Sugar and Cream

The Melting Snow-Hello-Kitty!

2011-03-17T13:28:00.004-04:00

The temperature is really warm today here in southern Ontario! Our kids played in the snow (slush) earlier this week maybe for the last time of the season: transforming the remains of our gigantic Hello Kitty Snow-woman (made by Kitt and I) into a slush-ice-castle. Photos inset! Hellooooo Spring (yes?)!

Panda One

2011-03-14T22:01:00.007-04:00

I tried my hand at painting this weekend and created "Panda One". I uploaded it to my renewed Etsy store - "renewed" because I am giving original artwork a shot (this is mainly to avoid having to pay for expensive ink to turn my Epson 3800 into a usable gadget, instead of its current use as a some-kind-of-ugly side table).

So-far I've put a few original drawings and the one painting up. I am enjoying painting a lot, especially now that my daughter also spends time with me painting her own creations. I've loaded up the images, enjoy!

Panda One

Painting Area

Daughter's Art

- - -

On the Japan Tsunami

One of the artists I follow on twitter: @meghunt, have rallied the artistic community to join her in an art auction called: "Art for Japan" - I've emailed her and have enlisted to donate a piece of art. The news coming out of Japan is horrific, and I am compelled to do something. If you're artistically inclined, please join. Otherwise, when the auction goes up, look-around and see if there is any art you're interested to purchase.

Hope for Japan

2011-03-11T22:52:00.003-05:00

I can't imagine what it must be like in Japan today. The photos and the videos are horrific. My thoughts go out to all the families and people affected by the disaster.

Hand-Drawn Imaginations

2011-03-10T23:12:00.003-05:00

I have been away from my Etsy space since December. I have actually pseudo-closed the shop by saying I am "on vacation", but really, I am just contemplating what I want to pursue. My printer ink ran out, my work was busy, and I was really thinking a lot about everything. That said, I am still confused (aren't we all?) but know that three dear loves of mine have the potential to really form a new path: art, writing and cooking.

A long time ago, at a cross-roads, I decided to pursue a technology major over english and fine arts. Isn't it funny that my passions are at seemingly opposing ends of a continuim? I still love them all (including the technology bit).

I have decided to re-open the shop this weekend, but without the technology. Instead of the digital prints I have been creating in the past, I plan to create original hand-drawn and painted pieces and put them up to share with the world. I also plan to write a little something along with each new piece.

I feel that this is a journey to re-tap a dormant creativity, when once re-found will open doors that I left closed for too long. Secondly, I hope the art I may create will offer smiles to those whom find it.

With no further ado, here is a glimpse of what is coming!! Ready to rock!

I made Kimchi!

2011-03-06T17:55:00.005-05:00

Last week, I finished reading Cathy Erway's book "The art of Eating in", and was inspired to make Kimchi at Home. She didn't actually make Kimchi in her book, but wrote about Kimchi 3-4 times in the last 100 pages with a real fervor (Korean food was her first restaurant meal in her 2-year "not eating out" experiment)! Follow her here.

Here's to Kimchi! I'm eating it with Samgyetong (Ginseng Chicken Soup) which is simmering on the stove, as I write this post. 20minutes to dinner everyone!!

P.S. we made a whole bunch of popcorn with the kids earlier today. The black kernels are called "black sable", and the yellow ones we received from our CSA farmer last week in the food basket! Woott! Tasty with white cheddar!

being home

2011-03-04T23:28:00.002-05:00

I love being home: the smells & comfort, the kids, the wife, the mess, the food.
I have grown up in the city south of me, and thought it appropriate to express some love t'wards that city: Toronto. Far from perfect, but growing up. Let's ensure it lives up to its potential. I love T.O.

Arcade Fire, Valentine's Day & Radiohead?!

2011-02-14T23:07:00.005-05:00

A day that reminds me of a music sandwich, with good stuff throughout.

Arcade Fire, enough said.
Valentine's Day: Happy! We went out with the kids to a family restaurant playing loud hit music, dim lights, and crayons on the tabletop.
Radiohead! Pablo Honey, bring it!

Reflection

2010-10-12T21:48:00.002-04:00

It is almost the middle of October 2010: life is moving at an incredible speed. I have been married more than six years now, I have two children, and wrinkles are starting to show their crows feet around my eyes. A few months ago, my junior public school held its 50th year anniversary: I saw teachers I haven't seen in over 20 years, and recognized old faces and heard names that are etched in a distant memory.

I have come to realize that I am thirty-something. When I was a child, that TV show seemed foreign, impossibly far away. Time is precious. I have decided to spend a lot less time on the internet, and spend more time doing things that really make me happy: drawing, listening to great music, cooking, spending time with friends and family. I have a lot to explore, and at thirty-something, I can't let that time disappear anymore than it already has.

Things I want to do:
1) cook more
2) learn to sew
3) draw and paint more often
4) spend time turning our house into the dream
5) write again
6) exercise yoga

When I was eighteen, words came so easily. I was brave and emotional, and wanted to change the world. My words were efficient, sharp and full of an imagery I have buried under my jeans and button down shirts.

So it is decided. I will do this. :)

No Knead Bread

2010-09-06T22:18:00.006-04:00

I have made Jim Lahey's no knead bread a few times. Today I made it for a friend that was visiting us after being in Asia for a few years. I ended up cooking chicken pot pie, some grilled zuchinni and the bread.

I have the photo to prove it! What is cool about the bread-making today, is that I started the process last night, and while reading Cathy Erway's book, ended up reading about her experience with the same recipe. I know it's a popular recipe, but it was just one of those coincidence things I thought was neat.

I should definitely make this bread more often. It's easy, tastes yummy, and is open to a lot of modification and variety. Next-time, with more cranberries and raisins!!

Studio Work: Beginnings

2010-09-04T22:07:00.003-04:00

In recent weeks I have been inspired by a few youtube personalities and one of my friends in Toronto. They make videos: short and entertaining videos that they share online. I've been itching to make videos for years. Telling a story was one of my passions: I have very much neglected this passion for years and years. As one grows up, they forget who they really are. There's just more and more grown-up things to take care of that typically revolve around buying stuff: mortgages, bills, working to deal with the aforementioned.

This afternoon, I decided to take the Sugar And Cream universe that whirrs around in my head (and sometimes shows up in prints on my etsy storefront), and expand it into animated shorts. I will aspire to fill those films with stories that will be memorable and entertaining enough for people to smile and be happy.

The sketch above is a glimpse into the Sugar and Cream world. I'm excited! I'm storyboarding tonight, it's gonna be fun!

Whale Rider

2010-08-21T22:01:00.004-04:00

Summers are always exciting and busy!!! We've had an amazing summer. Lots of time in the pool, picnics and bbq with family and friends. We hope you have all been enjoying yourself as well. It's been a scorcher here (by Toronto standards)!

I've managed to find enough time to make a new print. Whale Rider. Check it out! I hope you love it!

Adventures in the Mayan Riviera

2010-04-18T10:53:00.004-04:00

We're back from vacation! Kittie and I haven't been on vacation for over 4 years. We brought the wee ones with us, and had a blast in Mexico!

When we arrived back home, I asked my daughter, what was your favorite part of Mexico. This is our conversation:

"What was your favorite part of Mexico?"
"Pressing buttons."
"Pressing buttons? What buttons?"
"Pressing buttons on the lift."

time with the kids

2010-04-02T16:09:00.002-04:00

The weather in Southern Ontario is forecast to be summer-like this weekend. We just had a great day in the parks and with family today. I hope you're doing something wonderful this weekend. The picture above was taken a few weeks ago, when we went to the Distillery District in Toronto. It's a beautiful area of Victorian styled buildings. It used to be an old distillery which they have now converted to an arts and cultural district: lots of artists studios, shops and galleries!

decorating easter eggs!

2010-04-02T15:55:00.004-04:00

Here in Canada, we have a national holiday for Good Friday. Happy Easter everyone!
We spent time decorating eggs with our daughter last weekend. Kittie packaged them up and gave them out as gifts to our daughter's playgroup and dance class. It was fun seeing how rich the colors ended up on the eggs. There was also some yelling and tears for those eggs that ended up on the floor. Next-time, all eggs need to be bubble wrapped.

with love

2010-03-29T22:34:00.004-04:00

What have I been up to the past few months?
1. Listening to Pink Martini's newest album, and contemplating entering the video contest.
2. Entered into the Bloesem Kid's banner contest
3. Moping around, trying to create art, but finding myself spending a ton more time making dough, creating homemade pizza and surfing Etsy. For the record, I LOVE making pizza. Gary + Dough = lots of happiness.
4. We did go to a farm in the heart of the city; and dyed some eggs with the kids for easter. (pictures coming in a few weeks!)
5. Watching this cute video over and over and over with the kids.

Molly and Rex

2010-02-22T22:43:00.002-05:00

A very nice client told us a story, and it inspired me to make this for her! It's the caption of the Pigeon Riding print. It made us very happy today! Woo!

Home Sweet Home

2010-02-21T22:24:00.003-05:00

It has been a long time since I put up a new print. But here we are, finally we have something new in our store. I hope you guys love it, it was definitely a lot of fun making this print.

Sprucing up our Hallway Entrance

2010-02-16T20:35:00.003-05:00

During the winter holidays we ended up sprucing up the hallway entrance. We made a purchase from StudioViolet back in 2008 and love their print above our shoe cabinet! We finally found a place to hang it up: Check them out, they have some beautiful art!

Updating Blog

2010-02-14T22:33:00.009-05:00

New banner title and sidebar images!

We are determined to mark 2010 as a return to our Etsy shop. Our son is now one (and walking). Our daughter is over three years old, and we have finally found some time to explore creatively and catch up on our art, books, music and movies. We are happy to have this precious time again. We look forward to resuming this conversation.

Love & Cupcakes

2009-08-30T00:17:00.002-04:00

My wife makes awesome cupcakes. I am so lucky. She made these for my daughter's birthday. I get hungry looking at this photo.

Summertime in the Suburbs

2009-07-20T22:17:00.002-04:00

The year is whizz z z z z z z in g
by, quickly; and I find myself in July al-
ready, fatigued from the spring.

I don't know why I just decided to write bad prose, but there it is for all the world to see. :)

The days are busy-bodied, energetic and summery.
We have BBQs on our deck, and dips in pools and lakes.
I enjoy the fresh farm food: lettuce, asparagus, beets, sugar snap peas, June strawberries, rhubarb, garlic shoots, etc. August will bring corn, tomatoes, even more strawberries, cauliflower, etc.

And through it all, I have my little shop, that is craving for some attention, and new artwork.
And of course, my wife and kids. I love them so.!

I hope you're enjoying this time of year.

Daddy, Where have you been?

2009-06-13T15:22:00.002-04:00

So much for the New Year's Resolutions! Having kid #2, took away all the free time. :) It's been a whirlwind few months. Work hours went from being long, to being my entire life.

I am glad that I have a 4-5 week breather before things go ballistic again. For now, I am back, in one piece, but with huge panda-eyes.

Springtime Busy-ness

2009-05-10T23:18:00.002-04:00

It is amazing how busy life can be with two children.
I mistakenly believed that I would be able to continue strong with this website even with a newborn and a toddler. How the spring of 2009 changed that opinion. :-)

I have been having a lot of fun with the kids, and will try very hard to update this website properly, shortly.

Until then, all I can say, is that things have been extremely tiring, but very fun & rewarding! :)

Doodles with Daughter

2009-03-01T23:35:00.004-05:00

I love to spend time with my daughter drawing. She tends to get bored after a while, so I have to keep things very interesting. These are a few of the sketches / stories that we made this morning!

Ping Pong Tournament

2009-02-27T00:41:00.004-05:00

I made this poster for my workplace. I'm a founding member of the social committee (ha), and this is our 2nd ping pong tournament! I hope everyone at work will find it as whimsical / funny as I do. :)

(Names have been replaced for privacy) :)

Twitter Love.

2009-02-19T00:20:00.003-05:00

I just recently joined Twitter. I never thought I would enjoy it as much as I have. But it's fantastic! I think I am going to be a Twitter addict. Check it out! (I think of Twitter as Facebook status updates, but accessible by complete strangers!)

Sketch: Scooter Girl

2009-02-16T23:03:00.002-05:00

I made this quick sketch in-between some other artwork. I like the girl's blue hair. :)

I hope all had a great Valentine's day. My weekend was spent going out with Kittie & kids; and also filled will re-organizing the art/computer/bills-of-all-sorts desk. It feels sqeauky organized, which is a wonderful (and likely short-lived but awesome) feeling.

Robo Meowbot

2009-02-11T22:08:00.002-05:00

Meowbot, is inspired by Valentines day! I know it's a little late being ready for Valentines day, but this print is suitable for your sweetheart, anytime of the year! ROBO Meowbot is the third print in the series of my robot co-operative prints. I have yet to create the backstory with these characters, but I tell you, it involves superheros and collaboration! Enjoy!

Robo Terrarium

2009-01-31T15:24:00.003-05:00

I took my time, but I have finally finished the second print in the ROBO COOP series of art prints! I have just uploaded it to the store. This print was definitely inspired by the vegetable garden planning that is currently underway in our household (asparagus crowns? snap peas?). Enjoy!

Finger Puppet Making

2009-01-25T13:37:00.002-05:00

I spent part of the morning with my daughter making an Owl finger puppet. We have a whole bunch of scrap felt/cotton/googly-eyes from when I would build stuffed dolls for my wife (then, girlfriend). Mackenzie selected the black body, and scrounged through the pile of scraps until she found two googly-eyes. She loves those googly-eyes! Owls have been very popular lately, but Mackenzie has already requested a Monkey for the next doll.

We made up a story for the Owl and its future Monkey playmate: Owl and Monkey go out to the grocery store to buy some bananas. They come back and make banana bread.

Mackenzie loved the craft making, and Kittie, well she says: you're a crafty dad. I'm itching to host a craft party for the kids now. Finger puppets and a to-be-made Little Guy Theatre would go well for a craft/acting party!

Sketch: Robo Co-op v0.2.01

2009-01-19T22:50:00.006-05:00

This is the sketch of the next Robo Co-op print. I'm in the middle of clean-up; then it's prep for colour! I am pretty excited about this print!

Starting on Artfire

2009-01-18T17:53:00.007-05:00

I signed up for Artfire; it feels very different than Etsy, but should be interesting to try and use. My second ROBO-COOP print is sketched out, and being finalized. I am however stuck on what kind of legs to use for this forest dwelling robot..

And I am getting hooked on Amigurumi... check out rosieok.etsy.com. I so want to learn to crochet and sewing.!!

Oh, and the new addition has arrived: c'est un garcon.

Ice Cream Maker : ROBO CO-OP SERIES

2009-01-11T15:20:00.004-05:00

I have uploaded the first print in the Robo Co-op series to Etsy. I am pretty happy with how it turned out! It was definitely fun to draw and take pictures of; and Mackenzie seems to like it a lot! I originally placed the print on top of her dresser for the photo shoot, but she insisted that it be on her bookshelf. We appear to have a little designer on our hands!

Introducing Robo Co-op

2009-01-07T23:12:00.002-05:00

I am working on a series of prints surrounding a story I have in my head. The story is about a group of friends and their Robot Co-op organization. I have one print complete, one in sketch, and one in concept. I have published a quick sketch (this is not one of the robots that will be in the print-form): highly experimental. I am planning on releasing the Robo Co-op series as a whole.

I plan to develop my other site soon. The other site will focus on experimental artwork which may be different from the normal sugar&cream style. I also wish to start my webcomic activities on that site to develop stories and other media!

Comments are welcome!

2009: Fresh Start!

2009-01-04T23:04:00.004-05:00

Rested and gearing up for an exciting new year! We would like to thank all of our customers in 2008 for their support! You guys have been great. I want to especially thank Laura-Jean @ Fresh Collective in downtown Toronto for being a huge supporter of local designers (including Sugar&Cream)!

Sugar & Cream: Plans for 2009

New prints each month!

Try out something new! Maybe sewing?

Take-part in our first craft/art fair

Blog more regularly

Develop our other site for experimental artwork

More & better photos

Gary & Kittie life-plans for 2009

Find out how to handle two kids (yes: Two. Kids.)

Plan / Set-up a little vegetable garden

Refinish some used furniture

Start Biking to work in springtime

Meet up with long-lost friends!

It's going to be another busy and interesting year! I hope everyone is off to a good start!

Moving Spaces

2008-12-04T23:05:00.002-05:00

We moved this past September. We expect/hope that this will be the last move we will need to make for the next two or three decades. We loved our little townhome. It was airy, fun, bright with sunlight, cozy; it was our first home. We bought it together a couple months before our wedding, and moved in together the day after we got married. We had lots of great memories there.

Our new house is very much like our old townhouse. Bigger: airy, fun, bright with sunlight, cozy; it is our second home. We plan to raise our kids here. We are setting down our roots, and meeting our new neighbours. Our families love our new home, they feel right at home. You know people are comfortable when they can come over, lie on the couch and fall asleep. It's happened many many times already. And we've actually only moved in for 1 month (1st 6-weeks was reno!).

It's almost the holidays, and I wanted to say, this year has been a whirlwind. Stressful. Very stressful. I started an online store that I am tremendously happy with. People have been very encouraging, customers have been wonderful, and I have found a much needed creative outlet.

I look forward to another interesting year coming up.

I have posted a photo of our old little townhouse, and my little girl running in a blur across the carpet between the kitchen and our living room. I would say, it's been a great year.

new prints! wandering lion and mac&cheese

2008-11-26T23:59:00.002-05:00

Toddlers and Slides

2008-10-08T23:01:00.004-04:00

Our little-head is growing up fast. She is now a full-fledged toddler. Toddlers love to run amok, tell us from their heart and soul how they feel, what they like to eat, what they REALLY do not like to eat; and when "No", means "No". We cannot believe how quickly she has grown; we are far removed from that little infant that cradled in one arm.

She continues to inspire me and my art; she definitely adds a lot of structure and priority in my life. As one friend said to us a few weeks ago, "you never have to wonder what the point of your life is anymore".

We are undergoing a big move and a massive renovation. Luckily my brother-in-law is kind enough to let us live at his home for a few weeks while this all takes place. Unfortunately, my daughter loves their beloved cat a little too much; she ends up abusing tiger by hugging him, or petting him wayyyy too aggressively. How cute. :)

(Note: our store is still open during this move, and we our commitment and turnaround is the same as always!)

Farmer Fresh Produce: 2008

2008-09-01T22:10:00.007-04:00

I am an avid non-fiction reader, with special interests towards how "we can make the world a better place". One common theme in these books is to support your community; buy local food. Local is fresh. Local helps your immediate community. Local can be tastier and healthier for you.

This year we signed up with a farm that follows a Community Supported Agriculture model (CSA). Steve & Lisa deliver us food on a weekly schedule with whatever is in-season. We have had some of the best-tasting-and-firm potatoes ever (purple ones, fingerlings, russets), multi-color swiss chard, sweet corn, oxtail carrots, strawberries galore, beets, lettuce, etc etc etc.

We have never bought beets (pic above), but we have found that we love them! Wanted to share!

A new print: Rockstar series continues!

2008-08-24T22:42:00.000-04:00

I have put up another print in the store. This is part of the on-going Rockstar series and centers upon the leader: Charlie. She was inspired by some strong women rockstar leads, pre-Lilith fair. Don't get me wrong, I liked the musicians during the Lilith-fair era, but I really liked some of the artists around the 1994/95 time-frame. The likes of Garbage, No Doubt, and.. Lush. I loved Lush. They were amazing...

Here it is: Rockstar Fender.

New Print in Shop! Under Water!

2008-08-13T08:40:00.000-04:00

I have put a new print up in the shop today: Under Water. It is inspired by the ocean and fish. I particularly love being in water. There are more prints being worked upon. I hope you guys will enjoy this print:

Kids are a handful!

2008-08-04T16:45:00.000-04:00

We spent the day with friends downtown today. They bought a new place, and served us an amazing brunch. We were very happy to see our friends again.

Below is a classic baby moment:

Kite Flying

2008-08-03T10:52:00.001-04:00

The summer has been going fast. BBQs, swimming, baseball, play-toys, sunglasses, shorts & tees. We have been having a great summer. We are in the middle of a move, and have been busy getting our house for sale and packing. We are excited about the new place, but will miss our neighbours and the little community we have here. Townhouses are good for communities.

We recently saw Kite Runner, and I was reminded of the kites I flew as a kid. Yesterday, I bought my daughter a beginner kite. We just flew it this morning. The kite has some stability issues, but overall, can't complain for a 98cent Optimus Prime kite. :) We will try again in an open field in the next hour or so.

I hope everyone has been having a great summer. I've been working on some new prints again (finally). :) Hope to post them soon!

Late Spring Busy-ness

2008-06-22T10:34:00.000-04:00

It's been a whirlwind of months, as such, this is probably the first time in the past 7 weeks that I've had a chance to sit down and write a post. Things in life went into high gear recently. I haven't had time to explore the artistic side, as I have been handling other big life changes (all positive), so no worries there!

I will get back to posting some sketches and art soon. Oh, and my little moleskin sketchbook finally arrived for the Sketchbook Project, so I'll be trying to figure out "How to save the world" and putting it down in the sketchbook for the art show in August!

Yay.

I hope you have all been well!

sketch: may 13, 2008

2008-05-13T22:54:00.000-04:00

Things are big, and underway, and lots of changes - coming. Outside the weather is turning to summer, and if you can believe it, it is already May 13th. This means that we are going to be 11/24 through the year in about 2-3 days. If we were making an analogy against a 24hour day, it would be 11am. Almost lunch-time or brunch. yum.

I find it amazing and astounding how time seems to accelerate as one grows older. Is it because we end up having very structured routines? Too many responsibilities and not enough paying attention to playing outside, chasing butterflies, lying on the grass, kicking a soccer ball around, playing catch? Who knows what it is! But time definitely seems to be moving quickly!

I am not lamenting, just observing. :)

Sketch: May 9, 2008

2008-05-09T22:18:00.000-04:00

I don't have a lot to say today. Fridays are like that. I did make a sketch here. I dunno how it came to be, but here it is. :)

Creativity to the Max.

2008-05-07T22:44:00.000-04:00

Hello there! Things are crazy busy in life, in work, in art. It always comes in these intensified spurts. Most of it is brought upon by myself. I am very ambitious; not in a I'll-do-anything-to-get-what-I-want-kinda-way. But more along the lines of: I love what I do, and enjoy the challenge, and love to build teams and be challenged in huge ways. I am inspired by working in a close knit group, and have a fairly positive outlook on how to address problems and make things more efficient.

What really gets me excited is solving problems. I love solving people issues, technical issues, communication issues, artistic issues, organizational issues, logistic issues, etc. etc. etc.. It's just the way I am I suppose. Why I am blogging about this right now, I really have no idea. I guess I have been fairly guarded on this site and thought it would be nice to put a little bit of myself on the page; in the past, when I was much younger, I had pretty heart-on-the-sleeve online journals (pre-blog days, circa 1997). Yes, I guess I'm not a youngin' anymore: A daddy with a toddler is me now.

With regards to the little toddler, my mom & dad are nuts about her. As is Kittie's family. Her mom is quite a fashionista, and bought matching sunglasses for Mackenzie and herself. Here they are, they're nuts:

Royal Ontario Museum

2008-05-01T22:39:00.000-04:00

Kittie and I love the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum). Last year the ROM unveiled its updated look and architecture. It is fairly stunning. We went earlier this year with Mackenzie, and we bought ourselves a family membership. We especially love the dinosaurs, I mean, who doesn't love the dinosaurs?

The first time Mackenzie went, she saw these fossilized eggs, and kept pointing to them and saying "egg, egg!" We were crazy surprised. How and where did she learn that? And just like I've stated above: "who doesn't love the dinosaurs?"; it comes as no surprise that all parents think their kids are super smart and amazing. Same thing. :)

Have I talked about this already? Dinosaurs, RAAR.

I think my favorite dinosaur is the Stegasaurus. I think it is largely because I owned Snarl of Dinobot fame when I was a kid. :) "Transformers, Ch-chu-chu-ch-ch!"

What is this surprise?

2008-04-28T22:09:00.000-04:00

Where to begin? Around 2.5 weeks ago, Laura-Jean of Fresh Baked Goods and the Fresh Collective saw my Etsy Shop. First, she bought a print (yay!). And then she asked me if I'd be interested to put my artwork in her store. This was a very exciting moment, and I am pleased to say that as of Sunday, my prints are now available in the Fresh Collective. There are a few really cool things about this:

1. I already knew of the Fresh Collective because Queen West in Toronto is my absolutely favorite area of the city

2. Fresh Collective is a very local scene store, supporting local artists; I really like this idea, a la Deep Economy

That's my surprise! On the weekend, Kittie, Mackenzie and I traveled down to the store, and gave LJ a large selection of the prints, a display box and some framed photos for her store. She set it up, and let me know how things were going today. :)

I love doing creative work. It is very inspiring!

Absent but hopefully back again

2008-04-25T23:30:00.000-04:00

I have had quite the past 10 days. Hopefully things will go well, and I can have the big reveal. I have been working a lot for stuff @ the shop. It has been an intense period, and I am very excited by what is coming up. I am actually quite good at keeping secrets, so the suspense will continue!

Things outside of the shop have also gotten extremely busy. With summer feeling like it's right around the bend, it's pretty beautiful outside. However, tomorrow is supposed to be a rainy day.

Here is Mackenzie taking a big swag from her sippy cup!

sketch: April 15, 2008

2008-04-15T22:18:00.000-04:00

I feel in a bit of a daze. Things are cloudy, mostly because I am tired. It's that tired from lots of things running in your head, and a little bit of excitement all mixed up with insufficient sleep. Yes, that will do it. I just want to crash. Before that, I did make this drawing of a fish, with the chinese character for fish. Go figure. :)

sunny weekend

2008-04-14T21:52:00.000-04:00

I had a nice weekend. It was sunny and we were outdoors; partially. The tulips are sprouting out of our front garden and it's spring jacket weather! Oh yeah! I am enjoying how everything is blooming, robins are flying around and it is pre-bugs weather. We have to make the most of this temperate non mosquito weather!

When summer hits, those bugs will be out. Even so, it won't stop us from visiting the beautiful lakes of Ontario. I can't wait to take little Mackenzie out to the natural waters of the world and swim! Swimming is my absolute favorite.

I thought of dancing, because it goes hand-in-hand with singing; and well, though Swimming is my absolute favorite, Singing must be my ultimate favorite.

sketch: april 10, 2008

2008-04-10T23:15:00.000-04:00

I have enjoyed today. I had a very encouraging and exciting email exchange which I haven't been able to follow-up with properly. I will remedy this tomorrow; I am, indeed very excited! More to come in the next few weeks.

On a sidenote, I did not win the YouGrowGirl Haiku contest, but I have embedded the haiku within my sketch. :-) Have a nice spring day, and tomorrow's Friday. Friday means the start of the weekend, which also gives me time to hang out with this little nuclear family and do some art (between baby naps). :) I am smitten with the nearness (is this a word??) of Friday! Bring it!

music: radiohead

2008-04-09T22:12:00.000-04:00

Radiohead is coming to Toronto on August 15, 2008. Tickets go on sale this Friday @ 10am. I missed them when they came in 2001. I missed them before that for their OK computer tour. They probably came sometime between then and now. Yes. But here they are with In Rainbows, and I absolutely cannot miss them.

I love musical groups. Concerts are inspiring, seeing these artists perform in a way that touches an entire room, hall or stadium of people is amazing. The performances and the atmosphere just spells itself into a mind-bending touch of joy. And, well, Radiohead has been in my collection for a longgg time. Ha ha, don't I feel old now? I especially love OK Computer: Karma Police, Paranoid Android... it's too good.

Radiohead is very progressive. They are hosting an animation contest for a music video here. I am deciding whether I will devote countless hours, to submit to this contest. It would definitely be fun, frustrating and creative all rolled up like a California Roll. In any case, this concert is way too exciting!

community changes

2008-04-08T22:34:00.001-04:00

Frankly, one little voice will bear little weight in the economic roadway of progress. I feel a little bit defeated, but I am also glad that I took part in the democratic process.

I don't know what else to say. So I decided to draw. Unfortunately, my chest still feels tight in that butterfly-why-do-I-feel-so-crappy-and-tense kind of way. :)

Feist

2008-04-07T22:35:00.000-04:00

Feist is insanely popular these days. She won 5 Juno awards last night (equivalent of Grammy's, but for Canada!). Congratulations Feist! I saw her onstage during the summer of 2005 at Toronto Olympic Island. She was part of Broken Social Scene. BSS was hosting a concert, and had the likes of Metric and others present; at the time, I really didn't know who Feist was.

My friends and I were there for Modest Mouse. (pre-baby days) Gosh, I loved that concert so much. It was amazing... It was a whole day affair on the island, being goofy and basking in the summer sun.

Back to Feist. She is an amazing artist, that's for sure. Well deserved. We love the "Let it Die" album the best. As a sidenote: I am a big fan of CBC Radio 3 (I will do a blog about them exclusively sometime in the future, probably over and over, since I am completely smitten with them). Anyway, I mention them, because I lifted this picture of Feist off their website. This was taken of her in 2004, playing on the sidewalk in Toronto for the NXNE festival. How much change takes place in 4 years, incredible. :)

New Print for the Shop

2008-04-06T22:37:00.000-04:00

I have been MIA this past few days. Things have been fairly busy. I won't get into the details, but have been away from the computer a bit. I hope that you have been having a good spring (for those of us in the Northern hemisphere)!

The weather was extremely nice (for Canada) today. We were up to 12 or 13C. This means, light jacket and melting snow. We ended up walking to our local grocer, and swung by the park for little Mackenzie to play around on the swings and slides. It was nice seeing neighbors outdoors, getting their garden ready or doing general cleanup. There were many "hi's" and "nice day ehs?" to go around!

I also spent the morning doing stuff for the shop. I played a lot with Illustrator and came up with a new print! Yeah, I like how it turned out. I am doing some final adjustments, but it should be up in the shop sometime early this week! I posted it here:

April 2, 2008

2008-04-02T22:42:00.000-04:00

Inspired by many things lately:

1. There's a new zine out at design for mankind

2. Speak Easy Craft shows

3. Brisk Sunshine

4. My wife making funny doodles on her computer

5. New music: Stars - Midnight Coward

6. Did I say, Stars - Midnight Coward already? :-)

Sketch: April 1, 2008

2008-04-01T22:47:00.000-04:00

I have been spending a lot of time exposing myself to a lot of different ideas, and trying out new styles and techniques. I haven't been doing enough crafting of my own, or creating. I am however very happy to be visiting new blogs and seeing just what people are doing. This is pretty fantastic.

It's drizzly, foggy and warm up here in Toronto. Things dipped colder again tonight, but we can see the robins playing around outside, and we know that spring is around the corner! Bets are, there will be one more snowstorm! :)

Nostalgic: Wedding

2008-03-31T22:04:00.000-04:00

I was getting nostalgic about our wedding today. It happened a few years ago but, it was a really fun time. We had a wedding with around 140 guests; we both have large families so 100 people were family and there were 40 friends. It was a really intimate and fun time. Everything went well and I just remember being really happy and having a blast.

One fun thing we did was name our tables after bands we have seen (we love seeing bands); so there was the Oscar Peterson table, the Fatboy Slim table, the Sarah Mclachlan table, the Zero 7 table, the Barenaked Ladies table, etc.

The picture below is a photo of an ornate door decoration on the patio entrance of our location. Unfortunately, the restaurant we had the reception/wedding at, has recently been sold. Boo.

Sketch: March 30, 2008

2008-03-30T21:51:00.000-04:00

I hung out with my family today. My brother came back from an amazing trip, and had a slide show to go through the pictures and videos. He's a really interesting guy; he is enthusiastic, energetic and super creative. It was really good to see him today. The sketch below is a bit of a departure from what I've been drawing lately, but it's a throwback to a decade ago. When the art was well, a little more raw.

sunny weekend

2008-03-30T20:31:00.000-04:00

Kittie and I spent the weekend mostly at home. We did however go out to a grand opening of a mid-size local grocery store near our house. Outside, they had volunteers from the Canadian Cancer Society (they are one of our favorite charities) selling daffodils. How could we resist!

On a sidenote, I also purchased some fabric yesterday , and started creating a stuffed toy. I finished the sewing yesterday, and began the processing of stuffing it today; around 95% done, I was so unhappy with how it was going that I couldn't bear to finish. :) I have since, created a new pattern, and intend to restart. I don't have a sewing machine, so I'm doing this by hand right now! Sewing machine? Sometime later, maybe.

Artist #4: Jenna Rose

2008-03-30T20:18:00.000-04:00

One last artist that I loved very much @ the One of a Kind Show, was: Jenna Rose. She is a printmaker and textile creator. Her prints are then turned into fantastic products. My favorite is definitely the Audrey Hat, which I have shown below:

Sketch: March 28, 2008

2008-03-28T22:18:00.000-04:00

The weather here in Toronto is warming up. The big pile of snow on our little front lawn is almost all gone. Springtime is upon us! Tomorrow is the Earth Hour. Our city is participating, and we will be shutting down all our lights and electricity for 1hour! I think it will be beautiful! Let's see how many of us will participate!

Sketch: March 27, 2008

2008-03-27T23:12:00.000-04:00

I found out about this new craft show in Montreal called Pomme Pomme (via Toronto Craft Alert). It takes place in mid-July. Right now I think I'd like to definitely be a visitor, still thinking about whether I should apply to join the craft show. It happens a week after the jazz festival (boo, doesn't line up) and it looks like Woody Allen is going to be at the jazz festival performing clarinet. Yes, you read that right! I made a quick sketch below. I have been inspired by wallpaper and patterns. So I thought I'd give it a try here:

Artist #3: LU Prints

2008-03-27T22:27:00.000-04:00

LU prints had some pretty kitchen linens and clothing at the One of a Kind Show. They screen print their designs onto fabric. We really liked Ulla's work. We ended up buying a handkerchief which we plan to frame and add to our gallery at home. She's from the West Coast, so it must have been a long trek to get out here! I'm glad she came!

Sketch: March 26, 2008

2008-03-26T23:13:00.000-04:00

I entered the haiku contest at yougrowgirl a few weeks ago. I wonder how I will do, it's been some time since I wrote a poem. :-)

I drew a sketch, I'm really into fuscia lately. That was the color Kittie picked for our wedding, black and fuscia!

Artist #2: One of a Kind Show

2008-03-25T22:24:00.000-04:00

I first saw Emma Nishimura and her work @ the Artist Project a few weeks ago. I really really liked her work. It is so simple, but it captures an essence of the subject. I love the prints of the bird with the wave. She was also featured in an interview at the One of a Kind Show: here.

I assembled a collage of some of her art, you should check out her work for yourself. It is really beautiful. When I was at the Artist Project, she was by-far my favorite artist there. It's really neat. She does her work at Open Studio, it's an artist run Fine Art Print Making Centre. I find the artistic process so intriguing, I'd love to do some screen printing. Enjoy her work, and visit her site!

Sketch: March 24, 2008

2008-03-24T23:01:00.000-04:00

I will feature four artists that I just loved at the One of a Kind Show over this week. The first one was from Montreal, Quebec. (If I had to replant myself, my friends, my family and my work in a different city, that city would be Montreal). They made some amazing plush toys with an eco sensibility: Velvet Moustache. There's also an interview of them here. They were fun, and they let our little girl play around with the plush soccer ball and stuffed toys with such a good spirit.

Cupcakes = Delicious + Satisfying!

2008-03-23T23:15:00.000-04:00

Kittie made two dozen cupcakes with buttercream icing on Friday {thank you!}. It was completely satisfying to come home from the show today and enjoy not one, but two cupcakes. {Afternoon tea is absolutely our favorite meal of the day.}

Toronto: One of a Kind Show

2008-03-23T22:44:00.000-04:00

We went to the One of a Kind Show today in Toronto. We loved it! There were so many great artisans and people browsing. I will post some of my favorite artisans up later during the week, but for now, here are two photos: [1] monster factory toy {I really really love this company, I was given the Kyle plush for Christmas one year, go figure} and [2] mackenzie at the front display.

New Print in the Shop: Etude de la chute libre

2008-03-22T22:24:00.000-04:00

I added a new print to the shop! It is a Pink Martini inspired piece, with a little bit of a French twist (also as an nod to my Canadian'ness). I hope you enjoy it, I'm really happy with how it turned out.

March 21, 2008

2008-03-21T22:49:00.000-04:00

Sketch: March 20, 2008

2008-03-20T22:55:00.001-04:00

Sketch: March 19, 2008

2008-03-19T23:48:00.000-04:00

black birds on branch.

Jorg and Olif

2008-03-19T23:29:00.000-04:00

I really love this bike-maker: Jorg and Olif. They are based in Vancouver, and they make this neat Dutch City Bike.

Monday, March 17

2008-03-17T23:14:00.001-04:00

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

blurry and quickly

2008-03-16T22:59:00.000-04:00

Our daughter is growing up quickly. It feels like yesterday that we brought her home from the hospital. Later this year she will turn two. Time is flying like a blur... I just want to stay in these moments forever.

p i n k m a r t i n i

2008-03-16T22:52:00.000-04:00

We saw one of our favorite bands in Toronto downtown last night: Pink Martini. They were absolutely amazing. It was the first time we have ever seen them perform. They're a large band, but they sound like a mini orchestra: violin, harp, piano, voice, trumpet, etc.

It was inspirational to see these folks live. The trombonist moved me...

Sketchbook Project

2008-03-13T22:15:00.000-04:00

I signed up for the Sketchbook Project this week. It's an art show held in Atlanta. You register and they will send you a moleskin sketchbook which you fill in and send back to them to participate in a gallery. The topic: How to Save the World. This is very exciting, I am thinking about all the things that I could do!

Rockstar Drummers: Red & Blue

2008-03-09T18:38:00.001-04:00

I added two new prints to the shop. They are little rockerstar drummers!

Toronto Artist Project

2008-03-08T21:42:00.000-05:00

The snow hasn't stopped at all. In fact, it is still falling and will continue falling until tomorrow night. We braved our way into the city today to see the Toronto Artist Project. There weren't many visitors on this wintery day. It was a beautiful art show, with a wide variety of artists and a great venue.

There were two or three artists that really moved me a lot (Phil, Emma and Emily). It was nice being able to speak with these artists, to understand their work and process. It was an inspiring art show. I now just want to play and create and see where things go.

Here's the snow I am talking about non-stop (this is a picture taken from my kitchen window):

sketch: march 7 / 08 and Dinosaur-love

2008-03-07T22:30:00.000-05:00

The snow is coming down in Toronto. We do really love the snow. We are expecting another 30cm over the next 24hours. This year has been a record year of snowfall. We originally planned to go downtown tomorrow to visit the Royal Ontario Museum, but now we may hold off due to the weather. (I would still like to go see Dinosaurs tomorrow! We are members, so we do get to go often! But who can pass up the thought of Dinosaurs??)

Here's another sketch:

sketch: march 5 / 08

2008-03-05T23:10:00.000-05:00

I have been busy with the prints tonight. I have almost completed one of them, and still have two more to go. I plan to print them, and take photographs of them this weekend. It should be ready for Sunday: that's the target! I'm excited!

I do think that in addition to writing about things, it would be fun to also try putting some sketches up here. Here's one, inspired by circles, balloons and fun! I was thinking about bridges and friendship when I drew this.

Stephan Moccio and Denzal Sinclaire

2008-03-04T23:27:00.000-05:00

Tonight, Kittie and I spent a nice evening out to see Stephan Moccio and Denzal Sinclaire at the Markham Theatre. It was the first time I ever watched a show at the Markham Theatre. It was fantastic. The two are both soloists: Denzal performed first, he's a jazz musician from Toronto. He has a smooth voice, and a delicate soft jazz style. I'm no expert, but it was very moving, with a throwback to an old jazz sound; I really liked his performance. Kittie and I listened to his My One and Only Love CD a lot during the first few months after Mackenzie was born. With blues and reds, and the Steinway & Sons grand piano, it was fantastic.

Stephan is a songwriter, but he's also a great performer. He was an artist I had never heard of until tonight. His piano styling is inspiring, emotional and moving. I really enjoyed his pieces. He is doing very well on the charts right now in Canada. You should check out his stuff. One of his songs: porcelain was written for his wife and baby daughter. It was a delicate song, with a lot of tenderness and love. He has had a very interesting life, and his anectodes are really funny and engaging.

During the evening, I would slip off into the corners of my mind. There I would sit and play with words and images. Y'know what I mean? It was just inspiring to hear these fellows play with such raw emotion and feeling. I will get back there, but it will take time.

A great e-zine

2008-03-02T23:31:00.000-05:00

I found a great ezine today from Design for Mankind. It is very inspiring and a beautiful collection of images and text. You have to check it out! I found it from Sylvia May's website. I will probably contact Erin (Design for Mankind) to see if I can participate in the next e-zine!

I posted a picture from the zine here, I hope Erin doesn't mind. Enjoy!

Too much cooking, not enough Etsy

2008-03-02T22:59:00.000-05:00

Weekends go by wayyy too fast. I have been trying to finish off a collection of four prints so that I can put them up on the shop. These prints have taken a week or so already, but I think they are pretty fun and a little more progressive. However other more important things have been coming up than completing my art.

For instance: cooking. I love to cook probably as much as I like to make art. And unfortunately, art-making has to take second seat to cooking. Not cooking will impact some pretty important and immediate family members if not taken care of in a proper way. Right, Kittie?

Although this blog is relatively young in age, a large % of my posts have revolved around cooking and/or eating. This post continues in that vein (I guess I really really like food). Today, was another visit to BVB cafe. Oh man, another cappucino, and a tasty dessert! I brought a novel with me: it is by Neil Gaiman called Interworld; I sat in the cafe for probably 45min reading it. I'm 1/3 of the way through, and it's hilarious and quick paced like a movie.

Afterwards, we headed back to my mom and dad's, spent some time with family then came back up to Markham. I immediately I got started on two dishes:

1. Osso Bucco (Lamb Shank Stew) to cook tonight, and to eat tomorrow (and to distribute to Kittie's family)
2. Tasty Pasta Sauce for Penne

Last summer, a few of our friends got together and we made our own Tomato sauce! Our first annual Tomato Sauce Day was a great success! We each came out of that event with 26 or 27 one litre jars of sauce. It took an entire day to make, but the sauce tastes fresh and we know that it is of high quality (at least we believe so!). :) Hopefully the first annual event, won't end up being our last annual Tomato sauce day event.

Dinner was good, and the Osso Bucco is resting up for it's big reveal tomorrow! I love Osso Bucco, it's great comfort food.

Toronto's Queen West

2008-03-02T03:10:00.000-05:00

We really love going into the city whenever we can find the time; in our P.B. (pre-baby) days, we would probably head into the city a couple of times a month. We're now getting back into the swing of things after the long parenthood-lose-all-our-friends drought, and have emerged from hermit-hood, and can now foray back into the city! Yay!

Toronto's downtown is a decent size, with many different cultural attractions, restaurants, clubs/bars and enough shopping to keep us happy. We were heading down to see the Ossington district, but when we got to Queen West just west of Bathurst, we knew we had to stop. This was definitely a good stop for us.

Our friends opened Balisi two years ago on College street, and just opened their second store, two weeks ago on Queen West. Their store is fantastic in the product that they carry (shoes, clothes, accessories), and also in how they have designed the store. It is progressive, comfortable and very trendy. We haven't seen them since the first store opening and it was great to catch up!

Another store that we came upon that we really like was Kol Kids. They carry some different products than the ones that you might see in some of the big box kids stores. It also appears to me that they carry interesting products from a variety of small indie designers (go handmade!). We really liked this store for its quality of selection, indie promotion and good service. We bought Mackenzie a music box called Busy Bug Music Box. It's so cute!

We love this place! As usual, as part of our day, Kittie and I managed to duck into a cafe for a quiet read of today's paper over a vanilla latte and a cappucinno! We do love our little cafes. On a side-note, tomorrow is another visit to my parents, which means: we're going back to BVB Cafe for more coffee and dessert! We're already thinking about it! Yes, we are piglets. :)

Smoked Salmon Fruttatta

2008-03-01T23:11:00.000-05:00

We hosted a Saturday brunch this morning! Kittie was the chef, and I was in the sous-chef role today. Menu:

1. Blueberry Scones

2. Smoked Salmon Fruttatta (recipe from Barefoot Contessa)

3. Sausages

4. Fresh Fruit (Grapes & Oranges)

It was a really good time preparing the food, and having Kittie's family over. We ended up using 16 eggs for the Fruttatta, so we're well on our way to using up the 4 dozen eggs that Kittie has stocked up in our fridge. Kittie's family is really great to have over, they are an easy going group, and squeezing 8 of us around our table designed for 6 is always a fun-time. :) Take a look at Kittie's creations and some of the various stages of the brunch below. They were definitely tasty. I am getting hungry looking at these pictures!

Singstar! and Cookies

2008-02-27T00:01:00.000-05:00

Kittie and I have always been huge fans of Karaoke. We have been going to Karaoke since the early 90s, well, she may have even been going in the 80s but I wouldn't know about those adventures. We love to sing! There are Karaoke boxes here in the Toronto area that we are quite fond of. They have a wide variety of asian pop music as well as top Pop songs and a wide collection of oldies.

With Mackenzie being born, we have actually not gone to one of these Karaoke boxes since that time. Our solution? The Karaoke Revolution series for PS2, and more recently: Singstar! We are enamored by Singstar. It's Karaoke, with the original music videos. It's very very fun and addictive. We are known to spend sleepy Sunday evenings forgetting about dinner and singing Gwen Stefani's "Cool" and Elton John's "Rocket Man". It typically means being extremely hungry and running out for take-out Pizza much too late. Is it worth it? Oh yes.

Besides our Karaoke addiction, Kittie bakes really good cookies. She made me some beautiful cookies for Valentine's day. They are almost all gone! Boo. Though, she just bought four dozen eggs. Yes, four dozen eggs are sitting in our fridge! What is she going to do with all of them? Something tasty, I'm sure! She's our baker!

Crocodile Surfer

2008-02-25T22:50:00.000-05:00

The first copy of my favorite print sold today at our store. Thank you so much! This illustration was very fun to illustrate and colour. It makes me feel very buoyant! It's a little child in a crocodile get-up riding a big wave. Surf's up!

Sunday Fun

2008-02-24T22:12:00.000-05:00

When Kittie and I head into Toronto to visit my mom & dad, there's a little Italian Bakery that we really really like: Bona Via Bakery. We have not gone to the bakery for years now (ever since our little head was born). But today we made it, and we thoroughly understand why we love this place! It's stocked full of great cakes and sweets; AND they make the best Cappuccino! It's so yummy. We must have been perusing the dessert display for a good 10minutes before deciding to sit-in for two cappuccinos, and two take-out desserts for our post-dinner: who doesn't love dessert?

We haven't had a nice coffee break like this together for a while! We have to visit my mom & dad more often! They really do love taking care of Mackenzie, so it let's us escape for a couple hours.

I also started the seeds for the heirloom tomatoes today. Last year's batch didn't turn out so well, but I'm hoping that things will work out better in 2008! I'm starting a little later this year, but I think that everything will turn out just fine. I am planting 3 varieties: Montreal Tasty, Silvery Fur and Ziegler's Fleisch. I ordered my seeds from Terra Edibles. They were great last year, and we actually bumped into them at the Green Living show in 2007. It was fun talking with them and seeing their wide variety of seeds. Hopefully we will see them again this year!

We are also planning to grow Oxheart Carrots: these are the short stubby carrots. Kittie is really excited with these seeds!

New York City

2008-02-22T22:32:00.000-05:00

Kittie and I came back from New York City a few days ago. We went with my siblings and visited a cousin down in Hoboken. It was a long drive, but we enjoyed being away from here for the first time since Mackenzie was born! NYC is a very inspirational place. We visited the Metropolitan Museum and enjoyed the Impressionist works of art. I am a huge fan of Van Gogh, so it was a real treat to see entire rooms devoted to his work. We also went to SOHO, the architecture and the wide variety of things to see was astounding. We spent a lot of time in the Moma Design Store, just so many cool things!

I definitely enjoyed visiting the city, but really like living here in the Toronto area where things aren't as hectic. Overall, the trip was really fun! We will certainly go back to New York City sometime soon!

Snowed in!

2008-02-06T22:33:00.000-05:00

The snow has been coming down for over 24hours now, we must have a good 15cm on the ground. Although driving in it is no fun at all, I do love the winter. Winter has a calming feeling, a quietness that I very much enjoy. There's nothing better than being inside, with the snow coming down, and a steaming cup of hot chocolate and a good book by your side.

I drew a little sketch (mostly because my camera is out of battery) to celebrate the occasion!

Creative Selves

2008-02-05T23:50:00.001-05:00

This is our first post on Blogspot! We started a sister site @ Wordpress, but are moving here to see if Blogger is a better fit for us. Kittie and I have been working very hard and putting a lot of effort into our Etsy store. Becoming sellers on Etsy has been a tremendously creative process, we both love art in all its many facets: music, paintings, toys, jewellery, pottery, etc.

Etsy and the Handmade Pledge are beautiful ideas. We are strong supporters of Etsy and the Handmade Pledge. We hope that you will enjoy the artwork that we produce, and have fun reading our blog and our adventures with our little toddler girl with the huge personality.

Enjoy!