The Artist’s Paris: A Sketchbook Exploration with Susan Abbott

On Sunday I joined watercolor artist Susan Abbott and tour leader Karen Kane for a day of sketching with their group.

1st stop was the Promenade Plantée, a green walkway built over the Viaduct des Arts in 1993 and a model for NYC's similar High Line.

Our group of 14 students plunged in to do blind contour drawings of the magnificent greenery.

The Promenade is in the 12 arrondissement and surrounded by Baron Haussmann architecture(some of which you can see right in the windows). Don't ask me why I've never been up here but I'll be back. It feels like you're out in the country.

The flowers and greenery are not formally arranged

Amy G.'s perfect blind contour - you're to focus on the object, never your paper.

It was a short walk over to Marché d'Aligre. We had an assignment to find 6 things.

By 'find' Susan meant for us to draw them. One item being something red.

She did not say we were to buy or eat them (my raspberries are gone). Oh well my 1st day sketching. I need practice..

We were to find something to wear on our list. There's a flea market at d'Aligre on Sundays. Fortunately I just looked and did not buy.

Find something to eat inside the covered market. I found red cherry jam. Gone.

We met back at the fountain inside and took off for lunch.

La Square Trousseau is nearby and perfect for Sunday lunch. 

1, rue Antoine Vollon 75012

I had a blanquette de veau

Susanhad the seared Salmon

We all shared lemon meringue tarte, raspberries, & chocolate mousse.

Some people can not leave their water glass alone, even though chalk was provided and the tablecloth was paper just waiting to be drawn on

Time to pass around our sketchbooks.

One of our finds was a bit of paper on the ground we could thencollage onto our sketches. A glue stick was passed around

Julee P.'s sketches.

Instructor Susan Abbott is a pro at this.

Susan's sketch pages from the Luxembourg gardens

I was inspired to go the following day to sketch

Susan paints in the gardens at every opportunity

I had high hopes of doing the same but my focus is easily distracted. Still it was a wonderful day and I've promised myself I'll go back to marché d'Aligre to draw ✏️& not eat. 

More information on the Paris sketch tour here. 

Thank you Susan & Karen for letting me tag along!!

Le Luco

Le Luco' is the nickname for the Luxembourg Jardins.

When I saw ex-pat Lindsey Tramuta of Lost in Cheeseland's recent Luco post, I thought, me too, me too!

What to wear in Luco on Sunday?

The obligatory striped shirt

A short ruffled piquet skirt

And RED SHOES!

"Take off the red shoes", Moira Shearer said at the end of the film.

Le Luco strollers are not snoozing...

 Orientation maps of Luco are everywhere.

And most helpful.

 Smiling is allowed in Paris (on Sundays only).

Tai Chi is always allowed.

 As is jogging in Paris.

crunch...crunch...crunch

 Lounging is more prevalent.

 Why ever is a bench called a 'un banc'?

What do you call a bank?

 Depart le Luco out the (west or east?) gate - Dalloyau awaits you with au bon gouter at 2, Pl Edmond Rostand 75006

I hope you all had a JOYEUSES PAQUES!

I'm off to get my red Repettos resoled for my trip.

Another Dozen Eggs...

This is a double yoke post (no pun intended)

Here are some of the more unusual eggs I saw in Paris.

A huge macaron egg in Gerard Mulot's window!

These pastel soap-like colored chocolate eggs are really filled with ganache of cherry, rose, pistachio.

Look-a-like candy egg candles in a shop on rue de Seine just down from Gerard Mulot.Silly eggs are from Dalloyau's Collection 2007 introduced just like French couture.A beautiful giant egg full of Madagascar chocolate-flavored tea from Les Contes de The and seen in the Comptoir Richard window.La maison du chocolat had these lush egg-shapped gateaux/cakes in their windows.A chocolate smashed egg shell from Jean-Paul Hevin.
Eggtown at Dalloyau Luxembourg on 2, place Edmond 75006.

I just missed this chocolate egg hunt in the Luxembourg Gardens by a day and sponsored by Valrhona chocolates!

Quelle domage :(