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This is just an updated post of some pencil on paper drawings, the kind of sit down stuff I do when I’m bored, or when it’s raining, or if there’s not much going on in the world of video games and DVDs.  You may notice a common theme here:  there are a whole lot of actresses.

When I was kid, I mostly drew cars, buildings, and comic book type characters - like fedora wearing, bricked faced detectives and shifty eyed henchmen.  I wasn’t very adept at drawing women, so I decided to practice.  Not to sound sappy, but you can’t really get much better subjects, so I stuck with them.  Besides, I’d much rather look at a pretty actress than a tree, so yes, your model has a lot to do with keeping your interest.  I still get kind of restless, so I usually watch TV while drawing.  Needless to say, it’s difficult then to draw a live subject.  Most of the time I get a couple of photographs from Entertainment Weekly, or a freeze frame from TV, or a photo of a billboard and go from there.  Once the basic shape is on paper, the shading is easy.

Most real artists won’t consider these art and I agree.  They are cold, calculated, illustrations, measured to be as photorealistic as I can make them, and have little interpretation or feeling or meaning or whatever else the bleeding heart liberal birkenstock wearing hippie folksters look for in ‘my kid can do that’ sidewalk fare.  In fact, the few buildings thrown in the mix, enabled by architectural rendering classes back at Santa Monica College in 1990, are the true slant of my education in art and anything following will sort of lean in that rigid, soulless direction.  But hey, they allow me to decorate my house with what’s pleasing to my eye.  I have about 3 times as many on the walls as are on this website, but hopefully I can post more in the future.  I’ll also keep drawing as long as the good Lord allows, so we’ll see what new items crop up later.

Click on ‘Read the rest of this entry’ then any drawing for a slightly larger shot and a description (or explanation).

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As many of you know, I was born in Half Way Tree, St. Andrews Parish, Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies in the VERY late 60’s.  But I was raised here in the States since infancy (Chicago, Detroit, Miami, Los Angeles… and the beautiful Inland Empire).  Still, due to the influence of my parents, extended family, and passion for all things Reggae, you may catch me rattling off sayings and phrases from the old country.  Here now to bring you up to speed are some quick definitions of miscellaneous Jamaican ramblings:

“Mi come fi drink milk, nuh fi count cow”.
I came to drink milk, not to count cows.
Conduct business in a straightforward manner.  Get it done.  Don’t waste time when you have something to do.

“Iya deh monkey climb, more ‘im expose.”
The higher the monkey climbs the more he is exposed.
Use caution on the ladder of success as it exposes you.

“Nah cyaan test”.
You can’t test me.

“Gwan an lef me.” - “Lef mi Nuh?”
Go away and leave me alone.  Leave me alone.

“Is bare dog inna deh yard.”
There are only dogs in that yard.
There is nothing worth going there for.

“Cuyah!”
Look at that!

“A who dat?”  “A who seh dat?”
Who’s that?  “Who said that?”

“Yuh dun know.”
Now you know.

“Fling stone a duppy, duppy fling stone back.”
If you throw a stone at a ghost, it will throw it back.

“Yuh too facety”
You are too feisty.

“Galang bout yuh business.”
Go along about you business.

“Pickney” – “Pickney dem.”
Child - Children

“Gan a foreign.”
Gone abroad (from Jamaica).

“Every hoe dem stick a bush.”
To each his own (For every size garden hoe, there is a stick in the bush that same size) or there is someone out there for everyone.

“A peer rumors gwan.”
It’s pure (only) rumors that are going on.

“Did deh deh.” – “Me deh yeh.”
I was there. – I am here.

“Make haste.”
Hurry up.

“Why yu galang so?”
Why must you behave in such a manner?

“Carry go bring come.”
Gossip.

“What sweet nanny goat a run ‘im belly.”
What pleases the nanny goat will ruin his belly.
Things that taste good (or seem good) now may hurt you later.  The grass is always greener on the other side.

“Puppy-show”
Show offs showing off.

“Yu too red eye.”
You’re too envious.

“Sin?”
See it?  You see what I mean?  You know what I mean?  You understand?

“Chicken merry; hawk is near.”
When the chickens are merry, the hawks are near.
Every silver lining has its dark cloud.  Even in the happiest times one must still be watchful.

“Ahs dead an’ cow fat.”
Horse dead and cow fat.
Nonsense.  Irrelevant details.  Miscellaneous ramblings.

“Me trow me corne but me no call no fowl.
I threw the corn, but I called no fowl.
I never said what I was doing was for your benefit.  Don’t call yourself a chicken just because you eat my feed. You are who you show yourself to be, not who you might say you are.  Or making a provocative statement (throw corn) in an indirect manner, thus forestalling any accusations of personal insult.

“Sorry for maga dog, maga dog turn round bite you.”
Extend charity to the scruffy dog, and he’ll turn around and bite you.  Be wary of hasty do-gooding (the dog may bite the hand that feeds it).

“Cock mout’ kill cock.” - “If fish could keep him mout’ shut, him neva get caught.”
Making noise or boasting will get you in trouble.

“Every day di bucket go a well, one day di bucket bottom a go drop out.”
Every day the bucket goes to the well, one day the bottom of the bucket will drop out.
Social chaos.

“Wanti wanti cyann get it, getti getti no want it.”
The have-nots covet what the Haves take for granted.

“Time longer than rope.”
Have patience.

“Walk good.”
See you later!

This video was taken on US Route 274 from Idyllwild back into the Banning Pass.  I barely touch 9000 rpm of the bike’s 14000 redline as speed wasn’t as important as technique.  My buddy Jose has been teaching me how to safely lean and tuck in sweepers and I’m still learning.  The song is “The Funeral” by Band of Horses.  My apologies for some of the scratchy feedback due to camera vibration.  I should’ve edited that out but got lazy.