Starting a painting (Growing Up Show 5)

Here's a photo of myself working on painting #5 for the Growing Up show. It features my grandfather after his stroke and heart surgery. While my family gathered to support his efforts to recover, his heart was not in it and he died within a month. This scene was initially created to depict death as a part of growing up but I decided instead to focus on the aspects of family support, frustration and love. The scene depicted is truly appropriate for the gallery space, being in a hospital, where patients can take the time to wander in with their families.

I started this painting with many thumbnail sketches and searched for appropriate references, including searching my own diaries and sketchbooks from the time. I'll continue to photograph the painting in many stages and share the progress here.

Here is a photograph of the finished sketch with a figure started.

I attended a lecture series about creativity & brainstorming yesterday and as soon as I got home I made a brand new spider chart for more ideas for the Growing Up Show. I'll try to share some of the techniques I learned about in the next few blog posts.



See more posts on the Growing Up Show here, here, here, here, here, here & here.

Forensics Project

This is a grade 6 forensics project I worked on with the Royal Alberta Museum in early 2009. The goal is to find the "bad guy" responsible for harming the forest based on witnesses and suspect statements. It's one of the activities you can do during your school visit at the museum.

Cover Image:


Suspects (Tent caterpillar is the "bad guy" - second from the left)
Suspects (Pine beetle is the "bad guy" - far left)
A selection of witnesses:
Wendy Willow

Tom Trembling Aspen

Wilma Woodpecker

Martha Mosquito

Police Car Moth (forget her name - sorry!)

There was also an activity guide for finding and answering questions about animals in the dioramas in the museum. Here are some of the accompanying illustrations:

Sherlock Owl

Museum Trail Map

Here's a map I did last month for the Royal Alberta Museum in it's final version.

This was the first version, with more details (I miss those little lines in the mountains).
The exhibit is called the Wild Alberta Gallery and it's beautiful. I'm so blessed to have been the chosen illustrator for this project. Below is shown the initial sketch with all of the dioramas in their proper place.

Sprinkler Dash (Growing Up Show 4)

I've finished Sprinkler Dash for the Growing Up Show. I will share this show with illustrators Amanda Woodward and Davey Thompson. See progress on the painting by scrolling below and find links to the other 3 paintings there too.

Sprinkler Dash (Growing Up Show)

An earlier look:

Just before posting I snapped a picture - notice my desk with paint brushes, palette and a scrapbook I made in my youth - featuring photos of family pets.

Here's a sneak peak at a painting I'm working on currently called "Sprinkler Dash" (pictured at three different stages). It is the forth painting I'll complete for the Growing Up Show at the McMullen Art Gallery in fall. Featuring my younger sister, myself and family dog Sammy running through a sprinkler together.

I wanted to feature paintings in the Growing Up Show that included blissful childhood moments that not only were never forgotten but were tales lovingly remembered by all who experienced them. Many of the happier moments of my own childhood are because of my loving sister, Michelle.

See more posts on the Growing Up Show here, here, here, here & here.

Forgotten drawings

Here are a few sketches for a math book I worked on over a year ago that I just found today. The client didn't end up finishing the project but may do so at a later date... hope to see these in colour someday!

A New Life (Growing Up Show)

"A New Life" - 2009

I spend my childhood nestled safely in a beautiful log home in the Canadian wilderness on a farm where my family raised cattle. This painting features myself, moving to "the city" to learn illustration. Although I was surrounded by more people and buildings than ever before in my life, I felt alone and like I didn't belong to this new culture. The unnatural buildings were beautiful, cold and flat but also produced this grand allure of a new life and fresh start. While I was excited for the change, there was a fear in me of this new place so great that I could hardly figure out how to take the correct bus home from college my first day.

To see this paintings progress, please visit this link.

Paint Palette Pal

I found this rather friendly creature inhabiting my paint palette yesterday. He was born rather by accident, as many wonderful things are.

Still working on projects for the Royal Alberta Museum (an educational book about Peru, a trail map for their Wild Alberta Gallery and possible talks of a mural) as well as for the Grow Up Show. Finished the city scene but must wait until light to photograph it. I'm really not looking forward to scanning the sucker then tiling it (what work!).