Can you imagine some of the strangest jobs in history? The executioner job seems really creepy, but what about the guys who had to clean up after the executioner? Guillotine maintenance specialist??? I imagine the description being something along the lines of... keep the pullies well oiled, keep the wood clean and waxed, keep the … Continue reading Whoops! …forgot to empty the basket!
… Just putting on my face.
The grumpy old thespian slowly transformed into a zombie-like actor as I added more layers of Conte and graphite... The zombie feel came to me as I drew the eyes almost completely rolled up in their sockets and then the white cake makeup transformed it into something even more frightening than a zombie thespian. Well, … Continue reading … Just putting on my face.
The Ruffian
Somewhere in my subconscious mind lives all the characters from the original Bugs Bunny cartoons. The enforcer following the tiny gangster comes to mind here. I believe it was in a Sylvester & Tweety episode where Tweety was kidnapped by a Capone-ish gangster. The more I think about it, the more I remember that there's … Continue reading The Ruffian
The Root & Foot of the Issue
I'm starting to wonder if I'm obsessed with tree trunks and why that might be? Sure, I love everything Wabi-Sabi: the colours, subtle tones, textures, naturally occurring patterns... all making the work unique and impossible to reproduce (easily). But, why all these gnarly stumps? There was a time that I thought I was looking for … Continue reading The Root & Foot of the Issue
The Lateness of Daylight Facing South
Being at the right place at the right time: How much of life's successes occur because of this? This was taken on a warm Spring day, near sunset and yet, it feels distinctly wintery. There's a chill across the image that wasn't present where I took it. The Winter wasn't yet done with us yet, … Continue reading The Lateness of Daylight Facing South
The Fire is Winking at Me
For the first time in many, many years, I finally took a weekend off and went out of town for a little RnR. At night we lit a small fire in a cast-iron fireplace and watched it burn as we mused upon what caused so many colours and shapes to appear in the flames. The … Continue reading The Fire is Winking at Me
Shadows & Skin
Imagine wandering the Canadian tundra after a long dry season and finding the desiccated and destroyed carcass of something unrecognizable. There's no sign of fur, only thick and deeply creviced skin. Could it be the remnants of a mammoth uncovered by the retreating glaciers? Could it be what's left of a walrus dragged miles by … Continue reading Shadows & Skin
Raw, Rough, and Delicate
The mundane seems to explode with possibility when looked at up close. This is part of the carpets I put on my decks in the Winter to make them less slippery. From far, they are unremarkable, dull, brownish, dirty, rough, and not very appealing. On the day I took this shot, the sun was bright … Continue reading Raw, Rough, and Delicate
Just Starting Out
Hyperfocus is often overrated! I could have used a different lens and gotten all the detail on this shot, but then where would the mystery be? Would I have any tension beyond possible contrasts and shadows? I doubt it. Here we have the possibility of budding cotton flowers where the plant is the furthest thing … Continue reading Just Starting Out
I Can Feel the Colour and the Light
Imagine the lush greens, modulating hues and tones with the sunlight that hits them through the canopy. Imagine the wind twisting the leaves in all directions and showing the natural colour changes in each leaf. Imagine how the underbelly of each maple leaf has a silvery iridescence that reflects even more colour changes. Imagine the … Continue reading I Can Feel the Colour and the Light
The New Renaissance Mindset 