Basilique du Sacré-Cœur. —Dominick

With summer over and the leaves beginning to turn, I’m going to be like this bird today and enjoy what’s left of the summer leaves.

drawing of a bird in Paris by Greg Betza.

Something reminded me of France recently. Something always reminds me of France actually.

the cobblestone streets                     open the senses                   and it appears

an edible rapture of delight

peers through the window dressed in the finest of lace

an innocent invitation?

or touched by temptation?

select wisely young one .. une charlotte, des profiteroles, des beignets

there it is! .. the flawless Pain au Chocolat

can it actually be my favorite?

UNDENIABLY

perfection in design.

This is one of over a hundred drawings I made in Paris.  I fell in love with Paris.  This drawing in particular was produced inside the Chartres Cathedral.  It caught my absolute attention.  The sculpture  just captures the  perfect picture of what life in the spirit could be.  The Cathedral itself was enormous, I think you could fit Notre Dame within its nave. You must make the trip if you have not, I must make the trip again because I have.

Eddie Peña

In Dom’s edition yesterday, he said  “One of the many things that makes reportage illustration so amazing is the idea that I can sit anywhere in the world, pull out my pen and ink, and draw. ” I couldn’t agree with him more.   Funny thing is the drawing below was just that – done in pen and ink, (a crayon or two) on the spot, while sitting next to Dom in the gardens of the Château de Versailles a few thousand miles from home.

The secret is there’s really nothing as rewarding to a reportage artist than the experience of creating a drawing. It’s in that moment – whether it’s an image, a feeling, a thought, or a gesture – we know the opportunity to discover is priceless.

click for a larger image

So there we were, Dom and I in front of this gorgeous fountain, called  Le Bassin d’Apollon, (a.k.a. The Fountain of Apollo). Like I mentioned before, it stands in the gardens of the Château de Versailles, (home of the Court of Versailles, once the centre of political power in France).  The horses appeared so boisterous as they leaped out of the water’s edge it was irresistible. Not just to draw them, but to try to successfully capture how they felt.

Priceless I say. - Michele

urban trivia: The figure of Apollo at Versailles on the chariot of the sun is an allegorical allusion to Louis XIV who was popularly known as the Sun King because of his belief in the theory that the King was crowned by God and accountable to him alone. 

mbedigian©2009

Over the weekend I caught up with a few friends I had met in Paris a few years back in the gorgeous, (I mean GORGEOUS) musée Rodin, a museum dedicated to the life and work of  master artist, August Rodin.

Their first time in America, I was excited to see them. We met in Bryant Park for a breakfast picnic. The weather was ideal to sit and people watch for a bit so I drew some, ate some, talked some and loved every minute of it. Here’s a drawing of a neighbor on the lawn enjoying a good summer read.

…till next week! – Michele

a.k.a. the Avenue des Champs-Élysées

This weeks drawing was done on a warm, (really warm) July afternoon while standing on the most expensive strip of real estate in Europe. It’s known in France as La plus belle avenue du monde (“The most beautiful avenue in the world”), a fitting call since it’s just down the street from the stunning Jardin des Tuileries I love so much, (last weeks drawing). To the rest of the world it’s called the Avenue des Champs-Élysée.

The avenue runs for two kilometres (1.25 miles) through the 8th arrondissement in northwestern Paris and it’s name is French for Elysian Fields, the place of the blessed dead in Greek mythology. Up until 1616  it actually was fields and market gardens. It was then Marie de Medici decided to extend the garden axis of the Palais des Tuileries with an avenue of trees. Recognized today for it’s beauty, haute couture, shops and tremendous place in history, this alluring boulevard illustrates French culture on the grandest of scales, a must see.

urban trivia: They say rents on the Champs-Élysée run as high as USD1.5 million per 1,000 square feet (92.9 square metres) of space, pretty remarkable (even for New York standards) …’till next time  - Michele

A few years ago I found myself on a train in France, on my way to Chartre. I knew nothing of where I was headed. I brought a little reading with me to get familiar and have something to connect with when I arrived. One of the passages I read mentioned fields of gold and the uneven spired cathedral sitting off in the sun, a beacon for all those in need. I did a few little drawings on the train, expecting that time would have erased all notions of the quaint village I was learning about. The fields were gone, at least right in front of the cathedral, but the temple stood high above the village and called out to everyone who could see.

Ah, the days of summer… (how else could I follow Eddie and Dom?)

Like our Central Park here in New York, Jardin des Tuileries is one of those parks where you can grab a chair (or a bench) for free and sit wherever you like, (hence why I loved drawing there so much).

The Jardin des Tuileries is Paris’s most central garden. It connects the Louvre with the Place de la Concorde and forms a part of the large central axis between the Louvre and La Defense.

Although, like all things worth fighting for, all was not always peaceful in these tranquil gardens. Quite the contrary. It was here where Louis the XVI and Marie Antoinette were held prisoner in the palace, after being routed from Versailles during the French Revolution, and it was also here where the siege at the Tuileries by the Parisian mob at the close of the revolution in 1893 left a thousand dead.

The Tuileries Gardens were one of the first urban green spaces in history to open to the public, and have served as a proto-type for public gardens across Europe. (Even at that time, the gardens boasted cafes and kiosks, a place where people of all social classes could meet and relax). On the cusp of America’s celebration of independence this coming fourth of July it seems only appropo to honor it’s philosophy. Really, how cool … a place where all social classes can come together and JUST BE.

Happy Birthday America! – Michele

“It is here, it is here where the martyrs are, it is here that the Sacred Heart must reign so that it can beckon all to come”.  -   Joseph-Hippolyte Guibert

                Perched high above the city, along cobbled stoned streets and winding alleyways sits the glorious Basilique du Sacré-Cœur.

Upon approach it was clear this place was special, so grand, immaculate in all it’s white, and such presence. Yet another magical element to this magnificent city, (the glory of its churches). I understand why so many pilgrims would hike these crazy hills to reach such a beautiful place of worship.

The church stands tall in the heart of Montmartre (the butte Montmartre) , once a principal artistic center of Paris. It was there in the mid-1800s artists such as Johan Jongkind and Camille Pissarro called home and by the end of the century, (with its counterpart on the Left Bank, Montparnasse) artist associations such as Les Nabis and the Incoherents were formed, (not to mention being a stones throw from the Moulin Rouge, where  Toulouse-Lautrec designed those incredible posters).  Yes, a religious experience all around, and one I will treasure forever.

So, how does the Basilica stay so stay white? … Sacré-Cœur is built of Travertine stone quarried in Chateau-Landon (Seine-et-Marne), France. This stone constantly exudes calcite, which ensures that the basilica remains white even with weathering and pollution.

And why is it called a Basilica? … The name Basilica is given to certain churches granted special privileges by the Pope. 

Just a little trivia this somewhat sunny Sunday morning, see you next week! - Michele

A trip to Paris is never short of wonder. There’s no other place like it, the shops, the history, the food, THE ART! Here’s a drawing I made in the Musee National Picasso during a trip abroad traveling with my associates at 1482. Spending the day with Picasso’s lifework (in awe, I might add) was truly divine. What an awesome experience ….

Looking forward to sharing some more drawings from abroad next week, enjoy! - Michele

* On a side note, I’d like to plea to the dear thief who stole the sketchbook, PLEASE RETURN IT, the world needs it.