In August, 2022, I spent 2 weeks sketching in Italy. I was invited by La Romita School of Art to teach a 10 day immersive observational sketching workshop for a group of international artists. We hopped from one medieval Umbrian town to the next and filled our sketchbooks along the way.
The focus of my workshop was to immerse ourselves in complex environments and to compose attention to a specific area or action within a sketch. Using some cinematic staging techniques, we pulled together people, vehicles, architecture, and light to tell the stories of the spaces we sketched.
I spent a few days prepping and sketching in Rome and the rest of the sketches were all exemplary pieces done live on location for the group.
I can’t wait to go back :)
Sketching in San Francisco was very nostalgic for me. It was ten years prior, back in 2011, that I tried urban sketching for the first time. I had my animation portfolio ripped apart at an LA animation convention by someone who I looked up to and respected very much. Of all the production pulp I had in my portfolio, it was the loose sketches that drew him in and he advised me to focus more on that and less on refined, digital designs. I took Nelson Lowry’s advice, extended my trip and travelled up to San Fransisco, sketching along the way. I was absolutely terrible at it, but I loved it.
Fast forward to February, 2020, where at the end of my two week sketching/skateboarding trip, I found myself in Union Square, teaching an urban sketching workshop to a group of folks who were eager to learn my process. This was the last time I left Canada before the pandemic and I am so grateful to have taken advantage of every minute.
For me, Palestine was all about contrast. Beautiful ancient cities covered in electric wire and Coca Cola ads. The smell of freshly baked bread and simmering family recipes overtaken by cigarettes and diesel exhaust. Kind, generous, and loving people who’ve lived the hardship of military occupation and the ongoing erasure of settler colonialism. I hoped to capture the contrast of Palestinian life in my sketchbook by using a muted, earthy palette to sketch the vibrant people and surrounding architecture.
In October of 2019, I joined a small group of international volunteers in the West Bank to teach skateboarding at an after-school program led by the UK/Palestinian organization SkatePal. Having experienced firsthand how inclusive, empowering, and life-changing skateboarding can be at its best, I wanted to share my experiences both on and off a skateboard with the next generation of Palestinian skaters.
The Carleton Tavern is my winter hideaway. Once a week I meet up with some pals from the animation bizz, enjoy some beers, and sketch.
Detroit is a reminder of how the greed of a few can affect the lives of many. In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, Detroit is a shadow of its former industrious self. The neglect and decay of Detroit’s urban infrastructure has attracted many artists and skaters who use what’s been forgotten by capital in fun and creative ways. Detroit’s vibrantly diverse communities have repurposed abandoned properties into public space, making Detroit a city where skateboarding has made its way back into urban centres after decades of suburban exile. In July 2019, a few of us came out to skate, shoot and sketch.
I put together a small print run of books from this trip with Birling.
I spent the winter of 2019 sketching from scenes I found on my way to work. I started working on recycled paper coffee cups as a way to market the sale of coffee at my skateshop, Birling.
As my collection grew, I decided to make 100 cups my goal for the end of winter and fill an entire wall to share at an exhibit in Ottawa. I called the show “Cold Brew” and shared it at Citizen in early spring.
I love motorcycles. Living in Ottawa means half the year is spent under snowfall, thinking about bikes instead of riding them. Here is a collection of motorcycle sketches, illustrations and doodles.
In August 2018, I packed my bags and headed to Denver. My favourite watercolour artist, Dan Marshall, was hosting a three-day workshop in his hometown and I decided to head out to Colorado two weeks early for a quick art/bike trip through the Rockies before attending the workshop.
I rented a Honda Africa Twin (CRF 1000) from Colorado Motorcycle Adventures in Denver where they sold me a riding map and inspired a general route to follow both on and off the BDR. The bike was a little top heavy at low speeds, especially while off-road, but rearranging gear and a bit of practice took care of that. Colorado was pretty simple to navigate and the roads and trails seemed to be made for bikes. Camp was never difficult to find in the National Forests, which are connected by a network of epic curving roads and off-road mountain passes. I rode 2,500 miles in ten days and stopped nearly every ten minutes to sketch and take photos. The geography of Colorado and Utah is too amazing to get anywhere fast.
I started my sketchbook at the Ottawa Airport and finished it in Denver, sketching about three pages every day. At a few special spots, like the Arches in Utah, I had to stop myself from filling the entire book but most sketches are small snapshots of the places I passed through.
After eleven days and ten nights of camping, motels, off-road mountain passes, curving roads, and endless scenes to sketch, I went back in Denver for art class. I returned the bike, washed my clothes, and spent three days soaking up everything that Dan Marshall had to say. While this trip was significantly more expensive than, say, India, it was an opportunity that might not come up again. But, if I were to do it again, I would ship or ride my own bike down to save some money and try to spend more time with Dan.
Go to Colorado!
This July, we packed our skateboards into our trunks and set out to spend another Canada Day long weekend in grimy American streets and alleys. Trip to Hell is an annual skate trip featuring an entertaining variety of vagabonds convoying from Ottawa to seemingly undesirable American cities to explore and discover what they have to offer. This year, we chose the Erie Canal trading route and hit Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo. The three cities had striking similarities as far as architecture and skate spots go, but it’s how these cities push through decay and industry-loss with arts, culture, and revival of dead neighbourhoods that really set them apart for me. Homemade spots and skateparks under bridges, interesting core skate shops, funky cafes, and new friends made the 95 degree urban skate trip all the more bearable. Stoked for next year!
In April 2018, my girlfriend Claire and I packed our bags and headed to LA for a bit of work and a lot of fun. I was invited to showcase artwork in the 2018 OG Moto Show in downtown LA and when we heard that our friends Skellzo and Mailyne were going to be in Vegas the following week, we decided to make a trip of it.
We rented a set of baggers in San Diego and hit the road. We took the long way to Vegas with stops in Temecula, Joshua Tree, and a few desert towns in the Mojave. Blasting through the blistering desert made me appreciate the comfort and power of the Harley but taking those turns up and down mountain sides had sparks flying off the foot peg/floor boards with little to no effort.
Sketching the desert towns and vistas was a stark contrast to the grit and infilling of downtown LA. The dynamically changing light and distant mountains were challenging to capture quickly with the desert sun drying and baking my paint. Still, the dramatic geography made for an epic ride with no shortage of interesting things to see and experience and we walked away with all limbs intact and a sketchbook full of memories.
I had the pleasure of spending time in Iqaluit in both 2015 and 2016. I went up north with a small group of volunteers to teach the art and culture behind skateboarding as part of Iqaluit's annual Youth Arts Month. Through design, ramp building, photography, and videography, we were able to share our skills with some stoked kids. We also had some time to ourselves in town and on the land. Although challenging in terms of climate, Iqaluit is an epic place to sketch.
If you have the chance, go to Newfoundland!
In the summer of 2016, Drew Mosley, Andrew Szeto, and I packed our KLR 650s with parts, tools, and gear and set out to the Canadian East Coast to do a little more than just sightseeing. Our plan was to take a few weeks off work and bring our mutual crafts with us on a ride across Newfoundland. I would sketch, Szeto would film, and Drew would paint. It was a pleasure riding with other artists who were patient as everyone captured experiences in their own way. We went through a whole range of bike breakdowns, problem-solved in all sorts of conditions, lost a camera and two lenses to the elements, but rode away in-tact and with a pile of memories.
In March 2014, I rode a Royal Enfield Bullet 500 across India. My friend Mark and I landed in Chennai on the East Coast thinking that bikes would be easy to rent or buy because Royal Enfields are manufactured there. To no surprise, we were pretty naïve. Instead we found out that India has a painfully bureaucratic system for foreigners who want to (legally) buy used bikes. We took our troubles on a bus to Mysore, where a friend with some better connections was living while on a Yoga retreat. Deciding to play dumb and roll the dice with the law, we connected with some folks and got ourselves some bikes!
I rented a Bullet 500 and Mark bought a sketchy Yamaha "Enticer" 125 or 150cc cruiser off some dude in the Mandi Market. With plans to sell Mark's Enticer back to someone before heading back to Canada, we were curious to see who would end up spending the least amount of money by the end of the trip. Mark blew his little engine on the first stretch of the trip. We dropped the bike off for repairs and pretty much double rode my Enfield for most of the journey to the west coast. Although Mark had a better story, I ended up spending less in the end since his engine blew up (again) on the way back from the repair shop.
What drew me to India was the imagery: the clustered chaos of advertisements, power cables, markets, buildings, crowds, and ancient structures that make up the urban landscape. It was a remarkable place to sketch and taught me the value of keeping my sketches loose, drawing more, caring less, and collecting experiences instead of trying to create fewer more polished images. Most importantly, I learned how to get used to crowds interested in a guy sketching in public.
Hope you enjoy these sketches—you can also buy a print of a piece that came out of this experience.
Istanbul holds a very special place in my heart. This was the first time I travelled somewhere strictly to sketch. In April 2014, I was alone for two weeks, wandering the narrow alleys, admiring the spires of the ancient mosques, and indulging Turkish coffee in the Grand Bazaar. Looking at these photos, I'm sure it's easy to understand why an artist interested in sketching architecture would be drawn to Istanbul.
Since I didn't have to worry about anyone getting bored waiting for me to draw, I was able to relax. I filled many pages of my sketchbook and wandered around at my own pace. I only wish my sketching had been faster and better so that I could have captured more. A different shade of green paint for foliage would also have helped...
These sketches were done during a skateboarding road trip in May 2014. While I was sketching in Istanbul, some friends from Canada invited me to join them on a trip from Poland, through Slovakia, Hungary, and into the Czech Republic. Sketching European cities is a blast. There's so much to take in. I feel like this was when my sketching "style" really started to take shape and I was developing some speed and confidence, drawing loose, and exaggerating proportions. The skateboarding in Warsaw and Budapest was by far the best of the trip and highly recommended.
Indirectly, Vietnam was the reason I got into motorcycles. I had always wanted to travel around Asia and knew from doing some research that bikes and scooters were the way to get around. I got my license here in Canada and within a year, I booked a month-long trip across Vietnam with a few pals.
In February 2012, we arrived in Hanoi, North Vietnam. Our plan was to find and buy some used bikes, ride them cross-country down to Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon), and sell them back to anyone interested. We found a few old Belarusian Minsk 125cc two-strokes and off we went.
This was my first time in Asia AND my first time riding cross-country and trying to sketch. My sketchbook was mostly used to communicate with locals but I got a good sense of what sketching on the road is like. One of the most unforgettable moments of my life was reaching the floating markets and islands of Ha Long Bay after a 14-hour hellride from Hanoi.
In the winter of 2014, I went back to South East Asia with a few friends hoping to recreate our ride across Vietnam two years earlier. The plan was to arrive in Northern Thailand, buy used bikes and ride south, where we would sell our bikes, fly to Kuala Lumpur, ride a train to Singapore, and finally stay in Indonesia for a month. Having done very little research (once again), we were surprised to find that bikes had almost completely been replaced by scooters and renting motorcycles was way too expensive. We rented some little scooters and ripped cross-country and off-road. Cornering was a little underwhelming and shameful, especially considering that Chang Mai has one of the best riding roads in the world and the most hair pin turns per mile, but spending less on bikes meant travelling longer and farther...
Sketching was a little difficult on this trip, since we were trying to put as many miles behind us as we could and I spent most of my time in Indonesia surfing and skateboarding. Still, I managed to fly out with a sketchbook full of memories and a contact list full of new friends.
