An urban sketchers' meet-up last week, and yet another place that is right off one of my frequently-ridden bike paths that I've never noticed. Caffe Cittadella is in one of the few remaining Victorian houses in Vancouver. I don't know all the history, but I saw from a historical sign that it was a run-down wreck in a fairly run-down neighbourhood near the Cambia Bridge, before being restored and converted into the cafe. The rest of the 'hood meanwhile went more upscale, but in that fairly sterile glass-and-concrete way. So the cafe in the old house and its surrounding trees are a strong contrast and a welcome break.
Besides the usual pleasantly odd lot of urban sketchers, I had a fun encounter with an older Chinese man. I was sitting on the front step of his building to draw one of the views when he came out, looking suspicious. I said hello, showed him what I was doing, and he became quite excited, eventually standing behind me as I painted, offering encouragement and suggestions about things I may not have noticed - "orange on that building too", "more blue there, more blue", "nice dark, very nice". Now I know what they mean by a colour commentator...
No comments:
Post a Comment