Can you tijit?

draw! draw! draw!

2012-02-04T19:42:00.003-06:00

hey pals, were you getting tired of looking at curtis' november haircut? man o man. we have been busy over here. i (devon) have been drawing lots and enjoying taking a class on graphic novels. this illustration above is from an article on free speech.

my tiny baby is now a 6 month old. my big boy is saying phrases like "yer wunnerful mommy" and "happy new year eweebuddy!"
everything is good. i will post some new illustration work soon...but of course you can always check me out over at The Manitoban

in other news: curtis is going to be taking a parental leave starting at the end of March so i expect this 'lil blog of ours may explode with creative projects in the spring. it's going to be amazing. stay tuned. xo

The Re-invention

2011-11-23T20:14:00.005-06:00

If you haven't heard yet, I (Curtis) have re-invented myself for MOvember. Because this is the third year participating, I decided that a new persona might be a good gimmick to rake in some donations, so I became Mr. Bristles. Every day I wear a bowtie and a V-neck sweater to work, and I even changed up my hair-do to complement my petite moustache. Going in to the barberette, I brought a sketch of what I imagined I might look like post haircut. Here's my sketch:

I think she did a great job of making my dream-do come true, but you can be the judge. Visit my MOvember page and see for yourself!

www.mobro.co/mrbristles

ps. I especially needed a new gimmick to compete with last year's trading card promotion (2 of 4 pictured below).

Black Sheep Diner

2011-11-16T14:37:00.003-06:00

Hey Winnipeg

I invite you to join me for the closing of my "Old Folk" Art Show this Friday November 18th 5-7pm at the Black Sheep Diner

COME AND BUY A BOWL OF CHILI!!!!
EAT SOME CORNBREAD!!

Sincerely. Come.

Devon

watercolour + ink

2011-11-13T16:10:00.001-06:00

getting back to my sketchbook and off the tablet= nice, nice feeling.

happy halloween!

2011-11-02T13:15:00.001-05:00

colouring for adults

2011-10-22T23:16:00.000-05:00

two more illustrations to complete before this weekend ends but an outside contribution deadline extended (and looming) had me drawing madly this afternoon.so, here's the deal: the university radio station is in need of fundraising annually....so a genius plan of getting local artists to draw for a colouring book is hatched. MORE ON THIS LATER!!! i don't want to give too much away but the book will be available for purchase in the new year (full credit for this project inspiration + coordination goes to our fellow creative crafter buddy jenny henkelman.) but here you go, you can see my page. so many lines to fill in with colour!!devonxo

inspired

2011-10-10T16:17:00.005-05:00

Curtis here...I was inspired by one of Devon's drawing assignments at the newspaper this week. She was charged with drawing "angry sports fans in the style of John Kricfalusi". I love John K.'s drawing style...and our senses of humour mesh about 70% of the time too. Anyways,here's what I sketched out at the coffee table:

Sure Devon's is better, but I think mine has a certain charm. Keep in mind that my kid was stealing all of my watercolour pencils as I was drawing it, hence some of the strange colour decisions.

departure

2011-10-09T17:04:00.000-05:00

hey. hey.well, i have been a little overloaded lately and finding it challenging to post new stuff, even though there actually IS new stuff which is a nice feeling! also- most illustration work was been sports related the last two weeks...not my comfort zone, but great practice. This recent illustration is for an article discussing the new rule for no head contact in junior hockey. i made the ref a young boy and simplified everything down to gestural strokes on most of the body so the head signal and helmet area are highlighted as most visually important.

fake address, fake phone number

2011-09-12T19:41:00.003-05:00

in the interest of sharing my invitation design, i had to make sure i wasn't broadcasting our personal info to the world...

so yes, this party invite marks a milestone for me as a mom!
My very first baby turned TWO today.

We are having a party this weekend coming up so naturally I had to hand-draw the invite. We printed them up on super glossy cardstock and kept them black and white. I am pretty happy with how it turned out.

we are delivering them to all of our pals around the neighborhood this week and hoping everyone can make it.

our party strategy, which may turn out to be CRAZYMAKING, is to carry all of our instruments (including full drum kit) to host a toddler style jam in the giant field across the street.

my big little bro

2011-08-19T16:27:00.002-05:00

i adore my brothers and i cherish our visits. recently, my youngest brother gord, made a detour from his trip west and joined me for some quality time, some toddler shenanigans and to meet his newest nephew.

i was determined to make sure gord left with some of my hand-printed clothing of his choice but i haven't been printing in awhile so it was slim-pickins!

so, i was digging through our bin of printed clothing, trying to find something for gord to wear to Australia (among other places). i really wanted something to work so i pretty much suggested every shirt i came across... the poor guy had to remind me about 20 times:
dev, I am size large. I am pretty sure i am size large.

man, baby brothers sure get big. (mine is well over 6 feet tall!)

i was so, so happy to finally see one of my favorite printed shirts fit him.

i was even happier to see that the photo we took of him modeling it happened to be in front of the original tree drawings that inspired the silkscreen in the first place. i couldn't have planned it better.

i wish i could see my little brother way more than a few days a year but i will take what i can get. at least i have his t-shirt size for future reference- maybe i will be more prepared by next summers dig through the bin!

speed drawing

2011-08-16T16:50:00.002-05:00

i promised the paper an illustration this week.

we spent the weekend at the cottage and then we were back late and exhausted sunday night (deadline!!) after some bumper to bumper traffic on the highway (involving an emergency pull-over to feed crying baby in the middle of it all)

i mustered up some creative juices to sit down to the tablet/computer around 9pm and then proceeded to take about an hour to complete my 10 minute drawing.
some nursing, some singing of lullabies, some consoling toddler about bedtime, some rocking baby, some more rocking baby, some drawing while holding baby with other arm...

but SUCCESS! i finished it!

i might even draw again next week!

Duh...

2011-08-06T11:42:00.003-05:00

This link makes more sense:

http://www.threadless.com/submission/359134/Illegible_Font_Fan

Sorry, i'm new to the internet. I haven't yet adjusted since the BBSs went down.

Vote for me!

2011-08-04T20:27:00.004-05:00

Curtis, the boy of Tijit here, to let you know that I recently submitted a design to Threadless for one of their challenges! This challenge was to create a type tee using three words or less, and you can vote on my design here:

http://threadless.com/sharedesign/359134/Illegible_Font_Fan

There's only 3 days left to vote on my design, so don't delay! ...or delay for two days, then vote!

DA-DAMMA!!

2011-08-02T16:11:00.002-05:00

i just got home a few hours ago from dropping off my super awesome, super helpful and amazing mom to catch a flight back to ontario.
rowan calls her DA-DAMMA as his very own version of the title 'gran!'

just wanted to say we love you and miss you, i couldn't have imagined the last two weeks without you.

barefoot + pregnant

2011-07-24T07:43:00.002-05:00

So, this is not the most accurate depiction of the state of my body at the moment. but it is close friends, darn close.

the belly that is drawn here is pretty much the one that is attached to my little 5'4'' body right now although the water retention of mid-summer pregnancy has me looking way less emaciated than this little drawing suggests. it's the contrast that i wanted to capture.

i can't describe the shocking size difference that has transpired with this (second) pregnancy...my poor skin is stretched to the MAX. i am still managing to get around pretty well but you know you must be feeling less-than-great when you find yourself thinking: i really hope i go in to labour soon.
labour?! the best option? arrgh.

the "due date" (if you believe in such things) is this week and so hopefully the arrival of this baby will be before august.
after which i am hoping between napping babes and helpful husbands, i might be able to squeeze myself closer to the drawing tablet and get back to making some art!

see you then...

the jets!

2011-06-21T19:15:00.002-05:00

the jets are back in winnipeg y'all.
to be honest: i am no hockey fan but it sure is fun drawing hockey players!

last fourfortheday today

2011-06-05T13:42:00.002-05:00

last weekend, we found these amazingly water-damaged and strange photos in the alley.

the polaroids, at first glance appear cracked but when you look closer at the emulsion on the inside of the photo it is actually wrinkled and folded like a flower petal.
i didn't even know polaroids could do that!

photos of strangers are so haunting. i wonder what the stories are that go with these images?

anyways. check them out here.

teeth

2011-06-04T10:01:00.000-05:00

come have a look at fourfortheday!

some old things.

2011-06-03T14:59:00.001-05:00

here is my collection of four things for the day. have a look here.

things made out of wood.

2011-06-02T15:53:00.000-05:00

today's post over at fourfortheday

the fourfortheday collection continues!

2011-06-02T08:30:00.001-05:00

here's my fourfortheday post for yesterday! check it out over here

four birds

2011-05-31T13:10:00.001-05:00

wanna see them?
come over and check out fourfortheday today!

big boy

2011-05-30T12:32:00.002-05:00

I am taking a pause from posting art over here so i can channel my photographic/curatorial energies over at fourfortheday.

just thought i would give you all a tiny update in the meantime.

it's been a crazy few days over here with our ever-growing, ever-independent toddler. we had a week of crib-rail jumping shenanigans and general bed-time + sleep craziness. (today started at 4:30am)
so in the interest of safety i am transitioning rowan into a big bed.
i am pretty much not ready for this step at all but with so many other milestones flying by us it's hard to put on the brakes!
rowan is growing up in lots of big ways but it's the subtleties that i have been noticing too:
he has been riding around this little vintage horse and saying "done" at the end of every meal.
sigh.
it's cool. it's just i wish we had a pause button sometimes.

the countdown is on.

2011-05-26T12:13:00.004-05:00

yes. that countdown too. (10 weeks left!!)
but what is on my mind particularly today...is a looming deadline.
a fun one but a slightly intimidating one.

so, i will be a guest editor on my amazing friend arden's blog starting monday may 30th. you should go over and check out what folks have been up to so far.
the archives are incredible.
many tough acts to follow (currently, the very talented local artist robert pasternak.)

the blog features wonderful, personal collections of four things every day. check it out here.

Behind (Plexi) Glass

2011-04-27T13:46:00.006-05:00

The Platform Gallery, located in the Artspace Building in the Exchange District here in Winnipeg, has a wonderful spot to showcase art.
In the lobby beside the Gallery and across from the Cinematheque ticket booth, you will see a nice substantial area of mounted plexiglass under which has an ever-changing variety of artwork by local artists. Every month, the area is refreshed with new work.

I was lucky enough to be invited to showcase my most recent ink painting portraits of some old folks there. The men are from my memory/imagination (but of course always informed by those I have met probably) and the women were drawn with reference to a hauntingly beautiful collection of photographs that I found in a book called; "The North End" by John Paskievich.
(The milk sniffing lady is on the cover!)

These are large drawings whose size has, so far, been hard to properly document so I have been putting it off- Recently, I got some quick snapshots as they will be coming down on Thursday. (There is some glare/reflection from the glass but you get the general idea.)

It was nice for me to see the series on a wall in a frame. I would love to know what you all think!

(Now I must get back to my ink-pot and giant paper to create some more!)

a moment in time

2011-04-19T12:43:00.002-05:00

belly is growing, river is rising! art is percolating!

(note: that tree used to be up off of the edge of our river bank. now the river has swelled all the way up to the walking path- it;s been incredible to witness the winnipeg flooding this spring...)

spring has almost sprung

2011-04-04T15:36:00.003-05:00

lately i have been remembering how the changing of the seasons are represented in a nursing home.

window stickies, dollar store banners, accordian-style 3d paper wall decorations, colourful themed napkins at over-the-top themed events and meals, the recreation board colour schemes and the bi-weekly crafts.

and this guy.

this guy whose dementia has rendered him always happy, saying 'yup' and walking circuits around and around the lounge. somehow the nurses got on to this thing where they would put themed headbands on him to spread good cheer as he walked around greeting folks around the home.

i will say here that i am not sure how i feel about this.
and i am not sure how he would feel about this if he was able to respond with anything other than 'yup.'

but thinking back on it, it does give me comfort that the holiday themed head-wear encouraged everyone to acknowledge him passing by, smile back, initiate a conversation about the season/holiday and be just as happy as him for a moment.

four heads

2011-04-03T15:06:00.004-05:00

here is my latest (and last) illustration for the manitoban for awhile (as this will be appearing in the last issue of the school year.) the article is about the rather bleak election ahead of us.
the sub heading i was working with for inspiration was "federal election promises little change."

Skedoodle!

2011-03-22T17:38:00.000-05:00

Gag Alert redux

2011-03-13T21:14:00.004-05:00

Devon, if you can read this, I hope you're having fun in Mexico.

Curtis

monkey business

2011-03-06T14:59:00.002-06:00

my latest assignment for the Manitoban.
check out the article (coming soon) about uncertainty in monkeys, a trait previously thought to be present only in we humans.

gag alert.

2011-03-02T14:50:00.002-06:00

this one is pretty mushy so don't say i didn't warn you.

so, curtis and i occasionally leave each other love notes hidden for the other person to find in the morning. this all started back in montreal when we would doodle little pictures or write inside jokes on our kitchen chalkboard back and forth.

adorable and hilarious to us but most likely annoying to our anyone that had to live with us.

so because curtis is up and out the door before rowan and i get downstairs (he leaves around 7:20 am. ack!) i usually tuck love notes/drawings in to various stages of his coffee making (the can of coffee beans, the grinder or the bodum) or sometimes on scraps of paper laying beside the stereo (for when he turns on the radio) or scribbled on to bills stuck to the fridge.

i was particularly impressed with myself when i doodled a little devon saying "i love you" directly on the pizza box in the fridge and then put a leftover roast chicken over it so he would have to move it for the big reveal when he went in to pack pizza for his lunch.

then nothing.

no reply curtis-drawing or note.

turns out he ran out of time and saw it only at the last minute. then a couple more days went by with nothing. i assumed the moment had passed.

then to my surprise and delight at lunch today, i saw his pink sharpie love drawing of us on the pizza box.

naturally i had to draw a version of it for my second last drawing of the february series. so this was me yesterday on march 1, getting a kiss from curtis on our "date night"

it's a fair copy but curtis' drawing is actually way better. turns out; the tablet has nothing on the drawing texture of sharpie on pizza box, refrigerated over night.

pizza never tasted so sweet.

good-bye february, you jerk.

2011-03-01T13:47:00.003-06:00

march is "in like a lion" here in winnipeg so let us all agree that it'll be out like a lamb.

so, at the risk of curtis seeing this, (who somehow believes that staying at home with your child is one big holiday), i did manage to have an enjoyable breakfast* at the "fresh cafe" with my lovely and adorable friend crys cole yesterday.

and so, this was me in the morning on monday february 28.
rowan and i shared a delicious smoothie, met a new baby friend named ambrose and then played the hell out of the stairs and some restaurant toys and crayons.

yesterday was also a great day because i woke up with a very pregnant belly!

it's been brewing for 18 weeks and 3 days, and was already looking bigger last week, but yesterday morning, whoa. it's here.

so i got to dress it!

i put on a cute new shirt i got with a bunch of anchors on it, my favorite cardigan (buttoned 'just so') and a great pair of very comfortable maternity jeans (thanks donna)

pretty alright.

*(note to curtis: this occurred just after the doctors appointment, filling a prescription and just before cleaning all the dishes, doing more laundry, cleaning the kitchen and sorting a bunch of mine and rowans old clothes and then going grocery shopping. SO THERE!)

night terrors

2011-02-28T16:49:00.002-06:00

every once in awhile rowan has these wierd episodes in the night that i can only describe as night terrors.

it really creeps me out to stumble in to his room half asleep and feel around in his crib to pick up his screaming and thrashing body. sometimes i think it is teething related, sometimes i think he is sleeping through the experience totally. parenthood is such a guessing game.

not to give anyone else the heebie jeebies but i will even admit that, in my over-active imagination (fueled by the experience of waking to screams) i have been sure that there is an old lady ghost leaning over him and freaking him out. maybe it's the hag.

i think i probably just need more sleep.

this was me sunday february 27. i altered the original drawing by going back over it with an eraser and taking away parts of my head to elongate everything and make it look even more haunting.

tiny me

2011-02-27T13:50:00.002-06:00

this was me yesterday, saturday february 26.

i went for breakfast at stellas with curtis and rowan. then in the afternoon, i attended an amazing artist talk by an inspiring and incredible woman named Barb Hunt.
...then i polished off the day with a very enjoyable evening book club to discuss our recent reading of "Room" by Emma Donaghue (not sure on the spelling of that one).

It was nice to feel like a tiny, somewhat insignificant person, while in a busy restaurant, a packed audience and a group of people i don't often see.

it made me realize that for some reason, spending my days with one small person often makes me feel like i am gigantic and entirely too important most of the time.

laundry machine

2011-02-25T15:13:00.002-06:00

i am referring to me of course.
thursday february 24.

sure, it's a boring representation of the day but when you boil 24 reusable diaper inserts on the stove-top, wash and fold three loads of laundry, do a bunch of dishes and then complete a big sort of your mismatched socks in the underwear drawer, there isn't time for much else.

except for watching Perry Mason while you are waiting to put the next load in.
(and that would just be a drawing of me with hearts in my eyes anyways)

pause.

2011-02-25T14:18:00.002-06:00

a brief interlude here: to post a new(ish) comic for my series on old folks. this one will be on the Diversions page of the Manitoban next issue.

ever get that feeling?

2011-02-23T18:50:00.002-06:00

had a super fun + fast morning looking after my 17 month old boy while babysitting another lovable toddler who is very near and dear to my heart.

let me tell you: those little people are on the move!

we had a dance party to kate bush, pushed every button and turned every nob on the record player, played every instrument, worked on three puzzles, ate some scrambled eggs, some kiwi, some apple, drank some water, chased the pig, played with the beachball, did some stairs, dumped the toy box, played sort the shapes back in to the musical turtle, did a rubber boots fashion show, read the very hungry caterpillar,
sat in the blue chair,
got out of the blue chair,
sat in the blue chair,
got out of the blue chair.

among a few other things.

yakkity yak

2011-02-22T20:31:00.002-06:00

thank you to my loving husband and best buddy curtis for posting a pretty version of me last time...here is me, drawn by me. today.

man, what a great day of reconnecting. had a lovely and inspiring chat with one of my dear friends, kerri to start the day. (we were talking fun life plans)

next an epic chat with one of my favorite people, kaija. it was a long one and a good one. we were talking new york, masters degrees and owning farms so we can hang out with other loved friends in the country.

a great facebook type-fest with my dear francophone pal, julien who is in love. always nice to hear about new love.

to top it all off, my mom just got home from Golden BC (kicking horse) where she was visiting my little brother so we had a good long conversation about EVERYTHING. (which we are good at!)

i am wired. can you tell by my drawing?!

A flattering portrait

2011-02-19T20:41:00.003-06:00

Hi, Curtis here with my bi-annual post. I decided that I should intervene here because Devon likes drawing unflattering portraits of herself and posting them on the internet...but let's face it, in real life she's easy on the eyes. As part of my Valentine's Day gift to her this year I doctored up a portrait of her to grace the cover of the mix CD I was putting together.

It's a melange of collage and tablet tracing. The skin and hair textures are taken from multiple photos of Jennifer Connelly - the first brunette celebrity that came to mind...because she's pretty.
The premise of the mix CD was bands Devon likes doing covers of songs Devon likes. Here's the track listing, in case you're curious:
01] Wilco - Ingrid Bergman
02] Elliot Smith - These Days
03] Jose Gonzalez - Love Will Tear Us Apart
04] Kakai King - Close to Me
05] CC Walker - Never My Love
06] Wild Nothing - Cloudbusting
07] Schneider TM - The Light 3000
08] Of Montreal - She's My Best Friend
09] Billy Bragg - Jeane
10] James Blake - A Case of You
11] Karen O & The Kids - Worried Shoes
12] Bright Eyes - The Biggest Lie
13] Elliot Smith - Harvest Moon
14] Mates of State - These Days
15] The Killers - Romeo and Juliet

friday night movie

2011-02-19T14:28:00.002-06:00

this was me last night, friday february 18 watching a movie with curtis.

we rented one of our favorite movies: House/Hausu which is a film from 1977 from Japan. It's a psychedelic combination of art film meets horror movie. it has been re-released by criterion so it was a good time to re-watch.

man, that movie is crazy. i love it.

i have nothing against eating obscene amounts of popcorn tossed in brewers yeast and pepper either.

yesterday's new do

2011-02-18T14:53:00.003-06:00

i rather serious looking drawing of my new do. some dark colour, some copper pieces and some bangs.
a break from bobby pins...for now.

a string of days

2011-02-18T14:25:00.005-06:00

ok, the first one starting from the top: that is february 8th.
i somehow forgot to get this one published earlier where it should have gone. anyways, that was a stinky never-ending diaper day. but on the positive side: rowan has added the word: POOP to the list of words he can say.

the next drawing down is february 11th
(you can see, or have already seen, the in-between days, feb 9 + 10, as i have already posted them previously to the blog).
this drawing was the stand-out feeling of that day. the wonderful warm cup of coffee in my hand first thing in the morning and a belly full of cheerios.

next, saturday february 12th.
the manic happiness of skating down the river with cold wind in my face. and to top it off, i got beautiful flowers that day from curtis.

february 13, i drive over to my med-student-friends house (you are the best catherine!) to play: "let's diagnose the odd rash on devons face" which looks even more terrible this week than previous weeks. this drawing is a loosely documented map of where all the bumps were. yuck. go away "perioral dermatitis."

february 14 + 15 are missing (the official gap is closing on the lag though,) ...i promise they are coming soon.

the last drawing, the one at the bottom is wednesday february 16th. this was the day before i got my new haircut. the anticipation of changing my hair for the first time since april. those dotted lines at the bottom are a representation of where things were going if i didn't get in there soon.

my lag in posting

2011-02-18T14:11:00.003-06:00

there was such a flurry of catching-up drawing to do once i was a week late in starting my: one-piece-of-art-a-day-for-february project.
now i find my actual posts to be lagging behind and this is kind of throwing me off.

so here is a few at once: these first two were some scribbles that i did to get me going on trying to effectively draw "a mood."
i find it interesting how your image of yourself, your ACTUAL FACE, can be altered by how you feel when you draw it!

i think these two gals say it all.

sleeping-in with a toddler

2011-02-18T13:56:00.002-06:00

i slept in. it was blissful.

we have been going through this thing where rowan wakes up in the night and we are both too tired to do anything except cuddle him in to bed with us and go back to sleep. this one night was an epic hour or so of rowan in bed with us crawling on our heads before he finally settled back down.

on the plus side, he slept a bit longer than usual and i (sorry curtis) got to reap the rewards of a rare extra 30 minutes of sleep the next morning.

i tried to make this illustration look as soft and calm as my sleep.

curtis said when he left for work that morning, rowan had his legs up on my chest and we were contorted in to the most comfortable tangle of limbs. he is not drawn in, but you get the idea.

similarly to the last sleeping/in bed drawings, i oriented everything to keep my face straight for the viewer.

loud music and art-making

2011-02-17T18:59:00.001-06:00

the relief. the cathartic magic of drawing like crazy while listening to music.

the day after

2011-02-16T13:14:00.001-06:00

back in to the world. cold day.

i like how this one worked out.

i know, it looks pretty gruesome and i aged myself about 30 years but i like it as a representation of that particular monday.

eggs and back to bed

2011-02-15T12:30:00.002-06:00

my next installment of the daily self portrait.
no matter what, i try and draw one specific image/mood that sums up the day.

this is sunday february 6. waking up feeling better...groggy, sore and still tired...but things are looking up! we actually went out for breakfast that day and i ate my first real food since thursday.

i will admit that i cried a little bit in the car when i thought i would throw up again but then, we got home and i rested for the remainder of the day.
goodbye flu!

sweet gravol sleep

2011-02-14T12:55:00.002-06:00

rounding the bend on the flu in this drawing: this is a portrait of me on saturday feb 5, sick and sleeping in bed.

as i drew this one, i left the orientation of my face and shoulders the same as the other drawings in the series and adjusted my sleeping position and bed perspective accordingly.

sick in the car

2011-02-13T13:54:00.002-06:00

this is my third installment of the make-one-piece-of-art-a-day-for-a-month challenge: i am giving myself no excuses to miss even one.

so, full disclosure:

this is me, trying to hold it together while clutching empty grocery bags in the passenger side of the car on the way to see a healthcare professional.

it was friday february 4 after an epic night of sickness.

two separate illustrations

2011-02-13T12:50:00.002-06:00

these are my recent contributions to the manitoban newspaper.

calm before the storm

2011-02-11T17:28:00.002-06:00

here is my second installment of the "make a piece of art every day for a month" pact i made with a group of fellow artists/mothers. as i said before, i have limited myself medium-wise to ink brush on my new tablet in photoshop and subject-wise to daily self portraiture that attempts to portray one succinct emotion/event that stands out from the day.

man, that was a beautiful day. i got outside with rowan, it wasn't -40 with windchill it was more like -10...bliss! i had a super walk and spent more time breathing outside air that day than the rest of the winter combined.

it's a good thing too, because i got slammed by stomach flu about 6 hours later.

so that was me, bundled up, pushing rowan around the neighborhood on Thursday February 3rd. stopped at the park theatre for a cappuccino on the way home while feeling pretty wonderful all around.

ps: can you see rowans tiny happy little hat peeking up in the foreground?

an art challenge

2011-02-10T21:32:00.002-06:00

so, i have been attending a nice group with some other artists (who are also mothers) every month for the past 3 months.

we discuss recent work, share ideas and discuss the challenges of finding a balance between staying creative and meeting the demands of motherhood. it's a relaxing evening and it luckily falls on a wednesday...which is "my special day" to leave the house while curtis puts rowan to bed.

this last wednesday night we all agreed to make ONE piece of art EVERY day for a MONTH. quite the commitment eh? i left the meeting feeling very optimistic and focussed.

i promptly got the flu and was stuck in bed (then recovering from being stuck in bed) so i found myself way way behind by the following wednesday.

and then it was wierd. the universe wouldn't let me have my wednesday night out. nothing was happening. no movies were playing. no friends were around. no live music. seriously. i was not intending on actually working on art during my special night, i will admit it.

but i relented.
i locked myself in the upstairs studio with headphones blaring and drew my heart out. literally. i drew every portrait of each day going backwards until i had 7 drawings.

it felt so good.

i decided to use this project as an excuse to experiment with my new tablet and reunite my brain with photoshop. i had to keep the work within the same dimension and medium and then subject-wise, i decided to draw emotionally expressive, diary-style portraits of myself for each day that focussed in on one single moment that stood out over all others.

so here is my first one.

i am at mawa painting a still-life while getting painted by brenna and feeling the fuzzy nausea that is morning sickness at 9:00 pm Wednesday February 2nd. I am wearing a giant hand-printed scarf that I made and my warmest hoodie.

tijit tee's

2011-02-09T15:16:00.002-06:00

hey hey
just a quick note to say: i am going to be going over to mozy rue to do some tijit inventory refreshing. There are lots of tee shirts and other hand-printed accessories (hankies, ties, slips and tanks) that have been taking up space for a bit and I know how they like to keep things fresh over there...that's why it always looks so beautiful and inviting.

so yeah, those pieces are going "back in to the vault" hopefully by the end of this week...maybe go have a look around to see if you want to buy your sweetie a love present.

Semester Two Forever

2011-02-07T12:43:00.002-06:00

Today marks the first day of semester two for Curtis so I felt like this comic was an appropriate one.
I hope you get the underlying positive message at least.

AND,
It's February folks...the final stretch of our cold season...things are only getting warmer and better from here on in!!

drip drip

2011-01-27T15:45:00.003-06:00

I should probably save this post for tomorrow so as to stretch out the new stuff i've done a bit longer but i had a few minutes today.
and that's how you get stuff done in this place.

so this is my new painting. i finished it about a week or so ago and then took these photos of my young painting assistant to show the scale. i had the idea for this painting after the terrible plumbing news we had before xmas holidays but also because i wanted something to cover a big section of the "house-sellers-beige" wall in our bathroom.
i thought: if anybody needs some inspiration while they are sitting on our can...drip! drip!

some people decorate their bathrooms with seashells and starfish.
well, this is me.

it's a combination of acrylic paint, ink marker and collage.

have your cake

2011-01-26T13:09:00.002-06:00

happy birthday to my mom!
i chose a dessert-themed comic for you.

i'm back baby.

2011-01-23T17:11:00.002-06:00

man oh man.
what a backlog. ideas shared but not drawn. drawings completed and not scanned. drawings scanned and not moved to proper computer.

today and for this week it will be a flurry of catching up.

i have to say that this has kind of represented my state of mind lately too. some progress made but not much to show for it. effort put out but nowhere near getting anything done or really able to show off.
i clean and tidy the same two rooms more than once a day and they always look like a disaster.
i make efforts to eat well and drink lots of water but my poor body has been dragging for more than two months and my lips are so parched they don't fit together.

perspective: i am growing a new baby and looking after a toddler.
it's winter in winnipeg.
i haven't been outside much.

i won't let myself feel guilty about not getting to something that i love to do. i celebrate when i can get to it and i will continue to hold on through the dry spells.

and check it out! now i got a new comic to share today!!

it's a little rough around the edges but i hope the sentiment reaches you loud and clear,

Success!

2011-01-06T17:14:00.002-06:00

Goodbye "the flu" and Hello 2011!

2011-01-03T20:39:00.003-06:00

That was a semi-rough holiday. Rough because I was in Ontario feeling very, very sick...but it wasn't as bad as it could have been because I had my mom to look after me and make sure I had hot baths and lots of warm rooibos tea.

Anyways, now that the mucus is breaking up, I thought I would officially break my long blogging dry spell with a look at what I made for xmas for some of the hip babies in my life.

Hand-printed neckerchiefs.

Except for now I can't get my image to load. Well I totally can't NOT post this thing now. I've come so far!!
sigh.
Well, I guess I will follow up with the image later and build the suspense a little...

Shout Out

2010-11-22T20:49:00.002-06:00

Hey, I grew up in a small town! yes!

So, this weeks illustration for the newspaper
http://www.themanitoban.com/
was "draw something for an article about small towns."
I thought that an image for a "Manitoban small town" should convey something about how if you exit the transcanada anywhere outside of Winnipeg you are almost sure to hit some nice little small town.

I don't know small town life as intimately in this province as I do in my own (except I have gotten pretty familiar with the White Shell area)
So I hope the sketch is iconic enough for everyones reference point of "some turn-off" on "some Canadian highway" to "some small town"...maybe even yours?

My buddy

2010-11-17T14:58:00.002-06:00

This is an old one- maybe I even posted it a long time ago? Whatever. I am re-posting it today.
Today I am thinking of my old Buddy, a husband of one of the residents I looked after. He was my good buddy and his nickname was also "Bud" or "Buddy" which made things pretty easy for me (considering it is hard to keep a names for a bunch of ever-changing residents and all of their extended family members straight in my head.)
I see my Buddy and say "Hi Buddy" and there you go.

So, I was not your typical "nursing home worker." For one thing I wore converse sneakers and wierd glasses which really seemed to bother my coworkers.
For another thing, I got too attached.
I think I am too sensitive generally. I play it tough and I don't think people realize how much I carry things with me. I have a hard time letting go of sad things too. (So, yeah, great job choice Devon! go and work in a long-term care home! geesh.)
My manager literally warned me to not get close to anyone, especially family members.

Which seems to me like asking someone who works in this field to go swimming and not get wet.

Bud was one of those people who I seriously clicked with and I adored his wife. When she got really sick and went to the hospital, I went to say goodbye. I spoon fed her because she wouldn't eat for anyone else. I held her oxygen mask for 40 minutes because she couldn't tolerate the elastic.
Leaving the hospital that day I told myself that going to visit residents outside the nursing home was probably too much for my little heart to handle.

Can you believe that she made a recovery and was back with us after a few weeks?

Then I lost Bud the next week after that.

So here you go Buddy, I was thinking of you today. We had some good times and great conversations. I am glad that I got to know you and that we were close.
Being close to people, really listening, and yes, getting attached is important to me.

I would argue that in a nursing home it is the most important thing.

crow funeral

2010-11-15T12:00:00.003-06:00

i witnessed a very haunting (and magical) thing the other day.

so, i was walking home along morley and heard this very loud commotion. when i looked up there was a large group of crows making a closely gathered ring in the trees above. there was a deafening combination of sad mournful sounds and piercing cries while the birds fidgeted in the branches of the trees above the street.
then i looked directly down below the circle i saw a dead crow that had very recently been hit by a car.

i literally froze in my tracks and took in the moment. it was beautiful in a strange way.

then the other day around remembrance day, curtis, rowan and i walked the same route and we noticed the crow had been moved to the side of the street.

someone had placed a little poppy beside it.

Distraction

2010-11-10T16:20:00.002-06:00

Not to toot my own horn, but I LOVE how this one worked out.
I can't say much more about it...but I hope it makes somebody smile.

Reality Check

2010-11-08T18:22:00.003-06:00

I sure hope I don't offend anyone out there- but i made a promise to myself that I would draw/tell the WHOLE story of my experiences working in a nursing home.
Let me say that it is not all sentimental and charming stories of knitting grannies and reminiscing grandpas!
As I prepare to post this comic I got thinking about how our preconceptions of the elderly limit how we really see them.
I recognized this in myself one day when i patiently listened to a gentleman preach to me about his religion...I would typically have been offended by this forward evangelical approach in a peer or a younger person and yet I was SO respectful of his years that I quietly nodded and smiled the whole time.
Isn't that strange?
I mean, it goes the other way too, how many people have you witnessed not being willing or respectful enough to REALLY listen to an older persons point of view. And I gotta say- not many people seem very comfortable acknowledging the sex drive + libido topic.
Hey if you got it- celebrate it! And if you got Alzheimer's you may happily lose some inhibitions and say how you REALLY feel. Like our pal "Deedee" here.

Illustration

2010-11-07T13:08:00.002-06:00

My latest assignment: Draw an addicted looking person on their knees beside a man in a suit holding cigarettes in one hand and money in the other.
Pretty specific eh?
It's for an article for the Manitoban this week that talks about tobacco companies making profits despite economic conditions.

it's an illustration, but i think it still looks like my style...well i hope so anyways.

Bingo Hour

2010-11-04T15:27:00.002-05:00

I re-drew this comic I had done over a year ago and finessed it a bit to submit to the Manitoban for next week.
I was totally smiling the whole time.
Man, I had forgotten the feeling of being "the caller" during the Bingo hour twice a week!!

You might know this already but people get really crazy during a game of bingo. There is a whole culture of superstitious behaviour: tiny trolls, certain coloured bingo boards, lucky tiddly-wink styled chips of a certain colour. I love the whole scene, the ceremony of it all.
There was this one lady, Mary, who had a rhyme for EVERY number I called. For example, B8: Set them straight, B5: I feel alive! I got so distracted listening to all her amazing rhymes one game that I got complaints for calling too slow. That is the other thing: people get temperamental about the pace of the game. They like a few quick "one line any way" games to warm up and then they want to get down to business with the classic "X" or "Black-Out"...But oh my goodness, if you call TOO FAST you get a whole lot of complaining too.

It takes a lot of practice to call a game of Bingo in a nursing home: There are a lot of things to be aware of outside of the regular game...make sure you seat people very strategically, learn how to patiently repeat the same stuff many times in a non-irritated voice and keep that bucket of chocolate eggs visible: the folks like to keep an eye on the prize!

Also, you will have to get up and redirect Mildred (very large lady in her wheelchair) several times during the hour because she comes in yelling it's NOT her birthday and all hell breaks loose.

Wear a Face

2010-11-01T16:13:00.003-05:00

Things are underway for a very exciting collaboration between tijit (the devon half) and designer extraordinaire: "Tony Chestnut" (the fabulous and talented Jill)

She is a one-woman show from start to finish, check out her website and her latest creations here:

http://www.tonychestnut.ca/

So, when Jill approached me about silkscreening my hand-inked drawings on to Tony Chestnut scarves I very promptly said yes! Our plan is to print these very large faces on to beautifully dyed and sewn raw silk scarves. I am pretty sure they are going to be AWESOME.

Jill will be selling them at a craft show in Winnipeg near the end of November...but for you hip folks with cold necks that don't live in Winnipeg, I will give you more details on how you can get one of your own in a few weeks.

In other news, I am busy drawing a new story for tomorrow. (Wow, a blog entry, some printed things AND a comic in one day?!)

Always thankful for the days that my one-year old has epic naps.

Mozy Rue

2010-10-30T14:57:00.003-05:00

You can now buy our hand-printed "tijit" designs at the sweetest little eco collective at the end of my street!

We are so excited to be a part of this wonderful boutique: it's beautiful, features local designers, has many handmade things made from preloved objects and tons of eye candy to drool over.

Everyone can find one special thing to go home with at Mozy Rue. Pop in and say hi on your way along Osborne Street!

And by the way, check out the nice shout-out I found on their blog this week:

http://ecocraftcollective.blogspot.com/2010/10/hey-its-tijit.html

Bitter Sweet

2010-10-28T15:24:00.002-05:00

Whenever I sit down to draw one of these old friends, or tell their story there is not one emotion I can definitely commit to. I am happy to have known them, sad they are gone, disappointed in the living situation they had to endure while struggling with Alzheimers...and then the whole meditative act of drawing and writing as I remember is somehow life affirming.
All these things at once.
I think aging, for some folks, tends to bring their personalities and life-expereinces in to sharper focus...what does your mind hold on to as the other stuff slips away? Your love, your children ...the place where you grew up? Thinking about aging makes me hyper-aware of the life I am living right now- I will be reminiscing about it one day too.
A four panel doesn't tell it all but I sure try to cram in as much of it as possible.

The man, the mystery.

2010-10-27T11:48:00.003-05:00

I am hoping to submit this drawing today to the Dave Barber Birthday Party (Art Auction) Bash to raise money for the Cinematheque in Winnipeg. It's rainy and windy and i am planning on carrying my one year old wearing his halloween costume on one hip with this drawing tucked safely under the other arm.
whew! The things we do in the name of art.
If you don't know who Dave Barber is, he is a fine gentleman who works for the Cinematheque. He is a wonderful dude to have involved with the arts community in this city.
Hey, If you are planning on going to the party you should throw some money down for this drawing...it's for a good cause!

In Print!

2010-10-23T11:37:00.004-05:00

So, my old folks comics are going to be featured weekly (on the Diversions Page) in The Manitoban newspaper here in Winnipeg. It was pretty cool to see Lloyd printed on newsprint in all his glory this week.
And, the amazing cover for this weeks edition is a painting by my good pal, and very talented artist: s. arden hill!

that was a fast year

2010-09-07T16:42:00.002-05:00

So this week I have been focusing my art-making on decorations and invites for Rowan's First Birthday party...I did not draw this particular image (haven't had the chance to scan lately) But I wanted to share it anyways. Birthday appropriate wouldn't you say?

And if I could just brag for a second: I folded some beautiful origami paper and then sewed pieces to a ribbon to create two very charming banners. Can't wait to see them hanging from the house and tree outside. No rain please!

End of the Summer

2010-08-25T10:33:00.003-05:00

Hey Folks,

Nearing the end of a blissful summer vacation with the only deficit being in drawing and posting! Looking towards September to get back in the swing of it. I have decided to stay home with Baby Rowan this year so hopefully the drawing will be plentiful...and so many story ideas still percolating too...Please don't forget to comment on drawings and pass the word along if you like the blog! (Shameless i know- but it keeps me going, xo.)

L'il observation

2010-08-17T10:59:00.002-05:00

Curtis here (the delinquent half of Tijit). Just wanted to point out that ever since Devon posted the blog titled "T'is but a flesh wound", our google ads are all about cuts and bruises and scars. Gross. Of course, posting this is only going to make matters worse.

Little Books

2010-07-23T10:43:00.002-05:00

Hey Everybody!

I am excited to announce that some little books i have been working on will be available to see (and buy) at the upcoming show at Freud's Bathhouse and Diner. (42 Albert Street in Winnipeg)
One book is called: "Getting to know some folks." This book is hand-printed, folded and sewn together with my moms sewing machine.
There are five copies of this one, available for three dollars each.

The other little book is called: "Puree time" and it features ink drawings photocopied onto acetate plastic. The pages are sewn together inside a paper cover with a divider so you can look at them individually or piled on top of each other. I made one only. also just three bucks.

So please check it out friends!! Here is a link to the gallery:

http://imtrying.net/freuds-bathhouse-and-diner/

And here is a link to the actual show:

http://imtrying.net/ikwmwa/

The Kwina Sheba

2010-07-01T18:34:00.002-05:00

Old Folks in nursing homes have a few perks. One major one is getting visits from the St. Johns Ambulance Therapy Dog.
Ours was Kwina.
She is no longer with us but everyone has fond memories of her spirited nature, her kind eyes, her super soft ears and her lovely owner Margaret. Would you believe Margaret and Kwina came once a week rain or shine for most of Kwina's life? And they visited all 6 wings in the whole place. Every visit.

Typewriter

2010-06-18T15:14:00.002-05:00

Hey, Hey. A rainy day over here in Winnipeg. I dug this sketch out to share with you all. Hope you enjoy!

The Weather Report

2010-06-15T19:37:00.003-05:00

There was somehow nothing more comforting than hearing the monotone voice of Birdy reading the weather report off of the TV while I was walking down wing six in the afternoon.

There is also this whole thing in the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's" where Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn) has to recite the "weather report" to this mobster Sally Tomato, while he is in jail. The "weather report" itself was actually code for mob-related messages and activities.
So, Can't you just picture it? Birdy sitting in her room all day with a tiny wire reading the "weather report" to the mobsters on the outside?

'Tis but a flesh wound.

2010-06-14T12:36:00.002-05:00

I drew this one a few days ago- I used these great "Grey-Scale" brush tipped markers that my friend Travis gave me. I like the effect of a few tones of grey.

So, I hope the skin thing doesn't upset anyone (Curtis loved the drawing but was disturbed by the open sore.)
Some elderly folks have trouble with their skin healing.
My grandmother Enna had an open sore on her leg for over two years. I know Victor was a little embarrassed of his sore, he wore this old cap over it most days- even at the dinner table. I had already known him for almost a month before i even saw it and this is exactly what he said when i noticed it: "Darn thing just won't heal."

Making Friends with Alzheimers

2010-06-09T17:43:00.002-05:00

I couldn't find my favorite brush tip marker the other day so I did this quick sketch with a black felt pen.

I have many stories about these two gents. I am hoping to work out some more stories on this topic soon.

I still remember the day that i met the REAL Val (not realizing that he was Bill's old buddy before Lloyd came along and effectively replaced him) I was so shocked at how non-responsive Val was and yet you could see the anger bubbling beneath the surface as he was spoon-fed his puree dinner. Sometimes he would spit out mouthfuls or dig his hands in the bowl and push the whole mess on the floor. Apparently he was not a very nice friend to Bill either and he was constantly bossing him around.
So, don't you think it's a nice turn of events that Bill now has Lloyd instead? Most days you can spot the two of them hand in hand walking around and around the dining-room.

Buried Treasure!

2010-06-05T17:37:00.008-05:00

My gardening friend particularly loves this story I tell about potato harvesting at the nursing home. I have been meaning to draw it for a long time and finally got around to it this week.
Once I started writing and drawing I realized this could have been a way longer story; I could tell by how many words i tried to cram in to the frames!
So,
I think I have a lot more to say about gardening with the elderly so I hope for more comics to follow on this theme.

In the meantime I think this one says what I want it to say about potatoes.

Hey there, can i trouble you for a cookie?

2010-06-05T17:29:00.003-05:00

Many fond memories of this lovely gentleman we shall call William. Man did the guy love to sing hymns at the top of his voice on a sunday morning. hymns and sunday mornings are not especially my thing... but how can you resist the sheer joy on williams face when you hand him a choir book and start the cassette tape going with hymn number one: Rock of Ages. whew. it still brings a tear to my eye.
oh man.
and his voice.
big and booming sugary gravel baritone with a lisp.

Walter

2010-06-01T13:20:00.001-05:00

I drew this one the same day that I drew Mildred- that's why the lines are nice and inky...

The Boards

2010-05-31T12:34:00.002-05:00

Today I am reminiscing and drawing up some more stories but in the meantime I found a scan i hadn't yet posted.

So here is the concept behind this one:
When I first started my job at the nursing home I have to admit I was disappointed in the (lack of) variety of the activities offered each day and consequently each week. The monthly calendars in nursing homes reflect this repetition. Each week is exactly the same, the only exception being nightly performances or special events.
But as I grew into the job I realized how comforting it is for the residents to be able to rely on the same stuff during the week.

Wet Basement

2010-05-30T16:59:00.002-05:00

The computer is upstairs away from our wet basement (that got a big puddle due to epic thunderstorms in winnipeg for the past few days.)
So, that means that I am away from the scanner too.

What a great excuse to force myself to draw some new drawings.
And then sit and wonder: Does anyone even look at this thing?

Whistle while you work

2010-05-27T12:06:00.002-05:00

One thing I noticed about aging is that it sometimes pulls certain personality traits to the forefront...Maybe someone exhibits two contradictory traits that interchange often.
The person becomes almost a hyper-real version of one aspect of themselves as some of their other characteristics fade away.

...and then you add a touch of dementia and there you have it:
This guy, Monty.

oh no!

2010-05-26T21:30:00.002-05:00

Sometimes, people in long-term care homes might not be old. They might have MS or they might have had frontal lobe damage or a stroke or something. Anyways, what you will certainly notice is, that despite being a bit younger, these people still need to be treated with the same patience as someone with alzheimers or dementia.

Christina

2010-05-25T12:16:00.002-05:00

My very first comic was for Christina. Shortly after she passed away I found myself sketching out this story.
One thing I learned about her is that she used to own a hat shop and that the customers called her "tiny." My favorite thing about her is that she would always answer with "yup" no matter what you said. I think she was in her late 90's. What a gal.

A Good Brush

2010-05-24T17:24:00.002-05:00

My mom gave me these great brushes for xmas: it's fun to see what happens when you sit down with some india ink you let your brush do it's thing.
I have to say that I do love the simplicity of the straight ahead ink on paper.

By the way:
In the interest of nursing home confidentiality...Mildred is, as many of my comics/portraits are , not entirely herself. If I feel compelled to focus on the traits of one person I try to use only the first name or a nick-name, or I might just swap names around. So yeah, Mildred is real and her fun facts are factual, but her real name only starts with M.

The Slippers of Pat

2010-05-20T11:25:00.002-05:00

I have been reminiscing lately about the actual work week at the nursing home. It is a challenging enough day to just get everyone in to one room for an hour to play a trivia game...hilarity ensues when you have to get 8 residents dressed for the weather, through a door that only opens with a code (that is on one-minute timer) while a bus idles outside. You have to watch out for the Residents that aren't going on the outing too because they try to make a break for it when the door opens...

Perhaps it goes without saying that the residents that agreed to attend when you visited them yesterday don't know who you are anymore.

But don't worry, once everyone is on the bus you can sing "bicycle built for two" and everyone...i mean everyone (except for June, who has the bumpiest seat and says JESUS CHRIST! over every pot-hole the entire ride) is happy.

Kind of a Downer

2010-05-19T11:27:00.002-05:00

Not a hilarious comic I know, but a reality to be represented about life in a nursing home. The sincerity of belief when you have alzheimers is perhaps what broke my heart the most. The best you can do in these situations is to not discredit somebodies worries but to give logical explanations that might help ease their mind. My buddy Dorothy had some bad days but I like to think that we sorted them out alright.

The Four Panel Story

2010-05-18T15:59:00.002-05:00

I find the idea of the detailed and labeled portrait very satisfying to introducing characters (see the one of Bill Smag in my previous post)
... and I could literally doodle portraits all day long. (This is usually the way i "warm up" if I haven't drawn for awhile because it is so fun)
One thing I realized though, is that it's challenging to really cram all the depth and context of a character in to just one drawing.
So, I started experimenting with a short four-panel story. The layout helps provide a little more information that hopefully helps round out the person a bit more for you.
This series of drawings about Lloyd was one of my first attempts.
I like the structure of the four panel story as it forces you to be succinct. (I should also mention that I am a big huge fan of Lynda Barry and some of my favorite comics of hers follow this style.)
Oh yeah, by the way...i had to scan these drawings in one on top of the other but I would rather see them left to right if they were in a book.

2010-05-17T12:29:00.002-05:00

Ok Friends,
Hi, it's me, Devon.
This is my first of what I hope to be many, many more blog posts.
Baby Rowan is starting to sleep at more regular (and slightly longer) intervals throughout the day and I think I am ready to return to the graphic novel that I have been working on since 2008. It is coming together in little bits and pieces, sketches, ideas, jot-notes, scribbles and doodles. I can see it forming a more cohesive whole as I get more and more stories articulated and inked in.

But I am getting ahead of myself.

Let me first introduce you to my concept and then I will publish some more examples.
So, I used to work in a nursing home....a fascinating environment that i had never witnessed before I started working there as a recreation facilitator. Yup, I was that girl who called bingo, took residents on outings in a big wheelchair bus and even spoon-fed pureed hotdog at lunchtime.
Out of sheer emotional necessity, especially after some dearly loved residents that I was working with passed away, I started drawing some portraits and short 2-4 panel stories in honour of these wonderful characters.
I needed to remember them.
After a few drawings I figured that I was on to something bigger. I needed to categorize and round out the context for these tidbits. I am in the process of that now.
I feel like this blog might help coax my process along, I figure any encouragement will help. So Bill (that guy right there) has the honour of breaking the seal and getting the ball rolling. If you knew him you would know this is how he would like it.

2009-08-02T15:13:00.002-05:00

Devon's been making these thank you cards for our recent Ontario baby shower, where we got a ton of cool stuff, including many handmade things. The images come from a book called "Questions Children Ask" by Edith and Ernest Bonhivert (1956), and they look like ink and marker illustrations. Click on the photo for a larger view!

Hello Dolly!

2009-07-31T16:02:00.003-05:00

I (curtis) recently finished embroiding (?) a doll (action figure?) for my impending baby. Here he is:

Originally I was thinking that i'd sew up some clothes for him, but everyone seems to prefer him in his birthday suit. I'll have to wait for my kid to name him, so in the meantime i've just been addressing him as "Hey you!"...and he always replies with that same mischievous grin.

Stylus Cover!

2009-06-04T20:02:00.006-05:00

Sorry for my delinquency fans, I was in Costa Rica teaching for 2 months; hence the tan if you see me in the streets of Wpg. What I should have posted in April was the cover of the April/May issue of Stylus magazine, which featured an illustration by Devon! It looked like this:

They also used a detail of it on their website, which looked like this:

It's an ink drawing with watercolour detail in a springtime palette (in my opinion). I love it - don't you?

Curtis

Devon's Heart

2009-02-20T11:06:00.003-06:00

Devon (metaphorically) gave me her heart this valentine's day, in needle-felted form. Romantic, right? I thought so too.

Our pre-med buddy was quick to point out though that it isn't anatomically correct...which doesn't diminish the "heartfelt" sentiment at all.
...
Get it?

HEART...FELT?

Tomorrow!

2008-12-23T15:32:00.002-06:00

Do you like Tomorrow as much as we do? Great, 'cuz we just added the new Tomorrow design t-shirts to the Etsy store. I didn't mean to look so serious in this photo.

Rememberance Day

2008-11-12T09:12:00.004-06:00

by Devon 2008