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