Royal Whimsy in the Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris

On a chilly winter afternoon in Paris, a bundled-up group of creatives gathered for “Royal Whimsy: 3-Minute Sketches of the Queens” in the iconic Luxembourg Gardens. Braving the cold, we set out to sketch the 20 statues from the “Reines de France et Femmes illustres” series — each honoring a queen or illustrious woman of France — arranged majestically around the central pond near the Luxembourg Palace.

With sketchbooks in hand and timers set, we gave ourselves just three minutes per statue, allowing intuition and expression to guide our creations. Between sketches, we shared stories and historical tidbits about each queen — from Marie de Médicis to Anne of Austria — uncovering tales of influence, resilience, and forgotten reigns.

As we completed our royal tour, we gathered to share final drawings, laugh at our speed-sketching attempts, and reflect on the legacy of these women immortalized in stone. The event blended spontaneous creativity with historical discovery, offering participants a fresh way to connect with art, the past, and one another in one of Paris’s most regal settings.