I discovered this artist thanks to one of my favorite Instragram acquaintances, @Batignollesspot who shines a light on people and business of my neighborhood. (She was kind enough to write about me this past summer). Recently she shared a post about Louis de Cointet and I was instantly drawn in by his page with sketches from simple instants in every day life in Paris, mostly around the Batignolles.

Louis has been living in the Batignolles for about 15 years, just about the same amount of time that he had STOPPED drawing! He used to draw when he was young, but, well life as a father, three kids later, and a business (in technology) didn’t leave him the time and energy to draw. Yet like many people, the Covid pandemic has allowed us either to find extra time or to make it perhaps to consecrate that time to doing things we truly enjoy. Nothing like a globally debilitating disease to make you take stock of what’s important in life I suppose. (Um, I bake bread now, because I love butter. Bread is the perfect vector for butter). LOL!

Louis is a self taught artist, which for me this is the best kind. The American in me loves the idea of teaching yourself your own skills. RESPECT! He picked up his pen again a number of months ago, ad hasn’t stopped sketching since. His subject matter is mostly people, scenes of every day life, and sometimes a little bit of architecture. His sketches are drawn quickly along his walks and done with a marker so he can’t erase. Later color is added with watercolors paint, crayons or markers.

I personally appreciate the idea of a drawing of an instant, which is a much different approach that using photography. But there is an idea of authenticity that photography doesn’t really have anymore since we have so many tools to enhance it. And in Louis sketches we really have a true sens of what the naked eye sees.

He began his instagram acount in September 2020 and you can follow him to enjoy his art. He looks forward to being able to draw people without masks, and maybe perhaps by then we could be able to purchase prints of his sketches! I hope you enjoy discovering this local Parisian artist.

Bises

Melissa