A Beautiful Day at Beechwood Cemetery

On Sunday July 23, 2017, the Ottawa Urban Sketchers spent the day sketching at the historic Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa.

Here are some photos that I managed to take of our group. Visit the Ottawa Urban Sketchers blog for more photos: https://ottawaurbansketchers.blogspot.ca/

We just love these smiles! Part of the group at the end of the day.

Keeping A Nature Journal in Ottawa

I have made a resolution to keep a dedicated 2017 Nature Journal starting this spring (if spring ever arrives in Ottawa). 

Some pages from my March 2017 Nature Journal

It seems that I have been keeping a nature journal forever.......some years much more intensely than others.

My Nature Journal from 1986

In the past, I loved sketching birds and I used my Nature Journal as a way of studying and remembering distinctive features of various species.

My Nature Journal: unfinished bird sketch dated 1980

I also used my Nature Journal to study trees, their overall shapes and distinctive features. I admire folks who can look at a tree far off in the distance and know exactly what it was just by its shape and location.

My Nature Journal dated January 1986

I attended an event in 2015 hosted by the Ottawa Field Naturalists Club where we were looking for fall shorebirds on migration at Mud Lake and Shirley's Bay.

The sketches below were done from photographs after the event as a way of recording what we did, where we went and all of the birds that we saw that day.

My Nature Journal: Birding at Mud Lake

My Nature Journal: Birding at Shirley's Bay

 My Nature Journal Sketch Book

I have decided to dedicate my Fabriano Venizia sketchbook (that I purchased at the beginning of this year) to gather all of my nature 2017 nature sketches.

I decided to stop using the Fabriano Venezia sketch book as my 'daily sketchbook' because is too heavy to carry in my sketch bag; the book does not stay flat when opened and requires many clips and I am disappointed in how the cotton paper holds my many mediums (watercolour, gouache, graphite, ink etc.)

So I've re-purposed the Fabriano Venizia sketchbook into my 2017 Nature Journal! It will make a perfect book for scribbling my nature notes in as well as pasting sketches that are cut out from my other sketch pads like this cardinal below, that I originally sketched on a mixed-media pad.

Today's sketch to record the Northern Cardinal that I saw while dog walking

My Nature Journal Field Guides 

Below are some of the Ottawa reference books and materials that I have on hand to add information to my sketch notes. Of course the internet is an amazing resource as well.

My field guide home library

My Nature Journal Links for Ottawa

One of the first activities I did in my 2017 Nature Journal this year was to map out the trees in my neighbourhood where I walk regularly. To do this I needed online help from the City of Ottawa's Tree Inventory where every tree (that the City of Ottawa is responsible for) is mapped and named (in Latin) with the radius of the tree trunk! I love this resource!

I will be adding this helpful nature-journaling link and many others to the list below. Keep checking back for new additions.

In Early spring, the buds begin to swell. Its fun to look for them on daily walks.

OTTAWA & ONTARIO LINKS

• City of Ottawa's Tree Inventory
• Ottawa Field Naturalist Club
• Ottawa Field Naturalist Club Bird Sightings Reports (Weekly) 
•  Ottawa Bird Checklist (OFNC)
• Ottawa Falcon Watch
• Ottawa Duck Club
• Neily World - detailed birding guides for Ottawa 
• A Birdfinding Guide to the Ottawa Area
• Ottawa Bird Count 
• Ottawa Wild Care Bird Centre
• Safewings Ottawa 
• Ottawa Tree Atlas
• Ottawa River Keeper
• Ottawa Chapter of the Ontario Archaeology Society 
• Ontario Avibase
• Ontario Butterflies and Moths
• Ontario Ferns 
• Ontario Field Ornithologists 
• Ontario Grasses, Sedges and Rushes 
• Ontario Insects
• Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas  
• Ontario Trees and Shrubs
• Ontario Wildflowers
• Ontario Wildflowers and other Flora
• Old Growth Forest Database
• Ottawa's Fletcher Wildlife Garden
• Ottawa's Friends of Petrie Island
• Ottawa's Innis Point Bird Observatory 
• Ottawa's NCC Greenbelt Trails 
• Ecology Ottawa

 GATINEAU & QUEBEC LINKS

• Friends of Gatineau Park  
• Liste des oiseaux observés au Québec  
• Birds of Quebec

OTHER HELPFUL LINKS

• Cornell University Online Bird Guide
• Cornell University FREE app "MERLIN" (for bird watching)
• Cornell University  "BirdCast" Website and Twitter Account (Forecasting and analyzing bird migration with weather, radar, and citizen science data. Based at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, New York, USA.)
• Nature Instruct - Canada  

John Muir Laws: The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling

Nature Journal Links 

• Sierra Club: Making Your Own Nature Journal
• Sierra Club Nature Journal Template (pdf) 
• Mother Nature Network - How to keep a nature journal
• Susan Leigh Tomlinson: How to Keep a Naturalist's Notebook
• Smithsonian: Introduction To The Nature Journal (pdf)
• Cathy Johnson: Field Sketching and Keeping a Nature Journal (pdf) 

I will be posting some of my 2017 Nature Journal pages here on my blog. If you will be nature journaling and/or blogging your nature adventures in Ottawa, please add your link in the comment section below.

Likewise, if you have interesting links you would like to share on Ottawa-Gatineau natre and sketching opportunities, please add that in the comment section below as well.

Happy sketching!

A New Project: Sketching For The Ottawa Wrench

My sketch entitled "Broke Not Broken" (pen and ink)

I am excited to be working on a new project with some great Ottawa folks who have established a street paper in Ottawa called "The Wrench".

When I recently read in the Metronews that the paper had only just begun, I wrote to the organizers and told them that I was an urban sketcher and that I was very inspired by the work of Washington Post graphics editor/illustrator/artist Richard Johnson and especially his series on "The Invisible" https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/drawing-dc-together/wp/2015/09/25/drawing-the-invisible/.

 Artist Richard Johnson's Series "The Invisible"

This sketch by artist Richard Johnson as part of Washington Post series "The Invisible"

This sketch by artist Richard Johnson as part of Washington Post series "The Invisible"

(NB: "Street Sense" is a Washington, D.C.-based 16-page bi-weekly street newspaper that was founded in 2003)

I volunteered to create sketches in the style of Richard Johnson's and/or sketch anything else that they might need for their paper. This led to a meeting at The Well the following week where I received a list of the planned stories for the November 2016 and January 2017 issues.

I am happy to report that the November issue is now off to be printed and you will be able to find it on the streets at the end of this week.

I am looking forward to contributing more of my sketches to this great project in the future.


LINKS:

• International Network of Street Papers
• The Ottawa Wrench 
• Washington's "Street Sense"

Today's Daily Sketch

Quick sketch of 310 Cooper St., Ottawa

Today's quick sketch is of this beautiful brick house located on Cooper St. in Centretown, Ottawa. Built some time around 1874, it is surrounded by cobblestones - something seldom seen here in Ottawa.

The building located at 310 Cooper Street was designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act in 1984. (Source: City of Ottawa)

I really like the picture of the property with a tree in the front (now long gone).

The Heritage Ottawa Newsletter for 1984 describes a bit of a challenge in securing the heritage designation. I am so glad that heritage status was eventually achieved. 310 Cooper is a lovely little charmer and a joy to sketch

Source: Ottawa Heritage Newsletter: January/February 1984

 https://heritageottawa.org/sites/default/files/newsletter-pdfs/HerOttNews_1984_01.pdf

Two NEW Urban Sketching Events for April and May

Be sure to visit the Ottawa Urban Sketchers blog for details on two new sketching events in Ottawa!

April 17, 2016

 Sketching at the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum 

 (For details click here)

The Buildings of The Experimental Farm

The Spring 2016 New Arrivals at the Experimeental Farm

May, 2016

Let's Sketch the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra! 

(For details click here)

Inside The Music: May 1, 2016

 By Francesc Muñoz Found on Twitter Apr 4, 2016 (used here with permission from the artist)

My Daily Sketch - Abiwin Morning Light

My art journal (Strathmore500 series - 100% cotton paper)

Urban Sketching at the Carleton Tavern

On February 10, 2016, Ottawa urban sketchers gathered at Carleton Tavern for a night of sketching

"The Carleton" sketch above by artist Colin White

My first sketch of the night capturing Ottawa urban sketchers Laurie, Colin and Derek.

For me, it really adds to my sketching pleasure when I know a little bit about the story of the place that I am sketching or something about the people that inhabit(ed) the place.

I researched online before sketching at the tavern to see what I could find out.

The Carleton Tavern History

1948 Fire Insurance Plan of Ottawa
shows the Carleton Tavern with its original and expanded structure.

"In 1935, after five years of operating the confectionery, 75-year-old Thomas Moran extensively renovated the house at 223 Armstrong, and opened that fall as the Carleton Hotel…" (Source: Ottawa Valley Irish: Carleton Tavern history)

"On February 26 1941, Moran sold the Carleton Hotel to Harold Starr and Harry Viau, for the sale price of $10,500. Starr was a popular Ottawa sportsman, having played for both the Rough Riders and the original Ottawa Senators in the NHL. Viau was a former barber who grew up in a hotelkeeper family."  (Source: Kitchissippi Times)

"Through its 80 years, little has changed at the Carleton Tavern, and that’s just how its many loyal patrons like it. It is a trip back into time, an experience that has fortunately been preserved in Kitchissippi, and one hopes will continue for many more years to come."  (Source: Kitchissippi Times)

Later in the evening I sketched the folks at two tables nearby

According to Apt613: "The tavern has grown into a haven for artists and musicians alike, offering up something for everyone from live entertainment on weekends, to writing/poetry workshops, JazzWorks jams, participatory singing with the 613 Casual Choir, and even theatre productions put on by Chamber Theatre Hintonburg. A large room on the second floor, which was once a series of rooms for rent, was remodelled to house dart leagues and private parties of every occasion. The room is free for use and licensed for 95 people."

February 10, 2016

About twenty urban sketchers stopped over at the Carleton Tavern on the chilly, snowy night of February 10. The staff were welcoming and the place really filled up as the night went on.

To see some of the sketches that some of the other urban sketchers shared, visit our facebook event page (click here) or our facebook group page (click here)

Here are a few of my sketches for the night:

Page 1 of 3 pages of sketches from our night at the Carleton Tavern.

This poster was next o the exit.
It asks, "How will you spend your last 10 years?

In answer to the question on the poster hanging at the Carleton Tavern exit, "How will you spend your last 10 years?" my answer is, ".......hopefully with a sketchbook and pencil in my hands".

Links: 

• Hintonburg Walking Tour http://www.hintonburg.com/walking_tour.html
• November 18, 2010: Carleton Tavern 75th Anniversary http://newswest.org/easyread/archives/305
• CBC: Carleton Tavern turns 80 years old this week http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/carleton-tavern-turns-80-years-old-this-week-1.3114394
• Ottawa Valley Irish: Carleton Tavern history http://www.ottawavalleyirish.com/2015/08/carleton-tavern-history.html

On The First Day Of Christmas....

My Centretown Gave To Me".....

I walk the sidewalks in Centretown, Ottawa a couple times of day with my yellow labrador retriever Lexington ("Lexie") and I always see things that I want to sketch!

I carry a camera so that I can take a quick photo of things that catch my eye and, time permitting, I will do a quick sketch (1 to 2 hours) when I get home. I call these my daily sketches and I post them on twitter using the twitter hashtag #dailysketch.

My #dailysketches are very different from my #urbansketches or my #pleinair paintings which are always done on location.

I thought it would be a fun December challenge to sketch the twelve days of Christmas in Centretown. I am already at Day 8, but I am anxious and a wee bit worried about finding material for Days 9-12!

When the daily sketch is finished, I will tweet it and add it here. I hope you enjoy! Best of the season to you and your loved ones.

"Wooden Snowman", Cooper St."
Cindi Foreman-Moynahan's art journal sketch
(ink and watercolour)

On the First Day of Christmas, My Centretown Gave To Me..

A Snowman Carved From A Tree

"Two Shefford Urns", Cooper St.

Cindi Foreman-Moynahan's art journal sketch

(ink and watercolour)

On the Second Day of Christmas, My Centretown Gave To Me..

Two Shefford Urns,

and a Snowman Carved From A Tree

"Three (O'Connor) Door Wreaths", O'Connor St.

Cindi Foreman-Moynahan's art journal sketch

(mixed media)

On the Third Day of Christmas, My Centretown Gave To Me..

Three Door Wreaths
Two Shefford Urns
and a Snowman Carved From A Tree

"Four Candy Canes", Bank St.

Cindi Foreman-Moynahan's art journal sketch

(mixed media)

On the Fourth Day of Christmas, My Centretown Gave To Me..

Four Candy Canes, 
Three Door Wreaths,
Two Shefford Urns,
and a Snowman Carved From A Tree

"Five for Fifty Sale"", Aziz & Company, Bank St.

Cindi Foreman-Moynahan's art journal sketch

(mixed media)

On the Fifth Day of Christmas, My Centretown Gave To Me..

Five for Fifty Sale,
Four Candy Canes, 
Three Door Wreaths,
Two Shefford Urns,
and a Snowman Carved From A Tree

"Six Skaters Skating", Ottawa City Hall
Cindi Foreman-Moynahan's art journal sketch

On the Sixth Day of Christmas, My Centretown Gave To Me

Six Skaters Skating, 

Five for Fifty Sale, 

Four Candy Canes, 

Three Door Wreaths, 

Two Shefford Urns, 

and a Snowman Carved From A Tree

"Seven 'Franks A Grilling", Bank & Laurier,
Cindi Foreman-Moynahan's art journal sketch

On the Seventh Day of Christmas, My Centretown Gave To Me
Seven 'Franks' A Grilling

Six Skaters Skating, 

Five for Fifty Sale, 

Four Candy Canes, 

Three Door Wreaths, 

Two Shefford Urns, 

and a Snowman Carved From A Tree

Forgotten Spaces - The Documentary

One of the highlights for me in 2015 was sketching 'forgotten spaces' once a week with a group of amazingly talented Ottawa artists. Each week we would explore a new alleyway in Ottawa. At the end of summer, we had a show and our work was featured at Chinatown Remixed (appropriately, in a special alleyway).

I am looking forward to a 2016 summertime return to Ottawa's alleyways.

Here's the documentary "Forgotten Spaces" by filmmaker Justin Nalepa. (You can find Justin at Jackpine)

My sketch of our outdoor art show "Forgotten Spaces"
Our alley leader, Colin White, sketching in the bottom frame

Photos of the Chinatown Remix Art Show
"Forgotten Spaces"

My last sketch of an Ottawa alley (summer 2015)
Chinatown Remixed - September 19, 2015

DigiFest

Daily Sketch: The Sunburst Building

My Instagram photo of my lunchtime sketch 
of the Sunburst Building at Bank & Slater

I stopped for sushi at the Miso restaurant on Bank St in Ottawa and did this quick sketch while I ate a great bowl of miso soup and a platter of their vegetarian sushi.

I noticed the "Sunburst Building" sign for the very first time!

That is the best part about urban sketching. You always see things that you would never see until you pause to do a sketch.

I wondered why it was called the "Sunburst Building" and when I got home I did a quick google search which landed me on the urbsite page: http://urbsite.blogspot.ca/2013/03/from-pork-to-perfection.html. There is LOTS of information on this building at the urbsite blog.

The "Sunburst Building" in the 1940s
Source: City of Ottawa Archives (Dave Sproul Collection)
via the Urbsite blog

From the urbsite blog:

"The building at 129-131 Bank Street appears to have been built ca.1910 for the Matthews-Laird Co., meat suppliers, with two floors of offices and workshops to rent above. By the 1940s the storefront was divided into two for L.J. Fraser Ltd., haberdashers and a shoe repair shop. 

The building's ground floor exterior was given a not unsympathetic renovation in the 1980s which was then cluttered up by a cheerful mess of signs. The original store height is now divided into two cramped levels."

Why is it called the "Sunburst Building"? I still don't know. The urbsite - an incredible source for everything historical in Ottawa - ended their post with "For some reason, it is now called the Sunburst Building"

If you have any idea why or how it received this name, please let me know in the comment section below.

Here is the palette that I used for the sketch - a QOR watercolor sampler that I received and used today for the first time. These watercolors were quite lovely to use in my art journal (Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media, 100% cotton paper).

Golden's new QOR (pronounced "core") watercolor line uses a unique binder called Aquazol® instead of the usual watercolor binder - gum arabic. The name "QOR" comes from a technical acronym meaning "Quality of Results."

The colors in my sketch dried quite vivid and strong and didn't lighten with drying. This is one of the main selling features of the Aquazol® binder. I would like to definitely try some more paintings with this sampler in the future.

QOR watercolor sampler

QOR watercolor sampler

Sketching At The War Museum

The Ottawa urban sketchers group has moved indoors for the months of November and December and we are taking advantage of the Ottawa museum's free Thursday evenings.

Tonight we were sketching at Canada's War Museum from 4 to 8 pm. and I managed to do four sketches.

I was completely distracted by the fantastic World War Women exhibit. It showcased how the First and Second World Wars brought enormous changes to Canadian women’s lives. We actually rushed this exhibit to get to the LeBreton gallery where half the group wanted to start sketching.

George A. Reid's painting "Women Operators" was in the womenès exhibit and I got to see it up close!! I had just blogged about George A. Reid recently so this was a lovely surprise! (Link to my George A. Reid post http://moynahanstudio.blogspot.ca/2015/10/george-reid-1860-1947-art-for-lifes-sake.html)

Painting "Women Operators" by George A. Reid 

There were folks sitting and knitting at a big table. We were able to see the knitting patterns, touch replica samples of the finished product and there was space at the table for anyone to try their hand at spool knitting. This was to showcase the "knitting for the war" effort that women participated in with the Red Cross.

"Knitting garments for soldiers, sailors and airmen was one important way for women to contribute to the Second World War. Knitting helped women at home stay connected to those who had gone off to fight — it was a tangible means of being involved.....After the war, the Red Cross estimated that some 750,000 women produced more than 50 million garments. " (Source: War Museum)

Knitting for the War

There were many stories about mothers and the sons they lost. Nellie McClung's son's war diaries were there too .....I never knew this about Nellie McClung! Quite sad.

Nellie's son - Jack McClung

The radio was playing 1940's news and music in this spot. I would have loved to have sat in the other chair and sketched this gentleman while he listened.

The marketing of the war

There was so much more at the World War Women exhibit, but we were there to sketch so we had to cut it off short and head to another gallery.

The LeBreton Gallery

When we made our way to the Lebreton Gallery, I managed to sketch the Harley Davidson, a field ambulance and a Ford half-truck that was acquired by the Royal Canadian Artillery as part of the process of replacing the horse in war.

My first sketch of a Harley Davidson

My final sketch took place in the WW II gallery. There was so much to sketch but I settled down on a very comfy bench across from the grocers ~ épicerie‎ .

My last sketch: Food rationing at the grocers/épicerie‎ during WW II

Some familiar faces showed up tonight to sketch and there were some new faces which is always really great.

The time period 4-8 pm was pretty challenging for most folks because of work schedules. (I was worried about that). Finding some time for eating is an additional challenge but everyone managed okay.

I am looking forward to December's event at the National Art Gallery and hope the group continues to grow!