I delivered my artwork to the SHOP at Museum London for a show entitled "Within Walking Distance". All artworks relates to where I live, work, and play. All are within walking distance from where I have lived since the mid-80s. There are 18 framed and 13 matted pieces. A few samples are below.
I will be one of a few artists for a "Meet the Artists" opening in the SHOP on: Sunday, September 22 from 1pm to 4pm
This special event is held in conjunction with Doors Open.​

An art challenge for August. It was created to celebrate dogs: the best friends of humans, four-legged family members, guides, and guardians, who have an important place in our society. This is my first year for this challenge.  It's a great fit for me since I love dogs and drawing dogs. 

Update: Sketching and drawing every day is no problem. But posting on social every day feels completely exhausting! This is why, after 8 days, I changed to posting once every 4 days.

Update: I am totally enjoying the challenge. Tried new things, experimented, revisited old ideas. Most of my source photos have been of our dogs. So many memories of our dogs who have crossed the rainbow bridge.

Conclusion:  Happy to have taken part in this challenge. It was more work than I thought it would be. But I have some ideas for future drawings. What I liked the most was the continuous line drawings and scribble drawings. So fun and free to execute!

​Sometimes things just take time… a lot of time! Started January of 2020. Ended Summer of 2024. Four and a half years ago, I responded to a call to artist from LAC about a designing a medal for the Ontario Summer Games to be held in London ON.  I had never designed a medal before. I started with taking a walk by the river for some contemplation. 
Next up, was some research on medal designs through out the years. What did we do before the internet? The reading and observing other designs gives a bit of context and more confidence in what I think I can do and what I want to do.
Next up, sketch out some designs in my sketchbook.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/meet-the-londoners-behind-the-2024-ontario-summer-games-medal-design-1.7253629 ​

Sometimes you just need to change things up!
I usually create art that is detailed and realistic. I believe drawing skills are critical. And I think it's not until you can draw realistically that you can leap to stylized and abstracted works… in my little brain anyway. So here we go...
I started with some very quick sketches (mere minutes) completed on the golf course. Too little time for details. A few pencil lines. Some simple shapes. Maybe a micron pen. Maybe add some tone. Later at home, I had fun creating these colourful, stylized pieces of art. Each is approximately 4 inches by 4 inches. Inspired by a logo I worked on a few months back, where the client wanted an old feel - like a woodcut. 

This juried exhibition showcases original two-dimensional works of art that celebrate the artist behind the work, what the artist saw and created, "in their view", real or imagined. This means anything goes.  

So pleased that these two artworks were juried into to show:
"Looking at the Four Story Walkup" (ink, WC, cotton thread) 9 1/4" x 9" c2024
and
​"The Upper Two Floors" (ink, WC, cotton thread) 13 1/2" x 8 3/4" c2024

Urban Sketchers is a worldwide organization. They are in over 70 countries and in over 450 cities. Having chapters worldwide means when you visit another city, you can check and see if there is a chapter there, and if so, potentially meet up with them. This usually takes you to a location you may not go to. Last year we visited Cincinnati and I met up with the Cincinnati Urban Sketchers and sketched with them. This week, while in Cincinnati I was able to meet up with them again, this time at the Cincinnati Zoo.
It was a beautiful day and it was so busy at the zoo, but I did manage a couple of very quick sketches.
That chapter has a very active membership (usually 4 meetup per month) and a stamp, well more than one stamp actually. Our Urban Sketchers, London ON chapter does not have a stamp... but we need one!

On  February 17, 2024, Urban Sketchers London met at The Market at Western Fair District for the 2nd sketch outing of 2024. Not only was this a great place to sketch, but host Jane Roy from "The Paint Box"  (which puts a spotlight on various aspects of the vibrant visual art community in the City of London)  joined us to film and interview the sketchers.

Here is the link to view the show:   The Paint Box - London (rogerstv.com)

The beauty of traditional pen and ink is in the power of simple lines. It's a simple process, using simple tools on a piece of paper. 
The downside... permanent ink is well, permanent. Sometimes you can correct a mistake, but sometimes it's impossible to correct it!
These sketches are drawn from photos, the reasons being:

1. These buildings are gone - some burned down, some torn down (in the name of progress), some demolished (demolition by neglect). But they are not forgotten. So many memories for so many people in these buildings.
2. It's cold in Ontario, Canada in January and I was working on these on a couple of cold days, with daytime temperatures  -12°C and feels like -20°C (translates to 10.4°F and feels like -4°F)

Micron 03 and 01 pens, white and black charcoal pencils, on grey 5 x 7 inch Stonehenge paper. I like the edges of the paper, so I plan to float mount these pieces. they will be for the "Within Walking Distance" show, with more details to come...