December 17, 2008

Philly Bound

and back again for Christmas.

December 12, 2008

Zombie hand Mushroom

I came across this freaky funghi during my travels through the intertubes. the things you can randomly learn on a given day. Today i found this: Zombie hand mushroom, from an Indonesian blogger.

A number of commentators on the blog-post identify the funghi as 'Stinkhorn'. God those are grotesque. I'm done with random learning.

Bettie Page R.I.P.

Favourite pin-up of geeks and freaks since the 1950's, including yours truly, Miss Bettie Page, has passed away. Bettie first caught my eye in the 1980's in an add in Toronto's NOW magazine for some product or establishment that I do not recall, but i do remember how cute and sexy she was. A fond farewell to Bettie Page.
More on Bettie Page >>

November 30, 2008

 
Posted by Picasa

November 19, 2008

Oh Noz...

November 18, 2008

Change.gov

change.gov: the Office of the President-elect

BBC Science and Scatology

The BBC Science and Envirmonment section has stories on Astronauts drinking there own pee and a video of a whale taking a poop. I wonder who is editing that section of the Web site?

November 17, 2008

November 16, 2008

Jelly Fish Painting


i added some details, reshaped the bulb and added some darker tones.

November 13, 2008

Cornycopia

There's no such thing as a boring day. This morning my little Mouffette decided to do a Logan's Run and dashed out the door up the stairs and proceeded to freak out. She seemed to confuse the apartment above me with our own as she frantically scraped at the door. I caught her and she immediately began to shiver. This is a kitten who has been picked up everyday of her life since we got her and even asks to be lifted up on my shoulder. I was worried and late and called her Mommy in Philly for advice. Mommy pet expert said "don't worry".

At this point I was running a mere 15 minutes behind schedule. I wasn't concerned as I have a half hour grace period to show up at my office. However fate awaited. The roads were a little icy, and my bus was very slow, but as I was to find out not for that reason. By the time we hit Dalhousie and Rideau a half hour had passed on what was normally a 15 minute bus ride to work. The #1 bus was in front of us. Number One slow bus. What was going on? We hit the stop in front of the Rideau (Weirdo) centre and we hit the mulcher. Slowly , ever so painfully, anxiously, slowly we moved ahead one metre. Then a few more inches.Stopped. Stopped. Moved ahead. Stopped. Mov..Sto..mo..sto.ped. A communal sigh wafted from one end of the bus to the other as a substitute for the open fresh air we anticipated when we would finally be able to get off that slug of a bus.

We made it to where Rideau meets Elgin and then goes by the name Wellington, the portion of the road that runs in front of Canada's seat of government, Parliament Hill. There was nothing beyond that point. No traffic at least; only a low lying mist in the air. At this point I decided, along with everyone else, to phone in to work and explain why I was so late. Why a 15 minute bus ride had taken over an hour. Of course I didn't have a fundamental explanation. Only a situational one.

I did get off that bus and I walked in the rain. The German looking woman who sat across from me, walked up to me on the drizzled sidewalk, "I gave up on the bus too."
Indeed. I could have walked to work in half the time.

Why was Wellington closed? Well this is why.

A friend of mine told me about his son. He's about 3 years old and has recently had extensive surgery. The aftermath has involved all kinds of monitoring. My friend told me that his son saw some pictures of himself with all of the diagnostic attachments. he asked "Did they make me a robot?" Apparently he is also fascinated by Darth Vader these days. True story.

My day was fairly normal after that point. Except for the fact that I bought (yes paid for) a newspaper and went and sat down and read it. Here follows what I learned about the world today:


  • Andre Picard of the Globe and Mail asks institutions to stop whoring themselves for Mcbucks, using the example of hospitals taking McCash in exchange for promoting McHeartAttacks.
  • Listening to music you love is good for the heart.
  • The Asper family ruled their media empire with an iron fist.
  • Lego (the company) cannot trademark interlocking bricks.
  • That's about it. The rest of the news was all a bunch of obvious and horrible things.
  • Maine Coons are enormous
Then I came home and found a pomegranate waiting for me at my keyboard. Thanks!
And one thing I already knew: The KKK membership is composed of ugly morons.

November 8, 2008

Portraits

 
Posted by Picasa

Portraits

 

Oil Painting



Today I filled in the jelly fish in my oil painting. I need to go over it again and fill in some lights and darks. it's challenging to do the tentacles and takes a very steady hand and fluid motion.
Posted by Picasa

November 6, 2008

November 1, 2008

Gone but Loved

 
Posted by Picasa

October 31, 2008

Farewell

Hey, did you here the news?
Studs Turkel died.

Never Say Never

I never thought a Styx song would be such an appropriate observation of the political scenario of 2008, and yet here you go:


You were the apple of the public's eye as you cut the ribbon at the local mall
A mirage for both you and us. How can this be real?
We love your body in that photograph, your home state sure must be proud
The queen of the United States, or have you lost your crown

Well aren't you Miss America
Don't you Miss America
Won't you Miss America
Our love

Well are you really who we think you are
Or does your smile seem to wear you down
Is the girl who you once were screaming to jump out
And the dream that you must live - a disease for which there is no cure
This roller coaster ride you're on won't stop to let you off

Well aren't you Miss America
Don't you Miss America
Won't you Miss America
Our love

Miss America, Miss America, Miss America
Miss America, Miss America, Miss America

Well aren't you Miss America
Don't you Miss America
Won't you Miss America
Our love

Well it's true just take a look - The cover sometimes makes the book
And the judges, do they ever ask to read between your lines
In your cage at the human zoo, they all stop to look at you
Next year, what will you do when you have been forgotten

Well aren't you Miss America
Don't you Miss America
Won't you Miss America
Our love

Mouffette

 
Posted by Picasa

October 29, 2008

Knife Painting

 

Last week in my oil painting class we learned techniques using pallette knife tools. This was my first attempt and it wasn't too bad. You have to surrender a lot of control and finesse but you can get some intersting texture.
Posted by Picasa

October 27, 2008

 
Posted by Picasa
 
Posted by Picasa
 
Posted by Picasa
 
Posted by Picasa
 
Posted by Picasa
 
Posted by Picasa
 
Posted by Picasa
 
Posted by Picasa

Jack and Luna

 
Posted by Picasa

Jack

 
Posted by Picasa

October 26, 2008

Jelly Fish Painting

I'm loving my oil painting class. Last week we did a knife painting which was fun. I'm also working on this jellyfish painting. I missed two classes due to family events but I'm catching up painting at home.


This is the pencil sketch that I did on tracing paper. Afterwards I rubbed one side with pencil lead and retraced it onto the canvas



Here I've outlined the jellyfish with yellow ochre and filled out the background. The next step will be to fill in the details of the jellfish. Oil takes a long time to dry so I won't touch this again until next week.
Posted by Picasa

October 23, 2008

Oh Nohes!

Posted by Picasa

October 21, 2008

Saturday Ottumn


I left home around 11:15, walking down Daly Avenue towards Weirdo Street ( that's what my friend Marlene calls Rideau St.). It's Fall. The sky is that kind of blue and the leaves are gold and red. The air is cool, crisp and calm.


I love the old red brick homes in this neighbourhood. I love the trellis work and the history embedded in these old homes.



I look up, I look down and it's all a brief wonder of colour. Soon it will all be crisp, crackling, crunching, leaves that must turn to dust.

Autumn is wistful. Leaves and feathers blow in circles, round and round and where do they go?


My friend and I had a restful meal at this Sushi place in the market. I ate something called Godzilla. It wasn't noticeably radioactive.


I had this 'Zen Master' Martini. We all know that Zen Masters drink 2.5oz Martini's to chill out.


This is the paper store where I bought some handmade cards for someone special ;)


I don't see them either.


The mice said we must drink small beverages.



And eat desserts!


But mostly they kept saying. "Write this down on a napkin and take a picture of it !!!"


S'o-k. I 8s em all.