The first time I went to Sennelier was in 1997. I remember I was excited not just to see the store, but to be in the store where Picasso, Cezanne, Bonnard, Monet and many others purchased art supplies. I remember the people working there all wore white frocks and looked so serious. It was exciting to see the place in person.
Later I had NPR on in the studio and they did a story on Sennelier. I went to their archives to see if I could find it. They do and you can listen to it here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5581725
Whether the belief is that materials don't matter, or that there is no justification to spend a little more on materials, I have friends that have no interest (or love) of discussing them or being enamored with them. I, on the other hand, just enjoy the nuance between brands and the history surrounding them. So today, I went shopping for a hardbound sketchbook that I could use during my stay.
It was great to come out of the store, sketchbook in hand, cross the Seine and approach the Louvre for a morning of drawing. Here are some pics from my visit.
