Grandson Thomas, here's lookin at ya, MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Happy Holidays and Best Wishes to all my internet friends and visitors, thanks for coming by!

Point Roberts Marina

Some boats out of the water for the winter. Giving the markers a try again. Got a little carried away with the green leaves, a long time yet before we see those. Point Roberts, WA, USA

the a la mode crowd

A third drawing from my day in the market at Granville Island, Vancouver BC. A la mode sells great pie and goodies. I saw a Greg Betza drawing which inspired me. Imitation is a form of flattery, right? Greg Betza can absolutely draw. Take a look -  studio1482.com/catalog/?artist_id=2greg

Burger Stand

Another Granville Island food fair drawing, Vancouver BC. This vendor sells great food. Nicki, Cathy & Diana and I had a great time drawing here. I did the watercolor right there, I usually do it later at home. This is better. To my surprise no one came to peek over my shoulder.

a la mode

Had a wonderful day drawing with daughter Nicki, niece Cathy and friend Diana in a little food fair at Granville Island, Vancouver BC. A la mode sells great lemon pie. Nice and warm inside on a gray December day. We talked about organizing a proper Urban Sketchers Vancouver group. This may be a start.

Nitobe Bridge

A drawing from my trip with Dino Pai to Nitobe Gardens at UBC in Vancouver BC Canada. I didn't post this before as I didn't like it but time does change thinking. That is a little thumbnail in the upper left.

Safebucks

Drawing in a coffee shop in Safeways grocery store, Tsawwassen BC Canada

Villeneuve Loubet, France

A street in Villeneuve Loubet, from my photo.

Robson & Homer Streets, Vancouver BC

The view from the coffee shop is always a challenge and always fun to draw. It is always a learning process.

Added Some Color

I went drawing with my niece Cathy to Van Dusen Gardens in Vancouver BC. A beautiful botanical garden built on property that once was a golf course. It is great in November so it will be spectacular in the spring. This drawing is of a sculpture by Gerhard Juchum called Fisher Hauling In The Net which is in the garden.

Looking South From Point Roberts

 

Looking south at the San Juan Islands form Lighthouse Park in Point Roberts USA

Fisher Hauling In The Net

I went drawing with my niece Cathy to Van Dusen Gardens in Vancouver BC. A beautiful botanical garden built on property that once was a golf course. It is great in November so it will be spectacular in the spring. This drawing is of a sculpture by Gerhard Juchum called Fisher Hauling In The Net which is in the garden.

Whitby Harbour

From my photo.

Cambie & Cordova, Vancouver BC

There are some neat old buildings here.

Pots

Pots on a stand in our kitchen area.

Brewsters

A coffee shop in point Roberts, WA, USA. Always drawing something. I have a tendency to think that unless it is Notre Dame de Paris it isn't worth drawing or posting, so back to basics.

Nitobe Memorial Garden

I recently went drawing with my friend Dino Pai to Nitobe Memorial Garden at the University of British Columbia. They saw my drawings and asked me to write a paragraph which they would post, with my drawings, on their Garden Blog. You can see it all at - http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/blog/drawing-nitobe

Centennial Beach Cafe

Centennial Beach Cafe, Boundary Bay, BC, Canada

Lighthouse?

Lighthouse Marine Park in Point Roberts Wa. USA is a great place to listen to the waves, look at the Gulf Islands and draw. As far as I can tell this beacon is the nearest thing to a lighthouse in Point Roberts.

Picnic Shelter

A sunny day at Lighthouse Marine Park in Point Roberts Wa. USA.

Oakridge People

Drawing in the food fair at Oakridge Mall, Vancouver BC

iCoffee

uniball pen, Canson marker paper, Letraset markers. giving markers a try.

New Art Stuff

I have been looking at Eduardo Bajzek and Liz Steele using markers so I am going to give it a try. These are Letraset pro Markers on Canson Marker paper. The paper is great to draw on and so white and the markers are bright. I really like the look. My colored take on a Robert S Oliver tree drawing.

A Standout

Went drawing fish boats with my niece Cathy in Steveston BC Canada. Steveston is an old time BC fishing port at the mouth of the Fraser River.

Del Mar Hotel Unlimited Growth Increases The Divide

Determined to preserve a clean, affordable, decent place for low income people the owner of the Del Mar refused to sell to the Provincial Governments Hydro Company who wanted to buy the property for their new building. He must have turned down millions. Hydro eventually gave up and built all around the Del Mar. A man who had principles and lived by them, rare. To read the story google Unlimited Growth Increases The Divide. Drawn at Hamilton and Dunsmuir Streets in Vancouver BC.

Cambie Street Apartments

On Cambie near 23rd in Vancouver BC.

Momma

Drawn at Ocean Park, Surrey, BC. Not my Momma of course.

Richmond Country Farm Market

A quick sketch, Staedtler Lumocolor marker, in Richmond BC Canada.

The Big Boss

Always fun trying to draw this guy on the run at Richmond Country Farms Market in Richmond BC Canada. Want to visit a genuine Canadian country farm market? Go to this, have the sound on, http://countryfarms.ca

Java Man

The coffee shop of course, a Starbucks on Marine Way in Vancouver.

Faces

Noodlin & Doodlin

High Anxiety

On my way home from Steveston BC I found the High Anxiety high and dry in a shipyard full of old fish boats. The lack of salmon in recent years has put many of them out of business. A great place to draw boats.

Old Salt

I had a great morning drawing with Wayne Bisskey - http://www.flickr.com/photos/56804274@N05/with/8013314449/#photo_8013314449 - in Steveston BC. Steveston was at one time an important fishing port, located at the mouth of the Fraser River. many things remain from that time and some fishboats still operate from here.

Centennial Beach Cafe

There is a new concession(cafe) at Centennial Beach park in Tsawwassen, Delta, BC. We are having a great stretch of sunny weather so the cafe is busy. I am playing with a dip pen and ink. I love the variety of lines but it can be a messy business.

Empress Hotel Victoria BC Canada

Opened in 1908 by the Canadian Pacific Railway this beautiful hotel sits at the head of the inner harbour in Victoria BC. This is just a little corner of a grand old lady. A number of reno jobs over the years have given her all the latest amenities. The green on the walls is my attempt at the ivy that covers a good part of the front of the hotel.

Tsawwassen Street Banners

Street banners in Tsawwassen, Delta, BC, Canada. Yes, that is a palm tree of some kind, no coconuts. Tsawwassen is right on the US border, the 49th parallel, so not in the tropics exactly. They do just fine here, the summers are warm and they survive the winters.

BC Parliament Buildings

The British Columbia Parliament Buildings, in Victoria, opened in 1898 and are home to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.

Lee Benevolent Association

This building is on Fisgard Street in Victoria BC's Chinatown. I recently took a day trip to Victoria and did a few drawings. Visiting Victoria is always a treat.

Vancouver Public Library

At Georgia and Hamilton streets in Vancouver BC

iYak

At Petras on 12th in Tsawwassen, BC

saxman

This guy was playing at the Ladner Farmers Market, Ladner BC

Nitobe

A pagoda in Nitobe Garden, UBC, Vancouver British Columbia. The garden is a beautiful, peaceful place.

Nitobe

Another drawing from the Nitobe Garden UBC, Vancouver.

Nitobe Memorial Garden

 

 I had a very enjoyable day drawing with Dino Pai in the Nitobe Memorial Garden at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC. It is considered to be one of the best traditional Japanese gardens in North America and in the top five outside of Japan.

Sapperton coffee

Many moons ago British Army Engineers, sappers, built a camp at this part of New Westminster BC.

Knox

Knox Presbyterian Church, Columbia St., New Westminster, BC