The Eye of the Storm

A poster I did for an upcoming show at Straw Gallery (this friday, also my brother's birthday, also thanksgiving weekend!), Matthew Mark, "The Eye of the Storm". I think you can see more of his work here. I really liked Matthew's colorful wooden sculptures, and I was told that he would be exhibiting some paintings at this show, so I painted a probable Matthew Mark sculpture and it was nice to paint colorful strokes on top of one another (although you can't really tell so well from the poster).

In other news, I am on the most hilarious winning streak in my fantasy football league. I did however have to let go of my kicker (he wasn't playing this week), the only sad news about this otherwise very funny/fulfilling endeavor that is proving to be so entertaining.

yakkity-yak-yak-yak.

Hrm it's been awhile since I've said anything on this blog. I was in Calgary for a bit and just have been keeping pretty quiet these days.

Jane came with me to Calgary for a few days and we went to Banff:

This is at the top of a mountain where you take a terrifyingly long (and expensive) Gondola ride to get to.

We went to the show Sean helped put on, "The Chute Project" (which I did the poster for) at Straw Gallery. It was pretty great by the way, and congrats to Sean and everyone else who helped put it on. 

We went to Drumheller and ate deep fried chicken and fries (that were sadly not very good, maybe I should have taken note from this dinosaur and eaten a gigantic hamburger. I did however outdo this dinosaur on the ice cream part and had 2 gigantic scoops, one being mint chocolate chip and the other pralines and something or another) at this place:

The coolest part of Drumheller, HOODOOS:

I've been pretty quiet thinking, considering and trying to practice these things (except for one of them, you get to guess which one):

The Backside of Your Gullet is Decadent and Depraved by Frank Chimero - It's a four part (don't let this deter you, this is really really good), series of little, very easy to read essays basically about, what is the point of doing anything (something that I, and probably everyone else thinks about everyday from everything to the smallest to largest thing). Chimero is a great designer, has great clients, but he feels a little lost, stuff's feeling a bit pointless (I feel ya buddy). And I think it's great that he's admitting that and trying to figure out why and sharing his experience along the way (because I'd sure like some light shed on this as well). 

Skateistan - Sean had been telling me that his friend Rhianon was involved with this and I looked it up and I think it is so cool. Teaching kids how to skateboard in Afghanistan! I feel like it is such a simple idea, but that it is definitely a challenge to do in real life, but once done has a really great and wide-spreading positive effect. Donate to Skateistan! (I know how infomercial-y this paragraph is, but know that no one put me up to this. I won't let you donate to just anyone!)

But Will it Make You Happy? - This New York Times article really affected me, making me reevaluate how I live and how to live, trying to make things slower and simpler. This includes checking my email, facebook, and twitter less, which so far I feel like I've done in an okay and somewhat improved way, and ha, I hope it lasts longer than this week. I always do this detox sort of thing for a week and then eventually just give it up because I don't know how to occupy my time! But I guess that's the point. 

On that note.

Bye!

night market and chute project:

Went to the Richmond Night Market and ate a lot of food:

A woman accidentally knocked over her drink:

The woman running this stand was not impressed.

I lost this game within 5 seconds. I could have easily blown 20 dollars just to catch one tiny fish. The game was that intense for me.

A poster that I did for an upcoming show at Straw Gallery in Calgary.

Here is an example of what you may see at the show: http://thestrawnews.blogspot.com/2010/06/mom-brainstorm.html

Go!

eat and make.

delicious nights:

'za (Recipe from here). Lucky for you and me, this recipe is pretty easy and makes the annoyance that is making pizza nonexistent.

Hamza made a whole lamb and a bunch of people were there.


Something I made for a show:

I don't know if this poster is being used for the show still, this could be false advertising, I could have, ha made a submission for the wrong thing. But no, I think at least this part's right: there will be an art show at Straw Gallery (in Calgary...1506 6th Street SW) during Sled Island (starting on June 29th) and the theme of the show is "Garage Sale". So go if you are in Calgary, yah? I heard there's going to be gutted amps, electronics, and a bunch of other crazy things on display.

And man, who came up with glitter? And who thought of giving it to kids? As much as I like it, glitter is night-marish, it gets everywhere! Just when you think it's gone, there it is, refusing to get off.

Just like other things.

Like caked on food on the bottom of pans.

And this and that.

New American Felines

So this show was the bane of my existence on and off this whole week:

It's being put on by the boys at Straw, and the show is drawings of felines. New ones. American ones. It was pretty open-ended for what the drawings should be and all that, and it was exciting and seemed like fun, but when it came time to actually draw something, I was completely stuck.

Andy drew one of the best cats known to man, Maru. Maru rules. And this drawing rules. Has that manga feeling to it which is totally fitting since Maru is the cutest Japanese cat alive.

I drew a cat that night that Andy drew Maru and it was met with some pretty subpar looks. I knew my drawing was pretty whatever too and that I should do something else. I had no idea what to do, but I remember having one kind of silly idea where a bunny has cat ears, and having no other interesting thing to do, I did it.

And jeeze, it's so cute. A BUNNY WITH CAT EARS! I am dying.

I used to have a loped ear bunny, it went through a variety of names, BB (people asked me if I named it after a competitor on Survivor, hrm no, it's a cute name), Lucky, Obi Wan Kenobi (I was in love with him at the time), and then finally just...Bunny. When the bunny was younger it would hump the large beanie baby frog that my brother owned. I don't know why it was so attracted to it, but he would always go to it.

Anyways, go to the show if you're in Calgary, should be cute/nice/fun.