Cigarettes After Sex - Apocalypse

Visions of Johanna

pencil drawing

Calbayog City 2024

Ain't it just like the night to play tricks when you're tryin' to be so quiet.

We're sitting here stranded though we're all doing our best to deny it.

-- Bob Dylan

Visions of Johanna- Bob Dylan

pencil drawings

Calbayog City 2024

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Peyote memories

ballpoint pen and alcohol

Calbayog City 2024

I think the only mind altering substance that I truly miss from my misspent youth is peyote.

Way back then, back before life's crushing journey had forced responsibility upon me, I found that next to the emotion of love, the mental state produced by consuming the peyote cactus was perhaps the most wonderful thing this side of paradise.

We, my friends and I, used to blend the peyote buttons in V8 juice.

We called it V9 juice.

"Watch out for that 9th vegetable," we would say.

And crack up.

Totally unrelated but here are a couple drawings I did this morning..

I don't know why but they got me thinking about psychedelics.

Peyote memories

ballpoint pen and alcohol

Calbayog City 2024

And yes, they do look similar. That's because I drew one of the drawings on the backside of the other drawing.

Why not? 🤣

Peyote buttons

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going home

colored pencil and pen on paper

Los Angeles 2018

"The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everyone rushes around in a great panic as if it is necessary to achieve something beyond themselves."

-- Alan Watts

colored pencil and ballpoint pen

Los Angeles 2018

black sharpie

Hollywood 2018

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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

i hope I'm this cool when I'm your age

Thank you, Anonymous. Life is a mysterious journey. Just enjoy it and whatever you do, don't let go.

Mysterious nature

Ballpoint pen on a post card

Los Angeles 2014

Early mornings

black sharpie and water color

Westwood 1986

Let me try to explain myself.

When I was a young man I loved illustration.

Perhaps the two illustrators who had the greatest influence on me were Aubrey Beardsley and Jean Giraud aka Moebius. Both artist drew with a fine line and I tried to emulate that.

Here's an old drawing of mine.

pencil drawing

Venice CA 1978

So back then I saw myself as an illustrator.

Then sometime around 1980 I was introduced to Abstract Expressionism and I had an epiphany...

Could I approach Abstract Expressionism with an illustrator's line?

A new world opened up to me and I started having fun with my drawing.

And then, for about 35 years I never drew an identifiable object.

No joke.

Still Life

black sharpie

Westwood 1985

Attitude Adjustment

pen, colored pencil and watercolor

Duarte CA 1996

Time never began

black sharpie on bond paper

San Francisco 2003

Dan's drawing

black sharpie

Rosemead 2011

i did a lot of these drawings. And I really enjoyed making them. For over thirty years I completely liberated myself from the rigors of drawing something that had to look like something. And I loved it. But then...

Sometime around 2015 I returned to illustration. Why? I'll be honest with you, I started to miss it.

Call it full circle but that's where I'm at now.

I still treasure my line though.

little boxes

black sharpie on paper

Los Angeles 2019

Thank you Aubrey and Jean.

Aubrey Beardsley

Jean Giraud aka Moebius

The fallen fruit

black sharpie

Los Angeles 2017

The things that we are not allowed to talk about are pretty much always true. Prove me wrong. Likewise, fruit is sweetest just when it is about to fall.

If Eve had waited for the apple to fall would she still have sinned?

black sharpie, Monrovia 1998

Another swirl drawing. I put those gaps in the lines just because I thought it would look cool but then the drawing took on a completely unexpected life. I was surprised.

Drawing those big swirls was a challenge. I remember feeling neurotic about them not being perfect. A couple of them still bug me. I'm a nut. :))

Orange Skies - Love

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Sending out some love

FROM THE PHILIPPINES

Embrionic Journey - Jefferson Airplane

A student once asked Martin Heidegger how we should spend our lives. Heidegger replied, "We should spend more time in grave yards."

I, myself, would have answered, "We should spend more time bathing in waterfalls."

Calbayog City, Philippines, 2025

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Purify Your Heart

JOHNNY OSBOURNE

You're going to church on Sunday

There's no love in your heart on Monday

You're trying to show me that you know yourself

You'd better purify your heart

Then you'll know yourself.

Johnny Osbourne

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