Culture Days / Doors Open

Next weekend, September 27 & 28, 2014 is Doors Open London.  London is one of the oldest host cities in Ontario. Combined with Culture Days, this year’s event is themed on “I love culture”.

Kym Wolfe and I will be at Doors Open Site: Attic Books to talk about the process of creating a book from inception to print, including the collaborative process, tips for self-publishing, and how they marketed/promoted our book 'Barhopping into History: London, Ontario'. Q & A starting at12noon and 2pm.

Attic Books, 240 Dundas Street

SS31 Then and Now

SS31 Then and Now, Talbot and Dundas, London

I have lived in London for approx 30 years and seen many changes over the years. This is the corner of Talbot and Dundas Street, with memories of listening to blues music at the Firehall, socializing at Mingles and more recently watching hockey at the John Labatt Centre. This drawing goes back further in history with the historical City Hotel “THEN” combined with the new John Labatt Centre “NOW”.

From London Public Library Archives: This building was originally constructed as the Hope Hotel in the 1840s by William Balkwill. It burnt down in January 1865 and was reopened in September 1865 as the City Hotel. It was renamed the Belvedere in 1871 and later the Talbot Inn. The building was demolished in 2001 and its facade was recreated on the John Labatt Centre which opened on the site in 2002.

Reference of City Hotel from London Public Library Image Gallery, James Egan Collection - Public domain: Copyright has expired according to Canadian law. No restrictions on use.

Streetscapes: 50 in 50

This series of Streetscapes: 50 in 50, is a yearlong project in honour of turning 50 in May 2011. This fascination with architecture started in 2007 with an art trip to France and a plein air drawing of a Limoux, France streetscape. The first drawing was drawn one building at a time, after completing a section, I would move down the street and draw the next section and so on, completing a front elevation style streetscape. After coming back, I started to take more notice of the architecture here in London. I had to travel half way around the world to appreciate what was right here at home.

The idea or inspiration for doing this series of Streetscapes: 50 in 50, came from Kym Wolfe, a friend from London Talbot Toastmasters. When Kym turned 50, she did 50 things she had never done before. This is my twist of Kym’s venture.

The drawings are a combination of ink, graphite and watercolour. Image size ranges from miniature to 8” x 13”. Streetscape locations include: Huron County towns, Italy but the majority of the 50 are downtown London.

So for the next 50 days, I will post one per day…. A virtual exhibit ‘Streetscapes: 50 in 50’

SS05 Dundas Street, London

Another streetscape of downtown London, Ontario.

What says history and London more than Kingsmill's. This family run business was established in 1865 by Thomas Frazer Kingsmill, an Irish immigrant. The Kingsmill family continues to offer fine products and services from this art deco style building in downtown London. Keep walking down Dundas Street and you find - The Met, which dates to 1890, currently an artisans weekend market. This location was Canadian head office for Metropolitan Department Stores, and also a Bargain Harold’s, Saan and Red Apple.

SS05 Dundas Street, London, ON

Robinson Hall

Sketching last thursday night with my friend Kym, downtown London by Robinson Hall, in front of the Covent Garden Market. Was a little cool, so we only sketched for a short time, before going for coffee. A quick reference ink sketch for the series of streetscapes that I am working on. This may have been a bank originally, but I'm not sure?