The new scanner is faster, and captures more detail in my wonky watercolour pics. I still haven’t worked out all the kinks, because there are more options to deal with.
Tags: Animals, cats, colour, men, Nora the cat, sketches, watercolour, women
July 10, 2010
4
“Extra”-ordinary Day.
By Jack Ruttan in men, sketches, women
I got to be on TV again. A series called Blue Mountain State is shooting here, at the local agricultural wing of our McGill University, which also houses something called John Abbott College. That’s me above, after a long hot day of work. I essayed the role of “Homeless Person,” in the morning, and then found religion and got upgraded to “parishioner” for the afternoon. However, my hair didn’t get the message.
Macdonald College is a pretty good stand-in for Blue Mountain State (wherever that is), and carries on as a regular school while shooting continues over summer.
Didn’t get any shots of the guest star, Denise Richards, that day, because amateur cameras are frowned upon on set. But I did spend our considerable downtime sketching people. Also getting coffee and sweat all over the book. Anyways, I drew faces of other extras, and Denise Richard’s extraordinarily perky nose is in there, too. Still no scanner at the moment, so the slide show below is of snaps I took, the style of which I hope adds to the atmosphere.
Since this was kind of an “Animal House/American Pie” kind of thing, there were lots of hunky jocks around, and pretty girls in extra short skirts. I don’t think my role as homeless guy gave me much of a cachet, however.
It was hot-hot-hot, and you couldn’t keep the air conditioning running because of the noise that would make in the background. Filmmaking isn’t always easy (I prefer writing, but it’s fun to work at being an extra, when called. My schedule is very flexible).
What was neat was seeing how a comedy was directed, and the enthusiasm people put into their performances, despite the heat. One of the creators of the show even got into a super-stuffy mascot costume, and bounded around, despite the 30+ c day, and withering humidity.
You can watch episodes of the first season of the show here. It’s actually kind of enjoyable, in a dumb way. The ones with Denise and I will be showing in October, supposedly.
Tags: ballpoint pen, black and white, men, sketches, women
July 5, 2010
3
Still Not Scanning…
By Jack Ruttan in sketches, watercolour, women
But snapping pictures is fun when you get the random extras. A lot of women walking by with headscarves. I say yay for diversity.
Tags: sketches, watercolour, women
July 4, 2010
0
Avoidin’ the Blog!
By Jack Ruttan in dogs, sketches, watercolour, women
Sorry about that. There are actually tons of sketches, etc. to post. I did this picture today of a female comics artist with an Icelandic firedog.
It’s very cozy this evening on the balcony stairs, twittering, and typing, and watching people walk by. Couple on the next balcony are snogging, which is a little awkward, but you don’t get much privacy here.
Unfortunately, I gave up my old laptop, which can connect with the parallel port on my scanner, to a friend who’s off to Vancouver for a month to try and write a novel. I can still use the scanner, but I have to reconstruct my old huge Windows 98 computer, and it’s powerfully slow. Still, the camera works, for snaps of the drawings.
June 28, 2010
1
Cool Ruttan Artifact
By Jack Ruttan in ruttan's place
I was getting something out of my “go-box” full of irreplaceable things, when it spilled off the upper shelf in the closet. Picking up, I came upon this long forgotten item. it’s a token for my Great Grandfather’s general store, which he maintained, with my Dad as sometime stock boy, back in the depression years.
I’ve seen other examples of these kinds of tokens. One interesting collection was for whorehouses, “Good for a screw.” Those weren’t Ruttan businesses, by the way (as far as I know!).
But this is an interesting keepsake. Can potentially last a long time after you and I are gone, as long as I don’t go and lose it.
I’ve got other bits and pieces from the store, which I may try to post, if I can organize them.
Tags: Family, ruttan's place
June 28, 2010
0
Out of my Head…
By Jack Ruttan in men, sketches, women
I mean FROM my head, of course. More things drawn, because I’m mad about drawing. Women, of course, because the burlesque assignment continues (though that’s often just an excuse).
It’s wet today, so no drawing from the balcony. I’m wondering if people think I’m strange, because I’m out there so often.
Interested in odd body shapes, rather than the standard “Good Girl” (some call it “T & A”) art. But still like drawing attractive people.
Tags: ballpoint pen, black and white, Brush Pen, Burlesque, men, sketches, women
June 24, 2010
0
Portraits
By Jack Ruttan in men, sketches, watercolour, women
Some painted faces.
Man, the new flickr.com layout was a pain, but I’m able to keep to the old one for the moment. Otherwise, no images for the blog!
Tags: colour, men, sketches, watercolour, women
June 21, 2010
0
Old Port
By Jack Ruttan in men, montreal, sketches, watercolour, women
I enjoyed doing these pictures of the Old Port, painting away while people on wheels and feet sailed past me. I’m the crazy hairy guy with the paint box, which is all right with me. Funny, though, how when you sit down, suddenly 400 school kids on lunch break sit in the same area you are. I was focused enough, they didn’t bother me.
Noticed that doing less detail on the background (ie. doing it last) helps the picture. Also, the figures here are larger.
Then some thing with rock and roll people I did later. Sorry, I can do better on the jacket folds!
Tags: Brush Pen, colour, men, montreal, sketches, watercolour, women
June 19, 2010
0
Back to Fun
By Jack Ruttan in men, sketches, watercolour, women
Been a little down lately, so it’s been hard to blog. Still, there are some things in the sketch books, waiting to go up. Today, it’s colour, squinty people, and trees.
I’ve also been to a lot of meetings lately. Mainly dull or complaining, full of ironic laughter at the terrible situation writers and artists are in. I hope none of the people in the sketch actually visit this site. Still, I like it, especially after adding colour to it at home.
Tags: colour, men, sketches, watercolour, women
June 16, 2010
1
Hospital Story
By Jack Ruttan in montrealSomething I don’t usually do on this blog. A acquaintance of mine e-mailed me a very unpleasant hospital story. I just find it upsetting, but he wants to spread it around. His name is Robert M.Smith. A long-time Montrealer, and a good writer & poet, he feels intimidated by blogs and the web. Even so, you can check out his work on his site,. And here’s a sketch of his I stole from that site:
Here’s his story:
I would like to make public and protest against the brutality against the mentally ill and elderly people with Alzheimer’s in our Montreal hospitals. I was in the Emergency of the Montreal General on the night of June 11-12 for a heart problem. I must say I was treated very professionally, but I witnessed an entire episode lasting an hour or two and involving an elderly gentleman called George G., who was disoriented as to time and place.
Two officers of the SPVM brought him in. At first he was quite calm, but he wanted to go home. He was adamant about that. A woman doctor called Dr Lajoie interviewed him. She asked him what month it was and what year it was; he couldn’t answer. He claimed to have been married and sometimes claimed to have one, two and three children. The doctor wanted to examine him and he refused. He threatened to hit the doctor if she touched him, so she proceeded to order restraints.
I wouldn’t treat an animal this way. The man was way over seventy years old, and a whole battery of security guards, orderlies and nurses overpowered him by force. They did give him the option of choosing to cooperate or be subjected to force. However, this confused old man was in no position to choose. I heard him screaming in pain for at least an hour, because they were hurting his sore knee and holding him down forcefully while they injected him with 2 mg of Ativan at first and then enough tranquilizers to knock out a horse. He kept protesting against this treatment and threatening to sue them and to beat them up. Once he was knocked out and asleep, the nurses exchanged little jokes about him, which I thought was pretty distasteful.
Now I suppose the hospital Ombudsman would tell me this is a normal procedure. Imagine if that old man was your father. Do you think it is normal to bully people like this in a care-giving environment?
– Robert Smith
June 14, 2010
3
L’Écho d’un fleuve
By Jack Ruttan in men, montreal, ruttan's place, sketches, watercolour, women
One of the pleasures of living in this little neighbourhood here (whether it’s called “Centre Sud” or “Les Faubourgs” –I’m really not so sure) is the now annual urban art event L`Écho d’un Fleuve, taking place on rue Dufresne, just below my front door here on Rouen. Who’d have thought there were so many artists living here? But it is that kind of area, even though it’s changed over the 20 years I’ve lived in this little apartment I love so much.
Not much else to say, except to present snaps, sketches, and video I took over the weekend. Didn’t get everyone’s name, and not so happy typing all of this French, what with accents, and all, but I’ll give it a go.
Friday night was an evening ghost tour, in search of Marguerite-Ida, a woman who vanished in this area during the 1930s. With neighbours and their kids, we tramped past installations, and even into people’s apartments, as below:
Since this was taking place at night, things were appropriately spooky. But then, even I’ve got tales to tell about murders and shady dealings in this low-rent area!
Shot some video, too. Sometimes it’s hard to see, because it was dark out, and it was only my pocket camera, but there is the sound.
This was a great performance, but I can’t quite find out the names of the performers. Happened a couple of blocks away from here.
The next day saw rue Dufresne blocked off, and lots of art events happening. Here’s gumboot dancing, and a robot man.
My other shots I’m presenting as a slideshow. But, you can click on it, and get what info I could scrounge up.
It was a fun time. I didn’t do a lot of painting, except for the view that heads up this piece, and the page of sketches of cool types below.
A cute little girl was watching me paint that. So, I let her have a go with the paints, and she made the pretty little drawing below. She was about 9 or 10 years old, but kept a perfect point on my Chinese brush. So, I’m expecting great things from her in later years. Let her keep the drawing, of course, after I snapped it.
In all, a very pleasant weekend.
Tags: colour, men, montreal, photos, ruttan's place, sketches, visual art, watercolour, women
June 8, 2010
0
Saint Denis and other places…
By Jack Ruttan in men, sketches, watercolour, women…such as inside my head.
I got out of the apartment around noon, and walked to rue Saint Denis, to sit in a coffee shop and draw passers-by. Unfortunately, the weather, while great for kite-flying, soon got a little sprinkly. So, I only managed the above sketch of a woman, bundled up.
This guy below looks a little upset. I’m not a fan of war, or Nazi Germany, but I love airplanes. Have many of them in my head in detail, thanks to building many models as a kid.
Lastly, I was copying faces out of the paper. The big one is Xavier Dolan, a local film director. Don’t like being too slavish, drawing photos. But I am happy when a face actually looks like someone, and is in proportion.
Tags: black and white, Brush Pen, men, planes, sketches, watercolour, women
June 7, 2010
0
More Burlesque Sketches
By Jack Ruttan in sketches, women
Though fitfully, I’m still doing drawings for Mlle. Oui Oui and the gang at Blue Light Burlesque. These are some more sketches, according to photos on flickr (I’m going to look these up and try to credit the photographers). Anyhow, I’m not making any money from them…
Why has she got a surprised-looking guy half-transparent, in front of her? Because I was uptight about starting on a blank sheet of paper.
Still wanted to draw the feet. I like the poses too. They’re somehow emblematic. This whole thing is fun, and I’m hoping to do a lot more today, among other things.
Maybe they look good with a little colour. Please comment, if you have a mind to!
June 6, 2010
0
Melina Stinson, as the Duck Wife
By Jack Ruttan in sketches, women
Had to make a correction on this post, cause I had misidentified the person I was drawing. While I’m at it, I should credit the photo I used to Tristan Brand. Hope that’s all good, now.
I did this computer-coloured sketch from the cover of the weekly newspaper, HOUR. The show, The Duck Wife, is happening as part of Montreal’s Fringe Festival, which I haven’t visited, yet.