Altar

I've had this idea for some time to create a place for all my keepsakes and altar items in one place.  I'd like to build wooden altars to hang, say, above a dresser, or to be placed on a table. It is an altar that can travel with you and hold all your keepsakes, idols, magickal items, essential oils, incense etc.  When opened it folds out into a triptych and when closed is an object of beauty with the bonus of functionality within.  Here is a preliminary concept for one I am going to build for KT. All I need is some measurements an examples of what she wants the altar to hold and I'm off to the races.

It's my Birthday

Bird Outhouse

Bird Outhouse for Bird Dog Video fundraiser.

2 storey Cedar bird outhouse with solid oak roof
2 his and her entrances and split level nesting opportunities
comes with "in use" sign
gold painted heraldry for the throne feel
worn and weathered for that rustic appeal

The early bird gets the worm

I guess I'd say I'm fairly driven. I’m good with my time, but just as good as anyone with a day timer.

But a lot of dumbfounded people ask me how I can get so much stuff done in my life.

So what is it that makes me tick?  Here's a little peek into what I’m really like on any given day. 

I tell you, even my close friends don’t really know what it is that I do to be the way I am, and get as much done as I do. I think it comes down to routine and organization.

"I'm a VIRGO, I can't help it, by nature I want to be in control of my life.  I need to be organized."

I keep a moleskine day timer by by bed and then put it into my back pocket. I love these things. I buy one every single year. I have a catalogue of these things an on any given day of any year I can go back and track it. Believe me, it is so helpful!

It is also a good place to write down cool things to check out, books to read, peoples names and numbers. I think it is a good thing to have some idea of where you’re going, like having a map before you head out on a journey. After all, if you don’t know where you are going, how will you know the way?

I think it is very important to keep up a daily practice or routine. Mine I call  the "Daily Success Ritual for the Jedi Mind". Laugh if you must, but it works!

One thing to note about routines is that after about 30 days of creating the new habit it becomes second nature. You notice, instead, that when you don't do them you feel like something is missing. Like drawing every day or reading before bed. You cant go on to the next thing until you've done it.

Daily Success Ritual for the Jedi Mind

1. I wake up and clear my mind. Take a little time to myself before springing out of bed.

2. I drink a tall glass of water to replenish my fluids.

3. I write a daily journal, I have for years. I picked this little helpful tidbit from Julia Cameron's "Artist Way". If you haven't done that twelve week program and want to be an artist what are you waiting for?

4. I stretch and exercise every single morning. It keeps me healthy and fit, and is the daily maintenance to keep my body in working order so this tin man isn't too squeaky. (I admit, this part is the hardest for me, it takes a ton of discipline. I can tell you……. it is something I don’t look forward to doing most days. But I decide to do it anyhow.)

5. I drink a healthy shake. Mostly Blueberries (yummy) Hemp protein, Alberta Greens and Almond Milk.

6. I do my daily hygiene. I learned this from living with many girlfriends. Guy's usually don't figure this one out but in order to feel confident and good all day a little work may be necessary. I floss and brush, tongue scrape, neti~pot, shave, pluck, put in contacts, slap on cream, aftershave etc. Whatever I see that needs to be done.

 90 min. or so later...... I'm ready for anything!

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“Wait a minute”, you say, “I don’t have enough time in the morning to do that”.

Here is where personal choice and willpower come into play. You will have to get up earlier! That’s right. Wake up even earlier. Make the choice not to go out and get drunk, or to be lazy and zonk out in front of the TV until the we hours. Get to bed early. Wake up early. Simple. Try it.

JUST DO IT!

This is part of my "long-term living strategy".

I have a theory that doing a little of something but doing it everyday has more growth potential over the long term. More on that in another post;)

Skill vs. Talent

I often object when someone say’s I’m "talented" when they see what I’m doing. I feel that it degrades the integrity and real work behind what I’m doing. It’s not like I just woke up and was able to create something beautiful with natural skills. They had to be developed. I continue to devote myself to improving my craft.

You see the main point of importance is to follow your passion!

As I see it, Talent are the gifts we are given. They come easily but need to be developed to become skills. We may have a talent for creating or a singing talent, but that doesn’t make you ready to paint a master piece or sing opera.

Skill requires passion and drive to fuel it. It takes us directing our core energy source, our willpower and applying it with focused determination over a period of time. To develop skills we educate ourselves, take classes and most importantly practice.

After all.....Practice makes perfect.

Skill comes down to the very choices we make. We can take pride in our choices, our skills. 

We cannot take pride in gifts or talents, we only take them for granted.

 So here is a drawing I did that took two settings to complete. I lightly sketched the major shapes in  pencil. The remainder was done completely freehand with ink, no erasing, no rulers, just concentrated effort as I work to build my drawing skill. 

Click image above to this to see this drawing larger and get a sense of the linework at the proper aspect ratio.

One day I fear that if I didn’t follow my passions that I would be haunted by the decision not to try at all. Using only "gifts" and talent is a life of ease, there is no motivation to improve something you are already good at. Whereas skill is something you work hard at and and can feel proud of your accomplishment at the end of the day. A skill is also something anyone can learn, like drawing. The real talent comes in using your own desire to do it and discipline to get good at it and then you've EARNED the right to call it a skill. Rome wasn't built in a day.

Following your convictions and lead the life of adventure. On some level, that is what I think we are here to do. Take the less safe path and follow your passion! Live, don’t just exist.

In Loving Memory, Chris J. Melnychuck

On June 13, 2010 Christopher J. Melnychuck passed away after a determined battle with Cancer.

The works on this blog are works created by Chris. They are in my personal collection, I put them here so others could enjoy them. If you would like to purchase works, or donate and help upcoming animators through the Chris J. Melnychuck Legacy Memorial Scholarship contact the Quickdraw Animation Society.

First off it is important to give credit where it is due. Chris was a good friend to me and an incredible inspiration to many in the arts community in Calgary.  We had an unlikely friendship. We met through the Quickdraw animation Society sometime in 1999 because we each won a Production Scholarship.  Over the years Chris and I took workshops together, animation and shamanism and I always made sure to go to his openings.  He was usually the guy who people talked to to get cheered up.  It was me he went to for inspiration an cheering up. When his heart was broken, or personal battles with his weight, work, staple guns, or even when he was up against the insurmountable art world in Calgary, I know he talked to me to get another perspective. I would encourage him to get back on the horse and show him that life kept on going. I tried to give back to him what he gave to so many.

His enthusiasm and childlike positivity were contagious. He had a huge positive impact on those around him. He was also a painter at heart, like me.  In fact, a very important point here is that some years ago it was him who told me to start drawing every day. If it were not for his challenge and influence this blog would not exist!

Infinity Guitar ~ Chris J. Melynchuck

Acrylic and Collage on Canvas  2007

It wasn't until his Memorial this past Saturday when I had a chance to reflect, hear stories an tell my own, that I realize the positive effect he had on those around him. He is my hero, he knew how to live an enrich others at the same time, friens and art were the most important things to him! I read in his baby book that @ 3 the things he love most were coloring in his coloring book and building stuff with his blocks. Go figure.

One story that I forgot about was during the move from 15 pound pink productions, Kevin Kurtynik and Carol Beecher's home studio where they made "Mr. Reapers Really Bad Morning" and a few other films.  It was a destruction party as the house was being torn down.  Richard Reeves and Darlene were there to help and so where Chris and I.  We enabled each other in the worst way possible, and here is how.  We took the heave claw foot tub out of the second floor bathroom and decided to sen it down the stairs. At first we were going to ride it down, good thing we got talked out of that one, at any rate I went to the bottom and filmed the silliness, we were like kids in a candy store. Would you believe it, the damn thing sparked when it hit the floor!

The Beauty Within ~ Chris J. Melynchuck

Acrylic and Collage on Canvas  2006

For a while, Chris worked at the Kensington Art Supply store building canvases.  He had an overstock of about 40 frames of various sizes in cedar. He cut me a deal and let me walk away with the stretcher bars for around $200. I still needed to stretch the canvas over them, so he ordered a bolt for me for just above cost. He bent over backwards to help me be creative. And would you know it... All the Tibetan Deity paintings and some of the stuff I am still working on today are from that wholesale order I made way back then. The gift that keeps on giving! He ended up starting his own successful company building the best quality canvas's, so many artists are working on his grounds, including Artist  Paul Van Ginkel (see his work here).

 Chris was not only talented he was an incredibly spiritual person. We took Manfred Lucas's shamanism course and discover our spirit animals together. He journeyed with his Grizzly Bear.  Chris had a strong affinity with symbols, notable the spiral. He left behind notebooks of drawings (a drawing a day) and writings. At the memorial numerous rooms were filled with artwork, his movies pare still laying at festivals, reminding us of the importance of making art, he had a positive impact on all those he met, he leaves us with a legacy of creativity.... his "Art the Artifact of living a life." Chris was passionate, dedicated, optimistic, hard working, generous, honest, excited, inquisitive and made others feel better just by knowing him.

  Harvest Guitar Revival ~ Chris J. Melynchuck

Acrylic on Canvas  2007

 A special thanks goes out to our mutual friend Kari Mcqueen for having the strength and courage to MC the memorial and for all her hard work getting curating the art show. To Julia Burns for a moving eulogy, to all the volunteers, sitar player and Chris's brother for the phenomenal space for the event to be held.

I had myself convinced that I would not go up an share my words at the memorial. Those who went up wept, it took so much courage.  It was a definite hot spot with a direct line to my heart. I don't like being vulnerable, especially in front of a crowd. I heard a voice in my head, it was Chris telling me not to be a "chicken". It felt as though he gave me a swift kick in the butt.  I tell you, most who know me would say I'm not shy, on the contrary really outgoing...... but I can tell you I had never been so afraid or nervous in my life. My palms were sweaty, I choked back tears, my stomach had more than just butterflies in it. It was really more difficult than I thought and things did not come out the way I had wanted, but I think the message got across.

I visited Chris a week and a half before he passed away and he told me that he wouldn't wish "this terrible disease" on anyone. It was hard for us to communicate as he was weak and could barely speak, but he still had that youthful glint in his eye. He said, the thing that he missed most from when he was healthy was his Ass, they removed it in what he referred to as the "Assectomy".  Making light of his situation no matter how painful it was........ He kept a good head on his shoulders, and one with a great sense of humor at that. That my friends is a beautiful thing!

Thank you Chris for the many gifts you shared with those around you. You will be missed.

B-B-B-Bodyworlds

If you live in cow town or any town that gets the opportunity to go to Bodyworlds and like to draw anatomy, this is the place to be! I think exhibits like these are very important for artist's to attend.
This is my second time going, it is well worth the price if you walk out of there with some good drawings! I just brought in my sketchbook one pen and a mechanical pencil to do these studies.

 No food or drink allowed, even if you crave beef jerky for some odd reason. I don't really have an appetite when looking at plastinated cadavers. This one kid in there kept saying, "they keep the meat on so they don't fall over", I turned and said it's only MEAT...... if you're going to eat it! and cracked a wry smile. Note: There are no places to sit and it can get very crowded so it may be hard for to draw, for some.

It astounds me at how uneducated/uninformed the average person is about the workings of their very own body. I mean really? Do they not take interest in the mystery of their very own, immensely complicated design and functions outside of this one spectacle. I was telling people what the parts were as they pointe to the liver and told their kids it was a lung. I hear " What's that?" from both adults and children alike.

 Another interesting thing to do is watch people making faces as they emotionally react to each display. A lot of disgusted looks all scrunched up like Popeye drinking bitter beer. The seniors tended to have more interest in disobeying the signage and touching the specimens an explaining to one another their friends or their own surgeries, injuries an diseases. They treat the specimens as other, as if they are only a spectacle, unable to relate themselves to their biology, keeping distance between the body they have and the display bodies a s 'other'.

While having a green tea in the cafe I over heard a daughter ask her mother "Is the soul outside the body, then?" Some of the kids were really smart. I watched one 7 year old explain to his schoolfriends the nuances of the workings of the digestive tract, he only missed naming the duodenum. Maybe his dad was a doctor or he watched a lot of educational television......regardless, my faith in humanity had been restored.

 It may not be the best place for the little ones. You may not want your daughters to be engrossed in the penises;P Vegetarians an the faint of heart may have a hard time with it as well.

As ART and SCIENCE..... I feel the display is very effective, maybe a little garish and some of the displays were poorly mounted, but it was awesome to see animals, like this camels (infant camel is the first drawing on this blog). Sooo cool. It brings it to a new level. For so long religious groups such as the catholics have held relics of their popes etc. in the same way,  doctors an biologists do the same thing and the history of artist's learning about the body have filled volumes, now it is a little more accessible.

 Our bodies are amazing. What an intricate, complex an mysterious organism. Everything fits together so well and has a specific task or function that works symbiotically with the rest. Totally amazing!
 The main thing about the Bodyworlds exhibit for me, is it not only brings about awareness and questions about our own biology, but more importantly........ I think it helps in shaking up our complacency an makes us faced head on MORTALITY! And that alone is worth the price of admission.

est. 1978

This iea was born out of a fake tatty Justin Timberlake had in Alpha Dog.
I was thinking how gangsta it would be to get it done on my chest. Nuff said.

Sketched first in pencil, outlined with Copic Multiliner Sp .03 then finished with the Brush style multiliner pen.

Smoke on the Water

I really wanted to draw this tugboat inspire by Disney but since it is stampede I needed to include a horse or something. So this is what came about. Notice the ocean is DEEP PURPLE. It was first drawn freehand with a Copic multiliner, outline with a Copic marker then colored in with prismacolor which meant that some of the Copic marker blue and had to be re-touched with Prismacolor black.

Also I wanted to include a post of my certificate I received yesterday for my Level 1 CKM.
All things in my life begin to blend and on some level I think my martial arts practice plays a huge roll in my life and my art practice. So here it is.....

 I forsee more and more of a blending of all sorts of interesting hings on this blog. So stay tuned!

If you are not already following this blog, please hit the FOLLOW button below in order to keep up to date, the more I have, the more dilighent I get on keeping my updates current. Thanks for your help and inspiration;)

Giddy Up! Time for a rodeo.

Well, in my town... Calgary, Alberta, Canada
it's the season to throw a parade and the "greatest outdoor show on earth",
Yes, the Calgary Stampede and Exhibition for the mistreatment and torture of animals for entertainment and profit, is here again!

I didn't get much sleep last night, this morning the snowbirds flight path was right over my house and last night I was kept up late by fireworks, which I can see from my bedroom window. I love fireworks.  I also like horses, and a bunch of other cowboy stuff.........and so,  I convinced myself to get up, to get out and get some sun an see the talent at the tail end of the parade.  (no pun intended)

 I drew this with a 0.3 Copic multiliner and the fill was done with the brush pen end of a #110 Copic sketch marker.

Pass the BBQ Sauce!

Needing some cartoon color on this blog

There has been a bit too much black an white for me lately.
I needed some color an cartoon violence.
This is a pretty aggressive page, I really like it.

I used my Copic multi-liner 0.5 for the entire thing, if lines look thick it's because I rew them that way. I use my prismacolor for most of it, except the green background and floor. That was filled in with the extremely stinky and bleeding..... but less expensive Chartpak markers. salmon and Chartreuse. Great names, the colors are nothing like the markers look though;(

Some sources: the brute dog came from an old mighty mouse comic I think. The new styled yogi bear  giving Mr. Ranger a UFC style smack down/ground and pound next to my hot headed rendition of George liquor were things I was inspired by following John K's blog. The 'real' ghostbuster's  Slimer is above with the name of an awesome technical MMA fighter.

Calgary RMA logo

I designed this logo for my martial arts school. It was pretty much the first time I actually used Illustrator.  Though I mainly learned to use the brush tool and vector points, it was hugely satistifying.  There is a bit more work to be one in terms of text. You can find out more about the Russian Martial arts school @ CalgarySystema.com

Bodyworlds sketches

My town is lucky right now 'cause right now you can go to the Telus World of Science and see the Bodyworlds exhibit. That is where they take cadavers and through the special process of plastination seemingly freeze dead humans in any shape and anatomical level of dissection........ and some with rather artistic takes on it. It is creepy, disturbing and somewhat educational.  Here are some sketches from the foray, I think I'll go again this week and spend a little more time drawing.
These sketches  were done with a .5 mechanical HB pencil  in a small moleskine notebook.

Polar bears on Canada day

It was quite the celebration. I did this sketch of polar bears marching from a single Inuit sculpture  of a Polar bear done in soapstone. I glanced it while passing by a window display. I decided to keep them as simple line drawings.  Polar bears tend to be solitary animals and that is where this overlapping pattern becomes really unrealistic, unless of course they were on their way to the teddy bear's picnic!

Magic Pop an the technicolor circles

This sketch was one in my small moleskine with the wonderful medium of graphite. 

Graphite tends to smudge as the small particles sit on top of the tooth of the paper.

The smoother the paper, the less it sticks. Fixative is necessary if you want to keep the integrity of your drawing, or in my case I just scanned it.

This drawing was done with a dollar store pen set that had all the colors of the rainbow. I called it 'blockhead' for ironic reasons, maybeI don't actually know why. It's how my brain works I guess.
It just goes to show you that a sketch can be anything, especially because this one is just fun and brings a smile to my face when I see it.

More notes than anything else

I do a ton of writing. 3 pages everyday in the morning and now and again in my sketchbooks. It's good to always have a sketchbook on hand to keep those interesting ideas and notes. I also carry a small moleskine weekly day planner in my back pocket where I write down movies, and websites and things to check out when I get home or on the net, even books to take out of the library.

I also have a habit of writing on my hand.

Ballpoint works great, Sharpie not so good an I noticed my copic's tend to wear off by the time I get home erasing any notes I've made throughout the day;(

 Here are some notes I got out of a library book on how to clean linseed oil for oil painting.

This is basically a Home Depot shopping list for making some automata toys.

Mushroom Festival

I drew these fun little fungi my handy moleskine that I have had since June 1/2006. It is a good size to carry since it is smaller than the the I currently use, so when I travel on public transit I bring this instead.These mushrooms were drawn in HB pencil.  The contrast had to be altered a bit in the scan for you to see.

Can't rest on your laurels

Just 'cause I finished a painting and seemed to not be drawing on here for a week........
I know that you "can't rest on your laurels", you have to keep moving forward even if your new stuff isn't always as good as the stuff you just completed.

Another good saying that illustrates the point.........

"NO REST FOR THE WICKED!!!"

Sister Wendy Beckett, super hilarious an inspirational  art history host on PBS. I totally have a crushg on this particular nun!

This little surfer due was sketched from a toy that was less than an inch tall. I used Prismacolor to color it.

This piece was inspired by a Japanese Shunga print I saw. The girl is pink the boy is blue, unfortunately the scanner  have access to didn't pick it up.

Fire breathing dragon and a jack-ass. All the line work done with Copic a 0.5 multiliner.

HORSE DRINKING - Stage 5

My final step here was to use some Paynes grey for deeper shadows and definition. I paint int he eye, add hoof hair detail and some shadows in the horses mane. I use the paint like watercolor, very fluid and blend it with a small flat brush with soft bristles or use my finger.  I add in new highlights with a color mixed previously in stage 3. I use a small round brush to put in the finishing touches and signature.

The most fulfilling thing about finishing a painting and hanging it is.....

STARING A NEW ONE;)

HORSE DRINKING - Stage 4

So in this stage I did in fact finish the background. I added highlights on the water ripples. I also added dark mud mounds and worked on the light brown reflection in the puddle.  I applied a thin glaze (or wash) of Burnt Sienna over the horse to knock back the contrast of the highlights.

Work in progress for : www.saddleupestates.ca

My final steps for this painting will be to move down to a smaller brush an to go back in with darks and highlights and to add fine details.

HORSE DRINKING - Stage 3

If you are following this blog then you will have seen my prior posting of the horse drinking water painting that I am creating for an equestrian ranch started by my aunt and uncle. Find out more here: www.saddleupestates.ca

This is what I consider the third stage.  I first block in my darkest areas. Then to add depth I add a little white to the main color, in this care Burnt Sienna and fill in the masses. Afterward, I add a little more white and create the highlights. You can really begin to see the horse as it is flushed out.

The next step, for me, is to sit back and look an take it all in before I proceed to the next stage. More than likely I'll block in the remainder of the background and water.

Horse Painting Hung

I was sent this picture of the framed painting of a horse mentioned a few blog entries ago.(Date 6/1/10 = 6 or so entries age under the title, 'horse paintin'g). I was told to make a work to go on brown walls but they look more like a gross yellow.  Anyhow here is the picture of the work installed. It's nice to see it is near a window because I know that the gold on it will shine brightly.

HORSE DRINKING - STAGE 2

I've been painting away. The drawing I did didn't make it. It got covered in paint.

I drew on canvas and before I took a snapshot of the preliminary sketch for a painting, I was knee deep in the paint.  I suppose you could say I was a little excited to get started.  I was asked to do another painting of a horse for the equestrian ranch because the last one was an, and I quote, "awesome painting".

Here is photoed (mind the flash) the second stage of my painting process.  I block in the initial horse with burnt sienna.  Then I put in washes of Yellow ochre, cerulean blue blended with titanium white for the blurry background. My next step is to drip paint form either sides to add more intense blues and ochres to the composition. This also helps to add linear horizontal reference points to base my water ripples.

You can already get a sense of the depth of the background and movement of foreground elements.

My next step is to block in my darkest tones and to use that to establish the middle values.

Gender Blender

I'm showing a new painting at the Gender Blender along with 20 other amazing artist's!!!
it sounds like it is going to be a fun, NOT TO BE MISSED Event!!!

Date:	Sunday, June 13, 2010
Time:	2:00pm - 6:00pm
Location:	Sugar Shack Art Salon
Street:	1424 - 23 Avenue NW
City/Town:	Calgary, Alberta, Canada

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Ladies and gentlemen, start your blenders!

Sugar Shack Art Salon is mixing up our final event of the season ... a fresh and tasty concoction fit for any queen or king. With gender bending performances, videos, art and interactive shenanigans by more than 20 fabulous artists.

As always, admission is free. But bring a few bucks. Because for a small donation, our team of Certifiable Beauticians will transform you into the boyz or gurlz of your dreams. Weather permitting, we'll also be roasting marshmallows and playing croquet. And we just know you'll want to give generously to BobGod's Booze and Legal Defense Fund.

So come take a walk on the wild side at the Sugar Shack Art Salon. See you all on June 13th!

PLEASE NOTE: This is a BYOB event

** Not recommended for children **

Sugar Shack is located in a residential neighbourhood. Please be considerate of our neighbours when parking. There is a large parking lot located one block east of the shack on 13 Street NW

Sacred figures

This is a continuation of my work with sacred figures.  I'm reading this phenomenal book "The Tantric Mysticism of Tibet: A Practical Guide to the Theory, Purpose, and Techniques of Tantric Meditation" By John Blofeld.  It has very informative and quotable information, very inspiring;)

Orca/Killer Whale Haida style

I don't know if it's random, or if my friend's (Tim) visit from Vancouver Island has subtly influenced my choice of subject matter....... but I drew this Coast Salish/Haida style Killer Whale. I have always been a lover of this west coast of art. This sketch was done quickly with Copic for the black and colored in with prismacolor. I may add more to the page, like waves or clouds or even a moon.

Vladimir Vasiliev

Here is that sketch I mentioned in my last post. I decided to color it in with Copic Markers and draw in every little bit of facial hair with a multi-liner..... it makes him look like a rougher/tougher gent.

Vladimir Vasiliev is the director and chief instructor of SYSTEMA outside of Russia.

Horse painting

Well although I did an awesome sketch of Vladimir Vasiliev before hitting the sheets last night.

Instead of a drawing, I wanted to show a painting I completed before it disappears into it's new home. I painted this horse triptych for my aunt and uncle who are staging their home on an equestrian ranch.  They needed something to go with their brown walls over the mantle.

I took all the photos of each canvas individually that is why the lighting looks a little odd. There is vibrant gold that shines when you look at the piece, photos cannot do it justice. The three canvases are 18" X 24" and were completed with acrylic paint. The wheat was painted by using some grasses I pulled up from Ben's yard last week when we did some digging in the front yard.