Nearly one year ago to the day I came back from an extended period of time spent in Costa Rica, hanging out with the kids and their mother in what was both paradise, and the madness of the jungle, metaphorically speaking of course.

These next few drawings reflect the emotional state of those times...not completely...but in a general way, very accurately.

no title for this bad-boy...only reflections of fun at the San Jose psychiatric hospital. Good times...did I mention how great the fruit is down there?

manifest...

Didn't find much time to draw while down in paradise, excepting for the occasional art explosions with the kids. However, when the opportunity to play with the pen and let the shnitz out came, it wasn't lost. For more info on this one, well...you may have to wait for the memoir.

Senvest Collection...

"We are lovers of Canadian art and we seek to share our passion with the world. Through the acquisition of new works and their showing in its corporate offices world-wide, the Senvest Collection of New Canadian Art encourages the appreciation of Canadian art internationally."

The folks at Senvest recently acquired one of my drawings...tis' a good thing...and a honor to be part of a fine young collection! It's worth a look...

http://senvestcollection.com/default.php

Security Verification Department

National Verification Office

A series of images from a show that found its way to Scotland a couple of years ago, in an exhibition curated by Paul Butler, captain of The Other Gallery.

These drawings deserve a little back-story, as they hearken back to days darkened by my brief career in telemarketing. On the reverse of each image exists either a sale “contract” (typically gone bad) or a list of call “leads”…stacks of names, addresses, and phone numbers of potential (American) victims of the prescription pharmaceutical telemarketing trade. I won’t get into the gory details…however many of the drawings include elements of the day…routing, account, and bank telephone numbers, snippets of conversations, bits of call patter, and allusion to my phone ‘persona’, a Senior Account Representative by the name of Jesse Butler, employee number 042.

Strange times, strange drawings. Ballpoint pen on good old-fashioned 8 1/2 x 11. Git yer’ checkbook…I’ll hold the line!

Senior Account Representative...

"This call applies to all 'account' eligible account holders...you're not being singled out...right now, it's simply your turn." Something along those lines.

I'm going to talk...

First America Bank

Mika/dad colab...daughter on the pencils, lead guitar and vocals, dad on the bass guitar, brush and ink

Some wise words from J-A...a true master!

"Drawing is the honesty of art. To draw does not mean simply to reproduce contours: drawing does not consist merely of line. Drawing is also expression, the inner form, the plane and modeling. See what remains after that. Drawing includes three and a half quarters of the content of painting."

~ Jean-Auguste Dominique Ingres.

inside form

body construct

"a nice place to enter"...

some mugs...playing around with some old photos I found some time ago...enjoyed the graphic quality of these images, thus spawning this latest urge to exercise, like a good set of sit-ups.

A beautiful quote passed on to me by a beautiful friend in Korea...where would we be without Rumi?

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.