Cup-Cycling WEEK 3 - the first experiments

These line drawings were the first experiments on the flattened coffee cups which lead to my Cup-Cycling exhibition at the Elm Cafe.

I used felt-tipped markers on the first few cups, with the intention of keeping the drawings bold and simple.  Soon, however I gravitated back to the fountain pens I prefer to use and then starting adding watercolour washes.  The paint takes surprisingly well, although can be a bit blotchy if there is any skin oil on the surface.  I have no idea of the longevity as they certainly are not archival.  

And when I say flattened, its a relative term, as its impossible to get the curve out entirely and the surface is a bit wobbly.  Because of this, I've taken to photographing them as the ripples go out of focus on the scanner platen.  If they were to be framed, a shadow box would be best as it would allow the gentle crown to read.

Cup-Cycling WEEK 2

 The second week of my Cup-Cyling exhibit celebrates a couple of the large maple trees that still exist in the Inner Harbour neighbourhood.  These huge old trees are being removed with few replacements, despite the importance of the urban forest in ameliorating climate change.

The top image is on Main Street which is on the west side of the neighbourhood that has delightfully crooked streets and oblique intersections which make for confusing navigation but interesting views.

Below, is an old brick row of workers houses on Bagot Street beside one of the neighbourhood's repurposed school buildings.

Cup-cycling

This fall I've been sketching in the Inner Harbour / Skeleton Park neighbourhood of Kingston ....on coffee cups.  

The Elm Cafe was started only four years ago and has become a bit of a community hub for the creatives who are colonizing what has been a neglected part of town. From the beginning the Cafe has been used as a gallery, now curated by the Skeleton Arts Festival, as well as the venue for a musical coffee house hosted by our multi-talented friend and neighbour, Gary Rasberry.  And so, with this context, I hope you can see the symbolism behind using their coffee cups a medium for vignettes of the neighbourhood. 

 

As I write this I've done about 50 cups, and as I walk the neighbourhood, I see more subjects everywhere.   The first ones were done as felt-tip pen line drawings, but I quickly moved on to ink and watercolour and have had some fun experimenting with different amounts of colour and even     popping elements up on foam core.  There are no rules, other than combing the Elm cups with the immediate neighbourhood.              

Logan (the L of ELM) has been generous in allowing me to have a bit of wall on to display the cups.  The plan is to change them weekly through until spring and with some luck, find a gallery or venue to display the whole batch as a show at some point.  I hope the sketches draw attention to the interesting character of the neighbourhood and encourage my neighbours to read the stories in this urban landscape.