I love the vibrant colours of this tree frog, and the contrast between the smooth watercolours and the texture of the block-printing that forms the background and main lines. I like carving linocuts better than I like drawings, since if I get the block right I can experiment with different colours and papers for little extra work…especially with water-based ink. This print is oil-based ink, thanks to the watercolours, which was very messy to work with. It turns out that baby oil is a better clean-up liquid for it than turpentine.

This charcoal drawing shows a view through multiple spaces, and is based on my photograph of a garden in the National Gallery. At the time I had no training in perspective drawing, and no experience with charcoal, so you can imagine how much trial and error went into it. I began by drawing an outline of the scene, without tracing the photo, and used a light table to do the toned version on a separate sheet, because I knew it would take me more than one try to get it right.

Algonquin required that I include a piece that showed a journey with multiple points of interest along the way. Since I’ve read Scott McCloud, that immediately suggested it be a comic. The characters are kodamas, the Japanese tree spirits featured in Mononoke Hime. It was done in pencil crayon.

I experimented with Chinese ink drawing, and this eye with swirls emerged from my doodling.

A conté figure study. I have always had trouble drawing people to my satisfaction, but I think this came out well, and I enjoy the smudgy quality of conté on textured paper. The curves of her shoulder and hip remind me of mountains.

The shape of this bowl at a Toronto Chinese restaurant was too elegant to not photograph.

I wanted this composition to have an Asian feel, and I liked the contrast of the branch against the red brick. The structure is actually part of a parking garage on Percy St. on my way to tai chi class.

Every winter the cliff in our backyard looks spectacular, and this day was even better than usual.