PCP028- Found Object #1

(Note May 13Th,2010. For some reason this page comes up on a lot of
searches. What are people looking for? I am just curious. More recent work
can be found if you click on the mast head. Thank you for visiting.
 GarSeeYa!)
Grocery list found at bus stop, sitting on the ATCO building ledge.

What if...you disappeared today

and all we have to remember you by is this grocery list?

No pictures or letters, message on the answering machine.

Fingerprints on the bathroom mirror- spelling out "I love you",

casting off the moisture on steamed glass.

This is what you were craving the day you went away?

Did you think of me?

Maybe not...

since dessert was not on the list.

GGG-05-08-28

PCP027- Connect the Dots

I think of lazy summer days, when we were children with little to do, finding ways to entertain ourselves.

Activity books printed on newsprint were easy enough to pick up at Super S or K-Mart. Grab a pencil or a crayon and start playing Tic-Tac-Toe, hangman, mazes, find the word, match games, color pictures and connect the dots.

Out of habit, I doodle when I talk on the phone or waiting for files to upload or download. I end up with a few scrap notebooks full of these little drawings.

PCP 24-26 Fragments

I got too involved in a drawing one day. Coming home on the bus, I missed my stop.
By four blocks. I ended up at the corner store renting a movie, so my trip would not be wasted.
A walk in the rain was needed. Colors are made sharper in a dark hue. Fallen apples on the grass, like golden nuggets surrounding the tree. Water coming down the storm drain in a rush, an echoing water fall. Leaves are strewn about on the sidewalk, green and yellow signaling summer’s end. Sunflowers and other flowers bob in the gentle rain, skirting the perimeters of a schoolyard, waiting for the hands of young explorers.

Digging in the garden one night. Harvesting small potatoes from a poor crop. Ants are dug up with the roots. They have fed on the soft skin of the vegetable, leaving them rough and speckled. Earthworms, unearthed, shrink in the cold air. They are transplanted to the composter, before the birds ever see them.

Zachary sat in my lap, squirming as the Nurse reached for the needle. I hold onto his wrists and pinch his feet between my legs to prevent any mishaps. It is not an easy task or a comfortable one. We are not often asked to restrain our children, but it is not everyday they get inoculation shots. He remembered the building and the room when we got there.
After the shots were given and we started to comfort him with milk, the Nurse came with a little more information. Zachary would not let her near him and cried again.
Later that night, he would point at his shoulders and give a faint “Aooohhh,”it would be a hard night. He took his medicine without complaint and slept until eight o’clock in the morning.
Late in the afternoon we waited for M at the bus stop. She was not on the usual bus, came back home and picked apples. We met M half way down the street when we heard the transit bus go by. After supper and a nap we went to My Favorite Ice Cream Shop. M had two scoops strawberry and brownie. I had tiger tail and chocolate cheesecake.

We took the long way around getting home, thinking we would get time to play in the park for a little while. The sun was almost setting as we made our way through the neighborhood. There are In-fill homes under construction every few blocks. Inflating the value of inner city properties, to live in desirable homes. M points out the ones she likes, and I think to myself that it would be “sometime” in coming. We have our hopes and dreams like everyone else, but we are happy with what we have…and there are those who have far less.

GarSeeYa!!!

PCP 21-23-Widescreen.

"Is it possible to do an entire comic book using the postcard format?" This was the question I asked myself and in conversation with F.S."Why not, anything is possible," she replied. This is a second attempt at this format, the first maybe posted later on. At this scale the finished pages would be 12" X 18" which is much larger than a standard comic page.Getting things to fit on my scanner is always a challenge.There are ways around this, I just need to find the most economical way, time and budget wise. GarSeeYa!! Click on the image for a better look.

Some of My Work.

Here are a few images that have been created for various projects and or random doodles.Works for Panday Studio, General Jinjur,24Hour Comic Challenge. (Click on the image for a better view.)













The Last image is a collaboration with my Son Zachary, a gift on Mother's Day. GarSeeYa!!!

PCP020- Fleas?

Lines drawn at four o'clock in the morning.

PCP020

I couldn't sleep again last night. Creativity has a way of nudging you to get up or keeps you from sleeping.

Random lines drawn on four inch by six-inch paper. Subconscious particles of incomplete images and thoughts, the flotsam and jetsam of a restless mind. You may read what you will from the little images, meanings may be formed in your own mind. Such is the way of human nature, to find meaning in all things.

What if things have no need for meaning?

I hit the next blog button a few times, just to see what would come up. I saw many entries from different people on this planet- writings of their travels, loves and loss in their lives, pursuits of dreams, the search for knowledge and the desire to make contact with other cultures. No matter the language there are many Universal truths. One is that we are not meant to be alone. We are beings that require companionship, friendship and family. That our lives are made richer for the love and human contact we gain in our lives.

The best and the worst of Humankind can be found on the Internet. Blogs are like tiny satellites that we launch into the void. Broadcasting our hopes and fear, dreams and nightmares, love and hate. Many search for an audience. Some exist simply to be, a record of one life of thoughts cast out on a net that covers one planet.

Does it need meaning? All our efforts and struggles on this world do not have to come to one FINAL goal. Life is not about the destination it is about the journey.

There may come a day when the Sun will loose its heat and light and the Earth will forget about gravity. All the things on this fragile skin of life will be cast off into the dark, like so much debris or infestation, shaken off like fleas.

Who will read of our history, the victories and conquests of nameless people, the exploration of far away lands and distant planets. What I wrote about today on a blog that only a hand full of people will read?

GarSeeYa!!!

PCP # 19- Magic of Art.

The BEST thing about drawing: A blank page can fill up so quickly when you let your imagination run wild.
I have had the Photoshop program for a couple of years now, but I've not taken any courses to properly use it. I am learning as I go, which is the case for all new technology that I encounter. It is always rewarding to try something new, you learn whether you like it or not.
In previous drawings done in P.S. I always ended up drawing over the lines- I could not retain the original line art, something very basic. I found my way around that, and this is the result.

I will have to some homework and research on P.S.Knowing how to use an Art Tool- the exploration is always the fun part. Funny thing is, I would miss getting the paint on my hands.

GarSeeYa!!!

PCP #17 - #18

I spent way too much time doodling in my note books in elementary and high school. If I had received credit for those, I would have been done a lot faster. At ART college I didn't have to draw in my class notes, I had most of my days creating ART.

These postcards have brought back the "random doodle"-the only difference: I'm not limited to four colors of a ball point pen. (Red,green,blue and black-those blue and white clickable ones)

# 18- The kid with the hat and gotee' is Bone-apart a little character from an old sketchbook, still lurking in the back of my mind. The lanky one is a reaction to FREZATTO an artists/writer who's work I'm currently reading, but not while I'm typing.

GarSeeYa!!!- your comments would be very much appreciated, I'd just like to know who's out there?

M's Birthday-PCP #16

Yesterday was my wife's birthday. Another year. Another decade.

We celebrate the blessings in our life.

I decided to make a trip to the Calgary Tower, to surprise M.

This would be the first bus ride for Zachary. After lunch we quickly got ready to make the bus on time.

It was wet and foggy when we got outside, the drizzle landed on Zachary, a million beads of crystals on feathery hair. I took a picture of him standing on the sidewalk before the # 13 came down the street. The Bus driver gave us a smile as I stepped on to the big white bus.

Zachary sat on my knee, in a gentle hug. I often think of "hugging my inner child" when I hold him in my arms. Thinking how much time my Father lost away from his children working so hard early in our lives. Time you never get back. I cherish the time I have with Zach, as we wind through the wet streets. Looking out at the houses and empty playground.

We ride through the corridor of million dollar houses of lower Mount Royal, perfect facades for people who can afford them. Rarely do I see the families that live in them.

The route went into downtown. We got off at the Bay, about three blocks from the Tower.

I showed Zachary some of the unique architecture and sculptures on Stephen Avenue. Touching the masonry, sculpted stone and metalwork of converted banks. Zack tugged on the tail of an iron horse outside of Saltlick's, which gave a little clang as he let go.

M- was not at the front desk when we arrived at the Tower. We peeked through twenty-foot tall windows looking into the lobby. "Mom" Zachary stated, pointing at the picture of the Tower used as a backdrop for the photographers at reception. Brian, the man at the counter directed me to where M- was, cashing out in the tiny office. I poked Zachary's head into the door to hear an excited "Hi Punkin!"from my wife.

We made the rounds as M- showed Zachary to some of her co-workers. Zachary was not too impressed meeting so many people. A trip to the top of the landmark was in order and standing on the new glass floor was long over due. We looked down through the fog at little cars on slick black streets, how little noise a city makes from high above.

We stopped at a water fountain at the Encana building. Zach got his hands wet, surrounded by tropical plants, touching the azure painted bottom.

Burgers and fries, grilled chicken salad was ordered at Dairy Queen. We sat in a booth where Zach was preoccupied with eating catsup dipped with a straw.

We made our way home on a crowded bus. A box of yellow roses sat on my lap, water spilling out of an unstable vase. Zachary cuddled on M- knees as he suckled on a milk bottle. Windows steamed. Windshield wipers waved like a metronome. We got out at the stop and walked to our house around the corner. A nap was next on the agenda.

GarSeeYa!!!

PCP #15

I spent a little time out on the patio deck on a cool Sunday afternoon,doing postcard sketches.My inlaws have a few toys large and small scattered about the house.They could almost start a little Toy Museum.Various items like Lego Blocks,Easy Bake Ovens,Barbies a ton of stuffed animals and dolls.They have a lot of experience,having been played with by four girls and passed down to their own children.

PCP #14

  I missed my bus coming home yesterday.I had half an hour to wait ,so I did a postcard sketch.It has been years since I made Art on street level.A few years ago,when I worked downtown, I was sketching down here on a regular basis.Times change,much like the downtown core.One of the constants has been this statue in front of the Hudsons Bay Company-(if you ask me the title for the statue,I could not tell you)

 Sat on a funky smelling bench,residual energy from the semi-permanent residence of Stephen Avenue.Tourists take pictures of the statue and a converstion goes on the pay phone as I draw.Wedding photographs are taken at the crosswalk,the second one I'd seen in a month.

 Half an hour can go by so quickly...yet a billion things occured with little thought.

 GarSeeYa!!!

PCP #11 - #13

PCP #11: My wife and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary yesterday.Being somewhat limited in funds and time this week,like every other guy,I did the "last minute thing".A stop at PANAGO'S PIZZA for a large tropical Hawaian.Bernard Callebaut chocolates next door for a small sweet batch, placed in a box with a little card I drew up on the bus.Still it never seems enough.



PCP #12-#13:The first was the random line method again.Started with the cool lines,followed by red,finished with black.The second was initiated with a basic body outline,red broad strokes followed by defining black.Background figures added,oppted not to color those.The figure work has some M.Golden and E.McGuiness influence.My lines have been influenced by so many,yet the results still have something totally my own.






(Click on the image to enlarge)

Starting on August 12th,I am opening up this blog to everyone for comments.
I wanted to have more content before I cast it out on electronic,pixilated waves,like a messege in a bottle.

Thanks for visiting.

GarSeeYa!!!

PCP #4-10

Posting update.I was in Edmonton for the COMIC TALKS at Happy Harbour Comics on August 6th,and have been tied up for a little while.

Some experimentation is still going on...PCP#4 & #5 are two more images done with random apple prints.Inks and pencil crayon on top.



PCP#6 was done while waiting at the Greyhound Station on my way up to Edmonton.I got very little sleep in the following 48 hours.

PCP#7 & #8 were images started by "Cactus Pear" smeared on the index cards.Ink lines after...really playing with the tools here.

PCP#9 & #10-I took out the old watercolours,dabbed a few blotches on the cards.#9 started with a feather handled crowquill pen,#10 with a Sumi brush,both were gifts I received this summer from friends and relatives vacations.They were more decorative than fuctional.The images were finished with more reliable tools. I will still have to stretch my comfort level and really try something new.



Watch for more to come!

GarSeeYa!!!

PCP August 4th

PCP#2: Like #1 was just a series of wandering lines taking their own direction to form the pictures.Grey tones were added at Photoshop.



PCP#3: Zack and I picked up crab apples in our backyard,I made random prints later on a few cards.Drawn images are added on and coloured.

GarSeeYa!!!

Postcard Pastime 2005 (PCP05-01)

A few years ago my wife said "Nobody writes letters anymore".As is my nature to go overboard,I wrote her 100 letters,followed by 100 postcards.She still has all of them in a box someplace.

I have a pack of these 4X6 index cards I use for thumbnail page layouts, the perfect size for quick sketches-portable too.
I have set up a personal challenge,"Create 100 postcards in 100 Days." I am allowing myself a little freedom, by having the allowance to do more than one in a day.
"Did you draw today?"was the question I always asked myself,before days end- a ritual set up some time ago, the practice fell by the wayside when my Son came along.(As I'm typing this, Zack is passing me one art supply after another)Drawing is part of who I am, I find a need to continually challenge myself to produce, no matter how small.

So this is the first of a hundred...

GarSeeYa!!!