The Old Pump

This one is not as well designed out as the others, some of the moving parts can be seen behind the puppet. By rocking the wooden board back and forth movement is created. The action here is pumping up and down with the left hand while pointing with the right. His foot also taps. There is supposed to be a rolled tube for the spout that the bucket hangs on. I do like his hat!

Bobby and the Butcher

Now, I could have gone overboard and made this a real horror gore show, but instead I'm saving it for later, for now this one is for the kiddies. I decided that prison orange would be suitable for the butchers garb. His head nods, so does the little boy's as he lifts his basket.  The butcher points and swings his cleaver and taps his foot. Now that is multitasking.

Pete the Planter

This one is a little more PC and just in time for the season.  Pete the planters head goes up and down as the post shifts and his arms go back and forth with the hoe. Looks like he has planted some turnips, that puts a smile on his face.

Lee Ling - Chinese Laundry Man

Ok, so this one is not exactly politically correct. It was designed in the 1920's after all. I really like the style and action in this one. As he scrubs laundry the broom sways back and forth, his head bobs forward as he taps his foot. The action is spectacular, though I don't think I'll be showing this one around too much.

Oscar the Owl

This is Oscar the owl. He reminds me of the owl clock on Mr. Dressup. When his wings flap he blinks his eyes and his right claw arcs from side to side. It makes me laugh.

Kelley The Cop

I've been really interested in animated toy's an automata lately. I've been making a whole bunch of things out of paper. I found some toy's for kiddies from a magazine in the 1920's and began making them.  Here is the first one I finished. All the joints are connected via sewing pins taped on the back. These things are so cool when they move.

Kelley's arms go up and down while the go/stop sign swivels and his head bobs. I scanned it flat but is is 3D.

COPIC certification

About a month ago I attended a COPIC certification workshop.  As if I wasn't biased enough before the tips, tricks and techniques I picked up as well as some of the new COPIC products I added to my collection makes me an even stronger believer in the COPIC line of products. I'd like to start carrying them through my site, 'cause they are so rad. COPIC for life! Here is my certificate and soon I'll have their logo for my site as well. If you haven't tried their stuff I urge you to get on it!

Automata design

This is a free hanging design sketch for a cloud, lightning and rainbow automata I thought up. Then I decided to put the mechanism on the outside to show various mechanisms at work..... perfect for what I have in the works.

I was also asked to be in a show at the Sugar gallery with a theme "genderbender". Now I know I was probably asked because I am good at making "shocking" work. But the theme has me a bit pissed off. My initial design idea is to have Satan with his balls hanging low popping the bird to those who go to the show. "Play Nice." 'Nuff said.

You'll notice at the upper corner an owl smashing down with his powerful talon. Yes, the Illuminati stomp crept it.

I had another idea to create buildings with neon monsters designed on the outside kind of in the tiki style that eat people. They could be on a conveyor or wheel as the mouth opens and closes after they enter. It would make a cool moving art machine indeed.


PS: I have been a bit annoyed by the free scanner (Canon Lide 25 that I have free at my disposal)
and my current sketchbook, bleeds, cheap paper and hard binding makes it difficult to scan.
C'est La Vie, it's what I have.

Zoobilee Zoo

It was a beautiful day outside and I took a short walk over to the zoo to sketch the Giraffes for the Onemilliongiraffes.com  project I saw on facebook.  I brought my trusty tools, and a dragon fruit to snack on.  I felt that my small gestural thumbnails were the best thing that came out of the day.  Heres some scans from the sketchbook. Pencil stuff done in HB with a mechanical pencil.

I then sat down in the dry mud where they had ripped up a whole section of the zoo to build new exhibits. There was these posts that were once a spider web playground. They had an informative panel explaining how spiders spin their webs so I jotted down the steps with my trusty Copic marker.

Son tatty and stickers

Mother's day is just around the corner. Inspired by an idea to get my mom a tattoo that say's son.  So here is the preliminary design. I'm going to print it out an make a sticker to give her as a gift.

I decided to create a sticker sheet out of some of my past drawings. I used an old packet of Avery 03383 sticker sheets I had in my studio. I colored them with Prismacolor so they would be bright and lightfast. Afterward I coat them with a UV protective Varnish so they wont fade and will be protected in the elements should they get some exposure.

Here is the sticker sheet I printed out and colored with Prismacolor. 

Afterward I coated the sticker paper with Golden Archival Varnish. (pictured below)

Then cut them out on a mat with a very sharp exacto-blade.

Systema Logo

I was asked by my martial arts instructor to come up with a logo for our club.  I came up with this initial sketch and it will be completed in illustrator. I'm way faster on paper but logos need to be perfect and done in the computer. I will only have to draw half then mirror it and change the legs. It is based off of the Russian coat of arms and I cleverly added the Calgary tower in the middle. The part I like is how it mimics the shape of the crowns. The Calgary tower was drawn from my view on the hill overlooking the Stampede grounds.

Visit: Calgary Systema If you want to know more about Russian martial arts.

MUSIC BOX

I applied to Artcity 2010 today with my idea to build a combination automata/music box. I want to make it about 4 ft wide and install it in the downtown core for people to enjoy.  Here is one of the design sketches for the piece.

For the drawing nerds, that is 2 point perspective and it worked out that the back leg can't be seen from this angle. Convenient.

loose and free

I was feeling really good and loose and free when I created these two pencil sketches.

Fear and Filth

I drew this in the dark while watching an episode of the Pacific @ Bender's.

Trisula - Trident

Kangling - Thigh trombone

Chattra -Parasol

YOU TUBE CHANNEL

I am putting some of my past work up on a You Tube channel. Please check it out, at least one film, PASS IT ON, will leave you feeling better on a rainy day. Check it out!

PASS IT ON (VIDEO)

SATISFACTION GUARANTEED!!!

Love is free!

Kinder Space Viking

Parashu- Battle Axe

The Battle Axe that severs all worldly attachments and is most often held by wrathful deities.

Sankha - Conch

Blow on this.

Phurpa - Ritual dagger

Damaru - Drum

I have one of these drums although it is not made with skulls but beautifully turned wood. Thank god for modernity. The truth is the skulls used are more powerful magically if they are virgins who were murdered. I don't think I want that power on my hands. It was drawn with my copic multiliners and colored with prismacolor.

What I really love about this drum is it's purpose:

To summon the Buddhas and inspire them with SUPREME JOY!!!!

AWESOMENESS!

Vajra - Thunderbolt

It was drawn with my copic multiliners and colored with prismacolor.

Ghanja - Bell

This ritual object balances out the Vajra with feminine energy.

It was drawn with my copic multiliners and colored with prismacolor.

Kapala - Skull Cup

It was drawn with my copic multiliners and colored with prismacolor.

Kartika/Damaru

In order to better facilitate understanding of the various implements and meanings of the magical devices in most of my work I have been sketching them out with short descriptors.  Here is the first in a series. 

The Kartika is a weapon symbolic of severing all material and worldly bonds. It is a curved knife that is most often associated with the skinning of hides. The hooked blade for opening up the skin and the scraper for scraping the hide out.   It symbolized wisdom and the method as well as the severing of all conceptualizations.

It was drawn with my copic multiliners and colored with prismacolor.

Dancer and Death

I went to the Glenbow Museum to see the Canadian Nude and Kent Monkman show.  I brought my new sketchbook and saw this beautiful 1938 print by Jean Dallaire. Since you can only sketch with pencil in the museum, I used my trusty mechanical HB to sketch this out.

I was drawn to the dancing skeleton at first then to their expressive body positions.

NEW SKETCHBOOK!!!!

I started my new sketchbook. Out with the old on and onto the new. First things first, I need to put my info in the front cover. In case it gets lost.  This cover was done in copic and prismacolor inspired by one of my new favorite adult swim animation series 'Superjail".

This sketchbook has been hiding in my studio for about a year. I filled one like it a while back.  One thing I  discovered is that the paper of this sketchbook does not take alcohol based markers well, they bled more than usual. It is also not spiral bound so the scanning is more difficult. Oh well, I'm committed and will have to deal with it.

NO rest for the Wicked- a collection of drawings

I haven't had a scanner or internet access but I have been keeping up my practice. Here are a bunch of pictures from my lat sketchbook. It is finally finished off;)

NO rest for the wicked!!!

Here is an inspired East Coast land/seascape that I drew while volunteering at the Emmedia Casino last week-end.  This was drawn in Copic multi-liners and filled in with Prismacolor.

The next day (Sunday April 11) I drew this rose and skull and colored it in with my prismacolor markers.

Then I went to a talk presented by Quickdraw Animation Society by Kar Laing.  He talked for three hours and all of it was super interesting.  While he gave his presentation I did this caricature and later filled in the color at home. The skin tones were Copic as was the line work. The shirt, cravat and background were done with prismacolor.

I then did this pencil drawing with some ideas I've been having for creating a children's book.  

I also drew this 1920's inspire evil magician head. It's only an inch or two tall but I think I may make an awesome stencil.

This is the final drawing in my spiral bound sketchbook that I began working in and as I started this blog.  I decided to use a little magic and draw a dreamy motorbike which I wish I could get on and ride.

If you build it....

I got this RAD little digger toy in a kinder egg. It's the first good Kinder toy I've seen in a long time.n I like that it is simplified, it still took at least an hour to complete.

I messed up fitting the drawing on the page, that's what happens. I really wanted the bucket to be out further and the arm to be way longer. This sketch was completed with Prismacolor. In addition, I have drawn on this page since and added grass.

Mexirabbit

One of my best friends brought me back a gift from his vacation to Cabo San Lucas (Mexico).

Down there there are these popular hand carved collectables painted with tooth picks/sticks.  He brought me back a rabbit, since my name is Bunny and I have quite the collection. What I really like about the one he got me is that it has an exquisite graceful & slender shape.  I drew it here first in HB then V point technical pen followed by shading with my warm grey scale Prismacolor markers.

Tibetan inspired motifs

I was feeling very sleepy when I first started on this sketchbook page.  I decided to forego the initial pencil sketch and jump quickly into the commitment of pen. No erasing.  It can be very intimidating.  I felt the drawings looked boring so I decided to pick up my Prismacolor markers and color these in over a few days.   Prismacolor's black is far darker a black than the Copic pen's.  It;'s all relative once I scan it in or photo copy it but in my sketch book you can see the marks made by hand, every streak........ is natural;)

A severed zombie leg, a lotus blooming, sacraments to wrathful dieties, a conch, a sprouting seed, a singing cock on a turtle inspired by the bremen town musician's and an old taoist tale of creation and a lilac/ lavender skeleton handled sword.

Inner Landscapes

I've been spending my time well lately and drawing daily. I taught a friend how to draw. She made a beautiful wolf drawing, hopefully I can coax her to post it on here someday soon.  I drew this landscape and colored it with my Prismacolor while we hung out at my place after teaching my final animation class of this intake.

I really liked the fall colors and wanted to capture them in my sketchbook.

My room mate say's it's the best thing he's seen me make, yet.
However, I think he's a little biased!  The post card I referenced has been in his bathroom for a decade (at least).

On Good Friday I treated myself to a trip to the Calgary Zoo. It was super busy, I watched a magic show upon entry and enjoyed the magician's linking rings routine. I had my Kaossilator rocking out the beats so I couldn't hear all the cacophony and noisy children.  I visited the new animatronic dinosaur park.  It was pretty cool but better left to a less busy day.  I escaped tot he Great White North exhibit and found a quite secluded place to sketch this Bison/buffalo. A few curious strangers crept up on me and spent more time watching what I was doing than the animals on exhibit.

These guys don't stand as still as you'd think... especially when you start drawing them.


For Easter I cooked up a duck and made stock out of the nicely rendered fat and roasted bones and skin.  It may not sound as yummy as it actually is.  Sticking to my bird theme......
Here is a drawing of a Raven. I outlined it in pencil then decided to use my Copic marker to emphasize the negative space.

I found some sticker paper while tidying up my studio, oh joy!!!

Skull Crown

Here is a line drawing of my belt buckle that I purchased in Las Vegas. all the circles represent the fake diamond bling.  I haven't colored it in yet because I'm thinking of making fun stickers out of it and I need the proof in B/W first.

The next work is a piece I have not finished yet. It is drawn in HB and inked with my trusty COPIC MARKER. The drawing based on a tibetan snow lion.

MAybe I'll just erase it and keep his breath/smoke empty. Maybe I'll draw in objects in it like I did back in elementary school when I was super obsessed with drawing Penny from Pee Wee's Playhouse vomiting. I must have drawn that every day for months changing up the projectiles.