Ecstatic Music Festival

I don't have the most reliable memory in the world so I'm glad that at some point I started writing notes on my drawings... aside from knowing that I went and really enjoyed it I don't remember all the details of my day at the Ecstatic Music Festival back in January. The impressions stuck though, some more than others.

Timothy Andres, my notes tell me I developed a crush on him while he played "Peeling Onions" (?)... guess I kind of remember him being pretty adorable though my drawing doesn't seem to reflect that.

Face the Music, what youngsters are capable of when they play things besides video games. Some of these pieces were reeeeally INTENSE, they more than held their own.

These 2 drawings are the Chiara String Quartet. Loved drawing the violinist, he looked like he was carved out of stone, so formal and severe, hair pulled back soooo tight.


This guy John Matthias was the highlight for me, he looked like he was from another time and place (kept picturing him thatching cottage roofs in Scotland...) He's the one I would go out of my way to see again, unfortunately according to songkick he has no upcoming shows. He was fascinating to watch, Audrey and I were hypnotized and struggling to capture his shaggy hangdog face. I read later and was not surprised to find that he had played on the Radiohead album The Bends.

He played "What Happens" and "Cortical Song" check out the audios on the link. "What Happens" was especially beautiful, his voice was so growly and mournful and the violin and piano were giving me goosebumps, and all that the clicking/clacking like needles up and down my spinal cord, creepily effective. John Matthias you gained a fan that day. http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/beyond-words/2011/02/ecstatic-marathon-countdown---3---john-matthias-co.html

Last but not least So Percussion, who are always awesomely creative and worth seeing reapeatedly! This show was infused with sweetness, one of the members Jason Treuting told everybody he was about to become a father any minute(!!!), the guy was glowing, couldn't stop smiling the whole show :) a few days later Audrey and Julia and I went to see them again and he was missing, off spending time with his wife and getting to know brand new baby Elsie.

Earth Day again?

Holy crap it has been MONTHS since I've posted on here hasn't it?... I've been busy though, busy neglecting this blog for my foster dog blog (check out the cuteness at http://fosteroni.blogspot.com/ no I cannot walk and chew gum at the same time). So I discovered this morning when the Google home page came up that it was Earth Day (often how I find out it's a holiday thats not Christmas) and decided it felt like a good time to start posting again.

We have done our best to tame nature here on Earth but in few places is this as striking as the gardens of Versailles, controlled beauty and balance! These quickie pencil drawings were done last August on the Dalvero Academy trip to France, we had a day off and I skipped on back to Versailles, and after spending most of the day at La Ferme http://brassringstudio.blogspot.com/2010/08/la-ferme-sigh.html I wandered back on foot (trams stopped for the day) and I was treated to dusk at Versailles, complete with sunbeams, billowing clouds, the manicured grounds and dynamic sky both benefiting from the contrast! Versailles I love and fear you at the same time.

this was one of the first drawings of the day, the top gardens are so beautiful but so rigid. What a relief to run on back to La Ferme where you could relax!

This must be what heaven looks like.

dark clouds roll in, but luckily no rain.

regarde la panorama (did I get that right? I don't speak French)

what a view... sigh..................

testing the fountains for that nights event! lucky me got to watch the dress rehearsal.

I was tempted to linger till they locked up, you know, accidentally locked in?? a night wandering the Versailles grounds, SUNRISE at Versailles... but no it would have been too spooky and I would have probably gotten in trouble.

Nobody deserves it more.

If something is hard it helps to be sure of your motivation. I'm a fledgling vegetarian and lately it's been extra hard, it's getting chilly and the Thanksgiving turkey looms large. Today I went to re-meet my "motivation" at the Catskill Animal Sanctuary, an animal rescue located in Saugerties NY specializing in farm animals http://casanctuary.org/. The place is a miracle for these creatures, some of whom have been rescued from dumpsters, slaughterhouses, meth labs, and the most obscene neglect by their owners.
The Catskill Animal Sanctuary was founded by Kathy Stevens in 2001, and since then 2000 animals have been given the love and care that they should have had in the first place. The first time I visited was unplanned, open house flier 2 years ago, but today was a more mellow visit, small group tour led by Melissa the volunteer (thanks Melissa!) and lots of time to really interact with many of the residents and learn some of their life stories.



This is Dillinger the Phoenix rooster and his girlfriend, he was rescued from a meth lab in St. Louis along with 50 other chickens, malnourished and suffering from frostbite. Chicken and pig farms are useful around a meth lab to cover the drug smells.



This is a little drawing of M.C. (Middle Child) and his little girlfriend Sarah. So it turns out lady chickens have it pretty good, today I heard many stories of rooster chivalry! The rooster does not eat before his woman has had her fill, the finest worms are hers, and if a hawk is flying overhead he guards her under his big strong wings, thats awfully manly! As for smarts chickens are about as intelligent as house cats, which may mean different things to different people;)


This is Ethyl the turkey, I need to go back and do a really good portrait of her sweet face, she has the softest, green almond shaped eyes and was making the softest little noises with her turkey BF. Those 2 followed us through the barn wanting some petting and to be sang to (they say they like it!). The sad part was learning that because of growth hormones they were the equivalent of a 300lb human, in other words morbidly obese and would not be living the long and full life of an unaltered turkey. Also upsetting to learn that there are no Humane Laws in place for poultry... My Thanksgiving problemo solved.



Piggy daydreams...



Peggy Sue and Nadine.



Nadine and a pot bellied pig enjoying a gorgeous fall day. Many of these larger pigs are rescued from the meat industry and having been given growth hormones and will grow to a weight of 700lbs, a normal pig weight should be around 250, again morbidly obese and not living the full normal pig lifespan... Some of the rescued pigs were runts "thrown on a pile to die". A few pig facts I didn't know, smarter than dogs, won't lay in their own waste if they can help it, and love belly rubs ( that's a lot of belly), also good swimmers (how??) and super cute when they run:) the pigs I got to hang out with were super doggish, very friendly, came when called, clearly checking people out for food, and wagging their piggy tales which is adorable!



This is Rambo the ram, he was found in a stable with 13 other farm animals and they were never allowed to go outside. Took him a long time to settle down and trust people and now is kind of the mascot of the place. He also has a pretty sheep girlfriend named Hannah who doesn't give him enough "space" and is a little jealous.


This one really broke my heart. Bobo the horse locked in a stall for 9 years in 6 feet of manure. But now she has the good life with a pasture, 2 other blind horse buddies and a handsome boyfriend named Casey (who was found in a junkyard covered with ticks).


This guy stole me heart! Atlas the Nubian goat, recent rescue, owned by a hoarder, malnourished and super crippled. So friendly and sweet and doing so well. In this drawing he is down on his knees eating the grass, his front legs do not "unbend" completely (I don't know how else to explain it), when he came they said he could only walk a few steps before he would tire out and go down in this position but I saw him getting around pretty good, and he's getting stronger...



with the help of his junior physical therapist doling out the goat Scooby Snacks and the very generous donation of a goat "wheelchair".




This place is amazing, and the people are truly amazing and clearly dedicated but the thing that made the biggest impression on me was how these animals, many of whom have had these nightmare pasts and should have no reason to trust people at all are still so sweet and trusting and lovable. Absolutely worth a visit, and so humbling. Kathy Stevens, and everyone at CAS thanks for all you do!

xoxo-April

Songs from the wood.

I had off today and spent some time drawing at one of my favorite places, the Ramapo Reservation in NJ. I didn't make it in too far, a migraine and unsuitable shoes prevented that, but I was very happy to settle myself next to the Ramapo River which also flows through the backyard of my childhood home. Please enjoy my ode to fall colors, there will be a part 2 coming sometime very soon (I have to draw it all before we are leafless for 6 months).

Celebrity portrait.

I had dinner tonight with my good friend Kati and ended up strolling down memory lane while showing her some drawings from the elephant project I started last February. I'm hoping to go back next winter to pick up where I left off! Here are a few drawings of a very special lady, Miss Timpa the glamorous actress playing Royal War Elephant #1 who graciously allowed me to draw her portrait and take some AMAZING video footage...





her handlers very kindly managed to encourage her to face my direction while I was drawing her. Everyone I met in Thailand was so helpful and friendly, including this big girl who was a real sweetie and a good sport. The whole time I was drawing her she was eyeballing my bag of supplies and finally made a grab for it at the end, crafty girl!


You'll notice she snuffling my foot hoover style, a few of them did that, why can't a dog just smell your foot to get all your info?

Assateague Island.

Last weekend I visited my Mom in Maryland and spent a few afternoons at Assateague Island National Seashore, home to famous residents the wild ponies! There are not many places left in America where horses roam free but these hardy ponies have made a go of it on Assateague Island where the conditions are less than ideal for horses. I visit this place a few times a year and really need to draw there more often, but here's what I have from last weekend, seagulls, bathers, and of course the local ponies!

This post is dedicated to a friend of the ponies who is no longer with us.








The waves were so rough that day, I couldn't believe anyone tried to go in, the kids were being knocked over left and right!


Stormy weather on the way!


These little herds always have a stallion (on left) and several "harem" mares (on right), and sometimes if you're lucky a sweet little baby, which is nice when you're drawing because when baby takes a nap the whole herd stays in one place for while and you don't have to follow them around as they eat their way down the island.


This was drawn after this little lady walked directly up to me to see if my paper was edible, then she nuzzled my knee with her velvety muzzle and tried to bite me (and I swatted her away).




While drawing this pretty girl pony the herd stallion suddenly ran towards me across the parking lot (I thought to attack me) but ran past me to his lady and they both made soft horsie noises and snuggled faces for a few seconds, so sweet!

Beauty and the Beasties!

Galerie des Chimères! Definitely my favorite part of Notre Dame, sorry Mary and J.C. but I came for the monsters. There is something surreal about covering a church in gargoyles, and when I say covered I mean covered, 5,000 (DANG!) of these thugs adorn Notre Dame, leering and hissing at the faithful, "You go inside and pay attention like a good little sheep so you don't end up in heck with scary hybrid creatures like myself peeling your skin off over a fire pit... hisssss, and remember your 10% tithe...). Gargoyles like most church decoration was used to get religious points across to the illiterate masses, also to disguise waterspouts. These days their main function, to me, is how fun they are to draw, whoever designed/carved them must have had a blast because all they are all so individual (again, 5,000) different faces, some extra scary, some a little goofy, assorted combos of body parts, it's easy to imagine them coming alive and coming for you if you stray to far from the flock...You've been warned.