I just got back from two glorious weeks in the Maritimes. I still have a lot of color finishing to do on my trip sketches, and somehow it’s still four hours later in my brain—so for now, here are just a couple of drawings to give you a taste.
The tiny fishing village of Peggys Cove (oddly, there’s no apostrophe in the “official” spelling) is a place I’d been wanting to see for many years—and thanks to the perfect weather on the day I spent there, it became one of the highlights of my trip. I’m told the place is one of the most-photographed places in Canada—and it’s not hard to see why. As I heard a tourist from Texas exclaim behind me, “Everywhere you look there’s a picture!”
Boy, howdy, is there ever. I sketched, and sketched, and sketched for hours—even in a steady, icy, screaming wind (the reason I couldn’t do any actual painting on site). Every time I finished a scene and started to walk on, I’d get about three steps before finding another vantage point I just had to sketch. I ended up filling fifteen page spreads that day with my pen scratches—so you can bet you’ll be seeing a lot more of Peggys Cove before too long.
Yes, Peggys Cove is indeed a memorable spot. The last time I was there was in 1976 but it sure made an impression on me. Driving there it felt like I was on the moon – the landscape was all big grey rock and little else. Then when you visited the town and saw the ocean, the immensity of the waves was incredible. Let me tell you, I stayed far away from any rogue waves.
Anyway, I like your site and the narratives that go with your sketches. I’ve travelled a little and like to sketch, but have never mustered the ability to do what you’ve accomplished. Keep up the good work.