on tracing paper, October, 1971.

Place de la Concorde

Another drawing of the series for this iconic Parisian public space. Again, felt tip marker on tracing paper, approximately 4" by 3" original size, October, 1971, with sky tone added in 2007. The view is toward the Rue Royale with the Church of the Madeleine in the distance.

Place de la Concorde

Another felt tip marker on trace drawing from 1971, approximately 4" by 2", original size. I added the sky shading in 2007. This is a view of the National Assembly from Place de la Concorde. You can also see the dome of the Invalides to the right.

L'Arc de Triomphe

To start off my blog, in commemoration of the fortieth anniversary of my architectural studies in France, I am presenting a view of this famous Parisian monument. I drew it on site in October, 1971 using a felt tip marker on tracing paper. The original size of the drawing is approximately 4 in. by 3 in. I added the sky color to the scanned image in 2007 using Paint Shop Pro. I rather like the loose drawing technique.