From the Archives #009: Santa Maria, West Edmonton Mall

 Two sketches from 2002 and 2003, of the ship (a replica of the Santa Maria) in the indoor lagoon at West Edmonton Mall, arguably Edmonton's most famous attraction, and the place Edmontonians love to hate. I too loathed the place when I was still a newcomer to the city, irritated by its garish imagery and incoherent but manipulative setup, but strangely found myself there on days I had nothing to do, spending much time (but not much money)...

Jasper Avenue

It's the first "hot" day in this city... the sun is beating down on my arms. The joyous lunch crowd actually makes Jasper Avenue feel like part of a bustling downtown for a change...

waiting... waiting... waiting...

An assortment of characters waiting at the medical lab...

Northlands, during "Africa Connect"

A part of the new additions that opened last year at the Northlands Expo Centre... we checked out "Africa Connect", which, despite the cold and rainy weather, was well attended.

Peace River charter flight

The Peace River in the early summer

 Another day trip to the little town of Peace River in the beautiful Peace Country region of Alberta... this time on an even smaller, one-pilot 6 seat plane that was chartered for the day. 

The rivers in this area carve out some magnificently sculpted valleys in the otherwise flat terrain, and the shadows of the clouds moving majestically across them is an awesome view to experience. 

renovated industrial building

A sensitively renovated brick industrial warehouse building that now houses offices and some retail, on 107 Street just north of the MacEwan campus. The saw-toothed loading bays with its large overhead canopy is still intact, making a great streetface that reflects its former adjacency to the CN railway lands. 

downtown park

Some thumbnail sketches at a green linear park downtown... a bit of experimenting...

Jinbei... + From the Archives #008: June 13, 2010

 My son, soon to be one year old, sleeps in an awkward position at the corner of the sofa, in his jinbei, bellybutton exposed.

Drawn exactly one year ago... my wife, in her last month of pregnancy, sits and rests at the same corner of the sofa. It's an amazing, awe-inspiring miracle, witnessing the birth, growth and development of a child in this short time span. I am humbled by motherhood, childhood, and the reflection of God in both.

mountain range, Canmore, Alberta

An attempt at capturing some views of the mountain range, as seen from the lodge where we stayed at in Canmore.

The Georgetown Inn, Canmore, Alberta

We are back from a stay in Canmore to attend a dear friend's wedding. Although we did not stay at this quaint English-inspired inn, we had a nice brunch there in the warm June sun and in the presence of the Rockies.

From the Archives #007: Kananaskis (May, 2010)

Not much in colour these past few days...

It's been just over a year since some sketches in the Rockies... this from May, 2010. I bought some Crayola markers at a drugstore in Calgary for my daughter, and they came in handy when we got to Kananaskis, our regular summer retreat.

young visitors

We have visitors this evening-- a family serving with Wycliffe...

The two kids are adorable, the older one playing very well with our daughter till late into the night, while the 6-week old draws some fresh and curious responses from our 11-month-old son who, in comparison, looks like a giant.