Drawn to Notice

This illustration accompanies my blog post about the importance of accessibility for disabled people in virtual healthcare: Healthcare digital accessibility.

Fixing accessibility can often feel like a never-ending job: patch one hole and another one appears. This sketch illustrates Upcoming book, frustration, and accessibility.

I celebrated Labor Day by drawing a little wishful thinking: being on a tropical island with nothing to do except laze in a hammock.

I made this to illustrate my article about Meta glasses being donated to members of an Irish nonprofit: Disability, Meta glasses, datasets, and MAiD.

I arrived late at this Vancouver Urban Sketching event, but found a spot away from the busy market to sketch the market. I was even behind another urban sketcher.

A colleague announced they were getting married, and work ran a congratulatory virtual card around. I thought I’d do a small illustration rather than use words.

This illustration accompanies a newsletter article about how accessibility can be dropped between a design that can be implemented accessibly and a final product that is not accessible: Accessibility getting dropped in the process.

A friend told me they were drinking from the fire hose of life. I wanted to jokingly remind them not to drown while they did it.

I detoured to Steveston, BC, to get fish and chips for lunch. It was busy. I did this quick sketch while waiting for my food.

I made this for a newsletter article about going overboard with correcting accessibility defects—focusing on the small details while ignoring the big, obvious ones: Overcorrection, podcasting, and running on empty.

I went to workshops at the Urban Sketchers Vancouver workshop weekend on Granville Island. I did the first sketch during one of the workshops, but I wasn’t happy with it. I came back the following day and sketched the bridge again. I’m much happier with the second attempt.

This is a newsletter sketch. I was happy with the nearly steampunk feel of it. It accompanies New podcast, GAAD, and purposeful anger.

I’ve got a small Moleskine “Sketch” sketchbook. Got it years ago. Never used it. I’m using it now - I’ll fill it with random people. Trying to simplify my lines. Get to a point where I’m not unhappy with my people sketches. Here are a few of my early ones.

I’m trying to simplify my lines, practice people sketching. Get to a point where I’m not disatisfied with including people in my sketches.

I spent the morning at Iona Beach looking for birds to photograph. I ended up sketching this view, including a Great Blue Heron’s pile somewhere out in the water.

I spent the afternoon at the George Reifel Bird Sanctuary after a long day out. It was cool, with a mix of sun and cloud. I took my time and enjoyed sketching the barn swallow fort, even though there were no swallows around.

I did this sketch to accompany my newsletter article about the importance of semantics: Semantics, worst enemies, and more.

I went to check out where ospreys had nested in the past and found them again. I had my camera and took a few photos, but I spent more time sketching than anything else.

I was relaxing in the living room when I picked up my sketchbook and drew this little coffee station. It is probably more “from life” than urban sketching.

We often speak about cognitive overload in digital accessibility. But what is it?

In which I compare WCAG, or the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines to different levels of a build of a car.

Spent some time gaming with my wife. Then wrapped up the evening with a sketch

Busied my hands by sketching my father’s Scotch dresser, now mine.

Self-advocacy - it is asking a lot of disabled people. It’s often disheartening and exhausting.

I’ve enjoyed watching the show Highway Thru Hell every once in a while. I saw this big red heavy rescue truck parked near the supermarket. I had a few minutes so I sketched it!

Medical Aid in Dying is a heavy topic. But it’s a topic I’m passionate about.

The time when they locked up the elevator for “exercise week” wasn’t any fun for wheelchair users and parents with kids in strollers…

Monochrome study of a landscape view of the Fraser river.

My father send me a notebook he kept from when I was about 7 years old. Going through that is amusing. But also makes me realize I’m doing, more or less, the same thing, all these years later.

The year is young. And I realized there are two aspects of my sketches that I really need to improve: Values, and Perspective.

Nature morte is a thing as old as art itself! Here’s a bit of a play here.

We’re in the middle of a move. We have boxes everywhere. So many boxes. Boxes coming out of our ears.

To keep my brain busy during a long meeting, I decided to paint a Steller’s Jay, based on one of my own reference photos.

Life got in the way of sketching in a big way for the last couple weeks. But I HAD to sketch last night.

I twiddled my thumbs at the doctor’s office. What better way to pass the time than to sketch?

There are so many areas I want to improve in my sketching practice. One might say “too many”!

Am I an artist? Or am I just some guy doing art stuff? I think perhaps I’m a creative and art is one of my outlets.

Squeezed two small sketches on the same page on my errands yesterday. Happy with those.

Stopped in Medicine Hat on our way across Canada a few years ago. The downtown area is FULL of neat buildings.

One of the media that’s intrigued me is dip pen and ink. Here’s my first semi-serious piece in that media.

In a discussion a couple days ago my father called me art illiterate. I don’t think he’s wrong. But does it really matter?

When is urban sketching, urban sketching? Opinions varry, a lot. Here’s my take. Your mileage may vary!

I’ve been asked for tips and hints on how to get started with sketching. While I’m far from an expert, here are some things I wish I’d known earlier on.

Sketching and drawing are closely related. Lots of people use the terms interchangeably. But there are differences between the two.

This is my “ultra portable” sketching kit that I’ve been using for a couple weeks. Ok, so there’s smaller out there. But this is pretty limited. And darn good so far!

So many people tell me I’m talented. Many people on social media say they aren’t talented. I don’t think it’s about talent though. It’s about skills.

Track inspection car I sketched while waiting for take out. It was right around sunset on a cloudy day, so I was losing light quickly.

This is one of my quick on-location series. The line up at the border crossing was very slow to progress. I had time to leave the car in park and quickly sketch my surroundings. Buildings, cars, etc.

I was listening to the Beyond the Lens podcast. One guest said “Embrace the highlights, protect the shadows”. This is a common saying with photography.

I did this one from a photo I took in Paris, waaaay back in 2010!

This is one of my quick on-location series. I did this one sitting in my car before going grocery shopping!

This is my first “quick on-location” series. That tree got my attention.

An old house I did from a photo I took. And when I say “old”, I mean… Built in 1570

Urban Sketchers Vancouver organized a sketch walk with special guest Felix Scheinberger. I was lucky enough to be able to go, and learn a LOT!

First, and hopefully not last, outing with Urban Sketchers Vancouver. We did a sketch walk that afternoon. I spent about 40 minutes on this sketch, while chatting with other people.

I considered calling this one “Hands are hard”…

Should you put down your ink lines first? Or your color first? There are different thinking about this. I typically put down the ink first, and color later. But I’m exploring the idea of changing!

Crossing Utah, we came across Wilson’s Arch. A huge sandstone arch. Took photos. Sketched it years later!

Trying a new thing - A landscape or “hero” image, with a “cartouche” (a small detail highlighted), and some text/journaling.