User Profile

Little girl: "That's not Art . . Your lines are too wiggly . ." Linus: "That's because you bumped my elbow . ." Little girl: "You were taking up too much room . ." Linus: "There's no body checking in Art . ."
- ()*()*()*()*()*()*()*()*()*()- The above quoted dialogue is from one of my favorite "Peanuts" strips by Charles Schulz (it's actually taped to my drawing board!)

Other Interests

Electrostatic speakers, because of the amazing detail and realism that they can produce. There is nothing like them.

Profession

Janitor

Schooling/Education

Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honors,1993) University of Alberta.

Current School

Hard Knocks

Current Pencil Points

355

Websites or Other Links

About Me

I use pencil exclusively in my art work. Even though I search out and value high quality pencils, I also enjoy using "found" pencils (as in "found on the floor", "found in the trash", etc.) These pencils--usually HB grade--are often of terrible quality, yet it means a great deal to me to take something that is considered worthless and use it to create a work of art. Once used in this way they become valuable, and their "contribution" is indistinguishable from that of pencils with a higher pedigree. This fact appeals to me for two main reasons: 1. It demonstrates that everything, no matter how lowly, can make a positive contribution to life. 2. It reinforces the concept of "It ain't what you got, it's how you use it."

Gender

Male

What's the strangest way you've ever used a pencil?

Don't know yet!

Favorite artists, drawings or paintings?

Courbet; Manet; Monet; Norman Rockwell; John Singer-Sargent; James Tissot; Vermeer; Velasquez; Bill Watterson; all of the artists who painted the old Coke ads.

Favorite Famous Pencil User?

Henry David Thoreau: because of the development work he did on pencils in America.

Most Influencial Teacher and why?

Victor Chan, Phd, Professor of Art History, U of A: because he made art history fascinating and relevant.

Favorite Pencils?

Tombow Mono 100; Mitsubishi Hi-Uni; Staedtler Mars Lumograph 100; California Republic Palomino; Derwent Graphic; any crappy HB that I find.

Favorite writers, authors, books or short stories?

Margaret Livingstone: "Vision and Art: The Biology of Seeing"; Richard Gregory: "Eye and Brain"; David Hockney: "Secret Knowledge: Re-discovering the Lost Techniques of the Old Masters"; Kimon Nicolaides: "The Natural Way to Draw"; Betty Edwards: "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain"; Hanks and Belliston: "Rapid Viz" (2nd Ed.); Bayles and Orland: "Art and Fear"; Jacques Barzun: "The Use and Abuse of Art"; Henry Petroski: "The Pencil"; Richard Ford: "Independence Day".

What do you like most about using pencils and what do you use them for most often?

I love the feel/smell/simplicity/directness of wooden pencils. As I said, I use them exclusively in my art work.