More Inspiration Found on my Neighbourhood Walks

I've been faithfully going on my neighbourhood walks and taking my sketch book and pen with me. In early Spring I was documenting the new growth that was happening in yards and gardens. With the warmer weather everything burst forth very quickly and now the trees are fully leafed and the Spring bulbs have bloomed and died. Now a lot of the flowering trees are in bloom and people are planting their gardens full of colour.
I have an art center just up the street from me. It is called the Franklin Carmichael Art Center, named after one of the Group of Seven painters that I so admire. I walked in that direction and entered the yard and behind the original house, there is a smaller building that has been converted into a studio space for art lessons. The City of Toronto maintains the property and has placed benches in the yard. I sat on a bench and sketched the Garden Studio. It was so nice and quiet there and is shaded by many large trees. I enjoyed my sketching session that morning.

I sketched for about an hour and then took the long way home so I actually got some exercise too. Before I left, I snapped a photo of the area so I had the details I needed to paint it. Later in the week I added shadows and paint to the sketch.

I have also noticed that a robin has built a nest under the eaves of our garage and she was sitting on it daily. I did a quick sketch of her in the corner of my book.

Then a week later I walked to a busier area of my neighbourhood and sat on the boulevard in the shade of a tree and sketched the plaza across the street. I live in an area where there is a large south Asian community and this is evidenced on the signs above the shops here.

Later I will add shadows and paint to this sketch as well. It is really interesting to document your neighbourhood in drawings because it helps you to really take in what is around you instead of just driving by oblivious to the richness of the community.