Ok, some more poets, but the same night

Two Poets on 3 Minute Open Mic Readings at Hot Sauced Words, a poetry event, 21 Feb 2013, charcoal, conte crayon, 80lb archival paper.

Ok, I said I wouldn't. But it's the same night, and I haven't worked on it. These two gents are 3 min poses on Open Mic at Hot Sauced Words. They remind me of Estragon and Vladimir in Becket's Waiting for Godot: ESTRAGON: (despairingly). Ah! (Pause.) You're sure it was here? VLADIMIR: What? ESTRAGON: That we were to wait.

The real poets behind their 3 minute sketches were wonderful, and not Godotian at all.

___

 

Poets Reading Poetry Series Drawing to an End

Cynthia Gould and Matthew Tierney reading at Toronto WordStage on Wed Feb 13, 2013. 9" x 12", mixed media on Strathmore drawing paper.

I think these will be my last 'poet drawings.' The poses aren't very interesting, the angle at which I sit and the lighting is usually not ideal, there's always a microphone in front of the face, and there isn't enough time to properly draw anyone (and I do not take reference photos, for the record). But the real problem is the amount of time I spend 'finishing' these little drawings. I only consider them exercises, like doing scales, a way to practice drawing, and find that working on them is keeping me from working on my own drawings and paintings. So I am considering sketching sometimes at poetry readings and rarely showing these 'exercises.' While a couple of the women, Cynthia included (she is the first image above) have liked their drawings and posted them publicly, most of the poets I draw say nothing and I'm not sure I'd be happy about uncommissioned drawings of myself either (even if I usually don't name the writer, it's usually pretty clear since I include the date and the venue).

___

 

Poets at Poetry Readings Series: A Poet

...another of my Poets at Poetry Readings Series. Successful "as portrait," no. I don't take reference photos, I didn't have my proper glasses and she was blurry, and there's not very much time to make a 'likeness.' But in other ways, perhaps. I'm ok with what's emerged here.

'A Poet,' 2013, 9" x 12", 22.9cm x 30.5cm, charcoal, conte, pastel on Strathmore archival drawing paper.

___

 

Poets Series: Art Bar, Jan 29th

Sketches of featured poets reading at the Art Bar Tuesday night at Q Space in Toronto. One likely done; the other I may tinker with. A new style seems to be emerging for these 'Poets Series.'


    

The first one, The Poet Is Loose, and the second one, Cryptic Readings, 2013, are both 9"x 12", 22.9cm x 30.5cm, mixed media on 80lb archival Strathmore drawing paper.

___

 

A novelist at Nik Beat's HOWL at Q Space

A novelist at Nik Beat's HOWL at Q Space on Jan 27, 2013, by Brenda Clews, 9"x 12", 22.9cm x 30.5cm, art pens on 80lb archival Strathmore drawing paper.

While the second drawing I did was posted yesterday, this was the first one. I wasn't going to share it, but after working on it for a bit decided to.

He read a chapter from his novel. He spoke of characters; I saw figures around him.

___

 

A poet at Nik Beat's HOWL at Q Space

A poet at Nik Beat's HOWL at Q Space on Jan 27, 2013, by Brenda Clews, 9"x 12", 22.9cm x 30.5cm, art pens on 80lb archival Strathmore drawing paper. (Original sketch and the final with some red pencil in the hair done the next day - scanned images.)

A new style for drawing at poetry readings. And I would like to stay away from naming the poets because that frees me from representation, which has become too much of a burden. Given the dim lighting, that I generally forget my distance glasses, the angle of the poet from where I'm sitting, that there is often a big microphone covering their mouth and so on doing a more realistic sketch is too onerous.

The only thing I will say about this one is that the poet is 'into' zombies and when I showed her after and laughed, saying, 'It's you with zombie influences...' she said she loved it, but was probably only being nice. She has Salem red hair.

___

 

Art Bar last night

Photo taken at the Art Bar last night by Norman.

...I like to give credit for photos if I can... barely know Norman - he's a fellow poet and artist, and a naturopath. Seems a very nice man, a good friend of a friend. We exchanged phone numbers and he apparently always takes an identifying photo. We both did open mic - his was a sound poem; I like his work very much. I've been trying to go to the Art Bar - weekly poetry readings with an open mic - for 6 months, and made it in -20C weather last night. I love poetry! I love Q Space! :))

Below two quick charcoal sketches I did, absolutely untouched, and of course thinking prolly both women would hate them, so no names for the Internet browsers to catch. :)


Poets reading at the Art Bar at Q Space, 2013, Brenda Clews, 9" 12", 22.9cm x 30.5cm, charcoal sketches, finished drawing is mixed media, on 80lb archival Strathmore drawing paper.

And below is a little pic from the Portobello poetry reading on January 5th, the day I started coming down with the nasty influenza bug I am still recovering from. My young poet and artist friend, Jacques, was there. Bänoo Zan was one of the features, an Iranian poet, and she's terrific. And Robert Priest sang, and read one poem. It was a lovely afternoon of poetry and music.

I'm going to be a feature there in July, which will be lovely - such a nice crowd, and the host, Linda Stitt, is a really special woman.



___

 

'A Half Circle of Years': poets reading Emily Dickinson's poetry

'A Half Circle of Years': Emily Dickinson's poetry read by a group of poets collected by Dave Bonta in a Woodrat podcast for her 180th birthday. A wonderful collection, inspiring, fun.

Free through iTunes podcasts -look for Woodrat Podcast. It's on my iPod, and can be on yours too!