October 22, 2011 0

A Utopian Moment

By in men, sketches, watercolour, women

autobook48

Somebody asked me where the name “Utopia Moment” came from. It’s something I made up, when I was in a Brian Eno type of mood (he likes to give enigmatic titles to his pieces). I think it refers to the instant when everything feels perfect; but it’s so fleeting it’s hard to grab onto and is immediately past. Also, the name has a nice assonance.

bikinibook48

I’m drawing a comics page, which is always a lot of work, so haven’t had time for really ambitious drawings. These are the usual inane odds and ends from my current book.

Orpahbook48

This is Orpah (sic), a character in some new stories I’m doing!

sketches5book48

The guy on the right was drawn from life in the subway station as the train pulled in. Ha ha! I mean on the left!

Tags: , , , , , ,

October 20, 2011 0

Daniel Clowes and Seth

By in montreal

Daniel Clowes and Seth

Saw them the other night, at an event sponsored by Drawn & Quaterly publications. Two big cartoonists at the tops of their games. Didn’t have much to say to us struggling types. Neither of them really uses a computer, or worries about people reading their comics. Clowes talked about what it was like being nominated for an Academy Award. Still, it was neat to see them, and I’m sorry I didn’t buy a book.

Tags: , , ,

October 17, 2011 0

Cat Fight!

By in cats, watercolour

catfight1a

catfight2a

catfight3a

My Cat Fight comic. Based on my Youtube video here

Tags: , , ,

October 16, 2011 0

Science Fiction Experiment

By in men, paintings, watercolour, women

sci-fibooki

Got carried away painting something in one of my books. The more complex you make it, it seems the more the flaws show up. Oh well, I enjoyed doing it. Trying to manage my lights and darks, my perspective, also my colour palette.

The interesting thing about doing these is that they never quite get finished. Always something you can add or improve. Oh well!

Tags: , , , ,

October 15, 2011 0

Cats and Cookies, and Chat

By in cats, sketches, watercolour, women

catscookiesbookXX

Today I was painting cats and cookies.

Also, I’d like you to take a glimpse at the bare bones of a new site: Jack Ruttan’s Art Chat.

Tags: , , , , , ,

October 12, 2011 0

New Stuff…

By in cats, men, sketches, watercolour, women

thingsbook26

.. but somehow the same. Sigh.

If anyone cares, that strange object in the upper right-hand corner is a doodle of an Italian drinking fountain I made to illustrate an anecdote to someone. Coloured it in.

womanbook26

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

October 11, 2011 1

Griffin Art – Séguin Poirier Gallery/Studio

By in montreal

A visit to the Seguin Poirier Gallery-Studio in Griffintown, Montreal. http://seguinpoirier.com

This is another of my little point-and-shoot camera video interviews focused around aspects of the art scene I happen to encounter during my wanderings in Montreal. I’m formalizing it now as “Art Chat” and have bought that name as an address for a web site where I will collect these videos in an on-line album or gallery as I do more of them.

They’re fun to do. I’m learning as I go, with my camera and $99 editing software. Technically, they’re not too sophisticated, but they serve as a record. I’m a former visual arts writer for magazines and newspapers. One thing I enjoyed in doing articles was letting the artist speak for him or herself. Video is perfect for that, and also lets one get a glimpse of the art. At this stage it’s meant to tantalise, and provoke viewer to seek out the art on their own.

Tags: ,

October 6, 2011 0

A whole bunch of drawings

By in cats, men, sketches, watercolour, women

people2bookVL

Just putting up a lot of things. I’ve been drawing them the past week, scanning. Now they’re backed up a little. So here they are, all at once.

catthatbookVL

spartabooki

sparanettebooki3

patchettbooki

duobooki

crouchingbooki

Tags: , , , , , , ,

October 4, 2011 1

New Comic – “The Golden Calf”

By in Uncategorized

golden

I don’t really know where this comic came from, because it grew out of the first panel, and I took it from there without knowing about characters, or a joke, only that I had to do a six panel story. Guess I was influenced by reading about R. Crumb’s “The Book of Genesis,” because I’m not a religious sort, or given to quoting the Bible. Still, I’m happy to have made a new comic.

Tags: , ,

October 3, 2011 0

Art Chat: Vera O. at Chez Pops

By in Uncategorized

This is a video I made of an artist at Chez Pops talking about her work, during an exhibition at the facility for Montreal’s Journées de la Culture.

Tags: , ,

October 2, 2011 0

Slightly Random

By in men, sketches, watercolour, women

women11booki

Busy as of late. I’ve been drawing things in the between times, but not really putting them up. Maybe it will even out, but I wonder. Anyhow, here are some more drawings and paintings. Some are sort of from life, some not. I’ll let you guess.

women12booki

The guy below, in pencil, is roughly inspired by “The King of Real Estate” in the film American Beauty.
kingbookVL

Tags: , , , , ,

September 26, 2011 0

The Little Book

By in men, sketches

4=bookVL

While i haven’t posted here for a few days (been busy here on my tumblr doing exciting gardening videos), I’ve still been drawing, so there’s a backlog of things to put up.

Today it’s black and white drawings from my small sketchbook. I’ve labelled it “VL” –not that that means anything, but it’s something I put into the file name, so, I hope, I will be able to look through books and find the original of a drawing, if I need it. Hard to organize these things, and there are so many sketchbooks.

I suppose it might make sense to number books consecutively, but I have several on the go at once. Thought if I could find the right letters scribbled on the cover, that would save me time, if someone wanted a printable copy of something I’ve done. The images going up here are only screen resolution. But you know, I’ve sold one to a documentary film, so it’s useful being able to find the original when you need it.

that’s too much explanation, and I will read it over sometime later and make it make more sense. In the meantime, more drawings.

autobookVL

2-bookVL

Tags: , , , ,

September 15, 2011 0

More Silly Faces

By in men, sketches, watercolour, women

yellowgirl2

otherfacesbk48

Tags: , , , ,

September 14, 2011 0

Sketchbook Fun

By in sketches, watercolour, women

colour-people

More people from my head, and on the street. Along with buying a lot of new sketchbooks at “Back to School” sales at various art stores, I’ve been wrapping up some ones that have been filled up. The problem for me comes when I have to find space to store them in my little apartment. Ideally, I don’t want to squirrel them away in the back of a closet where they get dusty and forgotten. I’d like to keep them “alive” so that they can continue giving me ideas, even sometimes reassurance that I’m not the world’s worst artist. But they fulfill their function by being things to draw in, which is a means of relaxation for me, and interaction with the real world.

office-2

Tags: , , ,