Cricket Players in the Park

I just love watching these guys in prospect park playing Cricket. If I knew the rules I'd probably join in. One evening after indoor soccer a couple of years back at the Grand Saloon bar, my friend Andy once explained the game to me using sugar packets. 6 pints later, I don't think I really understood much more about the sport, but was intrigued by the fact that they break for tea.
As for the volleyballers, I really don't have much to say, other than, I hope they at least get dates or meet people. Why else subject your forearms to the repeated slapping of a ball?

Sketches from Dorval

These two sketches are from my most recent trip to Montreal. As I was adding some texture to the woman's hair, I heard a familiar voice say "there he is". It was my brother and his lady friend who by chance walked past me. I knew they were to arrive a while after I did, but we had not exchanged flight information. Although the arrivals area at Dorval airport is quite small, I still like how the trip started off, by chance. The synchronicities did not stop there however. Perhaps I'll get into them another time.

Brooklyn Promenade

I was out sketching this past Saturday with Sean and Zartosht. We had a bite to eat on Montague street, then walked to the promenade where I sketched some buildings for a change. Then we all met up later at Building on Bond and drew for another few hours and had a couple of glasses of wine. ok- maybe 4 or 5. but we were there for at least 7 hours. I'll post up some of those sketches later.
Happy Fall everyone.

Williamsburg Savings Bank

Waiting for Lauren a cold Saturday morning in April, I sketched this outside of the bagel shop in Fort Greene. You can't go many places in Brooklyn without seeing the Williamsburg Savings Bank building. If I look at it from this angle, the hands of the two clocks, even though they are showing the same time, appear to be very different. I suppose It's all about perspective, in drawing, as in life- take the time to walk around to look at things from every angle. Okay, enough of the deep stuff. Who wants to hit canal bar and sketch?

tea lounge, bob drawings

a page from my most recent sketchbook- taking a break from the brush pens, well, at least for a few days.

Bob, the funniest cat in Brooklyn.

thoughts on drawing

As we draw from life, our eyes glance at the subject and then bolt down to face the empty sketchpad and as this process repeats itself over and over, the drawing is sculpted.


As our hand anxiously waits its turn, it wavers with excitement, or hesitation, or both.
And then, most often than not, upon returning our gaze to the subject they have moved!
It is then we realize that nothing stays still- even statues erode over time.


As we record these stories in pencil or ink, we are not limited to our subject but rather to our imagination, since each and every drawing is from our memory.


This dude was dancing up a storm, earlier this summer at this outdoor dance party near my place. I didn't draw much at this weekly sunday afternoon event after this day though, rather, I joined in and danced.

Happy Birthday to Canal Bar

A friend of a friend when I asked him why his wife never accompanied him to Canal bar, responded with something like "she works until real late- besides, she'd never go to a place like that". Oh well I thought to myself, to each their own. Fair is fair, I'd probably never frequent the places that she would hang out at.

Everyone does what's right for themselves I suppose- and I am very glad to have been a part of the regular crowd at the Canal bar for the last 3 years. I've met some fantastic people there and many have become close friends, and a few strangers have left me staring into my beer contemplating the meaning of life, after a dose of their bar stool wisdom. An equal number have jotted down movies or books I should check out, many which I have and have made an impact on me artistically and spiritually.

Tonight Canal Bar turns 4, and I'd just like to wish Lou, Tommy and the rest a big congrats, and here's to 4 more years.

One of these sketches I've already posted , and is hanging at the crooked tail cafe, the other, is a sketch I did sometime last year of Ryan Macpherson, Canal Bar's resident Opera singer. (no, really, he IS a really talented Opera singer).

Weekend in the slope

I purchased a new phone the other day and this one has a camera feature. Yes, I can take pictures now, and I am really excited about this prospect. One of the first pictures I took was of a sketch I did early Saturday morning at Barbes. I then gave the drawing away, walked towards home with Justin and Zartosht, had a BLT sandwich then crashed.

Prospect Park Sketches

Just a couple of sketches done in Prospect Park, the guy laying down from late last year, and the trees from this July. Not much beats an afternoon there with a sketchbook some friends, and some wobbly pops.

Union Square

As I looked around the room where I sleep on my futon at night, I found that the clutter was mostly made of sketchbooks, comics, novels and dvd’s. I also noticed two pairs of shoes near my desk, but I had no idea how they got there. As I thumbed through an old sketchbook, I stared at each drawing. It’s as if they all were a portal of sorts, a gateway to a time and place, stirring up sounds, smells and emotions of a summer past.

sketchbook: Toasties Union sq- summer 2008
Post-Its: R train, Jun 10 , 09

Lit Bar

The other night Bryan, Zartosht and I were out after work. We began at the usual Toasties, and after that wandered on down to Lit Bar on Second Ave. We ordered our whiskeys and sat down on the bench adjacent to where everyone stood. I looked over at Bryan as he opened his sketchbook with a grin on his face, and Zee doing the same, but with an even bigger smile. I then took a sip of my whiskey and went to take a leak.

Barbes sketches

A few weeks ago Mick and I took a stroll up to Barbes on 6th avenue to watch some live music and sketch.

We sat on the side near the very front, and when Zee showed up he was standing with the crowd packed into the small room. Halfway through the set some crazy drunk guy shows up and of course, it was someone Zee and I had met briefly last summer. As he shouted and banged his hands on the ceiling, hugging Zee and pointing in my direction I could barely contain my laughter.

The Trombonist in the second band was well into his 60's and was rocking out. His wife was in the crowd and she took lots of pictures. Zee drew her once he got a seat with us.

A couple of very pretty ladies were dancing to our right, and of course I could not help but ignore the performers in front of me.

Barbes is a great little place to sketch and I'll definitely be back very soon.

Sketchbook

some recent sketchbook drawings dating back to June. The guy in the middle was visiting from Boston and seemed pretty excited to be on the subway crossing the bridge because he wouldn't stop talking about it to his friends. I learned a lot about the differences between the Boston subway system and the MTA in those 10 mins between Atlantic and Canal street. The lady on the bottom right was having a rough day, she was swaying back and forth trying to light her cigarette. If I wasn't afraid of getting into a possible altercation I would have helped her, but I figured the safest thing to do was observe from a safe distance. The two people above her probably didn't know one another but I decided to tilt the woman's head a bit to the right, now it seems they're another happy couple having breakfast! O-righty then, thanks for checking in, and remember, napkins are for more than spills!