Last fall, the Urban Sketchers met at the Roundhouse where one of the many Diwali events around town was taking place. I found a table and did some quick sketches – here’s two of the ones I liked:
One of the photographers came by and took a look, and wondered if I could draw him. I was game, but when I eventually started looking for him, realized the crowd was too dense and it would be almost impossible. As I left I saw where he was and managed to finagle a few photos from a distance. I felt kind of bad leaving without giving him his “portrait” but thought that I’d maybe draw something from the photo anyway and perhaps, one day, serendipity would provide a way for me to get it to him. So, here he is, hard at work, along with a few spectators:
Painting:
I painted a landscape with a blue sky a while back (I had to check to see if I posted it) but it didn’t really do anything for me. So I’ve repainted the sky giving it a bit more drama:
Early Morning in the Valley, Acrylic on canvas, 20 ” x 10 “
Thought I’d fit in a quick post before the end of 2024 with this year’s silly Christmas card and the most recent painting I’ve managed to finish.
Mice again. There are a few variations on this card depending on the recipients but they all have a goldfish cracker. Get it? It’s a cheese “turkey” leg…..
Painting:
I worked on this for quite a while until, again, I got to a point where I just had to stop. I guess it could be called “Beach somewhere on the west coast” or “Seashore at Dusk”.
“Seashore at Dusk – Somewhere on the West Coast”, acrylic, 10″ x 20″/25 cm x 51.cm
In May I went out with the Urban Sketchers to a very wet and rainy Burnaby Blooms Festival. There were a lot of kids.
On a recent visit to the Sunshine Coast I became fascinated once again by all the different rocks on the beaches. I’m thinking of studying geology a bit more. (We’ll see how that goes.)
Hopefully with a bit of extra time over the summer you’ll see some more paintings, particularly of Nitobe Garden. Here’s what I would call “a watercolour study”.
Sunny Afternoon in Nitobe Garden, Acrylic on canvas, 20 x 10 in/50 x 20 cm
This was a struggle. If you look close, you can see a wild assortment of strokes, overpainting and confusion. I decided to post it anyway because the one thing that I think may have worked is the light. This has been on my easel for months and I spent a lot of time just staring at it wondering what to do next. It’s a painting that will never be finished but also one where I had to just stop and move on – which I guess means it’s finished.
On a lighter note, a friend just became a dog owner and sent a photo of their new family member snoozing on the couch. I am fond of other people’s dogs and just couldn’t keep myself from doing a quick sketch. Adorable, right? He’s just a puppy and is going to be Huge.
“Snoozin'”, watercolour and pencil drawing on paper
This is a quick watercolour of Amanita Muscaria Mushrooms growing among a pile of fallen leaves – so fascinating and all over the place these days. They’re very poisonous – and apparently hallucinogenic. One reference noted that for thousands of years they have been used for Spiritual Questing. I guess knowing how to prepare them properly would be important.
