Postcards from the Canal

We've been getting some real winter here. Crackin' cold, but bright and sunny.  Perfect for making ice and skating.

These aren't actually postcards as I did them in my small Laloran sketchbook that I received at the Urban Sketchers symposium last summer.  It is postcard sized and fits easily into a pocket.  At first I thought it too small, but have found it adequate for little vignettes.

Paterson Creek Maples

I did a sketch of the lagoon on Paterson Creek at O'Connor one dreary, grey day last winter.  This is more representative of the bucolic character through the warmer months of the year.

The trees in the foreground are old Silver Maples which were disfigured by ice storm damage several years ago, and which are in decline. Silver Maple are an excellent choice for this open parkland with moist soils.

A Grey Day

I may have put more colour in this sketch than was actaully present given the grey conditions.  Hard for some to imagine, but I'm upset by the warm temperatures and melting snow.  I much prefer crakin' cold weather and bright sunny skies.

Skating on the Canal

The last few winters haven't been as long as they used to be, but no one is describing Ottawa's winter as warm yet.
About half of the 8 km. length of the canal skateway is open. As it worked out
I skated it three times yesterday.  In the morning for fun, in the afternoon for world wide sketchcrawl 34 and then last night to accompany my son home from downtown.  I must say by then my new skates were chaffing a bit.

I didn't have any companions for the sketchcrawl, except for the 4000 or so people out enjoying the ice.  Its always a fun experience  with all the colourfulclothing, variety of skates and complete range of ages.  I did a sketch of Patterson Creek last summer and realized how unique it must seem in winter to my viewers from warmer countries.  The little building has washrooms and a place to change into your skates.  We just leave our shoes under the benches and I have never heard of anyone losing them.  Access to the actual canal is under the little arched bridge where you have the choice to skate north all the way downtown, or south to Dow's Lake. There are several other change huts along the canal, but many people just use benches out on the open ice, or sit on the snow like the guy in the upper sketch.  

Summer sketch -  http://johnssketchjournal.blogspot.com/2011/06/patterson-creek.html