The Keyhole Sessions

Warm-up sketches.




The Keyhole Sessions are an on going figure drawing class that occurs every Tuesday night at 8pm. It's advertised as "Not your grandma's life-drawing session" and rightly so. I attended tonight's session and Mara and Mattea were the models for the evening. Their poses were provocative and to some, could be considered a bit racy. However, I found them to be refreshing, a nice change from the traditional stuff done in academic type figure drawing sessions. So here are a few pages from tonight.

sketchbook 03/07/10

Alternative Grounds Revisited.

As promised I returned to Alternative Grounds, an indy coffee house in the Roncesvalle neighbourhood, which I had sketched previously and this time in an attempt to grab a seat that would afford a window view. However, the coffee gods were not on my side and I had to grab a chair in the backroom. Despite the lack of a window view, there was this great chair that I was able to sketch. Right as I was settling down to sketch it, the occupant of the chair got up and left. I think she was nervous being the centre of my attention.

sketchbook 4x3

I've realized something drawing the cafe images. I get pretty uptight using the micron pen and it definitely translates into the line work. No fluidity and looseness at all. So to combat my nervousness using the micron I decided today that my sketches would be based on quantity versus quality. So here are 12 images I drew over the course of the day. The first 9 are images drawn at the Future bakery and the last 3 are drawn at the Royal Ontario Museum. It was a great challenge for me to be loose at the ROM because everything I've done up to this point at that location has been pretty tight. I actually caught myself a few times tightening up. The image I like the most is the buddha because it's the least favourite of the lot. It's so unlike my style that it makes me cringe and I think doing something that is outside of my comfort level will eventually help me expand my repertoire.

El Almacen

El Almacen, in Spanish, means a general store. Silvio, the proprietor of this new cafe along the Queen west strip was kind enough to talk to me about what made this place stand out from the other indy cafes in Toronto, even though it's only about a month old. The draw of this cafe is its mate in a gourd tea. Mate is a tea that has a lot of medicinal value to it and traditionally it's drunk from a gourd. Not to slap tradition in the face, I did just that and sat at El Almacen for a few hours sipping this tea while sketching this place.

The gourds can be seen on display on the two shelves in this image. According to the small leaflets available at the cafe the mate tea's benefits include:
1. It has the same amount of caffeine as coffee but doesn't have the same side effects like jitters and yellow teeth.

2. It makes you look younger. It has antioxidants and a higher concentration of polyphenols (a strong antioxidant)

3.Boosts the immune system

4. Helps you loose weight. (I don't think I need to loose anymore weight)

5. You look cool drinking the tea straight from the gourd. (That's why so many ladies were staring at me...I was cool)

Sketchbook 01/23/10

Some random people that were sitting in my cone of vision when I had my sketchbook out.


To celebrate the sale of my 4 drawings, I treated myself to a bit of dim sum at the Kim-Moon Bakery. This place has been around since I was 10 and is still thriving. It's a cheap, quick place to grab something filling and it holds so many memories for me. The wait staff, regardless of how many have passed through these sumptuous smelling halls of goodness, all have been direct, a bit gruff, women who get to the point and tell you how it is. This is not French dining, folks, it's quick and dirty dim-sum and that's how it should be!

On the celebratory menu was a steamed beef patty and over easy egg on rice, with a side of beef tripe with scallions and ginger and deep fried squid tentacles (or as my friend calls them, the french fries of the sea)

Ideal Cafe

It's been a few weeks since I posted so I thought I'd return to the blogosphere with a cafe drawing. This time around, I got a chance to sketch the Ideal Cafe. It looks like a hole in the wall, and it is, however, they make a pretty good americano and the place is a great magnet for interesting looking people.

Moonbean Cafe

I heard Mr. Warden's mantra over and over in my head as I drew and coloured this image. He was my grade 7 art teacher, who always told us never to over draw an image and know when to stop. Well, Mr. Warden, I guess I wasn't listening to you back then and I wasn't heeding your advice on this image. A bit too finicky but I throw this out into the ether known as the blogosphere.

I've drawn this cafe before, in one or my earlier sketchbook pages and I have to say I liked that one a bit better, even though it wasn't an interior image.

For Dan Kent…

Hi Dan. I'm a visual kinda guy, so i thought i'd post my beloved companion. Here's the Bic round stic Grip, fine tip.

It took some getting used to at the beginning, but i'm loving how it feels. It tends to bleed after a bit of use, but i find the bleed spots add a bit of texture to my drawings. I can't find the fine tip in blue so it's a little frustrating to do the black and blue drawings with a medium tip blue pen. But, life goes on and so shall i.

Sketchbook 01/31/10

A common theme running through these two spreads. They were both drawn while waiting. The cafe was done while waiting for a friend at the Moonbean Cafe and the laptop gentleman was done waiting for my shift to begin.

Sketchbook 01/25/10

I had the intent to do another coffee house sketch at Balzac's in the Distillery district. However, my intent shifted abit and instead of doing a "finished" piece, I returned to my sketchbook.

I had a great time and I found after doing a tighter style, returning to a smaller dimension and the cheaper paper of my sketchbook, really loosened me up. I really like the end result of this.

Ezra's Pound

Well here's another coffee shop. It's called ezra's Pound. Ezra is the owner of the place and well, pound...coffee. pound...makes sense.

Took me a few days to finish colouring this image because I didn't feel it. It ended up a bit too finicky.

Clafouti

"A clafouti is a baked French dessert that is typically made by baking fresh fruit (traditionally cherries) and a batter, halfway between a Yorkshire pudding/pancake batter and a custard, in a baking dish." Wikipedia

Well that's the name of this cafe. Apparently one of oldest in the city. It's strange that there are so many independent cafes in the city. This one, literally is three doors down from the White Squirrel Cafe, a place I had drawn a few months ago. I wonder how all these cafes can survive in this economy.

black and blue

I did this piece at the ROM a few days ago. It was after I had done a similar piece (in medium and technique only) that I thought I'd give it another go. I've been mulling over it for the last few days and still haven't decided it I really like it or not.

Any thoughts on layout technique, composition from the blogosphere would be appreciated.

Sketchbook 01/06/10

I returned to the ROM today and bumped into Jai Wax, an artist I've seen around here before but never had a chance to draw. Well today was my lucky day because I got two sketches of him. The good part about this situation was that Jai would draw different sculptures for 10 minute sets which meant I had to sketch him in that allotted time. It really boiled these drawings down to the essentials.

Thanks Jai for being so gracious while I stared at you for 20 minutes!

Sketchbook 01/01/10

Well here's my first entry for the new year. Nothing monumental, except for the clutter on the counter.

Happy new year all and may it be a happy and prosperous one.

Manic Coffee

Another coffee shop I had the pleasure of sketching in. However, the café americano was so so.

sketchbook 30/12/09

Using two coloured pens. This is me being daring.

sketchbook 23/12/09

The last spread in my current sketchbook. I had a lot of fun drawing the snapping turtle at the ROM today. Apparently snapping turtles are an invasive species to the Great Lakes ecosystem and as a result, are creating quite a bit of havoc to the natural native flora and fauna.


When my dad was in the hospital, he roomed with a few gentlemen. This is his second roommate, Guido. I kid you not.


This spread was a reaction to the first day back to the ROM in about a month. My main objective was to lay down a lot of ink. Subject matter wasn't too important.

My sister renewed my membership to the ROM and I have to say it is one of the most thoughtful birthday gifts i've ever received!

Mission accomplished: Naco Cafe and Zoots

It's 3am and I'm way too tired to comment on these images coherently. So I'll return to them in 8 hours.

------

Good morning all. It's 6.5 later and I'm feeling quasi rested. So as promised I'm here finishing this post. The Naco Cafe is located a block from my place and is owned and run by Julian, a really nice guy from Mexico, I believe. His cafe doubles as an art gallery and constantly has shows running there. I've been there in the past but this was the first time I really looked at the space and how it felt to be in there and it really had a cool vibe. Alot of eye candy going on in the space like the religious icons; a picture of jesus and the small devil's head over the doorway to the back. If you're in Toronto, you definitely should check this space out.

Another cafe is Zoots. It's owned and run by Melanie Janisee, a Detroit native who finally landed in Toronto. I was fortunate that Melanie was curious enough to come up to me to see what I was doing. From this she told me that the name Zoots was the name of the cafe that she worked at while she was in Detroit. So i guess this is Zoots, the Toronto Version. Thanks for letting me idle away a few hours away drawing your cafe, Melanie. (She's also a great artist herself who has a few pieces hanging on her walls, in particular some small vignettes outside the washrooms)

Cafe at 181 Dovercourt Road

I was walking through my old stomping grounds and remembered a cafe on the corner that I always wanted to try out. So I did and I didn't regret the decision.

I couldn't find any name to the cafe other that the word "cafe" painted on the side of the building. Can you get anymore concise than that? I like it.

Amendment: I stand corrected. Thanks to Jen Spinner, the cafe is called, The Luna Café. Thanks, Jen.

Alternative Grounds Coffee House

The trouble with sketching in coffee houses is the seat availability. First come, first serve and so I didn't get the seat I wanted to do the interior of Alternative Grounds. So I had to settle for this view of the coffee grinder. I'll probably head back soon and try to draw a view that captures the window because it seems I've gotten into a pattern with the past two coffee houses of including the exterior facing window. So stay tuned and hopefully another Alternative Grounds image will be uploaded with a window in it.

White Squirrel Cafe

Well, as promised, another cafe interior.

TAN coffee

With the coming of winter, spending more time indoors is not an option, it's a necessity. I've walked by tthis coffee shop many times and always wanted to sketch this bean roaster. So here it is.

Sketchbook

My dad was admitted to the hospital this past weekend and although these are not the circumstances I would have liked to draw him under, these images and this blog try to reflect the experiences in my life.

sketchbook 11/11/09

I returned to the Art Gallery of Ontario for the second time since the Gehry renovation. It's still an inspiring space and I had hoped to climb the serpentine staircase that cantilevers and inhabits the Walker Court, the main foyer upon entering the Gallery. Unfortunately, it was closed due to over use and a ventilation system was being installed (Frank Gehry didn't anticipate the humidity created by the heavy traffic up and down those stairs). So the closest I got was this sketch.

I also went did a sketch of the Henry Moore Sculpture studio. A Canadian sculptor who produced these powerful, primal, bone like figures. Simply beautiful.

sketchbook 10/11/09

I had the entire image laid out in my mind. However, it seldom works out the way I usually see it. The gentleman with the glasses was supposed to be sitting to the right of the gentleman with the English style riding cap… slipped up on the proportions of this piece, but I thing it worked out well in the end. Also i couldn't resist sketching the gentleman with the cowboy hat. Who wears a cowboy hat in Toronto?!

For Andrew

A long time ago, my friend Andrew asked me to draw him an image with a castle and fish in it. He didn't specify anything else other than those two elements. I didn't of course, because I was just too lazy. More recently he asked me to draw the young boy I saw who had ta unibrow (i KNow, very un-PC, but the image stuck in my mind). Well I thought the timing was right so I incorporated his initial request with this request.


So here you go, Andrew.

sketchbook 09/11/09

Took a break from some computer work and sketched at the Bloor Gladstone Library.

I'm kicking myself for not sketching outside because it was such a beautiful day...oh, well.

I mucked the bottom lettering. Was trying to take advantage of the transparent nature of the watercolour to get a duo reading.

sketchbook 08/11/09

I spent an enjoyable, quiet afternoon at Starbucks sketching people.

sketchbook 06/11/09

This is the façade of the old ROM sketched from a walkway that leads to the new Crystal wing. The walkway had a great irregular shaped opening that I thought would be a nice framing device for this view. I wished I got a bit more of the opening



A few things I learned today:

1. Allan Gardens Conservatory is spelled with an "A" instead of an "E"

2. me+watercolour+drawing vegetation don't mix well.

3. sitting on an iron bench for a few hours-- not very comfortable, on several levels.

4. Bring an apple next time.

5. Another great indoor location to sketch for the up coming winter… and it's free.

Sketchbook 05/11/09

The big puddles of ink are covering mistakes. There I said it. One of the rules I've applied for myself for this sketchbook is not to skip any spreads. So I had to do something with the smudges. My initial action was to ignore it, but in the end I liked how these smudges sat in relation to the drawing. The addition of the date was an after thought.


I had made it an objective today to draw 2 spreads. This is the second one and the colour elements were added at home.

There is no rationale for the colour and shape of these forms other than the fact that I wanted them there. I know, I'm a bad ass, a rebel in a cardigan.
Actually, to apply a bit of arm chair psychology, I think it's a willful response to all the rationalizing i had to do as a graphic designer when I worked in an office.

sketchbook 04/11/09

I's so hard sketching meat! Gotta get down to the St. Lawrence market more often to sketch carcasses...hmmmm, dinner....

sketchbook 03/11/09

Dufferin/Gladstone library.