determination [2001]

ryan smyth, #94

graphite on illustration paper

A portrait I did of Ryan Smyth, #94, when he was with the Edmonton Oilers, in memory of a my friend's father, Sam Higa. I did a small print run of this portrait, and donated one to the Cross Cancer Institute for another charity auction.

courage [2002]

ryan smyth. #94

graphite on illustration paper

A second portrait that I did of Ryan Smyth, #94, when he was with the Edmonton Oilers, in memory of W. Lester Loucks. A print was donated to a Northern Alberta Institute of Technology charity auction where proceeds when to the Cross Cancer Institute.

frozen in the moment [10.23.05]

1st NHL outdoor classic,

Edmonton vs. Montreal, 11.22.03

pencil graphite on illustration board

[personal collection]

The largest project I've done using graphite and my greatest example of obsessive compulsiveness when it comes

to detail.

perseverance [02.02]

tommy salo #35

graphite on illustration board

[charity auction]

The first major project I took on soon after my father passed away in 2002, in memory of Peter Sze Leong Ho. The portrait is of Tommy Salo, #35, while he was with the Edmonton Oilers. The original was sold in a charity auction where the proceeds were donated to the Cross Cancer Institute.Ironically, I was working on this portrait during the ’02 Winter Olympics where Salo let in an awful goal off his mask during the Sweden vs. Belarus match they lost. Funny thing that.

© random life project by melinda ho

2007 - 2011

Okay, so the OCD is not something brag about, but it was monumental, this drawing, as it’s my very last concentrated graphite piece. Frozen in the Moment is a drawing of the 1st official NHL hockey game to ever be played outdoors. The weather was around -38 degrees celsius with the wind chill factor. Brrr... so worth it!