What is a true eclectic to do when her passions lead her in different directions?
This is a blog for the unfocused, the round pegs in the square holes, the short-attention span types, and all those who just can't bring themselves to join the ranks and adhere to a single category of activities or interests...whether sketches, drawings and comics, fixing an old farmhouse in Oregon, or whatever else strikes my fancy.

Thursday, December 31, 2009

New Year's Eve (12-31-09)

We attended a very entertaining New Year's Eve party at the Watts, with a brilliant and well-researched presentation about the prophecies of 2012 by Jesse C.
Jesse C. and his audience

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

At Claim Jumper's (12-29-09)

It was a pleasure to see Lyndon L. again after many years. We had a good time reminiscing and sharing stories about his and Gary's time spent in Verviers as missionaries.

Monday, December 28, 2009

Still looking... (12-28-09)

We looked at houses today... Time to consider pros and cons again. It's totally a drag, honest.

I can't think of how many houses I've looked at that, and the minute I walked in, I wanted to walk out right away.

We've seen it all: stupid floor plan, close-in but minuscule house, dumpy, massive fixer, steep driveway, no yard, no convenient bathroom, really nice but unaffordable, an abundance of Home Depot kitchens...or a really cute house, but far away from the city. There is no perfect house out there.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Annual Community Messiah Sing-Along (12-18-09)

This year again, we went to the Messiah Sing-Along at Central Lutheran Church. I sing Alto, but mostly follow the melody... so it was easier to just listen and enjoy Händel's gorgeous music (a German name NOT pronounced "Handle," but Hen-del"...).














I really like these few sketches; they are representative of the variety of people in the audience and how engaged they were in singing. The last sketch is of my daughter Valérie, with her sister Julia to her right (not visible).

Monday, December 14, 2009

We made an offer...again (12-14-09)

House offer revisited. Re-wait-and-see. I'm having mixed feelings about the subject; this house selling/renting/buying has been like pulling teeth.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Counter-Offer (12-07-09)

The terms of the counter-offer were so ridiculous, they were almost funny. The seller wanted to rent the house back from us, for a ridiculous price, and for an indefinite period of time. So, we rejected her counter-offer.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

A page from my sketchbook (ca. 11-25-09)

A page spread, worked on over several days...
At left, Julia, and at top middle, Wendy B.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Doodle Study in Black and White (ca. 11-09)



I love using my black pens. The following doodles were done with a fine point Sharpie. I wanted to fill the page with patterns as they happened spontaneously.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Friday, October 23, 2009

From a Book of B&W Photography (10-23-09)

This sketch was done from a photograph of (I think) an industrial or banker from the 1940s, found in an older coffee table book with many photos of famous people from the last century. I'm embarrassed to say that I don't know who it is...
Mystery Celebrity from the Past

Sunday, October 18, 2009

An Entry for 1000 Journals!!! (10-18-09)

Such exciting news! I stopped by artFIBERfest at Reed College. One of the organizers, Tracy Moore (whose journals are fabulous) had one of the journals from the 1000 Journals project with him, and he asked me to draw something in it. I also got to draw in one of his journals.

Left: what I drew in Tracy's journal; Right: what I drew for 1000 Journals
Best of all, he drew a House Fairy in my sketchbook, with a promise that she'll intervene to help me find a new house...

Friday, October 16, 2009

On the Bus (10-16-09)

I don't do comics often enough, but here is something I did while sitting on the bus...

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Photo of the kitchen in our old house (ca. 10-09)

Here is a photo of my favorite space in our old house: the kitchen I designed. I think the project turned out fabulous, especially with the color tiles on the wall. The kitchen "made" the house and gave it personality. I hope to find a house where I will be able to get creative like this again...
(Incidentally, the kitchen was featured in the 2007 Rejuvenation Lighting Kitchen and Bath catalog; there was an article about it in the Oregonian in March 2008.)

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Stan Ridgway at The Woods (10-03-09)

Well, once again, Stan Ridgway came to Portland, this time for an all-acoustic concert at The Woods. Although I prefer the louder sounds of old Wall of Voodoo and Drywall, it was a very enjoyable time... Here is my sketch of the musicians (autographs removed).

Pietra Wextun, Stan Ridgway, Rick King

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Thugs (09-15-09)

This newspaper photo of three would-be terrorists caught my attention. Interesting faces.

TV: "Lost" (ca. 09-03)

A few sketches done while watching Lost.
Funny to see some characters that were once very important but have been phased out (usually killed off either intentionally by friend-turned-to-foe, unintentionally by enemy-turned-friend, or through supernatural-yet-cheesy means by the malovelent island).

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Portland Creative Conference (09-12-09)

I worked as a volunteer at the Portland Creative Conference at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts.

I am really pleased with the sketch of poster artist Emek, especially since it features him talking about his well-known poster of a Decemberists album, which I asked him to sign in my sketchbook (autograph removed). Pretty cool.
Emek
Party in the courtyard

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Valérie's Wisdom Teeth (09-03-09)
















Valérie's wisdom teeth were pulled. She wasn't feeling very good, so I drew this to cheer her up.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Haiku: The Seller's Lament (08-20-09)

A poem by Pascale Steig

My house on Woodward
is lovely and for sale now.
Great neighbors. Much space.

Three bedrooms, two baths,
The best kitchen in the world:
A gourmet’s retreat.

Time passes, so slow.
The house sits immutable,
while my hair turns gray.

Fickle buyers, all.
Only complaints: too spacious;
the tree...too much shade.

Complaints, excuses:
No lawn, no fence, tree too tall,
house and rooms too big.

What about agents?
Large or small, from the same mold:
"Make it bargain cheap!"

"Price low! Give it up!"
But one thing is sacred, one:
The commission, always high.

"Sell my house," I say
to all agents who come by.
No results. Nothing.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Victorian House in Verviers (ca. 11-08)



For all the talk about houses, as this pretty much the focus of my new blog, I want to include a few photos of my absolute Best of Best, the ultimate reference of what I am looking for in a house: high style, and a moody personality, or, as my daughter Valérie would say, "gloomy, slightly impressive."
But there is no such thing on the West Coast...and if there ever was, it would be in a place like rotten part of Los Angeles or San Francisco, would have been abandoned, condemned and/or demolished...
This gem of a Victorian house is in my hometown in Belgium. Like the setting for a 19th century dark novel, it is precariously
set high on the side of a hill and accessed by a narrow dead-end cobblestone path bordered by the river; a tall spiked cast-iron fence secludes it from intruders. But the modern world has encroached: the freeway runs right over the top of the house.

The house's name is Béribou.

Friday, July 31, 2009

Trip to Washington (07-31-11)

I tried to draw some cars on the freeway. I am not very good at cars, but I found that if I focus on the general shapes, I get a result that works, kinda...
Then I tried to draw trees... Here, it was also a matter of getting the general shape down.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

In a Coffeeshop (07-11-09)

I stopped by a coffeeshop at the corner of Killingsworth and Albina; there was no one else aside this guy working on his laptop.


Thursday, July 9, 2009

Mississippi Street Fair (07-11-09)

I went to the Mississippi Street Fair and had a great time walking around and working on a few sketches.
Street scene
With his soft and subdued demeaner, rap singer Madgesdiq caught my attention.
Madgesdiq
Julia at bottom right

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Movie: Jesse James (07-07-09)

We watched the movie The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and I drew this with a pen that was almost out of ink; yet, there is something about the unusually fine quality of the pen strokes that I find visually pleasant and fitting with the subject matter.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

BluesFest (07-05-09)

I love Blues, so I recorded another great Portland event in my sketchboook: the Waterfront Blues Festival! I wandered around from stage to stage, enjoying the wonderful music.


Friday, May 22, 2009

Maxine's BD: Trip to San Francisco, Part 1



...Where the CHS Choir embarks on a great adventure, participates in a choir clinic, goes rollerskating, and makes it over the state line.

Maxine's BD: Trip to San Francisco, Part 2



...Where the CHS Choir gets stranded in the middle of nowhere (California), gives an impromptu concert, and finally makes it to San Francisco.