The Hyphenate

MAP Meeting at Rex Putnam High School (11-30-11)

2011-12-01T10:01:00.001-08:00

Since I live within the area concerned, and curious to see what has been finalized for the McLoughlin Area Plan, I decided to attend the meeting that had been scheduled at Rex Putnam High School.

McLoughlin Blvd.

McLoughlin Blvd/Hwy. 99 is an eyesore. The necessary-evil-throughway from Portland to Oregon City, it is littered with car dealerships, parking lots, and strip clubs. There are practically no sidewalks, the traffic is intense, and is quasi-impossible to cross on foot. The focus of this meeting was to present the improvement ideas and concerns that had been brought up during several planning meetings over the course of the last several months.

Oak Lodge Citizenry

There was a large crowd present, and people were given the opportunity to "vote" on some points of the presentation given by the planning committee by clicking on audience response cards that had been provided.

Now, most of the people present seemed to be in their 50s, and a majority of them were men. Not your Portland hipster crowds, but more like the type that go hunting or fishing on the weekend. I was sitting in front of a group of reactionary Neanderthal types, who seemed to take pride in voting down anything that was presented on the screen, and were snickering like middle-school kids at terms such as "job incubator area."

One of the proposals that was met with strong opposition was the idea of Section 8 housing being built at the site of the Elks Lodge, suggestive that these people think that such housing would bring undesirables to the area. I briefly wondered whether this reflected more than just an economic class concern...

From what was said during the Question/Comments part of the meeting, one gathers that these people don't care that any improvements be done to McLoughlin Blvd. They like it as it is. I can't understand the mindset, given the trashy looks of the highway, the abundance of outdated mobile home parks that border it, and all the side streets with potholes! Clearly, we are not in Beaverton. No. Leave everything as it is. Just don't anyone touch their homes, and bring on Walmart!

As for me, I would love to see a Trader Joe's, and if there is one now on SE 82nd Ave., -McLoughlin's twin with used car dealerships and unsavory characters-, there is no good reason to not have one here also. I am sure that (at least many of) the residents in this area, such as people who live in homes in the vicinity of River Rd., would support it.

Self-Portrait (11-27-11)

2011-11-27T17:08:00.000-08:00

...Although a common thread runs throughout, self-portraits looks different because the end result is affected by one's self-perception at the moment.

Traveler with a Heavy Heart

Alliance Française Get-together (11-21-11)

2011-11-21T22:05:00.000-08:00

I went to the Brasserie Montmartre for a get-together organized by the French Alliance. French folk singer Tété was present (in town for a concert). I took the opportunity to do a quick sketch of him and asked him to sign my sketchbook.

French chanteur Tété

Dark-haired beauty

I did this sketch of a striking young woman who sat across from met; her hair was black, and with the eyes the darkest shade of dark, she looked like an Iranian princess who had stepped out of the One Thousand and One Nights into Modern Times...

My friend Sian A. likes to participate in French Alliance activities. I enjoyed the relaxed, informal ambiance of this particular meeting.

Plucky Maidens Junk Fest (11-19-11)

2011-11-19T19:45:00.000-08:00

I was a vendor at the Plucky Maidens Junk Fest at the McMenamins Grand Lodge in Forest Grove. During a lull in the afternoon, I did this sketch of the area near my booth.

Cool things to buy

Art Spark November Event (11-17-11)

2011-11-17T21:00:00.000-08:00

The November Art Spark event was at Vie de Bohême, a wine bar in Southeast. I was a bit annoyed that they would charge $ 3 for a Coke with Grenadine, and their Happy Hour dishes were of the crusty piece of bread with puréed olive variety, but for 4 Bucks!

Schmoozing for the Arts

So I hung out some and watched the crowds. It was as usual, more arts administrators than artists -everybody loves the Arts, everybody supports the Arts-. There was a tedious-looking recycling-themed Bingo game, undoubtedly to get people to talk with each other, that I didn't event want to bother with, since the room was totally dark and the cards were illegible. After a presentation by RACC staff ("I don't know what I'm doing, but I sure love it!"), some other organization with a purported recycling-cum-arts-focus called Create Plenty presented their program, with a very pregnant young woman gushing over and over about an ongoing fundraiser of some sort. Then, there was a drawing, and I won a weird bag made out of an old Joe Camel t-shirt turned inside out, with some homemade cleaning products in used glass jars (one of them with a Tostitos label still on).

Concert for Veterans (11-12-11)

2011-11-13T08:05:00.000-08:00

A great concert by the Oregon Symphonic Band last night! As always, they were fantastic, and we are so glad our son Christopher found this excellent group to play with (he plays the contra-alto clarinet and the soprano clarinet).

Veterans' Day was just a couple of days ago, so there were a few older veterans in the audience at Milwaukie High School, who seemed to appreciate being asked to stand up at the end of the concert.

I am not necessarily into military-themed music, but I particularly enjoyed the Commando March by Samuel Barber, and the very engaging and danceable parts of the Medley from Miss Saigon by Claude-Michel Schoenberg (arr. Warren Barker).

From our standpoint, the most enjoyable moment was to see the high school band students sitting a couple of rows ahead of us, who, when the closing number (Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa) was announced, all became very attentive (clearly a piece they were familiar with); they clearly were very impressed by the piccolo part (brilliantly played by Jesus Cruz)!

The Marriage of Figaro (11-10-11)

2011-11-10T23:49:00.000-08:00

My friend Sian A. invited me to go to the Keller Auditorium to see The Marriage of Figaro with her. Although I like Mozart, I am not a fan of opera, but the costumes and set were fabulous! And it was nice to see this production after reading a review of it in the paper.

"He deserves not forgiveness, who does not forgive"

Washington Politician (11-04-11)

2011-11-04T09:30:00.000-07:00

I'm constantly amazed by the crookedness of politicians. After seeing the gleeful look of this guy in the story in the paper, I decided to do a caricature of him that would expand on the expression on his face...

Bwahahaaah!

Hat and Scarf (10-30-11)

2011-10-30T14:57:00.000-07:00

While at church, I tried to draw my green hat and yellow scarf which were placed on the top edge of the bench in front of me.

Sushiland!!! (10-27-11)

2011-10-27T16:47:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite sketches: the revolving food display display at Marinepolis Sushiland.
I carefully chose my food, took my time with the sketch, and had a generally very relaxing experience.

I love sushi!

Portrait: Lawrence H. (10-23-11)

2011-10-23T15:02:00.000-07:00

I hesitate to put a name to this sketch because it looks so little like the person... Not all sketches are successful, and this definitely is not a good one from that standpoint, and yet, I still like the finished results.

Not a good resemblance

Get-together at the Watts' (10-22-11)

2011-10-22T21:33:00.000-07:00

Just Married! (10-21-11)

2011-10-21T23:23:00.000-07:00

Our daughter Valérie got married, and despite our limited resources, it was a beautiful wedding.

For the reception, I bought some dark brown tablecloths on Craigslist. Then, I bought some vintage china from varied places, such as auctions or the Goodwill outlet, and these plates were set mixed up on the tables, so that it looked classic yet informal. The flower bouquet centerpieces, in yellows, reds and browns came from the Costco in Hillsboro which has a large floral department. Simple decorations in the church's Cultural Hall: brown and gold ribbons attached to the wall sconces. To finish it off, we had potted trees and shrubs in various places around the room and on the stage, all wrapped in metallic gold gift wrap with red ribbons and bows. But best of all, Valérie's dress came from my personal collection of vintage wedding dresses, a $3.00 purchase.

The food served was cold cuts and sandwich makings, and delicious hot food from Café Yumm. The cake came from Beaverton Bakery, an old-fashioned 2-tiered beauty, which despite arriving damaged was delicious nevertheless; as the damage was discovered when the box was opened, a replacement cake with simpler decorating was dispatched immediately... but that one also arrived damaged... Well, this with the bride's bouquet accidentally scheduled for a day later, -quick recovery on the part of New Seasons in Lake Oswego-, were the unpredictable moments of the day. With the extra cake, and everyone at the reception fed to satiety, there was an entire sheet cake from Costco left... which I took downtown and gave away in the Homeless section of the Occupy Portland camp.

But what mattered was how much in love with each other Valérie and Patrick looked...

Patrick (with bandage!) and Valérie

Movie: Dracula (10-14-11)

2011-10-14T23:29:00.000-07:00

We watched the Francis Ford Coppola 1992 version of Dracula. Aside from a being pretty bloody, with Keanu Reeves in one of the leading roles, it was altogether creepy.

A Night for Networking at OHSU (10-13-11)

2011-10-13T21:07:00.000-07:00

I attended a networking event for disabled people with two oldest children.

This event, organized by OHSU, made it possible for the disabled community to meet with employers in the Portland area. But, as I found out, some of these employers seemed to be present just for the sake of it (such as the three people for U.S. Customs and Borders Protection who clearly looked out of place and referred us to USAJobs, a site notorious for elusive jobs out of this area).

While there, I did this sketch of a blind young woman and her dog. And, funny, I was photographed as I was drawing this sketch!

Documentary: Bill Cunningham's New York (10-04-11)

2011-10-04T23:29:00.000-07:00

I watched a pretty interesting documentary, Bill Cunningham's New York. I was a feats of colors, of fashions, and it was about Bill Cunningham, an endearing character, a photographer who has been chronicling the New York fashion world for decades.

Gorgeous B&W photograph of a woman jumping with an umbrella

Anna Wintour of Vogue

Bill Cunningham at right

Self-Portrait (10-04-11)

2011-10-04T22:37:00.000-07:00

It looks like I am working on self-portraits again... something I tend to do when I am getting more introspective.

Conflicted?

My Hand (10-04-11)

2011-10-04T14:54:00.000-07:00

One of those things I will do to kill time is to try to draw my hand drawing; it's pretty difficult to do and it keeps me busy for a while...

Portrait: D.Martinez (09-27-11)

2011-09-27T20:07:00.000-07:00

This is a quick portrait I did of one of my students as I was explaining the things we were going to cover during the class I teach at the Milwaukie Center, such art materials, recording activities in our sketchbook, drawing in comics format, etc.

Ten Year Tribute (09-11-11)

2011-09-11T19:56:00.001-07:00

It's been ten years since the infamous date of September 11, 2001. A shocking day, and the world has not been the same since.

I'm not much for retrospectives, but I decided to go back to my sketchbook of the time and scan the artwork I had done then.

Horror

This is still a very powerful image; the flames from the underside of the plane represent a rip through the fabric of everyday life, bringing about horrible things.

Ruins

This is a mournful image, a twisted castle of smoke...

Stop in Aberdeen (09-04-11)

2011-09-04T22:30:00.000-07:00

On the way down the Washington State Coast, we stopped for food and gas in Aberdeen, a pretty ghastly place. We had a great meal at Billy's Bar and Grill, a charming, old-fashioned restaurant in the only old building I saw in the town.

Beach in Washington State (09-97-11)

2011-09-04T21:50:00.000-07:00

I am timid when it comes to watercolors, but I tried to put my impressions of the Washington Coast on paper.

Models (09-01-11)

2011-09-01T20:18:00.000-07:00

Quick sketches of fashion models...

The Money Changer (09-03-11)

2011-09-01T14:27:00.000-07:00

My son Chris and I went to one of those traveling coin merchant shows who take out fill-page ads in the paper "We Give Cash for Silver and Gold! Great Rates!" Of course, despite the lavish advertisement, it turns out that the rates offered are, in fact, pretty bad...

Edward... Twilight... Arrrgh! (08-25-11)

2011-08-25T23:30:00.000-07:00

I've watched two of the Twilight movies so far and I can only say one thing: they do nothing for me. The plots are terrible, and the acting (what acting?!) is dismal. As for me, I was snickering the entire time.

Tormented, probably from having to pretend to act

Anyway, here is Edward, as drawn while watching the movie in the dark at one of the city parks (insert sound of swooning audience...)

Interpretation Job (09-04-11)

2011-08-22T17:54:00.000-07:00

I worked on an conference interpretation project where the clients communicated by Skype; so during lulls, I drew the two French participants.

Barbecue at Patrick's Parents' House (08-20-11)

2011-08-20T21:37:00.000-07:00

Our daughter Valérie and her boyfriend Patrick are planning to get married in October; we're very excited. We were invited to his parents' house in Springfield for a barbecue. I took the opportunity to do a small panorama sketch of some of the adults at the dining room table.

Memorial for Dr. Richards (08-13-11)

2011-08-13T21:39:00.000-07:00

We wouldn't have missed the memorial for Dr. Richards for anything in the world. He was a beloved teacher among music circles, and we'll miss his gentle presence and his sense of humor.

A remarkable man

Inside the Chapel at Lewis & Clark College

The meeting inside the Chapel was emotional and underlined the range of people who were touched by this great teacher.

A great Dixieland Quintet was playing for the crowds exiting the Chapel

Art Class at the Milwaukie Center (07-27-11)

2011-07-27T21:11:00.000-07:00

I drew this sketch of some of the students in the Sketching for Journaling class I teach at the Milwaukie Center. We worked on outdoor scenery elements in the lovely community garden at the back of the building.

The challenge I encountered in this exercise was to keep everything on a grid, with credible perspective reflecting my position on a higher plane. Pretty tough!

New Seasons Job Fair in Southwest Portland (07-07-11)

2011-07-07T20:10:00.000-07:00

I went to the New Seasons Job Fair on Allen Blvd. in Beaverton and spent a few hours working on the following panorama of the people waiting to get called in for their chance at getting a job at the new Progress Ridge store that will open next month.

The book I used was a small Moleskine accordion fold book, and the scene reflects a 360 degrees view of what was going on around me. This was a fun project, but not an easy task, since I had to carefully compare the proportions of the people in relationship to each other... The last panels are sketches of people's faces, and I tied everything together with a self-portrait holding the book and drawing.

Blues Festival on the Waterfront (07-03-11)

2011-07-03T23:50:00.000-07:00

It looks like things were pretty regimented at the Waterfront Blues Festival this year: chairs could be no taller than a specific height, blankets no be larger than a specific size (different is it's a blanket for two vs. a blanket for four...), not pests, err...no pets whatsoever.

So, armed with our (non-regulation) fold-out chairs, Gary, Valérie and I went to brave the crowds and listen to some good music this afternoon. We found a spot on one of the lawns, incurred the territorial irritation of a few people, but such is life...

It's un-be-lie-va-ble how many people were there! We were all piled up in one place for the concerts, and anyone sitting close to the stage, got their ears blasted off, those further away had to resort looking at a screen (we could have brought binoculars). As for those who were cross with us because of our chairs, the minute the concert started, the people in front stood up and blocked their view anyway...

But Gosh, how I LOVE the Blues! It's everything "America" to me... at least, everything I've always associated with yearning for a place where anything (good) can happen.

The big event of the night was Buddy Guy, who was pretty funny and a virtuoso at the guitar, but I also liked Patrick Lamb's band. What a great time!...

Good looking young guy

There was also a little kid tirelessly dancing in the crowd that got everyone around rooting for him...

People Studies at Blues Festival (07-02-11)

2011-07-02T19:34:00.000-07:00

http://www.waterfrontbluesfest.com/On the way home, I stopped on top of the Hawthorne Bridge to draw people at the Waterfront Blues Festival, a perfect way to enjoy the good weather (and one of the only sunny days we've had so far this year).

The drawings below look like caricatures because people were moving along pretty fast, so one focuses on catching general details (I know, a contradictory statement) that give personality to the subjects (whether size, clothing, hair, etc.).

Mensa Conference in Portland (07-02-11)

2011-07-02T18:42:00.000-07:00

So... I read in the Oregonian that Mensa was holding its annual conference in Portland, and I decided to take on the challenge and try out for the test (it's this thing I gotta prove to myself that I can still be one of the best...)

Well, I most likely FLUNKED! I finished only TWO out of 20 Math questions... Arrrgh! Even after all these years in the U.S., I can't make any sense out of the U.S. measuring system and I freeze the minute I see the words "Gallon" or "Yard"... As for the other tests, either I ran out of time, - my brain was playing elevator music to itself -, or the very 70s retro graphic images were so tinny, I couldn't figure out what they were (aside from something that looked like mashed up intestines...).

A reaffirming message to remember

Taking the test gave me a pass to attend the conference the same day and I went to an informative workshop given by French member Thierry Brunel, about Gifted Adults in the Workplace. Small consolation about the test: he advised me that one should always take the test that applies to one's native culture...

Meeting for the Pacific NW Region members

Girls at Pioneer Courtyard Square

Dr. Sketchy Life Drawing Session (06-26-11)

2011-06-26T23:34:00.000-07:00

A fun and challenging way to do life drawings of models in costume: Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School. This takes place the last Sunday of the month at Crush Bar on Morrison St.

An unusually tall girl...

Moho Rising Party (06-24-11)

2011-06-24T09:51:00.000-07:00

We went to check out the Morrison Hotel in SE, because I always I am game for a good time and I thought that G. might like the ambiance. It was pretty cool, because of the relaxed set-up, the cool Jim Morrison memorabilia and posters on the walls... The classic rock played by DJ Nate C was great, and they were offering Happy Hours Specials all evening.

Moso enjoying the food...

Cool open back paisly dress

Diet Workshop at New Seasons (06-23-11)

2011-06-23T21:55:00.000-07:00

It's not that I eat poorly, - because I don't -, but I can't seem to lose any weight, EVER, and after a recent conversation with a massage therapist, I decided to make an effort at eating healthy foods and to start by attending one of the classes offered by New Seasons, to learn more about anti-inflammatory diets.

I tried to take notes but, as usual, I ended up drawing... Some pleasantly puzzling information I overheard (probably due to my not paying close attention) was that butter is good for you. Now, that was great news to me, since I've been feeling guilty all these years for slathering it with jam on sandwiches! Better not trust my ears though, and read the copious amount of information that was provided...

At the Rural Auction (06-21-11)

2011-06-21T22:35:00.000-07:00

...Trying out my Pitt brush markers...

What I like about the auction is that one sees all kinds of people, and not just hipsters or the usual city types as in Portland. Here, we have a sampler of humanity, from the well-dressed to the bedraggled, all as they are, mostly imperfect, but memorable.

Movie: The Illusionist (06-20-11)

2011-06-20T23:50:00.000-07:00

Even a thoroughly stupid movie like The Illusionist has its rewards: for a few seconds, one could see an old, graceful farm estate at night. Another redeeming value for this movie: it was filmed in the Czech Republic, and a few scenes were even filmed inside the castle at Český Krumlov.

Thuy's Plants (06-17-11)

2011-06-17T17:09:00.000-07:00

Going to Thuy's Hair Salon is an exotic experience: Vietnamese music videos blaring from a TV set near the ceiling, piles of old magazines, and Thuy herself, always in spike heels, ever so lithe and feminine, admonishing caution against some impending catastrophe... And of course, Thuy's plants, that thrive under her care, strike me as somehow exotic also.

One of Thuy's plants

Scene at a Trendy Bar (06-15-11)

2011-06-15T21:19:00.000-07:00

Since I knew that the Portland Urban Sketchers group had planned to be there, I went to Produce Row Café with my friends Greg and Suzanne C.
Greg, who'd gone there in his younger days was dismayed that the place had gone the usual trendy route ("Coffee" stained woodwork, rich-looking patrons, expensive food, etc.). This is the way everything seems to go in Portland nowadays: posh and trendy-looking places, either for the hip, or for the well-to-do.
But we still had a pleasant time chatting and listening to great music. Greg wrote on his notebook, I finished this sketch, and Suzanne worked on her "doodle" book (for lack of a better word).

At the end, we took a peek at the other artists' work, and that was cool.

Drawing Portraits at Da Vinci (06-14-11)

2011-06-14T23:55:00.000-07:00

I volunteered drawing portraits at Da Vinci Arts Middle School last day of school. It was a lot of fun drawing the sweet-faced young kids who lined up and patiently waited for their turn... This brought back memories of other like moments at Da Vinci, when my daughters were younger...

A quirky 6th grader...

And a pensive 8th grader...

Hairstyles (06-12-11)

2011-06-12T15:43:00.000-07:00

I was surprised to see that some women attending the (Church) Stake Conference had relatively interesting hairstyles... (Who would have thought?)

Space-Age Bun and Bouffant Hair

Waterfront and Fun Center (06-11-11)

2011-06-11T22:34:00.000-07:00

After the parade, I went down to the waterfront. As part of the Rose Festival, a fleet of ships comes for a week, an interesting scene, with bridges opening and closing, and lots of people everywhere.

Hawthorne Bridge

Essayons at waterfront

I did a sketch of the U.S. Corps of Engineers' dredger Essayons (a very French name for a U.S. ship...).

Big ship details

Technical things are complicated to sketch, at least they are to me. I spent a good 20 minutes on this sketch of the side of the dredger.

Fun Center

As for the "CityFair" (Fun Center, Carnival, whatever), it was a chaotic scene, with people waiting in line for rides and greasy food. (Click on the link above for a nicely edited night video that someone posted online).

Grand Floral Parade (06-11-11)

2011-06-11T22:02:00.000-07:00

It had been a few years since I had gone to the Rose Festival's Grand Floral Parade downtown, so I decided to go and draw a few sketches on the street.

Parade Details

On the left, policemen and one of those Rose Festival creepy old men with a white suit and cape; in the middle, a bicyclist, a cameraman, and a dancer with pompoms (I especially like that sketch); on the right, women at the Media broadcast table.

Chinese dog!

Throughout the parade, I had been working on sketching the street as a background, not sure how I could fill the foreground fast enough since the floats passed by too fast to draw them in their entirety, when, during a lull between floats, suddenly, as if out of nowhere, a goofy-looking Chinese dog appeared. A precursor to the Chinese New Year Dragon dancers, the dog was full of enthusiastic energy, so funny. I quickly drew it. (Click on the link above to briefly see the dog in a video someone posted online...)

Scenes from the parade

Here, I caught the elegant white horse from the Mexico "float" (possibly from the Portland Guadalajara Sister Association). It was just regal. (Click on the link above to see it in a video someone posted online...)

I enjoyed myself.

Craft Party for I [Heart] Art: Portland (06-10-11)

2011-06-10T21:32:00.000-07:00

I was a volunteer at the Craft Party for I [Heart] Art: Portland held at the Museum of Contemporary Craft. Aside from the fun craft activities, there was good food, and there were so many of prizes, almost everyone got something also (although I didn't...).

Food table

The audience during the drawing for prizes

At Church (05-22-11)

2011-05-22T23:27:00.000-07:00

...Done during Church...

Art Spark May Event (05-19-11)

2011-05-19T17:04:00.000-07:00

Art Spark was at ADX Portland, a huge warehouse-turned-creative-space, with lots of people present. There was a cutesy contest-like presentation by SCRAP staff, make some useless craft item, with felt remnants and old crayons, etc. Since it was for an artsy Portland non-profit, this activity was led by women wearing the obligatory 50s dresses with polka dots, too tight for today's ample bosoms, thick-framed glasses, and big-soled shoes. Not to type people, but....

Anyway, I always find people watching more interesting than anything else...

New Parent Night at Da Vinci (05-18-11)

2011-05-18T23:39:00.000-07:00

My daughter Monica-Sophie and I were invited to sit for question-answer on the Alumni Panel for an informational meeting for new parents at Da Vinci Arts Middle School. It was nice to see some familiar faces again, like Connie Cheifetz, Doug Ingamells, who had been my daughters' Math teacher, and Jane Ferguson, former Drama teacher at the school.

Doug Ingamells

At the Rural Auction (05-17-11)

2011-05-17T22:21:00.000-07:00

Here are some familiar characters at the auction...

Portrait: Suzanne C. (05-11-11)

2011-05-11T22:59:00.000-07:00

Probably not one of my best portraits, but it has merit as it stands.

Drawing at the Canvas Bar (05-09-11)

2011-05-09T22:49:00.000-07:00

Back at the Canvas Bar, for another session with an uninspiring model... but I actually like these simple poses.

Voice Recital (05-07-11)

2011-05-07T22:42:00.000-07:00

Our daughter Valérie who is studying Music in college had a voice recital. Although the temptation to spend the entire recital working on the scene, I preferred to just draw a quick little thing, and then stop to listen to the music.

Haircut Anxieties (05-03-11)

2011-05-03T21:59:00.000-07:00

I dread getting a haircut, because I'm afraid that my hair will look like a disaster, no matter what is done to it.
Although I got a lot of hair, it's pretty fine. It gets static electricity, lays flat on top of my head, and I look like those people in science demonstrations whose hair flies straight up. So, I will give the hairstylist very detailed descriptions of what I DON'T want, and what I do want...then, as she gets to cutting my hair, I will spend the entire time worried and anguished over the results. Finally, when the results look like the minute description I gave of what I didn't want, I feel obligated to praise the hairstyle, even though I hate it. Then, I have to silently suffer over my looks for another six weeks or so later, then go through this all over again.

I hate my hair!

Anxious moments

High School Memories (04-28-11)

2011-04-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

When I was in high school in Belgium (the equivalent to 8th or 9th grade), I had a Biology teacher who had a serious style and fashion problem. She was frightful-looking, cross-eyed, with long stringy hair, glasses, and buck teeth. She was clearly middle-aged, and yet, hope springs eternal, she wore mini-skirts that revealed more than anyone would want to see of her her knobby knees and chicken legs.

I can't begin to relate how much of s trouble-maker I was in that class... I sat in the back, with the class clown and his acolytes, and we disrupted the entire class on an ongoing basis. The poor woman, whose humble ambition was to get the class to dissect a frog, never got a chance. I lead our group in loudly objecting that it was cruel and unusual treatment of animals. Small animals. Like poor little frogs, wrenched away from their little ponds, to end up in a stupid classroom, cut into pieces, all for nothing. Why did we have to do this? Could we just draw the frog, and be done? I didn't give a rat's... about dissection; I didn't give a rat's... about Biology either for that matter. Etc.

We never dissected any frog. In fact, we never did anything else than riot in the class.

Woman's Hair (04-27-11)

2011-04-27T23:44:00.000-07:00

Here is a nice little drawing done with a Pitt Marker pen. They take a lot of time to get used to, but some of the results ate quite satisfying.

Shakespeare and Molière (04-27-11)

2011-04-27T22:32:00.000-07:00

Actor Tim Mooney came to Mt Hood Community College to perform two one-man acts, Shakespeare and Molière. I really enjoyed how he effortlessly changed from one character to another.

Actor Tim Mooney (with autograph removed)

Not an easy task to draw someone gesticulating... So I worked on the sketch above, but also did the quick movement thumbnails below.

Drawing at the Canvas Bar (04-25-11)

2011-04-25T22:38:00.000-07:00

On Monday nights, the Canvas Bar has models who pose for artists. This was a struggle for me because I couldn't get over the "dress" the model was wearing, something that looked like a cheap beach straw mat with long strands that hung on the side.


Model wearing a stupid looking straw wrap

Comics Fest (04-17-11)

2011-04-17T23:36:00.000-07:00

This is the first time I ever made it to the Stumptown Comics Fest. I found it intimidating, even discouraging. It was like a gathering of clickish people who all knew each other, an exclusive event for exclusive, cool people. I had my Maxine's BD book with me, and was met with dismissive or bored glances when I tried to engage some of the hip publisher representatives who were there; I guess if I were in my 20s, things might be different. As it was, I felt like a fool with my little drawings.

I ran into Theo Ellsworth who had a booth featuring his illustrations and books, and I also saw Kalina Wilson, another artist from the Portland Urban Sketchers whose sketchbooks I admire.

Theo Ellsworth's booth

Meeting with the Accountant (04-16-11)

2011-04-16T21:50:00.000-07:00

A dreaded annual moment: meeting with our (quite likeable) accountant. To me, there is nothing more boredom-evoking than a calculator, but Craig C. apparently thrives on making sense out of the stacks of paperwork I present to him.

Not my idea of fun...

A Visit to the Hospital (04-15-11)

2011-04-15T23:09:00.000-07:00

Our daughter Moso had to go to the Emergency room because she felt some discomfort in her eye. I drew these sketches while I waited for her.

Distress

The sketch above was done surreptitiously, because I didn't want to get in an argument with the parties involved, but I liked the pose of the big (tough-looking) girl sobbing in the arms of her (tough-looking) girlfriend.

Hospital waiting room

It turned out that Moso had a tiny metal shards in her eye! The doctor tried to remove them unsuccessfully, but at least we found out there was a problem indeed. (Good thing we went to the Emergency room after all...).

Historic Inventory Presentation (04-15-11)

2011-04-15T22:18:00.000-07:00

The Oak lodge History Detectives organized a community event to present the variety of architectural styles of the houses in the area. Driveing through the McLoughlin Blvd./Hwy. 99 wasteland, one would never guess that there are some unique properties in this area (mine included). I recognized some of the photos I took, and that was pretty cool.

Presentation by Jane Morrison

A trip to the Immigration Services (04-13-11)

2011-04-13T23:24:00.000-07:00

I went downtown to the "US Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services" (how things change, and how they remain the same; it used to the Immigration and Naturalization Services); while waiting for my turn, I drew this sketch of other people waiting.

Disappointing Evening at Little Bird (04-12-11)

2011-04-12T23:32:00.000-07:00

The Portland French Alliance had organized a dinner at Little Bird for native French speakers and, to my great disappointment, it turned out that this event was attended by the usual Americans who:
1.) think that their high school French from a bazillion years ago has somehow made them fluent in the language
2.) spent a year in France at the turn of the previous century
3.) love anything and everything French and proclaim it enthusiastically
4.) are super-boring.
No offense, but once in a while, I'd like to have a conversation in French without having to patiently wait for my interlocutor's thoughts to surface in their consciousness and painstakingly materialize into coherent French conversational words, without biting myself to not correct the other person when they invariably butcher the French grammar, without cringing internally at every sentence because it's so painful to control myself... Gosh, think whatever you want. Since I live in the U.S., I just want to have a meeting with other French native speakers once in a while, and that's that.

View from the mezzanine

Anyway, let's talk about the food. Another reason I was looking forward to this dinner is that I had read lavish reviews about this restaurant, and especially about the hamburger they served. So, after carefully studying the menu, that's what I ordered. Bummer. My hamburger, although juicy to the point of dripping onto the plate was overall dry in the mouth and left me with the feeling of having swallowed a cannon ball.

Conclusion: a disappointing evening.

Drink at St Jack's (04-11-11)

2011-04-11T21:55:00.000-07:00

I drew this sketch of Mary G. at St Jack's where we went after a Visual Journaling get-together.

Pie and Music in Oak Grove (04-09-11)

2011-04-09T17:17:00.000-07:00

In conjunction with the work that has been started to fix up the Trolley Trail and make it bike and pedestrian friendly, there may be new activity coming soon to the sleepy downtown Oak Grove area. A new business called Pieandjam had a pre-opening meet-and-greet gathering, with pie tasting (delicious crust), and music provided by Stumbleweed. I gotta admit I like bluegrass almost as much as the blues.

Great pie and great music

A French Bistro in SE Portland! (04-04-11)

2011-04-04T18:39:00.000-07:00

St Jack is a new restaurant in our old neighborhood that opened recently, and oh... how very good it is!
I had already stopped a couple of times for pastries at the adjacent bakery, but this time, Gary and I went for Happy Hour. I sat in a blissful daze the entire time: the mussels were excellent, the music was old French standards. It felt as if we really were in Paris (well, all right, if one disregards the mispelled sign on the wall...)

Gary; no, he doesn't have a lazy eye...

Self-Portrait in the Dark (04-02-11)

2011-04-03T02:15:00.000-07:00

This was an exercise to see how intuitive sketching works (that is, it was drawn in a room with barely any lighting)... Not bad after all, since I drew myself look quite a few pounds skinner!.. Heheh!

Who says wishful thinking is counter-productive?!

Shopping to Make Up for a Rotten Day (04-02-11)

2011-04-02T19:01:00.000-07:00

I needed my signature notarized on four documents. Easy enough... Well, it wasn't that simple after all. After going the local branch of out bank, and finding out that there was no notary present, I was sent to another branch 15 minutes away, where there would be, I was told, no waiting. I got to the second branch, to be roughly told by one of the two notaries present that it would be a long wait. And it was. It took 30 minutes to finally talk to her. The documents in my possession all contained one paragraph in French, with the same text written in English underneath. Only, the woman did not feel "comfortable" notarizing my signature because of the French text. She wanted to know what it meant. I was stunned. Since when do notaries busy themselves with interpreting the contents of a document?! Despite pointing out the translated portion to her, she wouldn't budge.
The branch supervisor told me that the other notary was willing to look at my document. Fair enough. However, before I could talk with her, I'd have to wait till she was done with her customers, a couple with a young boy and a wailing baby. So I waited...40 minutes before her customers were gone, wailing baby and all. By then, I had developed a massive headache. Yes, this notary would sign my document. But only if I showed her a copy of my marriage certificate (which in 30 years of marriage, I have never had), or a Belgian passport with my maiden name on it, and a birth certificate. I had no choice. On the way home, my head pounding as I was driving, I called Gary, to ask him to locate my old passport. Something was wrong with the Bluetooth and the phones once again, because there was screeching metallic-sounding interference, with Gary's voice coming through the noise, asking "... passport? Where? I can't hear..." I got home and staggered out of the car, me and my headache. As I opened the door to the kitchen, Gary handed me the passport and birth certificate, and he told me that I had no patience. I snapped back that I have all the patience in the world! I just waited one hour at a bank, to get no service! With the passport and certificate in hand, I turned around and got in my car, to make another 15-minute trip back to the bank.
After close examination of my passport, and after I provided an impromptu translation of the birth certificate, the notary finally relented and certified my signature. From start to finish, the entire process took four hours!.. (and when I got home, I realized that I was missing a sentence on each, nullifying the entire effort).

So, to make up for my bad day, and because I needed clothes for the warmer seasons (I never have any problem finding winter clothes, but hardly ever find any summer clothes that look flattering), I went to Macy's, and they had some big clearance sales. I bough some sleveless blouses and a pair of jeans, and a flowered top that would look gorgeous in a 1920s style outfit...

Stranded at the Rural Auction (03-29-11)

2011-03-29T23:29:00.000-07:00

I was at the rural auction, killing time while waiting to be picked up by my husband and... (Ahem... a long story that will be better told on my No Ducks and Bunnies blog).

Inside the big building where they have the household goods auctions, I surveyed the scene. At the auction, week after week, one sees the same people, the junk and the antique dealers, the occasional curious, farmers, field workers, and many Hispanic, Ukrainian or Russian immigrants. It's a large loose group of people, some one says hello to, some one avoids, some one hands off unwanted purchases to... But everyone is there with the same purpose: to make a deal, to find the perfect, -or almost perfect- item, something to fix, to re-use, or to re-sell.

Inside the auction building

There is something heartbreaking about the sorry possessions strewn around, the scratched furniture, dented appliances, faded clothing, ribbons and threads, used toiletries, greasy pots and pans, chipped plates, broken toys, and other junk, sold off by the box, the sad remnants of torn, displaced lives.

Matthew Brehm Workshop (03-27-11)

2011-03-27T18:00:00.000-07:00

Matthew Brehm was an instructor at the Urban Sketchers Symposium last year. He came back to Portland to teach a workshop for the benefit of the Portland Urban Sketchers group and others who were interested in learning Sketching techniques from an architectural standpoint.

The workshop was held in the community room at People's Coop, in our old neighborhood. I was running a few minutes late, as always, but first had made a stop at St Jack's, the new bakery/restaurant on Clinton and 21st to pick up a hot chocolate and a (superb) ham and cheese croissant.

It was pretty interesting! I usually have difficulties sitting for long periods of time without getting distracted, but this was an excellent presentation, with photos, examples, suggestions... Where the presenter focuses on buildings foremost, and sees people as incidental to the setting, I favor people vs. surroundings. It's just a different approach to the same problems.

We had some time for lunch (I took the opportunity to pay a visit to I've Been Framed; they have great prices on art supplies), then we met downtown at Pioneer Courthouse Square (and I was late again...) to work on some sketches.

Pioneer Courthouse

While I was drawing Pioneer Courthouse, I was thinking of the days when the first floor was a charmingly old-fashioned post office, austere and cavernous, and when the decision was made, against the wishes of many and despite the heroic efforts of a few, to close the post office and, in effect, to turn the old courthouse into a quasi-private legal bastion, retrofitted with parking spaces under the building for the benefit of some federal judges. Alas, it has happened...

In rain and in cold...

The weather was wretched and cold, so it was quite startling to see a wedding group taking photos on the square. The bride was pretty, but, wearing a bare-shouldered dress in pouring rain, I can't imagine she was comfortable. The bridesmaids also wearing bare-shouldered, short satin dresses almost looked blue from the cold... It started raining pretty hard, and a few drops of rain fell on my sketchbook.

We then went to Central Library, and spent some time sketching inside.

An interesting collection of old papers and photographs from one of the early prominent families was displayed in the glass cases on the third floor, with some nice editorial sketches, all done in a quill pen dipped in ink...

Then, when we were done, we met again and looked at each other's sketchbook.

It was a fine day.

All the sketchbooks...

Simpatica Dining Hall (03-26-11)

2011-03-26T22:49:00.000-07:00

Gary got a new job after an anxious period of unemployment, so we really had to celebrate the event.

We went to Simpatica Dining Hall, for a menu that featured barbecued meats. But, ah... Let me tell you, we had a regal time! I can get lyrical about food, but the deviled egg with smoked tuna topped with crispy shallots were a perfection, with this slight smokey flavor mixing with the whites of the eggs...

The concept centers around an-ever changing weekly menu, and seating is by reservation only. The setting is a narrow room in the basement of an old building in SE Portland. The food, consisting of a three-course dinner, is served at common tables, so people can talk with each other. It's a fun place, alternating between noisy animated conversations and reverential awe whenever a new course is brought out.

Some of our table companions

From the corner where I was sitting at the back corner of the room, I had a great view of everything, and enjoyed engaging in small talk with Gary, meeting new people, and leisurely drawing in my sketchbook.

We may try to go back for our anniversary, to celebrate our 30 years together...

80s Video Dance Party at the Crystal Ballroom (03-26-11)

2011-03-26T03:00:00.000-07:00

Party on! This time, my friend Sian A. and I went to a late dance party at the Crystal Ballroom, consisting of old music videos from the 80s (they apparently do these dances every week).

I had lots of fun! But it was a challenge to watch the screen, dance on the famous bouncing wooden floor, and draw in my sketchbook, all at the same time.

I was wearing a black skirt and a ruffled green and black blouse and my (mostly) comfortable black high heel mary janes. I was felling pretty cool, and not the worse looking of the aging baby boomers present. But after a while, I had to take my shoes off because I couldn't feel my toes anymore... Yikes! They were totally numb!

So I danced in my stockings, holding the shoes and the sketchbook in one hand, drawing with the other hand... The crowd was super-enthusiastic, shouting away the words of the songs and jumping at the beat in unison. I could feel myself bounce up in the air without any effort, on a floor set on springs that was increasingly getting wet from the dorks who were nonchalantly holding their drink in hand. When some idiot finally spilled his cup on my feet, I decided to put the shoes back on, pain or no pain.

A challenge: to sketch while dancing!

Sian danced the whole night away; she was obviously having a good time, and she knew all the songs. It's funny how Michael Jackson has become popular again; every song of his that was played was met with an unreserved roar of approval from all, especially Thriller. Dying, even in a stupid manner, is obviously a great marketing tool.

At some point, I took a break to look at my sketch close to a light. Not bad. I added some shadows here and there and the colors of the lights later on, but it is pretty much the way it was.

Sian dancing on the right

I did this sketch while standing under one of the two large Murano glass chandeliers that hand over the ballroom.

A different view of the same thing...

While I was sitting down, some guy came to ask me to dance; I politely refused and thanked him. I had to suppress a laugh when he reappeared twice afterward, talking away like I knew him. When I pointed at my ears, to show I couldn't understand anything, he looked irritated with me and left (good riddance).

The blog author and her friend

We left after the last song was played (at 1:30 a.m.). To get the beer or whatever that was off my feet, I took a shower as soon as I got home and finally went to be at 3:00 a.m., exhausted but exhilarated because this was a lot of fun.

Movie: The Big Lebowski (03-20-11)

2011-03-20T23:26:00.000-07:00

A quick sketch done while watching The Big Lebowski, a hilarious movie, which, I must admit, I hated the first time I saw it (just like Animal House).

The Dude Abides!

Anyway, what can I say? I am not going to go into an analysis explaining why and make apologies for now liking this buddy movie about bowling losers.

Art Spark at the Nines (03-17-11)

2011-03-17T19:30:00.000-07:00

I made it to the Art Spark meeting, held at the Nines this month.

Refresher: the old, elegant, beloved Meier & Frank department store in downtown Portland was bought a few years ago, gutted out, and reopened as a state-of-the-art Macy's. Despite clearly expressed hopes for a res-to-ra-ti-on, what we got in fact is a black and white plastic horror reminiscent of those modernist scenes in A Clockwork Orange. After the heartbreak of my one trip to the store after the remodel, I stopped going there altogether, because the jarring decor is too painful to see, and to know what it was like... (No more slow-moving old-fashioned rickety escalators, no more 12-days of Christmas window displays, and no more kiddie Monorail.)

As for the hotel above-mentioned, the decor is equally horrid. Where elegance and luxury could have been brought back to life, in homage to the building's history, with velvets drapes, gorgeous glass chandeliers, golds, to even give it that gaudy 60s opulence, we got more modernist crap. A spartan entrance that has the personality of an airport check-in desk. Stainless steel elevators. All around, plastic, geometric shapes, long swooping expanses of minimalist drapes, and psychedelic flowery shapes hanging down from the cavernous open ceilings, medusa-like. Add a few neo-classic armchairs painted white, black, or pinkish-purple, with that 50s teal one sees everywhere nowadays, and the usual putty or taupe colors on the walls, and you got it. Oh, and I forgot to mention the painted mannequins set in edgy poses, a "friendly nod," I suppose, to the department store origins of the place.

But I digress. The focus for this month's meeting was to feature the Northwest Jewish Artists organization. So, aside from the run-of-the-mill Art types dressed in all black waving their hands around and spilling their drinks on the floor while loudly pontificating about the sorry turn Art was taking in this city, there were crowds of nice white-haired older ladies in pantsuits, talking about what inspired their artistic expression...

That lime green satin dress had to have been painted on...

I took in the space around me, a vast, spacious open area in the center of the building starting with the 8th floor all the way to the glass roof high above, the setting for a posh restaurant pretentiously named Urban Farmer. To quote them: "The ambiance is at once a tribute to the quaintness of a restored farmhouse and the aesthetic audacity of mid-20th century modernism." A restored farmhouse? Where? With the plastic disks handing from the ceiling?! Or the square chairs with metal feet?!

I took advantage of the Happy Hour to order an "urban" beef slider from the stunning cocktail waitress who was working the crowd; she was wearing the tightest dress I had ever seen on anyone. At $5, the slider was no bargain, consisting of a big hunk of hamburger patty dripping cheese, precariously held inside a greasy muffin with a bamboo stick, and this did not even include a napkin to hold it. I had to lick my fingers clean. And I had to chase the waitress down, after reminding her, not once, but twice, that I was waiting for change for my $20 bill.

Since I am at it, I will also mention the trip I made to visit the restrooms, a most pleasant surprise (aside from the plastic bag someone had tried to flush in one of the toilets), with eggplant colored walls and, instead of the ubiquitous paper towels, single rolled up cloth napkins to be placed in laundry hampers after used. Now, that was pretty cool!

In conclusion, the best thing about the visit were the great views of the Pioneer Courthouse cupola from the windows by the elevators, and the restrooms. On my way down, I shared the ride with sunglass-wearing creative types dressed in black and tourists in name-brand sweatsuits. It figures.

On the Milwaukie bus line (03-16-11 and 03-17-11)

2011-03-17T19:15:00.000-07:00

I had to go work on a QA localizations downtown for a few days (Yours Truly occasionally uses her left brain to do French translation, interpretation and editing work), and I made the effort of taking TriMet to get home. In this case, it means the # 33 bus, the McLoughlin Blvd. to Oregon City line.

this guy was laughing to himself...

It's pretty clear, from the very few times I have taken this bus, that the passenger are the type that take no s...: working class people, women who look like 50s diner waitresses, hard-core skaters, or sort-of scuzzy types with tattoos and/or those ear things that give me bad shivers just to think of it. In fact, the demographics of the old suburbs are pretty different from the passengers who ride the # 4 bus, in our old neighborhood: sustainably-dressed people getting off at New Seasons on Division, trendy hipsters, and the occasional bum.

When I draw on the bus, I have to be discreet about it. I don't want someone to come up to me and challenge me to show my sketchbook. So I draw a snippet here, take a glance there, and rely on my memory to fill in the blanks. I like this drawings, because it means working around a few core sketches, and adding details that will be meaningful but not detract from the whole.

Emergency Preparedness with the OGGs (03-20-11)

2011-03-10T23:29:00.000-08:00

A friend, Laurie Sonnenfeld, suggested I go to meet the OGGs, the Oak Grove Gals, who meet once a month. The meeting was at the home of Jean Chapin, a clay artist (see her work at Greenware Pottery).

The meeting theme was, ahem, earthquake preparedness, pretty pertinent given the recent natural events in Japan. We discussed creating small self-sustained neighborhood groups, with knowledge shared of resources and abilities. I decided to refresh our 72-hour kits, by replacing the food items I threw out a while back. The idea is still a great one, which is to fill wide mouthed gallon containers with everything that may be useful and necessary (snacks, wipes, multi-use knife, gum, pre-packed small portion meals, etc.)

A sketch reworked with Photoshop

As for the sketch, since these portraits spilled over two pages of my sketchbook, I copy/pasted the two portraits from the second page onto the first one, after moving three of the portraits of the first page to make some room (I couldn't quite figure out how to re-orient that drawing on the bottom, though).

Stan Ridgway Concert! (03-08-11)

2011-03-08T12:00:00.000-08:00

Last night, Gary and I went to the Stan Ridgway concert at Mississsippi Studios.

It was a small, almost intimate affair with some old die-hard fans. But what a concert! We all had an absolutely great time hearing old Wall of Voodoo favorites ("The Factory," "Lost Weekend," "Camouflage," etc.), a couple of Drywall numbers, as well as new songs from the Neon Mirage album. There is nothing like hearing this live. I love the stories told in the songs, and the the music is still so very, very cool...

From left to right, Pietra Wexstun, Bruce Zelesnik, Stan Ridgway and Rick King.

And, as after every concert, the band was available for small talk and signing CDs, posters...and my sketchbook.Call

The signatures were removed, but this is the sketch I spent most of my time on.

And, as after every concert, the band was available for small talk and signing CDs, posters (and my sketchbook).

Thrilled fan meets favorite songwriter.

Portrait: Wendy B. (03-06-11)

2011-03-06T20:59:00.000-08:00

I did this sketch of Wendy B. at Church.

Wendy is an amazing woman: with the help of her husband Ron, she runs Vintage Market, a classy vintage business equal to any featured in Where Women Create or other such type of magazine. She has great taste, is a great cook, and organizes the best parties. I love going to her house; it has been redone in a lovely way, with a large kitchen where people can gather around a huge table. And there is that sleeping porch that has been converted into a sewing studio, a quasi magical space...

Andaz at Rotture (03-05-11)

2011-03-06T03:00:00.000-08:00

As it may become evident, I like drawing crowds in motion.

I went to Rotture with my daughter Moso (a nickname) for Andaz with DJ Anjali. As these things go in nightclubs, there was a lot of loud music with great beats, with people dancing everywhere.

An interesting touch was the belly dancers who took to the stage...

I tried to get the movements, but it was pretty difficult.

And it was interesting to catch the expression on the faces of some...

What drawing means to me (03-02-11)

2011-03-02T12:56:00.000-08:00

As I've slowly been organizing my new studio, I finally got to the boxes that had been packed up since September 2009, when we sold our house in SE Portland. Obviously, life went on without these things, and it was manageable. Yet, I've always disliked the thought that if you haven't worn an item of clothing for a year, you need to discard it. It's not that I am a collector, but I need the familiarity of objects I like to feel grounded.

So, I embarked on my box opening project with some anxiety. What if everything inside was now meaningless? What if the images, the art supplies, the small objects just turned out to be junk? More pointedly, if the things I once liked had become irrelevant, would I in turn feel irrelevant?

Opening box after box of art supplies, paints, markers, pencils, I found some treasures: the box of watercolors my grand-father sent me when I was 23, the metal tubes twisted and mangled, the paints hardened to chunks, and another box my mother sent me around the same time, still pristine, still unused, and still evoking the same feelings of wonder when I carefully open it.

I found my journals, the oldest one from when I was about 17 years old, full of goody-girly nonsense, and its existence brings out feelings of regrets over the solemn sacrificial burning at age 16, of two previous journals whose every page was filled with rage and anger, expressed in a rainbow of red, blue, or green fountain pen ink.

I found my sketchbooks, all of them, and placed them pell-mell on a bookcase shelf, and this is the first time I can see all of them side by side, and the real space they take. The first sketchbook I bought in 1997 was small and black, filled with timid and hesitant drawings of people, followed by an unimaginative series of more identical black sketchbooks.

My sketchbooks of choice now are my reliable hand-bound sketchbooks my dad buys in Budapest and sends in an occasional package, along with dark chocolate, sweet licorice or violet candy, and Speculoos cookies or spread from Belgium. (A side note here about the cover patterns: my dad clearly favors historical Hungarian motifs, while I prefer colorful images, like flowers or objects, but I can't complain since these are the best sketchbooks ever.)

My present sketchbook

I've been more impatient with drawing lately, ready to move on to another page, taking less time to work on individual pages. I also use less color, while I would actually prefer more color in my books. But in the case of fashion sketches, I find that a few lines say it all, the place has been visited, it's time to do something else, like another sketch...so turning the page is getting easier.

Movie: "Carlos" (2010) (03-02-11)

2011-03-02T10:50:00.000-08:00

We watched "Carlos," a three-part mini-series about terrorist Carlos The Jackal, a totally fascinating story that left me wondering why anyone would engage in terrorist activities.

When I watch a movie, the action is sometime too engrossing and I will put down my pen, and leave the page as is, or pick the pen up again later on, if I see a face or a detail that catches my attention. The pages below from my sketchbook reflect our watching the movie over three nights, as I stopped drawing after the end of each episode of the movie. As you can see, on each subsequent session, I try to fill the space on the page, and to add some new details to some of the previous sketches.

Part one: Basic structure; lay things on the page

Part two: Add details, filler images

Part three: Finish off, more filler and touch-ups

Paper Fashions (03-01-11)

2011-03-01T22:15:00.000-08:00

Shortly after I posted my fashion sketches Linda Daily, a fellow sketch artist, recommended I look up Isabelle de Borchgrave, an artist whose name I had never heard before.

Doing some research, I was intrigued to find out that:
1.) like me, she was born in Belgium
2.) she makes accurate-looking, full-size reproductions of historical costumes out of PAPER!

I located a book about her and made the trip all the way to Powell's in Beaverton. I spent one hour looking at every image, absolutely mesmerized by the colors, the shapes, the textures, and to think it was all made of paper... I drew some quick sketches of the dresses I liked best, just be able to take a little something of these fabulous fashions home with me...but my sketches don't do the work justice.

Paper shoes!

Beautiful 17th century clothing

The hair was made of twisted paper

First Tuesday at Walters Cultural Arts Center (03-01-11)

2011-03-01T21:30:00.000-08:00

My Sketching class at the Walters Cultural Arts Center tonight happened to coincide with First Tuesday, and that meant the opening night for an art show. A perfect opportunity for the students in the class to look at original artwork and to practice sketching people in public. Baptism by fire...

A local high schooler was exhibiting her drawings. I drew her while she was talking to some people. She had the fragile grace of youth, not quite an adult yet, but not a child anymore.

Five musicians from the Hillsboro Symphony Orchestra were playing in the lobby; a couple of pieces were original enough to make me wish for Christopher were there to enjoy them.

Happy Hour at Miss Delta (02-28-11)

2011-02-28T21:31:00.000-08:00

Gary had to help someone from Church move across the river to Vancouver, so I asked him to take me along part of the way and drop me off on Mississippi Ave in North Portland, to give me some time to walk around and take a look at the shops, something I never have the time to do when driving through the neighborhood.

It was raining, and it was a nice opportunity to take in the neighborhood sights at a slow pace, without any crowds. I spent a while at Paxton Gate, an unusual store selling taxidermy-related items elegantly displayed in 19th century-style cabinets.

By the time I made it down to Miss Delta, it was dark outside with my ride still busy helping with the move. I took a long time to make up my mind before finally ordering a Gumbo Mac, the perfect food for cold weather.

Inside Miss Delta

Big guy eating

Party at the Art Museum (02-26-11)

2011-02-27T13:00:00.000-08:00

My participation in a study of native French speakers at the Portland French Alliance won me two tickets to the Portland International Film Festival Wrap-up Party at the Art Museum last night. It took me a while to convince Moso to brave the frigid cold and go with me, but the minute I got there, I was bored out of my mind. The place was full of old people dressed in black sipping wine and looking smart. The music was okay, if one likes reggae or calypso (I prefer Techno), and Moso got to talk with the marimba player.

So I resorted to watching people for a while, then decided to do this sketch. It was a challenge because people were dancing or moving from table to table the entire time, and there was a need to keep everything is perspective (larger in close-up; smaller in background). I didn't have the time to work much on the band.

Moso and I drove by KBOO on E. Burnside afterward. It was well past midnight and excruciatingly cold outside. There was a lot of activity in the vicinity of the Jupiter Hotel and, totally baffling, we saw some young women, scantily dressed and probably drunk, walking barefoot on the iced-up sidewalks...

Party for I [Heart] Art: Portland (02-25-11)

2011-02-25T23:03:00.000-08:00

A fun party at PNCA to celebrate I [Heart] Art, an organization that provides professional development workshops for craftspeople, in conjunction with Etsy.

The huge amazing cake was made by Bakery Bar; for the principle, I had to get a second serving... But the best treat was the Red Velvet Cake made by Isaac Watson, so delicious that I had to get a second slice of that one as well...

View of the Columbia River Gorge (02-20-11)

2011-02-20T14:41:00.000-08:00

I went to the Columbia River Gorge with some friends who were visiting from California.

This is such a beautiful place, especially in the autumn, with all the leaves falling. On the sketch, one can see the Vista House to the right in the distance...

Viewpoint in Corbett

On the sketch, one can see the Vista House to the right in the distance...

Photo taken from the parking area outside the Vista House.

At the City Auction (01-28-11)

2011-01-28T14:36:00.000-08:00

I just can't help myself and must pull the pen and sketchbook out...

Went to a Concert (01-27-11)

2011-01-27T22:00:00.000-08:00

Christopher plays the clarinet with the Oregon Symphonic Band. Instead of sketching the musicians, I focused on the director...

At the Rural Auction (01-25-11)

2011-01-25T14:34:00.000-08:00

I love going to the auction and spent dead time sketching people.

Workshop for the Right Brain Initiative (01-19-11)

2011-01-19T17:30:00.000-08:00

I attended a workshop organized by the Right Brain Initiative, featuring presenter Deb Brzoska. I relate to experiences in a visual manner, so here goes...

Passengers on the Bus (01-19-11)

2011-01-19T17:23:00.000-08:00

Well, here are some people on the 33 bus today.

I always wonder how one could sleep without risking missing one's stop...

Waiting for the Bus (01-19-11)

2011-01-19T17:00:00.000-08:00

I sometime wish I could freeze great moments...

A street musician caught my attention while I was waiting for the bus, and there was no point sketching him, because what I wanted to remember most of all was his singing...

The Man Who Loved Women (01-17-11)

2011-01-17T22:47:00.000-08:00

We watched an old French movie, "The Man Who Loved Women." The main character had an unusual, yet somehow appealing face.
I liked this movie. It reflects the world I grew up in and I still remember clearly, when it was not unusual for men to compliment women... I feel invisible in this country; it's like one to go to Europe to get a compliment from a stranger.

At the Auction (01-17-11)

2011-01-17T19:43:00.000-08:00

I love going to rural auctions. They're a perfect setting to draw people with interesting faces...

Portland Bridal Show (01-16-11)

2011-01-16T21:39:00.000-08:00

I went to the Portland Bridal Show at the Convention Center, and was fascinated by the bridal fashion show. Although I favor vintage styles, the dresses were gorgeous. It was a fun challenge to draw as fast as I could, and to get the essence of these dresses in just a few strokes...

Oak Lodge History Detectives (01-13-11)

2011-01-13T23:09:00.000-08:00

The Oak Lodge History Detectives had a meeting inside the Bomber Museum in Milwaukie to discuss, among others, visiting with elders who grew up in the area to record their oral histories, and establishing a photo record of the area's historic inventory. I volunteered to take some of the photographs.

I like this panorama done over two two-page spreads in my sketchbooks (page creases have been Photoshopped over). The challenge area was at the junction of one spread to another, and evidently, I didn't draw far enough from the edge on the second spread; but it's still a pretty darn nice exercise...

Faces at the Auction (01-07-11)

2011-01-07T23:57:00.000-08:00

While at the auction, I drew the auctioneer and some of the people working there. It's tricky to catch someone's expression as they are speaking with their mouth open...

Auctioneer

Auction worker

Man in the crowd

Highly Prized (01-07-11)

2011-01-07T23:46:00.000-08:00

I love going to liquidation sales and auctions. The promise of finding something special or unusual is tempting. Who knows? There may be a treasure buried under the junk...

Something for everyone...at the right price.

Quick Stop at Nicholas' (01-07-11)

2011-01-07T23:41:00.000-08:00

http://nicholasrestaurant.com/I hadn't been to Nicholas' Lebanese restaurant in a long time, so I stopped by to pick up a Meat Mezza. As always, the restaurant was full of people. I did this sketch while I was waiting for my food.