Daniela Strijleva

Rare Device gallery opening UPDATE

2011-11-05T20:50:00.000-07:00

Update, update!

Today's gallery opening was a great success! We'd like to thank everyone who made it, and those who made it happen: Giselle from Rare Device, Asaki who made a beautiful window display, our friend Liz who helped pull this off in such a short amount of time, and James for expertly driving nails. A special shout-out to my two fellow robins, Jenn and Katy, for raising the bar high with their amazing art.

Almost all paintings are gone, so stop by before Nov. 8th to see the show and maybe pick up one of the remaining ones.

ROUND ROBIN Book Signing and Gallery Show

2011-10-31T23:55:00.000-07:00

Rare Device, a modern design shop and art space, will host a ROUND ROBIN book signing and gallery opening for us!

Along with the books, we will exhibit 8 new original bookplate paintings (4"X6"), and 11 sequential prints (11"X14") from both books. Also, our friend, the amazing display artist Asaki Oda, is creating our window display (sneak peek below).

We are very excited to partner with Rare Device and we hope to see you there!

ROUND ROBIN Book Signing and Gallery Opening Party
Rare Device, 1845 Market Street, San Francisco,
Nov 5th, 2:00pm - 5:00pm
Art show Nov 5th - 8th

APE 2011 and ROUND ROBIN 2 update

2011-09-30T08:24:00.000-07:00

The books are here!
We'll be at the Alternative Press Expo in SF this Oct.1-2, table 328, next to our generous host and multi-talented artist, Scott Morse.

Stop by, say hello and get a book. We'll draw something in it for you!

ROUND ROBIN 2

2011-09-18T21:35:00.000-07:00

Howdy. It's been so long, I almost forgot how to post!
Things in Dani-land have been busy. Something to do with an "Untitled Pixar Movie About Dinosaurs"...

But here we are again at the doorstep of this year's Alternative Press Expo, and Jennifer Chang, Katy Wu and I have brought ROUND ROBIN 2 to the potluck.

Here is an image I made for the new book, inspired by Bulgarian Folklore. And some progress shots for good measure.

Hope to see you at APE, Oct 1-2!
(Stay tuned for table # and details.)

ROUND + SPEED
Acrylic on Board, 10" x 12"

Special Edition ROUND ROBIN for Japan

2011-03-17T13:01:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: All paintings are SOLD!
Thanks very much everyone who has been supporting our efforts to raise funds for Japan! We have donated 795$ to Red Cross (that's 1590$ with the Disney match)!!! Thank you, thank you!

In an effort to raise funds for the victims of the heartbreaking crisis in Japan, we would like to offer a limited number of Special Edition ROUND ROBIN books, and donate all the proceeds to Red Cross. Our contribution will be matched dollar for dollar by the Walt Disney Company.

Each Special Edition Round Robin book will come with an original painting, and will be sold for 65$. This is a great chance for you to own original art while contributing to a worthy cause.

Please email us your choice of painting at katy-wu (at) hotmail.com
We will process the orders on a first-come, first-served basis.

Let us know if you'd like:

1. Book only 25$
2. Painting only 45$
3. Book and painting 65$ (5$ off)
4. Painting only, if already purchased the book 40$ (5$ off)

Thank you in advance for your support and solidarity!

-Dani, Katy and Jennifer

SOLD

Art 1-6 by Daniela Strijleva, 3" x 4", Gouache, Pencil and Pen
Art 7-11 by Jennifer Chang, 3" x 4", Watercolour and Pencil
Art 12-13 by Katy Wu, 3" x 4", Gouache

If you wish to donate through other venues, please consider the "Artists Help Japan" fund, organized by friend and co-worker Dice Tsutsumi and the Give2Asia Organization, or Red Cross.

Artists Help Japan
Red Cross

"Art Blocks For Ghana" Auction Begins

2011-03-14T08:42:00.000-07:00

Howdy friends!

I'm taking a minute from a swamped work schedule to tell you about the impressive "Art Blocks For Ghana" auction taking place this week. For those who haven't heard of the project, here is their mission statement:

"The Picture Book Project Foundation presents Art Blocks for Ghana – a charity art auction of original works created by top artists within the animation and illustration community to provide boarding and education for orphaned children in Ghana, West Africa. Online art auction coming March 12-20. 2011."

In addition to this, The Picture Book Foundation will also be donating part of its proceeds from Art Blocks to raise awareness and support Dice Tsutsumi's "Artists Help Japan and Tsunami Fund" and Give2Asia.

Art Blocks For Ghana
Artists Help Japan

Bid on and see all the artwork HERE

Holiday Cards

2010-12-19T22:44:00.000-08:00

Below are the holiday cards I designed this year. As usual I started a bit too late to paint and print just one, so instead I decided to paint ALL originals!!! How hard could that be, right? 4 evenings and 27 cards later, I am all done! (If you count them, there are only 26 - that's because one card has already found its owner.)
Enjoy, and have a wonderful Holiday Season!

Acrylic
3.5"x 5" and 5"x 5"

Art Blocks For Ghana

2010-12-14T12:24:00.000-08:00

Here is my contribution to the "Art Blocks for Ghana" project. This event, part-art exhibit part-charity auction, will be raising money to build a children's home in Ghana and will take place sometime next March.
Visit the website to find out more about the fundraiser and to see some amazing submissions (many of which are by good friends of mine).

http://artblocksghana.blogspot.com/

"Home"
Acrylic and Marker Pen on board
10" x 10"

Round Robin - Available Online - Update

2010-11-08T11:12:00.001-08:00

I'm happy to announce that you can now get ROUND ROBIN through Katy's blog! This is a limited run of 300 books - we will sign and draw in each copy.
We're very excited to share our art with you and we hope you like the book!

Here is another image from it:

Sketchoholic Interview and Contest

2010-11-02T15:00:00.000-07:00

On November 7th, at 2pmPT I will be interviewed by my friend Bobby Chiu on his website Sketchoholic.

Bobby has been conducting a great series of interviews with talented artists working predominantly in the film, illustration and comic book fields.
As some of you may know the interview is always accompanied by a drawing contest based on a theme chosen by the guest. In this case I went with the idea of "Ghosts". It is definitely a very wide theme, so participants should feel free to go off of existing literary/film characters or with your own spooky creations. (Poe and Gorey sure come to mind!)

I hope this subject inspires you to draw and I hope to see you all Sunday!

Wrapping Paper

2010-10-26T19:50:00.000-07:00

Here is a silly little post.

It was James's birthday not long ago, and for once I had it all figured out: the restaurant, my outfit, his present... I had everything but wrapping paper!
I found a pad of craft paper laying around at work and I had roughly 30 minutes to come up with something worthy of the occasion. Easy, right?
So I began drawing - a dinosaur, a car, a snake, an egg - and then I thought "what if I write down the names of these things?". That's when the game was born. I filled the page with whatever went through my mind, and wrote the descriptions. James would have to match every name to a corresponding picture before he could open his present.
And it really worked! It was so much fun to watch him do this (and to get totally bogged down at "bomb"), more fun than seeing him open the actual gift!

Anyway, this reminded me that often external limitations allow for true creative freedom, and that constraints should be embraced and trusted.

So, can you match every word to a picture?

Round Robin - Available Online

2010-10-25T16:27:00.000-07:00

A small amount of our books are available through the Nucleus Gallery STORE. Visit their New Items section to find ROUND ROBIN and Collected Sketches, as well as Mr. R and Tiger Bee.

ROUND ROBIN is a book based on a word game played by Jennifer Chang, Katy Wu and myself.

COLLECTED SKETCHES is a compilations of my drawings from the last few years in San Francisco. The book explores getting to know and falling in love with a new city.

Birthday ghost

2010-10-23T20:51:00.000-07:00

For a friend.

APE Recap

2010-10-19T09:29:00.001-07:00

The Alternative Press Expo was fantastic! We saw old friends, made new ones and had a great old time drawing together (see little bookplates in the middle photo)! Thanks to all who came to support us, and thanks to those who kept bringing us delicious treats!
Until next year!

Top photo by Elaine Wu, bottom by Anita Coulter. Thanks!

APE 2010 UPDATE

2010-10-14T18:38:00.000-07:00

Only one day before APE!
I'll be sitting at table #330 with Jennifer Chang and Katy Wu.
Come take a look at our new illustrated book ROUND ROBIN, along with limited runs of comics, postcard books, prints, tote bags, and my new Collected Sketches book.
Hope to see you there!

Some other cool folks we'll be sharing the space with: Bill Presing, Josh Cooley, Jeff Pidgeon, and Jim Capobianco. Special thanks to Scott Morse for being a generous host!

ROUND ROBIN

2010-10-02T11:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a sneak peek into our illustrated book for APE 2010.
The book is called ROUND ROBIN - a joint effort between Jennifer Chang, Katy Wu and myself. There is no story in the traditional sense of the word but Jennifer came up with the idea of illustrating a word game, which in turn created its own playful narrative. I must say it has been a delightful collaboration!

Today we are happy to share three finished paintings from the book. Below is mine and here are links to Jennifer's and Katy's. Go look at their brilliant work!

Toy Story 3 at gallery Nucleus

2010-09-11T13:54:00.000-07:00

Sunday, September 12th, Pixar story artist James Robertson and sets art director Robert Kondo will be doing a presentation and book signing on the making of Toy Story 3 at Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra. The artists will concentrate on their involvement in one of the film's most climactic sequences, talking about how ideas are taken from script to screen.
For more information and to purchase tickets (only 2$) see the official Nucleus web page.
Be sure to stop by and say hello!

Storyboard drawing by James Robertson.
Concept painting by Robert Kondo.

APE 2010

2010-09-09T23:45:00.000-07:00

This year I will be exhibiting at APE, or Alternative Press Expo, an event showcasing indie comics, small press books and all art self-published. I'm excited not only to be sharing a table, but to be collaborating on a small illustrated book with friends and co-workers Jennifer Chang and Katy Wu.
Here are some tidbits of art: notes, inspiration, research, thumbnails, in-progress paintings, and so on. In the last picture the painting is backlit by actual sunlight, which made me see clearly problematic areas and also how much further I should push tones and light before I begin inking.
More to come soon!

Newt

2010-09-04T15:56:00.000-07:00

You may have heard about Newt, a film that was being developed at Pixar until last year. I was part of the art department where I worked as a character designer. Unfortunately the project faced difficulties that led to its shelving, and eventual cancellation.
A few days ago Disney released a very small portion of the visual development from the film, and it is my pleasure to share it with you here.

Art by Bill Cone, Jason Deamer, Katy Wu, Greg Dykstra, Huy Nguyen, Armand Baltazar, Teddy Newton and myself (though I'd like to credit all the departments whose great work went into developing the film).

One-eyed Willy

2010-06-07T11:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a piece I did for an art show celebrating the 25th anniversary of "The Goonies" (in case you got a cute overload with those peas...)
Check out the rest of the show at Lunar Boy Gallery.

"One-Eyed Willy"
Acrylic on board
8" x 8"

Toy Story 3

2010-06-02T13:48:00.000-07:00

Today marks 2 years since my first day at Pixar.
So far it's been challenging and exciting, I've met some great folks, I've worked on a few short and feature length projects, I've learned a lot.
Two of the films that I can't wait for you to see are "Day and Night" and "Toy Story 3". While the first, a short, pioneers a new use of mediums in animation, the second soulfully concludes what is in my opinion one of the best trilogies ever done in film.
Go see them (in 3D) June 18th!

(This by the way is also a Golden Book cover illustrated by my friend Adrian Molina.)

Following is a small selection of my artwork from the film and the art-of book.
The first image is of a flat doll created by Nate Wragg, which I was asked to re-work slightly later on in production due to story needs. It was an interesting assignment where I had to preserve the spirit of the character (that Nate had captured really well) while changing her to look more home-made, with adjusted features and proportions. See the evolution below:

The peas were a little more straight forward to design. I started directly from my friend Erik Benson's hilarious board sequence and went from there.

I also recommend buying the "Art Of Toy Story 3" book to see some of the amazing artistry that went into making this movie (a special nod to my husband James who dedicated 3 years to this film and who storyboarded some of the most poignant sequences in it).

Bonaparte

2010-03-16T10:31:00.000-07:00

Here is a new painting I did of young Napoléon at play in his Ajaccio family home, in 1776. I bet he liked sneaking in his dad's office to play with forbidden grown-up things!

And here are some sketches and colour studies.

Day and Night

2010-03-14T10:12:00.000-07:00

I'm proud to share this tidbit of information with you. I had the chance to work on Teddy Newton's latest short film "Day and Night" which will open June 18th with "Toy Story 3" (another film I did character work for). This was so much fun not only because of the brilliant film idea but because of the spirited crew we had, led by Teddy himself, animation director Tom Gately, and production designer Don Shank. Don even designed the titles typeface. He wrote about the film here.
Get excited for this one - it is unlike anything you have seen before!!!

LEGO

2010-02-13T10:18:00.000-08:00

The other day I saw a primary-coloured ship loading at the Port of Oakland. When you think of it those crane operators above are paid to play with giant LEGO blocks all day.

Big Sur

2010-02-07T20:41:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty busy with our film at work so I try to relax as much as I can come the weekend. Last week I spent time with friends near Russian River and the last two days James and I traveled South to Big Sur, one of the most beautiful places we've been to.
This morning I painted these 2" by 3" little things to remember the big picture by.

Look, A Ship!

2009-11-15T10:52:00.000-08:00

I see cargo ships every day on my way to work (under those Imperial AT-AT Walkers at the Port of Oakland ). I'm amazed by the size and capacity of the freighters, and I especially wonder where they're off to. I also love how the departing ships, full to the brim with colourful containers, become real-life Paul Klee paintings.

Here is one from the Maersk line.

November Pause

2009-11-12T11:25:00.000-08:00

Not much drawing, a little bit of traveling.

Pig Headed

2009-09-02T08:12:00.000-07:00

My second favourite boar at Four Barrel.

Tuesday Gestures II

2009-06-23T17:42:00.000-07:00

From a quick session today!

Tuesday Gestures I

2009-06-09T14:03:00.000-07:00

Inspired by the recent and long overdue publication of Walt Stanchfield's notes, "Drawn To Life", I decided to make time for Tom Gately's Tuesday Gesture Class.

Tom was one of Walt's most devoted students and is to this day one of the master's greatest advocates, well committed to the transmission of his legacy. He structures our drawing sessions here at Pixar very much like Walt did at Disney in the 80s and 90s - by asking us to do quick, economic, story and character driven drawings. Here you don't learn about bones or muscles (though anatomy should be second nature), you are not praised for acute or accurate observation (though believable perception is a must), but rather you are encouraged to find the story in each pose and to push it into a strong and clear statement. What every animation drawing should be.

Here's a humble offering from my latest attendance:

UP

2009-05-29T08:14:00.001-07:00

In three days it will be one year since I started working at Pixar, and although I arrived too late to be part of UP, I can't think of a better way to celebrate now than going to see it this weekend!

I don't necessarily want to promote the film, as I think it speaks for itself (you'll know what I mean when you see it), but I'd like to applaud my friends, old and new, who have shared Pete Docter's vision and made an inspired work of art.

Nick, Ronnie, Enrico, Bill, Tony, Justin, Josh, Bobby, and the rest of the Story Department, Daniel, Albert, Lou, Don, Greg, Ralph, Noah, Ricky, Katy, Huy, and all those in the Art Department who put pixel and pencil mileage into the visuals, and of course the animators (too many to list), who made Carl extra grumpy and Russell that much more lovable - congratulations to you all!

Hats off to the UP crew!

Images by Pete Docter, Daniel López Muñoz, Albert Lozano, Ricky Nierva and Lou Romano, colour script by Lou Romano. Visit his blog for a lot more UP art.

Rear Window

2009-03-16T09:11:00.000-07:00

This entry should really be titled "Spring Cleaning" considering that these date from 2007. But you know how it goes - artwork lingers in a desktop folder of half-thoughts and to-dos until you just suck it up and post it, even if you kind of wish you weren't.

The subject in the set of paintings below is the view from my rear window. I know, no ballerina, no newlyweds, no wife's murderer. Not even a small dog. But a shy view of Downtown and of the Bay Bridge and lots of wooden fire escapes of 20th Street homes.

I truly think that one needn't go far to be challenged in drawing and painting. No need for exotic locales or glamorous people, you just have to be interested in all things around you even if they appear to be mundane.

What I got out of doing these? A notion that light paints things so differently each day that the same world appears changed.

Sketchbook Selections

2009-03-14T16:50:00.000-07:00

From the past few months!

Also, you should check out these paintings James just finished!

SketchCrawl 21

2009-01-11T09:28:00.000-08:00

We returned to San Francisco a week ago. Something about getting on a plane in winter-y Toronto on the 4th of January, traversing the whole continent and arriving in a greener, warmer, sunnier place makes me feel just like I did when we first arrived, on January 4th 2007. Which in turn triggers a desire to trek around the city and explore its neighborhoods like we did without fail every weekend of those first few months.

I have spent the last week reliving my first impressions here - not a bad thing to remember! That must be why I suggested to James, and friends Ric and Adrian to hike across half of San Francisco in the name of SketchCrawl; from Hayes Valley, through The Mission, The Castro, Cole Valley, The Haight and Golden Gate Park. It was perfect, at least for me!
As for the others - aching muscles, please forgive me!

Here's a sketchbook page, unfinished.

And here's another, from YSL at The De Young! Go see it and you'll recognize many famous outfits, like the one from Buñuel's "Belle De jour".

6:35 to Toronto

2009-01-02T05:03:00.000-08:00

Live from Via Train 53: The Sunrise.

Happy 2009!

2008-12-29T18:46:00.001-08:00

Bon Appétit!

Totoro Forest Project Update

2008-12-26T15:37:00.000-08:00

Hi from snowy Montreal!

Let me give you a quick update on the "Totoro Forest Project".
The art auction that took place in September at Pixar was very well attended and extremely successful - we raised more than 200 000$!!! The Totoro Foundation promptly used the sum to buy off a small portion of Sayama Forest in order to protect it from land developers.
Bravo, Totoro artists!

Before I move on I would also like to tell you a little bit about my piece. "My Neighbor Totoro" is one of my favourite Ghibli films, and it is definitely the one I relate to the most. It reminds me of what it was like to grow up as the little sister, of learning to accept my family responsibilities, of helping the elderly, and of understanding that nature commands reverence and respect. I love this film for its balance of truth and fable, grown-up themes and childlike whimsy.

Naturally my painting is mainly inspired by the film itself so just like Satsuki and Mei (or my older sister and I) it depicts two sisters at play in a field on a warm summer evening. I went back to my own childhood for inspiration on subject matter and look. When I was little outdoor play was the most fun because stick, stone or leaf, just about anything could become a plaything. It was far more adventurous than staying indoors anyways.

Visually, I wanted my piece to be reminiscent of 18th century French landscape paintings and of fairy tales illustrations, both of which fascinated me when I was younger. I looked at Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot and Théodore Rousseau for colour, composition and mood, but I also referenced some favourites - Ludwig Bemelmans, Maira Kalman, Mary Blair and Aurelius Battaglia for execution and style.
Here below are some references, my digital study and the final piece, again, for those who may have missed the previous post about it.

Well, this is it for the Totoro Forest Project for now.
If you would like to see this or any other Totoro collection pieces, you can still do so at "The Cartoon Art Museum" of San Francisco until February 8th, 2009.

Humboldt, Hornung

2008-10-25T20:19:00.000-07:00

Hello.

It's been so long since my last appearance... Updates are due, sure, but I'd rather not write much. How about a couple of drawings?
This one was done last weekend, in a curious little place called "Finnish Country Sauna and Tubs" located in a curious little town called Arcata, up in foggy Humboldt County.

Marker Pen
8" X 12"

This second one is of a building I really like, here in the Mission. I drew it today during SketchCrawl.
Enjoy! And so long for now.

Marker Pen
12" X 8"

Sunday Afternoons

2008-08-10T16:44:00.001-07:00

Marker Pen and Ink Wash
5" X 8"

Golden Gate Bridge

2008-08-09T21:33:00.000-07:00

GGB seen from Fort Point, June 21st (and just finished today).

Pencil, Marker Pen and Gouache
6.5" X 10"

Totoro Forest Project

2008-07-11T08:13:00.000-07:00

Allow me to introduce an extraordinary series of events I have the honour to participate in.
The "Totoro Forest Project" is organized by Dice Tsutsumi, Yukino Pang, Enrico Casarosa and Ronnie Del Carmen, but to name the core committee (although many more deserve credit here), and has a simple mission: to raise funds for the preservation of Sayama Forest, affectionately known as "Totoro Forest", as it is where filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki found inspiration for his 1988 classic film, "My neighbor Totoro".

This project of impressive scope aims to help the "Totoro no Furusato Forest Foundation" in a few ways, kicking off with a Benefit Auction, held at Pixar Animation Studios, on September 6th, 2008. A book of all participating artwork will also be available for sale at the event, and The Cartoon Art Museum, here in San Francisco, will exhibit a collection of selected pieces in Fall 2008 - Winter 2009.

I am inviting you to take a look at The Official Website, where you will find information about the events, galleries of inspired artwork and ways to contribute to this worthy cause from your corner of the world.

Enjoy, and help save the Totoro Forest!

Pencil and Gouache
6.5" x 10"

Interlude

2008-06-02T00:05:00.000-07:00

I had a chance to see WALL-E last Saturday, and I simply have to say that this film will blow you away! Congratulations to Andrew Stanton and his crew, who have created another beautiful and honest piece of cinema!

Incidentally, today was my first day of work in Pixar's Art Department, and now more than ever, I am proud to be part of this incredible studio. Needless to say this is a brilliant opportunity, but the truth is I would have never made it here without the patience and support of my husband James, and the help of my friends Nick and Matt, with whom I've been sharing animated adventures since 1999. Thanks to the three of them, and thanks to all of you who visit my blog regularly (your encouragement too has played a big role in this happy turn of events)!

As for WALL-E, it's a rendez-vous, June 27th!

The Girl From Ipanema

2008-05-28T13:29:00.001-07:00

Every time I hear this song I'm transported to an imaginary 1960s summer, or rather to an assembly of curious clichés I've seen in movies, like (unfiltered) cigarette-smoking youth, infamous cocktail-sipping café patrons, and classy scooter-riding beauties.
This is the girl who "gently sways" in my mind, to the Bossa Nova beat of Ipanema...

Neighbourhood: 655 Dolores Street

2008-05-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

I always told myself to draw the church near my house before it was too late. Apparently it suffered irreparable seismic damage and is soon to be leveled.
Strangely, the tree in front of it is dying too. Maybe it knows things are coming to an end.

Škoda

2008-05-13T09:39:00.000-07:00

This used to be our car back in the 80s, and is now part of a little project I'm working on.

Eclipse

2008-05-06T22:47:00.000-07:00

A thank you card - inspired by the Bauhaus and by Greek Mythology - in which the Moon Goddess Selene conceals the Sun God Helios.

Family Final

2008-04-30T08:26:00.000-07:00

At last!

Living Room

2008-04-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

I am half of the mind that I shouldn't break up the "Family trilogy", but I have decided to take you for a (de) tour of my living room anyway.

Family Rough

2008-04-10T17:10:00.000-07:00

Things are becoming dramatic, as you can see.

Family Study

2008-04-04T10:45:00.000-07:00

Today, I wish I was in Spain!

Happy Birthday Dad!

2008-03-11T14:14:00.001-07:00

The more fun...

2008-02-29T16:04:00.000-08:00

...the less technique! (See lobster-claw-hand giantess!)

Early Spring

2008-02-05T18:21:00.001-08:00

It's been awfully gray here lately...

29

2008-02-04T18:12:00.000-08:00

I've been working on a project inspired by my family which has been challenging and fun. Today I had an extra reason for thinking about them.

Here we are, 28 years ago!

The Girls of Portsmouth Square

2008-01-22T14:37:00.000-08:00

How long have they been here?

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-29T15:43:00.000-08:00

Well, I did promise a Holiday post... Whatever you're celebrating these days, I hope you're having a wonderful time with your family and friends. James and I are enjoying our days together, spent drawing, watching movies, cooking, exploring and planning for 2008.
Happy New Year to you all, and my best wishes for health, hope and happiness!

Archives V

2007-12-19T09:43:00.001-08:00

Finally, the last whispers of my old Fabriano sketchbook:
some quicksketch and a few itsy bitsy watercolours of me.
(Pure vanity - which is why I stopped doing them!)

Great. Enough from the past, on to The Now!!!
And in the very near future, a Christmas post... until then Merry Blogging!

Archives IV

2007-12-15T17:56:00.001-08:00

The penultimate installment in my series of archives was inspired by William Wyler's "Roman Holiday".

On top of being famous for propelling Audrey Hepburn into stardom, this 1953 picture featured a debonnaire Gregory Peck, a hilarious Eddie Albert and was secretly written by the most famous of the infamous Hollywood 10, Dalton Trumbo. Impressive, sure, but wait till you see Edith Head's costumes!

Let me show you my (quick) versions of the outfits worn by Miss Hepburn.

Pencil and gouache on 3"x4" paint samples.
And speaking of Roman holidays: a photograph of The Spanish Steps I took in June 2003.

Archives III

2007-12-12T22:05:00.000-08:00

Moving along, here is a more recent attempt to draw and learn from a few of my heroes.

In selecting these, I was mostly concerned with shape and simplicity in design. There was a lot more peripheral writing in my sketchbook, only it was the straight-out-of-bed variety, which I owe myself to spare you. I'm not even sure that the drawings are worth much (look at the originals instead!), or that my design sense has drastically improved since, but they sure were fun warm-ups!

They are based on: a Hepburn-inspired Aurora study by Marc Davis, characters by Aurelius Battaglia, paintings and sculptures from the Legion of Honor Museum, Miroslav Sasek characters from "This is London", Jean-Jacques Sempé drawings and Mary Blair's "I can fly" girl.

Archives II

2007-12-09T02:06:00.000-08:00

The second collection of oldies is from the summer of 2005 - a few quick watercolour sketches done in Toronto. I fit two of these per page in my Fabriano book, but isn't it fun to enlarge smallish works?

Respectively: Alternative Grounds, Grange Park, Baldwin Street, High Park, our old backyard, Sorauren/Fermanagh intersection, and a photograph taken at Howard Park and Roncesvalles.

Archives I

2007-12-07T05:51:00.000-08:00

- I have a love-hate relationship with most of my drawings.
Who doesn't.
- I have a superlative love-hate relationship with my old drawings. So what about that!

I'll tell you what: they are important. For one, they could be the closest I ever get to writing an autobiography (without even writing)! And, unlike romanticized memoirs penned in hindsight, my drawings will have the distinct advantage of remaining stone cold facts. Because they will have been drawn in the past, they will forever display my past shortcomings.
So what's not to be happy about?

What's happy is that everything becomes precious with time!

Unfortunately the drawings I'm about to archive don't go THAT far back. As if to annoy me, they sit only just far enough to inspire simultaneous embarrassment and longing. But then again if they didn't, they probably wouldn't be worth a damn.

This first collection is a record of a Toronto-Montreal train ride I took in September 2005. I began drawing accidentally and I did not rest for the entire duration of the trip (not even in the restroom). I painted it all from memory later that night.

To make this extra special, I'm throwing in a couple of photos of the Old Gare Bonaventure - today Gare Centrale de Montréal (and hoping that the blog police won't throw me out for thieving).
From Bilan du Siècle:

Here's the station in 1975. Notice that a few skyscrapers are still missing, notably today's tallest, "1000 de la Gauchetière" (at the far right in the last painting above).

And here's the original station in 1900, before a fire destroyed it in 1916.

Early Winter

2007-12-05T00:25:00.001-08:00

Oh, you Mean men's coat on that wisp of a woman!

Making FUN!

2007-11-22T02:06:00.000-08:00

I missed the gestures in life drawing this week, and, while shaped like a Venus, the model was so persistently "vertical", she could have given David's contrapposto a run for its money!
What do you do when you get no tilts, no tension, no character, no visible energy from the figure in front of you? Well, I say look at all the people drawing around you: they hunch, they squint, they calculate, they look up and down, they dance from side to side, they move fast, think fast and are entirely alive.
So forget what you were supposed to draw, rethink the possibilities and make your own fun!

Searle's Paris

2007-11-21T15:13:00.001-08:00

The "Paris Sketchbook" arrived on our bookshelf by airmail - as a wonderful surprise. It was intended for my husband, so, being its secondary (if illegitimate) safe-keeper, I've been marveling at its drawings after hours.
In fact, I hesitate to call them drawings because they are much more. As I see them, they are energetic notes on a thriving post-war Paris, unselfconscious personal reflections, and tiny tastes of music, poetry and romance. Above all, they are a glimpse in Ronald Searle's bright mind and a testimony of his extraordinary life.
Here are some of my favourites (on lifestyle and nightlife), with selected words by Kaye Webb, Searle's then-wife and travel companion:

" 'I THINK EVERY WIFE has a right to insist on seeing Paris', wrote Sydney Smith to Lady Grey, in 1815.
There is little doubt that his sentiments are endorsed by the ladies who can be seen throughout the spring and summer ogling the shop windows in the Faubourg St. Honoré and sitting, exhausted but still animated, on the pavement outside Café de la Paix. Their sensible English and American heads are all adorned with French hats which, on a swell of remembered gaiety, they will wear once in their native town before slipping into a hat box against the 'suitable occasion' which never comes."

"Of the endless stretch of cafes lining the Champs-Elysées we chose to record Fouquet's. Not only because it seemed to us to have the most character but because, it is said, Edith Piaf was discovered there one night as she sold violets and sang for sous."

The Lido.

"Toward morning the market grows more business-like. At dawn, buyers from houses and restaurants come to do their bargaining. By breakfast-time they are replaced by the smaller fry; the little restaurateurs, the enterprising housewives. These are followed by the tragic and the destitute. Beggars who turn over the sodden piles of refuse in search of scraps for soup. Crippled ex-servicemen offering bunches of faded parsley given to them in pity by the merchants. Hungry-looking women asking for five francs' worth of vegetables with which to make a meal. It was at this hour that I remembered that Les Halles stands where there was once a graveyard."

"The Square du Vert-Galant is on the extreme point of Île de la Cité and we chose to imagine that the ancient poplar, which is at the foot of the steps below the centre of the bridge, was a sapling in the days when the King courted here. Perhaps it even witnessed his anguish in the days after his lovely, and loving, mistress had been poisoned in a nearby cherry orchard, and had died before he could reach her."

Café des deux Magots.

"[At Club Saint-Germain-des-Prés] The dancing is the main entertainment. On the evening we visited it, the 'stars' were a lively American girl wearing no make-up, and a tall, thin, collapsible negro. These two never talked to each other and rarely smiled. When they stopped dancing to wipe their wet faces, they immediately separated."

"[The habitués of The Club du Vieux Colombier] cling to 'pure' jazz which is served up to them around midnight by an enormous negro. Bouncing every pound of his seventeen stone and streaming with perspiration, he sang brilliantly while a group of delirious female youngsters sat gazing up at him from the floor, wriggling and jerking with every beat."

"The Bal Montagne" is a dancing establishment not generally visited by tourists. Its most numerous clients appeared to be women who preferred to dance with each other. The band played perched on a platform against the ceiling, the cabaret was limited to a naïve dramatic recitation followed by a bawdy song and dance routine from a female impersonator."

"Down a side street we found a normal-looking pig complacently advertising a charcuterie.
Ronald set his stool up outside a shoemaker's. He was unseated twice by crocodiles of sight-seeing schoolgirls being hurried rapidly up to the purer atmosphere of the Sacré-Coeur, and was finally scared away altogether by the two young women in the picture, who refused to believe that his interest lay entirely in the pig."

(From the first American edition of the "Paris Sketchbook", by Ronald Searle and Kaye Webb, published by George Braziller Inc., in New York, 1958.)

If you'd like to see (a lot) more of Searle's work, please visit Matt Jones' wonderful Ronald Searle Tribute and Chris Beatles Gallery's Searle Section (and make sure to look at the rest of their amazing art!)

Young and Old

2007-11-16T01:45:00.001-08:00

Both order food, but what different demeanor!

Extra Life

2007-11-15T11:06:00.001-08:00

I studied Classical Animation at Sheridan College just before the recent "redevelopment" of the program. Everything was transitioning: the line-test room quickly became a computer lab, we sat through trial curricula of vacuous theory, and above all, we had "new and improved" post-produced student films to make.

Amid the novelty, one thing remained unaltered: life drawing. We had a weekly class, as well as uninstructed sessions every evening - those were called Extra Life. The term itself sounds funny now, but back then it echoed in our minds as a type of warning of the trouble coming to those who weren't especially extra. It was, as far as anyone was concerned, the measure of how much (if not always how well) one could draw.
The truth is that we were all too busy worrying about style, marks and making it on "The Wall" to enjoy the drawing itself. Very few, if any, understood that Extra Life offered not a chance to measure one student's work next to another's, but to record one's personal insights, discoveries, progress and... fun!

That was five years ago. Even if now I get most of my practice at local cafes, I accepted an old classmate's invitation to a session of life drawing. As I hurried to make it in time (just like in school), I could almost hear the old echoes resurrecting. But they were given no such chance; it turned out to be the most delightful evening, full of refreshments, upbeat Nino Rota and a wonderfully creative model.

Things were reeeeeally cooking!

Here's to Gerry, Werner, Rick and Gerard!

Misplaced

2007-11-13T13:18:00.000-08:00

'I saw a woman
who looked like an Indian
Goddess wearing Gap!'

I drew her once. Then I drew her again, quickly, to remember.
The one below is of a worn down commuter who might as well have existed 20, 50, 100 years ago.

CLARITY: Ideas before drawings!

2007-11-09T05:45:00.001-08:00

1

"SONYA, will you go up and say something for us?"
"A wonderful individual..."
"But you accent all the words equally!" exclaimed Tortsov, "You cannot squander your accents recklessly! . . . Say the word: individual."
"Indi-vidual," came the crisp reply. . . .
"Now you have two accents and the word has broken down in the middle." . . .
"Individual," Sonya said with great effort.
"That is not a vocal stress but a blow on the head," was Tortsov's joking comment. "But why do you feel you must cuff your words around?". . .
"Besides, . . . when you have sliced your word 'individual' into two parts you treat the first half with disdain by almost swallowing it, and you hurl the second half at us to explode like a hand grenade. Let in be one word, one idea, one meaning. Let its composition of sounds, letters, syllables be one melodic line. . . . That line will have form, definition, wholeness and integration to it. It will be better than a piece of wire broken up into bits, scattered around separate from each other. Now try bending the phonetic line of the word 'individual' into a variety of tones."
The whole class began to hum with a confusion of sounds.
"You are doing it mechanically," interrupted Tortsov. "You are producing dry, formal, inanimate sounds, only externally connected with each other. Put some life into them."
"But how?" we asked in bewilderment.
"First of all, by giving to the word the meaning with which nature endowed it - the thought, feeling, idea, image - and not by reducing it to a simple series of sound waves striking the ear drum.
"Make a painting with the word so that the individual you are drawing, that you have in your mind's eye and are describing to the character playing opposite you, will be clear to him. He will sense whether the human being behind the word is beautiful or deformed, tall or short, agreeable or repulsive, kind or cruel." . . .
Sonya made another try but still could not meet the test.
"Your mistake lies in the fact that you first say the word and only afterwards try to understand what it means. You are not drawing from a live model. Try doing things the other way around: first call to mind someone among your acquaintances, stand him up in front of you, the way a painter would, and then tell us what you see in the retina of your inner eye." . . .

2

When Tortsov came into class today he said to Sonya with a laugh:
"Well, how is our 'wonderful individual' today?"
Sonya answered that the wonderful individual was very well, and as she said it she accented it perfectly.

***

This was an abridged section of a Chapter titled "Accentuation: The Expressive Word" from Stanislavski's "Building a Character".
Although this passage stresses the importance of clear communication within acting, I find its meaning to be equally representative of the importance of clear communication within drawing. It is directly linked to something Walt Stanchfield - another important teacher - once wrote: "One should have a goal in mind when starting a drawing. And remember, a good beginning is a sure way to a good ending. This does not mean you shouldn't settle for where those lines may lead you - you must guide them toward your goal - which is a good gesture or story point."
The key here, I think, is the great similarity between Stanislavski's phonetic lines "bent" toward a specific definition and Stanchfield's drawn lines guided toward a precise story point.

Although I seem to understand the notion of clarity in theory, I, like Sonya, have difficulty with the practical approach. Here's a drawing I did recently, done in a couple of minutes, during what felt like a rare moment of "clarity".

SketchCrawl

2007-11-07T17:14:00.001-08:00

To paraphrase its creator Enrico Casarosa, SketchCrawl is simply "a day-long drawing marathon" - a sort of intense visual record-keeping of the happenings in one day.
When I was back in Toronto, seeing Enrico's painted drawings of palm trees, exotic tea gardens and hidden public staircases felt magical and foreign. And the idea of so many people invading the streets with their pens and sketchbooks kind of made me chuckle. Is there anything more paradoxical than a small army of artists?
Anyway, I'm here now and I live on a boulevard lined with palm trees, I've enjoyed the Golden Gate gardens and I've climbed up, UP, UP! the Filbert steps. Man!
Last Sunday was the sixteenth Sketchcrawl - my third - and for me at least it was very much a crawl. So much so that I only did one drawing! But to be fair, I spent a lot of time talking to James and Pat, and hanging out with Emma and Erin.
Here's the drawing and its painted "adaptation". I did some preliminaries in Photoshop, and I painted the final in gouache, to produce VERY different results.

One, Two, Three... GO!

2007-11-07T02:09:00.000-08:00

Oh my! You're here already!

Hi. I'm Dani. I've been trying to introduce myself to you for a few days now but I simply couldn't think of a good way to do it. (I spend most of my time drawing you see, and I happen to know very little about introductions.) I thought of starting at the very beginning and show you some of the scribbles I was doing at the age of six; mostly princesses and the occasional bear. Perhaps you'd like to see a little later? I also considered telling you all about my drawing heritage and how I came here from Bulgaria, through Canada, and how that changed everything. But we don't know each other that well, so this too I'll save for another time.
I even read about the etiquette of introductions, which by the way was very, very complicated in the 1920s, if rather obsolete today.
Nothing would quite do.

Except that now you're here and just like that, we've met!
And I've been saving something to show you!
I hope you like it.