Recent Sketches

Sketch from BCN workshop.

As my time in France winds down, I am scrambling to draw and paint as much as possible. I can't believe this time is going by so quickly.

Here are a few recent sketches, from the amazing Barcelona symposium, to the workshop I taught in Italy (I'll be teaching it again next summer, in case anyone is interested), to my visit to relatives in Holland, and of course in and around Paris!  

I really love doing the vary long horizontal and vertical views.  More to come!
On my list of things to do is a tall one inside Saint Eustache.
A bientôt~~

Interior of church in Civita di Bagnoregio, Italy.
I'll be teaching an architectural sketching workshop there again next summer, in case anyone is interested!

Den Haag

Hotel de Ville, Paris...sitting on the curb in traffic~~

Entry to Civita~~

The most difficult drawing ever,
inside the Sagrada Familia.

In the Marais

Morning from the Pont Marie. June 5.

Medieval Marais. June 7

I've wanted to try this technique for a long time.  My husband's great grandfather, who was the head of Croatian railroads, did wonderful watercolor paintings on the backs of train schedules.  The paper was a lovely ochre color, and he used opaque white to bring out the light.

So I sketched this little street in the Marais on-site, then painted in my studio at the Cité des Arts.  Painted the entire background with  yellow ochre, then used grays and chinese white to bring out the lights and darks.

I like this technique, it seems to fit the old and lovely buildings.

Bonjour, Paris!

In the Tuileries, lots of people passing by

Palais du Luxembourg, in the rain

Glowing purple flowers in the rain, Place de Contrescarpe, Paris

Hello Paris sketchers,


My name is Stephanie Bower, and I am a Seattle Urban Sketcher spending this summer mostly in Paris. Earlier this year, I was awarded the Gabriel Prize, an architecture fellowship for one person from the USA to study french architecture for 3 months. I am so excited to be here!  My project will take me to Versailles, Vaux-le-Vicomte and Fontainebleau, and I'll also be doing lots of sketching around Paris.  If anyone wants to join me, let me know!

In the US, I'm trained as an architect and work primarily as an architectural illustrator, producing pencils sketches and watercolors for some wonderful projects and offices.  I've also been teaching architectural sketching in the US, both in New York City and in Seattle for over 20 years, and I'll be teaching a workshop in Civita di Bagnoregio, Italy in July. I'm fairly new to Urban Sketchers and find it a brilliant concept.  It's inspiring to see what other people are doing around the world.

I have already met Martine and Kim, who graciously invited me to post as a Paris Urban Sketcher while I am here.  Thank you, I am honored, and I look forward to meeting more Paris sketchers.

These are some of my first drawings...I hope to find my sketching style and learn more over the next few months as I have this amazing opportunity to sketch and paint every day...
thank you for the warm welcome!