Two Hands; Four Countries

Diane and I mounted a little show, made up of 34 sketches  - scanned and printed on 11" x 17"  and the Rabo de Peixe panorama at 5' long simply pinned top the walls in clusters of, Spain, Peru, Azores and Cuba.  It looks good - we're pleased with it.

There has been a lot of positive feedback, but what I find interesting is how people react to the bird's eye perspectives - there is just one in the show, from the same plaza as the circular perspective .  "How does he do that?", "That's amazing".... I call it "play".

Thanks also to support from the Ontario Arts Council.

Sketch Journal Workshop at Wintergreen

This spring, I will be leading a sketching workshop.  It will be held at Wintergreen Studios on the weekend of May 28-29 with a jaunt into nearby Westport, Ontario to practice.  Wintergreen is a wilderness retreat centre that offers educational programming in the arts and on the environment.

Before photography became easy and affordable, travellers and artists used sketchbooks to record new places or study elements to be used in a subsequent composition.  And while taking photographs has never been easier, many people are returning to the practice of keeping sketch journals.   These are often very personalised drawings and notes, which emphasize impressions and character  over detailed documentation.  This requires focused observation and concentration, which deepens experiences and memories of a new place, or even familiar surroundings.    

Venice

Over the weekend, we will cover selection of subject, composition, visual editing and the use of line and colour.  The workshop will be structured as a rhythm of demonstrations, practice exercises and group reviews, to give participants the tools and confidence to create their own sketch journals.

waiting for a flight

 Guests at Wintergreen have access to a network of over a dozen trails for self-guided hikes through the 204-acre property. The land features mixed forests and meadows, granite outcroppings, ponds, marshes, and a glacier carved lake. It is home to a wide range of plant life and wildlife. Our simple and comfortable accommodations include private rooms, shared rooms, woodland cabins, and tenting for those who prefer to sleep under the stars.

rural Spain

The Hidden Pools

Well up a long valley in the Swiss Alps there is a hidden stream with smooth rock basins, or pools.  It is in a cool, shady ravine not far, but well screened from the narrow road and walking track.  A place where children paddle on a hot summer day, with low water, or maybe a quick skinny dip later in the evening.

My visit was on a fall day with it's weakening sun and long shadows.  It had snowed a couple of days before and the glacier blue-grey water was full and between it's turbulence and temperature did not tempt me to even wade.

The forest has a palpable spirit here, with trees growing out of cleft rocks and twisted trunks looking like wise, bearded faces.  If there are fairies or wood nymphs, surely they dwell here in under the canopy of the trees and music of the stream.

I don't believe in any of that, but did leave some of my lunch for the fairies...just in case.

Walking in the Swiss Alps

I haven't been doing much sketching this fall.  However, there is nothing like a trip to interest me in breaking out the sketch kit.  Last week I was in Switzerland and enjoyed glorious clear weather most days while walking in the mountains.  This is the view south to the Dente du Midi from near Sololex (Gryon).

Tea time in France

It was cool and damp for most of my trip, but I did manage to find the occasional coffee house with a view.  Sketching inevitably amuses the waiters, particularly when caught so absorbed that I was dipping my brush in my tea, instead of my water.  That's a really bad idea as there are some nasty things in watercolour pigments, so I ordered a fresh pot of tea.

I could do the same thing here at home, but when in a different place all I can see are potential compositions.  It's attitude as much as observation and the challenge is to see the familiar with fresh eyes.

Basilica Notre Dame du Port

While attending the Carnet de Voyage book fair in Clement-Ferrand, France I attended mass an 800 year old Basilica.  It was a very serene building and was absolutely full.  One of the interesting things, from my Canadian perspective was the number of children who sat quietly through the whole service, rather than going off to Sunday School.  But then again, this is something I have noticed repeatedly in Europe, the strength of family life and mixing of generations which seems at times, to have fallen apart here in North America.

A major theme in the travel journals I saw at the book fair was the mix of annotations with the drawings and so, I was working at incorporating that into the pages I filled while there.  Luckily, no seemed to notice my eccentric behaviour of painting through the service as I was a little nervous it might be seen as disrespectful.

Drawn Along The Way

Earlier this month, I put together a draft book of my collection of sketches from my pilgrimage in Spain last spring.  This was the Camino de Santiago which involved a month long walk across northern Spain culminating in the city of Santiago de Compostella.  This is also know as the Way of Saint James, as the remains of the Apostle are believed to be enshrined in the Cathedral there. Hence the Title - DRAWN ALONG THE WAY, My Camino sketchbook.

The book is not a guide, rather a reflection of the experience and includes about 70 of the 110 sketches I did while on the trail.  My good friend, Anne-Louise Mahoney, who is a professional editor did a very helpful edit and I will be launching the book and offering it for sale in the next few weeks.  It has been a very satisfying project in part because writing it helped me process the incredible experience of this ancient pilgrimage and share the drawings in the form of a book.

Carnet de Voyage

Last week I journeyed to France to attend the Carnet de Voyage.  This is a book fair that focuses on illustrated travel journals.  This genre is very popular in France, and there is nothing close to it here in North America.  I went primarily to learn and investigate what  is being done as well as in the hopes of finding a publisher for my book about the Camino de Santiago.

The show was much larger than I had anticipated.  There were easily 100 artists with booths profiling their work, as well as books for sale.  These books were both by some large publishing houses as well as a table of self-publications by the participating artists, offered for sale by volunteers helping with the fair.  Only the juried artists were able to meet with publishers, but I did manage to talk to a couple of them and left copies of my draft book as well as many conversations with the participating artists.  I learned something and built enthusiasm with each conversation.  Several of my Urban Sketcher mentors and friends, that I met last July in Barcelona were participating, so I had the fun of visiting with them also.

On reflection, as much as it was a long way to go, it was extremely worthwhile.  I brought home some great examples of books and had several signed by the artists and while it's a long way away, I'm thinking I should submit to participate next year by way of a goal and deadline to work towards.

In addition, the overriding impression was the wide variety of styles, the rigour and volume of work each artist had produced and above all,  people following their dream to go out and explore the world and document it through their own eyes.

Double Pagers

This last posting from our trip are sketches from Lake Garda, Verona and Venice.  We happened to be in Verona on a Saturday attended an Opera in the ancient roman Arena that evening.  It was an amazing experience with about 9000 people in attendance and at least 250 on stage.  Nothing virtual about it - no amplification and with the exception of a puff of smoke when the villain was hit by lightning, no special effects.  The audience is allowed to come and go and bring in food and drinks.  I guess when the seats are stone and have been spilled on for 1600 years, you worry a little less about stains.  Good thing too as the Opera was four acts and with the elaborate set changes took 4 hours.  True confession: we left early.

These are photographs as my scanner is too short for the double page, so they aren't flat, but I think the colour is better than the scanner picks up.  I guess I'll have to either learn how to calibrate  colours and stitch, or get a better scanner.  If I were under 30 that would be an easy choice, but I think I'll investigate scanners first.

Bolzano to Venice by Bike

I'll start this narrative with the obligatory Urbansketchers drawing from the airport.

I was able to do several sketches a day on the trip - many over lunch.

On the third day of the trip we caught a ferry and travelled down the length of Lake Garda.  It was a proverbial milk run and stopped at least a dozen times in 4 hours.  These stops were incredibly brief but did allow me a couple of minutes to lay down some ink, then apply some washes as departed.  It was a great exercise and helped me loosen up.  What a wonderful afternoon.

Strange sketches from a bike trip - the ones I've included have a definite water theme.  This one was a canal in Padova and the next in Venice.

Venice was fantastic for a boat lover.  Everything comes and goes by boat and hand-truck.  The water taxis were elegant 30 foot launches and even the water buses are classic narrow, canoe stern craft.   The boat handling was beyond competent in the narrow canals.

This sketch combines two of my fixations - construction and watercraft !  A little odd, but harmless.

Postcards from Italy

We just got home from a cycling trip in Italy.  We rode from Bolzano in the Dolomite mountains down to Venice where we had a few days to just wander around.  I did lots of sketching, including some postcards.