Pair of Faces

Slow time. A little bit of work, and response means that my professional life hasn't totally gone towards the boards. Still, I've got to be more confident in my own stuff, and less dependent on others' opinions.

Anyhow, I beat the viruses both on the computer, and in my nose. Weather's been dreary lately, which is bad for my mood. But with taxes done, and less damage that I worried, things are actually not that bad.

Trio

This goes on the first page of my Aquabee "Super Deluxe" sketch book, which is much better, I'm sure than the usual deluxe book. The scanner took out all the delicate shading on the flesh tones of that guy's face, which tells you simply to splash something on next time, don't bother with the fancy stuff.

Been dealing with fabulous viruses on the computer, which made my expensive Symantec Virus scanner go "eek!" and run away. Think I got rid of the worst of it, with a third party remover program. But even now, ads still pop up when I'm trying to work with something. I'm supposed to go into the registry and erase "keys," but have to be very careful with that, because a wrong step can destroy the system. Of course, Microsoft helpfully left the "backup" option on the CD Rom, and my CD rom doesn't work. Thanks, Microsoft!

I'm so mad at these software people with their stupid, glitchy tools. Wish there was some sort of revolt I could foment that would make them try a little harder.

Garden Party

I wonder what brought this guy to the garden party? I think he's a secret operative with the Mossad, testing out an experimental overcoat with assymetrical buttons. But the mysterious Spy Cat is on to him. Maybe he was planning on spiking the punch.

Colour Characters

These are actually older drawings, except for Cate Blanchett up above. But I coloured them, which was kind of fun.

Thursday: la deux

View off the back porch, because it was sunny here for the first time in a few days, and below, a functionary in the Ugandan Government, because I was watching the very good movie, "The Last King of Scotland" with Forrest Whittaker as Idi Amin.




Below, I worked on one of the pics I've already posted. It's different enough that it counts as a "second state:"


Interesting how at least this artist has to get into a 'space' to do good drawings. Sometimes I'm a bit too tense, and the figures come out stiff, and I can't think of interesting things for them to do. But when I'm in 'the space,' I'm more daring and relaxed. Usually I have to warm up, or relax to get there. Being pressured by deadlines helps, too.

At lot of the same stuff happens in my writing, too. But the writing and the drawing don't seem to occupy the same place in my brain. Which is why this is mainly a drawing blog.

Wednesday Black and White

Macho male guy. With beer. Working on watercolours, but those are too silly at the moment. Compressing the picture makes the lines all jaggedy. Technical thing. But I have to upload a smaller version of the picture to make it look right.

Monday Colours

Sunday Blues

Was going to do this big post about the shoot that's happening on my street, but I'm too depressed to make a big production of it. Suffice to say they've turned the schoolyard into kind of a basketball court (really, just added a fence and some bleachers, and a net, plus painted some lines on the pavement.) Lots of big, trampoline-like light reflector thingies:



Anyhow, there was fake snow, which they are now vaccuming up, because the real snow they were trying to match has departed. It's raining today, which also makes matching complicated. That's life. It's your typical film shoot, with a lot of people, craft services, and types dressed in black. Go look at the photos on flickr (click the photo above) if you're interested.

In the meantime, I've been drawing. Not very happy. Did a big watercolour production, which is awkward and stiff, plus the colours are badly chosen and not applied well:

(actually, looking at it again, in October 07, it's kind of charming. I've really got to cheer up!)



At least the sketches went a little better.



Had a beer with Gagnon, and he inked my spy couple:

Spy Couple

Just a drawing. The kind of of thing I do here.

The snow kept falling ....

and falling ....



and falling ... (6 pm)

Jack the Spy, and Arch Criminal!

No energy to blog. But yesterday was a sunny day, and since I had finished my work, I could go out before getting stuck with my taxes.


Old guys on their Harleys are sure signs of spring in Montreal.

I liked this more improvised form of transportation: a mutated bike/shopping cart. Just perfect for scavenging returnables.


They were filming in a French Language used bookstore I sometimes visit. Now it looks like it's in the Middle East, or maybe Turkey or India:


I was such a nice day, I decided to sit in the park and sketch. I'd bought my usual evening cheap beer, and because the park was empty, I gave into temptation, cracked it open and enjoyed a sip.

Immediately, five police on bicycles swooped in and wrote me up. This lousy drawing cost me $141 dollars:


Could have ranted, because they weren't so quick to show up when people were fighting above a bookstore where I used to work, and certainly didn't give a damn about the three bikes I've had stolen, but there's hardly any point, and one doesn't want to get into trouble.

Speaking of filming, out my window I snapped these suspiciously long haired guys below dressed in dark colours (the spring uniform of all film types, see above), as they were plotting what to do in that schoolyard, even as innocent children played behind them.



But the weather report calls for about 10 centimeters of snow by the afternoon, so things might look pretty different before this day is over.

Hitch

He's so schmall! It's easier putting it in the blog this way. Hitchcock is staring at an apprehensive blonde, while I've written notes to myself about the show in the margin. Gotta keep those stories movin' or people will change the channel!

Jack the Spy

Very busy for the last three weeks on the latest script for the TV show. That one was on the real stories behind spies and security, so for the last while I've been immersed in epsionage and guns, and fast driving cars. Feeling a little paranoid, maybe.

That was pretty tough, but I handed in this script this morning, and can relax until Friday, when I get the new assignment, and then go nuts for another three weeks or so. It's a busy life!

But this weekend, they're shooting a movie in the schoolyard across the street from me. So for a change I'll get to play spy. I'm going to blog pictures from outside my window of the proceedings, if anything interesting happens.

So far, not much, as you can see from the shot above. It's hard to tell, but several guys in dark clothes are smoking and checking things off from a list. The shoot will happen in the schoolyard to the right of them here. Will there be explosions? Should I keep the cats indoors?

Probably more drawings soon, because I can relax.

The Lady and the Geezer

A vaguely lumpy lady and a psychedelic geezer. That's what I have for you tonight. Also a link to a couple of interesting posts about sketching. It's too bad, though, the guy seems not to enjoy people looking at him drawing.

I'd always thought of it as a sharing thing, and had mainly good experiences with people watching. Except for this one little girl, who threw two fistfuls of dirt on one of my watercolours. My main problem is people looking over and saying "isn't that beautiful" as the picture you're painting is going South, and you'd like nothing better to do than quit and go home, because nothing's going to rescue it.

The other deal is sitting, either on the curb, on a wall, or on your portable stool, drawing buildings. Sitting in a strange place for a long time, an hour or so, is interesting, because it always changes in ways you wouldn't notice if you were just walking by. Cars pull in and out, people walk by once or twice, or close windows. You begin to get the sense of a place.

I feel by drawing, I'm creating energy. It's cool to share that energy.

Hillside

Art Gold Memorial Update

The date for the Art Gold memorial reading at the Word bookstore has been changed (or something happened to the info in the post below. I think I copied it right!)

It's now Saturday April 14 7:30 at
The Word Bookstore
469 Milton
Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Winter

Is actually going away, I think. I've been frightfully busy again (hope it's working out). But Saturday was a splendid day, and people were out in force in Montreal. There were actually cute girls walking in groups, chatting to each other, not bundled up, and only trying to get from one place to the next. This is kind of an homage to them. Even though she's still wearing her winter coat, it's not done up tight.