The Field

Red Onions

Farmers markets are wonderful places to be and the Pike Place Market in Seattle is one of my favourites. These wonderfully coloured red onions with roots intact were already perfectly arranged for a photograph.

Wayside Plants-Chicory

Wayside plants are some of my favourites. They are sturdy little things, growing and thriving in less than ideal conditions.This is a graphite study of chicory from my sketchbook.

A Bag of Peppers

While on an early morning walk I noticed this large bag of mixed peppers sitting at the entrance to a closed restaurant. They appeared to be waiting for chef to arrive and would be part of the Plat du Jour (It was a French Restaurant ).

Down the Lane

As I have rambled down lanes over the years I have photographed whatever I find of interest. Some of these images are old slides, taken with an slr, which have been scanned and made into what I refer to as blogready. Although, even with modern technology, they still possess a roughness which I like. Twenty years ago I was trying to figure out f-stops, focussing and exposures. Now that I use a digital camera documenting the world that I see is much easier, fun too.

MIllet

When I drew this plant I didn't know what it was. I thought it had a vague corn-like appearance. I liked the form and colour and that was enough reason for me to draw it. Last Saturday, at the local farmers market, I saw the same plant for sale...it's millet.

Trees and Fences

What a Wisp

This wisp is a little bit more of a wisp than I usually draw,
maybe I was just carried away with the wispiness of it all.

Lanes and Alleys

I began to enjoy lanes and alleys when, at the age of seventeen, I moved from the suburbs to a city. Lanes and alleys are honest and straightforward, not much pretention down a lane. Plants which are not deemed worthy of a garden are allowed to grow freely and unhindered in lanes. Vines run wild and engulf walls, fences are often sympathetically built to accomodate existing trees, weeds and garden escapees flourish. Given the choice I will always walk down a lane. You never know what you might find.

Camas

The fields, meadows and waysides on Vancouver Island are coloured a beautiful blue-violet each May with a profusion of Camas, a native plant in western North America. Known as Quamash by the tribes of the Pacific Northwest the bulbs were roasted or boiled to be used as a food source.