Rawk the planet

Here are some photos of the ‘rawk the planet’ café that I did the illustrations for last month. I met Vanessa (the owner) by chance when walking through Steveston and from talking to her I made some designs based on the concept of the café and the type of food/atmosphere it will evoke.

The style of the man and woman characters is fun and lively with a hippie 60s vibe. The colours help the café feel fresh and vibrant which suits the vegan and raw menu perfectly- things like healthy smoothies, natural wraps and sweet nibbles (with only natural sugar)

I used a beam that was already on the wall as a starting point for the tree bark. 

Then extended outwards adding leaves

 

  

 

You can't see it in this photo but the view from this window is gorgeous- overlooking the harbor where grand boats come and go. There will be a breakfast bar here where people can sit and watch the world go by

Midnight Cowboy

Midnight Cowboy 1969

Tonight I watched the film ‘midnight cowboy’. It was very experimental with its editing and soundtrack and the cinematography was just incredible.

The film had the same dreaminess as my favourite film ‘Lost in Translation’, where the unlikely co- existence of two strangers surpasses their isolation. Combined with these peaceful views of New York is the harsh reality of having no money in a big city; the grittiness of living in squalor with nothing more than a dream of seeing the sun.

Themes: Identity of the cowboy character in modern society, location as character, trauma, isolation, The outsider

Film for me to watch: 'Day of the Locust' also by John Schlesinger 

 This is a drawing I have been working on based on my first few weeks in Canada. Just a small illustration featuring me surrounded by the things I have seen/watched. I will post the finished drawing when its done

 Here are some photos of my new room, I started sticking images up as soon as I got here so the space could feel more busy and homely. 

I like the spaces around me to be rich with visuals that I can change/expand on. Luckily my flatmates like the same jumbled décor so our flat features many pot plants, posters, old records, ect

A drawing I did for Jack based on a visit to London zoo

 2 Advent calendars sent to me by my mum- shes so sweet.

A parcel arrived for me a few days ago which held these goodies and some newspaper clippings (from the English papers to keep me up to date with my gossip)

'The storm' by Pierre Auguste Cot

 I saw this in a thrift store and was held by its sensual movement, Im sure I have seen it before but something about it made appealed to me now. Maybe it was the way the weather has been recently- even though we have heavy rain in Steveston, the sea manages to remain still and silent.  This painting captures a movement that is meant to be frantic but with a sensitivity that relates to this town. 

Of course Ive been researching Cot again, and have found some other beautiful paintings 

Gastown

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This Saturday we visited Gastown in Vancouver for a nice day exploring our fun new city. Last weekend was the wonderful Granville Island- 

where I took an abundance of photos (will be posted soon).

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The lights around Gastown make the place sparkle, enhancing that anticipation of Christmas that is starting creep up on us

This was an antique shop DoDa Antiques that really caught my eye with its beautiful window display of vintage Christmas baubles.

 The owner was a musician and happily posed for my photo with his window display. The shop is beautiful and I love this photo

  A pub where we met a guy from England and tried to speak to him about ‘home’ over the noise of the UFC match that was being aired

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 After that we ate at the 'Old Spaghetti Factory', the decor drew us in with the old train in the middle of the restaurant and the promise of warm buttery spaghetti on a cold November evening

 Plus.....UFC fighting gives one an appetite for spaghetti

November

 Now November has brought the rain, the endless rain that rolls into night from day. 

Unlike the English rain, there is no smell in the air. No lingering dampness.

Inside I am cozy, nestled on the couch with 'the Swan thieves' and an earl grey

I walk through the fishing town, bundled in my jacket.

I smell the salty sea and hear the gulls searching for something

My hands are gloved and my socks are thick so I do not yet feel the cold

The cold is coming but for now I can manage

I walk through the fishing town where Josephine Rose waits patiently

Her grand structure once poised on water now dry and flaking 

Canada

HALLOWEEN

My first Halloween in Canada

Passing all the houses that were decorated for the upcoming October 31^st made the build up to Halloween all the more thrilling.

This clever pumpkin-turned burger was positioned outside our complex- It managed to make me hungry every morning.

This house added a new decoration to their exterior every day. By Halloween the front garden was a labyrinth of hanging ghouls, cackling witches and tape that read ‘caution’. 

This year I decided Jack and I should be scarecrows. Jack wanted to be a scary scarecrow (think Batman) but over time I reasoned with him to be a cute scarecrow with me.

In the end, Jack made a really good scarecrow where as I look more like a country bumpkin or an extra from ‘Little House on the Prairie’

We got some shirts from 'Value Village' and I sewed some straw to the sleeves and pockets. We did the same with the hats (also from thrift stores) and added some crows to our heads and shoulders. They were from the Dollar Giant.  

 I think Jack makes a great scarecrow. Maybe another time we'll do a wizard of oz theme dress-up.

Speaking of Wizard of Oz, i found this illustration in a craft shop and it hangs in our room:

  Ive never been huge on wizard of oz but these drawings really caught my eye

 We went to a pub called ‘The Buck and ear’. It was acoustic night at the pub and apart from a few hanging cobwebs…you wouldn’t know it was the night of Halloween.

But we made the most of it and managed to meet a few people who seemed as devoted to Halloween as we were. These people were very friendly and we ended our night by exchanging numbers and dancing to ‘Gangnam style’

 Now my straw hat hangs in my room, 

it feels like a very Canadian piece of decor