Every Day in May: Week 4 to the end...

I have signed up for "Every Day in May", a Facebook page where sketchers are assigned a common subject each day during the month of May to draw, share, and enjoy with one another.

The subjects for the final 10 days were:

Day 22:  bowls: an assortment of bowls in our kitchen
Day 23: a pet: my son cuddles my daughter's "pets", the seals Pippa and Pip
Day 24: favourite fruit or veggie: four red peppers... frankly not my favourite vegetable by any means, but good to draw
Day 25: something in a glass container: ink
Day 26: insects: two papercraft bugs... a snout beetle and a dung beetle
Day 27: tea or coffee: my son and I at our local coffee shop after a weekend bike ride
Day 28: something from a nature walk: the North Saskatchewan River, during a bike ride with my son
Day 29: condiments: essentials in a Japanese household
Day 30: feathers: a single feather, picked up during a hike in the woods
Day 31: a view from a window: our neighbour's house at dusk, way past 10pm in this part of the world... posted 11:50am May 31.

Every Day in May: Week 3

I have signed up for "Every Day in May", a Facebook page where sketchers are assigned a common subject each day during the month of May to draw, share, and enjoy with one another.

The subjects for days 15 to 21 were:

Day 15:  jewellery: an assortment of crosses... once an instrument of brutal opression, now a symbol of grace and peace
Day 16: cutlery: a bowl of teaspoons
Day 17: a latch or drawer pull: a closet door, likely from 1949 when the house was built
Day 18: paint can, tube, or bottle: Holbein tubes bought last summer
Day 19: free draw: sketching with my daughter in Jasper, AB
Day 20: musical instrument: "kaplonk, plonk, plonk plonk..." ... stones thrown into the Athabasca River
Day 21: a streetlight: the orange glow of a sodium streetlight in our neighbourhood at dusk

a trip to Jasper

a few sketches from our short trip to Jasper National Park.

Every Day in May: Week 2

I have signed up for "Every Day in May", a Facebook page where sketchers are assigned a common subject each day during the month of May to draw, share, and enjoy with one another.

The subjects for days 8 to 14 were:

Day 8: boots: an assortment of boots to be stored for the summer
Day 9: someone you love or admire: the kids as they sleep
Day 10: candy: a pile of caramel (and a glass of beer)
Day 11: a pail or bucket: a small galvanized metal container full of coloured pencils
Day 12: leaves: the thick leaves of some succulents
Day 13: a suitcase: the corner of an antique trunk with metal corner guards and leather handles
Day 14: a sandwich: banana bread, because this will be the closest thing to a sandwich this weekend...

Every Day in May: Week 1

Once again, I have signed up for "Every Day in May", a Facebook page where sketchers are assigned a common subject each day during the month of May to draw, share, and enjoy with one another. It has kept me on my toes, pushed the envelope a little, and, through witnessing the work of so may other talented people, inspired me.

The first 7 days' subjects were:

Day 1: a toy... my dirt bike, recently built up from an old Kona frame




































Day 2: something with folds... my wife's old, tattered accordion file

Day 3: a hammer... a series of tools used as a hammer in desperate circumstances

Day 4: a game... some baseball gloves, including my favourite Adidas glove used for over 30 years

Day 5: something seen in a park... a row of trees on a sunny afternoon






Day 6: a timepiece... the intricate innards of an antique chime clock

Day 7: a gadget used for cleaning... the washing machine, lurking in the basement like the HAL 9000

The Carrot Coffeehouse

At The Carrot Coffeehouse, after checking out a show at Bleeding Heart Art Space, and an exhibition of work created by community members of L'Arche Edmonton (at the Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts)... an afternoon experiencing and talking about art and community and faith.

the study: 4 days

A corner of the study, always in disarray -- a most necessary place in our home.

Break Forth 2016

 Inside the busy concourse of the Northlands Expo Centre during the Break Forth Canada 2016 conference, and a scene from a breakout session with Danielle Strickland speaking about Jesus and justice, from the story of Jesus' encounter with the 10 men with leprosy (Luke 17:11-19).

Stephen Avenue, Calgary

Stephen Avenue, Calgary's pedestrian mall (during the day) through a historic portion of downtown, on a balmy 9 degree Celsius lunch hour... my first outdoor urban sketch of the year!

My Steeds: Number Three (B): The Mountain Bike

I never had much of a desire to ride off-road or on dirt trails until last fall, and during its reincarnation this Marin mountain bike took on a more commuter character with the addition of fenders and slick tires, making it more of a hybrid than a true mountain bike. Despite my initial bent towards road bikes, I have to admit it rides much more comfortably on city roads. Through the summer, it became my default weekend bike for hitching a Trail-a-Bike to, for excursions around the city with the kids; the sturdier ride and wider handle bars made this especially appropriate, and we thoroughly enjoyed exploring the neighbourhood in search of garage sales.

I learned a lot from the transfer of parts from the smaller frame, including the difference between forks and how to make DIY headset cup presses (the previous "version" of this bike had a threadless fork that would not fit the larger frame... one of many upgrades made by the first owner), but I never managed to master the intricate art of adjusting the derailleurs to work smoothly, and I now have a cracked cog needing replacement... more opportunities for hands-on learn in the spring.

Unibroue beer

Four different bottles of beer... (from different days!) brewed by Unibroue in Quebec.
"La Fin du Monde" and "Maudite" bring back memories of that exhilarating night right after handing in my thesis years and years ago, when a friend I graduated with introduced me to these strong beers.

My Steeds: Number Three (A): The Mountain Bike

The other bike that was sitting in my garage for a good part of the last 15 years was an early 1990s (?) Marin mountain bike that I bought second hand almost 20 years ago. Three years ago, as a birthday present, my wife took it to a bike mechanic to have it tuned up and made ride-able again... but it didn't see much action for another two years. That birthday present, however, was the catalyst for my recent re-connection with the bicycle.

There's a reason I didn't end up riding the bike... I found out it was too small. Luckily (or, as fate would have it), on the same day I picked up the Sekine frame from the local community bike shop, I found the exact same Marin frame, but 2 inches larger. Transferring all the parts from the smaller frame to its larger counterpart was my second bike build.

These sketches are of the old retired frame... an old friend whose spirit lives on in a new creation.