Illustrations & Design ...1 | ...2 | ...3 | ...4 | ...5
	These are pen and ink drawings of a grand old hotel built around 1920 on BigWin Island on Lake of Bays in Muskoka. Although the dining hall was assembled using concrete (in response to the northern reputation for wooden resorts burning down), the "round" dance hall was built with wood. Unfortunately, it was recently dismantled. After 90 years, it was too far gone and considered either too expensive or simply physically impossible to restore. The golf course, on the other hand has been restored and is now considered one of the great courses in Canada. I used to have a place on the island. These sketches were completed one summer while I stayed there. They totally destroyed my hand - after hours and hours noodly drawing.		A note on the style: For some of the textures I used a sylized hatch technique. For trees, howver, I used a consistent leaf pattern to fill in the accurate shape of each tree. So the shapes are quite accurate even if the interior shadings are not. I also drew all lines freehand intentionally for the sake of an "organic" feel. Rulers and t-squares and French curves would have turned the drawings into more of an architectural exercise and these buildings were old and run down. Vines and shrubs were trying to regain their hold over the artificial imposition of these buildings. To me, that is where the beauty lies. <PREVIOUS  |  NEXT >