Part 1: Discovering Paris
Join any time, fill your sketchbook and learn to notice.
8 ateliers ~ 8 Paris stories ~ 8 creative journal spreads
Bonjour • Café Table • The Baguette • Paris Doors • The Bouquinistes • The Métro • Green Chairs • Paris Rooftops
Because the café isn't simply somewhere to drink coffee.
It's somewhere to watch life happen.
Parisian café tables have long been places for conversation, reading, writing, reflecting, meeting friends, watching strangers, and simply spending time.
In this online atelier, we'll explore the café as one of Paris's great social stages and look at what these rituals tell us about slowing down and participating in city life.
Then we'll turn the café table into our creative playground, combining cups, receipts, words, maps, coffee rings, tiny objects, and observations into a layered Sense of Place Story Collage.
This session isn't really about drawing coffee it's about capturing the feeling of sitting at a Paris café and watching the city perform before you.
The Café as Social Space
Why cafés are for far more than eating and drinking.
Facing the Street
The Parisian tradition of observing city life from the terrace.
Conversation + Community
How tightly gathered tables become part of the neighborhood.
The Art of Lingering
What happens when we stop treating every moment as something to rush through.
Your café-inspired journal spread might include:
Coffee cups
Café chairs
Coffee rings
Receipts
Menu fragments
Notebook pages
Overheard or imagined conversations
Paris café typography
and more...
Duration: 1 hour (replay available after online session is complete)
Creative Level: All levels welcome
Materials Included: 1-2 pages of downloadable collage materials and/or step by step drawings. (Materials provided 1 week prior to the online atelier through email.)
SUPPLIES YOU NEED (not included):
sketchbook or watercolor paper ~5"x5" or larger (varying formats, or sizes are fine!)
1-2 black pens (waterproof like Micron is preferable)
watercolor set (simple)
scissors, glue stick, tape
color pencils (if you like.)
pencil if desired.
Bonjour, I'm Betsy. I'm an artist, author, educator, and creative guide living most of the year in Paris. I've been bringing people together online to explore the world creatively since 2020.
What began as a way to keep my wanderlust alive, teaching online became one of my favorite ways to form community and share creativity. My online ateliers are approachable, inspiring, and easy to follow. Through stories and visual inspiration, followed byguided step-by-step making - we sketch, layer, collage, experiment, and create together in an inclusive setting. I encourage students to follow along, yet also love seeing individual interpretation and creating in your own manner.
You don't need to be an artist. You don't need to know where to begin. Just bring your curiosity and your supplies and I'll bring the stories, the creative prompts, and plenty of encouragement.
Together, we'll turn an hour online into a little creative escape to Paris.
Sign up Now & Create Your Own Paris
Each online sketchbook atelier is a new invitation to look closer, discover another side of Paris, and transform what you notice into a creative Sense of Place story. Join one atelier or collect them all—your Paris sketchbook is yours to create, one story at a time.
SIGN UP NOW and join me for the CAFÉ TABLE Online Sketchbook Atelier.
September 22 • 1 Hour
Time: 10am Pacific/1pm Eastern/7pm Paris
Small Group • All Creative Levels Welcome • Collage Materials Included • Explore Your World with Creativity™