My book is ready!

My new, fully illustrated instruction book is now available. Wouldn't you like to see how such great artists as Leonardo da Vinci, and Eugène Delacroix learned how to draw? You can watch as my friend Nancy assembles the appropriate tools, and draws her own beautiful picture of the pavillion in Montebello Park.

The Method in a Nutshell

To draw like Eugène Delacroix, the student needs some particular materials: cotton gauze stretched on a frame like canvas, and vine charcoal. Look through the gauze at your subject as though through a window. Trace some landmarksonto the gauze, just enough information to get everything in the right place. Details and shading are not required at this point. Place the gauze against a piece of paper and trace your marks again, pushing the charcoal through the weave in the gauze. The image should be on the paper. The details and shading can be completed at this point. The image should look very much like the subject. Copy it on to a new piece of paper, while looking and correcting. When done, hide all the drawings and copy it from memory. Muscle memory will help. Do it quickly before the memory fades. This image will be similar to the original, but will have the flavour and style of the artist.

"This is the only method of drawing which really teaches anything."

REVUE DES DEUX MONDES, Sept. 15, 1850.
Eugène Delacroix.

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With this method as simple as it is ingenious, parents, and teachers, without knowing how to draw themselves, may teach children the art - now as indispensable as reading and writing.

Tracing a drawing or some object in nature through a thin gauze, reproducing the image traced and ascertaining by means of the proof if the reproduction is exact - this is the starting-point of this method which possesses the advantage of disciplining at once the hand and the eye of the pupil, even obliging her to discover and correct her own errors without the aid of a teacher. In Madame Cav駳 studio the proof is the instructor; that is to say, is the truth.

FELIX COITEREAU

Ordering

If you would like to purchase one, send me a cheque or Money Order for $12, and I will mail you a copy to anywhere in North America. Shipping and taxes are included. Please remember to include the correct address so I can mail your booklet to you.

Mail cheques or Money Orders to:

Laurie Damon Boese
164 1/2 Ontario Street
St. Catharines,
Ontario
L2R 5K5
Canada

Fort Erie Show

I was putting the finishing touches on an art display today in Ridgeway, at the Crystal-Ridge Public library. Amy Roebuck had asked if I'd mind putting up an art display for the month of march. She'd seen the kids' reaction to my Mad Science presentation one summer she had booked to get the kids into the library building.

Over the past few weeks I've been putting together a special painting for the occasion. I got my friend Sarah, and her daughter, to pose for me, reading a book together. It does look good, if I do do say so myself. Many people have been tossing compliments towards the picture.

Anyway, I filled the two display cases at the two branches with my art. Some paintings and stone carvings went in, and I added some mazes for the kids to solve, some colouring pages, and a small description of my art classes. Later, I will add a Mad Science t-shirt to each display so the kids can make the connection. The librarians have my permission to make copies of the mazes and colouring pages over the March Break and easter weekend.

At the 2nd location, just as I was finishing up the display, the librarian had to leave for a couple of minutes to help a young boy take out a book. He looked about 5 years old. The boy and his mom were just in time to get their book before the library closed for the night. He recognized me from a Mad Science class and said hello. Then he had to get back to the task at hand. His cheeks were filled with determination, a little chubby, but the lips firm as he held his book up to the counter. The title simply said "Chemistry". He and his mom were going to do science experiments over the weekend. I've been giddy ever since. The whole drive home I've felt waves of euphoria from some gland sending little shivers through my body. I counted at least four of them on the drive home through the snow on the QEW from Fort Erie to St. Catharines. The little guy also got one of my hockey mazes from the librarian to take home.

My art will be in Fort Erie for a whole month. I miss having it in the house. One of my peculiarities is that I like to carry a finished painting around with me. "To see what it looks like in the different lights" I tell people. That's a little true. Sarah's daughter's hand looked a little mustardy in the white sunlight, so I fixed it when I got it home.

The real reason I carry the pictures with me is the hope that I will get sick of them, that I won't miss them when they get new homes. I'm not sure that trick is going to work for me this time.

Algonquin

Kim and I just got back from Algonquin. We saw 4 otters, an osprey, a beaver, loons, and more in the wild. Kim and I also saw moose tracks, and owl pellets. I think I'd like to try back-packing in next summer. Kim has all the pictures.

My weekends start on Tuesdays

Today I rode my bike to the Mansion House to clean, then I went to the store to return a mismatched car adapter I bought for charging my new GPS unit. I bought the unit to help navigate the South Western Niagara Peninsula, with which I am less familiar. I did a 2 hour drive to get to Delhi this past Saturday, and was almost late because I mis-read my directions.

I went to the Strega to get lunch, and during tea Sophie from the Raging Grannies came in with a friend. We chatted for a while and her friend paid for everyone's lunch. Then we were off to the market and City Hall to see Rod Dowling's sculpture officially received by the Arts Committee and City Council.

September

Tuesday I went with Kim to Kleinburg to see Mary Pratt and Robert Bateman, who were both at the McMichael at the same time. I had no idea that Bateman had been to Tibet. In one of his books he also mentions using Zen in his art classes. I wonder if he is a Buddhist... He certainly exhibits (!) a lot of compassion for animals. Mary Pratt didn't have many paintings, but a Japanese artist had made numerous woodcuts of her paintings. This artist using so many blocks to make the pictures that from across the gallery, you might have mistaken the prints for real paintings.

Last night I saw some poetry at the Strega, the new home of the Grey Border series. I may need to find a new hangout, as I spend so much time at the Strega now. I got 2 CDs, including a new Fave: "Sarasvati Scapes, a Sound Opera" by Penn Kemp and Angela Hryniuk. There are a few tracks that feature Kiran Ahluwalia vocals. It's basically a travelogue told in verse form with chanting, music and sounds added. I stayed up late listening to it all the way through, and then again this morning getting ready for work.

Payment due

It's been two weeks since I finished my Art Camp at Brock, and they haven't sent me my pay yet, only money for art supplies. Tomorrow the money is due. Let's see what happens.

Another Elbows ?!?

An 8 year girl in my art class told me today (in a kid style helium voice) - "I was at a birthday party and there was a Mad Scientist who looked just like you and he had the same name as you." She was deadly serious. She didn't think we were the same person. In her world I bet there are loads of Elbowses who entertain children for a living.

Some pics of Ottawa

The bookstore that was open at 10 at night.
The Zen Meditation Centre on Brad's street.

My visit to Ottawa

My barely planned trip to Ottawa was better than I had expected.

It took a little planning to ensure my numerous employers all could do without me at the same time. The Mansion House is easy enough to clean in the summer, as most people go to Port Dalhousie to drink in the summer. However, after I'd scheduled time off at the Mansion, the S. C. E. N. E. Music Festival switched its schedule to coincide with my time off. The owners said "No problem" as I'd given them lots of notice. Good thing too, what with their new sponsor M-frikkin-TV!

My art camps and Mad Science were easy enough to schedule, so all I had to do was decide where to go. I chose to get round-trip VIA tickets to Ottawa.
I left the day after my birthday. There was a bit of tension the week before I left because the C. A. W. proposed a strike for the week I would be away, but they all came to some sort of agreement.

Kim had made macaroni and cheese for my birthday dinner, and she packed some leftovers for the trip. Major points scored there. I also brought my single cup drip coffee maker and a bag of coffee, as well as a thermos of cold mint tea, and a hot thermos of green tea with honey. I also packed fresh vegetables in wee plastic containers. My plan was to keep costs down. Some folks asked me if it wouldn't have been cheaper to drive - but you can't snack and read Harry Potter while driving on the 401. I drive all the time for Mad Science anyway.
I brought 4 bottles of vegan wine for my host as well. Brad is an old roommate, who now owns a mobile vegan cookie bakery in Ottawa. He paid for 2 bottles as an anniversary present for his girtlfriend. I got 2 varities they couldn't get in the liquor store. That's a bonus of living in the Wine Country.

Kim drove me in the morning after taking her daughter to rowing practice. The train ride was so smooth. I was shown how to operate the emergency exits in case of an emergency. You may now consider me an expert on the matter. Three quarters of the people on the train were also reading, but only 2 others were reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

The train arrived in Ottawa after stopping for an hour in Union Station. (I was shown how to operate the emergency exits a second time.) Brad was waiting at the station and took me for a ride in the van! He lives at the end of Daly near the river, so after taking the wine and luggage up to his apartment, we walked to Downtown ottawa.

One of the first things I noticed was a Zen Meditation Centre on the way. That boded well.
Brad walked me through the Market and the Arts Centres. He raises money for Arts Centres with an organization he created called World Beats and Eats. Everywhere was "Hey Brad". After a little walking tour he and I met up with Mike, another old roommie and after a beer, Brad had to bail. Something about getting up in the morning to bake cookies. Mike walked me to his apartment to meet Kayla, his lady, and then I walked back to Brad's. On the way, I found a bookstore on Rideau that was still open at 10 in the evening. I picked up 2 books, one on Basho and Zen, the other on Zen sesshin. I was totally impressed.


Thursday was all about walking to the Rideau locks under the Parliament Buildings, and the National Gallery. I bought a disposable camera at the Canal, so hopefully some of the pics turn out. The Gallery took hours as well. I have to go back. Dinner was at an Indian restaurant, and soooo good.

Friday I shopped the market for souvenirs, and then walked over the bridge to Gatineau and the Museum of Civilization. This time I had a vegetarian pizza and saw a display of slow motion martial arts called Dendo. The group clapped hands and chanted while the leader played a single string bow guitar thingy. Pairs of students would spar in the centre, doing rolling handstands, attempting to occupy their partners space. They passed the bowl around once while I was there.
I got some great stuff at the market - one stall was selling homemade funny fridge magnets, another was selling little sakyamuni statues, and another had fair trade goods from the Himalayas. I spent a good three hours there.

The trip home will be memorable if only for the other people on the trains. The seats in front of me were filled with a family from Northern Alberta. A young girl, nine-ish, was playing cat's cradle and decided that another young girl, nine-ish, and down the aisle also needed to learn. That family seemed to be Lebanese. The Lebanese mother seemed so thrilled to have this to do with her daughter. Even the father got involved. When we had the stopover at Union Station, the Alberta Family had continued on their journey, but the Lebanese family stayed in my line. The Lebanese daughter was working on teaching her 6-7 year old brother to play.

New Chalk Drawings

Now at the Mansion House

Ottawa, here I come

I bought train tickets today. I leave St. Catharines at 7 am on July 25, (the day after my birthday), and arrive in Ottawa 13:59. I leave Ottawa on July 28 at 12:30, and will be back in St. Catharines at 19:19. The plan is to crash at Brad's.
I hope to see the National Gallery, and maybe the Museum of Civilization. I'd also like to just wander around Hull and Ottawa to see where the good bookstores are. Any hints would be appreciated.

Summer camp

Cartoon Capers was perfect. The kids love their quills - I let the student helper hand them out. Every quill was taped to the wall next to the kids' cartoons on the walls, so when the parents came to see the show, they could tell what the kids used to make their images. That was the kids' idea. The kids were so obviously cherishing them. It was like they were holding teddy bears.

I got a treasure as a parting gift from one young lady, a drinking glass she had etched herself, with my name, and the date in Chinese. Not my real name, but Elbows. I am still thrilled.

All the comic books went home with them. We came up with a few new ideas which worked well, and I will be integrating them into future classes. The kids and parents got tips for maintaining and repairing their quills. I even made them copy a diagram into their folders so they wouldn't forget.

I'm getting a lot of gifts lately.

Kim gave me a CD today - "Kerouac - kicks joy darkness" a compilation from 1997 I never knew existed. I haven't listened to it yet, but it looks like Kerouac's words performed by the likes of Warren Zevon, Lydia Lunch, Michael Stipe, Hunter S. Thompson, Joe Strummer, Allen Ginsberg, Steven Tyler, Johnny Depp, patti Smith, Jeff Buckley, Eddie Vedder, Juliana Hatfield and John Cale, and more. Yumpin' Yiminy! What a collection of people. Lots of points for Kim!

We were at the Merchant Ale House to meet Pascal just before the Grey Borders Poetry night (and $5 dinner). Kim left to pick up a daughter, and Pascal left to go see "Sicko" - very worthy endeavors, of course. However, I got to see Max Middle perform some soundscape poetry. They're a trio from Ottawa that compose poetry both as individuals as well as for group performance. The three read some works simultaneously. I hadn't seen anything like it until now. And I am also proud to say I have seen my first performance of 3:44 - they did it right there beside the beer vats. My John Cage cherry is busted. I'd go see Max Middle again. I'll look for them in Ottawa when I get there in 2 weeks.

I've just realized that I can listen to my new CD while I type.

The insert contains a pile of Kerouac's actual texts, as well as a few images. The 1st track is a tribute to Jack Kerouac, by a band called Morphine. There's unpublished stuff here too by J. K.

The kids in my class at Rodman Hall today were working hardest and happiest with the goose quill pens I made for them. I am so happy about that, I'll be making pens like that every year.

Niagara Magazine

I'm in an article by Niagara Magazine that includes people like Richard B. Wright and Walter Ostanek! That's a picture of me at the Strega with some pictures I drew for the Colouring Books for Seniors, for Bill Liddell.

Does this guy ever work?

This morning I met with the Community Liaison Officers from the Niagara Regional Police, to talk about their new colouring book. I made 2 offers. One is based on me doing the drawings, composing them with text, formatting them for the page, and finally turning them into electronic files. The other was based on me just doing the drawings. They'll get back to me.

I took all the Mad Science gear back to the lab after a coffee, and hung out there for a bit. It's nice to hang out with April. I brought her some bean salad from Wright Brothers Market. I told her about my nightmare birthday party. I also found my new book of Zen poetry that had been lost in the car(nage) seats under all the Mad Science gear.

On Sunday, Kim took me to find a place she new where the Canada Geese go to molt, so I could get loads of feathers to make quills for summer cartooning camp. We watched a movie at her place while the feathers soaked in some bleach. I picked up a collection of short stories by Roauld Dahl for her daughters - not kid stories, but not adult stories either. Today, I walked from my house to meet Kim at the Fine Grind, but stopped at Serendipity on Duke on the way picked up some turquoise beads to string into a mala. (Tomorrow is the Karmapa's birthday.)

Tonight I went to the NAC for a Selections Committee meeting. That is the way to see all the proposal submissions from all the artists that want to have a show in the Main Space. Now, even the Members' Space requires approval from a Selections Committee. So many people were getting memberships for the sole purpose of having a show that the NAC said "enough!" From 15 - 20 submissions. Perhaps only 1 - 3 proposals might be selected, and those selected depend quite a bit on the people that show up at the meeting. A different group may end up selecting a completely different artist. That's why I like to go. I know there are lots of magazine articles, and websites, and galleries, but the Selection Process is different; it feels vital.

Quill Pen

Today I made a quill pen out of one of the goose feathers I found on the Niagara River on Sunday. I carved the tip into a nib. The curve of the feather points upwards, and the quill is used in a way that looks upside-down for someone like me who is used to a steel nib. I tried it out, and I can make italic lettering with it, just fine, thank you! Here is a poem, (from a book I just bought today from Hannelore Headley's): The Poetry of Zen, translated and edited by Sam Hamill &
J. P. Seaton.

With a bit more practice, I may have to use this quill more often!

Weekend review

I saw the Cuds on Friday night. Dan Brown from my University painting classes was there. So was a young lady with tattoos who told me she had seen me on the CBC. She pretended to measure my arms for shirt sleeves for a while while talking to me. I forgot to tell her I was going to be in a magazine article soon too. For their last set, the band left the stage and played sotto for us right next to the serving area. What a treat!

The Art of Peace Festival on Saturday was a success. Lots of people were in the audience to see Crooked Trail, a band from Ridgeway. They were a family for the most part, and I liked seeing people having fun like that on stage. I'd go see them again. Anthony Sweet filled in for a Speak Your Peace segment. I noticed right away that he was singing into mthe mike rather than shouting into it, and when he was done I told him I appreciated it. He handed me a CD. His myspace is: http://www.myspace.com/anthonybesweet . He has a bit of a Radiohead thing going; it's good. Another art instructor from Rodman Hall was in the white tent making a quilt with the kids, but the sheet I was reading said she was making a mural with bells and whistles. I got the gears from her for a while. She even called me her nemesis. I tried to explain but she would have none of it. I may be having an interesting summer.

June-Etta Chenard was there with the Quakers making T-shirts with people that read: War is not the answer. Mine is orange. I feel happy every time I see June-Etta.

Sunday I met with my teaching partner at the Strega (which was closed for Fathers' day) to plan out 1st week of camp at Carousel Players. Our theme is going to be boats! We've both lived in Winnipeg, and we both loved going to the Museum of Man and Nature. One of our inspirations is going to be the Nonesuch - a replica of a sailing ship in a harbout built right in the museum that made a big impression on both of us.

Sunday night was BBQ burgers at dad's with the brothers. Dad passed around some of gramps' fishing lures, then I drove Darcy and Danny out to a possible new location for a geo-cache. Darcy seems to like my suggestion. I won't spoil his fun by giving it away here. Then I had a horrible sleep. I'm blaming the burgers. There was nothing wrong with them, but I hadn't eaten any meat for a month.

Colouring book news

Niagara Magazine took my picture today at the Strega. I put a few of my colouring book pictures on the table. The photographer brought his kids, and they were playing with the 2 balloons by the counter that had been there since the 6th anniversary party in April. I told the kids they could take the balloons with them.
Yesterday I bought a laundry basket full of vintage magazines for $20 at the flea market. I'll use them for subject material for the colouring books for seniors. Last week I found a 1959 Fort Lauderdale High School year book. It has great images for the colouring book as well.

Art of Peace Festival

I met with Elizabeth Chitty today for the Art of Peace Festival. There will be bands, art activities and speeches, all about art. Elizabeth asked me to emcee 2 years ago and I've been doing it ever since.

Steve Saturn set off a smoke alarm in Port Colborne today, using the cotton candy machine. What an albatross that thing is. Every one of us dreads carrying the thing up the stairs to classrooms because there are so many large pieces. The thing sends wisps of sugar into the air, and sometimes the smoke detectors can't distinguish sugar from smoke. All the kids and all the staff had to leave the building until the firemen let us back in. Then I had to finish off my class with indoor fireworks!

Normally on Monday nights I would have been meditating with my kagyu group. We have switched to Sundays now, so Fred can continue teaching without being miserable right after a chemo session. Pascal and his daughter came out for the first time yesterday. Pascal has a wee bag of sand from a Tibetan mandala made in Buffalo during the Dalai Lama's last visit, and he was looking for a group to share with him when he releases it's blessing into some running water. We might try to get some people together at the end of the Peace Festival. Or, not.

I've included a couple of pen drawings I did last night in Port Dalhouisie. Ron and I got caught up over a couple of pints. I kind of like the inky blots. So much visual culture is so slick lately. I really like the proof of a thing being made by a hand. There were drawn on the inside of a beer ad thingy that I had to open up to scan. It was a challenge to draw on the inside of this triangle table display thing. The humidity in the air made the glue come apart easily for scanning.

Ephemera

cricket chirping sound?
cloudless starless night-time sky
change in my pocket!

I sat with George Langbroek, June-Etta Chenard, and 2 guys named Mike at the Open Mic at Strega. We discussed how it felt like a party in Quebec, with young ladies playing HeadBanz, variously aged musicians on stage, a chatting couple in the back with a baby (guess who!), and a single fellow having dinner and a cookie, the staff behind scenes, and ourselves. The cross generational party is rare around here it seems. Folks like to sort themselves out according to age, class, gender, and hobbies. There was a familial mix at the Strega, and it was comfortable for us. Like at the cottage, no one really felt it was necessary to impose ourselves on each others' fun, but everyone acknowledged each other throughout the evening with smiles. Not flirty - just pleasantly.

Tomorrow, Suitcase In Point will install their work for the Art Under Glass at the Strega. I'm excited. I'm hoping for old posters, handbills, programs, photos, whatever ephemera they've generated as a theatre company over the years. I used to skip NAC events to go see SIP Cabarets at the Merchant Ale House (when I was el Presidente no less).