A Winter Saturday

...which basically means I didn't do much. I did get to class and learn a lot but then I came home and tried to work (really, I tried) but sleepiness won out and a nap was called for. This evening I curled up with a photo magazine and then got inspired to do a black-and-white of a photo I took from yesterday's beach outing. I also colorized it to bring out the iciness of the situation (like you couldn't tell it was cold).

Tomorrow I work!

Learning

Well that only took 3 hours! Thanks to a very special person I had to figure out how to view a new RAW format. That seemed easy at first but then Bridge didn't want to recognize it. I won't bore you with the tech-y details.

Anyway, this was the first real test of my camera and I decided to go to a new "beach" down by Lake Ontario. It's called Sugar Beach because of the Redpath sugar refinery across from it. Very nice spot even on a fall day. It was warmer there than anywhere else today even though I was right down by the lake. The sun on the white chairs was lovely. I should have taken a moment to sit in it but I was on the move. I'll write more about this spot in a new blog. That's coming soon!

I did try out the panorama function of the camera and it is so easy and such a neat feature. No fussing in Photoshop stitching images together! The result is above.

February 8 - Danforth project

Here's a quick sketch of one of the pieces I'm working on for the Danforth Art Walk in April in Toronto. I'm basing my watercolours on archival photos of the area of the Danforth between Greenwood and Woodbine. This was Danforth Radio. Of course most, if not all, of the photos that I'm digging up are black and white so I'm having to use artistic license with the colours. I also have to work bigger than I normally do to do a better job of the text (so you can identify the place). I'm going to the actual archives tomorrow to get more images.

Wish me luck.

December 9, 2009 - Distillery District

Another Distillery district image and more playing with my watercolour pencils. They are very handy for doing a quick sketch and I love the magic of adding water and watching your image change.

December 9, 2009 - Green chair, Distillery District

I've been trying to make use of the photos I took while on a week-long photography workshop especially as I have managed to track them all down now (Aperture didn't want to give up some of the photos that it placed in a hidden folder). This quick sketch is from a photo of a chair I took while at the Distillery District, a former Whisky making site now full of shops, restaurants, galleries and studios. During the week it is a bit quiet so taking pictures that sunny Wednesday was a treat. I like to think about that time and the feeling I had at the end of my work at the museum and starting something new with the first week having the treat of being able to take pictures for half a day and play with them on macs half the rest. It was also the real beginning of good weather and since it has rained all day after a snowstorm last night, it's nice to think about that time.

November 29, 2009 (again!) - Kensington Market

So it was worth tracking those Kensington market photos down. Here's a painting based on one of those images.

I loved that week-long course. I need to plan half a day to shooting a neighbourhood or place in Toronto like we did everyday that week. I enjoyed it so much.

November 29, 2009 (again!) - Toronto

See I said I would do it if I found my photos. Well it was touch and go there for a while. I had to use finder and run a search which takes a long time. I was already consoling myself with the fact that my first day of class's photos taken in Kensington market were gone but I had the others. However, finder found them and I transfered them to a proper file.

Now this image isn't based on Day 1's class. This was day 4 at the western end of the beaches. I liked the colours that this committed walker was sporting. Just a quick sketch but it's done.