Friday afternoons are sketching class – the best day of the week.
Each week we go to a different location, a park somewhere close by, in the ‘hood, and set up to draw whatever presents itself.
This week was the Scarborough Bluffs.
Such an amazing place – I’d never been this far east and south before, and wow, what a fascinating, strange place, almost like being at the ocean with the strong winds, the sound of waves on the beach, the gulls and kingfishers diving for fish –
A place to come back to when the sun is low on the horizon and the skies glow orange and magenta.
But it was interesting too how harsh and desolate the cliff faces looked in the bright afternoon light, the ravages of time and water on the shapes of the rocks –
My drawing companions tease me that no matter what I draw – a rock, a tree, an animal – it ends up looking vaguely like the human figure.
A drawing of a cliff face also seems to hold a variety of human faces, snouts and orifices –
Another rock drawing suggest reclining figures, hairy crevices and the folds of flesh –
A drawing of tree hints at perhaps a headless torso, arms, a belly-button –
Another tree could be an underarm, or a knee –
That is my hand, my mark, apparently.
Out in the sun and wind, facing these cliffs, blown away by the sheer force of the place, it’s hard to even put pencil to paper, the desire to simply soak in the splendour of the day is so overpowering.
Yes, this too is Toronto…
Weekly Photo Challenge – Broken
Broken Rock Face
follow your nose 
I was trying to figue out what kind of rock that is. Did anyboy say?
Hi Terron. Something was said about sand formations. And hoodoos. I looked up hoodoos and saw only a reference to those out in the Alberta badlands, but apparently the 2 peaks in my first drawing there are also hoodoos – strange formations coming out of an arid land.
Thanks for sharing your drawings. It’s nice to have a trademark. The rock faces are delightful 🙂
There is something to be said for having a recognizable hand, isn’t there?
Thanks so much for your comment 🙂
I’m suprised to see there is a Scarborough in Toronto also – my home in Australia is also Scarborough, by the beach!
Is there one in England? Maybe they brought it with them when they were colonizing?
So good to be close to a beach… 🙂
The slight semblance to the human figure is subtly disturbing; I can appreciate a beautiful landscape of flesh and body parts stretched across rocks and trees
It is just a wee bit creepy, isn’t it?
Alas, I can’t help myself…
Beautiful drawings!
I look at the picture of the rock face and think, yeah, I could climb that.
You climb as well as surf?
Such an all-rounded guy, Guap…
The first one reminds me of Miyazaki animes, it looks like it’s about to walk off the page.
Mmmmm, how intriguing – I will have to look that up!
Stark beauty with the impressions of eons of time, geological time, moving, grinding, layering, sculpting space into forms… Beautiful shots bring it home Kat.
The narrative switches from the infinite to the personal. But the sketches go deeper, to the innerself, to the eye of the heart apprehending the world, giving the onlooker a privileged seat from which to see what you, the artist, is seeing, both consciously and unconsciously(but I saw the outline of a horse’s head as clearly as my hand in one of your sketches!).
You will love the dancers’ limbs in the parasol pines, the bodies and faces in the plane trees, the silly faces and wee dragons of stubborn growths, and of course, the Med’s carvings in the calanques… Can’t wait to show you. 🙂
Oh I see it! I see the horse, now that you mention it – of course!!
You bring true poetry to describe the sculpting of the rocks over time – lovely words.
This week I made my first sale of some photos. The beginning of an unimaginable abundance that will carry me across the pond to you… 🙂
There you go! That’s the spirit!
Good things waiting n’est ce pas?
Hugs
Beautiful hand
Thanks Chris
I believe the original Scarborough is a place in Yorkshire. It seems to be the universal custom of immigrants to name place where they go after places they comme from. There is a song “Scarborough Fair”.
Oh of course! I know that song…
Terron, your knowledge of the old world, the old country, is a treasure.
Nice sketches! I also like the interpretation of human bodies. The reclining figure reminds me of my previous post on Jeff Koons’ work. Thanks for visiting my blog and follow.
I loved your sketches, it’s always great to live near places that can inspire you so much. For me, it is the beaches around that make me relax. But I prefer to sketch people, because I like the dynamics. Your work is amazing, slight resemblance of bodies is appreciated.
BC beaches! Can’t go wrong there… one of the most beautiful places in the world, BC 🙂
Like it!
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Wow. You really do make your drawings come alive. Beautiful work of capturing nature onto the page.
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Now that is my kind of place Katalina and I have to say it certainly is inspiring for sketching and painting.
It is definitely your kind of place James, although I’m not sure there’d be the dramatic waves and spray we see in your photos. Still I think I should go back for either early morning or sunset….
Beautiful drawings, photos and essay. Thank you!
Brilliant photography and beautiful sketches reveal your awesome talent.
Thanks for the share.
Such a beautiful place to set up and sketch.. I can see why you look forward to Sketching Class…. And smiled as you described your human trees.. To me they all have personality 😀 Thank you for sharing your day and sketches.. Lovely photo shots.. Hugs Sue xx
Oh, thanks so much for the visit, Sue 🙂
xxx K
Gorgeous.