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

"Forgotten Spaces" at Chinatown Remixed!

The summer 2015 Ottawa Alley Project has ended and I miss it already. 

Artist/illustrator Colin White conceptualized the Ottawa "Alley Project" after leading an Ottawa Jane's Walk called "Illustrating Change on Bank St." with Liam Mooney.

Throughout the summer, a group of artists, illustrators and urban sketchers explored and sketched many of the alleyways in Ottawa. This has culminated in a show on Saturday September 19, 2015 as part of Chinatown Remixed on Somerset Street West entitled "Forgotten Spaces"

Here are some photographs from the show "Forgotten Spaces" that was held appropriately in Ottawa's Chinatown in a small alley between Monopolatte and the Spa building during the annual Chinatown Remixed. (#9 on the map)

Wheatpasting art for Chinatown Remixed "Forgotten Spaces" venue

"Forgotten Spaces"

Folks enjoying the sketches

Colin White - "Forgotten Spaces" creator

I have been blessed to meet the following amazing Ottawa artists (and many others) this past summer while working on this project:

The Artists

• Marc Adornato http://www.adornato.com/home.php
• Emma Cochrane http://emmacochrane.ca/
• Kristina Corre http://goodthingsottawa.ca/
• Cindi Foreman http://moynahanstudio.blogspot.ca/
• Stephen Frew https://stephenfrew.wordpress.com/
• Beccy Murphy https://www.behance.net/BeccyM
• Anthony Parravano http://www.anthonyparravano.ca/
• Chris Roussakis http://www.roussakisphotography.com/
• Mawt Trood https://www.flickr.com/photos/trude_514/albums
• Colin White http://www.colinwhite.ca/

Special edition Chinatown Remixed Phoenix
by artist Kristina Corre of goodthingsottawa. 

Best Instagram (screencapture) from @colinwhite

Christening a New Art Journal in Ottawa's Chinatown:

I finished my third Strathmore Mixed Media 500 Series softcover art journal since discovering it in May 2014. It has been wonderful to work with for all the reasons I have written about on my blog before (see my blog posts tagged "Strathmore" here)

I christened my new  hardcover Mixed Media 500 Series at our urban sketching meet up (Week 4) organized by artist Colin White in Ottawa's Chinatown alleyways last night.

Mawt Trood's Tweet

Chinatown is such a great place to visit and sketch! The alleys are full of activity and so interesting to sketch. I would gladly go back again.

My new art journal did not disappoint me.

New art journal christening in the alleys
of Ottawa's Chinatown

I chose the hardcover version of this 100% cotton mixed media journal after watching a great video posted by Parka blogs  "Tips on choosing a sketchbook for drawing, journaling or watercolour". (Follow Parka blog on twitter and/or subscribe to his email updates here)

Parka blogs writes: Paperback or hardcover

"I highly recommend getting hardcover over paperback. The hard back provides support when you're drawing. Hardcovers are good for indoor and outdoor use. You can stand and draw with a hardcover sketchbook easily compared to a paperback. When you're drawing or painting on a paperback, especially when the sketchbook is not laid against a hard surface like a table, your applied stroke will push the pages away, and it can get challenging to control your lines when the drawing surface is always moving away."

Here is my last art journal, Strathmore #3, now labelled and on the shelf. (I have also added videos of the previous two journals Strathmore #1 and Strathmore #2)

July 2015 -  Strathmore #3 

 

January 2015 - Strathmore #2 

   

 July 2014 - Strathmore #1

I am quite excited about this new hard cover Strathmore art journal and some of the new projects that it will record over the rest of this summer!

Some of My 

Pre-Strathmore Series 500 Mixed Media Art Journals

My 2008-2013 Art Journals