Five Decades of French Travel Sketches
This hardcover collection presents fifty years of travel sketches by Laurie Olin, one of America's most distinguished landscape architects. Through watercolor and pen and ink, Olin documents France's diverse regions, from Paris streets and cafes to Provence vineyards and ancient ruins. Each sketch serves as both personal documentation and a study in observational drawing techniques applied to architectural and natural subjects.
Seven French Regions Documented
The sketchbook covers Paris across all seasons, Haute Loire, Provence, Haute Provence, Normandy, Aquitaine, and Entre des Meures. Each section includes transcribed notes and observations from Olin's travels, providing context to the visual documentation. Olin's designer's eye captures elements ranging from urban landscapes and agricultural scenes in Provence and Bordeaux to trees, dogs, fountains, and parks.
Watercolor and Pen Techniques
Created with watercolor and pen and ink techniques, these sketches follow the centuries-old tradition of artists recording places, people, and life in travel journals. The collection offers practical inspiration for urban sketchers, landscape architects, and anyone interested in observational drawing techniques. Each piece demonstrates how professional designers document architectural and landscape elements during field studies.
About Laurie Olin
Renowned landscape architect Laurie Olin lives in Philadelphia where he taught at the University of Pennsylvania for forty years. His award-winning designs include Bryant Park in New York, The Getty Center in Los Angeles, and the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia. This collection represents his personal selection from decades of travel sketchbooks.
Book Design by Pablo Mandel
Pablo Mandel, director of Circular Studio, designed this publication. Mandel is a graphic designer renowned for his work with architecture studios, universities, and publishers worldwide. He graduated from Buenos Aires University in 1995 with a degree in graphic design. His book designs have been published internationally and have won several awards.
