Author: rodzillman

 

The Ho Lem Block’s brickwork caught my eye, especially the fully rounded arch. Its a humble structure built in 1911, scroll right to see its history.
I took extra time at home to do the signage and calligraphy. Its a little tedious but I like to do the details, I think it’s important!

The colourful and decorative architectural steel elements converted a 1970’s era office building with its angled walls and windows into an iconic landmark building.
The interior atrium is delightfully asian in shops and products.
We attended Chinese New Year banquets, weddings and hot pot dinners in the third floor Regency Palace restaurant.

I sat down to draw a building but ended up trying to capture the activity on the sidewalk in front of the building. I think this is Calgary’s only sidewalk market stall!!
The Chinese National League building was erected in 1954 although the league had been around much longer.
Sun Yat Sen was hosted by the League in 1911 during a visit to Calgary on a North American fund raising tour.

View along Centre St.
Never would have noticed the remnants of house roofs behind and above the store fronts housing the Wong Affinity Association.

These elderly ladies have been selling vegetables and some odds and ends on this patch of sidewalk for at least a couple of years.
I tried to sketch surreptitiously while sitting on a bench facing the street.
Pencil and watercolour!

The brick moon-gate!
This modest structure has been a landmark for decades. I have walked through it maybe a hundred times. Sitting in the shade at 26 degrees was a pleasant sketching activity.

Happy sketching!

Rod

 

It was the perfect summer day, a warm sun in the open parts of the cemetery and delightfully cool spots in the lush vegetation and babbling water of the garden.

Members of the Calgary Association of Lifelong Learners joined in the activity with their sketchbooks.

This was my first time. The garden is amazing!

Many tombstones are carved from sandstone. Sadly they are eroding and will likely disappear in time. I focussed on the grave stone of Cordelia who’s inscription is still readable.

There are many more.

Our next sketchcrawl is Tuesday July 28 in the evening from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Historic Trinity Lutheran Church, 840 3 Ave SW.

See you then!! Rod

 

It’s glorious summer in Calgary and the best time to sketch outside.

The Golden Inn has been in this location almost forty years making it an unpretentious landmark.

The Silver Dragon was the go to place for Dim Sum when we came back to Calgary thirty years ago.

Last year we Urban Sketchers met up in the Muze Cafe after sketching the lions on the bridge. Coffee comes with egg tarts and pork buns. I never would have noticed the fish and the dragon atop the roof edge of this corner building.

Now historically designated, the Canton Block ca. 1912 is one of the oldest structures in Chinatown. Simple and unpretentious but appealing is it’s brick facade.

Keep sketching!

Rod

St. Stephens Anglican Church is uniquely clad in concrete block but has the traditional form and details of a British Norman style structure.

The Cathedral Church of the Redeemer Anglican, occupies a quiet piece of downtown and has cruder sandstone finish.

Knox United Church has a refined sandstone with elaborate detailing in the tower. It was once the tallest structure in Calgary.

See you soon!

Rod

Last month, at the peak of the stayhome era, I went through our travel photos, nostalgically, and found some scenes to re-create as well as to do some watercolour practice.

Anna in that beautiful village!

Ah Vicenza!!!! With more time I might have sketched this scene.

Kyoto had so much beauty!

This was my favourite,  a Sunday morning in Tokyo!

April was a bit cool but I managed to sneak in two Calgary sketches.

We shall meet together again….soon!

Rod

Looking back six months ago, it is catastrophic how much the world has changed and how much we took for granted.

These are my sketches in and around Venice.

Sitting anywhere but the cafés was not permitted so I sketched quickly and coloured up later.

Vicenza is a small city full of Palladian Architecture, and a delightful square where you can sit and sip Spritzers while you sketch!

Every house in Murano ( a traditional fishing town near Venice ) is washed in a distinctive colour. A watercolourist’s delight.

It was a wonderful view and an enduring memory.

Rod

Last October we visited Ontario and I was able to sketch three buildings, one in Toronto, a second in Waterloo and a third in Kitchener, my home town.

The Gooderham building is an iconic flatiron landmark inToronto.

The post office building is seen duplicated throughout the small cities and towns of southern Ontario clad in stone or brick or as here in combinations of both.

The Market Square building sits on the site of the old Farmer’s Market where as a kid my family would shop for fresh produce and summer sausage from the Amish farmers and their horse and buggy wagons.

Last October on a visit to Toronto I noticed these urban sketches framed and mounted and on display in the subway cars. Maybe, when the world returns to normal we can approach Calgary Transit about doing the same thing.

Rod

Hi All,

Like most of us I have been socially distant and staying at home. This time of confinement can be an opportunity to practise skills or just have some sketching fun.

I started sketching commuters from photos taken a couple of weeks ago to meet the oneweek100people2020 sketching challenge. I did nowhere near 100 people but got me into a daily routine of drawing people.

After using up my commuter photos I made up people.

Mechanical pencil, HB and 4B on watercolour paper.

Stay home, wash your hands but have a little fun!

Rod

 

Hi Sketchers,

We have set the date for mounting our works at the the branch library.

Saturday January 4, 2020 at 1:30 P.M.   6617 Centre St N, Calgary

There is still time to get your work scanned and mounted on foam board.

Thanks Everyone!