Finding Balance

I'm trying to find balance in life right now. I"m working to much and not spending enough time on myself or with my family. It is so nice that I can step back from work a little bit and do things that make me happy.
Today I actually drew. Not very good as I haven't drawn a picture in almost a decade. But I was quite happy to draw while listening to Radiohead and waiting for the laundry to wash and dry.
Today I drew 3 things.

pigeon (charcoal)


dumpster diver -which for some reason wont turn the right way. (oil pastel)


I love Lamp. (oil pastel)
On Sunday Drew and I went to a couple festivals. We went to the Jazz festival and also the Latino Festival. While downtown there was a down town east side market and I got to buy a "hook" painting. It is of a city scape with cranes taking over old vancouver to build a new vancouver. Quite sad actually.
We also purchased a Ken Foster painting. We found him selling a large door painted up in an amazing back ally scene. I spoke to him and asked if he could paint me a picture. He said yes, took my $20 and said he would call me at dinner time and to bring $40 more at pick up time. I was a little skeptical of him actually coming back with a painting as he now had $20 and enough for a paper of heroine. But at 5:30 exactly, he called and told me that my painting was done. I was at the CBC about to watch an amazing Gypsy Jazz band live and aired on CBC radio 2. I had to sweet talk the ushers into letting me back in as this painting meant a lot to me, and likely to the artist who really wanted the money.
Well I got the painting and it is beautiful. It is framed in gold paint and is a scene from a back ally. Ken did it in Blacks and whites and made it very moody. I love it!
Take a look at a flicker account of his work here.

He came to collect his money with his lady friend, they were adorable skipping and yelling down the posh sidewalk outside the library. He waived my canvas in the air wildly so excited about what he had done. He splayed the canvas on the ground and stood over it telling me what it meant. And then some 3o-something yuppie came up to us and scolded me about buying art from such a person. I took offence and asked the yuppie, "what kind of person?" "You mean this famous Canadian artist with works in all sorts of Galleries across Canada?" and he rebutted "this dirty drug addict". I wont repeat what I said after that. But I think I came up on top. I was angry that this yuppie had the tenacity to say such things to someone they don't know and about someone that was standing right there. Ken didn't defend himself, and I felt so sad for him. Even though I know that he has to deal with the constant angst towards him and his lady friend, I am not used to people being so bold and outright mean.

I spoke to ken and his lady friend for about 5 more min after that. I could tell that they wanted to go so they could spend the money that I had just given them. And when I said goodbye they dashed away skipping and yelling some more. And I am sooo happy to own a Ken Foster painting!