Happy Father's Day!
To all the dads out there (especially mine), take a load off! You've earned it.
Stargazing
I remember my grade 6 teacher, Mrs. O'Neil, would always say "Get your head out of the clouds" to me when I was obviously daydreaming instead of paying attention.
I did just what she said. I let my head float past the clouds and all the way into space.
I did just what she said. I let my head float past the clouds and all the way into space.
The Meteorite
In the words of Joanna Newsom:
"The meteorite is a source of the light,
and the meteor's just what we see,
and the meteoroid is a stone that's devoid of the fire that propelled it to thee"
New Header
I just finished this one, and I think it makes a fine header. Here's the old header, for archival purposes:
Sea Rain
And so I set sail today, to leave the dank and gloom.
But then the winds changed quite suddenly,
the sky turns dark, and black clouds loom,
as it rains upon the seas.
But then the winds changed quite suddenly,
the sky turns dark, and black clouds loom,
as it rains upon the seas.
Hanging Moon
How to make your own magical space sky:
1. Cut out celestial objects from white paper
2. Hang them on string
3. Use your imagination
4. Frolic among the stars
1. Cut out celestial objects from white paper
2. Hang them on string
3. Use your imagination
4. Frolic among the stars
Tick-tock
My first clock. I used a little clock kit to put the whole thing together, but it was way too expensive. Next time I'm going to try and use a cheap pre-made clock and replace the face.
Hot New Fashion Trend
When you're wearing clothes, what parts of you are naked? Just your head and hands, right? Well this is the latest thing: The complete opposite - let's clothe our head and hands, and leave the rest naked.
Haven't you heard? The trend has already populated itself amongst the new 2009 collections of many top fashion designers in Paris, London, Tokyo, Oshawa, and New York City.
Haven't you heard? The trend has already populated itself amongst the new 2009 collections of many top fashion designers in Paris, London, Tokyo, Oshawa, and New York City.
Funeral Procession
It's a little boy, lost at sea. So the fish gather in the dark of his shadow, beneath the moonlight, and follow his corpse as it floats destinationless. Like a funeral procession.
I'm quite happy with the way he turned out, as depressing as it may be. I turned it into my new websites header, as it somewhat sums up my mood as of late - pained, but with a sprinkle of wonder to ease the pain and make it worth bearing.
My old header, for archival purposes:
I'm quite happy with the way he turned out, as depressing as it may be. I turned it into my new websites header, as it somewhat sums up my mood as of late - pained, but with a sprinkle of wonder to ease the pain and make it worth bearing.
My old header, for archival purposes:
Angry at the beautiful moon
My studio is in a workshop outside. I start working when the sun goes down, and I work all night until the sun comes up. Every time I leave my studio, to get more water, go to the bathroom, etc, I'm faced with a huge glowing moon. I think this is why I paint so many moons, because I see it more than I see the sun. I'm jealous of it's beauty, and tonight, I hate it.
2fer
I'm doing these paintings. They're quick, so I don't have time to stagnate. I'm hoping that someday soon I have an original idea, something worth putting down on paper. Until then, I'm just going to keep searching. Wish me luck.
Flower Girl
This was one of those paintings that didn't turn out at all like I envisioned it when I started, but it has it's own charm that I never intended, so I don't hate it. I seem to be cropping in closer and closer to my subjects, something about the claustrophobic composition in this one drives home the 'loneliness' point.
Paint Sketches
Both of these were directionless experiments, so I'm posting them together. Not particularly happy with either of them, but this blog is never going to grow if I don't share my experimentations, so here they are regardless.
Sea Hunt
This one's not actually a painting. It's a vector, and I just added this cheesy textured background & drop shadow to make it more interesting. That's what you're supposed to do right? If something doesn't turn out the way you want, photoshop it until you're not ashamed to show it off.
Earthchild
One thing I enjoy is picturing the land that I know as the entire world, and I take an almost naive perspective of land masses in many of my pictures. It's as if I'm painting in the stupid ages, where the world was a flat land mass floating in an endless sea. But the twist here is that it's still a planet. Like, earth is floating in the ocean. And it's a head. Woh, trippy.
Sleepwalkermoonstealer
He only realized that he stole the moon when he woke up the following morning and saw it on the chair beside his bed.
This is the first cut-paper & paint piece that I've done in some time. I miss the result. I don't miss the process. Time will tell what techniques I end up choosing in the long run.
This is the first cut-paper & paint piece that I've done in some time. I miss the result. I don't miss the process. Time will tell what techniques I end up choosing in the long run.
Turbulence
This one was cathartic. She's trapped, stuck in her hole, while the world ends all around her. But she's reading about happier days, if somewhat remorseful, trying her best to pretend everything will be okay.
The Old Man and the Sea Serpent
A sea serpent saw a big tanker.
He put a hole in the side and he sank 'er.
He swallowed the crew,
in a minute, or two...
And picked his teeth with the anchor.
He put a hole in the side and he sank 'er.
He swallowed the crew,
in a minute, or two...
And picked his teeth with the anchor.
Giant Squid
I had much bigger ambitions for this painting, but I got scared. Initially he was going to be attacking a ship, and there was a big scene around him. I wasn't sure that he'd turn out though, mainly because I'm not used to working with red, which I'm trying to overcome. So maybe I'll do a bigger version someday, since it mostly worked out fine for me here.
Within Reach, Within Sight
I created a companion for the little boy with the stretchy noodle arm. Sorry, no clever poems to accompany this one.
Big man in a small town
This one was fun to paint. I was working with flat stenciling and masking, trying to give it a really crisp and clean feel. It worked out for the most part, especially on the character himself. The edges are so crisp and mechanical that it almost looks like a vector.
Draw me a Sheep
I did this little guy for a printed Illustration collective called the Pocketful Illustration Magazine. The theme was "draw me a sheep". I didn't have any clever ideas, or brilliant concepts, so it's an exercise in composition and colour that turned out better than I had hoped.
I know this is pretty small to see what's going on, these skinny horizontal images don't fit well into the blog format. The original is just as unwieldy, it's a large painting and I'm running out of wall space. However, my heart has enough space for a lifetime of paintings no matter how awkward their dimensions. Unless they've got pointy edges or something.
Wooden Fish
This little guy was just a test to see if I could cut a character and objects out of wood. As you can see, I could. But it was very annoying, so don't expect to see it often :P
Flowers of Indecision
Just some flowers, painted in a fury of indecision. When I don't know what to draw or paint, I often think, "might as well do some flowers". I can't decide if I like or hate them, but here they are regardless.
Within Reach
This little guy, reached for the sky,
and in this case, he reached up into space.
Who knew that in June, he'd shake hands with the moon?
or have a star linger, on the tip of his finger?
and in this case, he reached up into space.
Who knew that in June, he'd shake hands with the moon?
or have a star linger, on the tip of his finger?
Northern Lights
Have you ever seen the northern lights? I've seen them 3 times, only once in my adult life. They're something spectacular. It's like one of those moments that make you wonder what it would be like to experience this without knowing the science behind it. As if it were thousands of years ago, with no explanation of why it's happening, to see lights in the sky as vivid as these would certainly be something magical.
Spring Showers
Start your engines, spring is here!
Let's go outside and play!
But wait, it seems we can't, my dear...
the sky is dark and grey.
And I think, my dear, I see some rain...
In fact I'm sure I do.
Getting wet is such a pain,
this I know is true
But you know what else is true, my dear?
The rain will go away.
So wait with me and stay in here,
and soon enough we'll play.
Let's go outside and play!
But wait, it seems we can't, my dear...
the sky is dark and grey.
And I think, my dear, I see some rain...
In fact I'm sure I do.
Getting wet is such a pain,
this I know is true
But you know what else is true, my dear?
The rain will go away.
So wait with me and stay in here,
and soon enough we'll play.
Wooden Wonders
These are just a few small paintings I did to get warmed up in my new studio. They were also the first batch of paintings that I made on wood and cut with a saw.
Whaleboy of the Sea
Just you watch, and you will see,
the majestic flight of the Whaleboy of the Sea.
He's graceful enough below the water, you'll agree...
but then he soars above the waves with glee.
Like a rocket blast, and on the count of three,
he and breaks the bonds of gravity.
A beautiful life, it seems to me...
Oh Whaleboy, how I envy thee.
Skyboy and Spacegirl
It's no secret that I'm a child at heart. There's something cathartic about flinging children about in the air, and up to the stars. I think the 10 year old within myself is indulging his life long fantasy of being able to fly, breathe underwater, or visit space. For now, drawing my fantasies is as close as I'll come.
Flowerfully Turtleriffic
The turtle lost a bet. Now he's got to be the flower's personal chauffeur for a month. Luckily the flower has agoraphobia, so he doesn't like to go out often.
Smoking
Thank heavens I never took up smoking. I'm the type of person, with my oral fixation and addictive personality, that would smoke himself into an early grave.
If you're a smoker, quit. Seriously, it's time to grow some willpower. You may hate me for saying it so bluntly, but deep down you know I'm right.
If you're a smoker, quit. Seriously, it's time to grow some willpower. You may hate me for saying it so bluntly, but deep down you know I'm right.
The Nowhere Man
The task at hand here was to represent "Nowhere Man", which turns out to be more difficult than it seems at first. I mean, how do you draw someone that is "nowhere"? It's like setting a pad and pen in front of someone and saying "pick up this pen and drawn nothing".
Fish with Milk
I went through a phase at once point where almost everything I drew or painted had something to do with food. I think I was on a diet at the time.
A flower
I've always had a soft spot in my heart for this guy. Something about the moment of his creation felt really significant to me at the time, and I feel the impact of the discoveries I made while creating pieces like this one on my paintings today.
The Man from Eritrea
This little guy is "The Man from Eritrea", illustrated for an article about oppression and freedom of speech in Eritrea. The black stuff coming out of his mouth is anti-oppression verbiage.
André Jolicoeur
E: andre@andrejolicoeur.com
P: 416.577.8454
Your emotions are my food. I stir them up, then I eat them up!
www.doodlemachine.com
Doodlemachine.com is my commercial site, the home of my vectors, designs, commissions, and some fun stuff too.