While I was in the Gare du Nord in 2009 I decided to draw a map of Paris from above. I had an hour or so before the Eurostar to London and spent a while wandering around inside and outside the station. I guess something about the station inspired some creativity. I had no idea then how much these drawings would shape a big part of my life (or even that I'd move to Taiwan after graduation). Ten years later I had an urge to circle back and do some Paris related work again, starting with Nord Station. I wanted to study and recreate the statues and facade details I'd admired back then. It's a huge building so I started with the smaller and simpler Gare D'Austerlitz as practice. Nearby is the Gare De Lyon. It's beautiful and though I have no personal connection to it I knew I couldn't stop myself drawing it. By then that was half the stations in Paris (that are still stations). So I decided to complete the set with Montparnasse, Lazare and Est. Each station has it's own personality and style. It's been an enjoyable distraction during a time when I had too much other work to take on big projects. However when the ceiling leaked on a nearly complete Nord it was less enjoyable and I had to redraw the whole thing!

Nord

Saint Lazare

Est

Lyon

Austerlitz

Montparnasse