cycling and sketching

We were in Quebec for a few days, first in Montreal and then further north in the Laurentians. We were there to cycle but taking a little time to sketch too. So, I was trying to remember the lessons I learned from Marc Holmes at the USk workshop in Montreal this past summer. You can see him here giving me some pointers about capturing a building’s angles. There are several good examples of early nineteenth-century québecois architecture still surviving on the main street of this small northern town–so I sat on a bench in town trying my hand at capturing them.

And the cycling there was super. There is an old railbed trail, Le p’tit train du nord, which runs from Saint-Jerome to Mont-Laurier with stunning scenery on all sides. We were staying roughly in the middle of the route, so we cycled north one day and south the other–each equally beautiful. The old stations have been preserved and there are charming spots for café along the way. If you are really adventuresome, you can leave your car at the bottom and take a shuttle to the top and cycle the 220 km back down to St. Jerome. With all this time on the bike saddle, I’ve dreamed up some new ideas for totes and bags, and will be glad to be back in the studio before long. I am thinking crimson, citron and orange…