Grace Lin's Blog, page 95
September 22, 2011
une promenade à Paris
It was our last day in Paris! Next, we were off to grand adventures Tours, Giverny and Rouen! Embracing the idea of simple pleasures, we decided to spend the day with another exploratory walk. It began with un chat:
and some macaroons:
macaroons are the new cupcake!
Then we headed over to the Grand Opera House:
To do some sketching
of the light fixtures:
Yes, instead of drawing the building I drew the light fixtures (and a pigeon). I don't know why.Hmm, what's this? Le bonbon? I don't need to know French to know I will like this store!
This was the most amazing candy store ever, gourmet candy!
All traditional French candy, sugared rose and violet petals to marzipan covered chocolates!
I bought a lot of candy for myself & gifts for friends. When I left the store I looked like him:
Sometimes it's the serendipitous, the things that are not on your list o' sites to see, that are memorable. For example, this green house:
Real living plants grew all over the building! Later on TV, I saw something about it...but it was in French so I have no idea what they said.And there was also this bridge of locks:
I think it was some sort of public art-thing. I thought it was neat!
Couples were locking their love! oh, l'amour!
It was also neat to get to see the famous things from another point of view:
Can you see me, Pocket Pacy?
We finished off the day at our favorite bistro, which I highly reccmmend if you are ever in Paris:
I even love the name of the place, "The Time of Cherries." Sounds like a book, no?
And ended the day with an autre chat:
Au revoir, Paris!
Le BonBon Au Palais
19 rue Monge
75005 Paris, France
01 78 56 15 72
Les Temps des Cerises
31 rue de la Cerisaie
75004 Paris, France
01 43 72 08 63
and some macaroons:
macaroons are the new cupcake!Then we headed over to the Grand Opera House:
To do some sketching
of the light fixtures:
Yes, instead of drawing the building I drew the light fixtures (and a pigeon). I don't know why.Hmm, what's this? Le bonbon? I don't need to know French to know I will like this store!
This was the most amazing candy store ever, gourmet candy!
All traditional French candy, sugared rose and violet petals to marzipan covered chocolates! I bought a lot of candy for myself & gifts for friends. When I left the store I looked like him:
Sometimes it's the serendipitous, the things that are not on your list o' sites to see, that are memorable. For example, this green house:
Real living plants grew all over the building! Later on TV, I saw something about it...but it was in French so I have no idea what they said.And there was also this bridge of locks:
I think it was some sort of public art-thing. I thought it was neat!
Couples were locking their love! oh, l'amour!It was also neat to get to see the famous things from another point of view:
Can you see me, Pocket Pacy?
We finished off the day at our favorite bistro, which I highly reccmmend if you are ever in Paris:
I even love the name of the place, "The Time of Cherries." Sounds like a book, no?And ended the day with an autre chat:
Au revoir, Paris!
Le BonBon Au Palais
19 rue Monge
75005 Paris, France
01 78 56 15 72
Les Temps des Cerises
31 rue de la Cerisaie
75004 Paris, France
01 43 72 08 63
September 21, 2011
simple joys
The Sasquatch and I wandered into the Jardin du Luxembourg, where I became entranced by this Italian style fountain:
The Medici Fountain
As I sketched, the Sasquatch grew a little bored and walked around. He soon came back and said, "I think there's something over there you'll really want to see."
He was right. Because "over there" was an amazing vintage carousel:
the animals were designed by the Charles Garnier, the same designer of the Grand Opera!The animals were worn and chipped, there wasn't even music playing. But there was a new group of children waiting each time and the grey horse even had a waiting line (it seemed to be the "special one.") All the children carried sticks and the carousel was full each round.
Look how old the animals are!The only animal that was ignored was the giraffe (and the tented carriage).
And I slowly figured out why. The carousel was an old-fashioned game. The children tried to catch the ring on the bell with their sticks. The grey horse must be the "lucky one" and the giraffe, not so much:
Every child was so enthusiastic, so excited about their animal and trying to catch the ring...it was incredibly charming and delightful.
And to me, it was also very hopeful. In this day and age, with computers and video games, to see children enjoying something so simple was inspiring. Things don't have to light up, be bright, shiny, action-packed and new for kids to love it. Simple things can still be vibrant and beloved.
It seems like there are hundreds of articles a day about how the book is dead, how the new generations will turn up their noses at a paper book. Perhaps many will. But perhaps, many will not. Perhaps they will still find the simple pleasure in an old-fashioned book like they do with this old-fashioned carousel.
The Medici Fountain
As I sketched, the Sasquatch grew a little bored and walked around. He soon came back and said, "I think there's something over there you'll really want to see."
He was right. Because "over there" was an amazing vintage carousel:
the animals were designed by the Charles Garnier, the same designer of the Grand Opera!The animals were worn and chipped, there wasn't even music playing. But there was a new group of children waiting each time and the grey horse even had a waiting line (it seemed to be the "special one.") All the children carried sticks and the carousel was full each round.
Look how old the animals are!The only animal that was ignored was the giraffe (and the tented carriage).
And I slowly figured out why. The carousel was an old-fashioned game. The children tried to catch the ring on the bell with their sticks. The grey horse must be the "lucky one" and the giraffe, not so much:
Every child was so enthusiastic, so excited about their animal and trying to catch the ring...it was incredibly charming and delightful.
And to me, it was also very hopeful. In this day and age, with computers and video games, to see children enjoying something so simple was inspiring. Things don't have to light up, be bright, shiny, action-packed and new for kids to love it. Simple things can still be vibrant and beloved.
It seems like there are hundreds of articles a day about how the book is dead, how the new generations will turn up their noses at a paper book. Perhaps many will. But perhaps, many will not. Perhaps they will still find the simple pleasure in an old-fashioned book like they do with this old-fashioned carousel.
September 20, 2011
le louvre
So I've been enjoying my sketching renaissance very much! As I said before, it makes me feel like a real artist!
But before I left myself get too heady, we decided to go to the Louvre...were there is art by tres real artists:
At the Louvre, even the building is art. The trademark glass pyramid is striking to say the least.
But there are no trees! So I add one with a yoga tree pose!
And if I remember the Da Vinci Code correctly, the Holy Grail is here:
Le Louvre is soooo big that to photograph just the things I saw it would fill up my entire camera's memory card...and I only saw one wing!
Speaking of wings, I was glad to see this in person. It is the "Winged Victory" stature which has a proud historical and artistic background, but I enjoyed it because of one of my favorite books, "Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown." In that book, young, aspiring writer Betsy sees a replica of this statue and thus writes a story about a headless woman.
Of course, the main event at the Louvre is the Mona Lisa. It is hard to see with the throngs of people who spend more time taking photos with it than actually looking at the painting. But I can't really blame them. The crowd makes viewing is rather unpleasant and we are rather shoved out of the room to other galleries.
I am trying to do a Mona Lisa smile!
There are hundreds of paintings, all of them old and famous. The Sasquatch & I felt a kind of strange deja vu. We would see a painting and say with great excitement, "I remember that from Art History class! It was in my textbook. It's very important!" Yet, neither of us could remember why it was important. This happened many times. That is what an expensive art school education buys you.
But fine art does remind me to eat more vegetables:
and, in general, I do think statues look better with heads:
But what is this amazing piece of art? Can it be? Mon dieu!
The label was in French, but I'm sure it said this was the finest sculpture in the museum!
I did not leave her there! I was afraid the Louvre police would get angry.
It's a Pocket Pacy! Je suis une veritable artiste, after all!
But before I left myself get too heady, we decided to go to the Louvre...were there is art by tres real artists:
At the Louvre, even the building is art. The trademark glass pyramid is striking to say the least.
But there are no trees! So I add one with a yoga tree pose!And if I remember the Da Vinci Code correctly, the Holy Grail is here:
Le Louvre is soooo big that to photograph just the things I saw it would fill up my entire camera's memory card...and I only saw one wing!
Speaking of wings, I was glad to see this in person. It is the "Winged Victory" stature which has a proud historical and artistic background, but I enjoyed it because of one of my favorite books, "Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown." In that book, young, aspiring writer Betsy sees a replica of this statue and thus writes a story about a headless woman.
Of course, the main event at the Louvre is the Mona Lisa. It is hard to see with the throngs of people who spend more time taking photos with it than actually looking at the painting. But I can't really blame them. The crowd makes viewing is rather unpleasant and we are rather shoved out of the room to other galleries.
I am trying to do a Mona Lisa smile!There are hundreds of paintings, all of them old and famous. The Sasquatch & I felt a kind of strange deja vu. We would see a painting and say with great excitement, "I remember that from Art History class! It was in my textbook. It's very important!" Yet, neither of us could remember why it was important. This happened many times. That is what an expensive art school education buys you.
But fine art does remind me to eat more vegetables:
and, in general, I do think statues look better with heads:
But what is this amazing piece of art? Can it be? Mon dieu!
The label was in French, but I'm sure it said this was the finest sculpture in the museum!
I did not leave her there! I was afraid the Louvre police would get angry.It's a Pocket Pacy! Je suis une veritable artiste, after all!
September 19, 2011
Tour de Eiffel & Pocket Pacy #2
Oh la la! This tower is quite mignon. I think I will take it with me, perhaps keep it in my pocket.
Or perhaps, instead, I will leave it a Pacy for its pocket:
But first I must climb it. It is very tall.
So high! The line was so long for the lift, we opted for the stairs.There are many stairs:
No problem, just like a workout at the gym. Thanks, Boston Sports Club!
Many, many stairs:
We only climbed to the 2nd level, but that was still really high.
We are so far in the sky that here il pleut, while the ground below is dry.
I will leave a Pocket Pacy here in the clouds:
Au revoir!
2nd Floor, South
Tour Eiffel
Paris, France
Or perhaps, instead, I will leave it a Pacy for its pocket:
But first I must climb it. It is very tall.
So high! The line was so long for the lift, we opted for the stairs.There are many stairs:
No problem, just like a workout at the gym. Thanks, Boston Sports Club!Many, many stairs:
We only climbed to the 2nd level, but that was still really high.We are so far in the sky that here il pleut, while the ground below is dry.
I will leave a Pocket Pacy here in the clouds:
Au revoir!
2nd Floor, South
Tour Eiffel
Paris, France
September 18, 2011
Notre Dame
One of the first things I wanted to see in Paris was the Notre Dame Cathedral, the setting of many novels, picturebooks and art history textbooks that I've read and studied.
The entire cathedral is fairly laden with history and story. The ancient gargoyles, the stone are all eroding and blackening. I wonder at all the things those statues have witnessed over their years.
Seeing such ancient history brings back many of the emotions I had when I was an art student studying in Rome, Italy. It was there when I saw such a rich history of the country around me that I felt a kind of envy. I wanted to have the layers of culture that the Europeans had, the pride and care of their roots. It was very slow realization on my part to see that I did have those layers of culture in my Asian-American heritage--it was only that I had never bothered to see it or appreciate it. Being amongst Italians had made me realize and value how Asian-American I was and was really the turning point in my vision as an illustrator/author.
But being France has brought back my artistic dreams. In the past few years I've really begun to identify myself as an author; these days it's been novel writing that has been all-consuming. But at the very beginning I was solely an illustrator, drawing the world around me.
Which is probably why it's here that I've begun to observational sketch again. I feel like it's been a long time and I'm quite rusty. But it feels good...almost like I'm a real artist!
[image error]
The entire cathedral is fairly laden with history and story. The ancient gargoyles, the stone are all eroding and blackening. I wonder at all the things those statues have witnessed over their years.
Seeing such ancient history brings back many of the emotions I had when I was an art student studying in Rome, Italy. It was there when I saw such a rich history of the country around me that I felt a kind of envy. I wanted to have the layers of culture that the Europeans had, the pride and care of their roots. It was very slow realization on my part to see that I did have those layers of culture in my Asian-American heritage--it was only that I had never bothered to see it or appreciate it. Being amongst Italians had made me realize and value how Asian-American I was and was really the turning point in my vision as an illustrator/author.
But being France has brought back my artistic dreams. In the past few years I've really begun to identify myself as an author; these days it's been novel writing that has been all-consuming. But at the very beginning I was solely an illustrator, drawing the world around me.
Which is probably why it's here that I've begun to observational sketch again. I feel like it's been a long time and I'm quite rusty. But it feels good...almost like I'm a real artist!
[image error]
September 16, 2011
fortune cookie friday
"By eating we overcome hunger; and by study ignorance."
-Chinese Proverb[image error]
September 15, 2011
pacy goes to paris
J'arrive en France!
Thanks to uber-talented illustrator Julia Denos' recommendation, our hotel is lovely. Super clean and a nice comfy bed.
the view from our window from Hotel Port Doree
And it's across the street from a boulangerie! That is my favorite word in France. Boulangerie=YUM.
On the first day, to work through our jet-lag, we decided just to walk around Paris without an itinerary and just see whatever was around.
To small magical details:
I love this blue color
all Jules Verne!
And tormented statues:
he looks as tired as we feel!
poor statue is distraught by the crow on his head
Somehow we ended up at the Gare de Lyon, a train station that seems out of a novel:
Especially, the opulent restaurant at the top of the station. I was so enticed by the beautiful decor that I convinced the Sasquatch that we should get "just a cafe!"
I don't know how good the food was but the ambiance was lovely.
Afterwards, we walked some more. I'm not sure where we went but we did end up, appropriately at:
I will scribe mon voyage!
Hotel Port Doree273, avenue Daumesnil75012 Paris Paris, France
Le Train Bleu Restaurant
Gare de Lyon, 1er Etage
20 Boulevard Diderot, 75012 Paris
Thanks to uber-talented illustrator Julia Denos' recommendation, our hotel is lovely. Super clean and a nice comfy bed.
the view from our window from Hotel Port Doree And it's across the street from a boulangerie! That is my favorite word in France. Boulangerie=YUM.
On the first day, to work through our jet-lag, we decided just to walk around Paris without an itinerary and just see whatever was around.
To small magical details:
I love this blue color
all Jules Verne!And tormented statues:
he looks as tired as we feel!
poor statue is distraught by the crow on his headSomehow we ended up at the Gare de Lyon, a train station that seems out of a novel:
Especially, the opulent restaurant at the top of the station. I was so enticed by the beautiful decor that I convinced the Sasquatch that we should get "just a cafe!"
I don't know how good the food was but the ambiance was lovely.
Afterwards, we walked some more. I'm not sure where we went but we did end up, appropriately at:
I will scribe mon voyage!Hotel Port Doree273, avenue Daumesnil75012 Paris Paris, France
Le Train Bleu Restaurant
Gare de Lyon, 1er Etage
20 Boulevard Diderot, 75012 Paris
September 12, 2011
Happy Moon Festival!
From Thanking the MoonToday is the Moon Festival!
The Moon Festival is one of my favorite holidays. If you notice I've done many a books about the moon: Round is a Mooncake (and app!) Thanking the Moon, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and even my upcoming book The Starry River of the Sky is very moon-y. The Year of the Rat also features the Moon Festival.
Why do I love it so much? Other than the rich Asian mythology around the moon, the yummy
So tonight, even though I am in very non-Asian France, I appreciate all those things, including all of you--my lovely, kind readers whom I am very thankful for! I hope you do too.
the moon in France!
September 11, 2011
Sunday Chinese School
Welcome to Sunday Chinese School, where we learn a Chinese word (or phrase) a week with my mom!Today's word is:
moon
yuèliang
(in honor of the upcoming Moon Festival!)
