Anxiety Visible

These pen, brush and ink drawings from yesterday seem to have absorbed much of the anxiety I have been feeling these last few days. Or, maybe it's just me.



The bald guy is this crazy, doom-obsessed cartoonist I used to know, but can't find on the web these days.

Purposes of Collaboration

Did lots of cool drawings last night at the bar with my friend, graphic artist and illustrator R. Gagnon. Wonder where this is going? I think it's mainly relaxation, but I'm learning stuff. Above is my drawing (kind of an older one), and Rick's inks.

Below is Rick's drawing (on the spot, some girls at another table), and my inks. Turnabout is fair play!


This one is just me, by my lonesome, but I feel I've learned a little from Rick's work on my pics:


And finally, Rick, on a drawing of mine, with instructions to work as quickly as possible:


Rick, working away last night:

August Montreal Comic Jam

Here's the scene at last night's Montreal Comic Jam at the Bar Des Pins near McGill University. These are more or less the usual suspects.


This was a new guy, who showed up with a neat sketchbook. Didn't get his name.

But I did try to draw him:



It's Frosh week in Montreal, so the place was a madhouse, way too hot and noisy to draw anything (in addition to the above, I think I drew an eyeball). Below is Yours Truly (right) outdoors with Kurt Beaulieu.


Left early, but not before being criticized by the owner of the bar for chaining my bike up to a lamp post outside. Not so friendly! But it was an insane night, with drunken students hanging from the rafters and rolling bottles down the street.

Graphics

Some graphics from my new web page I'm working on.

Tomato Update

Those three heirloom tomato plants I bought back in May are finally producing stuff. If the plants look a little ragged, it's because I had to bring them in while the landlady had the balcony painted. Still, they're back out, and seem to have survived being un-entertwined from the balcony railing and then stuck in a dark kitchen for a couple of days.

The little gold ones (seem red in this pic) are tasty. The pumpkin-looking one is called a rose tomato.



These still-green odd-shaped things are Amish Paste tomatoes. Tomatoes from the back balcony are a little thicker-skinned than the market variety. But still, they are tasty, and there's the pride of growing them one's self.


New kitten patrolling the balcony (one of her favourite places) keeps the squirrels away. Yay!


But there's a different cat in today's drawing:

Nerds Love Bad Girls ...

...Which leads them into all sorts of trouble.

Meanwhile, I'm still painting unsatisfactory watercolour sketches, and posting them, which is probably a bad idea in terms of overall impressions of my art. Still, they're part of my development, so I'm sharing that. Not every picture is a gem, but they're necessary if one is going to do good work. And people usually tell me I'm too hard on myself.

More quick daubs

Still Drawing

It helps me to relax.

No Website for Old Men?

Back collaborating with my friend R. Gagnon on drawings, like the smashing one above.

Meet "Chappy." At least that's what Rick says his name is. This time, for a change, Rick drew him, and I inked.


This is me, drawing in my little notebook. It's supposed to be Leo McKern, but it's a Leo McKern of the imagination. However, Rick had a magazine with a picture of the actor, so I was able to improve the picture. I think that's Stephen Fry in the back.


Here's an old guy sitting near us who looked a little like Leo McKern. This is the ultimate collaboration, because I started with the eyes and nose, and Rick drew from there.

Cowboy, Jumping

Checking out these amazing illustrations by Canadian Mel Crawford. Can't touch that! But hey man, I'm doing my own thing.

Spent a summer painting fences at the Spruce Meadows Equestrian Centre. So, the fence at least, is accurate.

Ink Drawings, and Cat Gallery

Just a couple of drawings. The kid below is from a TV commercial, but he now looks like a member of the Gorillaz.



And here are cat pictures. They bring the cute much more effortlessly than a bunch of dodgy drawings.

This is the complete brood, starting with a legless Mr. Boggedy:


The estimable Ms. Boggedy:


And Nora new cat. Sitting still for once:

Couple of Heads

A couple of heads. See? Nyahhh.

Boulevarding in 2008

Was on the Main (Saint Laurence Boulevard) the other morning, to get out of here. Looking at the burned out shell of the building that used to hold the bookstore I once worked in. Though not as many people are around in the morning, I don't think the area has recovered from the roadwork which had the sidewalks dug up for about two years.

Sat in front of a coffee shop painting these things, but there was a nasty smell, coming from the sewers, I think.

Street Sketches

During the weekend I got out and tried a couple of street sketches. Not quite in the mood. The first one is all right, but I was tired, and there was a strong, dusty wind blowing on the second. At least that's my excuse.

Have to note better what street I'm on when I'm doing these things.

Again, Watercolours

Tight, (above) and loose (below), and certain colours on top of others.

Wuthering Heights

Friend Richard is in Prince Edward Island at the moment, so no meeting this week at the bar for collaboration. Instead, I've been reading Wuthering Heights. One of those classics that's been on the shelf forever, and I was stuck between books, looking for something to bring with me on my peregrinations.

Enough of the verbiage! Just to say I'm finding it very readable, atmospheric, and fun. These are a few drawings inspired by it. I could do better at the historical details, maybe look at a few period book illustrations. Still, here you go.

Guys Standing Around

A lot of little sketches in my watercolour book. Look mostly like pictures of guys standing around.

Pen & Ink

Crofter Kitten

Today, a distant ancestor of the new kitten, as found on a croft in long-ago Yorkshire.

Splashing More Paint Around

Still watercolouring, on the spot, when the weather allows me. But I'm not allowing reality to dictate too closely what's in the pictures. Well, the first one is fairly representative of an apartment on rue de Lorimier.

Below is Parc St. Viateur in Outremont, Montreal.



For today's Nora the Kit'n picture (TM) I am contrasting her with Mr. Boggedy at his most smug, below.

Watercolours and further kittens

Some watercolour pics, painted on the balcony this afternoon.

Bonus kitten pic:


Extra bonus kitten drawing!

Confrontation

I feel bad, because a friend was with Rick Gagnon and I when we had our weekly meet at the Cock N' Bull bar, and I totally bagged on his screenplay excerpt he showed me. It needed work, but all stuff that's in process usually does, and showing something unfinished, or that's an excerpt, is the worst thing you can do. I know my documentary things are pretty dire sometimes without the fine tuning, and the final score added, and all.

Well, even if I was a jerk at least the drawing Rick and I did was cool. Something strange: that should be the left hand that's holding onto the gun, but Rick didn't make it that, while I drew in an extra left hand, over the fold. Well, it's supposed to be horror, or something.

Plus, another watercolour pic:


Bonus pics! Rick looking goofy:


And, new kitten looking cute:

More watercolour characters

Watching the series Freaks and Geeks, and this is my impression of the character Nick peering through somebody's window. If my pics look a little crazy the last couple of days it's because this place has been unsettled by the new little cat being in heat, driving me and the two regular cats up the wall. Nothing can be done about it in the short term.

Girl standing below.

Watercolour Strangeness

Watercolour strangeness, and kitten likes fireworks.

In the Village

Yesterday the rain had let up, so I wandered down to Saint Catherine Street East which had been blocked off and made into a pedestrian area, set myself up outside a coffee shop, and sketched this scene in the "gay village."

Meanwhile, at home, something mad and possibly very dangerous is living under the couch.

Old City

This is old, but I don't think I've ever put it up here. Took it out of a frame to put something else there, and so here it is.

Watercolour Guys

Watercolour guy heads, on playing-card-sized pieces of paper.

Window Cat

With appropriate actual cat hair in the upper margin.

Back to the Cock N' Bull, and New Kitten!

The above drawing is another collaboration between R. Gagnon and myself. I fancy it's a little sombre, because one of our friends at the bar, who brought in New Yorker and Spectator magazines we would steal peeks from, is still in the hospital. Hope he gets well.



On a happier note, the new kitty I picked up after moving day in July is fitting in well, except for occasional bouts of lunacy. I took a picture of her with my new camera. Didn't like having to buy one, but the old one got wrecked, apparently after recording that storm in June. Still, this one has all the latest bells and whistles, though it's still me on the shutter.

She looks very proud here, the forward-looking kitty of the future, with the Old Guard in the background. Click on the pic to see more adorableness.