Rouli-Roulant.

I was in Montreal for a few days last week. Most of it was family time, but my one must-visit was the Canadian Centre for Architecture. While it felt a little like I'd caught the CCA between more substantial exhibitions, I was really excited by a few of the things I saw. Small, inspiring surprises remind me why I like the things I do, and why I'm studying what I'm studying. I spent an hour and a half jotting down names and titles, making little sketches and taking pictures with my brother's iPhone.

One of my favourite discoveries was a 1966 NFB film, 'Rouli-Roulant'. Filmmaker Claude Jutra explains the rouli-roulant (skateboard) and follows a gang of young skaters in Montreal's Westmount neighbourhood. Besides the graphic look of the film, the melodramatic narration and the music, I really like the film because the kids embody (for me) a perfect aesthetic mash-up of skate culture and French New Wave. Or Nouvelle France Nouvelle Vague, in this case. I love the aloofness of the kid skating with his hands shoved in his car coat, and the cool nonchalance of the girl in the striped shirt. The skinny pants, the desert boots and the haircuts. Take a look.

I've been at the Met a bunch lately (which is honestly a pretty crazy thing for me to say casually) researching Renaissance objects for school. Renaissance decorative objects aren't really my thing, so when I'm done I've been wandering around looking for things to draw.
There was a guy planted in front of this nymph sculpture, above, finishing a perfect, painstakingly-rendered charcoal drawing. He had a crowd of kids around him, peeking over his shoulder, and dads would chat him up every once in a while. Mine has a blushy bum, so that's alright.

Maria Luisa of Parma (later Queen of Spain) looking slightly happier than in the original.

After 'Diana' by Augustus Saint-Gaudens (a weathervane for Madison Square Garden).

I think I could live in a plywood house, if it were the right kind of plywood house.

I've moved to Brooklyn for a bit.

(I'm having a little colour issue: what looks nice and saturated on my old computer
looks pale and dull on my new one.
Any suggestions? How does that second image look to you?
Are the colours fun on your screen or like an old, washed out Kodak photo?)

Lanvin.

This bottom one is from a Sartorialist photo, I think.
He's in town today, and I swear everyone on Bloor Street looked like they were trying a little harder, like they'd picked their outfits the night before. The closer you got to Holt Renfrew, the more women tottering on vertiginous heels, looking studiously nonchalant...

I've been doodling chic maillot-clad women and thinking of making a print, something vintage-looking, summery and a little stylized.

I'm alright at starting personal projects, but not so great at seeing them through. Somebody ask me about this in a month, please.

In Trinity Bellwoods Park.

While waiting for Becky to play tennis.

Here's the card I designed for my friend Becky.
Her only requirement, beyond the practical (her name, contact info, etc..) was that I include a typewriter.

Scrimshaw. Reference for a little project I'm working on.

American photographer Helen Levitt died last Sunday at age 95.
I was surprised how this affected me, considering I've only been familiar with her work for a couple years, let alone had a more palpable connection. It feels like the end of an era, like the last of those kids she photographed has grown up.
As a small tribute, here's my mom at age 4.

Laura Mackness - one of my favourites of the Central Saint Martins grads.
I got a little carried away with the paper cut-outs, but it needed to happen.