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Illustrator

Travel Sketches from Holland

Joel and I have spent the last 3 weeks touring the Netherlands sketching, painting and sightseeing. There is a lot to see. The Dutch and Flemish Old Masters are probably some of my favourites in art history. We were fortunate to see famous paintings by Rembrandt, Vermeer and van Gogh, as well as lesser known painters (but equally amazing, in my opinion) Frans Hals, Peter Paul Rubens, Jan Brueghel, Hans Holbein and originals by illustrators Rien Poortvliet (more on this in another post), Jan Voerman Jr. and Anton Pieck. Joel and I are saturated with art history and I can honestly report: it is a good thing.

The weather was fantastic for plein air sketching and so Joel and I did a fair bit of it on this trip. We even painted a straight-up landscape, which is something we normally don’t do. I was very distracted by ducks and geese while sketching on this trip. There are tons of them because of the canals everywhere and they would often come really close and quack at you!

Most of these sketches are available as prints in my shop.

 

 

 

Coronation Street Portraits

Full disclosure: these portraits were too much fun to draw. I’ve always loved how Coronation Street characters are interesting-looking. They’re not perfect and made-up like American soap opera stars. The more interesting the look, the more fun it is to draw.

I’ve drawn what essentially amounts to Corrie fan-art. I’ve been watching the show since 2002, when I started watching because I didn’t have cable and the CBC was the only available channel through my tiny TV’s antenna (other shows acquired during that period: Emmerdale, the Red Green Show, This Hour has 22 Minutes, etc). I’ve been hooked on Corrie ever since then.

I’ve chosen to draw not my favourite characters, but the characters that have been listed as the ones who have been in the most episodes. William Roache (as Ken Barlow) has been on the show since the very first episode…back in 1960. Yes! Coronation Street is the longest running TV show still airing. We also have Anne Kirkbride (as Ken’s wife Deirdre Barlow, RIP), Helen Worth as Gail Platt and Barbara Knox as Rita Tanner.

I can see myself adding more to this collection, but for now here are the four:

 

 

Plein air sketches – around Westport

This past summer was the hottest summer on record in Westport (and everywhere else by what I gather). As much as I love plein air drawing with Joel, we really are at the mercy of the weather. I’m very intolerant of heat, so as a result I only have two sketches to show from the summer, one of which was drawn in September.

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Seemingly abandoned storefront in Perth Road Village, ON.

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Stedmans was a longstanding general store in Athens, ON until fairly recently when it closed.

 

Stirling Castle

When Joel and I visited Stirling Castle on our trip to Scotland, I didn’t know what to expect. I knew it was going to be good, but I had no idea of the staggering amount of restoration that has gone into making this castle one of the best (if not the best) in the country.

Not only have the exteriors been restored and meticulously maintained, but the interiors have been completely recreated to represent the decor of the 1500s, complete with knowledgeable costumed staff. Partnering with a vast team of master artisans, everything from the painted walls and ceilings down to the textiles and tapestries have been re-created using techniques of the day. It is a truly impressive thing to see.  This collaboration must have been a massive undertaking, but the end result is spectacular. It’s amazing that they managed to pull it together.

The beauty of a restoration like this is that it really gives you a sense of the history of the place. When Joel and I visited Wales last year, we saw many a castle ruin; none of them were restored. While I’m a fan of ruins, it’s very difficult to image how it would have looked back in the day. Stirling Castle, being restored, gave you a real sense of history and of stepping back in time.

Highlights include the medallion ceiling, the replica tapestries and the “boat” ceiling in the great hall.  I will be inspired by my visit to Stirling Castle for years to come.

Rhiannon

In preparation for mine and Joel’s trip to Wales this spring, I have be re-reading the Mabinogion (collection of Welsh folktales). I’ve always been inspired by Celtic mythology to create my illustrations, so I’m hoping that a trip to the actual place will add another layer of inspiration to my work.

This is Rhiannon on her white horse when she is first glimpsed by Pwyll.
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