Westfield Village - A grand day out

Westfield Village is a great place to visit if you love old buildings.
Yesterday I took my friend Karen for a day out to sketch and draw a few of them.

Gillen House - pencil 

This took a while, especially with the steam tractor rumbling by spitting oil, smoke and dust. I had to stop and cover my sketchbook each time ! 

I didn't notice the slight lean until I scanned it...

Cathcart School - Pencil

I decided on a less formal study of the old school. This was drawn quickly with a 'fat' (2mm) mechanical pencil .

Albrecht Seip Boot Shop - Pencil, Pen and Ink

Trying to stay off the roadway (that steam tractor again) I was 'forced' to work on my perspective drawing.

Boy the day went fast, before I knew it we were given the 10 min warning as it was 4:00pm already!

Cafe Dwellers

Thos ewho know me know people are not my strong point ..
I decided to try a quick and very loose rendition of a couple of fellow cafe dwelers yesterday.
 I'm reasonable happy with the outcome, I mean he looks almost human!

Pencil in my Moleskine sketchbook

Another weekend away ..

It's funny how when I am away I find time to draw.
It's probably because I am not sitting by a computer!

More from Valens Conservation Area...

A sketch in pen and ink of the Lookout (Winter's favourite paddling spot) :-)


Then in Watercolour back at the trailer

Next morning, coffee  ...
Made with my new French Press :-)

 A bit wonky but I was outside drinking said coffee :-)

Pencil study

Vacation time is relax and sketch time..

I spent an extended weekend in Valens Conservation Area this laast weekend.
Time to relax and put pen and brush to paper..

My trailer nicely situated in the dappled shade 

 Pen, ink and soluble graphite with a waterbrush


On the other side of the trailer, the picnic table under an old Hemlock (?) 
 

 Pen, Ink and pencil

A little further afield just to prove I did actually walk somewhere..

Early morning over the lake a thunderhead was forming, this is my attempt at capturing the scene.

 "Portable Painter" setup with W&N paints on a new paper from the Bee Company a single sheet ( 6 x9 ) clipped to a board, very wet in wet and it held up well.   

 

Pencil Drawing ..

.. or getting back what I had.

I love pencils and many years ago was getting quite adept in their use.
Now I have started to relearn that part of my art, it's frustrating at times but I see light at the end of the tunnel!
:-)

Walking Winter I saw this little bindweed peeking out through a neighbours fence.
A quick phone photo to capture the scene and we continued our walk. This was completed at home later.

Out with a friend yesterday at a new to me venue, The "RARE" site in Cambridge that has miles of trails and some beautiful old buildings that are being restored (maybe a little to zealously but they are being saved non-the-less)

The crop was not so good and the subtle pencil shading doesn't come through too well but I was quite pleased with this ..

A mix of pencils but primarily my new Graphgear 1000's which I am beginning to like.. a lot! 

My Hand Book Paper sketchbook is rapidly filling up !

A weekend in the life or I should be so lucky..

This last weekend I was camping at Valens Conservation area, with a couple of side trips!

Saturday morning I was greeted with Ms Snapping Turtle laying her eggs in the middle of a driveway to a campsite!

That was before I headed out to Doon Heritage Village in KItchener to meet up with my "Sketchy Friends"

That was a great morning and I managed to get back to the campsite before the storms came through !

Sunday dawned bright and clear or so I thought...

After lunch my friend Karen and I visited Westfield Village in Rockton for a couple of hours sketching. We each chose our spot and went to work..

I fell in love with this rally old homestead that stood apart from the main attractions

Hmm not a very good photo but you get the idea!

This was completed in about 20 min so I wandered off to see wht Karen was up to .

She wasn't quite finished her piece so I sat down and did a quick sketch of the old church though the tree's

To round off the weekend on Monday morning I decided to sketch my breakfast :-)

 Cinnamon Bun and coffee ...Mmmm


All done in pen and ink some with the addition of water soluble graphite

Perspective Drawing

Today I spent the day with like minded people coming to grasp with 'perspective' in all its forms, some easy some not so much, in fact some of it mind boggling!

Once I got my brain wrapped around 'foreshortening' we went on to 'curvilinear' . If I thought foreshortening was difficult try curvilinear !

Throw all the rules we just learned out the window ...

Yes it was fun and a big thank you to Brenda Murray for the lessons