August 22, 2014 0

Eccentric Paintings of People and Pets

By in cats, color, dogs, paintings, parks, sketches, watercolor, watercolour

I’m not fond of the new way Flickr has of embedding one’s graphics. I just want you to be able to see the one image, not scroll along to a lot of others.

Generally, I’ve been embedding them into the website, which is probably a better solution, but I worry about all those graphics piling up and taking room. Still, a few posts earlier on have gone blank (the link somehow changed) and I’m not sure at all about my whole older blog on blogger. May try to get that one back, if I can “export” it. Websites are such a pain.

But I am updating my portfolio to show my web work, so there you go.

August 17, 2014 0

Digital Woman

By in color, digital, women

panel

I thought the tear helped make the picture. Still not as fun for me as watercolour.

August 16, 2014 0

Watercolour Man

By in color, men, paintings, watercolor, watercolour

guy

Just something I found on the computer; looked cool.

August 15, 2014 2

The 2014 Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec Garlic Festival is Coming

By in black and white, color, Coloured Pencils, ruttan's place, sketches, watercolor, watercolour, women

garlic-t-shirt1

This is my T-shirt design for the 2014 Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue Quebec Garlic Festival. That event will happen next week, August 23, 2014. Finally saw the design in print last night at the get-together for volunteers. This happened at a pretty little place called the Coop du Grand Orme.

Snaps of things are below. The band is Caroline Racicot and co. Did some sketches while I was there. You can see them after the photos.

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Caroline Racicot & band

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This is the T-Shirt in action, on Daniel, the founder of the Garlic Fest. Next to him is Patti, who helps organise things, and roped me in.

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Here I am receiving the plaudits of the crowd, for my fine work.

Caroline Racicot & band

The band inside.

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The waterway, part of the Saint Laurence.

Caroline Racicot & band

My sketch of the band, with watercolour pencils.

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Later scribble of the guitar player, in pen, without pencil to help!

Naomie

Patti’s awesome helper, Naomie.

August 8, 2014 0

More Morning Painting

By in color, paintings, watercolor, watercolour

Actually, working on things I started earlier. Just trying things.

housepair-4

bike

August 7, 2014 0

Morning Page

By in color, sketches, watercolor, watercolour, women

morning1

August 4, 2014 0

Impression of parc Médéric-Martin

By in montreal, paintings, parks, sketches, watercolor, watercolour

mederic-martin

http://parcmedericmartin.com/

July 31, 2014 0

1940s Canadian Gas Ration Coupons

By in ruttan's place

Gas Ration Coupons 2

Something interesting I found, going through my files looking at old cartoons the other night. An envelope full of old gas ration coupons from my Great Grandpa’s business in Hardisty, Alberta. I don’t think I have the stickers that were supposed to go in the windshield, but all the other items, plus the old stamps, are amazing. I’ve linked to a photo set showing everything. Hope that’s good.

https://flic.kr/s/aHsjZC92Yg

July 31, 2014 0

Fritz the Hobbit

By in black and white, comics, old comics

A twitter exchange with a University of Calgary alumnus reminded me of this comic I did way back in 1979, for the University of Calgary GAUNTLET. Unhappily, I couldn’t find the first episode in my files, so this is all I’ve got. The narrative is already a little shakey, because I think installments came out only occasionally, over a number of months. Also, I left some words out, plus there was some strange layout made by actually cutting up a page (*gasp!*) and spreading it over a page. Did Jack Kirby or Bill Watterston ever have to worry about this?

I’m amazed at all the space the editors of the Gauntlet gave me. One of these comics covers an entire broadsheet newspaper page! It would have been kind of a pain in the neck to scan, so I hope you can enlarge these snapshots.

The calligraphy was kind of cool. I made Sam a girl, which confused some people, but was more fun to draw.

Obviously it’s inspired by the “Fritz the Cat” comics of R. Crumb, but actually has more to do with the movie version of Lord of the Rings released by Ralph Bakshi around that time.

Lots of the humour was inspired by the movie “Animal House,” and I note some references to the situation in the MidEast, which doesn’t ever seem to change.

There are so many old cartoons in those files. Makes me feel downright prolific. Much more fun seeing it come out in a newspaper, rather than simply going up on the web.

Going through my files was like getting reacquainted with a person I knew, but hadn’t seen in a while. Many cartoons, some of them embarassingly crudely drawn, sometimes offensive, but on the whole they were funny. I may put up some more, if anyone cares.

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July 31, 2014 0

Lachine Canal

By in montreal, paintings, watercolor, watercolour

canal

This wasn’t working as a painting, so I decided to see if I could put little people along the front of it. That didn’t work perfectly, either: some “pentimenti” here — that’s because it’s transparent watercolour, except for the white.

Still, fun to try, and I’m not so annoyed with it anymore.

July 28, 2014 0

Nora the Tuxling

By in cats, color, Nora the cat, paintings, sketches, watercolor, watercolour

Nora

July 25, 2014 0

Inspired by George Stubbs

By in dogs, horses, sketches, watercolor

Stubbs

George Stubbs is one of my favourite painters. Not just because of his horses and dogs, (though those are great, too), but his wonderful, very sober, 18th-century people.

June 25, 2014 0

Computer-Painted Characters

By in color, digital, heads, men, paintings, women

characters

My computer-painted characters are quicker and more satisfying to draw. I had to reach back into my experience mixing acrylic paints to think of the right kinds of shadows. Still, I feel more confident that I can paint in a pleasant way any subject that occurs to me. Backgrounds and bodies soon to come.

June 22, 2014 0

It’s Everyone’s Prehistoric Pal

By in dinosaurs, watercolor, watercolour

eryops1

This is eryops. He’s everyone’s prehistoric pal.