Under the "Hill"

There is a path along the Ottawa River below Parliament Hill that is part of one of my walking routes. It isn't well known, but offers dramatic glimpses of the the various buildings of the Parliamentary precinct.

I'm not sure that I should have added paint to this as the paper buckled severely, but here it is.

A Prime Minister with Presence

There are statues of many of our Prime Ministers scattered around the perimeter of Parliament Hill.  William Lyon Mackenzie King is one of my favourites, both as a leader and as a sculpture.  His figure has a presence of command out doors in the Parliamentary landscape - imagine how he commanded a room.

As a man Mackenzie King lead Canada through most of the depression  and the Second World War.  He got on with Churchill and Roosevelt, in part through the guidance of his dead mother as channeled to him by his faithful Irish terrier, 'Pat'.  He was also responsible for instigating the major planning and urban design initiatives that have made Ottawa such a distinctive Capital.  I also enjoy visiting his estate, now part of Gatineau Park, where he built faux ruins incorporating some stone elements from the bombed House of Parliament.  Legend has it, that he asked his friend Winston Churchill for a few pieces and they were shipped here by submarine.

As a sculpture, the figure is boldly abstracted and stands apart from the realistic style of the neighbouring works.  I just wish the sculptor had added Pat, for company.  After all FDR, at his fantastic Washington monument has his Scottie, Fala, with him.

Oh, and an obscure note - some of the roofs on Centre Block are green and others are bronze in colour.  They are all copper, but the more recently replaced portions have not yet oxidized to the beautiful green patina of the Peace Tower.  As for Mr. Mackenzie King, he's bronze, and as long as the birds stay off likely to stay that colour.

The Supreme Court from Victoria Island

Another double pager.  I found a nice shady spot to get out of the heat for a while on Victoria Island beside the Ottawa River.

The backside of Parliament

I really liked the double page (1:3) format from our recent trip, so when I saw some drawing pads in that format in the art supply store I bought one.  This is Parliament Hill, here in Ottawa, as viewed from the other side of the Ottawa River.  I only captured about a third of the panorama, so I'll have to return with a finer pen.

And with this we close out another month.  I set a goal of sketching three times a week back in April.  Easy on vacation; in an average week, not so much.  I have done fairly well towards that goal and am feeling some improvement.  I am also becoming more selective in what I post.