Azumi

The mighty, mighty Azumi posing with the painting I had done of him earlier this year.

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Today was a first for me. We sketched at the Mt. Pleasant cemetery. I forgot how many great trees this place has. I used to have a few classes here in my uni dendrology class. I believe the tree I drew is a Fagus Grandifolia (American Beech).

 

Keira

6x8in., oil on masonite

Wwa: what makes you happy?
K: Seriously?
Wwa: yeah.
K: OK. Right now, I feel happy when I give or contribute to other people making a personal discovery they feel good about - whether that is finding a Lego piece for Emile so he can finish his Millennium falcon, supporting my actors though previews as we come to our opening night, or seeing Emile's friends excited at the storm trooper costume we stayed up till 2:00 a.m. making...too cheesy?
Wwa: nope. Thanks

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Sketching at the John St. Roundhouse this afternoon. Wearing black might make me look artsy, but it is not good attire for sketching especially without cover. Spent a few hours getting this down and burning my head.
The great thing was this sight was so close to the Skydome that I heard the roar of the crowd when the Jays did something good (they won over the Boston Red Sox and we're one game behind. The rubber match is tomorrow.)

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The last day of a beautiful Labour Day holiday weekend and I spend it indoors at Future Bakery. (insert eye roll here)

I noticed this person totally engrossed in drawing anime so I thought I'd draw him. Win win.

(Note to self: When hand lettering, pay more attention to spelling and grammar)

Mouse

 Kimchi and I have been living together for 3 years. This is the first mouse she ever caught in that time. IT happened last Friday.

As a proud papa, I thought I'd either bronze the mouse or paint it to immortalize the moment. I went with the latter.

oil on masonite. 8x10in.

I couldn't leave well enough alone. I had to be an "artist". I spent way too much time on this one, which was meant to be a quick study.

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A lovely afternoon sketching at Timmies with an iced coffee.

Renata

 Some process images leading to the completed portrait.

Renata
oil on masonite, 18"x 24"

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This was a first today for me at the Bloor Gladstone Library.

As many of you know, the Bloor Gladstone Library is a regular haunt for me to sketch at, particularly the users of the library. Today, as I have done many times in the past, I went after work to sketch library people. Midway through drawing a lady (see below), a librarian came up to me and asked me to stop drawing her because it was an invasion of her privacy. She also mentioned that library policy prohibits taking pictures of people… architecture is good. People, not good. Technically, I wasn’t photographing anyone.

I understand the librarian’s issue with it, but 99% of the time I’m drawing people who are so engrossed with reading, fiddling on their mobile devices or sleeping, that they don’t realize that they are being sketched. Whenever I was “caught”, I’d show them what I did. For the most part they were flattered that I had drawn them. I’ve posted past drawing sessions from the library (all people) on my twitter feed and “likes” have come from the Bloor Gladstone Library account multiple times. If this was an issue, perhaps raising it then would have been the time to do it. I know the account is probably controlled by some tech guy somewhere else, but it gives me mixed messages.

As an artist, this is how I interact with the world. I’m drawn to people and sketching them is my record of that time. Some people write in their journals or keep small momentos from a special moment. This is my way to remember. In the entire eight years I have been sketching in public, this is second time I’ve been asked to stop sketching a person. When asked, I have stopped and apologized. That’s all I could do. I won’t stop drawing people in public, but I guess the Bloor Gladstone Library will only be a place where I borrow books from.

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Trying to work in a larger size sketchbook at the Bloor Gladstone Library.

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The domestic departure lounge at Pearson International Airport. Headed to Kelowna, B.C.

Some passengers within sketching range of me. Beware. I like the mid range distance the best.

The gentleman beside me was sleeping for most of the 4.5 hr. flight. Fortunately there was no one in the middle seat, so I had a full view of him the entire flight. Thank you good sir, for modelling for me.

The quad in which three of my friends and I stayed in at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan campus. Beautiful place.

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Stan the Man, aka. dad.
One of the most generous people I know with a gentle soul to match.

Paul

Oil on masonite, 6 x8 in.

Q: What makes you happy?

A: To be stress free.
Q: Have you achieved it yet?
A: No.

 

Paul is a general contractor… good luck with the stress, Paul.

Anita

Oil on masonite. 6 x 8 in.
Q: What makes you happy?
A: A good movie that makes me cry. Not like a tear jerker flick, but a film where the story and writing is so seamless that the beauty of the actions that unfurl on screen move me to tears. Catharsis.

Lina

Lina
oil on masonite, 18 x 24 in.

Q: What makes you happy?
A: A force of will and peace of mind.

 

And so it begins…

 

A process shot was taken after each session.

Lina holding the final image.

I can't say enough good things about Lina. We spent the last 4 Sundays getting her portrait done. She was amazing. A mountain. Didn't budge. Thanks, Lina!

Robert Dunne Salon

Robert Dunne, the proprietor of Robert Dunne Salon, was generous enough to offer me some of his wall space to display some of my paintings. Get a new coif and check them out.

sketchbook: Quantity over Quality

 No aikido today meant a fulll day of sketching. I knew I wanted to sketch a lot today. A few things running through my mind while doing this marathon session. Mr. Warden, my grade 7 art teacher telling us how as an art student he had his drawings stolen the night before they were due and he had to wake up early the next day and sketch 20 drawings. John Wilkenson, my uni art teacher telling us how he was regularly took an empty sketchbook and filled it in one afternoon. Terence Van Eslander, my first year design prof. telling us to draw all our process drawings on sheets of cartridge paper and use those accumulated sheets as the base for our final drawings.
I guess what I was trying to do today was to have quantity over quality... showing the good, the bad and the ugly.

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Trying to squeeze everything I can out of the Bloor Gladstone Library, in particular, the people. Thank you, my unsuspecting models... except for the sleeping subway guy.

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I decided today to broaden my horizons and sketch at the Yorkville Library. It definitely has a different vibe from the Bloor Gladstone branch. One thing I noticed immediately was the toddler's sing along program that was happening as I was there. I would hear the lyrics (scribbled on the bottom of the page) sung by the librarian and the kids singing after her.

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Some after work sketching at one of my regular haunts. I chose to sit in a seat that would allow me to sketch anyone in front of me in profile… an ideal sketching position, I believe!

Answer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzlK0OGpIRs

Opening night, "Come Togther", Propellor Gallery

 Tonight was the opening night of the "Come Together" group show at the Propellor Gallery. This is my submission to ti. It's my "A-Z" piece depicting the hands of 26 of my friends, each showing a character in American sign language.

 Jane and I in front of her piece, a Frida themed collage. One of the more colourful pieces in the show and one of my favourites. She was the artist who invited me to my very fist show at this gallery. Thanks, Jane!

The marquee (or just signage?) outside of the gallery. Who cares, because that's me! ;-)

sketchbook... library people

Post work sketch session at the Bloor Gladstone Library.

Family 1: wife/mother/daughter/sister

Q: What makes you happy?
A: My family, my fur babies, knitting, sleep, sunshine, good food, good friends!

Hidetaka

Q: What makes you happy?
A: Knowing that I have people who care about me… or pizza.

Twins: Rick 1 + Rick 2

Q: What makes you happy?
A: The unexpected. Contradictions, broken stereotypes, people out of the norm are what make me smile.

Azumi, the mighty, mighty titan

Urban Sketching, Toronto: T.D. Gallery of Inuit Art

I went with the Toronto Urban sketchers to the T.D. Inuit Art Museum. I didn't realize it existed, but it's tucked away in a quiet corner of the TD Tower. It was nice to be around liked minded people for a few hours.

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Oakham Cafe. Ryerson Uni. Cheap eats. Decent coffee. And a lot of people who don't move too much.

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Unsuspecting subjects at the Bloor Gladstone Library. A nice way to unwind after work.