Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Daily Drawings

So December begins, and the chaos of the end-of-year rush descends across the land, casting a dark and massive shadow that few can escape. Thus begins the rush of frenzied shoppers at Curry's, hunting for gifts to give to their artistic loved ones. Amidst all of this, I've also been hard at work on a number of projects. Some of them would be of little interest to the ordinary reader at present.

Without further ado, a sketch from the series of daily drawings.


It seems like me and finished drawings don't really get along, and I post nothing but unfinished sketches. Peculiar. More to come.

All the best,
Alex

Monday, November 25, 2013

Daily Drawings

Yet more sketchbook pages have been filled with sketches. Astounding. 




Sunday, November 17, 2013

Daily Drawing: (Week)

Strictly speaking, today's post isn't really drawing. In fact, it isn't drawing at all. I took some photographs.

I've been tossing ideas around all over the place, and have for some time wanted to use the offcuts from my Self-Portrait series to try to push that work further. I was doing some lighting experiments (quite rudimentary) and attempting to create structures without the use of glue or anything other than the acrylic pieces themselves.

It went ok.

I know this is just a stage in an ongoing process, and with further work and attention it will end up going somewhere. I'm just not sure where. I also think there's only so far you can go without glue, especially given that I want the structures themselves to be the artworks, and they can get quite precarious at times. Here's a taste thus far.



Sunday, November 10, 2013

Daily... Drawings.

Hello all,

In a wild combination of working full time, doing jobs for some clients, working at Open Studio, doing yoga, and maintaining a social life of some description, my poor blog has been taking a back seat in recent months. In fact, it may not even be in the station wagon. I think I left it behind, and should probably go back and fetch it.

I have been drawing, although it could hardly be called daily. I do, on a daily basis, crack open my sketchbook, but it is currently equal parts ideas, sketches, drawings, and writing. My brain is teeming with ideas, and I have just recently started working out of Open Studio at 401 Richmond, which has given me somewhere to create work. I'll be proofing a fairly simple plate this Wednesday.

Below is a fairly good example of what my sketchbooks are looking like at the moment. Mostly, a jumbled mess.





A shout out to my brother, Ian Thompson, who is taking the month of November to write a novel. Rock on.

Monday, September 2, 2013

Daily Drawings: Week 15

Yesterday, I returned to Toronto, moving into my new apartment and realizing exactly how little furniture I actually own. I need to address that problem at some point, as storing things all over my floor leaves something to be desired. Also I have no closet.

I was also busy painting a fence for my Dad before I headed back, which was a whole undertaking on its own. I've also managed to get a job in Toronto, so it's been a jam-packed week. I've managed to fit in a bit of drawing as well, so life's been pretty good.

The 'moving back' process is always accompanied by anxiety on my part, along with an adjustment period, so it'll still be a while before I have everything sorted out and am totally comfortable in the new setting. Anyways, here's some of the sketching that came out of this week!


This page is all material drawn from photographs taken while I was on vacation. Thanks, and I shall see you next week for another update.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Daily Drawings: Week 6-14

The summer has flown by in a whirlwind, and it's nearly at an end. My contract with Theatre Ancaster went well, and kept me very busy planning classes and casting and directing. Lovely. Events conspired, however, to slow me down, and I hit a pretty serious slump at the end of June, which was followed up by the chaos that is TA's Stage 2. 
I return to you now, with the colours of fall creeping into the summer palette (I biked through a shallow drift of red maple leaves today), to update you on significant sketches that took place over this absence from the interwebs.
These sketches were done over the course of my summer holiday in mid-August. First are some airport sketches, followed by some members of the jazzy band that played up in the lounge on the ship, and the last is the room my brother and I stayed in on board. Still playing with trying to capture moments.



More sketches from on board. I'm particularly happy with the simplicity in the island. I want to try to pare down some of my images to the least possible number of elements.




Until next time. I plan on making sure that another eight weeks do not go before I update again.


Monday, June 17, 2013

Daily Drawings: Week 4

This week's offerings for my daily sketchbook project. I've been recently trying to tackle more figurative subjects, just out of a desire to improve my eye. Also, if you checked out last week's post, I mentioned my work going up in Kitchener. The small exhibition, held at Kwartzlab, has been postponed until August, and will feature some fun work. See you all, dear readers, next week for some more weekly sketches!



Monday, June 10, 2013

Daily Drawings: Week 3

More sketches! I'm going to attempt to get back to some figurative subjects, as I feel people tend to be interesting and expressive subjects. I also am likely in need of the practice. I do hope you'll forgive my somewhat sinister-looking figure here.


In no particular order, we have a construction site, a tobacco kiln, and the aforementioned young lady.

In other new, I am installing my work at Kwartzlab in Kitchener tomorrow. It will be up for the remainder of the month of June, so do check it out if you happen to be in the area and have some spare time. Kwartzlab is at 33 Kent Ave in Kitchener. You can find out more about the space here: http://www.kwartzlab.ca

Monday, June 3, 2013

Daily Drawings: Week 2

Week two update! Progress is slow.
This is a sketch of a condo tower at Yonge and Gerrard that has featured fairly prominently in my past work, but is now significantly further along in the construction process. This sketch is also an unfinished project, and is nearing completion.

Until next week!

Monday, May 27, 2013

Daily Drawings: Week 1

Hello again, dear readers. This post is a little later than I would have liked it, but this past weekend was pretty busy. I moved out of my old apartment, and was as a result doing a whole lot of packing and unpacking. 

Below are three of the sketches from the past week.
I shall be posting again on Friday with my next batch of sketches.



Monday, May 20, 2013

New site up!

I have a new website in the works at the moment, found at www.alexrmthompson.4ormat.com. The site is a much sleeker, streamlined, and generally nicer platform, and I will be switching my domain over to it in the near future.

Between hunting for work, I have been getting back to a bit of good, old-fashioned sketching, and am now going to make a promise to you, the internet. I am making it my mission, over the next year (and perhaps beyond), to sit down and draw daily. The studies and sketches that come out of this will be blogged on a regular, weekly basis. The plan is to improve my sketching ability, while also making a commitment to doing it regularly. Thank you for bearing witness.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Here is my commitment to more regular updates. Right here.

Grad Ex has come to a close, and with it my undergraduate degree. It's a peculiar feeling, being done. After a solid 17 years within the educational system, I am now free. Or at least, will be, as I don't yet have the diploma in my hand. Come June, however, the world is my oyster.

Grad Ex was an amazing experience, and gave me the opportunity to talk to a great number of interesting individuals with varying connections to the arts. Congratulations to my fellow medal winners, the work was fascinating and varied! It was truly an educational experience to top of the whole of my educational career (which isn't to say it's necessarily over, I won't preclude myself from the potential of graduate studies).

Attached is an image of my de-installed work, ready to leave the central hall. For images of the installed artwork, please refer to my website at www.alexrmthompson.com.