Documentary Craze - Hit So Hard

Hit So Hard is so awesome and inspiring. You must see it. It's also on Netflix 'Watch Instantly' (as are the docs in this blog series). It's about Patty Schemel, who is most widely known as the drummer for Courtney Love's band, Hole. In the doc, Patty tells the story of her life. Patty threw herself completely into drumming at a young age and kept at it despite the difficulties female drummers faced, even in the 1990's. It's fascinating to hear Patty's stories of her early success with Hole, her collaborations and friendship with Kurt Cobain, and her struggles with coming out and addiction. Patty is so instantly likable - she's immensely talented but also funny, authentic, and down-to-earth. It's truly shocking to hear how close to the edge addiction takes her. But fortunately she makes it out alive with her talent and spirit in tact, and quite a story to tell. 
Hit So Hard is a 2011 American documentary film directed by P. David Ebersole.

Documentary craze - I Like Killing Flies

Oh-my-garsh! I love this documentary! It's on Netflix 'Watch Instantly' so you should definitely check it out. And it's not about killing flies either - so, I don't know why they gave it that title. It's about Shopsins restaurant in NYC and follows the daily work and musings of eccentric owner and head cook, Kenny Shopsin. I love it because it makes me feel like I'm in NYC. I also love watching and listening to Kenny work. His kitchen is old, run-down, and held together with all kinds of oddball homespun fixes. It's a refreshing break from the HGTV-ified universe where everyone has to have the latest, greatest, top-of-the-line oven in order to steam a vegetable. It's fascinating to watch Kenny cook. He's sloppy looking and just looks like he's slopping all these random  ingredients together while he talks non-stop about random subjects. But anyone lucky enough to sit at one of his tables knows that this low-tech, sloppy dude is a culinary genius and creator of over 100 dishes on the menu, all of which he makes completely from scratch. 

 I Like Killing Flies, made in 2004, was produced, directed, filmed, and edited by Matt Mahurin. 

It's not corned beef and cabbage...

IT'S BEANS! Actually it's homemade baked bean casserole. I made it in the crock pot. I know it's not traditional St. Patrick's Day fare, but it's hearty, delicious, and also very economical - so I feel it embodies the Irish spirit. It's just navy beans, a meaty beef bone, onion, dry mustard, honey, vinegar, and tomato juice. Let me know if you want the recipe! ☺ 

Sur la table

The kitchen table is not where we eat. It's where I do my drawing, so it's always covered in art supplies, reference material, and stacks of various projects. This random arrangement of ruler, circles template, and magazine cutout caught the eye...

Is it Spring yet?

We still have several inches of snow hanging around from recent storms here in central Massachusetts, but there are signs of Spring! One or two birds are singing in the early morning, the sun is warmer, the days are getting longer, and the air has a hint of that sweet smell of things to come... green grass, leaves, flowers, birds.
In the meantime, I have tulips from Dave! ♥

Worcester Writer's Collaborative

Many thanks to Cheryl Cory for featuring Hot Donut Salad in "New Releases" on the Worcester Writer's Collaborative website!
 

The WWC was started by the inspiring, clever, and uber-talented Cheryl Cory, local author of multiple books including the acclaimed Must've Done Something Good. The WWC is a great resource for Worcester writers. They have 'Write-Ins' on Tuesdays and Saturdays, where you can hang with other local writers and then work for a couple hours, alone but together.

Everything in Perspective

Perspective! for Comic Book Artists is the resource I've been using in my perspective independent studies. I first read it a few years ago, and I refer to it all the time. I ripped the binding apart and duct taped it back together so I could lay it flat and refer to it while I work. Understanding how to convey perspective in a drawing does not come easy to me - this book has really helped me to get somewhat of a grasp on it. I still have a lot to learn!