Toronto Illustrators Archives - Alison Garwood-Jones Alison Garwood-Jones

Uninvited

Originally published in October 2021 in Blog, Toronto Illustrators

If my mother had commissioned Pegi Nicol MacLeod to paint her, I imagine the artist would have given her ruby stained lips, ropey strands of hair, watery dancing eyes, and real presence. I drew this after seeing Uninvited, the McMichael Gallery’s game-changing exhibition showcasing the breadth of female talent (settler and Indigenous) working in Canada in […]

Pencil Crayon Nomenclature

Originally published in September 2021 in Blog, Toronto Art Teachers, Toronto Illustrators

Photo: Wikipedia, “Crayola Renamed.” Photo: Erick’s Laurentian Pencil Blog Photo of June Handler and Ed Welter. Handler’s caption reads: “From Flesh to Peach it’s good! – June Moss Handler” From Welter’s blog, Crayon Collecting. September 30: This is our first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Live with art

Originally published in September 2021 in Blog, Procreate drawing, Toronto Illustrators

Come and sit down. Let’s catch up. Inspo: A country house in France from the October issue of Victoria Magazine. Tool: Drawn with Procreate (Chalk brush).

The pooch

Originally published in September 2021 in Blog, Comic, Toronto Illustrators

My ode to Jules Feiffer’s mix of energy and malaise. It’s the story of one child-free gal’s pooch.

Control of the Ball

Originally published in September 2021 in Blog, Toronto Illustrators

1. The battle for control of the ball will never end. 2. “The decision whether or not to bear a child is central to a woman’s life, to her well-being and dignity. It is a decision she must make for herself. When Government controls that decision for her, she is being treated as […]

Paris in Muskoka

Originally published in August 2021 in Blog, Toronto Illustrators

Last week, we had the most delicious croissants, crêpes, and coffee from the food truck, Frenchie’s Bakery and Crêperie. You can find their truck parked on the sparkling shoreline of Huntsville inner harbour. You don’t go to Muskoka to leave it, but while the food was on our plates we WERE IN PARIS! We dedicate this drawing of the […]

A Stroll Through Allen Gardens

Originally published in August 2021 in Blog, Illustration, Toronto Illustrators

Anita DM’d me on Instagram to ask if I could capture Toronto’s Allen Gardens, the place where she and her boyfriend, Scott, first got to know each other. Here’s to love! I had the freedom to interpret the scene as I saw fit. This is my favourite kind of working relationship. Tools: I drew this […]

Tea at The Carlyle

Originally published in July 2021 in Blog, Illustration, Toronto Illustrators

The 1955 murals by costume designer Marcel Vertès at the Café Carlyle in New York wrap the room like a diaphanous silk scarf. To me, they are a mashup of Chagall, Schiaparelli and Moulin Rouge (1952, not 2001). I saw them come to life last night in the documentary, Always At The Carlyle. Today’s drawing […]

How I Drew This

Originally published in July 2021 in Blog, How to Draw, Illustration, Toronto Illustrators

Process Porn: I drew this landscape in the @Procreate app using the “Peppermint” pencil ✏️ (in the Brush Library under “Sketching”). Paul Cézanne was my guide. His angled brushstrokes had a consistent rhythm. They look like the wind blew them all in the same direction. I prefer Procreate’s pencil tools to it’s oil brushes (at […]

Butterflies and #ASMR

Originally published in June 2021 in Blog, Drawing Lesson, Toronto Illustrators

Sunday mornings. Sometimes I flip through my sketchbook looking for drawings to colour. Look, I found this butterfly! Caran d’Ache soft watercolour pencils felt like the best way to add a hit of colour to her wings. The colour melts into paint when you add water. The rest of my day went well after this. […]

Alison Garwood Jones

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