The Big Side View

 The Big Side View

while at work once in the regimented field of jet engine manufacturing I had to take a training course. The course was in an old office room in our fort like building with an instructor not to long remove from Russia or some some soviet block country. The course went all morning and we stop for lunch and upon our return the instructor made a remark in regards to human physiology that explained many a routine working day feeling.     
       In his Russian accent he said that I understand that after lunch all us our a little sluggish because of the rush of sugars to the body makes us sluggish, so if you want to get up and get a glass of water or nod off in the car for five or ten before we get back to studying please feel free.
       Today I lay in bed dosing off before going to a schedule drawing section at our local art league I had ice cream on a warm summer day with the TV playing and on another monitor scanning through the hundreds of drawings I digitized.
      I got in the car a drove to NewBritain Connecticut from Windsor were the art league drawing session was and I was about six minutes late in a crowed room.  Our model was a Peruvian young lady named Bialatnett in a pink dress.  I had to take position that allowed me to to draw her side view.  I pondered for a while to decide how I wanted to draw her,  I thought to myself  maybe a full body side view, but that was to cramming for the size of my paper that I wanted draw on, so I decide to draw larger than life side view. I stummbled a while to draft the portions and drew the the model in charcoal on paper with a little white pastel, wish I had more time to color the drawing.  The drawing is below "Bialatnett":

       

"Believe in You"

• Believe in You" pencil on paper -
• as a young man I once had a summer job driving an airport shuttle. This is a drawing of me in the bus mirrors day dreaming at work.
• http://www.darrylzo.com/
  #me #art #shuttle #drawing #airport #summerwork #daydream

"The Fantastic Margaux Ensemble"

"The Fantastic Margaux Ensemble"

pen on paper

 

 

I thinks it safe to say educator Marguax Hayes composed a powerful strong, soulful, and spiritual African connection in her music that took us for a long beautiful ride as we listen to the Hartford library jazz series, just the thing needed for Black History Month. It was a pleasures listening to the rightness and shear genius of her music.

Vocalist/Performance Artist/Educator: Margaux Hayes

Pianist: Jonathan Chatfield 

composer/multi-reed instrumentalist: Richard McGhee III

Drummer: Jocelyn Pleasant on percussion

viola and bass: Colin Benn

#TheKamanFoundation #thehartfordjazzsociety #thehartfordpubliclibrary #jazz #music #peoplecentric #afrocentric #americana

 

 

The Matisse Project

The Matisse Project

     Today’s episode at the Hartford Library’s Sunday Jazz series featured a duet that played with vigor and purpose. There was  the insightful masterful pianist Christopher Bakriges and the soulful gifted Gwen Laster on violin.

     The lazy hazy winter Sunday entertainment also featured musical arrangements that paid homage to the legendary French painter Henry Matisse and a speaker who added even more focus on the theme by reciting some of Matisse’s inspiring life.  The speaker, an actual reverend, was a gentle but opposing man large in stature dark skin and with gray dreadlocks who spoke with a committed baritone voice that anchored the legendary artist story.

     The duet and speaker entertained in the library’s auditorium that had a built in projector that showed images of Matisse’s work on a large screen behind the performers as they performed.

      Some of Matisse’s more astonishing life events and ground breaking artistic theorems were noted like his way of seeing color as form, his life time commitment to art even in old age along with his traumatic family events in war torn France. 

Below:

 Two sketches of the duet and the reverend in pen and ink

...and music continues

Monday Night  before the big holiday music break, that is,  it is December 18th and the following Mondays until the first open Monday of the new years things will pretty much closed around town. In anticipation of the hiatus few of the regulars I sit with arrived early. I myself drove around for a while trying to find an ATM to pay a cover charge in anticipation of the one day out of month they charged a very modest fee to the the performers. I couldn't find one so I just took my chances and showed up and luckily there was none.

 It was a packed house with almost all tables occupied. Had small talk with my friends.  The talent was International known with roots in Hartford.

It was Jovan Alexandre the Saxophonist trio with Matt Dwonszyk on bass and J.K. Kim on drums from South Korea. They honored the holiday atmosphere by playing fantastic masterful done innovative songs along with a few jazzed up charlie brown songs. The band definitely earned its keep and played to the crowd.

Below a pen and ink sketch of the trio with it's tall band Leader Jovan cutting a confident pose outlined by a thick red curtain that covered the windows while they played.

Monday Night Jazz

 

Monday Night Jazz

 

 

 

On a quiet Monday night between Thanksgiving and Christmas saw another great jazz set at “Black Eyes” restaurant. As I sat at a table with another regular and friend I listen to music that had smooth and catchy beats. The sketch below is from Monday night yesterday.

Pen on paper approx 8” x 11”

From left to right

 

Scott Sasanecki on guitar

Jocelyn Pleasant on drums

Steve "King" Porter on Bass

Warren Byrd on piano

 

 

A Student's Dive

A Student's Dive

 Soft echoing voices in a place with soft pleasant lights done up to look smart and eloquent, place of comfort and a place known to hipsters away from the stuffy. Hear I came to the University of Hartford's Starbucks coffee shop (a school which now I am an alum) conveniently built into the library. 

I went to the library to complete an art assignment for a friend that we booth had procrastinated on for a while. It was designing labels for his candy campaign a simple brain child idea that had the potential to create ownership away from his corporate world.

Given my now mid age I looked upon the student with a new kind of older perspective.  That is that they are the continuation of a cycle of hopefuls. Hopefuls to become leaders, entrepreneurs, teachers, doctors, husband, wives and innocent of failures trials and tribulations of the professional working world... almost cute. Their ordering of the drinks and snacks reflected just that, their voices were soft and almost innocent, how we all acted when first left home, as a crowd of students that gathered to pick up their orders after efficient machine like execution of the Starbucks staff.

Below is a quick sketch done in ink on paper while waiting for my hot chocolate.

The 9th Wonder

Faces walking on bodies that seem bloated and over fed (not like I was the poster boy for the breakfast of champions), “my god is this what society has come to?, ”white brown and black faces tall short and lean faces talking and walking in long hospital white corridors stacked on levels one above another anxious signs begging for attention children darting and playing in my path “oops” just missed that one, look away to seem nonchalant to hide that fact what wanted to do to the rude kid (that was the second one) in a grand inviting space made for the ordinary to feel as if they were some where grand and special, and I think we did.

Where was I? I was in Connecticuts Fox woods Casino Mall. Yes the Casino had found another way to lure its pray, I mean the ordinary, to its works, so that along with shopping some could gamble or the young could be imprinted with the thought “lets go to that mall I remember” definitely good for future business.

     I and the family went there to celebrate a birthday and eat out. I never liked buffets so, just walked around and played a few games. Well gambling didn’t go well so I continued my walk and viewed gracious forest scenes from out windows as I walked toward the casino mall. I finally sat down on strategically arranged benches that formed a semicircle around what seemed to be an information booth all placed in the center of a grand glass atrium.

      Below is a quick sketch of the mall atrium with ornaments hanging and women receiving some information in the lower portion of the sketch.

Making artist drawing charcoal

Making artist drawing charcoal

"A great idea I discovered on  the web"
Video of charring twigs to  make drawing sticks.. I charred willow and grape vine sticks. My second year of charring. The results were very good.

Monday I went to a park and charred some dry willow and grape vine twigs  I took and cut to length from around trees to make drawing charcoal. This is the second year I tried it with some interesting results.
The the first two images are drawings done with the home made charcoal, the third is the charcoal after cooked, The video of charring the twigs in next post.

 

 

 

The Puppeteer

The Puppeteer

Today was a quiet Saturday afternoon.the kind that reminded of my childhood in Connecticut watching old TV shows like "Bonanza" as puffy lazy clouds floated over blue skys that whitened meeting the ground, and while the fan quietly swirled in the apartment window cooling the family in the hot summer heat, accept this time I found myself at the NewBritain American Museum of Art in the Connecticut city NewBritain.
      I was invited along with other artist to a last themed model drawing session of the group. I showed up about five or ten minutes before and saw our model.  He was a friendly and serious puppeteer who received a master degree in his craft and had attended national conventions on the subject.
    The event was arranged by the group's diligent and enthusiastic group leader. She has consistently arranged for interesting models and places to draw. At the museum she even had a guitar player there for ambience who played soft cerebral rhythms and blues notes .
   It was near afternoon and the early summer sun beat down on us as we drew. Some artist managed to find places in the shade on the front entrance patio of the museum. I decide to scarf ice for my craft and took a spot in the sun were I could see and imagine intersecting angles of our model. I worked out ideas on the paper and in my mind then I finally began to draw. Curious visitors entering the museum look  at me and the others as we drew.
  Below is the picture of the innocuous puppet artist as he humbled himself and breathed life into his instrument, a carved and exaggerated facsimile of human expression of which  he moved and we believed this lifeless thing was sad, happy, and had over come some tragic life story.

Rainy Day Music

Monday I decided to go to Black Eye Sally's restaurant. Something I had on my mind all day. It was that or go drawing. Got their early on a quiet rainy introspective rainy day. I thought it would be nice to talk with the chops, a married couple, and Joe the photographer. I got there about 20 minutes early and ordered a cup of gumball and a Shirley temple while the band set up. Finally the band  played about 20 minutes afterwards, 8 o'clock. I saw some familiar with faces, though my friends never showed, on stage. There was Nat Reeves on base and a new professor from the university of Hartford jazz department who played and a young drummer. Also Trombonist Steve Davis and Trumpeter Bruno join them later. My sketches are below.

A DAY WITHOUT THE PAD AND WITH THE MUSIC

A DAY WITHOUT THE PAD AND WITH THE MUSIC

The two drawings below were done on a night I didn't bring something to draw on to club I go to listen to music, so I improvised. I drew on the paper table cloth. The table had two layers with one more permanent plastic layer below the two. A system meant for easy clean up, but in the moment I used to draw. The band played classic jazz, and pianist who span several generations told stories of his younger days when he played with jazz legends like Dizzy Gillespie. I think every one would agree the trio were now the legends. Hartford's Alvin Carter played while he grooved with his mentors. Before I left I used a table knife to neatly cut out the drawings.

A Vermont Visit

 A Trip to Vermont

After a day of arduous work I decided to take a friend up on his offer to drive me to an all day art session in Vermont. Funny thing about about me and that state is that although I live a stone throw away I never visited it, my lost because I discovered is a laid back, and I'll use a Cinderella word, "enchanting" place (for the most part with a minute hint of urban economic social issues). Old barns, old Victorian houses, old farm lands, and old beautiful mountains that gathered clouds of mist reminiscent of carefully arranged post cards to allure travelers to send their friend back home.
       I met my friend in the morning at a Dunkin' Donuts and he drove from the out skirts of Connecticut to Vermont as we chatted about art, life work, and other things. About an hour later we finally arrived at Brattleboro, a small quiet hilly town, that he said hipsters went to die. The group there was mostly retired individuals and some who were younger mature artist. I discovered they were friendly and dedicated to art. They came from Vermont, Connecticut and as far away as Boston (about a two hour drive).
    The model there was a man from Thailand about fifty who worked as a professional house painter. He wore a necklace of pictures of deceased individuals, which some of whom were his parents, said to be a good luck charm in Thailand that also help him meditate. I drew all day with charcoals and later colored it with pastels. During the breaks a few close artist women friends broke into spontaneous dance. They dance to old Madonna songs and rock music and laughed about when they first heard "that song", about when they bought a certain album, and how thee parents reacted as the studio radio acted as a catalyst that triggered more memories

Below is my drawing/painting of Keo the Thailand painter.

The Young Pharmacist (model from Zimbabwe)

The Pharmacist (model from Zimbabwe)

Yesterday at the art league I drew a young model from Zimbabwe. (Cindy the organizer of the drawing sessions is judicious in finding new and different models) I was happy that she was wide awake unlike a model we had previously who fell asleep during poses. Well this one had beautiful African sculptured face that I wanted to capture in simplicity. I spoke to her in between poses, and from her accent it was evident that she was from elsewhere. Her teeth were flawlessly white and she was socially graceful with a wide smile. She told me she worked in a pharmacy some were in the New Haven Area in Connecticut.

JAZZ AT THE LIBRARY - ALON NECHUSHTAN TRIO

 Two weeks ago on another lazy Sunday afternoon I attended the Baby Grand Jazz Series at the Hartford Public Library.  The Alon Nechusahtan Jazz Trio played. I think all members were originally from Europe given their accents, but now well known musicians in the New York City.  I got there again about an hour early and just took in the atmosphere in the libraries atrium space and felt peace for a moment.

(Sketches below are of the Alon Nechushtan Trio at the Hartford Library)

Lars Ekman on double Bass

Colin Stranahan on Drums

Alon Nechushtan on Piano

The Library Host

A Saskia Laroo Night

A Saskia Laroo Night

 

Saskia Laroo on Trumpet

Warrrn Byrd on Piano

Jocelyn Pleasant  percussionist

 (Above quick sketches of the musician who played  Jazz Monday night)

(at Black Eyed Sally's)

Monday night was my music night.  I went to black I Sally's restaurant and sat with some friends.  When I got there JC professional photographer had his camera and my two other friends Tom and his and his wife were dinning. I was familiar with the band who played and I'm sure they seen my face before listening to them play on many occasions. The band leader for the night was Mrs Saskia Laroo from the Neatherlands playing trumpet. Her choice of instruments I thinks still turns heads as she blasted away at jazz staples in her blue dress while her husband regaled us on piano and with his vocal skills. Among the other band members there was was Steven "King" Porter on bass and Jocelyn Pleasent on drummer.

A Music Sunday Week Two (The Sinan Bakir Quartet)

A Music Sunday Week Two
 (The Sinan Bakir Quartet)

This Sunday on the second week of the free Sunday music Baby Grand Jazz series at the Hartford Public Library the Sinan Bakir Quartet played. I unlike previous week showed up early enough to sit downstairs at performance level.  There's always a quiet Sunday morning feel in the spaciously tall and aesthetically pleasing atrium. The light feels quiet, and I sense the people are way more relaxed than in a busy work week day. Before the show I talked with regulars and other artist friends, mostly who are photographers about other events, whose showing up where, and I observed and made new social connections.
Sinan Bakir played guitar and Mike Assetta played Bass along with Curtis Torian on drums. They gave a great performance while I meditated on things and drew.
(Below sketches of the band and space)

Lazy Sunday Music with Harp player Edmar Casanada

        The Baby grand Jazz series started once again at the Hartford Public Library for the year 2016, a free Sunday jazz series sponsored by the Hartford Jazz Society, and the Hartford library. The series that had been going on for years has become so popular that even though I arrived about half hour before the performance I could not find a seat and no one was allowed to stand downstairs at performance level due to fire code. My guess is that there were hundreds of people that came who sat down stairs and on the entry level of the library. In addition they had reserved seating for Hartford's new Mayor's wife and other, so security was tightened.
      I wandered up and down the upper levels and finally decide to sketch on one floor above seating level and two floors above performance level. The sketches below are bird's eye view sketches of the audience and performers Edmar castanada on Harp Pablo Vergara on piano both from Bogota Columbia.
    Heads bopped as the played "Libertango" composed by Astor Piazolla on a lazy Sunday afternoon

The ION Force (a game never made)

         The story line: two orphans who were growing up under rough circumstances on earth are taken away to far reaches of the galaxy to train and become members of the Intergalactic Officer Network (the ION Force).
       Their mission - track down and destroy an escaped and convicted world destroying being called E-Lore. A re-hydrated sea monkey like creature. Their mission will be fraught with many obstacles including those they are sent to save because not only is E-lore is a galactic megalomaniac threat with stolen powers, but he is a charismatic character capable of influencing masses of people to his side.  E-Lore has two goals and that is rule all things or destroy all things.
 

The Genesis of the Game

In the early 2000's I got my hands on a 3d software called Inspire through a college I worked. Inspire allowed an artist or designers to create animation. Fascinated with endless possibilities, and seeing a need and opportunity to bring a diversity to the gaming industry I started developing a story for a game. I bought "Game Development for Dummies" (don't let the title fool you it was some pertinent information in the book smartly done) knowing some programming having spent years engineering I gave it a try.
     Well as far as programming goes one thing that is always said when you write your first one is keep it simple and any attempt to be more involved will lead will lead to so much coding that you won't finish. I didn't heed that advice and never finished, but I did manage to learn how to 3d model create with the software and animate them. Below is my introduction to the never completed game.

The Nigerian Model

Sometimes I attend a Monday's drawing group that has costumed models. The woman who runs the session very enthusiastic about finding models and creating a staged presentation or themes once the model arrives in our old barn of which is our art league's head quarters.
   I receieved text from her about a young Nigerian woman posing for us this Monday and she would be wearing a traditional African clothing. When I arrived with my portable easle I was asked to help to set up the model, and I did.
      The model was a lovely young women with dark complexion wearing a purple out fit, whether it was authentic or not I don't know, but I liked the color arrangement.  Once settled into her pose we all started to draw, but there was one flaw and that was the model kept nodding off (sleeping) while we drew her. I asked why and she said she was up all night, doing what I didn't ask,  sometimes had I asked her to open here eyes.
   Below is the pastel drawing/painting I did while there.