Dinard Hotel

For the first time in my life I’m reading biographies about famous artists. Bernini, Van Eyck, Monet, Titian, Holbein, Caravaggio, Raphael, Velazquez and Bacon. Even though I’m jamming all this knowledge into my cranium, my recent drawings seem exactly the same. Take this quaint hotel in Dinard that caught my eye. This painting looks like every other picturesque structure I’ve drawn. I gotta figure out how to get all my new found art comprehension from my brain to my wrist.

JC Defline

My artist friend, Jean-Christophe Defline possesses many magical traits. Other artists are mystically drawn to him. He’s a walking encyclopedia. Generosity is in his DNA. A patron of the arts. I, being a mere mortal, felt it my duty to illustrate him. I approached it the way Hans Holbein painted Sir Thomas Moore and Thomas Cromwell. I draped Defline in his finest attire looking ever so regal. I surrounded him with allegorical symbols of his stature. I believe Defline will be gifting this work of art to The Frick Collection in New York City. It will be hung in the same room as the Holbeins I mentioned. Then I can visit him whenever I like.

Gay Paris

I happened to walk by Rue de’l Université in Paris. I snapped a few photos. I did this drawing from one of my shots when I got back home. I’ll draw from a photo when I want to add a little extra mustard to my painting.

Paris Again

This is a drawing I did in Paris. I’d do a little bit and then go eat. Then Scribble again before another trip across town. After a few afternoons of here and there sketching, this is what I got to show. My favorite part is how I handled the smoke coming out of the chimneys.

Paris Street Sketch

There is nothing like being retired and waking up in Paris. I strolled to the boulevard, slumped in my chair, and drew some magical architecture. Not a care in the world. The locals chatted me up. The only hiccup of my day is finding something vegan to eat in France. Plus my bones ache a wee bit.

St. Malo

After Nantes, we spent some time in St. Malo, France. The artist, Jean-Christophe Defline and his wife Valerie hosted us. They took us to all the medieval towns and markets in the area. It was a glorious holiday. I even spent some time in Valerie’s garden drawing her flowers. One morning, they took us to their local farmer’s market. Jean-Christophe was explaining to one of the farmers that I was vegan. He pointed to me and replied in French. “You are a bad tourist for the farmers who grow pigs.” That summed me up in a single poetic sentence.

France Collage

Time management. It’s my top priority when I draw with other people. When my pals chose something for us to sketch in Nantes, I had to judge quickly what I could accomplish in my three friend’s allotted time frame. Frequently, I just draw details instead of the big picture knowing they are going to finish in a flash. Over a few days, my details page filled up nicely. This made for a real conversation piece for the locals and other artists looking over my shoulder. Didn’t seem like anyone else was moved to try it themselves though. Can’t say I blame them. It’s quite tedious.

French Crane

My cohorts chose this crane to draw which is not something I would have picked. It’s a famous landmark in Nantes, France. Such a tall structure could never fit onto my sketchbook page. Yet there I was having to draw it. I had to squish and distort it so much in order to fake it onto the paper. Somehow, I succeeded. The other sketchers were quite amazed at my nifty trick. I admit there was a bit of luck involved. The guys I was with drew so fast. This forced me to sketch at lightning speed. Exhausting to say the least at my age. All were impressed, so it was worth it for my ego. We moved to another location when we were done. I sketched that locale into this crane scene too. My pals admired my two scenes in a single drawing routine. Plus, they appreciated that I made everything look like a Mad Magazine cartoon.

Cat Crow

I thought about putting a crow’s head onto a cat’s body. That was as far as I got. Once I start writing lyrics to a song, there’s no turning back. I had to see where it was going to take me. This is how the tune evolved. It’s now pressed in vinyl and I’m sending it out to the masses.

Blunder


I made a blunder in my sketchbook which is known to happen. I drew this Greek statue in The Met. When I finished, I realized I had my book open in the wrong direction. Now as you flip through my perfect sketchbook, you come upon a page with a Greek statue drawn upside down by mistake. I laughed and flipped the sketchbook back to how it should be and continued drawing as if I meant to draw the statue upside down. If I didn’t admit to it, I’m sure no one would have thought I didn’t do it on purpose. I kind of like admitting I’m an idiot. It’s very satisfying.

Headless


When I draw at The Met, there are heads lying about everywhere. Nothing attached, just lots of heads. Then there is this nicely dressed body without, you guessed it, a head. Maybe each week they could put a different head on the headless guy’s torso. I know they can do it digitally, just like Colorforms. Young people won’t know what the hell Colorforms are. Showing my age.

I See Squirrels

Back to the Botanical Gardens to draw a cherry tree with my friend Stephen Petronis. Just like the young character, Cole, in the movie Sixth Sense, who sees dead people everywhere, I see squirrels everywhere. My friend claimed there weren’t any around but you can plainly see I must have seen something looking back at me.