Fall in Toronto 08/31/06

When Fall arrives in Toronto , aside the cold breez , you will be witnesing the change of colors in trees, weather and even the sun. This image was taken in Oct. 05 from the balcony of my residence in North Yorth region.

08/29/06 Toronto subway

This is a typical scene in subways almost all around the world. I had few minutes to sketch the outer lines and later on, sketched the hair and shades with watercolor pencil.

Sunny morning smile, 08.27.06 Babol,Iran

I can't resist not to include some pics from my various albums in this weblog. May be for the name of blog that sounds more skechy like. Anyway, I just decided that between the uploading the dailysketches, that take some time ,I will brows my photo albums and select the ones I mostly like.
In a short trip to Babol in the latest New Year of Iran (March 06.) , the next morning I took a walk in the Thursday market.While there was attractions a lot around, this beautifaul indiginous lady indirectly welcomed me to take her picture with a wide smile. She was selling bulk butter and rice.Alsi, I made a painting of her , with hope to catch her sunny smile. You can see this image in my website. www.watercolorinweb.com

08/25/06 copy from Ed. Degas

This sketch is depicted from Ed. Degas, the French Imperssionist. I made it mainly with a light wash of watercolor and the rest with marker.

08/25/06 Location : Mel Lastman Sq.

This is Kiran, the indian teen ecountered with in Lastman sq. this week. Whie I was working on a morning sketch, she came to me and asked for a buck. She had a cute asian innocent dark face that in the first glance I wished I could sketch her face. With a few words exchanged, when I told her about my intention, she smiled and sat next to me , far enough to keep her face within my view sight. I tried to show her mood in this sketch. When finished, I paid her more than a buck.

23/08/06 ,Marche, Toronto

This is Antoine. Last Sunday, we arranged to meet at Edwards Garden on our bikes. I cycled from Finch & yonge and he from somewhere in Scarborough, Toronto. We had a good time in the park. We were sipping our coffees that Christa, an old girlfriend of him , who directs
" A stroll in the Park " came to him and after a very quick reunion, she offered us to join her group of single strllers after a short break. I didn't know man that strolling a group of walk lovers and handling weekend natural trips is a job. In few minutes she strolled us around the spots that I wasn't aware of before. Then she offered us to join them in Marche, corner of Bayview and York Mill. We let them go and cycled to Marche ater they did depart. I took a chance to draw this sketch of Antoine while was drinking his beer and chatting loudly with Christa. He liked this sketch which of course is a bit younger than him.

Date :Aug. 23/06
Location : Second cup pattio in Impress Walk, North, York

As far as I sketch, I'm glad have enough for daily posting. I 'm getting more at ease to sketch and then with some light watercolor washes on, when got home. I also getting into sketching with different media according to overall set and setting. You can find live models everywhever you sit and with a small sketch book in hand, a cup of coffee in a friendly setting,. First you better to spent few minutes just to make a quick survey of the model. I usually rather to have my models position; side, or back to me. In this position , your model may stay unaware of you. My favourite places to sketch are coffe shops, food couts and side walk cafes.

Aug.23/06

This quick sketch was done in seniors, art class in acrylic. In fact this is my first try of this medium.

Aug 23.06
Location : Chestler village
I'm trying to organize and write more about the sketches that I make in every occassions. This is Anna in the same class of painting for seniors. She used to be very polite and self critical. I liked to work and assist her. After helping her to finish her works, she would say : you are marvelous. It was nice to hear a compliment from an old humble lady. I sometimes helped her cleaning her fragile Hand after the class

Johny is an artist paint mainly in oil . He is the motivator and organizer of a small group of plain air painter in Toronto. We paint together outdoor in different occasions.

AUG.18.06
Sometimes, in the middle of doing something, I feel to sketch from whatever is at hand. In this occations my photo albums come to my help. Right paper and tools might not be all time at hand which is true about this image. The paper I used was A4 regular writing paper that doesn't hold water at all. But the way it turned out with strong light and shadows, I kind of like it.The picrure was taken in the art class of Chestler village , a senior center in Toronto where I worked acrylic with seniors a year ago.
I'll put on some live sketches from the same class soon

Almost every afternoon this lady stops at North York central library and while pretends reading a book takes a long nap. She seems to be a sales woman who goes door to door to sell something.

In bayview library there is a section designed for kids. This image attracted my attenton and skeched it right away.

I sketched this figure with some changes from a previous image .

Portrait of Derek my Canadian friend in Toronto done from an image taken at Riverdale park in 2005. With his kind company, I've been able to discover and visit places in Toronto that are usually hidden to many newcomers to this mega city .

A group of women in the main local market of Babol, a city near Caspian sea in Iran

this picture is an image of my brother who was watching TV in mother's home during his visit to Tehran. ( summer 06)

This sketch was done in Lugano Switzerland in 2005.

Artist profile
Photography and drawing has fascinated me throughout my life. The first initiation to draw and paint more frequently came true in 1988 in art classes of Ideen Aghdashloo, the well known Persian painter in all mediums. After finishing basic skills in drawing and colored pencil with him, I explored and practiced watercolor, my treasured medium, by myself for few years. In the meantime, searching for a favorite master, I encountered to Atashzad, the pioneer in watercolor specially wet in wet watercolor paintings. His works thrilled and exited me so much that I have stayed with him for many years and whenever I get time attend his class and work with him. He showed me the fluidity and transparency of watercolor which is distinctive from oil and other mediums.
Besides painting plein air and still life, my inspiration is sketching and painting of human figure, as well as photography as a mean for my paintings. Living in Toronto in recent years, encouraged me to take part in classes of life figure drawing and painting. Moreover, the relaxed social settings and mixed culture of this city was a motivation to draw and sketch more often in locations such as coffee shops, malls, bookstores and subways. I have found that sketching or painting with ball pen on inexpensive sketch book and putting light washes of watercolor on it later on, is a good practice not to fear of mistakes or ruining the paintings. These days, my main effort is to capture the skills of simplicity, limited pallet and harmony.