Blog Archives - Page 18 of 76 - Alison Garwood-Jones Alison Garwood-Jones

Jane’s Walk Toronto

April 11, 2021

Jane's Walk Toronto 2021

Jane’s Walk is a grassroots movement focused on city building. It’s named after the urban activist and badass Torontonian Jane Jacobs.

Every Spring, to honour Jane’s birthday and her spirit of inquiry, cities around the world host volunteer-led walking tours that make spaces for people to observe, reflect, share, question, and re-imagine the places in which they live, work and play.*

Each event gives agency to and champions the voices of everyday people.

Jane’s Walk Toronto (Jane’s Walk Toronto) is happening virtually this year from May 7-9.

You can now sign up to lead a virtual walk.

The 3 virtual walk formats are:

• Live-Streamed Walks

• 3D Walks

• Self-Guided Walks

The Toronto organizers, Erika and Juan, have made the process super easy:

Go to JanesWalkFestivalTo.com and fill out a Walk Leader form, and they will promptly get back to you.

Walk submission deadline: April 30th, 2021.

*In between walks, if you’re in the mood to colour a picture of a Toronto neighbourhood, go to the resources page of JanesWalkFestivalTo.com and download my colouring page, complete with little kids jumping on backyard trampolines. I had to think fast and come up with a logo for my artsy adventures. I’m proud to be part of an event that gets our minds and bodies moving.

Alison Garwood-Jones and Jane's Walk Toronto 2021

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Coco and Diana

March 31, 2021

Illustration by Alison Garwood-Jones

Reading is my greatest joy.

This exchange appeared in Amanda Mackenzie Stuart’s biography on Diana Vreeland called Empress of Fashion.

Diana described the conversation in greater detail:
“Coco [Chanel] was a nut on armholes. She never, ever got an armhole quite, quite perfect, the way she wanted it. She was always snipping and taking out sleeves, driving the tailors absolutely crazy. She’d put pins in me so I’d be contorted, and she’d be talking and giving me all sorts of philosophical observations, such as ‘Live life with rigor and vigor’ or ‘Grow old like a man.’ And I’d say, ‘I think most men grow old like women, myself,’ and she’d say, ‘No, you’re wrong, they’ got logic, they’ve got a reality to them.’ — with my arm up in the air the whole time! Then, if she really wanted to talk, she’d [pin me] under both arms so I simply couldn’t move, much less get a word in.”

Use the Libby app for signing out books, everyone! It’s WONDA-FULLL as Diana (Dee-Ahna) would say.

Bisous! 💋

Alison

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Why my Shopify store is still closed

March 17, 2021

While my Shopify store @PenJarProductions is closed I’m watching how technology is changing fashion and décor. Here’s what it would take for me to start selling my custom-designed pillows and totes again.

We need Sustainable Textiles in Canada

We need Sustainable Textiles in Canada by Alison Garwood-Jones

Sources:
• Unmade
• Looop Recycling
• Akqa

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Teaching Art

February 22, 2021

Online Art Classes by Alison Garwood-Jones

The internet is a wondrous tool for learning new skills.

When I decided to set up an online classroom to teach my way of making art, Google presented me with the perfect teacher: @ClaraLieu. Clara is a visual artist and former prof at the Rhode Island School of Design, and the Founder of @Art.Prof, a free website for learning visual arts.

I found @ArtProf at a point when I was stuck. Hovering my iPhone over my desk wasn’t working. I needed some serious videography equipment. Clara generously shared her set-up and now I have a Softbox light, a streaming webcam, a Snowball mic and an extra tall light stand to hold my webcam (Clara’s hack: affix the webcam with a thick elastic).

Online art classes with Alison Garwood-Jones

I used my new set-up earlier this month to lead an art class with some alumni from @RotmanCommerce. When you have a class of 20+ it’s actually easier to demonstrate techniques online because each student has an intimate view of my drawing board and hand movements.

Now the possibilities are endless!

Thank you, Clara!

Alison

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The Great Escape

February 8, 2021

Nature Sketch By Alison Garwood-Jones

Nature has everything we need.

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Pigeons & Elevator Buttons

January 11, 2021

My latest book is for kids, big and small. ~ Love, Alison

[dflip id=”16580″][/dflip]

That was fun. Now, page by page:

Pigeons & Elevator Buttons, a children's book by Alison Garwood-Jones

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Happy Holidays

December 25, 2020

Environment Canada is calling for a macroburst of sparkle and fairer winds in 2021. (Abstract illustration by Alison Garwood-Jones)

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Life Drawing during Covid

December 9, 2020

Dude throwing javelin
Woman in fetal position
Grizzled man hunched in deep thought

I’ve pointed my drawing horse at all of these classic life drawing poses (back when it was possible to attend pay-as-you-go art classes).

During Covid, to prevent rust buildup, I’ve sought out figure poses in Google image searches and YouTube channels, including “Draw This.” But none of these classic stances have inspired me to get better at depicting human proportions. And I want to get better. I can’t draw faces forever.

Then I discovered that drawing models in yoga gear from clothing websites — featuring real women, not human chop sticks — felt more relatable than said gnarly dude throwing the javelin. The thought, “He’s getting paid $15/hour to show us this,” always distracted me from the drawing challenge at hand.