This chiaroscuro (or clair-obscur) drawing in brush and ink of Marie-Eve and Camille sketching on the edge of a railway embankment in rural Quebec is a favorite because it reminds me of the social aspect of painting outdoors. The two young friends, who were students in a course I was giving there, often sat together, chatting away about other things while they drew and painted. You can imagine them picnicking together, taking their sketchbooks and paints along with a basket with wine and lunch and a blanket out to a favorite spot.
Contributed by Michael Kluckner
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I had just taken a new job and moved to Germany. I was looking over a map, and orienting myself to the area around my new apartment in the small town of Hochspeyer. Then there it was, a scant six kilometers from my apartment; the town of Frankenstein. I thought to myself, no, it couldn’t be. Could it? A few days later I had some extra time so I drove to Frankenstein. The weather was sunny and Frankenstein, though very small, was charming. There was a Gasthaus(inn/restaurant) at the edge of town, with patrons enjoying the sunshine at outdoor tables. It took me all of two minutes to drive the entire length of Frankenstein. As I turned around and began to drive back, I noticed a churchspire nestled against a hill off to the left of the road. I pulled over to take a picture. Then I saw the castle, a menacing looking one at that, crumbling, perched on the hill overlooking the town. Unbelievable.
I did not have any more time that day, but after researching the castle I worked up the courage and made the climb up the hill. The weather was nice and the trail was wide. The watercolor drawing is a view from the end of the trail as it comes upon the castle ruins. My trip to the castle (at www.michaels-travels.com) turned out to be quite enjoyable and I plan to return, but not in the dark of night.
Contributed by Michael Liebhaber
