trying to survive

Last Sunday was our last hike of the summer of 2011. What a difference in weather compared to what tomorrow will bring (29C & sunshine). I wasn't focused on sunshine apparently last Sunday until we were on our descent. The overnight had left a dusting of snow & the weather was a wee bit chilly.

We unintentionally hiked Mount Galatea instead of the intended Galatea Creek hike - not realizing the difference until we were up there. I was told there were 3 lakes & Mount Galatea from the Chester Lake approach has 3 lakes but I think that hike is actually called the "Three Lake hike" - I'm totally making that up. I have no idea what it's called. Either way; easy, low elevation hike but my legs were tired from the hike the day before so I'm glad it wasn't higher. We turned around at the top of one crest since it was windy & downright cold.

Maybe we'll do it again some day - not this year clearly.

This little flower was along the trail on the way up so this is out of order. I took a few shots of flowers with snow on them but this is my favourite. I like that the face is totally covered with snow.

And this tree I saw on the way up and took the image on the descent. It totally looks like a torso & legs. I was trying to sort out how to get one of my friends heads in the shot & have it make sense but no luck. It looks like tweezers from the other angle.

this way please

Last Saturday I went hiking at Cory Edith Pass with a friend from the gym. She had 2 other girlfriends with her & I was supposed to have 4 others with me but the weather was calling for rain so my friends were not ready when at the last minute we chose to go (actually one friend went before the gal from the gym chose to go after all). It was a great hike & I could see going again when it's a full sunshine day. The weather was decent all around - sunshine at times & overcast at other times. We had a bit of drizzle on the descent near the trailhead which was ok cuz it was a sun-shower. This hike is considered to be the hardest hike in Banff National Park & I do not agree. It is more technical with the scrambles & bouldering but if you like that, it's not hard.

I took my wee camera with me as usual now-a-days. Nice not to have the weight of the 7D.

This was after the scramble down some fairly steep terrain. The trail was not well marked in some places so we were kinda guessing at times. Always great to see a sign like this once you make an unknown turn on some rocks & head down (hoping that you don't have to head back up!).

These are just a few shot along the way - out of order from the ones posted already.

I really liked that I saw this. Someone else had made this rock & I like the photo op I had. Too bad the sky was overcast at the time I was here.

the end of something...?

I haven't posted in over a week. It's weird actually. I was chatting to a girlfriend this evening about my last drawing & she 'gets it' more than she did before we chatted. I found the older drawing dated 1988 & will photograph it & post it up. It's too large to scan unfortunately.

I don't have an image to add to this post, it's more of a reflective verbal-thing ultimately. I miss having something like my 365 project on the go. What did I say about it earlier today? I said it was me doing something that I loved that I had gotten out of the practice of doing regularly. I did love it yet I am thankful to not have that daily obligation any longer. I suggested us meeting once per week yet I don't trust that could happen with this friend. It's all good. I can continue on my own regardless...and I will.

Smiles. (:

ending with things I love

Today is the last day of my 365 creative project. I will go through what I have done later this week/month & reflect on what my favourites are/were. For now, I ended with a drawing of things that are my favourite things to draw - eyes & hands - and I drew them with graphite (also my fav).

I thought of doing something 'significant' as my last drawing but it's not as though my drawings/photography will end. I'll get into that more on the reflective post.

Thinking about it now though, I suppose the drawing I did is somewhat significant. I have drawn this image before & I plan to find it & post it on this blog (hopefully it's dated). The reason I think this drawing is significant is for one, today is September 11 & it is the 10 year anniversary of that dreadful event in New York City (which I will not get into). Also, it is the end of my 365 project which is sad in some respects & yet a bit of a relief in others.

I drew the eye without looking at an eye but my hand was right there so I looked when I needed to. I purposefully elongated the hand & made it sketchy. I wanted the eye to be the focused part yet the hand is connected with the drop of the tear. I don't know why I initially thought of drawing these two subjects together so many years ago, perhaps I was sad one day. I have since thought of that old drawing & wondered where it was. I drew it again because for some reason I needed to and not because I'm sad, just because it just speaks to me and that's what art is all about.

Oddly enough, I used the last page of my 8.5x11 Bateman cover series sketchbook today. Another completion.

impossible

I chose to draw simon (my "manikin") last night. I tried to bend it into a pose that seemed tough yet interesting to draw. When I say 'tough' I meant, can I bend that way? At the end of it all, how it was posing was impossible for most anyone (aside from perhaps Cirque du Soleil performers). I kept changing the way I was seeing simon so it's almost an optical illusion. If you look at the torso, it could be the back yet the way I had it posed, it was the chest. If it is the back, the head is attached incorrectly - there are eyes in the back of the head. (:

I wanted simon to look like it wasn't a mannequin but actually had muscles so the drawing shows some definition in the glutes, arms & chest (if it's his chest when you look at it). The extended leg in the front looks hyper-extended at the knee. Ouch.

erased with right

I started this drawing on Wednesday. I did a quick line drawing of the plant on my coffee table which ended up being too light to even scan in for a progress shot. I continued on the next day & shaded in the stem for the other leaves (not drawn) and the plant pot. I softened the stems since the drawing wasn't reading right without the differentiation of the textures. I finished this today for last night (I was out too late & was out all day for work). The main leaf was the focus today & I softened that too with my blender then added the veins of the leaf on top for definition. I can't see them all so I only drew in the ones I could see from where I was sitting. The lighting may not be 100% accurate since I did the other two days in the evening & I did the leaf in the morning.

This was all drawn with my left hand (including the initial line drawing). I really feel I have much more control with my left hand after so much practice. I started this creative endeavour with my left hand so I thought I should have at least one drawing in the last week done with my left hand. This one turned out quite well as far as I'm concerned. The shadows really show that the leaf is elevated off the table it sits on.

mask-like

I took a photograph of a friend of mine a month or more ago. I have drawn from another one in the past and this one is a different pose. I had this vision to do a black/white with shapes type of drawing. I used a red tone instead of black since I needed a colour for his hair and that ended up being black. I made a slight error when colouring in the hair so I added a few locks of hair down the forehead to cover it up. Seemed logical although I did try to erase it initially.

I am not putting the reference photo up since it really is irrelevant.

I like how this turned out & my friend (who is the subject) loves it - he saw it last night after I finished it. I love the shadows of the clavicle bones at the shoulders as well as the pecs. He is a very lean individual so seeing definition was a great bonus. I did fix the nose slightly this morning & added the hair down the forehead, as I mentioned. Otherwise, all was completed last night.

my final week

I thought of going sketching with my sister again today but then thought perhaps I could work on a project that would take longer or perhaps even the rest of the week. That didn't happen.

I had an idea to draw one of the butterfly photos I took when I went to the zoo a month or so ago. I figured it would take awhile to draw but I was wrong. I have had it set out on my drafting table for quite some time; yet, just tonight I chose to work on it. I am happy with the stage it's at so I feel it's complete. It is done with oil pastels on pale green pastel paper.

I did not use my blender like I did with the baby portrait. The colours of the drawing are not as strong as the image and the flower is a bit on the pink side. Perhaps I'll keep working on it after all...

Sometimes though, things are just best left as a photograph.

wiped out

I went for a bike ride today since it was to be such a warm & sunny day. The ride overall was great but I did wipe out. I have done the ride countless times & I was with a girlfriend who had not done the ride before so when we had to basically do a very sharp U turn, I was warning her about it & I unclipped the wrong foot from my pedals & down I went. I'm not sure what actually cut my knee/leg. It was either my pedal after I got my foot out or my handlebar. The reason I fell is cuz I couldn't get my foot out fast enough so I would think it was the handlebar but the jury is still out on that. (:

After all this, my sister & I went sketching. We started at St. Mary's Cathedral. She sketched the entire church & I only sketched the mural above the door. I wasn't in the mood for perspectives & so many lines.

I left the people faceless since sometimes, that's just best. This was done with my default, graphite.

Since the sun had moved so much & we were no longer in the shade, we moved on to Lindsay Park. We found a great playground area & I quickly sketched some people watching their children on the monkey bars then I drew a knot on one of the trees - both with ink pen.

yes, it's blurry

I was visiting some friends & they had these gorgeous orchids on their window sill. I think orchids have such pretty little faces & the colours on hers were quite unique to others I've seen. Yellow & red. Very 'hot' in some respects.

Here's the reference shot:

This is what I ended up with. I really wanted to only focus on the centre of the flower since that's where all the colour is.

It could use a few more shadows but I like it anyway. Tough to sort out how to layer these colours. The watercolour class may be appropriate for where I am with watercolours. I keep trying them but I have no real formal training (aside from quick demonstrations when I've been in a more general art/rendering course).

playing with colour

I am thinking of taking a watercolour course later in September. I kinda understand watercolours & yet I don't. Taking the course would really give me the basics I think I'm looking for. I'll make the choice within the next week or so...

The other night I was playing with watercolour & really wanted to see what I could do with colour. It was fun. I started with basic blue, red & yellow then added green and added red to the blue & blue to the red & yellow. It was fun & I love how the colours turned out. Very deep yet transparent in some ways.

I almost wanted it to be the background of a card or something I could write on in general. I haven't done anything with it yet but I can if I chose to.

hothouse™

Many years ago, there was an Edmonton based company that made some pretty funky stuff for the house. I have a few items that I bought from there when I was living in Thunder Bay. The company is no longer in business - which is a shame. So I wonder how long ago it was now...

Last night I drew the picture frame I have which they produced. I really like it & always have. It's not exactly a frame though, it's a piece of stainless steel with magnets to hold on the photo. I had a photo of my previous boyfriend attached to it (taken at Gordon's Wine Bar in London) & I have since removed the photo to clear space so I could place the birthday watercolour card I received from a girlfriend & lean it against the frame. The paper is too thick & is also warped since it's watercolour paper so the magnets won't hold it on (not strong enough).

The watercolour card is gorgeous & I love it. The colours are really strong & I love the message on the card. I see it everyday since it sits on my fridge.

saved

On Tuesday night I completely forgot to create something until I was lying in bed & remembered that I forgot. I had thought of it earlier but had a friend popping by & I had something to get ready for him so I figured I'd just do it when he left, which didn't happen.
I had taken this photo in the morning of August 6, 2011 before I hiked Mount Allan. I did it early since I figured someone would lop off the top of the mushroom by the time I got back. I was wrong, the mushroom was still in tact, just shrivelled up from being in the heat of the sunshine.

I've taken shots of mushrooms before but the one above had more colours & I really liked it. I use my macro lens for close up shots but those were a bit blurry even with a tripod. I realized why photographers use the self-timer to take shots. That way, triggering the shutter of the camera doesn't cause shake & therefore blurry images.