Cree Man

this is a sketch I did of a Joe Fafard sculpture I saw this weekend at the Joe Fafard exhibit at the WAG. It is truly a great exhibit. I liked it so much, that after seeing it I took my Dad to see it the very next day. I tried sketching the day before but I was just not feeling any connection between my hand and what my eyes were seeing. I tried again when I went the second time and this sketch resulted. I scanned the sketch in and used Photoshop to colour it.

Joe Fafard is a fabulous artist, if any of you in Winnipeg get a chance please go and see his exhibit. It is full of life size farm animal sculpture and caricature-like sculptures of people. There are displays and video's explaining how he produces his bronze sculpture work and lots of charcoal studies of his subject matter.
This Cree man is one of four aboriginal people he sculpted. Actually I believe one was Metis, but the point is the work he did of these people are fabulous. As happy as I am with my drawing it really does the actual sculpture not justice. The character of the faces and the exaggerated hands and veins are really fantastic to see live.

I am planning to go back many more times. I suppose I should tell you why I like Joe Fafards work so much. It has to do with the honesty the man conveys through his work. To me he has captured the essence of the life he sees around him. what you see is exactly what you get. There is no sense that he is trying to make the art itself anything else, any grander than it needs to be. I like that. It speaks to me.

I first came aware of Joe's work about 5 years ago at the Mayberry Gallery on McDermot. I would stop there after school and check out the talent. One day as I was looking around I became aware of a 2–3 ft horse, I think it was a Clydesdale... regardless I notices this horse and it was just amazing it looked thick and powerful and alive. After that I started to notice a lot of his work in the gallery, I would take a lot of pleasure just looking at the characters he sculpted. Their overly large eyes and the personality that each seemed to contain. I can always tell a great artist when I see one because I'm immediately inspired to create myself.

So what I guess I'm trying to say is, "Thanks Joe. Keep up all the great work."

Again go and check out the exhibit it is up until September.

Shihan Beltran Caricature

Hey Everybody!

Hey Dr. James!

This is a caricature I did for my Shihan. I drew it, refined it and colored it entirely in Adobe Illustrator. It is something I have been working on to save time. Usually I work from a sketch I scanned in. I like my pencil sketches a lot and they do not suffer from the disconnect of using a tablet. Someday when tablet/screen technology is more affordable I think that will be less of a problem.

The only problem with working in a digital medium for something like this is I'm on the computer for 8-9 hours a day at work. So I don't feel like staring at a computer any longer after that for my personal work.

What the guys at Wacom need to do is develop a screen that is only very slightly back lit and gives you a sense of what a printed product would look like. It would also be much easier on the eyes.

I actually have lots of stuff to post I just have been so involved with my projects at my new job I have neglected my blog. I can only state I will do my best to post some more random stuff here for you in the future.

I SUCK!

OK I am all talk.

Oh... I am going to post this. Oh... I am going to post that, look at all this great art I'm producing...

Damn I try, but life just keeps picking up steam.

I started my new job a couple of weeks ago and I'm quite happy there. It is keeping me very busy however, and between Beth and Karate I'm just not getting as much time as I would like for my artwork. I finished one painting the other day and it felt really good. I'm a water colour fan for the sake of time and clean up. I'm really hungry to try another oil but it is so messy and time consuming to clean up.

Screw it, I'm going for it anyway. Yukon Ho! (A knowing nod to anyone who gets that reference.)

Here is another triumphant return to posting.

This is a sketch I did of a robot armed boy trying to open a pickle jar. I named him Evan after my old bosses son. I think he kind of looks like the character I drew... minus the Robot arms of course. Funny thing about the picture is I make no statement that the jar Evan is trying to open is pickle jar. It could be pickled herring or sour kraut, dare I say peanut butter. But everybody who sees it says pickle jar.

That's it from me for now. I beg your patience, I will try my best to get back to posting on a regular basis.