Stranger Than Paradise

I Will Miss You, Lynn



Red Self - Lynn Donoghue, 2000

Physical State: felty
Mental State: regretful
Music: Chet Baker - Let's Get Lost: The Best of Chet Baker Plays and Sings
Fashion sense: black sweatshirt, blue jeans


Upon looking up some fine artists on the net earlier today I decided to see what one of my favourite Canadian artists, Lynn Donoghue, was up to. I sadly discovered that she had passed away last year on November 22 from a diabetic coma. I am not sure why I didn't hear about this, read about this or anything. Makes you wonder what you were doing. Her name should have been everywhere when this happened (on the news, in the community, etc). I will now regard this day as an important memorial day from now on. You see I was a student of her's for Painting back at York and she has been and always will be a huge influence not just on my art but also on my life. She was always honest, supporting and kind. It had been many years since I saw her last and sadly had not kept in touch. I had often thought I should see what she was up to but she hadn't had many shows over the past few years so I had fell out of touch with her. But I thought of her often and fondly and the thought of that year in her class always made me smile.

She challenged me to do some great work and to see things differently and for that she has my lifelong respect. She inspired me to seek out artists like Lucian Freud, Franz Hals, Alice Neel and Manet among others which I also thank her for. My very core of art appreciation and knowledge that I have today I owe in no small amount to Lynn. A portrait painter by trade she did many beautiful works of Canadian celebrities, family and friends. She was as important to the history of portraits as Goya, Sargent or others were.

It is with deep regret that I learned this news and I wish now that I had bugged her by dropping in to her studio (which ironically is very close to where I now live). This is a great loss to Canadian Art and to me personally and even though it was 2 months ago, just learning it today has dealt me a nasty blow. If you were connected to her in any way you might consider making a donation to a trust fund set up for her son Luca. You can check out her work (and find donation info) by clicking here. You can also check out memorial articles from the Globe and Mail here and here. I will miss you, Lynn and thanks for your time and inspiration.

Life Gives You
Lemonade



Physical State: shivery
Mental State: inspired
Music: The Wedding Present - George Best Plus (newly rekindled love)
Fashion sense: blue sweatshirt, blue jeans (general blue)


The phrase goes "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade". Good advice and far too often advice I don't adhere to enough. But there's another lemonade that I have been totally blown away by and that is the little design business of my new graphic design rock star hero, Colleen McLean. At the tender age of 25 (yes that's 25 as in a 2 and a 5) this girl has launched her new site for her design work and called it Make Lemonade and I'll be damned if it ain't sweet as pie. So talented. Puts old dudes like me to shame...(wherz your web site, guy? "Uh...Uh..." Exactly).

So check out her lemonade stand and be sure to drop your nickel by letting her know what you think. Kid you'll move mountains. Who hoo!

The Missing


Physical State: cold, Cold, COLD
Mental State: whippy, swoony
Music: Everything But The Girl - Amplified Heart
Fashion sense: grey sweater, grey sweats (general greyness)



Ok what gives? Where ya been man? Sure enough I am still alive but freezin' my ass off. Things have been off to a really slow start in January for some reason work-wise. Everyone seems to be in a state of some kind of mental hibernation so far. Ok maybe not everyone maybe it's just me. I've met a few lovely people through Friendster and they have been quite charming and extremely diverse people. It's a lot of fun. It makes me feel good that there are still nice people out there to be met too. Chris Eaton and Laura Reinsborough are definitely two of these types (I admire Chris' band, Rock Plaza Central, more and more everyday, look for a review in the new issue of Wavelength next month). Sometimes I just get a smile from meeting interesting people doing interesting things, simple things. You see I work from home so the interaction factor can be quite limited at times (sometimes I feel like Curtis in Twitch City especially in the winter, Curtis would never leave home. A show that had real potential but didn't go far, it lasted two or three seasons an eternity in Canadian television). It is blisteringly artic here, like Montreal cold at times so staying inside seems more logical than ever. With this new found love of all things DVD I have been procrastinating a bit more than usual so I gotta do something about that I think very soon (yeah as in I'll get to that in a bit...isn't that a paradox? Not sure).

Hope you are well and still reading this.

List Crazy


Physical State: cold (what the hell happened?)
Mental State: oatmealy
Music: The Best Missed 30 of 2003 - Steven @ RadioIndieRock.com (that's me)
Fashion sense: green Stereolab t-shirt, grey sweats


Had enough of year-end lists? Well Brainwashed have put theirs up and I'll be damned if it ain't a great one. Click on the Brainwashed Year End Poll for more. Mogwai #1...man things just keep passing me by all the time. Oh well.

You can also check out my own Best Missed 30 of 2003 at RadioIndieRock.com this week.

The Perfect Sunday Morning
Album for a Friday



Physical State: slouchy
Mental State: dopey
Music: The Clientele - The Violet Hour
Fashion sense: white t-shirt, grey sweats


Could there be a better album that conveys a sleepy, rainy-Sunday-morning-looking-out-a-window-onto-an-English-garden than The Violet Hour by The Clientele? How come it took me so long to come around to this album? Purely beautiful. Kin to Nick Drake, Neil Halstead and The Left Banke (a band I have to get into after reading the great article on Belle and Sebastian in this month's issue of Big Takeover).

Safely back from Ottawa and this day is like a real come-down day or something. I am having some trouble getting going here and its already 10.30! Was there to visit Dr and Madame Easy and had a great time. As DJ Vegas and his new friend Sheila were also there and it was nice to see them. I found a copy of Console's Pan or Ama at Organized Sound (591-A Bank St.) when I was up there for $11 which was nice. As well I had the best vegetarian chili at a new find in Ottawa, Wild Oats (with a supercool counter person who reminded me of Mira Aroyo of Ladytron). Maybe I could become a vegetarian if they had more great stores like this (I'm sure there are some in Toronto but I've been too lazy to find out). I have some friendsters who are vegetarians and its interesting the reasons behind them being one. I am not sure if I could give up eating turkey sandwiches or thai fish stir-fries though (I guess I could give up lots of things if I wasn't complacent about it really).

Got home and found a great Christmas comp in my mail from the very talented Mr. Ned Norland (of No Love For Ned fame). So nice when you get unexpected little gestures from people in distant places. Makes your day. Be sure to check out his radio show regularly.

So what are my resolutions for 2004? Are resolutions like birthday wishes? Like if you tell someone does that mean they won't happen? I guess I have so many that it would be hard to put my finger on them but I can think of two immediate ones that I hope I don't break (isn't the whole resolutions thing just a way of hoping for something better?). Well as much as I will try to do some different things this year I know that not much will change (but change might be good in some ways). One thing that I am determined to do is to write more on this blog (and start painting again). I guess this blog kind of officially celebrates its anniversary as I started it up around this time last year. Hope you'd enjoyed it. I am so glad to see the end of 2003 to be honest though (as might be expected). Hope you have a better one too, reader.