Attempting the Impossible!

Galeries Lafayette.
May 20

OK, I taunted the sketching gods by 

attempting this one!  

With all the rain and a Catholic holiday on Monday, 

the department stores were packed. I took my first

Metro ride and went to Printemps, C&A, and finally 

to Galeries Lafayette's flagship store on 

Boulevard Haussmann.  

It is an amazing store, opened in 1895.

 

Both Printemps and GL have the biggest shoe departments

I have ever seen in my life, occupying an entire floor. 

Also at both stores, lines of Asian tourists were waiting to 

get into the Gucci store-in-the-store to buy some 

pricey souveniers of Paris.

I managed to snag the last remaining 

seat in the cafe and sat with my cafe 

au lait and pain au chocolat and sketched.  

About 10 minutes into it, I realized this was 

pure insanity!  The scale and detail were 

totally overwhelming.  

I kept thinking how if this were India, there would be 

a crowd of at least 25 curious onlookers around 

me watching me draw.  But in Paris, I don't 

think anyone even glanced my way.

Now that I can see the sketch on a small screen, I 

see some wonky perspective, but at least it 

does capture the moment for me.

Hopefully you'll see these sketches get

better and better as the weeks go on...