Ambient Electronic Electric Experimental (Music)

Some random blurry clips repeated over a cut from our weird jazz, dub, ambient electonic, electric and experimental grooves. I tried to get footage of the group but the studio is so small I couldn;t get anything but clips of me moving the camera around, so that's what I used. As well as endless ink drawings, I also take part in a weekly jam session in hopes of one day performing live scores over my animations... Read the Webcomic

HEY APATHY! Experimental Soundtracks

HEY APATHY! Live (very) Experimental Soundtracks.

 I practically froze on my 15 minute walk into Kensington Market today to practice music with my friends. We play almost weekly at the Dancing Days Studio, an amazing little garage turned jam space located behind one of the clothing stores. Though mostly therapeutic fun, I have also and have future plans to work with these musicians on the scores and soundtracks for my animations. I am a bit behind on the webcomic this week but decided not to rush the new page, Instead I thought I share the only video clip of out music. This was taken a few weeks back but gives a bit of an idea what our sessions are like. Unfortunately the video cut out before we really got warmed up and somehow I was able to choose an angle that doesn’t let you see any of us. I really want to edit some of the best recordings from these improve together but accidentally lost my editing suites when I cleaned out my computer awhile back. Check out the free comics online

Alternative Comics Commissioned Jazz Portrait

Gary Bartz alternative comics portrait

I was posting the progress reports on this commissioned comic portrait of saxophonist Gary Bartz a week ago or so and eventually , as often happens when one is busy, I forgot all about the painting. I finished the ink drawing and delivered it to the client last Friday but just discovered the snapshot this morning while cleaning out my camera. The entire drawing took about 7 hours to complete but the work was spread out over a 10 day period as I had a number of more pressing tasks to complete simultaneous with this commission. At any rate the drawing is part of a series/style I invented depicting some of my favourite jazz musicians, each caricature is made up of a New York cityscape complete with little tiny people spiralling through the urban chaos. When I listen to this music I always get a strange visual sensation likening my imagination both to the tribal roots of the forest and the concrete and bricks of the big city. I hope that the artworks represent that same mysticism derivative of the improvisations played by all these magical musicians.

Ok, Gary Bartz is one of my favourite players but I'm going to do this any ways... The coolest alternative music performance of his career ( and one of the craziest of all time) was when Gary played at the Isle of Wright with Miles Davis. I know, I know, nobody wants to be remembered for playing with Miles because they all went on to create their own musical landscapes but the fact is that the shadow cannot be overthrown. I suppose it's a sort of curse catch 22, like a Mafioso king anyone who played with Miles was pretty much a made man in the world of funky jazz, however they are all also pretty much destined to be remembered best for their work under the sorcerer. (Wayne Shorter, who has worked with a vast number of musicians including Art Blakey and was the band leader for the chart topping Weather Report, still advertises as the saxophonist from the Miles Davis Quintet) So sorry for the reference Gary but this playing was sick...

Gary comes in at the 3 minute mark and you ain't never heard anything like it !!!

(warning make sure your cat is not in the room)

for more ink drawings visit http://www.heyapathy-comics-art.com/

Alternative Comics, Commissions, Headaches and Fine Art

Commissioned Portrait in progress

 funky jazz saxophonist Gary Bartz

Another grey and dismal Monday morning in Toronto. One second it's sunny and + 15 and the next the wind is howling through a rainy 4 degrees. I haven't been online since Friday so this morning's report shall simply be examined through a chronological account of the past two day and a brief presumptuous analysis of things to come (this afternoon).

Saturday morning Julii and I went out for an early coffee in Kensington Market, followed by a northern excursion to the used book store on Bloor Street. We both got copies of paperback Poe short works and poems, as our fine hardcover and illustrated edition is getting worn as a result of my recurring addiction. Julii also picked up a collection of Windsor McCay illustrations and a how to write comics script book by Dennis O'Neal. She is currently working in wardrobe on a television pilot but has been getting a bit of story boarding work and wanted to do some research. Familiar with Dennis's work I had no choice but to encourage the purchase certain of the resource's validity. After a big breakfast I hit the Gary Bartz portrait and scribbled away most of the afternoon hours. I posted the progress above, note the saxophone has not been worked on since the last posting. You can get a good sense of how much detail I added to image by comparing the line work of the sax with that of the figure. So far I've put about 6 hours into the piece and plan to finish it today.

On Saturday Night I head out to Front and Parliament to attend a weekly musical jam session with friends. Good Times! The sessions are random improvised noisy and bizarre, but every now and again it actually sounds like music. I will post some audio if I ever have time to edit it.

 

exploding heads ink drawing

 

Sunday I fell victim to the pressure systems of our Torontonian Spring. The air was heavy and windy and drizzling and I awoke with a terrible head ache. Likely enhanced by the late night music session, the schizophrenic weather patterns suffocated me. I've experienced these sorts of pains sporadically throughout the early spring seasons since I was fifteen. It happens when the weather changes quickly. This past weekend

instantly morphed from +15 sunny and calm to 0 windy and wet. I spent the entire day in bed asleep or watching "Tales from the Cryptkeeper Cartoons". On the bright side, this crippling experience always dissipates within a week despite any further pressure systems and is usually a premonition of winter's end.

This morning I got a few emails which will dictate the coming weeks events. The first is another commissioned project. I have been hired to design a toy for to be produced in a limited edition series. I can't give any more details as of yet because I am having difficulty opening the email attachment with all the info on it. So therein lies my afternoon. The second letter of importance was in regards to the purchase of some fine artworks over at Extempore Studios. I had some customers in last week who took home a nice big painting, and a friend of the aforementioned patron contacted me today to purchase a similar piece. Having seen the canvas artwork recently hung, the acquaintances decided to purchase one for themselves. So some more money keeps the comics alive. Funny how the grass is always greener, I am certain there are designers out there who would love to have the toy gig, and painters who wish they had regular customers for their artwork, and yet to me it's like a part time gig to finance the comics and animation projects. But who am I to complain the grass is pretty green on this side too, or at least it's black and white.

4 x 6 foot HEY APATHY! acrylics on canvas artwork