thanks to marie umeki from nagoya
& kaori magario from saitama, japan
for helping out with the kanji
Ideas for drawings sometimes develop slowly over a number of
years. The inspiration for this one came one afternoon at UBC
as I was getting on the bus to come home. Twenty-five minutes
later the idea was more or less complete, and I started work on
it a few weeks later. I never intended for it to have a companion
piece, but a year later an idea occured to me which complemented
this one perfectly. Though both are complete in their own right,
I feel viewing them together is more intriguing, that the images
and symbolism in each drawing play against each other, some of
them in ways I hadn't really intended as I was doing the work.
Link to
The Crucified Artist / A Fish out of Water
June
26th (Friday) [Math Work/UBC]
Coming home from campus, in lovely sunshine, on 10th Ave. an
idea for a drawing began to develop. By the time the bus
reached Broadway & Granville the idea was complete. The title
is 'Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist'
30th (Tuesday)
Wonderful little talk with Natalie this evening. Told me she'd
love to see what happened if the moon split in half, & that
her husband hated the drawing, except for her. Myle saw us talking
and waved hi
July
22nd (Wednesday)
Fireworks this evening at Vanier Park, with Vesna. Who looked
good in a long white skirt. Both of us perched on a log in a
small field of long grass, & a nice cool breeze. Discussing
relationships, including Minori; & her ex-husband, who she
called the 'creature'
25th (Saturday)
Remarkable sunset this evening, falling rain, bolts of lightening,
and the western sky colored deep orange from heaven to horizon,
the setting sun, from behind a light veil, a blazing red, orange
Watching the fireworks under an umbrella with Vesna, as lightening
flashed, & seven commuter boats did a little ballet on the water
beneath Burrard Bridge. A dull glow of warm light above Bowen
Island, framed by dark mists, added to the surreal quality of it
all. Laura telling me she's going to Alaska to meet up with her
husband, and then off to China for 3 weeks
26th (Sunday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Brutally hot. Gave Akiko a couple of photos of the portrait. She
looked good in a light sweater (!) with wide horz. stripes in
dark blue & white. Watching Yugoslav movie 'Underground' with
Vesna this evening
27th (Monday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Heard from Janis Brass on Facebook, who is into photography
these days, especially portraits. Liked my profile shot
28th (Tuesday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
'Once in a lifetime heatwave' continues
29th (Wednesday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Natalie back at work this morning. Talked Farmville, chat boxes,
& piling on Agnes Chow... Special conversation with Heather, on
the phone this morning. Vesna too tired for fireworks tonight
Hottest ever temp recorded for Vancouver today. It - was - brutal
30th (Thursday) [Minor Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Another day, another record. Over 100 degrees downtown! 'Whatever
Works' at The Empire. Hour & a half listening to great art, in
lovely cool air, & then back out into the furnace, though with
renewed optimism
31st (Friday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
A little coolness in the shade at least, today
August
1st (Saturday) [Minor Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Little Phoebe was quite charming this morning. I think she wants
to connect on Facebook, she got me to write my full name on a
napkin. Short chat with a lovely girl from Osaka, who works at
Granny Lee's. Leane (a charming woman!) leading me to the
Elizabeth Arden counter, where Natalie is the new counter
manager!... Fireworks with Vesna tonight
3rd (Monday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Sorted out the Facebook album for this drawing. Mercifully
quiet today, though still a little numb from yesterday
4th (Tuesday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
5th (Wednesday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Another poignant talk with Heather this afternoon, from just
before noon till 2 o'clock
6th (Thursday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Cool, quiet day
7th [Friday] [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
8th (Saturday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplalting the Crucified Artist]
9th (Sunday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Showed Natalie the outline of the drawing. Asked how she would
interpret it. She smiled, shook her head, & did the little
eyebrow thing
10th (Monday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
My last talk this morning with Heather. An hour before Natalie telling
me she might be pregnant. The cycle of life goes on. Dark, cool, rainy,
which was what I was hoping for Heather
11th (Tuesday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Near 23rd & Main, at the condom shop, was introduced to Isabelle, a
girl who does card readings. She intrigued me somehow, telling me I
was working too hard. Told her I'd come back, & on the bus thought
I should do it a day or two after the drawing is finished, in Sept/
Oct
12th (Wednesday)
Figured out what to use for the background upper left in the drawing
13th (Thursday)
Helping Yajing with the pronunciation of certain phrases on the
calculator. Seymour Room this evening, thinking of Heather. Dark
skies to the east, headlights twinkling far away on Hastings, a
white crane, & the seagulls circling, the music of the Supremes,
& I won't forget the words of the last song as I was looking
through the window
14th (Friday)
Talking with Natalie, & then describing to Myle about the morning
I talked to Minori, what was said, etc. Marcus came by with some
of the herbal. Told him about the idea for the 'lake' at the
bottom of the drawing. Laughed & said he thought it was a bit
'severe'. Prefered the idea of a 'sprinkle' of blood in the snow
15th (Saturday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Down the Rabbit Hole this evening. Reading the e-mails from
Nayeon, which were like poetry
16th (Sunday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Some nice drama at the PGA, Hazeltine won by Y.E. Yang. Showed girl
from Nagoya some of the art work, including the Fuji prints. Which
I gave to her, & she had me sign the back. A charming girl, her
name is Marie Umeki. Saw Taeko walking along Burrard. Not too
impressed by the appearance of her boyfriend. I would have thought
she could do better than that
17th (Monday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Saying 'Hi' to Akiko on Georgia, & talking to Vesna on the phone
later. Describing what happend with Minori, she was mildy amused
& even seemed faintly optimistic about the future prospects. The
sun had a comfortable late summer warmth this afternoon
18th (Tuesday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Myle quite distraught this morning. Was close to tears at one point,
and I had to touch her hand 3 or 4 times, & tell her everything
would be okay...
19th (Wednesday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Nice warm sun this afternoon. Yajing explaining the meaning of
'Mokusatsu' and how to pronounce Confucius' name in Chinese
20th (Thursday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Myle as depressed as I've ever seen her. Mentioned that it was
exactly two years ago that her father died. Told her he'd be
proud of her. 'Would he?' 'Of course he would.' Bought her an
avocado smoothie, that cheered her up a little. Describing to
Natalie that I'm adding Japanese Buddhist proverbs to the
drawing. Hot, very muggy this morning
21st (Friday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
22nd (Saturday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Myle looking stressed & distracted, again. Is taking anti-depressants,
and seeing a councilor. Some problems, 'issues' she says. Down the
Rabbit Hole this evening...
23rd (Sunday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Lovely little breakfast at Joyeaux, though a little chilly sitting
outside. Star Trek Monopoly, & Chinese food at Rickshaws, Whalley
24th (Monday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Long talk with Natalie in the morning. First ride on Canada Line,
from Yaletown to Broadway. Reading 'Confucius'
in the lovely sunshine at City Market. Walking along Cordova to Sunshine
Market. Stood there on Powell looking at the hospice at 333, that was so
serene, & lonley. It felt as though the world behind those windows
belonged to a different dimension, or universe. Myle sitting in a chair
behind the counter, tired & speaking softly. 'Hi Rich,' she said, as I
walked up. With Natalie standing there, & Vicky in the background. At
one point Nat said, very nicely, 'Would you rather I leave, so you can talk.'
In both our reactions there was a little 'No' & a little 'Yes' too
25th (Tuesday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Myles demeanour improving. Told me she was 102, & wanted to reach 93
by the end of the year. Showing me her stomach & waistline, & gave
me a playful glimpse towards something else. Bought her an avocado
smoothie from Joyeaux. Yajing telling me she's divorced now, & living
on Robson west of Denman. Suggested we get together sometime, & is
bringing me almonds on Thursday
26th (Wednesday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Two teenage girls, one playing acoustic guitar, singing 'Let it Be' on the
steps of the fountain on Hornby
27th (Thursday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Bought Myle two yogurts, neither of which turned out to be the right one
Early this evening Won Ton Soup at Joyeaux with Natalie. Agreed that we
would come back often, & try everything on the menu. 'Enlighten
Up!' with Vesna at 5th Ave
28th (Friday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Febe working this morning, we're trying to figure out why we can't
connect on Facebook. Bought Myle & Natalie the yogurt parfait. Long
talk with Natalie, we have a joint artistic project with Agnes Chow as
the theme
29th (Saturday)
Late summer evening, Skytrain moving through the night, I'm thinking
about Natalie, & Myle
30th (Sunday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Marie Umeki back at Soody's. Writing out kanji I'll be using
in the drawing, she kept thinking, consulting her keypad, &
saying 'one moment please'. Told her I could do such a good
portrait of her. She said okay
31st (Monday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Last of summer, reading 'Shockwave' at City Market, at the edge
of lovely sunshine
September
1st (Tuesday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Girl at the liquor store telling me she does portraits in pencil
Said she'd check out the website
2nd (Wednesday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Enjoyable little chat with Yajing this afternoon. Told me she'll
be having a party that she'd be inviting me to. Hinted that I
wouldn't mind going to the Greek place on Davie sometime
3rd (Thursday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Nathalie waiting across the street at Howe & Hastings, with the
news about Heather
4th (Friday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Met Baeta & Hunny at Davie & Jervis. On their way to North Van,
they both looked good
5th (Saturday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Dark, overcast, raining this morning
6th (Sunday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Taking photos of Marie Umeki for a future portrait. Lovely little
visit to Whalley, good stew beef, & an enjoyable time creating the
first print of the Humpty Dumpty/Agnes Chow series. Looking over
the photos at Urban Fare/Shangri-La late this evening. Janis
commenting about the drawing on Facebook
7th (Monday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Myle back at work looking & sounding much better. Amused by the
Agnes/Humpty print, saying 'Don't let Cindy see this!' Yajing
saying she wants to see 'Whatever Works' at the Hollywood Theatre
tomorrow. Pleasant talk at Safeway with the girl from Iraq, who
loves the PNE & spent a 9 hr day there last week
8th (Tuesday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Myle looking & sounding better all the time. Telling me about
how she'd been 'traumatized' by a crow swooping down on her when
she left the house. Was surprised when I told her that they only
did that for a couple of weeks in June, to protect the nest. 'Hey
Farmer, what's up?' I said to Natalie, who is working for
Shiseido at the Bay. Saw 'Whatever Works' at Hollywood, with
Yajing & her Irish boyfriend, who laughed all the way through
9th (Wednesday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Brought Natalie both flavours of cheesecake, & re-scheduled lunch
for next week. Down the Rabbit Hole, & talking to Vesna on the
phone
10th (Thursday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Brought Reanne some cheesecake. Myle telling me she may have to
cancel her Hong Kong trip because of the Olympics. Lovely warm
day, with beautiful dragon clouds this afternoon sweeping across
the sky. 'Whatever Works' again this evening, this time with
Vesna (sort of) who told me she was laughing out loud through
the whole show
11th (Friday)
Myle telling me she can't visit her father's grave this weekend
Something to do with evil spirits this time of year. Day off for
sorting things out
12th (Saturday)
Heather's memorial service at the old cemetery in Mission
13th (Sunday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Gave Marie a glimpse of the contact sheet. Persian woman agrees
with me on which one would make the best portrait. Talking to Lani
at the Thurlow store. Told me she showed my site to a graphic
artist in Kelowna, & that his reaction was 'ga-ga'
14th (Monday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Some nice drama at US Open tennis this afternoon, won by Del
Potro
15th (Tuesday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
On the terrace at Mcd's 41st & Boulevard, autumn leaves just
out of reach, glowing warmly in the late afternoon sunshine
Pondering things
16th (Wednesday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Lunch with Natalie at Joyeaux. Myle's acquaintence delighted that
the meal was for me. 'You never eat!' Gave N & Reanne chocolate
bars, & Myle telling me she's 99.8 lbs & that she might have seen
Minori outside on Granville. Dark, overcast, the air very still &
warm. Heavy rain this afternoon
17th (Thursday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Talking with Reanne, who told me she works in acrylics, doing abstract
work in a graphic style. Impressed with what she had to say, & wants to
check out the progress of the drawing on Facebook
18th (Friday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Congratulating Natalie on her new 'Plantation' status. Quite warm this
afternoon, with a combination of dragon clouds & rain clouds in the
blue sky. Enjoyable banter with Nicky & Ann in the lobby, who were
heading off to a French restaurant on Davie
19th (Saturday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
20th (Sunday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
21st (Monday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Lovely sunny day which could be defined as the perfect temperature
22nd (Tuesday)
Saturna Island
Mystical ravens and millions of sparkling diamonds on the water. A
cloudless, warm afternoon
23rd (Wednesday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Sharing a doughnut with Natalie, at Tim Horton's. Was wondering what
Melinda was thinking when we walked off together. Unusually hot
afternoon, though it cools off in the evening
29th (Tuesday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Walking with Natalie from the Bay to Sears through the rain. Long
talk with Myle & Reanne, whose artistic intellect impresses me every
time I talk to her. Bought Myle some pineapple from Salad Loop
Around noon a HEAVY downfall that turned to hail, & then sunshine this
afternoon
30th (Wednesday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Lunch with Natalie for Friday. Told me she got soaked in the downpour
yesterday
October
1st (Thursday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Cold, wet day
2nd (Friday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Myle's hair colored black, with bangs to cover a 'blemish'. She
brought me some pork dumplings, bought her some pineapple from
Salad Loop. Thinks I should 'give it up' with Minori. 'If it hasn't
happened by now, it will never happen,' she told me, suggesting I
burn the drawings of her, including this one. Lunch with Natalie &
Reanne at Joyeaux. R. telling us about her 2 cats, & a dog named
Diesel. Sunny mostly, & chilly
3rd (Saturday) [Minori Yoshikawa Contemplating the Crucified Artist]
Talking to Myle this morning, who thinks I SHOULD have my tarot
cards read
4th (Sunday)
Sorting things out today. Bumped into Baeta on Davie, who is
looking forward to seeing the drawing. Marie Umeki cutting my
hair this afternoon. She has such a lovely gentle touch, &
charm. Told her I was going to miss her
7th (Wednesday)
Myle lifting her hair, asking 'Does my face look thinner if
it's up or down?' Told me she's missed her period twice,
but is 99% certain she's not pregnant. Bought her a dozen
chunks of pineapple, with two salts. Long talk with Natalie
at the Bay. Told me she almost ran into Agnes Chow in a
washroom at Metrotown, & that she wanted to 'throw her into
a stall & cut off her hair.' Vesna came over tonight,
watched 'Alice'
8th (Thursday)
Bought Myle an Asian pear & a shrimp salad roll from Vina's
She brought me packages of instant noodles. Showing me how
loose her pants are around her waist, & I'm beginning to
worry about her health in general. Told her she'd always be
a Queen in my eyes. Reanne showing me some of her work on
the Blackberry, body paintings of skulls on a woman. That
she described as primal. Apt cleaning & Strata meeting in
the evening. 'Hearts of Darkness' again tonight
10th (Saturday)
Myle telling me about how she dreamed about her father
dying again, & her special technique for throwing up
at work, & that she had her period after eating a bowl
of chocolate ice cream. Waiting for the bus at 1st &
Clark Dr in the lovely autumn sunshine...
