Time for Tea

Occupy Wall Street

2011-10-03T11:44:00.000-07:00

The Occupy Wall Street protest in Liberty Square isn't far from where I live, so I took some time last Thursday to go down and see for myself what was going on. For the most part, I'm going to leave the discussion of the protest and its agenda for other forums. I'm all for people exercising democratic rights at all times, no matter what their message and that's all I'll say about that. As a reportage artist, I love to draw a protest, although it's not something I often do. People that are passionate, that are committed to what they're doing are interesting, and interesting to draw. They want to talk, to communicate, and that's something I understand.

One of the first things I noticed was the number of very fancy cameras around. The protest isn't really getting too much press, so I can only assume these are just people who came out to take pictures.

Here's someone taking a picture with their iPad. The guy didn't feel like a protester either (although statistically, the 99% does cast a wide net).

I'm not sure what to think about the high-end video cameras.

Here's a protester whose opinion is pretty clear.

And it wasn't all young people (although there did seem to be a lot of students). Here's a member of the Granny Peace Brigade.

And who's this fellow in his striped button-down, tie, and suit slacks? Possibly a Wall Streeter on his smoke break?

The protesters are prohibited from having any amplification system, so they've worked out a way to communicate without one. Someone in the center would make an announcement, just a few words at a time, and the message would be repeated by anyone who heard it in a rhythmic singsong that would ripple out towards the edges. It was interesting, if not always perfectly effective.

If you agreed with the point being made, you could put up your hands and wiggle your fingers. Jazz hands, everybody!

And no protest reportage is complete, in my opinion, without the cops. I know they've behaved abominably at times, and have now been accused of luring people onto the Brooklyn Bridge roadway only to arrest them. While I was there, though, the cops were standing around the perimeter of the square, making sure traffic wasn't obstructed, being pretty unobtrusive.

Let's hear it for democracy in action!

Gasworks Park

2011-08-29T14:41:00.000-07:00

Last month, I took a trip with the Dalvero Academy to Seattle and San Francisco. I'm just starting to go through those drawings now, and I just knew the first thing I had to share was my favorite place in Seattle, Gasworks Park. As some of you may have seen in past posts (like here) I love drawing big, dirty machinery. Basically, if it's industrial, I love to draw it - bonus points if it's old. Gasworks Park is the site of a coal gasification plant that closed down in 1956. Then the city of Seattle bought it and said, "So what if tar still occasionally oozes from the ground? Let's make it a park!" And so they did, and it's awesome!

Frisbee-players and bike riders frolic amongst the hulking machinery of a past era. (Click on the drawing to see it larger)

They even built a kite-flying hill. I love Seattle!

I might post some other studies of Gasworks Park another time. In the meantime, check out my friends here and here to see some of their Seattle drawings!

A Year Ago: The Tuileries in Paris

2011-07-20T17:24:00.000-07:00

I was thinking back to where I was a year ago - Paris! I realized as I was looking through at some old drawings, that I never posted any drawings from the Tuileries. I can't think how I overlooked one of my favorite parks in Paris. The proportions of the park's landscape are so perfect, you can't help but feel peaceful and relaxed when you're there. Besides being beautifully designed and landscaped, it's located right next to the Louvre. What excellent neighbors!

School for Husbands

2011-06-20T16:52:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I went with Julia and Kati to see New York Classical Theater's performance of Moliére's School for Husbands in Central Park. Now Shakespeare is the master—hey, I love Shakespeare—but I recently heard a lady on public radio saying that there are a lot of classic playwrights out there, and why should it be only Shakespeare in the New York free theater scene? And I think she's right! There are enough culture vultures here to support an expanded repertoire. So, it's a real treat to see New York Classical Theater do Aphra Behn (a *lady* playwright, thank you very much!) and Moliére. School for Husbands is on for another week, so be sure and see it if you're local!

And if you live in Portland, be sure and check out Atomic Arts' Trek in the Park, where they reenact a Star Trek episode! Those of us who won't be able to be there will have console ourselves with youtube videos. Sigh.

Trees

2011-05-22T08:33:00.001-07:00

Before I came to New York for the first time, I imagined it was full of skyscrapers and cars and roads, huge sidewalks crowded with people, but I never thought about trees. Truth is, there are so many trees around New York — giant plane trees, maples, and magnolias — almost every street is lined with them. On top of that, they are great to draw. Their limbs move every which way as they grow, but they're standing still, giving you all the time in the world to draw them!

It's been a rainy spring here in New York, which is not so much fun for people, but makes the trees very happy. So here's a little grouping of drawings: trees making their way from bare winter limbs to budding spring greenery. Happy spring!

For the locals, here's a handy New York City tree guide, if you're interested. And, training to become a citizen pruner!

Birds of a Feather

2011-04-26T17:12:00.000-07:00

It's been a few weeks since I've posted — let's call it a spring break — but when I saw that today was the birthday of John James Audubon, I thought it would be a perfect time to post some drawings I made of Canada geese over the winter. It was up in Mystic, CT, and snow was on the ground. I guess snow is nothing for geese that range as far north as the Arctic Circle. They were scrabbling around with their bills in the snow, and generally standing around looking big and a little goofy.

Our feathered geese friends here in New York have to watch out for the Parks Department, since it's the season for the city to cull their population. For super cute goose news, click here.

Roomful of Teeth with William Brittelle, Caleb Burhans and Merrill Garbus

2011-02-21T15:06:00.000-08:00

Saturday night, I went to the Ecstatic Music Festival with my friend Julia to see the vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth singing compositions by William Brittelle, Caleb Burhans, and Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs. Roomful of Teeth filled the hall with throat singing, exhalations, yodeling, and more. This drawing was made over two of William Brittelle's compositions "High Done No Why To" and "Done No Why Say Do." Sometimes, their voices would hover in the air, melting all together into something striking and beautiful.

Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs joined Roomful of Teeth onstage for the second half on the concert to play several compositions. I've heard a song or two from tUnE-yArDs from the first album, but the concert converted me into a fan. Garbus has a warm stage presence, and even invited people to get up and dance if they felt like it.

And here's Caleb Burhans playing his super cool violin. At least I think it was a violin. He joined Roomful of Teeth and Merrill Garbus for a few songs. This one was very moving, as you can probably tell from the title "why must you leave me now, when you're so far away?"

Last but not least is a drawing of Garbus and the ladies of Roomful of Teeth performing one of my favorite pieces of the night. Garbus cited the music of West Africa as her inspiration, and dedicated the song to the women of West Africa. The sound of the drum, her ukulele, and the swooping, yodeling voices of the women combined to create something kind of magical and joyous.

Be sure to check out Julia's beautiful drawings and her write-up here and special big ups to Judd Greenstein, the curator of the festival, for the tickets. You can see my other drawings from the Ecstatic Music Festival here.

Carousel Dreams

2011-02-10T13:21:00.001-08:00

Lately, I find myself thinking back to some of those unfinished projects from years ago. I feel like the time might be right to try to finish them for reals. One of those projects was this story about a little girl who falls asleep in the car on the long drive to the amusement park. She has a dream, heavily influenced by medieval tapestries (that's just the kind of girl she is), about a magical day at the park. She gets to meet the knights and spend time with the ladies. I envisioned it as an accordion book and this scene is right in the middle, so it's really one part of a looooong illustration, but it's also made to stand alone. They're taking a break to pick some wild flowers while the carousel horses fly in the sky above. I mentioned it was a dream, right?

The Year of the Rabbit

2011-02-03T11:06:00.000-08:00

Happy Chinese New Year, everyone! I'm particularly looking forward to this year, because I was born in 1975, making me a rabbit in the lunar horoscope. This means it's gonna be *my* year! If you're a rabbit too, here's the deal. We are articulate (check), talented (*blush*), and ambitious (well, two out of three's not bad). We like to be comfortably at home, pursuing our quiet little bunny pursuits, but we are gregarious too and like to surround ourselves with friends and family - as long as there's no conflict. We are big conflict-avoiders. But enough about me. How about a few block prints?

Congratulations and be prosperous!

So Percussion and Dan Deacon at the Ecstatic Music Festival

2011-01-21T11:36:00.000-08:00

Thursday night I went to Merkin Concert Hall to hear So Percussion and Dan Deacon play the first concert in the Ecstatic Music Festival. I'd never heard Dan Deacon play, although I've been to several So Percussion shows (see here and here). Their shows have never failed to surprise and delight. Beginning when you walk in and see something unexpected on stage - a cactus, like last time I saw them - or in this case, a stand holding several two liter bottles of soda. Turns out, if you wire it up right, you can percuss just about anything. But more about that later. Jason Treuting was absent, but he gets a free pass because his wife had just given birth two hours before! Josh Quillen called him on his cell phone from the stage so that we could all sing happy birthday to little Elsie. Sweet!

The first drawing is actually a conflation of a couple of the first So Percussion pieces, from Imaginary City and Amid the Noise. The video screen behind the band was playing a clip of Jason Treuting's baby niece playing with an orange balloon, so of course, music was made with an orange balloon. Of course! And just for fun, several orange balloons were tossed out to the audience. In another selection, DJ Schmidt of Matmos was featured, playing various...objects? I'm no musician, but I'm pretty sure there was a kazoo or two. His is the face that looms large over the band.

If you are wondering how there are five people in this drawing with with only three members of So Percussion, Eric Rosenbaum was filling in and Greg McMurray was accompanying on guitar.

For Dan Deacon's piece, entitled Take a Deep Breath, he explained that we were all going to create the piece together. A guide was passed out for the audience consisting of twenty four instructions for the audience to follow. Deep breaths were taken. Also there was a lot of humming, oooing, aaaahing, clapping, shuffling, calling friends on cell phones and having them sing on speakerphone, and many many blood-curdling screams. It was rousing and fun, although perhaps a tad long? Still, when's the last time I helped create a musical piece in a concert hall performance...um, never? Everybody wins!

After intermission, we heard the collaborative piece by Dan Deacon and So Percussion. The piece is called (I kid you not) Ghostbuster Cook: The Origin of the Riddler. And it featured the soda bottles being percussed - finally! It's like Chekhov's gun - I'm all atwitter since the beginning of the show to see how they'll come into play. The bottles were wired up to Dan Deacon's rig to make some surprisingly beautiful sounds, at least when played by very talented people. And just when I thought the possibilities of the soda bottles had been exhausted, the bottoms of a few were pierced and the escaping liquid hit a plastic bin underneath to make a sound like rain. Using everyday mundane objects is the surprise. But the delight happens when that everyday thing makes a sound that is so unexpectedly beautiful, even sublime. And then, when the liquid ran out, I never listened to soda bubbles so long and attentively in my life. Surprise and delight.

Here's Dan Deacon making the magic happen with his magic machine.

And the percussive finale!

My friend Julia has posted her review and her amazing drawings of the show on her blog. Be sure to check them out here!

Happy New Year

2011-01-14T11:55:00.000-08:00

I am starting the new year with a drawing I made recently at the Japan pavilion at Epcot, just for myself, for study. Dictionary.com tells me that the definition of study is "a personal effort to gain knowledge." I thought it would be fitting because as an artist, I want everything I do to begin with a personal effort to gain knowledge.

And a hope for the future from the Japanese master of drawing, Hokusai:

"From the time I was six, I was in the habit of sketching things I saw around me, and around the age of fifty, I began to work in earnest, producing numerous designs. It was not until after my seventieth year, however, that I produced anything of significance. At the age of seventy-three, I began to grasp the underlying structure of birds and animals, insects and fish, and the way trees and plants grow. Thus, if I keep up my efforts, I will have an even better understanding when I am eighty, and by ninety will have penetrated to the heart of things. At one hundred, I may reach a level of divine understanding, and if I live a decade beyond that, everything I paint-every dot and line-will be alive. I ask the god of longevity to grant me a life long enough to prove this true." – Katsushika Hokusai, postscript to One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji [translated by Carol Morland].

Happy New Year, everyone!

Happy Holidays

2010-12-22T18:29:00.000-08:00

I've been resisting a holiday post, not because I don't love the holidays, but I resent the Christmas creep that has holiday music playing in October. The best thing about the holidays are that they are a special day or two, or *maybe* a week. Not a special month, or help me!, two months. The thing that makes something special, by definition, is that it is not incessant. Not to be a grinch. Here are the angels.

They are from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Christmas tree. A visit to the tree is a staple of the holiday for me. This year, I went to meet up with my Dalverian friends who make it an annual tradition. You can see some other takes on the tree here, here, and here. Enjoy, and Happy Holidays!

Goodbye, Fall!

2010-12-02T08:29:00.000-08:00

It's December all of a sudden, and as the cold deepens, it's time to say goodbye to my favorite season, fall. I love everything about fall: the light, the leaves changing, the brisk weather. Even though I'm (so many!) years out of school, it still signals a fresh start to me. I know that's supposed to be spring, but to me fall is the time to start new projects in new notebooks, make new friends, new beginnings. This fall, I was able to get up to Connecticut to enjoy the changing leaves.

I like that last one, but as it often happens, I liked the thumbnail better:

The Road

2010-11-18T05:03:00.001-08:00

As some of you may know, I'm an avid reader. Sometimes as an exercise (and because doing book covers would be the dream job), I put together a book cover for a book that I really enjoyed. I read Cormac McCarthy's _The Road_ about a year ago, and was struck by McCarthy's barren, ash-colored landscape. I couldn't picture any images from this book in color—only charcoal or graphite—the simplest, barest tools for this story set in the aftermath of the apocalypse.

Recent Figure Drawings

2010-11-16T10:38:00.000-08:00

Lately, my work schedule has eaten into my figure drawing time. Luckily, my school had an Open House this past weekend where I got in a few solid hours with Lynn, a beautiful, dynamic model who really knows what makes a gorgeous pose.

Balzac at Cimetière du Père Lachaise

2010-11-12T05:39:00.000-08:00

I have it on good authority that Père Lachaise Cemetery was one of Balzac's favorite places. When he wasn't feverishly writing, or drinking gallons of black coffee, he wandered the quiet lanes of Pere Lachaise. So I thought when we visited, it would be appropriate to look him up. I can see why he liked it. The outer arrondissements aren't bustling, but the quiet in Pere Lachaise is of a different quality, like you've entered a parallel city. The sounds of Paris are muffled, the light is filtered through the tall trees to become diffuse and soft. A curtain has been pulled between you and the world outside.

Fittingly, his monument features La Comédie Humaine at its base, and a dedicated soul had left some roses there.

Montmartre

2010-10-29T09:27:00.000-07:00

Montmartre is one of my favorite neighborhoods of Paris. Since it's on the outskirts of Paris, it managed to escape the attentions of Baron Haussman, the Robert Moses of the 19th century, responsible for the homogeneity of many arrondissements. Montmartre became the refuge of those possessing a more down at heels aesthetic than those of the buttoned up, if grand, boulevards. It still retains the pre-Napoleonic charm of winding, cobblestone streets with their rich, mismatched jumble of buildings that lean against each other in long-established camaraderie. It's a tiny neighborhood, but all the streets are so twisty and hilly with surprises (a vineyard!) around so many corners, that you can easily spend a whole day exploring it.

This is the parenthetically aforementioned vineyard. Sadly, it wasn't open the day I visited, so I had to draw it from behind the fence. It looked like a little Rackham cottage up on a hill. I think I might have to make it into a wine label at some point, though, to appease the literalist in me.

I didn't get to finish this drawing of Sacre Coeur, glowing in the light of the late afternoon, but maybe I like it better this way? It seems to slowly grow out of the cloudy page (or screen), and in a moment, the mist will obscure it again and it will just be a memory of Paris.

Also, you can check out my friend and fellow Dalverian Julia's drawings of Montmartre.

La Tour Eiffel

2010-10-22T08:10:00.000-07:00

What could be more iconic than the Eiffel Tower? As a symbol, it's ideal: beautiful, instantly recognizable, unique. As an experience, it leaves a little something to be desired. The sheer number of the tourists make the lines to visit the top an hours-long ordeal. Add to that the aggressive souvenir hawkers and the even-more aggressive beggars ("Speak English?! Speak English?!"), and I can skip it, thanks. But I love to draw it. From afar, it looks elegant, so tall and clean-lined. Up close, it changes. Looking up the open middle, it somehow becomes squat and awkward. And there are all these curliques on the arches that seem out of place on this utilitarian, steel paean to clean-lined modernism. It turns out that the arches (and the attendant curlicues) were added afterward to assuage visitors' fears that the tower was going to come crashing down on their heads any second. They weren't part of Gustav Eiffel's original plan and are completely extraneous. They are fun to study, though.

But the surrounding parks are my preferred spot from which to contemplate Paris' most famous landmark, by the picnickers and playing children, and, of course, tourists tired from all those stairs.

Le Tour de France

2010-10-06T11:13:00.000-07:00

The peloton finally made it to the last stretch of the Tour, the Champs Elysées, around four in the afternoon. They came tearing down the boulevard, made a turn right in front of the Arc de Triomphe, and then went right back up the boulevard. Eight times. It's lucky for me they came by eight times, because they go faaaast! I'd have been hard pressed to draw them if they only came by once. The gendarmes, of course, looked less than impressed.

One of the cool things about the spot I'd picked is that after the race, the bikers all came down to have their team picture in front of the Arc. Before they made their tired way back to the bus, they came over to the crowd to shake hands and sign autographs. Since I was standing in a very, ahem, vocal section of the crowd, several bikers came by to soak up some love, which was my chance to make a few portraits.

Alberto Contador was the overall winner, and the proud wearer of the coveted yellow jersey. He looked exhausted, but found a smile for the crowd.

This is Andy Charteau, the King of the Mountains, in his polka-dot jersey.

And here's Andy Schleck in the white jersey that signifies him as the best young rider. He was favored to win through much of the race, until his brother and racing partner Frank broke his collarbone and had to pull out. Without Frank on his team, pushing him, Andy just couldn't get it done. Here's an interview (it's in English, so just keep watching past the introduction) from the middle of the 2009 tour. The circumstances of their near-win and Frank's accident earned my sympathy, but their fraternal devotion and charm made me a fan. Better luck next year, guys!

And here's an interview with the ultimate team player and my favorite biker ever, Jens Voigt. Around the 1:27 mark, you can hear what he says to his body when he's in the middle of a race. Hysterical!

Waiting for le Tour

2010-09-02T17:47:00.001-07:00

It's taken me a little while to get back into the blogging groove, but I am back with a couple of drawings from the Tour de France, or more specifically, the looooong wait for the Tour de France. My friend April and I staked out our spot by the Arc de Triomphe pretty early, around 8 am. The bikers don't actually get there until around 4, so most of the day was spent drawing the people who were waiting with us, a small crowd of people waiting by the barricades. We traded stories about how far we'd come to see the last laps of the Tour. Next post, I promise, there will be some bikers, but for now, this post is for all those dedicated fans whose enthusiasm isn't dimmed by long waits, dense crowds, or even doping accusations leveled at their favorites.

I'm not a huge sports fan, but I did enjoy getting to know the Tour fans. Their passion for the Tour was infectious, and even made me a little excited for the bikers. This was the littlest fan I saw that day. He was maybe three years old and was having a great time playing on the barricades and making friends.

Like my little friend there, we mainly had to amuse ourselves. Luckily, we had the gendarmes there, who must have some kind of attractiveness requirement. They were so happy to be drawn, they were practically preening. If only the NYPD looked this good! Go and see my friend April's hilarious write up and drawings!

This is the crowd as it got later in the day. More dense, definitely ready to see some bikers.

J'Adore Paris!

2010-08-15T09:19:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a drawing trip in the City of Light (I say "just," but I guess it's been a couple of weeks already). I've started to look at the drawings I made there and thought this one would make a perfect introduction. It expresses the way I feel in Paris — not a self-portrait, but a kind of portrait of my feeling when I'm there, sitting in the Tuileries or drifting down the street.

The Crossing

2010-07-03T08:18:00.000-07:00

I was watching a man overboard drill at Mystic Seaport and suddenly the light hit everything just right and it looked for just a moment like the boatmen were crossing into another world.

Shakespeare in the Park: Richard III

2010-06-22T12:04:00.000-07:00

Sunday night, I had another drawing outing with friends to see the New York Classical Theatre's production of Richard III. This event had many things to recommend itself to us, chief among them that it's free (!), that it's outside in gorgeous Central Park, and that it's Shakespeare. As a New Yorker, summer to me means Shakespeare in the Park, but I'm tired of the Public Theater's productions at the Delacorte Theater, where you wait in that giant line to see the latest Hollywood defector try their hand at mangling the Bard (here's lookin' at you, Julia Stiles. But I don't mean you, Jamey Sheridan! You, I totally heart). Last time, I got in line at 3 am (yes, in the morning!) only to *not* get a ticket! Outrageous! I shook my fist at Joe Papp and said never again! The NYCT's production is outdoors for reals, as in, no amphitheater, no seats, no concessions, no line to wait in. There are no biggie stars, but I like that better, 'cause then, in my mind, that actor can completely be villainous King Richard III. The actors are good (and are good at projecting), and for fun, the action and the audience picks up and moves every 10 minutes or so. It can be a little distracting, but it can also be a little fun.

It was a mild, balmy June late afternoon, and you could barely hear the car horns of Central Park West, when Richard made his power-grab.

I, that am rudely stamped, and want love's majesty
To strut before a wanton ambling nymph;
I, that am curtailed of this fair proportion,
Cheated of feature by dissembling nature,
Deformed, unfinished, sent before my time
Into this breathing world scarce half made up,
And that so lamely and unfashionable
That dogs bark at me as I halt by them -
Why I, in this weak piping time of peace,
Have no delight to pass away the time,
Unless to spy my shadow in the sun
And descant on mine own deformity.

The Queen and Buckingham making up, though not for real, and not for long.

Richard slaughters pretty much his entire family, but comes off with the big prize.

And he'd have gotten away with it, if it weren't for those pesky ghosts. And Richmond.

Matmos and So Percussion at (Le) Poisson Rouge

2010-06-11T17:19:00.001-07:00

I went with some friends to hear Matmos and So Percussion play a show at (Le) Poisson Rouge this week. Lichens opened for them. I've never heard of him, but he played an interesting set consisting of only one song. Although perhaps when a song passes the ten minute mark, you make some allowances. It was just one guy, whom the interweb tells me is named Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe. I'd like to tell you more about how he made music, but all I can say is that it seemed to come from a box with a lot of wires coming out, which he would manipulate to different effects. And his incredible voice. It was an ambient swirl of sound with his otherworldly vocals on top. His visuals were extra trippy too, with brightly colored shapes dripping into each other.

I've seen So Percussion a couple of times (see my earlier post about them here), but never Matmos. While waiting for them to come on, my friends and I discussed the cactus sitting on a stool. It seemed to be wired up, but just how would it be "played" or "percussed?" Our only answer: very carefully.

So Percussion did not disappoint. They did indeed "play" the cactus, coming out one at a time, and gathering around it, plucking the spines in playful counterpoint. The cactus is a good example of the unexpectedness and the humor that I've come to associate with So Percussion. They seem like pretty quiet guys. They don't do a lot of stage theatrics and hardly any talking, but they always provide some surprises and a lot of their humor comes through in the music.

So Percussion moves around a bit onstage, but the duo who are Matmos pretty much stay put behind tables. From where I was standing, I had a hard time seeing them. Now that I've been introduced to their music, I'd love to hear more. Matmos makes music out of everything from pouring water to samples of heart murmurs. And it's not just an exercise in musical idiosyncrasy, they actually make it tuneful and exciting to listen to. They also seem like the Gilbert and George of the experimental music world and how can you not like that? Also, I read that Drew Daniel teaches at my alma mater, Johns Hopkins! Charm City, indeed. Despite my obstructed view, I managed one drawing of MC Schmidt as he told a ridiculously funny story.

Fashion Figure Drawing

2010-05-26T11:30:00.000-07:00

It's been a couple of months since I came at you with some figure drawing. I found a couple of drawings I did this past spring with one of my favorite models, Kika, wearing one of my favorite dresses: a fringed LBD (little black dress, for those fashion-challenged among you). She puts on a bob wig and because it's roughly the same haircut that I have, I almost feel like I'm drawing myself. Except thinner, more glamorous, and way more limber. Plus the attitude. I tried to capture that attitude (a little cute, a little sexy, a little f-you) in these two.

Look and Listen Festival

2010-05-11T11:22:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I went the Look and Listen Festival to see and hear! The stated mission of the festival is to allow audiences to "simultaneously experience a stimulating visual environment for new music and a vibrant aural context for contemporary visual art. " That sounds about perfect for me, since everything I experience wants to come out of my hands as drawings. It was a varied program and first up was So Percussion, a group I had heard back in March at Carnegie Hall (You can see some of my iphone drawings of that performance in my friend Julia's blog) playing a piece by John Cage called "but what about the sound of crumpling paper." I could only see a couple members of the group, but here is Jason Treuting scribbling on paper during the piece.

The inspiration for the colors and shapes that surround him came from the paintings in the gallery by Beatrice Mandelman. They seemed to go perfectly with Cage's composition, with their playful and surprising swoops and blocks of color. The piece had a lot of quiet spaces, punctuated by the sounds of scribbling, or crumpling paper (for instance) and it's true what I wrote at the bottom of the drawing that sometimes I was afraid to make a mark because I felt shy about the sound it would make.
Between musical pieces, journalist Lara Pellegrini interviewed the gallery owner, Gary Snyder, who gave us some background on Beatrice Mandelman. I loved the paintings, and if you're in the neighborhood (26th and 8th Ave), you should definitely check it out.

Next, Phyllis Chen played three pieces on the toy piano, and if you think that sounds cutesy, then just check out the drawing I made of her while she played:

"Intense!" is what I wrote there on the side, and she and the pieces she played definitely are. While you might think the sound of the toy piano is sweet and tinkly, Chen's approach is more like an attack and she really fights that sweetness to create some surprising and stirring music. She debuted a piece by Karlheinz Essl, here where she reaches into the piano to stir the strings. A microphone inside the piano fed the sound into a computer which gave it back as an echo, a reverberation, a memory?

Here's the composer, Karlheinz Essl as he was being interviewed about the piece.

The choral group Meridionalis gave their debut performance. Their focus is ecclesiastical music from the colonial period of Latin America. Hopefully the drawing gives you an idea; it was just beautiful. They were all holding their music books, but I loved how gracefully they all held their hands. I think it was the sublime music directing their body language.

Later in the evening, the conductor of the ensemble, Sebastian Zubieta, was interviewed. Every sentence was accompanied by a flowing gesture, as if he were still conducting.

After the intermission, Jason Treuting of So Percussion played a piece called "The King of Denmark" which was one of the quietest pieces of the night. The program notes tell me that the composer, Morton Feldman, wrote it to only employ the performer's hands, fingers or arms as opposed to sticks or mallets. And the delicate gestures of the musician's hands were what I noticed most of all in this piece, which is why it's mostly hands.

And cropped and cleaned up to emphasize the hands.

The only drawing I didn't get to finish was for one of my favorite pieces of the night, So Percussion playing "an imaginary city," composed by Jason Treuting (below, during his interview) as a site specific work for the train stations of Brattleboro and Bellows Falls, VT. The piece was perfect, but I could wish it longer so I'd have time to finish the drawing!

Unicorns!

2010-05-06T06:18:00.001-07:00

When I was a kid, the thing I loved most in the world was the idea of unicorns. The hope that somewhere out there in the world, was a creature so shy, so sensitive, so beautiful that she never let herself be seen was appealing beyond anything. Like a horse, but a million times better! When my father took me to see the movie The Last Unicorn, I was in seventh heaven! I read the book not too long ago and found it a bit different as an adult, but the first sentence did take me back to that place: "The unicorn lived in a lilac wood, and she lived all alone." Just for fun, I designed a book cover showing the unicorn alone in her lilac wood. I couldn't even wait to add type, I just had to share!

And here's a close up of that lonely unicorn.

"We shape our tools. And then our tools shape us."

2010-04-30T16:11:00.000-07:00

That's from Marshall McLuhan, my man for saying things that make my brain go fizzy. I thought it was an appropriate title for the theme of today's post: tools! The things we make are always a wonder to me. Giant buildings and bridges, huge interstates, our creations cover (too much of?) the Earth. How did we make them? How did we go from these soft, pink, fairly useless creatures to Masters of the Universe? Our machines and tools explain a lot about that, and how we think, and then how our thinking is shaped in turn (thanks Marshall!).

I did two of these. Somehow when I finish a drawing, I want to draw the same thing again, but different.

And here's the man with the hammer!

Fairy Mural

2010-04-09T21:20:00.000-07:00

This past week I did a private commission, a nursery mural. Painting on the walls feels so forbidden and fun! The client wanted fairies, butterflies and dragonflies, as well as mushrooms and flowers and animals, and I was happy to oblige her. As a big fan of Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac, and other classic fairy tale illustrators, I've been drawing fairies and elves since I was a kid, so this was kind of the dream job!
Since the mural was to include so many elements, I started out with a pretty detailed thumbnail

as well as a color sketch

By the end of day one:

Day two:

Day three:

And by day four, it was done!

A few details:

It was rewarding to see my client get teary-eyed looking at it!

iDrawing Guest Blogger

2010-04-02T09:05:00.000-07:00

Go check out my post on my friend Julia's blog iDrawing where I am guest blogger today. Is it cheating, or at least double-dipping to post this here? It's cool, on my blog, I'm the boss!

Life Drawing

2010-03-25T07:49:00.000-07:00

A new batch of life drawings!

St. Patrick's Day Parade

2010-03-21T16:17:00.000-07:00

I went to the St. Paddy's Day parade last Wednesday in midtown to do some drawing. It's been awhile since I've been to the parade, but it hasn't really changed, except that it was warm for once! My favorite people to draw are the bagpipers because of their plaid kilts and knee socks and, oh yeah, their bagpipes!

The leaders of the pipe bands always have a swagger in their step.

But there are plenty of marchers that are just wearing suits and sashes, grandees from County Clare and County Wicklow, like this fellow,

as well as Ancient Hibernians, and their ladies. If the ones I drew don't look very happy, it's easy to understand. I was at the end of the parade route and by the end of the day, they'd walked a far piece and I'm sure were pretty footsore. Soldier on, Ladies of the AOH!

Paradegoers are fun to draw as well. Everyone was wearing green, even the dogs!

In addition to our little canine fashion plate there, we had lots of tweeds, Aran sweaters, and football (by which I mean soccer) jerseys.

Paris Redux

2010-03-09T11:15:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the long hiatus, I'm not sure what happened! I think I was art-hibernating for the last month or so. But the spring weather has awakened my art blog impulses again!

My class is planning a trip to Paris in the summer, so I've been looking back through my sketchbooks at my last trip in 2006. I thought I would share a few drawings I made there.

The Louvre was definitely a highlight of the trip. I love the Metropolitan Museum of Art here in New York, but the Louvre is like the Met on steriods. It's probably three or four times the size—like art-heaven! It can be intimidating, though, I won't lie. But I did calm down enough to make a few drawings in the European sculpture section. These lovely ladies were gracing tombs, and they seem to take the opposite approach to presenting themselves to posterity. The first was all piety, raising her eyes heavenward in humble supplication, dressed in rich looking clothes, but with an austere design sense. The other lay on one elbow, with an open book, smiling like the cat that ate the canary. I had to draw her because she seemed so modern.

I can't wait to see the Louvre and these two ladies again!

January Drawings

2010-01-30T13:51:00.000-08:00

Here are some drawings from earlier in the month to ring in the New Year. Happy 2010!!

Help for Haiti

2010-01-20T13:01:00.000-08:00

Urban Sketchers put together a beautiful poster calling for donations to the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders for Haiti (above). Please be sure to visit their site and spread the word. The poster is available for download to print and post to remind people to donate.

Also, Studio 1482 will send you a signed 13"x 19" limited edition print from one of their amazing artists for every $50 donation to CARE. Visit their site for more info.

Ye Olde Information Age

2010-01-12T14:12:00.000-08:00

Back before computers and the interweb, the printing press was the cutting edge technology that circulated information to the knowledge-hungry people. So here's to those creaky old cast-iron giants! I've been on a kick lately drawing big, dirty machinery, so these fit right in (though I made them more Deco than dirty). I'm particularly intrigued by all the gears and wheels and inner workings, which is why these are details.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-21T13:04:00.001-08:00

Before I leave town for the holiday, I thought I'd send out a Happy Chrismakwanzukkah to everyone in the blagosphere.

Happy holidays!

The Smithy

2009-12-07T12:25:00.000-08:00

Lately, I've gotten more interested in drawing machinery, metal, tools and workshops. Sadly, I don't get to see too many workshops in New York, but I took advantage of a recent trip to Mystic to visit the blacksmith's shop. Not only is it nice and warm inside, but they have more tools than you can shake a stick at! Plus, how often do I get to see a forge? Not often enough! I have more drawings of the printer and the shipyard, which I will probably post at some point, but I think this was my favorite drawing of the trip.

And since it seems appropriate to put him here, here's a page from my sketchbook with the blacksmith who was nice enough to let me sit in the shop for hours.

Fun with Friends

2009-11-15T18:26:00.000-08:00

My lovely friend Julia has posted some iphone drawings some friends and I did of each other while away for the weekend. My contribution is the last one, but I think my personal favorite is April's drawing of Julia the cat.

Berlin iPhone Portraits

2009-11-13T08:39:00.000-08:00

I recently got back from Berlin, and while I have great memories of fun at bars and cafés, and being out with friends, a lot of my time was spent companionably sitting around the kitchen table with Julia and our roommate Konstantin. So on the way home from Berlin, while the plane shook in the turbulent air, I distracted myself by playing with the Brushes app on my iphone.

Here's Julia; silk scarf, hair poof, freckles and all:

Konstantin was harder, since I don't know his face as well and I didn't have the original in front of me. I have promised a more faithful portrait the next time I have the chance.

A shout out to my friend Julia, who keeps a beautiful blog of her iDrawings, which were my inspiration. Also, here's a fantastic slideshow of David Hockney's iphone drawings narrated by Lawrence Weschler of the New York Review of Books, as well as a video of a New Yorker cover done by Jorge Colombo with the app.

Liberty Bell Reportage

2009-11-02T13:38:00.000-08:00

The Liberty Bell is a symbol of independence, liberty and justice. It was rung on July 8th, 1776 to summon the citizens of Philadelphia to hear the reading of the Declaration of Independence. It was also rung at the beginning of the First Continental Congress, and at the Battle of Lexington and Concord in 1775. I've been meaning to get to Philadelphia to see the bell, which hangs in front of Independence Hall. Fortunately, a full scale replica hangs at the Magic Kingdom at Disney World, in Liberty Square. Below is my panoramic drawing, as well as some stamps.

(click on the drawing to see it larger)

Animal Kingdom Reportage II

2009-10-26T11:50:00.000-07:00

I tried to focus more on the people in this drawing. The park is always a busy place, and families are rushing around trying to fit as much in as possible before the kids get too tired.

Animal Kingdom Reportage

2009-10-21T10:51:00.001-07:00

The most fun thing about drawing in Animal Kingdom is to try and capture all the different textures of the plant life. Every tree, every bush, every vine rewards observation.

Time for Sake

2009-10-11T13:29:00.000-07:00

While my very favorite drinks are caffeinated (the title of my blog is "Time for Tea" for a reason), I have been known to indulge in stronger stuff. I recently had an opportunity to taste some sake, although I opted for plum wine, or umeshu instead. Technically, to the Japanese, I was still drinking "sake" which refers to alcoholic drinks in general (it must be true, I read it on Wikipedia!). Plum wine is made from green unripe plums, or ume. The one I tried came in a bottle that looked like so:

Those are little ume floating at the bottom. The particular type I tried was called Kairakuen, and the lady was nice enough to write down the name for me in kanji.

She poured me a tiny little glass, and even gave me an ume, which I ate last. The little green plum was so strong—sour and filled with alcohol! It was quite a zinger!

In fact, even though the glass was only a few ounces, I was completely tipsy as I did these wine labels. Maybe that even helped? They feature ume (of course), as well as plum flowers, and the kanji that the helpful Sake lady drew for me.

The uber-minimalist one with the plums:

And here are a couple with the same design elements in different proportions. They're not exactly labels yet, I kind of like them just to describe a mood.

Safari

2009-09-30T12:37:00.001-07:00

After all that jetting around, I'm just getting a chance to look at my stuff from August. I thought I would start with something simple. A few elephants on safari.

New Mexico Hiatus

2009-08-24T21:13:00.000-07:00

I'll be away for a few weeks while for a vacation in New Mexico and Arizona, so I won't be able to post until mid September, earliest. See you then!

Day Five

2009-08-08T15:12:00.001-07:00

You may notice that there's no "day four," but it's not a mistake. We had an unexpected museum day, which doesn't really fit in with the theme I've got going here. But we were back on Friday!

I probably won't be able to post from Florida, so this may be it for a few weeks. I'll try and make up for it when I get back!

Day Three

2009-08-08T14:29:00.000-07:00

Some of these drawing day photos are a bit blurry because, well, I took them with my phone. If they look really bad to me when I get back, I may repost with better pictures of them.

Day Two

2009-08-04T20:46:00.001-07:00

Day One

2009-08-03T20:41:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of my three week long drawing/illustration class. I can't promise that I'll post everyday, but here's some highlights from our first day of drawing.

This last one is actually two separate drawings, but the poses, and their placement on the page almost look like some kind of acrobatic act for Cirque du Soleil.

1000 Voices Part II

2009-07-31T09:45:00.000-07:00

This illustration if for my friend Mimi. It illustrates her opinion for Evan Turk's A Picture for a Thousand Voices project.

Often, I do a couple of versions. Here's the other one that I liked:

Equality is achievable if we keep our hopes alive,

because the minute we back down is the minute

they'll think they've won! - Mimi

Mostly I wanted to express Mimi's determination to persevere, and her hope that, through that perseverance, over time we can achieve equality. Since Mimi's opinion was fairly general and abstract, I kept the illustration abstract. I hope she likes it!

Cherry Blossom Festival

2009-07-20T13:51:00.001-07:00

A few months ago, when spring had just sprung, I visited the Cherry Blossom Festival at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. It felt like walking in a fantasy garden. The trees were laden with pink and white blooms, and every time the wind stirred the trees, pink and white petals would float past. It was magical.

It was also nice to see New Yorkers of all kinds, usually known for our "rush-rush-rush" approach to life, gathered to appreciate something as simple as a garden. Many were sprawled underneath the trees to contemplate the beauty of the blooms.

And of course, there were plenty of children. These three girls were posing to have their picture taken by their father (in the plaid shirt at the left).

The trees themselves are so much fun to draw, with their twistings and movements in space. They are *almost* as satisfying to draw as people, and they certainly move around less!

A Picture for 1000 Voices

2009-07-06T14:34:00.000-07:00

My friend Evan Turk has a blog called A Picture for 1000 Voices that seeks to" create a dialogue about the individual hopes for the LGBT equal rights movement through the medium of illustration." I've submitted an illustration you can see below. Hopefully, you'll be able to see it on Evan's blog soon:

My illustration is about trying to quantify and weigh an abstraction like love. How can the law say that someone's love isn't valid and in some way not equal to someone else's? I think it's pointless to try to weigh them on some kind of scale. Anyone should be able to have their relationship legalized, if that's what they want. Please check out Evan's blog, and if you are an illustrator, definitely submit a piece!

Figure Drawing

2009-03-05T18:38:00.000-08:00

My first love was figure drawing. Before I wanted to do anything else, I always wanted to draw people: their expressions, their gestures, their body language, I wanted to capture exactly what it is that makes each person different from anyone else. I've had the chance the past few weeks to work with some amazing models. Below is one of my favorites.

La Guli

2009-02-19T16:15:00.000-08:00

As some of you may know, I have quite a sweet tooth, often baking my own treats, and just as often sampling the toothsome delights of New York bakeries and cafes. At the end of 2008, my friend Jen and I went out to Astoria to the La Guli Bakery to draw their adorable shop.

Not only are their baked goods top-notch, but they were very nice about letting us take up a table in their tiny bakery for few hours. They had so many amazing-looking sweets, but I thought the Baba Rums deserved some special attention!

More from Mystic

2009-01-26T20:18:00.000-08:00

One of the high points of the weekend in Mystic was a meeting in the blacksmith's shop. It was a gathering of (mostly) men who are interested in blacksmithing. I appreciate the interest in bygone ways of doing things and lost arts. It's refreshing to find people that are still interested in crafting things by hand, as these people are, in our increasingly digital world. The physicality and the labor intensiveness of the work seem the exact antithesis of our digital present. At the same time, while so many of us are making out livelihood away from it, our physical being is still tied to that world, we still need, will always need things. Ships still need to be built, and not everything can be done by a machine, at least not yet. So here are two of the head blacksmiths, who host these meetings at the Mystic Seaport Museum, and teach others the craft.

Harlem

2009-01-13T06:05:00.000-08:00

I spent some time drawing in the fish market, and this little boy and his mother were two of the highlights. He was excited to be in my drawing because he loved to draw himself. He showed me a number of pictures on his cell phone that he was planning to draw at home. He got so excited, in fact, that he sat down next to me to draw the lobster tank right there.

Chinatown

2009-01-08T15:31:00.000-08:00

There's always something exciting happening in Chinatown. From the fish markets to the bakeries, there are a million people bustling around, jostling, shopping, drinking coffee, smoking cigarettes, and more. Here's a view through a bakery window at some egg custards and coconut tarts, yum!

Resolution #1

2008-12-29T19:39:00.000-08:00

Post more! No, really!
But just before we look ahead, I'm taking us back, back, back to Paris!

Carousel!

2008-12-06T11:21:00.000-08:00

I wanted to capture the magic of the amusement park, and more specifically, the dizzying fun of a carousel ride.

Angel of the Waters, Central Park

2008-11-17T18:42:00.000-08:00

The fountain in the "heart of Central Park" commemorates the 1842 opening of the Croton Aqueduct, which was the first dependable supply of pure water in New York City. The original pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem was said to have had healing powers.
I was going more for the feeling of the fountain and Central Park rather than a straight forward drawing, although I tried to keep the original reason for the fountain in mind.

The Signs of Flushing, Queens

2008-11-10T05:53:00.000-08:00

Moonlit Night

2008-11-01T16:56:00.000-07:00

Life Drawing

2008-10-27T20:35:00.000-07:00

Animal Kingdom Reportage

2008-10-15T20:01:00.000-07:00

Since I've been on a kick posting my Animal Kingdom work, here's one more.

Animal Kingdom Parade Stamps

2008-10-03T15:44:00.000-07:00

To go with the reportage from the last post!

Animal Kingdom Parade

2008-09-15T20:33:00.000-07:00

So, I took a little time off the blog, but I'm back now, with just a taste of the work I did in August. More to come, promise.

Remember Olafur?

2008-07-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

Some posters made from my drawings of the Olafur Eliasson's "Take Your Time" exhibit at MOMA.

Transformation

2008-07-15T10:11:00.001-07:00

Night Parade

2008-07-06T11:04:00.000-07:00

No big explanations here. Just a night parade all lit up!

Dionysus Mural

2008-06-25T19:27:00.000-07:00

Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, revelry, madness, and ecstasy is a perfect figure for artists since he's all about unbridled license and a freeing from the normal constraints of everyday life and civilization. The cult of Dionysus were the first to try to transcend the existence of the flesh. During the rites, the initiates of the cult were supposed to actually take the god into themselves - to become the god.

The theme of the mural was "change," and I wanted to depict something cyclical instead of a one-way transformation. Dionysus is called the twice-born god because he was born from both his mother and his father. His mother, Semele, asked to see Zeus undisguised, the same way he came before Hera. Zeus had promised Semele anything she wanted, so he reluctantly showed himself, in his least awful incarnation. Semele was immolated completely anyway, and Zeus couldn't do anything for her except to pluck Dionysus, then in utero, from her ashes. Since the fetus hadn't been fully brought to term, Zeus sewed him into his thigh, from which he birthed him a few months later. The death of Semele is on the left side of the mural, and Dionysus' birth is depicted on the right. In the middle is the ritual bacchanal (and death) of the god, who is sacrificed and resurrected yearly. Dionysus leads the procession of initiates, dancing in drunken ecstasy. The bull that is sacrificed stands in for the god. Strangely enough, Dionysus is both a celebrant and the sacrifice in the ritual.

Whew! So that's the story, here's the mural:

And some details:

Olafur Eliasson at Moma

2008-06-16T10:03:00.001-07:00

I went to the Olafur Eliasson's Take Your Time at Moma and was inspired to make some drawings at the show. If you've been to the show, you can probably tell which piece inspired which drawing.

I like them because they are drawings that help me understand what's happening - drawings made to figure something out and explain.