Balcony Drawings

Happy to push that last post down the queue! (scary drawing) These are pictures drawn on my balcony today. Still in a bad mood, so everyone's scowling.

Still More Drawings

A scary couple: this is a collaboration, mainly R. Gagnon, and I did pencil drawings and a lot of suggestions as he did the brilliant inking. It's a very organic process.

And a slightly idealised self-portrait from a photograph. Watching the Lord of the Rings DVDs and all the fascinating stuff on the design they did. Not that this has anything to do with that. But here's my first IMDB entry. [link]

Sketchbook descriptions

Discovered a feature on flickr, and just spend an hour or so, (and had a lot of fun,) writing notes and descriptions on the sketchbook I posted just below. Hope people look at it.

At any rate, it now becomes an historical document. Wonder if it will outlast me, and hang around? I hope I'm talking about 50 years or so, in the future! This is really interesting to me, and I think, something the internet does well.

In a much better mood today, because the heavy anxiety has left me. Mainly, I think, because of the sun, and my getting more sleep. Anyhow, things seem much more positive and fun.

Bike Guy

Scrawled at the "Maison de Velo," I think it's called: a cycle-oriented cafe on the edge of Lafontaine park, by the bike path. I like to ride, but don't dress like this.

On-line Sketchbook

Hi Blog people,
I tried something new. Scanned an entire old sketchbook, and put it on flickr. So click the above, and you can browse around.

Most of these sketches were done in place, as I was sitting on my campstool in front of the subject. I scanned the entire book, and did very little photoshop, except for darkening a few (it's a bit too obvious, at times).

I'm pretty happy with it. Didn't document too much, but you can ask questions, and when I know where a sketch was done, I'll say in the comments. (actually, now I've described everything, just look at the pictures!) Media was watercolour or gouache on paper, with pencil, and ink. Sometimes dip pen, sometimes a black 'roller' ball-point, sometimes Pentel Art Brush. The book is 6 by 9 inches. I think it's interesting, because it's warts and all.

Monday Garage Man

Ever the blog marches on. Home life still unsettled. Who does this guy remind you of?

Academic Couple

I don't know. The guy is from a photograph I saw in a magazine. You have to impress these people at their afternoon wine and cheese, or your faculty career will go down the toilet. (See "Lucky Jim" by Kingsley Amis")

Quebec City

Visited Quebec City for a day, in connection with my TV show. This is actually a very pretty picture, but you'll have to take my word for it, because the scanner made hash out of it.

Not posting a lot, because of some apartment troubles. None of your business.

Mercedes Palomino

Mercedes Palomino, who had one of the coolest names ever, and was a force to reckon with in Quebec Theatre, died last week.

Ontario Street Flea Market

Things have not been going that great. A little balance for all that stuff that was going so wonderfully. Still, I think I'll manage, More on this later.

One of the good things about being a writer is that you can turn the lousy things that happen to you into material.

In the meantime, here's a cool picture of a display at the Flea Market on Ontario Street, east of Papineau.

I don't know if there's a Quebec Street in Toronto that has the same cachet that Ontario Street does in Montreal. This is sort of the lower-class street that Mont-Royal used to be, before it got gentirified. So, there are a lot of tattoo parlours and pawn shops. I found some nice DVDs at this flea market (A Criterion Edition of The Seven Samurai for five dollars), but the guy who ran the stall yelled at me for opening a package. Apprarently, I couldn't open the case unless I told him I wanted to buy it. But I just wanted to look!

Well, this other room at the back of the flea market is full of First Nations art from around the Great Lakes area. This thing is made of driftwood combined with deer antlers. Everything in this place has a story. I look forward to coming back, and hearing a few of these stories.