It has taken me almost four months to raise my office from a simple four-walled room into a bona fide place of business. Up until yesterday I still had a few boxes here and there. Small regions of my mind occupied by nagging thoughts. An open-house can quickly solve these sorts of issues and that's precisely what I did. Thank you for coming, and for showing the very support I've been lucky enough to receive for the past little while. It's not always a picnic, but I've been very fortunate to date. I've got big fish to fry, including more narrative work that has, up to now, only been promised. I think it's the next big phase of my career and I look forward to sharing it with you on Siteway World.

Labels: Gratitude, SitewayWorld

¶ 2:43 PM

Stranded with this bitch called hope. ¶ I think we've all had the experience of losing our appetite. In some cases, this can be the result of over-excitement, and for all the stomach pain this brings, it's not so bad. Losing your appetite from actually sailing in choppy waters, however, is not at all pleasant. Couple this with losing one's nerve, and you're guaranteed to be focused on little else. The day was Saturday. The place, Port Stanley. I wasn't actually sick as I managed to curtail that unpleasantness by way of keeping focused on the horizon. And though I didn't count on losing either my appetite or nerve, losing the latter angered me. It proved impossible to retrieve. We were never in any actual danger, it must be stated, but sailing is both unpredictable and psychological and when you're flailing in your mind, very little can act as remedy. At least for me. Sunday was a different matter. The main difference was the wind. It was much calmer out there. I was also experienced at this point with both my appetite and nerve in tact. If I were Truman and you were watching my Show, at one point you would have caught me sitting on deck, legs overboard, blissed out. Minutes later I was diving off the anchored boat, swimming. It was heavenly as Lake Erie posed convincingly as the Pacific: seductive blue and expansive. Never mind that the sun was also turning in a perfect performance. We all walked away with a significant set of experiences under our belts. ¶ Our buffet and hutch arrived just before these adventures took place. It is not only handsome but also suited perfectly in our humble home. I'll take that pat on the back, even if I'm the one giving it.

Labels: Furniture, Gratitude, Lyric, Vague, WeekendUpdate

¶ 4:30 PM

Getting there, of course, is only the half of it. ¶ Preceeding our camping trip we were leaping and bounding tall buildings. Help came at just the right times and the next thing I knew, I was moved into my office. The next thing I knew, I was drinking Creemore pint after pint at Rodney's, marvelling at our luck and in great anticipation of what was to come. What came were more social calls, and finally some last minute goods at the nearby Shopper's. We went to bed and rose bright and early. The drive up to Kearney, Ontario was characterised by JS and I dominating the car conversation. He driving and myself in the back seat. Both of us quietly concerned about our ailing wives (nothing serious). Looking back it was I who should have been the object of worry. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. ¶ The next thing I knew, we were eating the last of our Final Meal (mine: cheeseburger, onion rings) climbing back into the car, and then motoring down a lunatic's road. A dusty, bendy, let's just say it was impossible to ignore, road. For the next nearly hour I was strangely blank. I had been mentally preparing myself, as best I could, by trying not to actually think of the tasks ahead. They included: canoeing, short portaging (times two), and all the details in between. Such as: getting in and out of a canoe, paddling in a canoe, communicating with your patient wife in a canoe while worrying about every move, getting out of the canoe, lugging your kit, and generally MOVING through the woods in waterways and pathways adapted for such a use. It took roughly three hours, shore to shore. ¶ Our arrival was personally anti-climactic. We, or certainly I, was proud of our accomplishment, but it was mired by an incident where I lost my cool during the first portage. It wasn't anything really, but I was a little too focused on it to really enjoy reaching our destination. ¶ Mr. Sun lost to Mr. Cloud in, what looked like early on, a neck and neck match. Mr. Sun just wasn't up for it this weekend, I suppose. He let Mr. Wind blow on through with only a few arrests during our stay. However, we were all grateful to have two virtually windless canoe trips. Indeed we were all quite pleased, in the end, to have received not all that much precipitation. It could certainly have been worse. And that was the worst of it. ¶ I had a few golden moments. They involved things like the moon, the lake, the sky, the clouds, the tree which fit like a chair, the books I was reading, and finally the certain, no longer mired, feeling of accomplishment. I wasn't surprised, mind you, but it certainly felt good to get the old clock ticking to a different pace, to get the back and legs involved for a time. The mind too, was grateful for the stretch. ¶ A rainbow. Canadian Mist. The moon. ¶ Afterward: it would be ungracious of me not to mention how capable a travel and camping mate JS was. He showed me that patience truly is a virtue and that sawing firewood didn't come naturally to him, either.

Labels: Gratitude, WeekendUpdate

¶ 11:56 AM

Quick post as I'm hungry as sin and working from a cafe. We spent a challenging but ultimately rewarding weekend in Algonquin Park, on Jubilee Lake. Our entrance to the park was near Kearney, Ontario. Lots to tell here and I'll devote a post to it very soon. ¶ Quick big thanks to MK and F-Los for their help moving me into the office as well as PK who self-motivationally helped us drop off the U-Haul. ¶ This week, late but complete: Mr. Clive Owen. ¶ More soon...

Labels: FeaturedIllustration, Gratitude, WeekendUpdate

¶ 1:19 PM

Some times you got it, and some times you don't. I had the good fortune of having it Saturday, and I'm grateful for it. I worked on a bunch of illustrations for clients and for myself. There's two specific things I'm working on: two Toronto art shows. The first will be a showing of portraits commissioned by the National Post (titled The National Post Portraits) and secondly, an exhibition of all-new, illustrated posters thematically linked to Tonicville, Phelts, and Coastalmatic (titled JetSet). I'm excited about both. The former will prove satisfying, I think, and the latter will be the riskiest career move, to date. Let's see what happens. ¶ This week's portrait is of writer Nick Tosches. Mr. Tosches has a piece on sushi in the June 2007 issue of Vanity Fair. I read his book, The Last Opium Den during our time in Sundridge and it has stayed with me.

Labels: Gratitude, SitewayWorld, WeekendUpdate

¶ 11:10 PM

Cherry blossom girl... ¶ Okay so we're in week two of Coastalmatic's short life. You can check the latest animation here and last week's here. ¶ A Siteway featured illustration of Quentin Tarantino was in the National Post last week. You can see a photograph of it here. ¶ Quietly reflecting on our extenda-weekend in Toronto reveals warm emotions and while writing this way can get uncomfortable, I will say that I had some rare quiet moments with many of those close to me and I'm extremely grateful for them. ¶ If you win some, and you lose some, then count me in. ¶ Just quickly in closing: I know I'm taking on another lofty who-cares-right-now experiment with Coastalmatic, and I know it's all a little vague. Especially the part about how all the sites are related. But there's a lot I've invested in these areas of my life and I'm serious about their full and complete development. Vagueness must scent character, and not dolls, after all.

Labels: Clear, Coastalmatic, Gratitude, NationalPost, SitewayWorld, Vague

¶ 12:43 AM

It was one hell of a weekend in Toronto, and I'm writing this with a real tired on. I had a glorious time with my friends, and about the only negative things I can say is that it went by took quickly and I took zero pictures. As always, thank you for the memories. ¶ I was charmed by Andy Richter's new Conan O'Brien brainchild, Andy Barker, P.I. Andy Richter is a funny dude and I like him.

Labels: FeaturedIllustration, Gratitude, WeekendUpdate

¶ 10:58 PM

Whatalastcoupleofdays! ¶ Cheers to living good in 2007! My hope is for lots of hard work, satisfaction, exploration, and wonder! ¶ One of my favourite villains in cinema is Louise Fletcher's Nurse Mildred Ratched. Enjoy, and good night.

Labels: FeaturedIllustration, Gratitude

¶ 11:31 PM

The Gift of the Magi, by O. Henry (13:22 / mp3 / 12.8mb).

Labels: Gratitude, MP3

¶ 12:36 PM

So I'm sentimental. Sue me. ¶ A man in my position has waited far too long to find this amazing gem: High quality DVD screenshots from films, movies and some popular tv-series.

Labels: Flickr, Gratitude

¶ 4:26 PM

"Sometimes you have to be the boss of dancing." —Michael Scott, as portrayed by Steve Carell, in The Office. ¶ I don't think either of us were expecting to have one of the best vacations we've ever had during our recent visit to Toronto but it was up there. We got to catch up with most folks we've been missing and get that sweet sweet taste of Toronto that keeps the creative juices flowing and enlivens the senses. I even had a chance to get a little work done at the Linnux Cafe (on Harbord at Grace) which has the market cornered on that ever-elusive pleasant atmosphere. ¶ Pauline and I found ourselves near Dowling Ave. yesterday and took in a pint at Mitzi's for old-time's sake. Then we walked up Sorauren, over the bridge, caught the College streetcar and sailed to where we were staying. Magic hour in Toronto never looked so good. It was the end, roughly speaking, we desired.

Labels: Gratitude, Nostalgia, Quotation

¶ 12:00 AM

My gratitude, my gratitude. Like free will, I definitely believe it exists, but I'm always up for an excuse to test it. I hope all your Thanksagiving weekends were great. ¶ It's taken me this long to illustrate a portrait of my favourite Canadian artist working today. Ladies and gentlemen, Seth.

Labels: FeaturedIllustration, Gratitude

¶ 11:19 PM

Can't say enough about the kindness and support we received tonight. I hope you enjoy "Robber" and if you were at the auction tonight I hope you had a good time. It was a real treat.

Labels: FeaturedIllustration, Gratitude

¶ 11:56 PM

But I just feel too tired to be fighting, guess I'm not the fighting kind. ¶ I knew I wasn't the fighting kind when I realised that I had thrown my last punch. I think quite a bit about my friends, and my family, and how much they mean to me. I think it's hard to really express it, and then... and then. ¶ I have learned so much from my friends and my family that they are, in reality, EVERYTHING. I am so lucky. But yet, the crystal ball calls my name, the lottery ticket beckons. And, beyond all that, the world is waiting. ¶ Thank you!

Labels: Gratitude, Lyric, Musings

¶ 1:48 AM

Had a sweet birthday surrounded by loved ones—thank you for everything. Got some great gifts, too. For the record: though I'm not a voracious reader I absolutely adore books and reading. I've been on cloud nine for a week. ¶ We go live with the Siteway Select Preview site on Monday. This is your last chance to sign up as a tester. I'm not taking any more testers as of tomorrow morning. The testing site is password protected so if you don't wish to see things unfinished you can wait until June 18, 2006 when we launch the public site. For all you testers out there, expect an e-mail late Sunday evening with instructions. ¶ And one day we will die / And our ashes will fly from the aeroplane over the sea / But for now we are young / Let us lay in the sun / And count every beautiful thing we can see / Love to be / In the arms of all I'm keeping here with me. ¶ Speaking of birthdays, a certain father of Darius celebrates today! Cheers!

Labels: Gratitude, Lyric, SitewaySelect

¶ 12:34 PM

I had a moment on Saturday night where it dawned on me, with stronger intensity than ever before, how great life can be. And how lucky I am to have mine. And yes, it was a spirited evening with some intoxicants at play, but the feeling still lives with me today. DJ Hot Logs outdid himself in a night full of social richness and revelry.

Labels: Gratitude, WeekendUpdate

¶ 12:22 AM