Plein air

I’m feeling guilty for not posting for a few days so here’s something from the archives. You may have already seen this photo on my facebook page. I was drawing at this beautiful little farm in Saskatchewan a couple summers ago while some family members were off trail riding and the donkey really liked me. Like really liked me (…possibly because we have similar hair).

Ladies

The one new year’s resolution or whatever you want to call it that I seem to be coming through on is to draw more people. Drawn from photos I’ve been collecting in my “Ladies” folder, with ink on crappy paper with pleasing results. A couple are stars… Recognize anyone?

One year Montreal…

There’s something about the fall that makes a person nostalgic no matter what the situation. One year ago today I left Montreal, the city where I lived from age 20 to 30, a place that influenced (and continues to influence) who I am as a person and what I do creatively.

I have a really bad memory for names, books, movies, geography etc. but when I draw something I will always remember it for the rest of my life. When I see it again it’s like an old friend. Here are the collection of sketches I did before leaving the city, of some of my favourite little random spots. Montreal, like any city, is always changing and a few of these places already aren’t around anymore. I’m thankful that I took the time to draw them when I did. Drawn on location with pen & ink in watercolour molskine (so good, so expensive), coloured with watercolour at home. Enjoy!

In ascending order:

Riddell Fishing & Tackle shop (Mile End)
Bain St-Michel (Mile End – and that’s Snailhouse performing)
Wilensky’s (Mile End)
Lave Auto 5 Minutes (Plateau)
Élite Suede (NDG)
De Gaspé, close to Bernard (Mile End – my last stinky studio is there somewhere in the distance)
Wheel Club / Old Time Country Music Club of Canada (NDG)
La Maison de l’Aspirateur (Mile End)
J.R. Comptant (NDG)
Nouveau Palais (Mile End)

Blackberry II.

It’s kind of like this with every illustration I do. Warm up, purge, whatever you want to call it—get the literal stuff out of the way—and then something more interesting comes out. Same idea, very different delivery. This one feels a lot better…

Berriesblack

I haven’t drawn for a little while, well, that’s not true, but I wanted to just draw a whole image start-to-finish on one piece of paper as quickly as possible without thinking too much. Of course I had some fun time with it in photoshop after too. Call it a learning experiment. Now let’s go pick more!

back from Big Sur…

Just got back from my first camping trip down the west coast, all the way to Big Sur (Henry Miller Library anyone!?). I fell in love with the palm trees, the brown pelicans, and the surfing beaches. The graphic design and typographical work on the streets and in the shops of Portland and San Francisco was really impressive too. I’m inspired.