BookLust

Would You Like to Play a Game?

If you are of a certain age, you'll instantly recognize that quote from an old 80s movie with Matthew Broderick. I still like the movie Wargames after all these years, I must confess.

Anyway, this post isn't about global thermal nuclear war, but it is about playing games.

Here's a double-page spread I did for the December issue of ChickaDEE magazine.

Ain't it fun? It's a board game about games!

And here's a close-up.

I've really been getting into drawing owls lately – they're just so darn cute!

Truly Suffering for Art

I've been very busy with a freelance job today, so haven't had time to write anything of consequence or interest. So in lieu of that (hmmmm...actually, one could question if I've ever written anything of consequence or interest) I'll post one of my recent sketches from my life drawing course (which is sadly ending this week; what an amazing class!)

This was an interesting exercise in the study of contour. Instead of drawing curvy, supple lines, our instructor had us draw straight lines all around the figure, helping us to understand the differences in planes, and where there are more subtle changes in direction. Very frustrating, because I SO wanted to draw curves!

The lady in the sketch had a really bad cold the day she posed for us, and it was obvious to everyone that she was in a lot of discomfort. She was petite and very thin, with long black hair that flowed all the way down to her bottom. She looked so fragile, like a lost child. Not even the portable heaters could warm her up. It made me wonder: could I pose nude in front of strangers in a cold building when I was really under the weather? Ummmmm....NO.

Silly Poetry Friday 46

Yup, I know, it's been a while since I posted a silly poem – that makes it all the more wonderful when you get one though, right? Sort of like when a starving man happily eats whatever is thrown in front of him. Yeah, I know...whatever.

So today I'm gonna kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. The charming blogger Leopard13 has given me the Bookworm Award, which I think is even more of an honour than getting a GG. Part of the award involves some work on my part (the noive of this guy!) – I've got to pick up the book that is nearest to me, go to page 56, write out the fifth sentence, and even some more sentences after that. Ok, I guess I can do that. But I'm gonna cheat just a wee bit – I'm just gonna pick a poem on pg 56 that I like, as use it for my Silly Poetry Friday poem (yes, what great fortune for me, that the book Limerick Lyrics just happened to be the nearest book! Wink).

So why this poem? Well, it's about eating, and I'm kinda hungry right now, and the character's name in the poem is Maud, and that was the name of my grandmother. How's that for a literary intellectual decision?

There was a young lady named Maud,
Who at meals was a terrible fraud,
She never was able
To eat at the table,
But – out in the pantry – oh, Lord!

Do Not Adjust Your Set...

Regular scheduled blogging (ha!!) will resume tomorrow. An ongoing project has been sapping all my brain matter in the last week or so. I hope to discuss said ongoing project very soon. In the mean time, wave hello to the blue dog.

Oh come on – you call that a wave? Blue dog is not impressed.

Feed on the warmth of Human Kindness

Another food-related post. A cover I recently did for the wonderful City Bites magazine.

Fall is a wonderful time for feasting, I think. I love all the colours and foods of fall – parsnips, rutabaga, beets, and squash. Thanksgiving is just around the corner for the folks in the US, and I'm sure that many people across that country will have a great deal to celebrate. Many people, but certainly not all.

There is a lot to be worried about right now. The financial crisis and its effects on the world economy. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The numerous concerns regarding our environment. The issue of peak oil and our need to very quickly discover alternative energy resources. The legitimate fears concerning  tainted food, be it E. coli, Listeriosis, or Melamine found in products from China. The legacy we will leave for our children and grandchildren. I could go on and on, but you get the point.

So yeah, if one thinks too much about all this stuff, one can get really bummed out. It's enough to lose one's appetite, right? The thing is, we can't let ourselves be overwhelmed by all these problems. Nor should we live in a bubble of fantasy, either. We still should make an effort to enjoy any and all of the blessings we are given in this all too short life. For many of us, though, times are tough right now, and we are having to cut back on some of our favourite luxuries. Perhaps this means cutting back on those few extra bottles of wine a week, or no longer having the newspaper delivered to our front door, or cutting back on buying books, DVDs and magazines whenever we feel like it, or not going out to restaurants as often. If that's the kind of cost-cutting one faces, then really, what's to complain about? We all know that there are people all over the world who have lost their homes, their jobs, and are not able to put enough food on the table.

So it's time to be reminded of the less expensive, but much more valuable luxuries of life: the breaking of bread with family and friends. And no, you don't have to cook up prime rib in order to have a good time, and be well fed. Our parents and grandparents know that experience first hand all too well.

'Change' is the new buzz word of the day. But change isn't just about the change in political power –  change also means changing one's perspective on what really matters in life, and perhaps changing one's lifestyle to suit one's pocket book (and also to help save the environment).

So yes, eat, drink, and merry – but also talk and think about the bigger issues, the biggest of them all being our fellow man (or woman).

Bloor West Toonin'/Town Cryn' 18

Whoops! I haven't posted any of my Town Crier cartoons for quite a while! My bad.

Ok, so the above cartoon is pretty self-explanatory, I would say. But silly chicken jokes aside, did you know that it is legal to raise chickens in Brampton, Ontario, Victoria, BC and Niagara Falls, but not in Toronto? And did you know that there is an underground movement of people secretly raising chickens here in our big city, with a mandate to make it legal to have chickens in Toronto?

I would need to research the subject in greater detail, but I dunno...what's the big deal with having chickens in the city? As long as people followed the rules regarding keeping things clean and healthy, what's the big fuss? Save a few bucks (and the environment, since you wouldn't be using packaging) and get your eggs from your own backyard. And I've been told that fresh eggs direct from chickens taste really good. And I would imagine it would also be healthier not having all those  added Omega 3 nutrients injected in the eggs, either. I'm not a big fan of the 'nutrient industry'. But that's for another post.

So whaddya think? Chickens yea or nay? Let your cluck be counted!

Barak the Vote!

I know I'm a Canuck, and that I'm also a big fan of Nader, but I can't help it. The one thought that keeps going through my head today is...GO OBAMA!!