Struggling with my Basquiat review

I'm really struggling with my Basquiat article. While I knew this would happen - there are too many tangents, too many things that need further explanation, and I do have a tendency to give too much background, and any more writing will weigh it down into tedium - so I need to finish up with a bunch of his images and tidy what I've written with a bit of prepositional dusting, vacuuming stray adverbs and whatnot, and polishing with that word-i-dex spray. Oh, lol. I like and don't like Basquiat's work, and think I'll be cremated alive as I try to articulate some of my issues since he is so popular presently.
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The Minions (MOesch & Saskia) perform ‘Iceland,’ a Pong, and Brenda dances

direct link: Iceland

The Minions (Michael Oesch and Saskia van Tetering) perform, ‘Iceland,’ a Pong (poem song) and Brenda Clews dances in her Split Mask at the January 2015 Poetry Salon at Urban Gallery in Toronto.

It was a fun Poetry Salon! While there are photos to come, and one long video of the Salon, I edited this clip, shot on another camera by Barry (thank you), to bring out the ice and strangeness and transcendence of Iceland in Saskia's poem and Michael's music, especially with the theramin.

Sketch from Shab-e She'r (Poetry Night)

A little sketch of Dionne Samuels, aka The Bird of Paradise, while she was performing last night (Jan 27th) at Shab-e She'r (Poetry Night). Fabulous performance; fabulous evening!

While I am satisfied with the drawing, it looks like her and she liked it and signed it last night, there wasn't enough time for me to properly draw that arm, which, as an animated performer, she kept moving anyhow. I do not take reference photos when I sketch at poetry readings ever. Then, I'd become obsessed and continue to work on them, wouldn't I.

©Brenda Clews, 21cm x 29cm, 8" x 11.5", 2015, Moleskine folio Sketchbook, graphite.

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The Butterfly Men, underdrawing (in-process)

One of the small canvases I am currently working on. This is drawn in charcoal and then fixed with Golden's sizer, Gak100, which is very tricky to do without smearing everything. My plan is to add two more butterflies and lightly colour the painting in oils - I'd like to leave the underdrawing visible through colour washes.

The Butterfly Men, underdrawing (in process), ©BrendaClews, 16" x 20", charcoal fixed with Gak100 on 1.5" stretched gallery canvas. Two more butterflies are coming.

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I WILL! I WON'T!

It really is "I WILL! I WON'T!" Look at the body language of the two poses. Amazing.

There are a couple of gesture sketches from a January drop-in life-drawing session, and I am working on a 16" x 20" canvas of two of the poses I drew that day. I guess photographing is becoming more of a 'task.' Finally I took this drawing outside and snapped it.

I WILL; I WON'T. Sketch at Bampot Bohemian Tea House life-drawing, 11 Jan 2015. ©Brenda Clews. 18" x 22" Permanent inks on archival drawing paper.
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Poetry Salon at Urban Gallery next Saturday, Jan 31st

Please do come out on January 31st, 3-5pm, to Urban Gallery where I will be hosting another beautiful Poetry Salon if you are in Toronto. Yummy hot apple cider and mineral water on the house. Pass-the-hat. Open mic. After we go to a nearby restaurant to have a drink, snacks or dinner, chat. It's a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Toronto's KAREN SHENFELD has three books of poetry to her credit, published by Guernica Editions: The Law of Return, (1999), The Fertile Crescent (2005) and My Father’s Hands Spoke in Yiddish (2010). Her poetry has been published in numerous poetry journals in the USA, UK, South Africa, Bangladesh and Canada. She won the 2001 Canadian Jewish Book Award for Poetry and was long-listed for the Relit Award in 2005. Along with being a poet, Karen is a widely published magazine journalist, editor (both print and screen) and filmmaker. Her indie documentary, Il Giardino, The Gardens of Little Italy, screened at several film festivals, including Planet in Focus. Karen is currently working on her fourth book of poetry, two documentary films, and a screenplay for a feature, which has been optioned by Canadian director Bruce McDonald.

Writer, translator, teacher, and poetry organizer, BÄNOO ZAN, landed in Canada in 2010. She has over 80 publications. As managing editor, she doubled the number of submissions and made Voices 2012 anthology financially solvent. She hosts Shab-e She’r (Poetry Night), the most diverse poetry series in Toronto bringing together people from different ethnicities, nationalities, religions (or lack thereof), sexual orientations, ages and poetic voices, visions and styles. She believes her politics is her poetry.

MOesch is a most unique dynamic artist. You never know what will come from him next. He has a back ground in blues and folk. And is one of a few musical artist who have toured across Canada on foot. In 2002 and 2005 MOesch walked over 11,000 km traveling through every province and even venturing into Labrador. "14 month on the road felt like 50 years, I'm ready to settle down." Even Though MOesch has settled back in Toronto he has not settled, his musical output has expanded into trance, electronic and he has started a Celtic band and plays in a rhythm and blues band, but more than anything MOesch loves to just sit back and play his lap steel guitar.

Author SASKIA VAN TETERING is a lifelong lover of words, especially poetry. In 2008, Saskia fulfilled a lifelong dream by self-publishing her first book, life unmasked, comprising poems and short stories. Swimming to the surface, her second collection of poetry was published in 2009 by In Our Words, Inc., and in January 2012, bojit press in Toronto, Ontario, published After Philosophy. Saskia is currently working on her fourth book of poetry and short stories, River of Ghosts. She describes herself as a Renaissance woman, balancing her own business, the anticipated completion of a Bachelor of Arts degree after a 30-year hiatus, with finding time to write, volunteer, and to travel with her soul mate and husband, Michael. Saskia is a member of the Canadian Federation of Poets, of The Ontario Poetry Society, and of the Peel Chapter, CFP. She resides near the Beaches in Toronto, Ontario, with Michael and their fluffle of bunnies.

Up to eight Open Mic spots of 5 min each are also offered - sign-up at 3pm.

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Rough draft of a small painting

Because I would like to participate in group shows more often, I need some smaller canvases. So I have decided to begin a 16" x 20" canvas (on a 1.5" Gallery stretcher) during the final 40 minute pose at Bampot's drop-in life-drawing sessions. I am working on filling in the details on this one, of Amanda, that I began on Dec. 21, 2014. I also did a sketch of Paris a week or so back and, again, I put the 40 min pose, and a 20 min one, on the same canvas. I guess doubles and dopplegängers are my thing anyway. :) I took some photos of Amanda's (when I began charcoaling in some anatomical detail in the face and neck, it stopped looking like her) inside in sunlight from the window. Since I've hardly been sharing what I've been up to, I thought it was time to post something, even if it has a ways to go to completion (I turned the canvas, the foreground Amanda was sideways, lying down).