Monday, August 30, 2010

BC War Memorial

My Ryan ancestors arrived here in the states via Canada from Ireland. Tamra through her genealogy efforts discovered a few years ago that I had a great uncle who served in the Canadian Military during World War 1 where he was killed in action shortly after arriving in France.

Holland Point, Victoria, BC


This was done on a great walk along the south (?) beaches of Victoria. Holland Point is a historical site of one the earliest settlements of the area. It was a beautiful day (as was most of the week) and sneaky warm with a breezy. Woke up the next day with a noticeable burn.....

Butchart Gardens



After finishing up school for the summer, Tamra, Kiersten and I spent last week at a Worldmark time share on the inner harbour of Victoria. A trip to Butchart Gardens was a must during this beautiful week of weather and was only jeopardized by a can of spray on sun-tan lotion going off in my art bag. A river of liquid lotion ended up on the floor of the public transit bus and getting off as quickly as possible to try and salvage sketchbooks and supplies, I found myself a couple miles from the condo and soaked down the front with lotion - yes, it looked bad.

I made it back for a change of clothes and cleaned up the art gear (the sketchbooks were spared) and got to Butchart Gardens with enough time to do four sketches before heading back to town to meet up with the girls.
If you don't like an audience while you sketch, the Gardens is not the place for you. People will get up close and stay there..... Some will like your work, some will be indifferent, and some will seem a little pissed that you made them interested enough to stop, but weren't creating anything worth stopping for.

Nature reclaiming Grandpa's car

A few weeks ago we took a road trip to Eugene, OR for a family reunion. Staying with Tamra's Aunt Cathy and Uncle Chuck on their farm just outside of city limits. This place offers up almost as many sketching subjects as Jet City Espresso and this sketch done in the 'Marty' book is of Grandpa's Lincoln (?) I never did go over and find out. Mother Nature is busy taking back that particular spot.

Monday, August 2, 2010

World Wide SketchCrawl #28 (7/31) - Lake View Cemetery




A cold and grey Saturday in Seattle was the background for our sketchcrawl at Lake View Cemetery (next to Volunteer Park). Met up with Tim Taylor, David Hingtgen, Allison and Sara and we spent just under three hours sketching the monuments and trees of this cemetery founded in 1872.


Yes, I did come across Bruce and Brandon Lee's Memorial site. Lots of flowers and well wishers gathered around.

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