Sketchbook 15: Vancouver Dreams in Watercolor

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My latest collection explores Vancouver through a dreamer's lens, where reality dances with imagination in ways only watercolor can capture. Each piece tells a story of this city that's become my canvas.

The iconic revolving restaurant stands sentinel in "I Was Here" - a landmark that keeps spinning stories for locals and wanderers alike.

Meanwhile, in a whimsical turn, I've captured a modern fable: a dog smugly informing a cat about their social media dominance, met with classic feline indifference.

Inspired by Vancouver's famously tall women (or as my friend poetically puts it, "forever long"), I've painted an ode to those endless summer romances that seem to stretch from Friday till Tuesday. 

The Pacific's influence shows in "Color Burn and Sea Breeze," where a sea monster strikes a pose on land, probably contemplating its modeling career.

My technique continues to evolve - I've discovered that charcoal can rescue my watercolor mishaps, leading to a delightfully dark goblin study. 

The pub scene captures two contrasting characters: one all sweetness, the other leather-clad attitude.

Being a self-proclaimed "mongoose person" has its challenges with color mixing, illustrated in a piece where a lone mongoose contemplates a gathering of cats and dogs - a metaphor for feeling like an outsider in artist circles, perhaps?

The bridge painting is special - a memory spot where teenage dreams once floated high above the city. 

Vancouver's romance appears again in a piece capturing two lovers embracing the ocean breeze, while my Wreck Beach sketches (four pages worth) explore how the sea absolves us all of our earthly concerns.

Each piece is a fragment of Vancouver's soul, filtered through water, pigment, and memory.

Until next time, keep your brushes wet and your imagination wilder. Share your own watercolor tales:  Instagram | X