In my solitude
I have seen things very clearly
that were not true.
Antonio Machado (Proverbs and Songs)
Spotted in Woodbine Park near Coxwell and Lakeshore. The fact that this bench is wedged into a garden of ornamental grass has always caught my eye. Possibly it's a mistake and somebody put the bench too close to the garden or maybe it was done on purpose so you can sit on the bench surrounded by tall grass and ponder the meaning of life. I like to think it's the latter.
A sign of winter in the midst of our recent heatwave. This was taken at the rink at Jimmie Simpson park. In the winter, this rink is constantly in use. In the summer, not so much but it lends itself to the odd picture or two.
My neighbour asked me to take a few pictures of him for his work so we headed down to the park at the end of the street this afternoon. We took a number of shots, had some laughs and hopefully caught a shot or two he can use.
There's a funny little street in the east end of Toronto called Craven Road that only has houses on one side. I believe at one point many years ago, this was originally a driveway into the Monarch Park Estate (although I may be wrong) and the city grew up around it. Regardless, for whatever historical quirk, there is now a big long, city maintained fence up one side of this road that is fairly undistinguished other than a collection of art work by Christine Kowal. This is one example of her work which is mostly done on canvas and stapled to the fence. It's a fascinating collection that enhances the street and gives it some additional character. Keep up the great work Christine.
Did I mention that I like the Waterworks? With the recent Jazz Festival it was tough getting down there for a visit so we took full advantage of the first Jazz-free evening (which happened to be a full moon). I saw this motorcyclist pausing on the roadway into the Waterworks admiring the calm lake and view. I was trying to get up behind up and was prepared to ask him if I could take of picture of him and his bike against the backdrop of the lake when he took off. Knowing he'd probably circle back to exit, I positioned myself along the driveway and waited for him to drive into view. He did, I hit the shutter and caught him as he zoomed by.
I'm pleased to be presenting photographs at Leslieville's Voulez-Vous Café throughout the month of July. The Solitary City exhibition is an assortment of photographs that represent found pockets of calm and solitude within the city. While I've always appreciated and enjoyed the urban experience, I value moments where I find myself suddenly and inexplicably alone in a city of 2.5 million people. I've tried to capture that experience with these images. All photos were taken in quiet corners of Toronto's parks, backstreets and waterways, mostly at sunrise or late in the day when crowds are at their thinnest.
All images in this exhibit are available for purchase in a variety of print sizes and types, framed or unframed. Please visit my gallery collection to see a full catalog of photography available for sale.
A rare plug to wander over to The Urban Voyageur blog and learn more about canoeing in the big city and the misadventures of Nessie the formerly nameless.
I imagine this ring of park benches has seen more than its fair share of warm summer picnics, strangers stopping to rest, evening bonfires, late night romances and even an occasional afternoon dog walker.
