Ottawa and why I draw women.

The last few months I've been drawing quite a bit more than usual, attending ASIFA
life drawing sessions, Michael Alan's Draw-a-thon, carrying a sketchbook nearly every day ( keys, cel phone, wallet, sketchbook) - it's what I remind myself every day before I rush off to work. So, spending the last week at the Ottawa Animation Festival I decided to take a break from my daily routine, which meant I would not be walking around sketching buildings and people, rather just sitting back , watching some films and presentations, and getting inspired while having some beers with old friends as well as new ones. But we all know that sooner or later, given a napkin and a marker I'm going to start doodling. If I'm sitting with someone,I will still be involved in our conversation, although I will occasionally look away to whoever it is I'm sketching.

Saturday night I took a break from the festival party scene and met up with old friends from growing up, namely Johnny and Andrew who live in Ottawa. I showed up a few minutes late , with a pen. It was obvious that it was not a heavily dominated animator crowd, because there were MORE (pretty) girls. ( I tried to talk to pretty girls at the Jail Hostel party on Friday but I think I creep them out for some reason so I gave up).
I'm not hiding the fact either that I chose to mainly draw women. Imagine If I kept drawing only dudes I don't know and giving them drawings then we'd be having more awkward situations like the Wednesday late night encounter with the 7 Eleven worker (Just because I have long hair and tight jeans.........)

I've mentioned before I usually give away my drawings which allows me to meet some really cool people, and at the very least see that person's reaction- usually positive, hardly ever negative unless you draw a penis tattoo on their back and they chase you for a block in tears, but let us save that story for another posting.
These napkins were also given away, I'm thrilled that Sara liked them enough to take them, and it was so nice of her to scan them in and e-mail them to me. The first one of her was done from Memory (every drawing is from memory) but- she was sitting with her friend around the corner from us, I noticed her on the way back from the lavatory so I sketched out what Impression I had of her. The second one does portray her much better I believe and by that time we had befriended them. I tried to capture her composed manner, her head tilted slightly with closed eyes. Her striking silky hair all bundled up under her hat led my quick glances around her earring which hovered ever so delicately over her neck. I was terrified to touch the drawing any more in fear of not doing her justice.

I then lost my bank card somewhere between this drawing and the Cab ride home.

To sum up my week in Ottawa, from a commercial animation artists' perspective:

-Independent films are cool, and their creators way cooler
-New York has some very fine talent, as I had kinda figured but didn't quite know who they were (check out Dave Levy's blog post to find out who) http://animondays.blogspot.com/
-Ottawa is a great place to be in September
-Always good to bring $100 dollars in cash and stash it away in case you lose your Debit Card