Study of Girl with Accordion I and II

Did these for a recent show at the KUMF Gallery in Toronto.  Will post better photos at a later date!
(acrylic on board)

Lest We Forget

Photoshop.  First I created each element separately - the poppy, the helmet and hats, the tartan, the hat band and even the lettering.  I couldn't find a font that I liked for this project, so I set myself the challenge of creating my own.  Even though it is a very simple font, it was more of a challenge than you might think!  There are a lot of things to be taken into consideration when designing an alphabet!  The next challenge was to recreate the 48th Highlanders tartan, as well as the 48th Highlanders hat band.  The hat band was simple but the tartan was an exercise unto itself!  I wanted to make sure I could replicate the look of woven fabric, best to zoom in for a better appreciation.

Fall back!

Don't forget to change your clock!

Francesinha

I was hired to do some illustrations for a banner advertising fransecinha for sale at a local joint...  dripping with cheesy meaty goodness.

Trick or Treat!

Who's that knocking' on my door?

Frankie's Cardboard Fashion Emporium

Had to make a last minute Halloween costume for a party, so I constructed this Frankenstein mask out of cardboard in about 3 hours before heading out the door!  Good party.

Full-headed Frankenstein mask out of cardboard by Taras Ostapchuk 2013.

Cafe Hot Dog

I did these 2 posters for a local cafe.  The cartoon one is a little bit of a caricature of the owner, and the other I wanted to use a lot of shapes and make it sort of like a retro poster art style - I wanted to keep it sort of minimalist.

Done in Photoshop.

Drawn in ink, scanned in,  coloured in Photoshop.

Dutch Dreamin'!

It seems that every time I turn around another one of my favourite places in this city is closing down (or has closed already).  I just found out Wallymagoo's is no more (which I loved!) and Honest Ed's seems as though it's on it's way down the same path.  Soon there will be no unique places of character left at all!  Thankfully Dutch Dreams is still going strong as ever.  The cones are stacked so high, holding it kind of made me think of the Statue of Liberty, hence the tag line...  Now stare up at the clouds and dream of ice cream, or better yet head over and get yourself the real thing!
(Photoshop)

For the birds!

Just messin' around with one of the blocks I made...

This will give you a good idea of the scale of all of them (all the blocks are the same size).

Art Brownie ZOO opens today!

Here are more of the blocks I made for the Art Brownie Zoo opening today!  You can go check them out in person at Index G Gallery, here is a link for more info:  http://artbrownie.com/

(Acrylic, walnut shell, wooden block 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" x 1 1/2")

(Acrylic, Super Sculpey, wooden block 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" x 1 1/2")

(Acrylic, walnut shell, Super Sculpey, wooden block 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" x 1 1/2") 

Creepy grabby giant bird feet!

Pop-Corn! Get your Pop-Corn here!

I am participating in yet another Art Brownie Project - this time the theme is Zoo - the opening for which is this coming Saturday (July 20th).  You can check out this link for more info:
http://xpia10.com/indexg/press_pressrelease.asp?gx_id=8122
(Acrylic, card stock, wire, toy wheels, wood dowling, balsa wood, toothpick, wooden block 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" x 1 1/2")

Abstract shapes self portrait

So I was messing around attempting a self portrait using abstract shapes (sort of).  Things got a little weird but I kinda like it!
(photoshop)

Proper footwear

I was playing soccer with some friends - they all had cleats and I only had on slippery runners.  I was slippin' and slindin' all over the place.  There are many reasons why proper footwear would be an advantage not to mention safer -  this is what happened to me!
(brush and ink, photoshop)

Tall ships and the Super-moon - how stars are born.

(brush and ink, photoshop)  I was playing around with a brush and some ink, trying out a new brush and some new ink.  I decided to scan it and play around with it in Photoshop.  I then decided to play around with some texture, scanning in some canvas.  So this was an experimental piece just for fun.

Here comes the sun! ...and the moon!

Well, the forecast was rain all week, but it ended up being a pretty nice day.  Got a lot of sun and took in the tall ships festival.  The sun was actually pretty intense!  Not only was the sun intense but it's a super-moon as well - a June moon - the closest it will be to the Earth all year (so I heard on the radio).

I decided to add a little colour in photoshop, but now it just looks insane!

solstice

Here comes the summer!  I managed to spend the day on the Island yesterday and for the first time in a long while did some sketching outside as I sat on a bench under the scorching sun.  Was thinking about giving it to the lady in the sun hat reading as she seemed nice (and I think I was making her a bit self-concious as I sat on the bench facing her - staring in her direction), but she got up and left while I was still working on the trees behind her.  Sorry lady, hope it wasn't me - the reason you left.

Playin' with trees BG 1

Just playin' around with some trees...  thought I'd try out different ways of expressing them.  I'll keep adding more as time goes on.

BURGERBLOG!

I did this header for Burger Blog.  You can check it out at burgerblogland.blogspot.com
(photoshop)

Blackberries

I did a sketch for this a while ago, but didn't actually get around to doing it until recently.  It's kind of old news now, so I guess the gag is kind of up.  I still get a chuckle out of it though.

Post St. Pat's

There were a lot of drunken people on the transit this weekend all clad in green.  Some kind of Martian convention you ask?  Why it was St. Patrick's day of course!  A lot of people wearing funny hats, green wigs and silly oversized ties who may or may not have a drop of Irish in them (shots of Jameson and pints of Guinness not withstanding) "entertaining" the masses with their "endearing" antics on the subways, streetcars and buses of Toronto.  Anyway, my scanner seems to be on strike, it's broken off all communication with my Photoshop and talks don't seem to be resuming anytime soon, so it might be a while before I can post what I wanted to post here.  Hope you are all successful in nursing your hangovers!  You stay classy Toronto!

red sock in the white load

Have you ever had a mix-up with your laundry?  Or gone to the laundromat and someone had unknowingly left behind something before you unknowingly threw in your own load?  This was the idea I had behind one of the blocks I made for the Art Brownie Project, turning a wooden block that fits in the palm of your hand (2 1/2" x 2 1/2" x 1 1/2") into this...

MARCH FORTH! (get it get it?)

Robot Love

Was working on a valentine post, got busy with some other stuff, will post here later.

Toodle-oo for now.

House Birdhouse or Birdhouse House?

This was a house that I transformed out of a wood block as part of the Art Brownie Project a while back.  However, on the original house, the main feature was the roof - which I painstakingly shingled as you would a real roof - only in miniature.  (I had also built steps, a deck and garbage and recycling bins).  After spending so much time on the roof, I kinda slapped on some paint without too much detail and was never really satisfied with it.  So I decided to give it a facelift, or a "renovation" if you will!  I decided to change it into a birdhouse!  I began by cleaning it up  - adding a little more detail to the brickwork etc.  I added a chimney, a drainpipe (previously painted on), threw some birdseed on the upper deck, drilled a hole, added a perch and oila!  The only thing missing - as was suggested to me - were birds.  So I made some out of Super Sculpey and here we are, House Birdhouse!

Don't take any wooden underwear!

OK I did these a while ago, you can still go see 'em at Index G Gallery.  Later on I did a larger version for a show at Manta Contemporary in Hamilton.  I have to admit, they are pretty filthy looking.  Watch out for splinters!  Ouch!

A penny for your thoughts

Well the times, certainly are a changin'.  As I commented on my last post, the Canadian government has officially stopped production of the penny, they will slowly be phased out and soon, they will be nothing but a distant memory.

Pennies from Heaven

It's official, they stopped making pennies today.

Heeeere's Buddy...

Yesterday being the anniversary of the plane crash that took Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper, I wanted to post something here.  I am in the process of inking, colouring and all that, so check back soon.

Walking in a Winter wonderland...

It's not over yet!  I started doing a little sketching yesterday after the snowfall, I have scanned it in and am painting it in the photoshop, will most likely post it tomorrow.

150 years of the London Underground

The meeting

Well, I've got a lot of blog catching up to do...  here's a painting I did (acrylic on board) for a show in Hamilton at Manta Contemporary.