Paper in Paris

It was fun to search for art supplies when I visited Paris. I mapped the paper stores and they were not far from Notre Dame.

Since there were huge crowds in front, I walked over two foot bridges, about a 15 minute walk, to the paper stores on Rue Pont Louis-Phillippe.

They are located in the hip neighborhood  (the 4th District) known as the Marais. I bought Faber-Castell color pencils and this lovely little pink journal at Paper Plus.

They also had this lovely Italian paper on my "How to Meditate" book I sell on Etsy: ARTbooks.Etsy.com - I buy the paper at Paper Source in Houston.

Les Exprimeurs offered pretty stationery where I bought these wonderful bookmarks for souvenirs. Everyone loved them!

Calligrane sold colorful Japanese papers, greeting cards, and journals; their elegant books and paper were pricey.

The cheapest machine-bound small blank journal book was $55. But I did get some ideas for binding my own journals.

After Notre Dame, I walked around the corner to the bookstore, Shakespeare & Company.

The aisles were crowded, of course I bought a Paris postcard and looked at the books.

Another shop, called Tse Tse, across the street from my apartment in the 1st District on Rue Saint-Roch sold home accessories and notebooks. 

I bought this lovely Fabriano notebook, 8 1/4 by 11 1/4 inches.

I also bought this pretty gilt edged book with silver elastic - tres chic. 

Did you find any art supplies during your travels?


©Anne Rita Taylor 2017

After Degas' Ballerina

I visited Degas’ ballerinas. The exhibit was at the Museum of Fine Arts-Houston in December. I wanted a ballerina of my own.

I tried to figure out which ballerina I wanted; I especially liked the woman bowing holding flowers in her green tutu.

I bought a Tracer Projector several years ago & tried it once. The postcard sized photo goes under the Tracer and projects about 2 feet away to about 18 inches tall. 

The projected shadowy screen image frustrated me.  I thought I’d try to use it again before I gave it away.

This time I used it in a darkened room; it gave me a good outline to follow as long as I did not move the canvas too much. I had to re-position it a few times.

And I worked in the dark!

Pastels seems to work OK. 

Plus these earth tones:

After drawing an outline I turned off the projector and drew in the details with the pastels. 

It came out similar but it is an Anne Rita Taylor, not a Degas. I was pleased anyway. It is 16 inches wide by 20 inches tall. It hangs in my bedroom. What do you think of it?

©Anne Rita Taylor 2017