PORTRAIT BUSKING: PUTTING ZEN IN MY PENCIL

In this picture (above) Baron and I are performing at an open mic at THE CURE KITCHEN & BAR in downtown Regina.  THE CURE is my Monday night haunt; THE BUSHWAKKER BREWPUB is my Wednesday night haunt.  I perform for free at The Cure; I perform for money at The Bushwakker Brewpub.  Both venues are perfect for guitar-slingers wanting to hit the public stage.

THE CURE KITCHEN & WINE BAR is named in part tribute to the English rock band, The Cure, and also named for the purported, “Whether it be hunger, thirst, loneliness, boredom … we have the cure!” as printed on the travel-market website.  Monday nights Baron and I hang at the Cure, always sitting right at the bar in the company of the two bartending owners, Kelly and Josh.  We are there for the every-Monday open mic nights.

I AM A BUSKER.  Oftentimes I busk with my guitar and harp; oftentimes I busk with my sketchpad and pencil.  When I busk with my guitar and harp, in that alterity I am a Bobby Dylan wannabee.  When I busk with my sketchpad and pencil, I am a portrait busker.  And just so you know, MY PENCIL NEVER LIES.

FACTOID:  Guitar buskers are commonplace -- portrait buskers are uncommon.

Marching in my CHAUCERIAN PARADE this week are my pencil portraits of people that I have drawn this week, either from “reference” (a picture), or from “observation” (real life).

This first portrait is GRANT, manager of the BUSHWAKKER BREWPUB.  Grant is the go-to-guy for all the entertainment that performs on the BUSHWAKKER stage.  Grant is ever gracious and always promoting new and local talent.

This portrait is GREG, Director of Education for REGINA PUBLIC SCHOOLS.  Greg is the go-to-guy for the development of policy and the delivery of all educational product (curricula, methodology, and staff) for the Regina public school system. 

This portrait is REGAN, oftentimes gig-mate on the BUSHWAKKER stage.  Regan is a very talented singer-songwriter and guitar-slinger.

This portrait is BURT, my long-time long-distance running mate.  Together, Burt and I went on a ten-mile run, rain or shine, snow or sleet, for over 25 years.  Burt just recently passed.

This portrait is Jason, son of, Gary, my long-time closest friend of over 30 years.  Jason, too, just recently passed.

Now here are some portraits that would be classified as CARICATURE, pictorials of people which exaggerate characteristic traits and add fanciful details for comic effect.  Such artists are referred to as caricaturists.  Note, dear reader, that I AM NOT A CARICATURIST.  Also, dear reader, I remind you that forsooth, MY PENCIL NEVER LIES!

I say that my pencil never lies but occasionally, a consumer may suggest otherwise.  In research psychology, such consumers if they represent the minority, are referred to as counter-patterns.  (If the dissatisfied consumers ever represented the majority, I would have a very big pencil problem!)

My last counter-patter  (unsatisfied customer) was a little boy in Marrakech, who threw a fit right after I drew him. On that busk in 2017, over the course of three days on the streets of Marrakech, I drew 150 people portraits, each of which took approximately five minutes.  (Note my line simplicity in the two pictures below).

And then there was ROB MILTON, famous Calgarian caricaturist.

Rob, the caricaturist, drew me …

And then I drew the caricaturist, Rob, who did admit that he saw “some resemblance.”

And in phenomenological fashion, my colleague just sent me this …

This is a caricature of my colleague, Gary, when he was playing professional hockey in England.  (This is not my drawing -- I do not do caricatures.) 

Meanwhile back to my blog title and back to the range where this busker roams …  

DRAWING SOMEONE IN A WARM AND WINDLESS WORLD, WHEN MY PRESENCE OF MIND IS AWARE ONLY OF THAT PERSON'S VISAGE, DEFINITELY PUTS ZEN IN MY PENCIL.