Urban Sketching and a new sketchbook

I like to beautify the cover of my sketchbook.  This time, I took my inspiration for my next sketchbook cover from Andrea (thanks Andrea!!!)

I use to be a shift worker and on night shift I would get my "lunch" at 0200 hrs or 0330 hrs. In a medium sized city there use to be not too many options. Then things changed and I would do my grocery shopping on my lunch!! 

My sleeping patterns continue to give me a bit of trouble so this cover is a nod to all the insomniacs out there.  So happy that my sketchbook is "OPEN ALL NIGHT"!!

BTW, I used an office supply for my "stickers". I was going to cut around them but opted to leave the mailing label "as is".   I'm not finished with the cover yet but I've just started my current book so this is as far as I'm going to go for right now!!! 

I had to go to town to pick up a book st the library and stopped off at a side street to sketch this industrial building. 

Graffiti Name Tag

This was just so much fun! 

Graffiti lettering for Andrea Joseohs creative lettering class in Sketchbook Skool dot com 

I wasn't happy with it but now that my circles actually look like bubbles I like it! 

Sweet Tomatoes

I went out to the garden this morning and found some ripe tomatoes ready to eat and perfect for drawing!  I have never drawn the inside of s cut tomato so this was s first God me! And just if you were wondering it wasn't easy. 

This is my page for today and you know what I had with my dinner!! Cheers!

Oro Methodist Historic Church

Inside the Oro African Methodist Episcopal Church Grand re-opening this afternoon originally built in 1849. It was quite an experience to have people watching me draw then paint the pulpit of this church. I usually don't have people taking my picture or filming me while I worked away to complete my drawing. The church has been designated a national historic site. I loved the smell of the new cut pine floors. Much of the inside is still original but the floors had rotted.  The glass in the windows isn't original either but they found glass from the period. A couple of the top wall beams had to be replaced and they found a recipe for the white wash. Seemingly the recipe depends on what resources would have been available in the surrounding location. 

I use to live down the road a bit and would stop by to peer in the Windows. Today I had a chance to sit in one of the pews to fill my page.

French's Refreshment Stand Orillia Ontario

I had some errands to run in town but I had enough time to draw and paint this 1920 French's refreshment stand. The original owner signed a 99 year lease with the Canadian Pacific Railroad.  It is just across the road from the beach and Champlain Park on Lake Couchiching in Orillia. I enjoyed reading the fact that the students who work in the stand all enjoy profit sharing. Most of the time that I have been by the business was closed so I definitely had to stop. 

This is what happened today

This is the kind of day it was! 

I like the squarish fonts on my first page, I think that they add a bit of panache to my drawing. I'm not a botanical kind of gal but I wanted to document that my Rose of Sharon is in bloom!! There are loads of buds but with little rain this summer I didn't think it would flower on its own. We are on a well, so I have been coaxing it along with the dish water from the kitchen sink. I can't waste it by throwing it down the drain. I'm not really diggin' the spatters but it is what it is! 

Then, I had to take laundry and do it at the laundromat in town.  We are expecting a major rain tonight and tomorrow, I hope it will refill the rain barrel and make the garden (and me) happier!  I have left room for a bit of journaling too! 

1951 Hudson Hornet

I live in the boondocks of central Ontario🇨🇦 so I don't get a chance to do much "urban sketching".  Yesterday, I had to go to the library in town and surprise.... there was a car show on. I had my sketchbook in the car so I dropped off my library books and picked up my pens. 

So enjoyed talking to the current owner of this 1951 Hudson Hornet and she signed my book for me.  She and her hubby are the second owners of this beauty and they have had it for 24 years.  They have re-painted it the same as the original colour - a dark green. 

It started to rain so I stopped to get a tissue to dry my page and headed to a covered spot where the owner happened to be sitting.  Then I started the rear drawing ...I'm glad I did!  I'm not use to sketching in public at a car show "in the rain" especially found standing a bit difficult but happy with my results regardless.

Very cool car to see. I had a fellow stop by to say that he thought what I was doing was cool because everyone else was snapping their cameras and phones.