Hollywood Bowl-Tribute to Serge Gainsbourg

French composer, arranger and longtime Serge Gainsbourg collaborator Jean Claude Vannier, was playing the legendary concept album Histoire de Melody Nelson live, in full with orchestra and guests, at the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday evening.

Jean Claude kindly invited me to join him for the day, at the Hollywood Bowl, to sketch the Artists and the musicians backstage, and on stage, during rehearsal and during the concert in the evening.

It was an amazing experience; this was my first time at the Hollywood Bowl, and to enter this venue, through the Artist entrance at the back and go straight on stage facing the sea of empty seats, it was very impressive to say the least. The stage was filled with a full orchestra, a choir and many very talented and famous artists rehearsing the songs. Needless to say that when I started to sketch I was very nervous. It took me a while to realize I was on stage at the Hollywood Bowl.

I met Jean Claude again Monday evening at the CineFamily (the silent movie theatre) in Hollywood, for a retrospective of his work, presented on stage by Andy Votel; this gave me the opportunity to finish the sketchbook I started Sunday at the Hollywood Bowl and cover his 2 days in L.A.

Thanks to Jean Claude Vannier for this unforgettable experience! 

Full list of Artists here. ('M'-Matthieu Chedid, was also performing on stage).

I also sketched Jean Claude Vannier's performance at The Barbican in London in 2006, you can check it here. This is how we first got in touch.

Petite Maison.

This is a little house on my Mum's property in France. She is going to sell it soon as it needs a lot of work inside, it is very old and charming, but she decided to part with it. I drew it whilst i visited her last month; it is nothing really, but i do like this house.

I will probably color it later, traditionally or digitally, at different time of the day and night, as an exercise.