Travelling

Studio Life: I often travel with a 3-5 felt pens or coloured pencils. Designs using two colours On a long airplane flight, I sat thinking about workshop I was going to give. The flight attendant spoke to me in a strange way but I was absorbed by my thoughts. When she brought my meal, she

Okanagan BC

Studio Life Exploring the inter-relationship of shapes is endlessly fascinating. Here are a series of quick watercolours of trees in autumn with simply colours and shapes.

Okanagan BC

Studio Methods Painting near water is magigal. Dappled light, flickering reflections, ever changing shadows and colours. When not working on a project, I fill sketchbooks with quick studies, a habit left over from art school. In public places, figures add to the story. People are quick to sense being watched; quickly capturing an image is

Okanagan BC

In the Okanagan, I had a new studio and new subjects but as an artist always similar subjects nestle in my mind. Although plants and machinery may appear poles apart they present me with similar puzzles: fitting shapes together to present an interwoven image. Plants inspire colours which liven otherwise “dull” mechanics. Agricultural machines often

Beyond Vancouver BC

Historic Canneries Whilst working at the Gulf of Georgia Cannery, I went up to see Port Edwards outside Prince Rupert, pictured above, a more extensive cannery site though less frequented year round. (I would have enjoyed more time there; easier to do more work in Steveston, a short bus ride from my studio.) At the

Beyond Vancouver BC

Gulf of Georgia Cannery, Steveston BC I was delighted to accept an opportunity to research in the Gulf of Cannery, a National Historic site, in Steveston BC . My original plan was to base my work on the structure but it was the machinery that fascinated me. The site is bitterly cold all year round:

VANCOUVER BC

all art works on this site are copyright protected and cannot be used without express permission HERITAGE ADVOCACY In community advocacy, start an idea and watch it morph. In art, drop a strongly pigmented ink onto a wet surface and watch it infuse every wet area if it’s a dye – or creep into fascinating

GROCERY STORES

Sammy’s old store on E. 49th In a painting I was able to emphasise the red alarm, upper left, red sign on the wall and red fire hydrant with its companion red sign. It makes the yellow awning (right) more poignant as the building deteriorates. When I noticed old wooden grocery stores vanishing in the

re-visiting memories

Reviewing a body of heritage images, it reflects my passion for characteristics of historic neighbourhoods in Vancouver BC. I began painting them in the1980s, when I would find myself searching again for something old and iconic only to find it had vanished. Asking friends how I could learn early about decisions which allowed buildings to

Neighbourhoods

Strathcona (all images are copyrighted and cannot be used without artist’s express permission) Strathcona is Vancouver’s oldest residential neighbourhood. Close to the port, it received waves of immigrants, many of whom later dispersed throughout the city. I was interested to discover the original topography was hilly. Streets were flattened later for easier traffic flow, but