Sauntering Lines

A Sermon on Creativity

2012-01-14T03:46:00.011Z

I went on a blog hiatus for a while. I found myself knee deep this past Autumn in art education, as I have returned to school. Now I am waist deep in work and will soon be neck deep once I begin my practicum. Don't expect any image heavy posts any time soon, folks.

I've been thinking non-stop about the purpose of art education. Now that I've merged into a stream of classes with teacher candidates from other specializations, I've learned how others perceive art and how it is presumed to be assessed in a school setting. My main concern up to this point was how I will be able to teach art (in its entire complex tangible and intangible state) to my students, yet I should be concerned with how I will teach art to my colleagues.

One of the great debates this week was the validity of creativity as a method of assessment. How do we mark it? I, and many of my art education peers don't believe it should be a criteria. After a frustrating debate within a seminar the other day, I have become increasingly vexed, and set aside some assignments to try and work it out.

Oh, even an experienced educator couldn't articulate the nature of art assessment. She could only liken it to "putting a cat in a bag."

Anyway, here's what I worked out...

CREATIVITY

Creativity I believe is inherent within all people. As teachers we are meant to set up the conditions in which this type of intelligence is exemplified and encouraged. It is within this environment that I think students would be able to deviate from traditional learning expectations and take risks and explore ideas while feeling safe to do so. The staff within a school cannot solely rely on art, music, and drama classrooms to exemplify and encourage creativity. I believe creativity is an interdisciplinary practice and its abstract and organic qualities have the ability to appear in any situation regardless of discipline.

The challenge for the art teacher, much of the time, is trying to pry open the hard academic-based shells that some of these students develop and to keep it open. The majority of the core subjects have been introduced through linear and convergent learning. When I only have my students for a small fraction of the school week, it can be daunting to pull out some of that individual expression and get them to hold on to it and have them believe that it can light the way in other aspects of life. When the students leave the class they return to the monotony of the school day and this type of thinking is dulled down again. I believe it would be helpful for teachers of all departments to collaborate and find ways to make the connections necessary to stimulate divergent thinking, so that creativity simply becomes an expectation rather than an argument.

I find creativity to be extremely valuable, but I don't believe it is a legitimate category to assess a student for. I would look for specific ways of expressing how creativity can be displayed within an assignment or project, other than using this vague blanket statement. Teachers must constantly remind themselves that the arts do not have monopoly over this word either! I only speak from an art perspective because my most creative spirit is aligned with the visual arts- that has been my life long outlet. The values I have learned from art are to think for myself, to critically evaluate the world around me, and to recognize the significance my voice brings to my community and society. These are skills that I can use until the day I die, and I would imagine is true for others as well.

Creativity in relation to art has little to do with pure aesthetic beauty or representational semblance and definitely is not about conceptual negligence. It is very true that painting for instance, has its own inherent joys and materiality that cannot be replicated in other mediums or expressive forms. However, when one comes to understand the materiality fully, a conceptual framework must be created to provide structure and meaning for the work. This critical thinking is what helps students question visual information and take a moment to compare the effectiveness of a Delacroix allegorical painting to a Dan Flavin fluorescent light. Making art is based on passion and embodied knowledge, but it is also about finding purpose and function, not arbitrary reasoning. I would like to believe that teachers introduce the lessons they do in order to create purpose. Art has a purpose! Creativity, dog-gone-it has a purpose! But neither function in a vacuum. We must get past this belief that creativity is an option and be the creativity we desire to see.

STRANGE STORIES FROM A CHINESE STUDIO

2011-08-27T10:41:00.003+01:00

JESSICA JANG

SEPTEMBER 3-25 2011

DR. SUN YAT-SEN CLASSICAL CHINESE GARDEN

The garden is a man-made space where we, as humans, negotiate our relationship with nature, our fascination with observation, and our desire to influence the behaviour of our environment. A garden itself is a minute representation of the natural world. The Ming Dynasty garden exemplifies the complexity between physical and spiritual connectivity to nature. The sensitive equilibrium between tangibility and ethereality is what generates ongoing interest in the classical Chinese garden.

This exhibition investigates the space within the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Garden through multiple perspectives- the historical, the contemporary, and the imagined. Each piece in the exhibit acts as a viewfinder revealing the microcosmic as well as the macrocosmic nature of this garden. This series of works is inspired by the folklore of P'u Sung-Ling, Chinese myths, documented occurrences during the construction of the Dr. Sun Yat Sen garden, and observational drawings.

The title of this exhibition is borrowed from the book of the same name by the Qing dynasty writer, P'u Sung-Ling. The use of the title denotes the myth that artists create for themselves within the realm of the studio and the inexplicable process of art-making. The self-reflexivity of the title also refers to the series being created within an historic block of Chinatown, a few steps away from the garden itself.

My hope is that the viewer will discover new entry ways into exploring the functionality of the garden after observing these drawings and paintings.

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
578 Carrall Street
Vancouver, BC
Canada

Opening Times:
7 days a week
10am-6pm

*By donation after 5.30pm*

These Days

2011-08-16T13:44:00.005+01:00

Beware folks, Jessica Jang is up to stuff. After a nutzoid July of full time work in addition to 20-30 hours per week in the studio, I've escaped to Europe once again. I spent my first week in London and now I'm in the Czech Republic chillaxin'. I'm still working on a few post-studio activities, working on one more drawing, and making arrangements for my solo exhibition in September, but it's mostly been casual times. Cooking, baking, hiking, picking fruit, hanging out with fun people and walking animals have filled up my days.

I made some finger sized hot dogs before I left Vancouver, as peace offerings.

This is a work in progress. In my packing haze, I made the doofus move of bringing four HB pencils with me. Argh. I'm a 6B/8B kind of kid, so when I finally buckled down to work, this made procrastinating much more desirable.

Turtle walking.

Blurry Teasers

2011-08-16T11:14:00.007+01:00

Here are some poorly documented snippets from my new series, Strange Stories From a Chinese Studio. COMING TO YOU SEPTEMBER 2011! Top image courtesy of an anonymous child.

Studies

2011-07-15T06:07:00.008+01:00

Creating detailed studies for final pieces is not typical of my way of doing things; but this project deadline makes me nervous, as there is little space for error or waste. So, here are some gouache prelims.

The one with the dead foxes comes from the story, The Trader's Son, by P'u Sung-Ling. A ghost, in many Asian tales, comes in the form of a fox. The fox often disguises itself as a human. In this tale, foxes terrorize a woman in the night, which also alters her waking life. In the end (story spoiler coming up...) they drink poisoned wine and are found dead behind a bush.

This one is just an experiment. It's sort of a Chinese version of Sir John Everett Millais's Ophelia- an all time favourite of many, including myself. Many people, probably don't know me as a painter of figures, but that was my primary interest for a big chunk of art school. I don't know how I feel about this gouache piece. I will not include this or anything like it in the exhibition, but I thought I'd post it anyway.

This is a taihu rock. I want to make the face of the rock more spooky- in a Scooby-Doo kinda way.

Studio Life

2011-07-12T07:27:00.012+01:00

Studio time- power up! I've got a special project creeping up and my pal, Tara Carmichael, has generously offered her studio to me for this month. Tara's an awesome artist, arts educator, Mom, and an all round, super fun person. Thank you Tara!

I thought I'd attempt to document my process (aka painful struggle) as I get this new series completed by the end of July. The exhibition will be in September, but I'm jetting back to the UK and Czech Republic for the entire month of August, so I gotta hustle.

Here are some pictures of things around me and examples of sketches that will not necessarily make sense to anyone but myself.

Tara's deep sea painting and the resident octopus.

Lately

2011-06-25T07:57:00.003+01:00

From the Desk of a Non-Genius

2011-06-24T06:51:00.001+01:00

I am struggling with ideas for something important. Procrastination and self-deprecation are integral parts of processing the struggle.

Inside the non-genius's desk.

On top of the non-genius's desk.

A flower near the desk that does not serve as a muse. Unamused?

The non-genius's dog, awoken from slumber.

Sketchies

2011-06-15T07:47:00.001+01:00

Fancy fart cloud.
Girls dressed up for Mardi Gras circa 1920.
Penguin with camera.

Many Strange Leaves for the Powell Street Festival Society

2011-05-19T09:32:00.007+01:00

Many Strange Leaves
Gouache on Paper
6"x8 1/4"
2011

Happy Asian Heritage month! This piece has been made specifically for this year's Powell Street Festival Society KANPAI Auction Fundraiser, which is happening June 15th. Even though I am not Japanese, this society is near and dear to me. The group of people who run the annual festival, celebrating Japanese culture and heritage, are so warm and lovely. They've made my past volunteer experiences so positive. The involvement and inclusion of all members of the community show a real respect for the diversity of people in Vancouver, particularly in the Downtown Eastside. Please support one of Vancouver's most awesome free festivals by picking up a ticket for the auction. There are lots of super nice items to bid on.

Idée Fixe no. 5 (In Progress)

2011-04-24T08:01:00.004+01:00

16 Ghosts in the Dark (In progress)
Gouache
8.25"x7.25"

Skin and Grass

2011-04-24T07:18:00.003+01:00

Gouache
4"x6.75"

Petition for Ai Weiwei's Release

2011-04-11T21:54:00.003+01:00

Please take a moment to sign a petition for Ai Weiwei's release on Change.org. This was started by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and will only take a minute at the most.

Ai Weiwei

2011-04-06T06:46:00.012+01:00

Last year, I found myself in Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern, after friends urgently suggested I see the Ai Weiwei exhibit. Turbine Hall is a gigantic space and features some of the most monumental and gorgeous works ever created. I have seen thousands of boxes stacked up by Rachel Whiteread, Miroslaw Balka's huge metal box of darkness, and seventy amateur dancers run back and forth for a Michael Clark piece. The capacity of the space is perfect for voluminous, powerful works that allow viewers to access art in a participatory way. When I entered the space to find 100 million hand-made porcelain sunflower seeds, I was speechless. The corners of the room were completely sealed off and viewers were only allowed to walk around the perimeter of the room. This wasn't the original intention of the piece, but the tranquility and the vastness was overwhelming.

This piece, simply titled, Sunflower Seeds, was intended for viewers to walk on. Despite the direct physical interaction with the piece, viewers are not supposed to take any of the seeds- just to experience the sensation of being surrounded by these little porcelain creations. It was only realized later that the porcelain dust being kicked up in the air was a health and safety hazard, so the seeds were raked up into a neat square on the floor and cordoned off to viewers. This really transformed the intentionality of the piece, but it did not take away from the absolute beauty.

This installation is accompanied by a short documentary about the making of the piece. Footage includes interviews with Ai Weiwei, the people from the city of Jingdezhen, and production of the work. Jindezhen is famous throughout Chinese history for the production of porcelain objects, but has since hit hard times financially. The project was a way for the artist to help revive the economy of the community to some degree. The film explains this all very nicely. I actually found it very moving.

I had heard of Ai Weiwei before seeing this piece, but because I had never seen his work in person, I was not immediately impacted in a personal way. When I experienced Sunflower Seeds I was really touched. I was struck by a very strong, emotional connection I seldom receive from art. I believe art has the possibility to inspire and change people to a certain extent, but it is often difficult for me to connect with work that is forward in it's political and social stance. Often times I find "political" artwork to sermonize or to function in a very exclusive and dry way that does not extend to the greater public. Ai's work definitely has an assertive political component, but I feel that he created a piece that functions very successfully on that axis. The humanistic aspect of this piece is what I identify with the most.

When I heard in the early morning of April 3rd, about Ai being detained at the airport by Chinese police, I felt incredibly upset. I have distant relatives who live in China and I have visited many different regions of the country several times in the past. The modern history of China is convoluted. It is hard for me to briefly explain my personal relationship with the land, people, and heritage. There is so much richness and magnificence, but a simultaneous grotesque quality to the way in which the government functions and some of the popular values shared. Ai has definitely been publicly critical of his homeland and I am not surprised that he once again had a run in with local officials, however China must also see him as being an asset to the country.

It is clear through a lot of Ai's pieces and the basis for his work, that Chinese heritage is very important to him. It's from this perspective for which his work is able to exist. He may not be complimentary about the politics of China, but he should still be seen as an ambassador of the culture and the land. He could easily have picked up and left his homeland for a democratic society, where he can more freely speak his mind and make his work without fearing censorship or harassment, but he hasn't. I understand that he was planning to divide his time between a studio-in-progress in Berlin and his home in Beijing, but there seemed to be very little objective to remove himself permanently from China. He values the Chinese people and Chinese culture. He is one of the most celebrated Chinese figures in the art world, so China really should just give him a break. I can understand the government's fear of an uprising, however they cannot pretend that change will not come one day. As Fred Hampton has once said, "You can jail a revolutionary, but you can't jail a revolution."

Watch the full episode. See more FRONTLINE.

China has a history of being a very controlling and violent regime, but I doubt serious harm will be inflicted upon Ai Weiwei in detention. There are too many eyes on China at this point and I'm sure he's a "cash cow" of sorts for many influential art affiliates in China. I do not see the spirit of Ai to be one that will succumb to authority. I just hope that he will be released quickly to a body of people, stronger and greater in number and spirit.

Artist solidarity.

Tate Modern 12 October 2010 – 2 May 2011

This Great Society, Issue 18: Sleep

2011-04-06T05:33:00.007+01:00

Happy April! I contributed a few pieces to this month's issue of This Great Society . This Great Society is a "by peers, for peers" online creative journal. April's theme is sleep.

I thought info about each of my pieces would be posted, but it's not included, so if you are wondering about the medium, the first two are oil on paper and the other five are oil on vellum. The first four were created 2010 in London and the last three were created this year.

Please take a peek and snoop around past issues, such as this one by my good friend Zadie Xa- one of the hardest working people making art today. More of her amazing work can be found at zadiexa.com.

Logs and Dogs

2011-03-28T03:50:00.006+01:00

Thanks daylight savings. I no longer need to negotiate between my mundane, indoor obligations in the middle of the day for a hit of sunshine and fresh air. By the time dinner is over, I can still go out for a walk by the water and watch the sun slowly dip into the sea. Clouds turn wild colours, islands loom in the distance.

I went down the other evening in attempt to sketch some drift wood and sun-bleached roots. Some super happy dogs ran onto the beach and I watched them for a long time. I recorded their crazy squiggling in the water and sand until it got dark.

Sketches of an Invalid

2011-02-17T05:31:00.009Z

Travis has ruptured a ligament in his hind leg. He won't be able to go for walks at the park or beach for the next few months, which will probably lead to one depressed dog. Poor guy. He's been hopping back and forth around the living room moaning. Watching him makes me so sad. Since he hasn't been moving around too much I thought I'd do a few quick sketches of him resting.

The Western Front's 38th Annual Gala Dinner and Art Auction

2011-02-16T23:43:00.006Z

The Western Front is an artist-run-centre in Vancouver that provides a venue for various local and international artists to showcase experimental, performance, and media art forms. This organization is not just relegated to being an exhibition space, but it functions as a space for international artist residencies, supports multi-disciplinary formats, and publishes Front arts journal. It's pretty much a really cool and important institution within Vancouver's arts and culture scene.

The Western Front will be hosting it's 38th Annual Gala Dinner and Arts Auction on March 12th this year! For those of you who are not doing much on that fair March evening, you should definitely go and support our beloved Western Front and BC arts!

I will be contributing to the Front's art auction with my piece Ghost Mountain. It's an original drawing, acrylic medium and ink on archival paper, 13"x11". It will be framed and it is personally one of my favourite drawings, but it's time to find a home for it. Perhaps even your home.

Western Front Society
303 East 8th Avenue
Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada

Happy happy Valentine's

2011-02-14T01:00:00.004Z

Valentine's day was probably a bit more meaningful to me as a kid than any other time in my life. I wasn't much of a romantic as a kid and I'm still not so much these days. I remember Valentine's day as being a day of collective effort in the classroom and promoting the warm and fuzzies. Cookie decorating and sweets abounds. A real day for people like me to indulge my sweet tooth.

I was forbidden to ever buy a card as a kid. My Dad would ensure all cards that we gave to people were hand-made. The day before Valentine's Day, our dining room table turned into a conveyor belt and I was the machine, churning out Valentine's cards by the box full. My Dad would cut the card paper to size for me and I would pull out my coloured pencils and draw away. My mind was always racing, coming up with new motifs for each card, personalized for each kid in my class as well as the teacher and teacher's assistant. By the end of the night the tabletop was littered with pencil shavings and 30 or so hand-drawn cards. We would look at the list of kids in my class after the card-athon, just to double check that I had not forgotten anyone (I have a good memory for people, so this never happened). This went on from the age of 5-10, until my Dad decided one year to introduce potato stamps!

After a day of fun heart-filled activities, I would take my Valentine's mailbox home and take a look at all the cards I had received. I used this as an opportunity to analyze the printing of my class mates and silently criticize the poor judgment of spacing between letters and words. Even though I worked really hard, I never compared my efforts with others. I was just happy I got the job done. I didn't favour the homemade over the store bought. I sort of liked the Ninja Turtle (the cute bubble-faced ones, not the mean looking ones with no eyes) and Garfield cards. Who wouldn't?

The other day I was assisting an art class full of kids who had to design Valentine's cards on Photoshop. We first talked about what "love" meant. Overall everyone agreed that it's awesome to give and receive love amongst family and pets. One kid made puking noises and refused to say "love" because he associated it with gross love- adult love. While everyone was creating happy bees with hearts, he opted for drawing a snake with an evil grin. I can understand this sentiment. Love can be nice when you're older and ready to understand it, but it gets gross when a day is manufactured to exploit that meaning. Being a kid on Valentine's Day is the best. Growing up, I associated it with accepting and celebrating appreciation for other people. There was nothing more satisfying than getting a card from a classmate you didn't get along with. I was reminded that people were still capable of being okay. Even if their Mom or Dad made them do it.

The Marsh King's Daughter's Black Thumb

2011-02-01T23:32:00.023Z

There's no place like home -especially when you are welcomed back with an exhibition space! The kind folks at Little Mountain Gallery contacted me a few months ago about a homecoming show, while I was still living in London. It was extra incentive to get a coherent body of work together to show friends and family upon my return to the beloved land of mountains, sea, and trees.

Lots of lovely people popped into the opening. It was nice catching up with friends and family. I'm not the chattiest person in the world, so having selected works on display allows me a chance to share what I've been doing for the past two years without exhausting myself by having to repeat my stories of the mundane. No one wants to hear how many cups of tea I drank nor how much Marmite I consumed.

I have an intuitive understanding of how my works relate regardless of aesthetic variation, so having to articulate it through a written statement usually becomes an endurance test. It's pretty much about wetlands, death, unpleasantness and absurdity.

I've had a few people ask about the title, BLACK THUMB. I wanted something punchy and dark, but was very aware of how I didn't want it mistaken for some happenin', dub-step, love-out, post-goth Shoreditch/ East Van night at the discotheque (yes, my online persona is that of a ramblin' hag). I was thinking very hard about this.

In the past few months I revisited the stories of Hans Christian Andersen, something I had not done since I was very young. His storytelling and the imagery he conjures up has always made complete sense to me. I won't get into the severity of my fondness for his tales right now, but I considered titling my show, Seeking Advice From the Marsh King's Daughter- which is what I was literally doing. I was reading The Marsh King's Daughter over and over and taking notes on words or short phrases that popped. I took a break to read John Water's autobiography, Shock Value: A Tasteful Boook about Bad Taste. In one part of the book he referred to one of his parents as having quite the green thumb, while he admitted to having a "black thumb." It stuck for a few weeks, so I ran with it. I feel that term adequately describes my observations of how most people relate to the Earth at this point and time.

Do please come and take a peek. There's a bit more that is not pictured here!

Show is up until February 7th 2011.
Open early afternoon til 5 most days.

Little Mountain Gallery
195 EAST 26th AVENUE
VANCOUVER, B.C.
V5V 2G8

BLACK THUMB

2011-01-19T08:55:00.002Z

Paris, je t'aime

2010-10-08T11:25:00.011+01:00

Paris is one of my favourite cities. This was the first European city I had ever visited. It was like love at first sight.

I didn't grow up traveling that much as a kid because my Mom was always working and my Dad's a home-body. I had to try my best to imagine re-living my parents' experiences abroad and asked them over and over about what it was like in Italy and France. My Dad rambled on and on about the art and the food in Italy, but when asked about Paris he would fixate on how expensive it was to buy a bottle of coke. My Mom would then interrupt by telling me of my Dad's grand expenses on acquiring Coca-Cola during their stay. Didn't give me the clearest sense of the city. Anyway, the idea of going on a plane was a real treat (still is). So, when my high school art teacher announced that the school was planning a trip to France, I was pretty stoked to say the least.

When I laid my sixteen year old eyes on the place, I felt as though I was immediately delivered to a realm so full of beauty that my mind was going to implode. Since then, I have been exposed to a much greater extent of the world, but I have yet to experience the same sensation. It was probably just a one-off feeling. One of those moments that can only be experienced in youth.

This time around (le troisiemme), I was invited by my friend Latana, who was born and raised in Paris. Latana currently lives in London, where she is based as a mezzo soprano, but is often shooting off from one end of the EU to the other, chasing down operatic roles. Latana and her family showed me around the Paris that they know and love during my 4 day stay and overwhelmed me with their generosity and kindness. I wish I was more proficient at French so that I could express my gratitude with something more eloquent than "merci!"

During my stay, I was also able to meet up with my long time pal, John Mutter. He just landed in Paris that same weekend to start off his new musical life there. We have not only been buddies since the age of five, but we've also collaborated on various projects. John's been making music for a long time. I remember organizing concerts for his band as a teenager. He got a Canadian Arts Council grant that will enable him to be in Paris for the next few months making magic.

Anyway, we did lots of meandering through the winding roads of Paris, the regular sight-seeing spots, and ate wonderful food (care of Latana's Mom). I had not visited the Louvre since I was 16, so we went there. Latana spent five years working in that marvelous museum, so she did the navigating.

This is in the same room as the Mona Lisa.

Goodness, how I love Delacroix and Gericault.
I had to take a photo of these Tigers by Delacroix. A good animal, artist combo.

I felt rushed in the Louvre. There was a small, but wonderful Watteau drawing and prints exhibition that gobbled up a lot of my time. Then I found myself racing towards the Dutch wing, taking quick peeks at vanitas paintings and animal studies, and giving the Vermeers a momentary glimpse, as I could feel the invigilators ushering me out with their "Get out, so I can go home" eyes. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to sketch as much as I intended. Just got a quick sketch of a Rubens study and sketches of people walking around the museum foyer.

Latana took us to the Opera House at night. It was one of the highlights of my trip I think. The neo-baroque building was just so gorgeous and ornate. It's too bad I didn't have time to go inside. Maybe next time.

By the time I was set to go home on the Eurostar, my hopes of getting some shut eye before returning to London failed. I don't know what the baby behind me looked like, but it probably looked something like this.

5th Terrace Annual 2010

2010-09-27T11:09:00.008+01:00

You know something worthwhile is happening when there is home sewn bunting around.

Well, the 5th Terrace Annual was on Saturday afternoon. It was the first real, crisp Autumn day in London. Saturday was sandwiched between two cold and rainy days, so we were really lucky to get such nice weather, especially for this outdoor event. The Terrace features dozens of artists who have contributed their pieces throughout the past five years. The pieces are left exposed to the elements and time. I thought it was a good opportunity to exercise a bit of unpossessiveness (if that's even a word. I can't think of an appropriate antonym for preciousness). Anyway, you get my drift.

It's hard to see in the photographs, but a large spider decided to create a little intervention by building a huge web over my painting. Amazing!!! I should collaborate with spiders more often. My messy painting with their delicate tapestries...

I hate writing about my work, because I feel like an ass telling people what an image should signify, but here's a little thing I wrote about how this piece relates to the subject of decay:

I think people are prone to hold onto objects that act as time capsules or immortality amulets. The figure in the painting wades in a pool, scavenging for a sign of life that will distract her from her own mildewy state. But as she blindly gropes around, even the flowers in her hand heave a sigh of brevity. The title references a musical genre popular in 1950s Louisiana, that faded into obscurity, while also referring to recent ecological devastation in that region.

Life springs forth from the earth and gets pulled back down by gravity, corporeality, and time. I am accepting of my mortality, but I find myself almost fearful of what outlives me. As a painter I concern myself with the materiality of my work, taking into account the archival quality of papers and gesso. But does it matter if these physical objects surpass the existence of it's maker? It would be embarrassing to find recognition (exploitation) after death. Like poor Van Gogh with his personal letters on public display and sunflowers reproduced on mugs. I'm better off if my work gets cast into the external elements. We can both decay as equals, in a sense.

It was nice to see my pals out, braving the cold.

There's me (in "Big Yellow") and my homeboy, Andrew, from Vancity.

Tash and Sadie.

Sade again with Ondra and Arnie.
Not pictured is Rosa and Tiger, who also came around, which, overall, made it an awesome day. Thanks to everyone who took the time to say hi!

Pond Studies

2010-09-15T17:36:00.004+01:00

This adjustable table on casters was passed over to me by Jess Piddock. It's a little low, but it's a good studio companion.

Oil and acrylic on paper.

Vellum Play

2010-09-13T12:01:00.006+01:00

I have a habit of hoarding particular things for a prolonged period, just waiting for a special day when that item can be unearthed for a greater purpose. I guess I developed this problem as a kid, stashing away stickers and rocks and stuff. I still have this problem associated with stickers, although I don't keep a sticker album anymore. Nowadays, I'm more inclined to be precious with paper (and other drawing/painting surfaces), cobalt violet, and saffron.

I had a bit of vellum I have kept in my folder for god knows how long. It's traveled with me from Vancouver, throughout Spain, and now in London. I love this stuff.

When the oil spill off the Gulf of Mexico occurred, I found myself in the studio closely following the updates and stories through BBC radio. I made quite a few oily studies on canvas paper prepared with acrylic paint. I got impatient with waiting for the prepared surfaces to dry and decided to treat myself to the small squares of vellum I had stashed. It's magic when oil touches that stuff. I tried transferring this similar imagery to canvas and it didn't have the same feeling or effect at all. If I hadn't blown my money on that gouache set, I would have stocked up on more vellum.

Upcoming Exhibitions

2010-09-07T00:01:00.008+01:00

So, there should be some good stuff happening this Autumn in London. Gosh, Autumn already...

This week!

NATASHA ROSLING

I met Tash in 2006 when we did a study exchange. She came to Vancouver and hung out at Emily Carr while I went to Chelsea and spent lunch at the Tate Britain. We were able to meet at the beginning and the tail end of our travels. She has since completed her MFA in Amsterdam and traveled the world participating in artist residencies from Shenzhen to Utica. Tash is a very hard worker and very cool. She will be having a solo show at Hidde van Seggelen Gallery from this Thursday, September 9th until October 17th.

The design for the site and the gorgeous press release was created by the extremely talented (and equally hard working) illustrator/ Madmen co-conspirator, Karolin Schnoor.

The London Art Book Fair

Art books, who doesn't love them? The fair will be held at the Whitechapel Gallery and there will be lots of talks and workshops offered throughout the weekend. Word is, there will be lots of deals, up to 40% off publications. Many of the events are free. I've just booked a free talk for Jake and Dinos Chapman AND a free ticket for the screening of Pull My Daisy, with cameos by Allen Ginsberg and Alice Neel (who, by the way, has an amazing retrospective at Whitechapel until the 17th)!
This neat-o book fair will take place September 24th to the 26th.

JESSICA JANG

And me, showing at the Terrace Annual 2010, my new painting, Swamp Pop. It's better in real-life, I promise. Click on the image to really zoom into the swampy mess. Please come down to the private view Saturday, 25th September 2010 3-7pm, at 4-17 Frederick Terrace, London, E8 4EW.

GAUGUIN

I'm not going to get into how I feel about Gauguin as a person and his choices in life,(as interpreted through text, rather than first person time-travel, duh), BUT I will say he lays down a mean palette. Can't wait to have my retinas massaged (and maybe kicked around) by his tropical hues. Oh man, oh man...
Tate Modern from September 30th to January 16th.

I'M BACK!?!

2010-09-06T23:17:00.007+01:00

I know, I know, I'm lousy at keeping up with this blog. But I am here to revive it.

Since I've last posted, needless to say lots has happened, including the acquisition of a studio space on Fish Island. I've been lucky to find a nice spot amongst art pals Sadie Edginton and Jessica Piddock(unfortunately Jess has moved out and prepping for her MA course at Chelsea next year, so now we have David Bradley, confectionery extraodinaire in her place).

Those are some of Jess' portraits next to my stuff, during our open studio in August at the Hackney Wicked Art Festival.

I've been dragging myself down the Hackney canal and into the studio whenever possible. The studio is located right by a 2012 Olympic construction site. I get to see this monster grow larger and larger by the week as I cycle past.

It's been a tough Spring and Summer. I've been struggling to keep up with a steady studio practice. There were long periods of distrust of myself, my hands, and my mind. I would stare with bloodshot eyes at a mess I couldn't even recognize before me. But with slow perseverance, I think the worst of it is over and I can get on with things. I guess that's just the partial hazard of working mostly by yourself, removed from the world, in a room scented with turps.

Yeah, anyway, I'm back and feeling alright about things.

Winter Market Day!

2009-12-21T11:26:00.005Z

Hauled my goods across town early Saturday morning to find a lovely tent pitched up in Camberwell Green. This was where I was going to display my goods for the day. As the morning progressed and more vendors arrived, the fuzzy winter vibes began to build up despite the -2˚C conditions we were facing. I like this about community markets. I've been to markets where the crowd was mumbling a "hipper than thou" mantra, which is not my thing. I like seeing all sorts of people sharing and appreciating creativity together. The mixed crowd on Saturday was pretty good.

The Camberwell council enlisted the help of Barny, who has experience organizing some of the more notorious markets around London, such as Spitalfields and Camden Lock, so we were all in good hands. He and his team were awesome. Not only did they provide a great space and professional advice, but they also offered us mulled wine and chocolate during the afternoon. So cool.

Although, there were pretty substantial amounts of people drifting through the market, sales were modest. My designs received the usual quizzical expressions from the crowd (and special attention from bearded persons). Even my earl grey shortbread got the raised eye brow. British people can be so bashful at times, when faced with unusual things. I did get to wrap up a few gifts and include the hand painted tags I prepped especially for the market. My chewy chocolate ginger cookies were received really well though. I managed to sell a few tees, however sales of cookies surpassed my expectations. A sign perhaps? No worries, I won't throw in the art towel for the oven mitts too soon. Love for baking and cooking is strong, but man, art is a necessity!

Etta did pretty well selling her colourful tees, totes, and aprons. The designs have a fun quality to them. Even I traded her a drawing for her accordion house tee a while back.

Our toes needed to be thawed by the end of the day. I even had to take a short break and sit in the Micky D's to warm my body in the deep fried air. My feet were suffering from a sensation likened to that of being stuffed into ice skates for several hours. I left the site with more reverence for outdoor market vendors.

Camberwell Christmas Market

2009-12-16T22:23:00.007Z

Hey Londoners,
come and visit me at my stall on Camberwell Green this Saturday. I'll be selling tees and totes, cards, some drawings, earl grey shortbread, and chewy chocolate ginger sparkle cookies!

Pictured above is a print of Hair Bawl on a fairtrade, organic cotton tote. This one has sold to a friend in Paris, but there are others in a variety of colours. My talented friend Henrietta will also be selling her awesome silk screened tees.

I'll be offering free gift wrapping for all purchases at my stall along with hand-printed gift tags!

Here's some more info about the market:

It's Christmas Time- There's no need to be afraid

2009-12-16T10:15:00.008Z

Yes, I know it's been a loooong time. But I have returned from the real world to bring forth some more images! No winter season is complete without making a few holiday greeting cards. My original intent was to print some out during November to add to the Christmas market mayhem, but I wasn't able to meet my ideal deadline and also due to lack of funds. I hope to get some postcards printed in the new year featuring a piece from my Four Strong Winds, Three Floods, and Two White Flags series as well as a ghost painting and maybe a new painting.

Anyway, here's a selection of some of the collage cards I've churned out. Happy Holidays to all and have a warm and fuzzy winter season!

Come One, Come All to the HACKNEY WICKED FESTIVAL

2009-07-24T18:34:00.005+01:00

Visit the Homerton Artist Group at our tent in the Fete of the WICKed Saturday, August 1st, between noon to 6pm. Artists with work featured and for sale include:

David Bradley
Tanya Andrew
Jennifer Wolf
Chie Karukami
Lisa Price
Sadie Edginton
Jessica Piddock
Amy Waitt
Alex Anne Walter
Isabel Vince
Emmett
Penny Tristram
Jessica Jang
Henrietta McPhee

RETURN OF THE HAIR!!!

2009-07-23T16:03:00.008+01:00

Hey, I'm back!
Lately, I've been learning the tricks and trade of screen printing! This is a pastime enjoyed by artsters and DIYers alike, but for one lazy reason or another, I never had a chance to be properly introduced to it until now! Yes, lots of exclamations, folks!

Next weekend, AUGUST 1st, I will be premiering limited edition organic cotton/ fair trade tees and totes featuring my Hairy series. I've got a partner helping me with the production of these items and we have yet to come up with a name for our tee and tote biz, but I will notify everyone when the right name does arise.

Here I am modeling my first printed shirt! Olfactory Hair Factory is printed with a water based black ink on a men's small, ecru coloured tee. There will be two images available on tees and totes, Olfactory Hair Factory and Hair Bawl. A small quantity of two colour runs will also be made.

The Homerton Artist Group will have a booth at the Hackney Wicked Festival in East London, where we will be selling our wares. The festival will feature lots of contemporary art and live music from July 31st to August 2nd. There will be numerous exhibition spaces around Hackney Wick and some big names taking part (word on the street is Tracy Emin is involved). The Homerton Artist Group will only be there Saturday, August 1st, so please come visit us at our tent. There will be everything offered from cupcakes and fortune-telling to tattoos!

This tee and tote business is dependent on reception and demand. If I get positive feedback I might consider setting up an online shop. If you are interested in ordering a shirt, please feel free to contact me and I will get back to you with further details.

Kuniyoshi!!!

2009-05-28T16:26:00.003+01:00

The Royal Academy of the Arts is featuring amazing prints by the master printmaker Utagawa Kuniyoshi until June 7th, 2009. Many of the works belonged to Arthur R. Miller's collection (not the brilliant playwright, unfortunately) which have recently been donated to the British Museum. I haven't seen a show this beautiful in a loooong time. There is nothing more mesmerizing and heartpounding than witnessing works of such high skill and callibre. I love Kuniyoshi's sensitivity to line and his crazy awesome imagination and interpretations of stories, poems, and theatre. I urge everyone in London to see this show!

"Hairy noon and nighty night night, my hair is a fright."

2009-05-20T12:25:00.005+01:00

Homerton Artists Group Premiere Exhibition!

2009-05-13T14:41:00.002+01:00

Again, if anyone is in London on Thursday or this weekend, be sure to drop by 144 Daubeney Road to check out our first group show as the Homerton Artists Group. Here's a little sample culled from a bunch of drawings I have been producing in preparation for the show.

Post

2009-05-13T14:28:00.008+01:00

I like sending letters and I like receiving letters. Here are a few select envelopes I've sent off lately.

No eyes

2009-05-11T16:23:00.003+01:00

These Eyes

2009-04-29T14:08:00.006+01:00

I like how my day job allows me catch up on drawing.

Crazy rock 'n' roll eagle came out of listening to Neil Young's Danger Bird. I think Zuma is, just perhaps, my favourite Neil Young and Crazy Horse album.

The one with the muppet-like kids is called, BFF4EVA, a dedication to all my pals.

I think I will call the blustery landscape, Eyes of the Storm.

Idée Fixe no. 4

2009-04-25T22:07:00.001+01:00

Long time coming.

Homerton Artist Group

2009-04-24T11:11:00.005+01:00

I finished designing a flyer last week for the Homerton Artist Group's premiere show. The central theme is home and I couldn't help inserting a home town reference by drawing a little Van-Spesh for the top corner there. Sadie Edginton, one of two hardworking ladies organizing the group meetings and exhibit, has kindly offered her house as the exhibition space. Drawing, painting, photography, and sculpture will be featured. If you're in London, please swing by!

Down By the River...

2009-04-23T10:52:00.006+01:00

More canal drawings.

This first one is inspired by one of my favourite works, The Large Turf by Dürer.

Annette Messager

2009-04-23T10:27:00.006+01:00

I don't know how Annette Messager dodged my radar for so long, but her work is amazing. She is one of those artists who is a true interdisciplinary genius. Her retrospective is featured at the Hayward Gallery on the Southbank until May 25th, and I urge anyone who is visiting London to see it. It's a real treat. Work exhibited includes hundreds of drawings, sculpture, and lots of really humorous kinetic installations. Keep your eye out on the brown sac of a bear being dragged around in circles. Made me laugh.

Here's a link to the Guardian where there are nice images of the show and an interview with the artist.

The Tate Modern is my Umbrella and Sick Bed

2009-03-25T13:45:00.016Z

I got caught in the rain with no jacket or umbrella when I was walking down the South bank towards the Hayward Gallery. I had my heart set on seeing the Annette Messager exhibit, but I decided to seek shelter at the Tate Modern instead since it was closer.

I was curious to see if any major changes had been made in the museum's collection display, which is free for the public to view. There were a lot of the old stand-bys that I remember from three years ago but there were a few new additions too. I was feeling a little queasy that day and just wanted a dim, relaxing environment to be in and was hoping to sit in the Rothko room to recover a bit. I was, however, sad to see the Rothkos were replaced by Viennese Actionism. Lots of work investigating viscera, bodily fluids, and aggression. Just wasn't the day for it. There was also a room projecting a bunch of Paul McCarthy's performance pieces. I usually like the ludicrous and grotesque nature of his work, but I could only endure so much with my bellyache. I'm sure if I stayed any longer I would have conceived an impromptu, performance of my own. It would have been called, "Involuntary Discharge".

There were some great additions to the contemporary painting area though! There was a beautiful piece by Ellen Gallagher that was so complexly layered with paper and paint. The generosity of material and the attention to technicality made me really excited. I felt that it reinstated the significance of aesthetic pleasure and tactility in art. It made me want to go home and make stuff. Additional paintings that I enjoyed were pieces by Raqib Shaw, Chris Offili, and Michael Raedecker.

To quell my illness I sat down and began to draw. My Dad's theory to curing ailments, when I was growing up, was a combination of art-making, Coca-Cola, and tylenol. Sick days from school were spent on Dad's prescription in front of the tv. So, I drew some people waiting by the museum entrance, a couple watching a film on Max Ernst, and even Louise Bourgeois' Maman! And sure enough it worked!

Canal Adventures

2009-03-25T13:30:00.004Z

I just recently got a bike and the weather (up until today) has been pretty lush and Springy, so I thought it was prime opportunity to get to know London better. There are some great canal routes around East London that windup and down from Walthamstow Marshes to Limehouse Wharf.

This is a really pleasant cruise and great reminder of the actual green spaces that do exist this manic metropolis. Further Northeast you go, the more pastoral it becomes. There are wooded areas, stables, and football fields. Now all I got to do is get myself a set of watercolours so I can break out some plein-air action.

Forget about London and art, I'm baking!

2009-03-25T12:54:00.009Z

So, I've spent the last month settling down in my swinging London pad. Been dragging things off the street to furnish my burrow and finding little time for my ol' sketch book. Don't get me wrong though, I have still been busy creating little things here and there. This cake for instance!

This cake was made in celebration of my pal Sade's big 2-4 and for the birth of the 5 kittens in the house. It's a vegan, lemon, coconut cake with a fresh strawberry filling. I surrounded Mama cat with 24 kitty-faced, jaffa cakes. I wanted to sculpt the cake a bit more but alas I'm no cake engineer and the head kept on slumping and the cake kept on falling apart. I have to give mad props to Cupcake Queen, Lyndsay "Coco Cake" Sung for the cakey inspiration.

Idée Fixe no. 3

2009-02-21T23:27:00.004Z

The Mamas and the Papas.

Very Warm Medieval Action in Toledo

2009-02-20T19:57:00.009Z

It was a sunny, warm day. 16 degrees celsius in February. A good day for visiting the medieval fortress of Toledo. The city's old town is perched upon a hill, overlooking the Tagus River. The streets are narrow and winding and a little confusing. El Greco was known for living in this place. His casa/ museo was being renovated though. However, the Museo del Santa Cruz, which used to be a hospital, allows the public to see El Grecos (and Goyas) for free.

I sat at the edge of a cliff and rolled up my sleeves. It was the perfect conditions for drawing aging brick structures and the calloused rock faces that drop into the green river.

Idée Fixe no. 2

2009-02-20T19:35:00.006Z

My imagined rock band.
The Roasties.

Featuring me on bass and my sis on drums. Sounds like: The Crabs, Patsy Cline, Heart, Yo La Tengo, and Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs.

1 Out of 2 Keys

2009-02-15T21:52:00.004Z

Got locked out. Waited around for a while in the dark.

I guess these are my neighbours.

Palacio Real de Madrid

2009-02-14T22:48:00.010Z

The Royal Palace of Madrid is a snazzy place. Apparently it is the largest royal palace in Western Europe and has more than 2 800 rooms. Unfortunately not all the rooms are accessible. As large as it sounds, I was in dismay to find that the areas that were available to tourists was rather quaint in relation to the size of the property. I have a tendency to deviate when I'm feeling the need to satiate my curiosity, but there was no sneaking past the folks here. They keep a watchful eye on you.

As you can see, I was trying to get a few shots without the guards catching on, but alas it's trivial to even attempt it when my hands are as shaky they are. That's why I opt for recording images with drawings. It takes longer, but I don't have to worry about blurriness.

The interiors were pretty nuts. Lots of gold, lots of amazing reliefs, beautiful frescoes(mostly the ones by Tiepolo), some chinoiserie thrown in for good measure, ornate, ornate, ornate! If you like Versailles, you'll like this place. There was also an area displaying military armoury and a farmacia too. Armoury creeps me out. Reminds me of the scene in Bedknobs and Broomsticks when the knights come to life to fight the nazis.

Idée Fixe no. 1

2009-02-09T12:48:00.009Z

Ghosties.

I ♥ Bacon: A Slogan from Yesteryear Revisited

2009-02-07T23:43:00.025Z

No, the title does not imply that I have thrown in the towel after years of vegetarianism. The smell of bubbling pig fat still makes me vacate the premises. I'm talking about that messy Irish bloke, Francis Bacon.

The Francis Bacon exhibition opened at the Nacional Museo del Prado this week. I went to see the show on the second day it opened. I anticipated that there would be die-hards waiting in line to get in, but there wasn't. I think the rain scared them away. The exhibit was on both the first and second floors. This show is meant to commemorate the artist's birth in 1909 (whoa!). Included in the show are 62 paintings and archival objects from his studio such as source material and sketches. An ace show. The Three Studies for a Cruxifixion triptych is marvelous. Go see it if you are in Madrid. It's up until April 19th, 2009.

Bacon was one of my favourite artists when I was in my early teens. He was another painter that my Dad introduced me to. I forgot how much Bacon influenced me as a young person, until I got reacquainted with his paintings the other day. I haven't seen many Bacons in the flesh and I was really astounded by how they made me feel. The thick encrustation of the painted surface, the vibrancy of viscera, faces lacerated with sweeping gestures, periodic dollops of titanium white... such a treat. A weird nostalgic feeling enveloped me as well as a sense of closure that only occurs through physical encounters with well-known cultural artifacts. Man, I felt like I was transported through this nutzoid time portal; the good type of flashback though. The type that helps you understand the inherent nature of self, despite all the brainwashing (aka art school) that may have occurred between now and then. I learned that I am still an angry and morbid atheist despite my all-accepting demeanor. It's all a façade folks! Thanks for clearing things up for me, Mr. Bacon.

In grade 9 art class we had an assignment where we had to turn an existing artwork into an ad. I guess it was supposed to be an inventive means of getting teenagers to better understand how to appreciate the hand of another artist via mimicry. I chose Bacon's Second Version of Painting 1946 and added text that read something like, "Francis Bacon's Artificial Bacon Bits". I considered it mildly funny, but in retrospect I think most people felt that it confirmed my penchant for being rather messed up. There has been little development in this aspect of my life.

First Painting of the Year

2009-02-03T16:22:00.007Z

Now that I've got studio space I'm getting back on the paint wagon. Feels so good to crack open the oils and spirits again. Prepared some paper with acrylic medium last night and dedicated the first painting of 2009 to the resident canine, Chicho.

Waterproof

2009-01-31T11:06:00.021Z

Got back from my journey up North to the Basque country. I had to satiate my curiosity for Bilbao's Guggenheim and do some hiking in Donostia- San Sebastian. Hopped a train up through some beautiful mountain scenery, many rainbows stretched across verdant pastures. My heart skips a beat when I see large, snowy mountaintops summoned from the flat earth- a little reminder of home.

I have heard very little about Bilbao as a city and culture independent from associations with the Guggenheim. I read that Bilbao is primarily an industrial town, so I was pleased to find that much of the city centre was hugged between green hills and steep inclines. Not all grey and smokey as I imagined.

The Guggenheim was built in Bilbao as part of a revitalization project in the Basque country and it looks like the plan has succeeded. It is difficult to walk into that spiral of titanium and limestone without recognizing Frank Gehry's unique vision. Stepping into the atrium is like being sucked into the vortex of a conch shell. I paid a discounted entrance fee because the third floor was closed. An extensive body of Cy Twombly paintings and sculptures were being exhibited as well as a permanent work by Richard Serra, Jenny Holzer, Jeff Koons, Louise Bourgeois and some other stuff. Reproductions of art will often serve poor semblance to the original, as the case definitely is with the Serra pieces. I was completely in awe of the space that was provided for those huge works. Being enveloped in one of those metallic coils is an experience that a viewer cannot even comprehend from a picture. The Jenny Holzer piece was specifically made for the Bilbao location and the infinite strips of sinister phrases reflecting off the floor and ceiling freaked me out. But in an excitable and good way! I looked forward to seeing Koons' Puppy

but unfortunately it looked more like this:

The next day I set off with my friend to Donostia- San Sebastián. The Basques refer to their city as Donostia, whereas most other people will recognize it as San Sebastián. There were lots of nice hilly-mountainesque places that I could imagine myself trekking up, on our bus ride over. After throwing down our heavy packs at the hostel (which was crazy awesome), we ran towards the beach in eager anticipation for the briny rhythm of waves and sand. Man, it's so nice to return to the seaside. Sight for sore eyes. I was so stoked in my photo-taking induced state that I didn't notice the tide rush in up to my shins, soaking my hiking boots and pants. Whatev, how can you worry when the world looks this good?

And yes, that lady just ran into my picture naked. For the record, the sun was in my eyes, so I didn't intentionally mean to be a creep and snap this. But having a figure in the landscape does kind of add to the picturesque quality of this place, no?

Well, the next few days were pretty damp. We didn't get to do any real hiking after all, just walked up some local "mountains". We witnessed some pretty treacherous waves too. That was entertaining. Notice the man hiding behind the sculpture in the wave pictures. He was there for a long time. Possibly stranded. Possibly hypnotized. Terrified. I was in dismay that it was too wet to pull out the ol' sketchbook and scribble some landscapes though. Instead, I sketched in the comfort of our hostel.

I like the rain, it doesn't bother me all that much. We're waterproof after all. However, my sketchbook isn't. I managed to get a few scribbles done at the beach just before leaving for the train station.

When I got to the station I sketched some more.

Then I boarded the train and allowed the miserable baritone of Smog to deliver me through the dark evening, back to Madrid.

we just stole a car

2009-01-21T11:19:00.009Z

Hey, my pals in we just stole a car had an album launch for their sophomore release, Barn, a few weeks back. I designed the cover for
them. Got my copy recently and it is superb. Each album comes with a different combination of photo cards. Check it out!

http://www.myspace.com/wejuststoleacar

Of Grotesques, Ladies, and One Fine Looking Dog

2009-01-21T09:35:00.020Z

“Everything about Florence seems to be colored with a mild violet, like diluted wine.”
-Henry James

Just returned from a short visit to Firenze (Florence). It was marvelous. I find the trouble with traveling is that you can sometimes be vulnerable to falling in love with a place based on superficial conceit. I know every place has it's grimy underbelly, it's loathsome qualities, and social predicaments, but gosh darn, Firenze is just so great! Even fellow wayfarers don't annoy me that much. I can't think about that city without my mind fogging up in a Renaissance induced haze and I catch myself salivating ever so slightly at the thought of grotesque frescoes and Italian sweets.

If you haven't been to the Uffizi, you really should go. It has good reason to be overrated. Firstly, the grotesque frescoes that embellish the ceilings within are amazing. I love following the playful symmetry of odd creatures and grimacing faces that intertwine with decorative tendrils of golden vines... I could lie on the floor staring at that stuff forever. The collection is nuts. I think my time in Spain had tainted my memory of how much I love Italian paintings. Artists such as Boticelli, Michelangelo, Da Vinci, and Raphael were the first few painters my Dad had introduced to me as a young kid after all. I could go on about paintings in the collection that get me excited, but specific highlights for me would be Judith Slaying Holofernes by Artemisia Gentileschi and Medusa by Caravaggio... HOT DAMN!

There were drawings by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri that were on display too. He is also referred to as Il Guercino, which means The Squinter, because the guy was cross-eyed. There was a drawing of a monkey that I particularly liked, although I think it looks more like a lion.

I spotted a cat-fan on the ceiling and it made me pretty happy, so I drew it.

There was a portrait of a pathetic looking character, rendered in a rather unfantastical way, but I thought the dullness of the expression and style was somewhat endearing.

I wanted to pay homage to the many ladies who made all this beautiful art possible. Shout out to the muses and Gentileschi. I think Gentileschi has painted the fiercest of all Judith paintings I have seen thus far. There are quite a few out there, but this one I think is the most believable and unexpurgated. I like strong women and gore.

I bought a pen with a nib and some ink. I doodled a bit and hit the Uffizi Piazza the next day!

I drew some sculptures, Perseus Slaying Medusa, by Cellini and Rape of the Sabine Women by Giambologna. You probably realize I have an inclination for the dramatic.

The day before my birthday my friends and I spotted a dog who shared a startling semblance to my beloved dog Travis back home in Vancouver. I have no idea what combination of breeds Travis is because we got him from the animal shelter, so it's always neat to see other mutts that look like him. This Italian canine's resemblance is crazy uncanny. The markings and colouration were completely spot on, with the exception of the german shepherd-like spots on each side of the face that this dog was missing. Travis' eyes are bigger and his muzzle is pointier too, but this could be him when he gets older and starts to chillax a bit more. Aw, miss my furry pal.

My dawg:

Chasing Sunlight in the Plazas, Dodging the Cold in Museums

2009-01-16T01:21:00.014Z

So, it's been a few days. I don't know how I am going to be able to keep up this posting business, especially without my trusty scanner. My tablet is a little out of sorts today. Luckily, I was able to complete most of the new header (!) before it stopped working. I hope to change the header every so often. Here are some of the sketches from my time here in Madrid, as promised.

These palm trees were drawn at el Parque de Rosales, by the Templo de Debod. I was trying to catch a bit of sun on a park bench. I thought I'd be able to fend off the frigid conditions by rendering some tropical flora.

I was able to catch one of the last remaining days of a Rembrandt show that was at the Prado. I lined up for about 40 minutes (bbrrr) until admitted into the museum. I wish Canadians were as stoked about art as Spaniards. I really loved Rembrandt's intaglio and later paintings. I've been increasingly interested in drawings and intaglio prints lately. All my idiosyncracies really amplify in the printmaking studio, which is why I choose to avoid it. I feel like Pig-Pen when it comes down to the meticulous nature that printmaking requires. But seeing wonderful prints like Rembrandt's makes me believe that I will get back on that intaglio saddle in the near future.

The museum was pretty busy that day. There was no point in squeezing myself between tour groups to check out the Goyas, so I snuck up to the second floor for some quiet time. I sat on a bench facing a bronze sculpture of Queen Mary of Austria dressed as a widow. I wasn't able to successfully render her facial features, so I quickly drew another sketch that properly defined her nose and included the archways in the background.

The Thyssen-Bornemisza, a museum housing a great variety of paintings, had a temporary exhibition called 1914! The Avante-Garde and the Great War. The focus of the exhibit was based on works made during the First World War. I forked over money eager to see some Kirchner, but was dismayed to hear that all the stuff I wanted to see was actually being shown at a free, off site show at the Fundación Caja Madrid. These are super quick doodles of the guards and a sculpture by Wilhelm Lehmbruck called Seated Youth.

Yesterday I wanted to evade the misery that is our cold, dark flat so I went to the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia to keep warm. I sat in a room screening Néstor Basterretxea's film, Operacion H, and drew two benches.

More to come when I return from Firenze!

Riding into the New Year atop the Moon Snail of Mammals!

2009-01-09T23:52:00.001Z

Well, it's the new year in a new country. My holidays in Madrid have been nice and quiet, despite the lively congestion of consumers along Gran Via and Plaza de España. I've had my fill of turrón and paintings. Although I will continue indulging on the latter until I'm ready to continue on my sojourn.

The museums have provided much warmth during this chilly Spanish winter. Just yesterday, at the Prado, I decided to try to negotiate my dislike (perhaps apathy is a more appropriate word) for horses. As much as I appreciate most animals, the horse never made my top ten. It sits on a separate list with the likes of angler fish, ticks, and moon snails. But the new year provides a time for reconciliation, so I sat down with Rubens' gigantic painting of St. George, and proceeded to draw the horse that our hero is perched upon while slaying a dragon. It was a pretty pleasant experience, but I don't think it has had a profound effect on my perception of horses.

I went on to sketch a figure from another gargantuan Rubens' piece, The Adoration of the Magi and included the guard in the room.

In celebration of internet access in the flat, a backlog of various sketches from other museum visits will soon get posted!