sketching

I cycle along the river many times a week and I never tire of looking at the backs of the stores on the main street. In front they have on their commercial faces, but behind you can see the story of their lives, the hundred years and more they have stood in their spot. On Tuesday I parked my bike beside the path, set up my stool and sketched this section in pencil and then ink. I added the watercolour at home. It’s a great pleasure for me to let the pen explore the city I thought I knew. Sketching has shown me that even though I have lived here a very long time,  it’s only now that I’m actually seeing it.

I was visiting my friend in Hamilton last week and we spent a day sketching in Guelph. I tried to capture the train station but ended up being much happier with this little sketch of a flower shop.  Below is the McQuesten House in Hamilton. This house, a block from City Hall in the busy centre core, is an oasis. It is beautifully preserved and has a quiet garden behind its walls–much as it would have been in the mid 19th century–and open to the public to enjoy. I remember when it was bought by the city in the late 1960’s. It had been in the McQuesten family since it was built in 1850 and a grandmother of a friend of mine had been in ‘service’ there when she came to Canada from Scotland in 1912. Thursday was a perfect day and I wandered through the garden, and then settled at the front of the house and did this sketch with my book and paints on the limestone wall which was a perfect height.

Loosening up and trying to draw better cars and trucks (overstated them a bit!) Monday morning coffee post exercise–view out the café window on a damp morning.  Below an iconic landmark a block from my house–rode over on my bicycle Sunday and sketched sitting on the lawn.

I’ve been reorganizing my palette and sorting out all the yellows that I have collected and doing a little experimenting. The pears were really fun, but the paper in my Fabriano Sketchbook was not happy with the soluble pen and the layers of paint–it bled right through to the back. It was ok with the light touch of the flowers above, but anything wetter causes it to bleed through. I’ve ordered a couple of watercolour moleskines for upcoming travels which handle multiple washes, but meanwhile I’ll persevere with this one. It’s a good size and fits easily in my carry bag.

Yesterday I was walking home following my favourite route through the old section of the city. Our city grew up around the harbour and the river and as you walk away from its core, you are always walking up hill. My route west up Catherine Street is no exception–it is quite a steep grade. I always measure my cycling by whether I can pedal easily up this hill. But yesterday I was walking and I had my sketchbook and an extra half hour. Across the road from this house is a low stone wall, the perfect perching spot. I drew the outline of the house from my perch on the wall and then added the colour later at home. I’ve walked and pedalled by this house many times–it is one of my favourites with its peaks, turret and gingerbread– but it wasn’t til I sat down to sketch it and hence really look at it that I realized what a charmer it is.

I have been doing Stretching at Sketchbook Skool and the teacher this week, France Belleville-Van Stone, asked us to draw something with wheels. She is well known for her wonderful car drawings. She loves Volvos as I do–and I have promised myself that I will draw my 10 year old Volvo soon. Meanwhile, I have been drawing my bike. What I really love about Sketchbook Skool is the great variety of styles we are exposed to and the unremitting encouragement to accept and hone your own style.

And from the studio, here are a some more pictures of the second Nairobi waxed canvas bag. I have also been working on a messenger bag in moss waxed canvas and leather; you can see some in progress shots below. I screen printed some canoe canvas with birdbrain graphics for the lining. Canoe canvas is a good weight and gives a bag real strength. This bag is in the development stages and I am trying out various ideas. It closes with a zipper but also has an envelope style flap. It has a zippered pocket on the back and a small slip pocket under the flap. I still have to insert the lining and add a shoulder strap. More pictures next week.

I have been trying to sketch everyday, finding the time where I can. Sometimes these are pretty fast like the one above painted in my car while I drank a take-out coffee. On Thursday I was at the dentist and had 40 minutes between procedures. So I parked strategically and sketched the house across the way.

Then yesterday I was in Toronto for the day, with the full morning at the Distillery District. There were lots of intriguing old buildings and I sat both inside and out to sketch them. Today I sketched yesterday’s purchases. I’ve mentioned before that I purchase clothes either second hand or handmade. There were two great stores in the DD with the designers on hand. Susan Harris had designed the linen dress I bought–and when I said that I would have loved pockets, she gave me the extra material and drew the pocket pattern for me. Now where can you find that kind of interested support at a fast-fashion or even a high-end clothing outlet? It’s like buying a book from a small bookstore where the owner has actually read the book you are looking for.

In today’s Globe and Mail there is an article on slow goods, “high quality, handmade, everyday goods, sufficiently well built…traditional materials. Time-honoured techniques are prized, sweatshops shunned.” This certainly describes the work of the two makers I purchased from yesterday…and come to think of it…the work done right here at Birdbrain designs. On the cutting table here, another cognac waxed canvas and leather bag. Check back soon to see…or contact me at the blog.

Not doing much outside sketching or even inside sewing these days. What I am doing is drinking lots of lemon, ginger and clove tea, made from scratch. And sketching it. Hope to feel better soon as spring is finally here and it’s time to get the bicycle out and get into the garden.

I’ve been sketching these grocery store tulips for the last couple of days. They are on my counter in my new Scott Bartrim vase. I rewatched the video of Brenda Swenson painting from the second session of Sketchbook Skool. I love the way she adds bright pure colour to her work. She has inspired me. I found that in each session of Sketchbook Skool there was one teacher who really spoke to me. For session two it was Brenda. If you would like to know more, here is a short video about the role of art in her life. 

I was in Hamilton last week and attended a talk on sketching at the Hamilton Club. I passed that building thousands of times when I lived there and I always wondered about it. What a treat to finally see inside. 

On Thursday I went to the One of a Kind show in Toronto. I’ve said here before that I try to buy only second hand or handmade clothes. The OOAK is a fabulous place to find the latter. I was smitten by the screen printed infinity scarves by Little Minnow from Austin Texas and the great clothes by Hoi Bo of Toronto. I also sat in the midst of things sketching the people around. The final photo is my page of notes from the sketching workshop in Hamilton, Sketching is Thinking, where we were asked to do a pencil sketch of the person sitting across from us. 

Yesterday we travelled to Galt, a great old Ontario town, to do some sketching, but it ended up being foggy and rainy. So…we sat in a lovely café with views of some of the city’s historical buildings.  Before we left in the morning I sketched a new mug in my favourite colour. This is the second turquoise mug I have from Dundas potter, Scott Barnim. They make morning coffee a feast for the eye.

Even in the rain, Galt’s historic buildings were beautiful. Made mostly of limestone, they seem to be everywhere, imposing public buildings and old mills. Some have been converted into condos or awaiting a new life–but some are still functioning as designed 150 years ago. We hope to go back soon on a better day.

At night we attended a sketching workshop–but more on that in the next post.

My bouquet of tulips is drooping and I’ve been sketching them in their decline. Quick impressions, mixing my greens from Hansa yellow and ultramarine blue. The colour of the leaves has changed even more than that of the petals–the leaves are now yellow twists. The petals from pink to purple. I bought some new colours in Amsterdam and I’ve been changing up my palette. Will draw it soon. And I hope to get back outside to sketch now that the temperature promises to go above freezing.