I will try my best to write a single sentence that summarizes how I feel about Paris having visited it for the first time last week. It doesn't feel over-the-top to just say this: this city is its own gift to the world topped with a giant, ridiculous, glittery gold bow. W0W. I’m just stunned. My sister Paris and I spent the week taking bikes around and giggling at the Parisian sidewalk pups between stops at the Paul bakery for the only baguette I’ll ever need to eat again. How DO they DO it? It feels like dreaming in shades of gold— or rather that every object is drenched in gold leaf. Cheeeesy cheesy yeah yeah yeah, but true. Please scroll for my attempt to do Paris a single bit of justice in photos :-)
These are some of our favorite sister-mems from Versailles and Fontainebleau. I focused most of my energy on filling up my sketchbooks, so I didn't actually take my camera with me as often as I'd usually while traveling. We caved and bought a Fujifilm Instax camera for an extra level of sister adventure documentation, though. It's here that we reveal *with zero shame* our new love for matching clothes. Is it obvious that we get a kick out of being sisters? Now we just need Sister #3 to come join us to complete the set :-)
Here are a few of my favorite sketchbook pages from the week. These are split between the Musee D’Orsay, the Louvre, and the Notre Dame. I had a BALL at the Pompidou, but I only gave myself two hours there, so my sketches are a bit more rushed (read: frantic and scribbled) as I was mostly just jotting down ideas and names of favorite pieces.
As far as materials, I used my gouache paints a little but mostly stuck with my Posca pens and pencils as they’re perfectly pocket-stowable for long museum days. I’ve been trying out Hahnemühle’s A5 watercolor sketchbook for gouache and I looove it. Otherwise, for museum sketches I stuck with a simple A5 size Daler & Rowney sketchbook.
I had a good little time giving myself tasks, like trying to copy down all of my favorite things from the Van Gogh rooms using only my blue Posca pen, or trying to replicate the highlights and shadows of the impressionist landscapes using only pink. I saved the juicy graphite sketching sessions for the oil portraits and the Greek and Roman wings of the Louvre.
Had. a. blast. I’m one of probably several thousand visitors per day who walk out the doors saying, “ I HAVE TO COME BACK AND DO ANOTHER WEEK IN THESE MUSEUMS.” Really, though- they’re so dense. I didn’t bother trying to see even 80% of them, and instead moved at a pace that allowed my eyeballs some time to take it all in. Was well worth it.
k y’all, au revoir! I’m not gr8 at blogging, so I’m going to end this without a proper closing sentence. Unless this counts ? Alright cool