Ice Cream!

Wow it got really hot again. I really liked when it wasn't.

Space Claudia

This is Claudia having fun at the Factory Outlet Mall in Niagara Falls NY. She found a spaceship toy that is for some reason depicting the Enterprise from Star Trek the next generation. This space ship has nothing to do with Star Trek.

We had fun in the mall. Got some good deals. You know shopping is fun..... I actually hate shopping.

Buffalo

Me and claudia went to the Albright Knox art gallery in Buffalo a few weeks ago. These are some of the pieces there that I like. It's a small gallery but it's a really nice building and it doesn't overwhelm you with piles and piles of artwork. The staff were all very nice and they didn't mind that we were taking photos (a total no-no at the AGO). It's worth the drive to Buffalo especially if you want some Fruity Pebbles.

The Future is Bright

Here's three dudes clearly looking to the future.

I did this while watching Death Proof. There is no connection between the two. I didn't like Death Proof that much the first time I saw it but it's grown on me.

I kind of see it as a commentary on the evolution and decline of American cinema. In the first segment we are treated to very campy and obviously degraded film stock while we follow a group of very confident and independent women as they are stalked by the old and lame but still somehow cool stuntman Mike. Mike even goes so far in this segment as to say that it's unfortunate that CGI has replaced practical effects in most movies. In the first segment Mike is kind of the cool king of old school. In the second segment we are introduced to another group of women who are all extremely extroverted and independent. These women all work in the film industry and talk freely about who's sleeping with who etc. Kind of a sly comment on how celebrity culture has overridden the films themselves. Mike returns and starts off as the king of cool old school but it quickly becomes evident that he is no match for the new school as the girls overpower him.

This is a pretty lame little "essay" and I'm sure I could do better if I tried... but I'm not gonna try right now. Enjoy the picture!

The King

Here's one from my sketchbook based on a birthday card my brother got for me. I'm not sure the red is really working for me. Ah well.... that's the whole point of a sketchbook though isn't it?

Enjoy!

Black and White Beard

I started trying to fix what I didn't like about the last Beard Man drawing.

I like the line work and the deep shadows better in this image. I think it's generally just a better drawing. Check out his hair. I like it much better. I'm not sure that I'm going to bother with the highlighter for this one. I think I like it as a Black and White drawing.

Sketchbook drawings are so fun. You just doodle and doodle until something you like falls out of your pen and lands on the page. Then of course you drive yourself absolutely crazy trying to recapture what it is you liked about the drawing in the first place. Oh if only I could get paid to make sketchbooks... well not to work in a sketchbook factory or anything, but to doodle and paint in sketchbooks all day long. Life would be more fun.

Enjoy!

Fluorescent Beard

I liked the drawing I did of Mel and it made me want to play with my highlighters some more and create another portrait.

This is a random old guy with a beard. It turned out OK. I don't like what I did to his shirt with the ballpoint pen and I also don't like how my pink highlighter started to run out of ink and I tried to mix it with orange highlighter. Also, the lines on the contours of his coat are too chunky.

You know what... I don't think I like this one all that much...

Mel

I know you've all been wondering what I've been up to lately. The answer is: not much. A lot of work and a lot of rethinking things. There's been a lot of opportunities around lately but none of them really felt right. So I've been biding my time trying to figure out what exactly is right for me. Other people seem so able to make decisions and change their entire lives overnight and that scares me. I can't do that sort of thing unless it's a change that makes absolute sense to me.

So in light of that fact I drew a quick portrait of Mel Gibson in my sketch book. It's not the best portrait ever but I like the drawing. I hope you like it too.

Enjoy!