'don't touch my chicken stone'

'don't touch my chicken stone'
a recent sketchbook page with pen and oil pastel, giving my gemstone legs

laser hands and head waves

This is what I make when I try to trick my brain into thinking I'm in a creative mood. I'm not. 

But it does help a little. Also it's not done.

As per usual here, my collection of collage material is fairly sparse, so for this one I resorted to a picture from the right wing newspaper that's given out for free at my school. It's an art school, and they give out the religious and the right wing newspapers. Backwards?

My studio has a serious lack in terms of any kind of table/surface to work on, so this is my set-up: 

a muskoka chair for me, a school chair for my pens, a stool for my laptop and a typically green 

parisian portfolio as a lap-desk. Seems to work juuuust fine.

Postcards from Paris

Some more postcards from the early 1900's that I altered and sent home to Toronto, these two feature the Gare St. Lazare and la Grande Roue set up in the 15th arrondissment. 

Siamese Twins

"Well!" He cried. "I can't tell which is Jack and which is Joe!"

Earlier this year before I left for Paris I made this little shadow box piece for my dearest friend and detached siamese twin Niomi. The twin image and two lines of text float on some foam-core, the rest is collaged with old graph paper, dictionary clippings and other odd scraps. The siamese twins are inflicted with bacocortical hyper brain content syndrome (details of which can be seen in an older blog post). 

Siamese Twins (detail)
Mixed Media, 2011

Carte Postale

I adore the old booksellers by the Seine - one of those typically Parisian things you expect when you get here, but are still delighted to see in person. They have some of the most beautiful old and rare books, posters etc. although most are beyond my price range (and often priced for tourists). They do however, also sell old (and used) postcards, which I adore. These postcards are far better and have much more character than the glossy and not-quite-cheesy-enough postcards they sell in souvenir shops and tabacs. This postcard is from 1904 and already has a delightful message written on it in french, but it was a pleasure to add to it and then send it on it's journey to Canada.

Livre d'Arrondissements

I collaged the cover of my little Paris map book so I look lest touristy and feel more comfortable whipping it out on the streets. Also I needed a project to get me into the swing of things. Considering the fact that I brought almost zero art supplies with me, it was a good little challenge. The other day I treated myself to a new pad of tracing paper, and some glue. I also decided that I'm done with the vogue I bought for my plane-trip across the pond and it has now become one of my few collage materials.

collaged live d'arrondissements; 2011
tracing paper, vogue magazine, sticky note, whiteout, scotch tape, pen and marker.

lanscape lines

These are some older drawings, probably from around 2009 - although I still draw both of these patterns compulsively...

almond butter

I treated myself to a new 7" square sketchbook so I have lots of new room for parisian doodles. Here we have some classic almonds, new blobs, and balcony rails. They look pretty good on my plaid parisian pillow case.

bevel gear

A postcard-sized paper collage on board, I started it last night and finished this morning! 

Made with some of my favourite collected bits of dictionary illustration.

'Bevel gear'
paper, ink and glue on mdf board
4" x 6"

boisson chaude d'attention

my geometric forms have been appearing everywhere - including my beverage sleeves from coffee at school...

takin notes

This is my delicious brown moleskine notebook for school - complete with personalized foil stamps and embossings that were done in the relief studio on a slow day...my friend Meghan has a different, but matching book. Friendship notes?

Also, lately instead of taking notes,  I've been drawing a lot of 'gemstones'. I've started calling them that, but there's gotta be a better word for bizarre and oddly shaped geometrical shapes...

killer robot

There exists a large scale cardboard model of this robot. He lives in my home. His arms move, however he does not shoot killer laser beams from his eyes.
We're working on it.

Bacocortical Hyper Brain Content Syndrome

The following images are X-Rays taken from an altered book project titled 'Bacocortical Hyper Brain Content Syndrome'. The subjects in these images suffer from this rare type of hyper brain content - as evidenced by these scans.

Spoiled Milk

free chicken wings

a quote by my dear pal David Kleiser

never forget who you are!

a self portrait.

Model Rabbit

John Milton has owl eyes for you

Before: John Milton. Why John Milton, what strange eyes you seem to have. Also, why are you hooting?

 After: Turns out John Milton = owl.

'i'm taking your eyes john milton'

houses

ink drawing

copper plate etching on handmade gampi paper