Happy Birthday to Canal Bar

A friend of a friend when I asked him why his wife never accompanied him to Canal bar, responded with something like "she works until real late- besides, she'd never go to a place like that". Oh well I thought to myself, to each their own. Fair is fair, I'd probably never frequent the places that she would hang out at.

Everyone does what's right for themselves I suppose- and I am very glad to have been a part of the regular crowd at the Canal bar for the last 3 years. I've met some fantastic people there and many have become close friends, and a few strangers have left me staring into my beer contemplating the meaning of life, after a dose of their bar stool wisdom. An equal number have jotted down movies or books I should check out, many which I have and have made an impact on me artistically and spiritually.

Tonight Canal Bar turns 4, and I'd just like to wish Lou, Tommy and the rest a big congrats, and here's to 4 more years.

One of these sketches I've already posted , and is hanging at the crooked tail cafe, the other, is a sketch I did sometime last year of Ryan Macpherson, Canal Bar's resident Opera singer. (no, really, he IS a really talented Opera singer).

Sketchbook vs. Computers

I am the proud owner of a very slow computer, which makes my job very difficult sometimes since most of the work I do is digital. For instance, today was spent wrestling with a software program which will go unnamed. Rather than spending hours finessing drawings and trying to bring characters to life, I spend hitting the ALT CTRL DEL buttons to restart my computer. But I'm not complaining or anything....I just have to figure out a way to either make the computer work for me (buy a new one perhaps?)- or fore go this digital revolution, toss this laptop in the recycling bin, and burst into the world with nothing but a sketchbook- well, and some clothes of course.

Weekend in the slope

I purchased a new phone the other day and this one has a camera feature. Yes, I can take pictures now, and I am really excited about this prospect. One of the first pictures I took was of a sketch I did early Saturday morning at Barbes. I then gave the drawing away, walked towards home with Justin and Zartosht, had a BLT sandwich then crashed.

Prospect Park Sketches

Just a couple of sketches done in Prospect Park, the guy laying down from late last year, and the trees from this July. Not much beats an afternoon there with a sketchbook some friends, and some wobbly pops.

Wilbur from Canal Bar

Wilbur used to live above Canal Bar. I always wonder what it would be like to live above a bar- would I feel obliged to go there every night? Probably. It's a good thing that I live 172 steps from the Canal Bar, 160 if I'm in a good mood, 190 if I'm feeling down. Wilbur now lives a few blocks away, I'd say at least 500 steps away, but I'll have to check. I'll ask him this Sunday at Canal, where he tends bar.

Keith from Union Hall

This is Keith, from Union Hall on 5th. Zartosht and I were there sketching him a couple of weeks ago. I darkened his shirt after I scanned this, so the one hanging at the Crooked Tail is a tiny bit different. I think my next sketching project will all be about Gowanus. Its people, buildings and of course the canal itself.

Bryan, Lauren and Zartosht

I'm really looking forward to tomorrow night's opening of "A night on Smith street"
and I'm happy to be showing my work along with these 3 very talented artists, Bryan Cox, Lauren Gardner and Zartosht Soltani. If you're in the Gowanus area tomorrow evening, stop on by the Crooked Tail Cafe to check out some nice bar sketches and polaroid photos.
cheers!
Phil



In 1999 Zartosht Soltani graduated from the Fine Arts program at Azad University of Arts in Tehran.
One year later he moved to New York, where he is now working as a freelance art director and designer creating cartoons, commercials and broadcast design. He has exhibited paintings in Tehran,
And will be a part of the upcoming Too Art for TV show in September.


Bryan Cox works as a freelance animation artist and designer in New York City. Over the course of the past year, Bryan has re-ignited an old compulsion to sketch on location. This is due, in no small part, to falling in with the other kindred spirits represented at this exhibition.
A large selection of the artist’s other sketches can be viewed on Facebook. His animation work can be seen at www.bryancoxanimation.com.



Day slave to a technology career, Lauren Gardner rebels in analog photography. Embracing the imperfect nature of
Celluloid and chemicals, her photos focus on emotions and moments. She is currently working on a NYC Polaroid emulsion lift project and friend-wide facebook profile picture domination.
Her work can be found at http://flickr.com/photos/poohlaga/

Great Lakes Napkin

A quick sketch of Megan from Great Lakes on 5th ave. Out with Zartosht last night, I realized that these days of drinking and drawing at Brooklyn bars may be nearing an end. It's like an invisible force, nudging you in a certain direction, the same one that brought me here, I feel, Is now whisking me away to a new adventure.
Some people take photos to remember certain events, others write in their journals. My memories are sketched on various forms of paper products. I can remember where I was and who I was with for most sketches I've done, sometimes I can even hear the music that was playing at the time. The brain is more powerful than I think we can imagine.

Bell House

This is a quick sketch from a couple of months ago of Naomi from the Bell House.
back to work!