Lille in 35 sketches - Part 5

Day 5, Monday. A bit of a blur in terms of the chronology. Did I miss a couple of pages in my sketchbook?

Anyways, I'm pretty sure Pat and I sketched the tourist office, then we met up with Mandy and sketched some more around the city centre.

Later on, Brendan and I went for a walk around the parts of Lille I hadn't had a chance to sketch. I didn't have a checklist of trophy locations to sketch, I have to admit. But I'm glad I saw the area near the Porte de Gand. It was lovely. It will be a reason to go back and sketch some more!

Then it was time for a drink and dinner - we helped Pat develop the script for his movie - hadn't laughed so much in a long time!

Then pack and up early the following morning for the next installment in my adventures.

A few photos from the last day. It started with a cold wind and it ended with glorious sunshine.

Lille in 35 sketches - Part 4

Day 4, Sunday

Raining in the morning, so I go to the station on my own to attempt to paint the crazy installation hanging from the ceiling. Now that I look at my photo, I feel I should have sketched straight on, looking towards the tracks. But instead, I was looking to the side and up towards the ceiling above me. Well, that's what caught my eye.

Lots of trains are delayed or cancelled due to the thunderstorms and rain last night.

Then Brendan joins me and we take the subway to Wazemmes, where the market is still running at full steam, and I go into the covered market to sketch. Bump into Pat and Chris and we sketch and eat a pizza together. My sketch of the fruit and vegetable stall is highly influenced by a course I did with Suhita Shirodkar last year. And the sketch of the lady making the pizzas is influenced by Inma Serrano's Domestika course, where you sketch the person's movements. Both great workshops that have taught me a lot about sketching people in crowded places.

Then onto the lobsters, unhappy in their tank, ready to be sold for dinner. I haven't had the time to add colour to this one. Maybe I should?

After all that, I guess it was time for a drink and dinner. It was colder, and I had mussels and chips.

4 months of war

On Friday 24th of June, I went to the protest at the GPO to mark the 4 months of war in Ukraine. It was 5:30 on a Friday evening. Not the best time to get a large crowd in Ireland, except in a pub. But the flow of refugees is still growing. So many women with their children. So many flags. I chatted to a couple of women - some have found accommodation with Irish families, others are still in a holding pattern, in student accommodation in UCD, for instance. What will happen in September when all the students come back?

And of course Olia Shchepak was there to take photos. I still haven't got to talk with her. I saw her walking into the crowd, probably just after she took this photo of me sketching!

Lille in 35 sketches - Part 3

This was the Saturday. It started slow, as we were gathering near the Beaux Arts for the group photo, then back to the médiathèque for our goody bags. Then back to the Beaux Arts, but the building Barbara and myself were interested in wasn't really accessible. So we walked a good bit to get to the water. We finally found the river boats and sketched these. I worked in graphite pencil, which is really not for me. I always end up smudging graphite everywhere.

At that stage, it was already lunchtime and I had only done one sketch and I wasn't happy with it. Panic!!

I added a bit of payne's grey on top when I got back home to Ireland, just to keep the smudge down!

So I caught up with Brendan on the Place aux Oignons and had lunch, and also sketched the hen party at the table behind us. Started to feel better.

After lunch, I wanted to sketch a bakery I had seen on our walks. French sketchers looked at me funny, as if I was stupid for sketching a bakery from a chain. They tend to only sketch what they consider to be worthy, the big historic buildings. Many of them very talented. But a very different style. I like the everyday. And the life of the city. A young man who works for the Paul Bakery chatted to me - he was really happy that I was sketching his place of work. German tourists stopped and admired my work too. It felt good to be in the middle of a crowded footpath, sketching. Just what I love.

After a little break from the sun, I went to watch the Pride parade. It was amazing! I was standing against a wall as the parade was going right past me. The energy, the noise, the colours! I sketched as quickly as I could, feeling completely energised. I added colours when I got back to the hotel room.

I noticed the three ladies of a certain age (probably my age) at the window of their apartment, on the 3rd or 4th floor. Two of them were dancing to the (boom boom) music. Every time the crowd spotted them, there were huge cheers and waving, and a surge of energy. I loved it.

After another little break, and a drink with Brendan, I went to the USk Lille dinner at the Omnia. Sketchers everywhere, but the food service was so slow that the evening dragged on. I passed the time by sketching our fellow sketchers at the table, who were very nice and very talented, but they didn't do portraits, except for Annie, who was game for anything!! I remember Annie from Porto. We had done a Liz Steel online course together and we bumped into each other by the river, the day before the symposium and chatted for a while. She didn't recognise me - maybe if my hair was still red?

A few photos

Lille in 35 sketches - Part 2

Day 2, Friday

I was so excited about the day ahead that I woke up really early. I didn't want to wake Brendan, so I slipped behind the curtain and sketched the roofs as seen from the window. I wish I'd had more time to do a watercolour. All the red tiles and bricks in different shades would be wonderful in a colour version. 

Maybe it'll be an excuse to go back. It's when I think about it that I wish I lived on the Continent. Lille would be a perfect location. Half an hour from Bruxelles Midi via TGV, 45 minutes from Paris, the TGV to the South of France, the EuroStar to London. No need for airports and the hassle associated with them.

But anyways, onto breakfast at the Okko Hotel. Lovely spread. Real green tea, options of still or sparkling water refills any time of the day, real yogurt not out of a plastic pot (and soft drinks and slices of cake too in the afternoon). And a great view. Again, another excuse to go back!

For our first day, we decided to sketch at the back of the cathedral, Notre Dame de la Treille. A strange façade. Lots of quirky roofs, brickwork and old-style aerials.

Time for a catch-up with fellow-sketchers and a refreshing drink before we move on.

Lunch Marché aux Oignons - tomatoes are so amazing in France! Lunch with Brendan and Amélie, followed by more sketching. 

Onto the Médiathèque to buy badge from USk Lille, get my sketchbook stamped, chat to a few people and sketch some more.

Utopia and the belfry (or one of them anyway) - quick sketches with pencil while Brendan is chatting with Michael.

A drink with Brendan at our favourite terrace, the Coq Hardi. (Yes, I know it's only Day 2, but we already have a favourite.)

And another drink near the cathedral, before Brendan and I head to Rouge Barre, a fantastic restaurant. The rain has arrived and we get a taxi back to our hotel using FreeNow, the same taxi app we have in Dublin.

A few photos from the day