The Naked Silo

above: private collection above: private collection above: private collection each 14" x 17" ink on paper, 2006 The last two paintings in this group are exactly what they look like, i.e. three images on one page. I did this mainly to highlight the stark flat landscape, and felt it would be best to include two closeup views to maximize space.

above: private collection each 14" x 17" ink on paper, 2006 These are Albertan grain elevators based on my photos taken while on a road trip years ago with Krista and her sister, Caitlin. I don't think I'd seen these in real life before –and if I did, it was in Ontario when I was a young child. I love the way they stand proudly amid the flat landscape, and I tried to capture some of that contrast in a few paintings, while focusing on their fascinating and functional architectural design in others. The fact that they're very rare now, being replaced by less attractive structures, makes them all the more alluring to me.

More from sketchbook #25. Grain elevator in Alberta, drawn during a road trip from Calgary to Vancouver I went on with Krista and her youngest sister, Caitlin, back in 2005. These old beauties are slowly being taken down and replaced with more modern-looking structures, so I thought it'd be a good idea to photograph as many as I could whenever we came upon them on our trip. I subsequently did a few ink paintings using my photos. I drew Krista while we were waiting in Terminal 3 at Pearson Airport in Toronto for our flight that would take us to Calgary, Alberta to begin our awesome road trip. In Calgary, we rented a car and drove to Vancouver, having wild adventures along the way (McClary!). Many photos were taken, much artwork ensued.