Being That

pencil drawing in my Moleskin

Calbayog City 2024

For the past two days I've been playing with the zygomatic process. It gives some drama to a drawing. And I've always thought it had the coolest name in all of human anatomy.

This morning as I lay with my wife she thought I was massaging her head. And I was. But I was also appreciating her zygomatic process.

pencil drawing in my Moleskin

Calbayog City 2024

midnites

watercolor and pen, westwood, 1985

I used to have bad insomnia. I'd toss and turn in the middle of the night and finally, in frustration, I'd roll over and draw. I kept a drawing lying next to me just for this purpose. In the middle of the night I'd drawn until sleep came. The above drawing is one such piece. Slowly drawn in the wee hours of the morning during bouts of insomnia.

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colored pencil, calbayog city, 2025

A new one. I'm waiting for the first layer to dry but it's pretty now. More later.

Jacob Miller - Please Mr Officer

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Unicorns and Jellyfish

colored pencil, Monrovia, 1997

This morning Sean, my nine year old son asked me,

"Dad, what's more believable, a unicorn or a jellyfish?"

My son's gone to school now but I'm still mulling that one over.

Here's a couple of older drawings.

Happy Friday.

still life

pencil drawing, Hollywood, 2017

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black sharpie on bond paper

San Francisco 2003

I spent Christmas 2003 with some friends in San Francisco. They lived in this big two-hundred-year-old house that sat on the prison grounds of San Quentin penitentiary. It's a long story actually but what I remember most was the bed. The guest room of the house had this large old four posted wooden bed frame with the softest thickest most wonderful mattress I have ever slept on in my entire life. I will never forget the moment when I laid down and sank into the loving folds of that luxurious mattress. I felt embraced by softness, and I fell asleep as if floating on a cloud.

When I awoke the next morning I was amazed at the time. I had slept through the entire night without waking up once. I felt wonderfully refreshed.

After breakfast I sat down with my sharpie and drew both of these drawings in a single sitting.

black sharpie on bond paper

San Francisco 2003

Black sharpie in my moleskin

Earwax cafe Chicago, 2000

Is the Earwax cafe still open? Anyone in Chicago? I used to go there and drink esspresso coffee and doodle in my moleskin.

Sipping a warm cup of coffee while just outside there'd be a raging cold midwestern blizzard. I loved Chicago.

Earwax Cafe, Chicago

from my moleskine

Earwax Cafe, Chicago 2000

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He's holding out on us

Sean, my son.

"Daddy," Sean asked me, "are cemeteries frightening places?"

I never know where his questions are leading, but I know his mother is afraid of cemeteries so I said,but

"Yah.." and waited.

"Then why," he asked, "do people cry instead of getting scared?"

"Good question." I laughed and looked for a piece of paper to write it down on.

Later he came up to me and asked,

"Daddy, why did God even think it was a good idea to create mosquitos?"

We live in the Philippines.

"I have no idea why God created mosquitos." I answered him honesty, "In fact," I said, "I bet even God doesn't know why he created mosquitos."

We both started laughing and he said, "I bet if you asked God why he created mosquitos he'd be like, 'Gosh, why DID I create mosquitos?'"

Sean was playing Roblox while we talked and laughed.  He can do that.  His little fingers ran over his iPad screen directing characters while he spoke.  Kid energy.  Then he looked up and asked,

"Daddy, who created God?"

I kid you not.

That is a question I've been waiting for without any plans for a good answer.

"Sean," I started, "That's a very big question.  No one really knows the answer."

"What?" he was astonished. "Can you look it up on the internet?"

"Nah," I said, "it won't even be on the internet.  Nobody knows who created God."

"Nobody?" he asked in disbelief.

"Nobody," I replied.

"Not even God?"

"Well," I said, "I suppose God knows who created himself."

"He should tell people!" Sean demanded.

That one made my sit back in my chair and look up for a moment.  Not gonna lie, I had to agree.

"He probably should tell people." I said, "But he's holding out on us."

"Humph." Sean said with no small amount of displeasure. 

And then he went back to his Roblox,

Calbayog City  2023

Each time you fall in love

Coloredpencil and Watercolor

Monrovia 1996

I made this drawing in 1996.

When I drew it, by the grace of God, I had been free form alcohol for one incredible year and I remember, so clearly, that as I drew, I was feeling a deep new creative surge born of hope.

Life is an epic journey my friends.

Each time you fall in love - Cigarettes after sex

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Time is fractal

black sharpie and colored pencil

Rosemead 2010

Sometime around 2009 I learned how to draw a Sierpinski triangle. And then I spent the next couple of years obsessed. I mean days on end obsessed.

Chatress Seba - Om Shanti Om

black sharpie on board

Rosemead 2011

We, in this imminent fall, still dream

ballpoint pen and alcohol

Calbayog City 2024

Today's drawing

Cigarettes after sex - Opera House

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