Getting Away From It All in Quebec

It’s been a busy time lately with travel and painting side-by-side with must-do’s, but I found myself recently on the banks of a roaring stream, conveniently located next to the best place to be in the small town of Val David, Quebec:  a microbrewery-cum-quaint-inn–a true jewel of a find.  (It is called “Le Baril Roulant MicroBrasserie” should you wish to look it up.)

Illustration: “Val David, Quebec,” Watercolor and gouache in a home-made sketchbook with hot press Arches watercolor paper by Black Elephant Blog author (2017)

Being in places different from one’s usual world is always great for curious people, and this was no exception.  About an hour outside of Montreal, Val David is perfectly situated for a weekend get-away.  There are several choices of places to stay, like this place (below) seen from the bike path.

Illustration: “C’est La Vie Cafe”, Val David, Quebec, watercolor and gouache on Arches cold press paper (2017)

There’s always so much to absorb–great museums (with a tremendous exhibition on Chagall), wonderful sights, and sounds–in Montreal.  Layers upon layers of new impressions mix in with older assumptions, and it is quite clear suddenly that new approaches must be tried as soon as one gets home:  this is always one of the benefits of travel.

Quebec Watercolor Sketch

Now back at home under the ‘heat dome” enveloping most everyone in the USA, it’s a good time to finish off sketches started last week during a quick trip (in much, much cooler weather) to Quebec, Canada.

Illustration:  “Balloons over the rue du Petit-Champlain” in Quebec City in watercolor, gouache, and Faber-Castell white artists pen on Arches watercolor paper by Black Elephant Blog author.

Of course, lots of people had the same idea to visit Montreal and Quebec City last week but in general the crowds were quite manageable.  Though it was a short trip, there was time to listen to music on the Place Jacques-Cartier, check out some amazing waterfalls, see the mesmerizing “Pompeii” exhibition at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and buy some watercolor paper made by the “Bee Paper Company” in Canada to add to my small collection of watercolor papers.

The rest of the sketches I’ve made while on this short trip are still in pencil drafts but, with the heat dome effects  (100 degrees or more!) projected to last a few more days, it seems likely I’ll have a chance to get to them. So, until then…