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

Daily Sketch: The Silver Rose

I love this little building at 196 O'Connor and I have been itching to sketch it in my art journal. It is always polished and beautiful every time I walk past but at Christmas time it is most lovely.

The house is now a flower shop called The Silver Rose http://www.thesilverrose.com/about.htm

The history on the door says Jon B. Lewis built this house in 1873.

By 1996, the house had only changed owners three times in 120 years!! When florist Gerald R. Arial purchased it, it was in serious disrepair and he chose to lovingly restore it back to life maintaining its original victorian charm. He completed his work in 2007. What a beauty it is!

Initial sketch

I sketched the house in graphite first and then I used watercolour (6 colours: Winsor red (PR 254) and Winsor blue, Winsor lemon (PY175), DS burgundy yellow ochre, (PY43) Payne's Gray and Viridian Green (PG 7)), ink and a white gel pen.

My initial sketch included the large side gate, but I cropped it out (above) because I am not sure it helps the sketch? Here it is in full below.

Final sketch

Daily Sketch: Maple Almond Butter Cookies

The last part of November and the first week of December were busy with medical appointments and Christmas preparations. I still try to squeeze in some time each and every day to sketch.

Below is my #DailySketch of the ingredients for a new cookie recipe that I was trying. In between batches I sketched the ingredients on the kitchen counter. FYI - these cookies are delicious!

The Ingredients

The Cookie!

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!

Sketching at the Royal Winter Fair

On November 12th, 2015 I sketched at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair (RAWF) in Toronto. It was a blissful day!

My Sketch of the Royal Champion Pig
(Art journal: watercolour and ink)

"Ninety-five years ago, a cattle farmer from Brooklin, Ont., had an idea to establish the first national agricultural exhibition, showcasing the best in Canadian farming and livestock". (Source: CBC It's More Than Just Animals)

On Nov. 22, 1922, the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair opened for the first time and remains the premier agricultural fair in Canada.  

"Back in 1922 when the Royal started, rail cars came from both sides of Canada into this very place to show cattle against one another. It was a unifying factor back in the 1920s," said Peter Hohenadel, the fair's director of agriculture and food.  (Source: CBC It's More Than Just Animals)

Memories

The last time I attended the Royal Winter Fair was over twenty years ago when my children were toddlers and we had a chance to say goodbye to Ian Millar's Big Ben on his 1994 Retirement tour.

The last time I attended the Royal Winter Fair was 1994
Big Ben's Retirement Tour: A picture of me holding my daughter Meagan with Big Ben

(Note on full circle moment of sorts: I was able to see Ian Millar again on this visit. I witnessed his horse having a bad refusal in the show jumping ring and then I watched Ian working things out in the practice ring later)

I grew up attending the Royal Winter Fair. As a student in the GTA/Mississauga areas, we attended the RAWF every year with our schools to learn about agriculture; as an art student, we went to spend the day sketching.

The Royal Winter Fair still forms part of the official curriculum for a number of high schools and art schools in Ontario.

Toronto District School Board - Rosedale Heights School of the Arts

It's no surprise that sketching at the RAWF is part of Sheridan's animation course curriculum (Source: Sheridan course outlines). A lot of the links at the bottom of this page take you to blogs and tumblrs of animation student's sketches at the RAWF.

Following my school years, I continued to attend the RAWF because of my life-long passion for horses (and all things equestrian) and my love of sketching.

The RAWF is the largest agricultural fair in the world and it takes place in the heart of a major metropolis!! Such a wonderful place for artists!

On the day that I was there, there were folks sketching everywhere!  It was wonderful!


A Great Place for Artists

Some results from googling "sketching at the Royal Winter Fair"

This year, over five thousand animals were housed over ten days in the Coliseum buildings of the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto, Ontario.

I spent seven hours at the RAWF sketching and I barely covered it all. Due to my last minute scheduling of this quick trip, I missed the chickens and geese, the beef cows, the goats and the rabbits (see below)........I could have easily gone for another day and I will plan better for next year!

What I saw:

• over 800 Dairy cows in the barns (from Tuesday, Nov. 10th to Sunday, Nov. 15th)
• over 450 sheep in the barns (from Tuesday, Nov. 10th to Sunday, Nov. 15th)
• 1300 horses and ponies in the horse palace competing in Royal Horse Shows

What I missed seeing:

• over 600 beef cows into the barns from Friday, Nov. 6th to Monday, Nov. 9th.
• over 250 goats, both dairy and meat, into the barns for Saturday Nov. 7th and Sunday Nov. 8th
• over 600 rabbits and cavies to the Scotiabank Ring of Excellence on Sunday Nov. 15th
• over 800 chickens, geese, turkeys, pigeons and many more to the Scotiabank Ring of Excellence for Tuesday Nov. 10th and Wednesday Nov. 11th only!

No Poultry, Waterfowl and Pigeon For Me

Source: Globe and Mail 2012
Jungho Chan,a first-year animation student Sheridan College does some sketching in the poultry, waterfowl and pigeon display at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto on Nov 7, 2012. The fair celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2012

I was quite sad to have missed the poultry, waterfowl and pigeon. It was one of the areas that I was most excited to sketch this year. The Royal welcomed over 800 chickens, geese, turkeys, pigeons and many more, but they had been restricted to two days only (Nov 10 & 11) at the Royal Winter Fair and I had missed them by one day. I wondered  whether the Royal Winter Fair and other large shows are cutting poultry exhibitions from their roster for the year due to concerns over avian influenza contamination?

Some of My Sketches

Here are a few of my sketches that I did on site at the Royal Winter Fair on November 12, 2015. 

I took lots of photos as well and plan to use them as references for future sketches that I will blog about in a separate post.

My first cow sketch of the day
I could have spent the entire day sketching cows. I love them so much!

These two watched me the entire time that I was sketching.
It was awesome.

Tequila and Cheerio - these two beautiful Holsteins stared at each other the whole time that I sketched them
I didn't know it at the time - but these two are prize-winning Holsteins!
http://www.holsteinworld.com/aa/classpage.php?contest=1&class=5

"Bud" the Belgian - one of the first horses that I sketched
Bud preferred to eat his hay rather than pose for me despite my many attention-seeking noises

I watched the Junior Jumper #113 on November 12
I sketched the Ricoh Coliseum while I watched

Couldn't resist sketching the sweet sheep with hoods on!
(The hoods are put on to keep them clean in between showings.)

Links

• Royal Winter Fair features giant, possibly record-setting veggies
• Royal Winter Fair, A Great Place To Draw Animals & People!
• Daphne Chen Tumblr with RAWF sketches
• Shannon Reynolds: Drawing at the Royal Winter Fair 2012
• Shannon Reynolds: Drawing at the Royal Winter Fair 2009
• Krista Marie Porter Royal Winter Fair Sketches 2013
• The Firehouse Stomp- Royal Winter Fair Sketches 2005
• Big Ben and Ian Millar
• Airin Budiman's sketches of the Royal 2014
• H.Werner Zimmermann RAWF 2009
• In November 1922, Toronto held the first annual Royal Agricultural Winter Fair as a tribute to Canadian agriculture.

If you have never been to the RAWF, here are some videos to give you a visual "taste" of all there is to see.

I'll definitely be going again in 2016 and next time, I will make sure that I am there when the chickens, geese, turkeys, pigeons are!!!

Royal Agricultural Winter Fair: 2011 Preview

Royal Agricultural Winter Fair: 2014 Preview

Royal Agricultural Winter Fair: 2015 Preview

Daily Sketch

On my daily walks with my yellow labrador retriever Lexie, we pass by a LOT of windows where pets are staring out at the passersbys on the sidewalk, but there is no sadder face in Centretown than this beautiful Burmese mountain dog who watches us walk by most mornings. I had to snap a quick photo and sketch it over morning coffee.

"Behind Bars"
My art journal - ink and watercolour

Sketching Mellos - Part II

Below is a photo of my art journal with some sketches that I did at at our "Sketching Mellos" event earlier this week.

My art journal
Urban sketches of Mellos restaurant, Dalhousie, Ottawa

I finally got around to scanning and here are my two favourite sketches from the day.

"Mellos Restaurant" (watercolour and ink)
by Cindi Moynahan-Foreman

"Mellos on Dalhousie" (ink and graphite wash)
by Cindi Moynahan-Foreman

I really enjoyed this sketch outing and I am hoping for a positive outcome for Mellos restaurant and the great workers there.

Daily Sketch

Another One Bites The Dust on Nepean St.
Close-up of two-page sketch (see below)

My tweet

My tweet today (above) about a building located in Centretown and record temperatures for Ottawa ( warmest November day since 1971!) resulted in a quick one-hour sketch session with artist Colin White on the Nepean St. sidewalks.

Recently boarded up, this Nepean St building will soon be demolished along with several others on the same block.

When you get a 21.2℃ day in Ottawa in November you have to seize the day "carpe diem" - even if only for an hour!

One hour urban sketch "Another One Bites The Dust - Nepean St."
Art journal two-page sketch (watercolour and ink)