Ballerina Birdies

Totem Trees

Just listening to my headphones

Record Tree Practice

Testing out different combinations of black acrylic and heavy gel gloss to achieve the sheen and ridges of a real record for my record tree drawing.

Mr & Mrs Paris

Quick doodles inspired by some statues in the Tuileries Garden.

Marionnettes du Marais, Paris

My favourite is the big bad wolf dressed up as granny.

http://instagr.am/p/PweWPRKnXm/

Steiger Farm House

Nutty Creatures

Doodles inspired by a cluster of hazelnuts.

The Frog and the Salamander

The sky darkened. There was an exchange of thunder and lightening across the valley. Rain filled the air. The frog and salamander came out to play.

Valle Verzasca, Switzerland

Tiger-Duck vs Hydra Work in Progress

Flight of the Bumble Bee

Rory Riding a Bumble Bee

Trees Hugging

Today I saw two trees. One was definitely leaning in for a hug.



Trees Hug Too



Cotton Ball Season is Here

With cotton fluff floating around every where I went today, I could not resist this little doodle...

Cotton Ball Season

Drawing Exhibition

I'm very excited to report that my Flying Fish piece was accepted into the Federation of Canadian Artists Open International Drawing Exhibition. The show runs June 12-24, 2012 at the Federation Gallery on Granville Island. If your on the Island, come check it out.

Flying Fish
pencil, pen, watercolour, gouache on paper (7.63" x 9.13")

Tiger Duck vs Hydra Mock Up

Mock up with 'native' vegetation.

Tiger-Duck Try Outs Begin

Tiger-Duck Try Out #1

Tiger-Duck Try Out #2

I'm leaning towards the second one. 

Related posts here: Tiger-Duck vs Hydra and

here: Drawing From Life, Tiger-Duck Inspiration 

In progress.... Flying Fish



work in progress (pen, watercolour, gouache)



Flying Fish inspired by a remote controlled nemo fish. A continuation of the following post: Flying Fish Indoors No Joke.

Guo Fengyi at the Contemporary Art Gallery

This weekend I was captivated by the large scale, intricate, and mystical drawings of self taught artist Guo Fengyi showing at the Contemporary Art Gallery until April 15, 2012. Her work is described as "mark-making". There is something very satisfying about this idea of making marks. I found myself drawn to the colourful strokes of ink and the faces upon faces in her images. I will definitely be going back for another viewing. 

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Guo Fengyi at work (photo courtesy of http://www.leregional.ch/N32701/je-peins-pour-savoir.html)

Excerpt from the Contemporary Art Gallery Bulletin:

Guo Fengyi began drawing after illness brought her to the healing 

practice of Qi-qong (a traditional Chinese health practice as a 

means to cultivate qi energy within the body). Combined with her 

study of theories of mysticism, she began having visions when in 

these meditative states which she felt compelled to translate into 

drawing. Guo’s subject matter encompasses these traditional 

concepts of thought with Chinese philosophy, myths, cosmology, 

acupuncture energy maps, divination and dynastic sites — all 

systems which are fast disappearing in a modernizing China. Her 

works are charged in every sense, bringing together notions of 

creativity as acts of everyday life. Redolent of fields of energy and 

magnetic auras, drawings manifest as suggestions of the human 

form, otherworldly beings and internal body parts, mapped 

against diagrammatic evocations of invisible worlds surrounding 

and influencing our existence

Tiger-Duck vs Hydra

Who's your money on? 

Fair Nostalgia

In the midst of heavy winter rain I'm dreaming of the summer fair. Lynden Fair is my favourite. 

Fair Food: cotton candy, lemonade, ice cream, corn dog

Happy Valentine's Day

Flying Fish Indoors No Joke

The remote controlled Nemo fish captured in full flight below got me started on this drawing. 

Printmaking with Scratch-Foam

This afternoon I had the pleasure of hanging out with my niece and nephew and testing out the  Scratch-Foam I got at Opus. These are thin styrofoam plates that you can use for block printing by simply drawing on them with a pencil or pen. Max drew this ladybug. Then we inked up a piece of plexi-glass with speedball ink. He was really excited about using the roller to ink the surface. Then we placed a piece of paper on top, rubbed it well with our hands, and pulled a print. 

In fact, we printed an edition of 10 to share with family and friends. That's the beauty of printmaking. You can make more than one print of your image. Now we don't have to fight over his drawings :)

This is a very kid friendly product. It is simple and easy to work with and easy to clean up the water soluble printing inks. 

Ladybug by Max
Scratch-Foam Plate and Print

Letting the prints dry

Abstract print by Rory with the help of Naomi

Drawing From Life

Tiger Duck Inspiration

Always on the look out for fun things for our niece and nephew, I could not resist these knitted tiger footies. My husband found the duck bill (complete with duck call). Suddenly our nephew was transformed into a Tiger Duck.

Pine Cone Gnome Inspiration

A vintage pine cone gnome spotted in an antique store in Pike Place Market, Seattle, spawned this series of drawings featuring the lion, tin man, and scare crow from the Wizard of Oz. 

Pirate Model

Happy New Year

This past year I have been busy writing and illustrating a picture book for children.  Inspired by illustration classes taught by Lisa Cinar at Emily Carr,  I completed my first draft as part of the Fiction Project and shared my fifth draft as an installation at the Eastside Culture Crawl. This year I'd like to make drawing part of each day, send out my picture book to publishers, and share my doodles on this sketchblog. 

I wish you a Happy, Healthy, Fun and Inspired New Year!