Watercolor added to the Basel Cathedral

I wanted to add some watercolor to this sketch - see the previous version below. I think it helps to give the sketch some character and feeling. 

Basel Muenster Sketch

This was a special day for me. I had just lead a tour of the cathedral earlier this day to 20-some ICEC delegates. It was so great to be back in Switzerland. Bow unstrung. 

Finally a sketch of Erasmus' Burial site.

I started this sketch back in May and finally finished it today. When we used to live in this part of the world I would go to the Basel Muenster and without fail I would take a few moment and go "visit" Erasmus. Finally, I got around to making a sketch of this favorite spot.

Here is my favorite Erasmus' quote:
"To be a schoolmaster is next to being a king. Do you count it lowly employment to imbue the minds of the young with the things of Christ and the best of literature and return them to their homes honest and virtuous persons? In the opinion of fools, it is a humble task; but in fact, it is the noblest of occupations." - Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536). 

If you are interested you can see other sketches from Basel by clicking the Basel link in the right column of my blog.

Psalm 91:13

If you've been around me, you know how much I love the Basel Muenster. I was there again the other day. There are so many meaningful messages to be found in and around this cathedral. Here is one of my favorites.

In the King James Bible Psalm 91:13 says, "Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet."

Inside this cathedral there is a way you can fulfill this very scripture....check it out.

(I didn't take this first photo.)

Notice the glass plate in the floor there? It is located very near the front area of the church - near the raised pulpit. Let's take a closer look.

Under the glass is a very old stone (part of the original cathedral floor) with a "dragon" painted on it. It is here in the floor to serve as an illustration of Psalm 91:13 - that Christ followers would indeed trample dragons under their feet. That's my foot in the photo trampling on the dragon. I think this is really cool. Everytime I go there I try and trample on the dragon before leaving the church.

Rhein River - Basel Switzerland

It was a very hot day in July 2010 when I made this sketch.

The best part was seeing the Harrop family go swimming by while I sketched. They all waved and yelled at me from the river.

Swiss Worship

Old Swiss Lady at worship service Basel Munster. 16 August 2009.

April 8 Sketches

This was a drawing done at the Marktplatz in Basel, Switzerland. Everyday they have a market (foreground) in front of the Rathaus (background). It's great. The Rathaus itself is a stunning building. You gotta see it in real life. Click. I loved the long flags hanging from the building waving in the breeze.

Sandee took a picture of me sketching by the tram tracks. It's funny how people try to get near you and take a peek at what you're drawing. The Rathaus is just to right of this picture.

Later, after the above, I walked to the Muenster and sketched the back side of cathedral. Again, people try and get close to see what I'm drawing. I'm kinda shy about having strangers look at my drawings especially before I'm done.

Full page from my Moleskine sketchbook.

Sunday Sketch 29.03.09

Went to the Basel Cathedral again for service. I'm always quite taken with the towering pulpit (if that's what you call it). It in itself is quite an artful masterpiece made completely from red sandstone.
Today as the pastor spoke I counted up to 4 seconds after his last word was spoken before the echo of his voice stopped booming around the cathedral walls. The whole experience is always very moving.
This is the beginning of the Passion week. Even though I only caught about half of his German words, he presentation was full of the correct emotion leading up to the death of Christ on the cross.

After the service I sat in Starbucks and finished my cathedral sketch and added this little one below. The cappuccino, like the church service, was inspirational. I also enjoyed reading several more chapters in "What's so Great about Christianity". It's a very good book. I recommend it.

My pencil serves as a divider between these two disparate drawings.

Basel Munster Sketch

Attended the Gottesdienst (Sunday worship service) this morning at the Basel Munster. I made some random sketches during the service (tried to be very discreet). Obviously, I could only draw the backs of heads. It's interesting what you can tell from a slumped shoulder or an alert and upright head.

Some observations from the service. 1) Cathedrals are cold! Everyone keeps their winter coats on. 2) No one (or very few) carries their Bible. 3) The seats are very HARD and straight! So, the service was mercifully short - one hour. 4) The chair backs are all unique! Cool patterns. 5) The sounds are fabulous - the deep church bells, the organ, the Pastor's echoing voice, the singing. 6) The Pastor's white collar is extremely WHITE! I wonder who does his laundry and what keeps it so bright?

Sunday Sketches

This Sunday I attended the worship service at Basel Muenster. These two Moleskine sketches were done freehand during the service. I added the detail later when I got home. They are a bit unfinished, but I wanted to get something posted this week. I really enjoyed making these. I enjoyed trying to draw the Pastor's black robe and white collar. This was another one of those combination things - worship and drawing. I won't forget this day ever.

Obviously, the entire service was in German, so I only understood about 1/2. Still I found the entire service inspiring. The architecture, the organ, the echoing voice of the Pastor in this huge cathedral all contributed to lifting my thoughts to God.
So, I admit that I am not used to this kind of service, but I think our modern contemporary worship lacks some of the grandeur and awe that you experience in a Muenster. Worshiping in a cathedral is indeed a special experience. I want to do it more. I found myself looking up a lot during the service trying to take in the entire space.
The Basel Muenster is a Protestant church part of the Evangelical Reformed church. Centuries ago, it was a Catholic church, then came the Swiss Reformation and all of the Catholics were kicked out of Basel. Click here to visit the church's website.
Oh, and the church bells!! I have to mention those. As you walk toward the cathedral just prior to the service, the bells are amazing - calling you to worship. Nothing like it. And the cool thing is how the bells stop pealing right at 10am. Then there is this moment of quiet, and then the booming organ begins. Stunning! I never experienced anything like this growing up in Summit County.
See the little 7 second clip below to hear the bells on the walk to church.

Well said...

"To be a schoolmaster is next to being a king. Do you count it lowly employment to imbue the minds of the young with the things of Christ and the best of literature and return them to their homes honest and virtuous persons? In the opinion of fools, it is a humble task; but in fact, it is the noblest of occupations." - Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536). Learn more about Erasmus here.

Erasmus is buried just 30 minutes from our place. Here I am standing beside his memorial column where he is buried in the cathedral in Basel, Switzerland. Eramus was a great Christian educator.