so long MJ

It's way old news by now that Michael Jackson died on Thrusday.

There's nothing interesting for me to say about it. I basically have all the same kindergarden-era moonwalking memories that everyone else my age has.

The overarching feeling for me was summed up in one of my friend's Facebook statuses: "I've never lived in a world without Michael Jackson." For all his greatest and weirdness, he was always there and now his story has come to an end and it's just analysis from now on... and that just feels... weird... sort of the same way you feel when a distant relative dies.

I won't say he died too soon though... maybe not soon enough...

a far superior button

my drawing brain has been occupied with work-drawing so i did something crafty yesterday instead.

this vintagey-printed shirt from the trift-store had a lot of cuteness-potential but was cursed with very ugly buttons. so i switched them up with some vintage buttons and yellow thread.

i'm quite pleased with the outcome - the new old buttons are a better match.

i think the shirt still needs some darts - to enhance it's cuteness further and really ensure it doesn't hover around in old-lady-territory.

In other news, the world provided me with a place to organize all my textile projects. The dumpster from the building next door practically forced this plastic set of drawers upon me. i came around the corner and tripped over them.

i know it's not pretty but it's fine for the "studio" and it does exactly what i need it to do - which is remind me, with it's see-throughability, that i already have a lot of clothing-fixer-uppers to work on and i should probably curtail my scavenging... especially since, let's face it, i work at home and really don't have occassion to wear most of this stuff anyway...

ahh but it's a hobby...

another rainy day...

there have been rumours of sunny periods this afternoon. so far they are just rumours. i remain skeptical.

...

agent skully

I started with so much vim and vigour at this here blog... then the weather got soggy and I reverted to my regular sleeping routine.

...

in the early morning cats

cat gestures

cat with pillows and disembodied legs

So I'm trying that thing that some writers and artists do where they get up early to work in the pre-distraction hours of the morning (6am is the best I can do though - none of that 4 or 5am business)(6am is pretty early for a person who doesn't have an office/boss/job to report to!!) I just do one hour and then stop for breakfast... and actually, it's more like "play" than "work".

I'm using the time to practice and warm-up the drawing muscles (mainly the brain), experiment with materials I don't normally gravitate towards, and basically just create whatever I want without thinking too hard (worrying/stressing/judging) about what I'm doing.

Yesterday was mostly a wash. The only real accomplishment was that I actually got up and sat near my drawing table. I DID learn that I should unplug the router and leave the radio off. I felt awkward and lame today too - but it was better than yesterday and I had some good flow by the end of the hour. I learned that I really need/would like to get myself to some life-drawing sessions.

Cats don't hold poses for very long unless they are sleeping... and a sleeping black cat in low-light is mostly a lump.

Sayings of Wisdom

Inspired by the bright pink ninja-slippers I found recently.

(Confucian saying modified slightly by me. Rubbing taken from actual "KUNG FU SHOE".)

...

from cheery to eery in 3 simple steps

This started out as a doodle of an unknown kid's face that happened to be on my computer screen. It was all rather cheery to begin with but took a dark turn somewhere along the way. I didn't plan it that way.

One time I heard Tony Dekker of The Great Lake Swimmers interviewed about whether he was a sad person because his music is often so sad-sounding. He said he actually feels like a pretty happy person but that's just the way songs tend to come out of him. Maybe this is the same deal.

Musical Downshifting

Allow me to tell you more about the magic of this ukulele.

The first 3 times I went to look for music to play on the uke here's what happened:

1) I went to a site for a local uke group and they had posted images of about 15 songs, unlabeled. I clicked on one, small, random thumbnail somewhere in the middle of the batch. It was a famous song that happens to contain my very own name (which is not actually "Lucks")!!

2) A few days later I went to another site that had a boggling list of maybe 150 songs. Again, I clicked randomly on any old link. The song that opened was one I had never heard of, "Lydia The Tattooed Lady". Here's the weird thing, I had, earlier that very day gotten a new tattoo from - you guessed it - my tattooist, Lydia - who is a very tattooed lady!

3) I decided, given the Stanley Cup Playoffs are featuring my favourite team (Penguins) and all, that I should learn "The Hockey Song" (by Stompin' Tom). I googled this and clicked on a youtube video near the top of the list. It turned out to be the wrong "Hockey Song" (CBC's old theme song instead) BUT, the guy playing it is AMAZING and and AND!!! he is from Cole Harbour - home of my favourite player on said favourite hockey team!!! What?!?!

I swear I am not making this up - you can ask my significant other. It is just the magic that is the ukulele.

Note: Y'know that movie "A Beautiful Mind" where the crazy guy ends up with his office full of strings connecting various things all over the place?... sometimes I worry I'm a little like that. I see/love "signs and wonders" a lot.

sketchmo x2

Quick sketch from memory of the man in front of me in line at the coffeeshop this morning. I'm really into men these days. I enjoy observing them - especially in groups. I've spent a lot of my life learning about feminism and womanish struggles. I've kind of overlooked menfolk/man-culture (some of this relates to my interest in sports these days - especially as played by men). I really enjoy the company of men. I love living with "my" man. I like my lady friends just fine and I definitely need a few close ones to talk lady stuff with but in terms of just hanging out and having fun, it is easier with men or a mixed group (maybe this is because I'm a flirt?). I think I'm getting in touch with my "masculine side"... whatever that means.  

And here is a herd of joyful elephants.  

Fang Q Card***

Some friends recently went to Romania and were planning to visit the castle of Vlad III, a.k.a. "Dracula". 

I jokingly asked them to bring me home a vampire-snowglobe. 

Now, these are fairly new friends - not ones I would request a sounvenir from under normal conditions.  Also, I don't really collect snowglobes... I'm attracted to them but I never set out to amass a collection of them.... though I seem to own quite a few now... OK... I just realized maybe I DO collect snowglobes...

Getting to the point, I never believed a vampire-themed snowglobe could possibly exist and that's why I so boldly asked for one. 

But guess what! 

Apparently I have a lot to learn about snowglobes because vampire-themed snowglobes DO exist! One is existing in my kitchen right NOW! And let me tell you, it is the KING of snowglobes. It is snowglobe perfection (see diagram). 

It has a pen-holder incorporated in it's design - making it both decorative AND functional!

***I drew this as a "thank you" card. "Fang Q" kinda sounds like "thank you"... vampires have fangs... I know, it's a stretch but at least I'm trying.

a kind-of-a-comic thing