So just when I started seeing the dark side of the world suddenly I had a week like the one that just past. First off, I really have to thank Howard Shum. Not only is he a great artist but a great person as well. His friendship during this adjustment to moving to Los Angeles has been extremely appreciated.
Thanks to him, I was introduced to the Drink and Draw group out here. An incredible group of artists and non artists all sharing one common thing, creativity. Since I started attending their gatherings, a fire was lit in me, a drive thats been sleeping for the last few years.
After not doing any dot artworks for over 8 years, this past weekend I did a portrait. I actually filled some of my Koh-I-Noor pens with ink, put on some of my Howard Stern tapes from 1998 and created art. It's a simple image but a huge start for me. To actually be excited about creating art again, what a great feeling!
But the weekend was just part of this fantastic week. Tuesday I went to a drawing class, no instructor. This was about the 3rd time attending this class. There was a model doing various poses.
Wednesday was Drink and Draw. Spoke with a couple of really interesting artist there.
Then there was Thursday. I went and discovered downtown LA Art Walk, thanks to someone name Vanessa who works at the Martin Lawrence Gallery in City Walk. She had mentioned this one time per month event to me a couple of times in the past but I kept missing it.
This month I made it... And all I can say is WOW! Approximately 39 galleries open all night showing all kind of artworks. I've never seen anything like this. The only thing more impressive than the number of galleries taking part in this is the crowd of people. It was one big party of people appreciating art and socializing. And my luck, I was there with two very knowledgeable people on art. Talk about an evening of discovering and learning.
And to wrap up the week, Friday. After work I attended a 4 hour drawing class. 3 models dressed in Hawaiian outfits, with music, and food. I've never gone to a class that went on till midnight. This was a lot of fun.
Hand down this has been the best week I've had since moving out here to LA. I feel so connected to art right now. This was what I felt was missing for me back in New York. Back there it was an occasional hit and miss. Out here, creativity is everywhere. And I am taking it all in like a sponge.
But if all this incredible exposure to creativity and art wasn't enough to put me in an amazing state of mind, I encountered Susie Wednesday night. A really cute girl who happened to be a fan of Late Night and the Tonight Show. I met her on the way home from Drink and Draw on Sunset Blvd. Some light flirting went on. And while taking a picture together, my butt cheek was squeezed. This cute, hot girl squeezed my butt cheek! She made my night.
I can only wish that everywhere I went in LA a different girl would come up to me and take a squeeze while we take a picture. What a life that would be. But that fantasy aside, being able to draw every week and be exposed to this much art is just what I needed. And I know there is so much more to to discover here.
I've included some of my drawings from this week and a few from previous weeks.
What a great week!
This entry might be a bit disturbing to read. So if you have strong religious beliefs you just might want to skip reading this.
You've been warned.
Recently a lot has been going on with me, some not great and it's made me start reflecting on my life so far and where I think it's going. I took a trip home last week (yeah, which home) to see family and friends and just to be around the core value system I had before coming to L.A.
Don't think for a moment that somehow I am regretting moving here. I know coming out west was absolutely the right choice at this point in my life. But I guess being so new to the environment I've already encountered a few questionable people here. On top of that a few health scares and I guess you start seeing the world in a fourth dimension.
My mortality has been on my mind and if I should die at this moment all the things I stand to lose. Material things like the toys I've been collecting for the last few years but more importantly friendship formed through year of nurturing. At that moment of dying all these thoughts probably would be flooding my mind at once, fighting for that last recall, like a person who's about to drown trying to get that last breathe in.
I know at this point you're thinking well you have to have faith in God, the after life, the spirit world, other realms of existence. But what if death is as simple as what is in front of us. Like a leaf, you grow and die, the end. Every thought you ever had gone. Fearing death would probably make sense if you felt you had a lot to live for.
While in New York a friend of mine was telling me about someone who had a family member who's developing Alzheimer. And while I listened to her tell me about how upset the family was, etc. I could help but think, is Alzheimer really all that bad.
Here's a disease as we call it that slowly robs you of your memory. To the point you might even forget how to wipe your own ass. I know with out a doubt this has to be horrible and stressful for a family to watch a love one go through this. But from the patient side, I wonder, are they being better prepared to deal with death. How can you fear something you no longer understand. And how can you fear losing something if you have no memories of ever having it to begin with.
If you're looking for a point to this, there isn't, remember I told you from the start that at the moment I am seeing the world in a fourth dimension.
Though if you really need a point to this, here it is. Even though you may lose all memories of who you are and the people you know. They on the other hand will more than likely remember you. So I guess if anything try to leave some memories behind. A few good ones if possible.
I've gotten the chance to be in some interesting bits from time to time. A few weeks ago we shot something at the Standard Hotel on Sunset. In the lobby of this hotel is a glass booth with an incredibly attractive girl inside. She spend the day just lying there in the booth reading or surfing on line in sleep wear.
Sounds great huh, only in L.A.
Well, guess who got to go into the booth with this beautiful woman, yours truly. For about 2 hours, we were in there together looking at some of my comic book collection, looking at some of my View Master collect. And playing with a Lego set. I even got to do a sketch of Grace which I then signed and gave her.
Unfortunately, I found out that the bit will never make air. It was cut. But I prepared for that very possibility. How many times in 
any guys life time will he ever find himself in a glass booth for a couple of hours with an attractive girl, zero (unless he's paying for it). To have it documented in video
would have been good but I have photos, better.
So here are a couple of photos from that fantasy shoot.
Now the next stop this weekend, "San Diego Comic Con!"
Yesterday it happened again. I was about to leave to meet someone for sushi around 2pm. As I opened the door. The snoopy piano started playing the peanut song. Nothing touched it, no wind, light, nothing. It just started playing and stopped when it was done.
I tried to repeat my steps but it didn't start again. I tried stomping my foot tapping the cabinet it sits on, open, close the door hard. A few weeks back when we had that earthquake, that didn't set it off either.
I am not big on the ghost thing, But you have to admit this is very strange. Unless you touch the key on the piano, it doesn't do a thing.
Actually the last couple of weeks have been a bit unusual. There have been moments when it seemed like something is floating by in my apartment. I figured it might be floaters in my eye or just that I am tired. I don't feel freaked out or scared.
I wonder if something or someone is trying to get my attention. Well, it has accomplished that. I just don't understand what is being communicated to me.
Isn't it funny, even in the spirit world you can't get straight answers.
Another week well done. Yesterday I had a small bit on the show. Me in a dress, being compared to Nicky Hilton and Katy Perry who all wore the same dress at one time. It was fun. But I worry at the number of guys who loved my legs. Where are all the girls?!
The evening was even better. I met up with artist Howard Shum, and went to another gathering of the Drink and Draw group. Back in New York I was in a rut creatively. True I had Late Night but outside of the job I wasn't really doing much. I did do a lot of portraits of friends and interns from work, but most of that was done to pass the time while commuting for 2 hours each way, everyday. Also, the art I did for Dragon Con the pass two years were the most creative artwork I did outside of work.
I felt coming to LA would show me the light. And it has so far. Two weeks ago. I went to my first Drink and Draw. Absolutely incredible! A bar filled with illustrators and animators, men, women, professionals, and people who've never held a pen or pencil other than to sign their names. All gathered, drawing, talking, sharing ideas and of course drinking.
This is what I was missing in New York, big time. The only thing that came close to this was going to conventions and walking through the artist alleys.
Watching these folks exchanging thoughts in the room... It was like giving a major jump start to a dead battery. I came home and cleared out the extra room, "my studio", which had started to become storage for boxes that weren't unpacked yet. I've actually started working on a new dot image, one I tried to start 3 years ago but never got pass the pencil stage.
I've only been here about 3 months and I am feeling this kind of energy, I am wondering what it will be like after a year. I am excited!
This was an incredible 4th of July. I went to the Los Angeles Anime Expo. Had a great time hung out with artist and friend, who had a booth in the artist alley at the convention. Some day I will try to get a booth at a convention as well.
Going to this convention I had told myself that I would control my buying because comic con is coming up in a few weeks but once there I lost some of my control.
You know I realized the other night while watching a repeat of Sexy In the City, toys are to me what shoes are to Carrie. I've never seen a toy I didn't want to own.
I bought a few really cool items. I should mention I always negotiate price. Full price is a starting point especially if you're buying more than one item from a vendor. There were maybe a couple of people who were fixed on their prices and I usually walk away. It's their lost. At these conventions I am usually one of a few people buying so many items, most people are just looking.
Vendors should welcome negotiations with me!
Among the items bought is a Samurai Sword letter opener that came with a stand. A Ghost in the Shell Tachikoma, blue of course. I plan on actually taking this one out of the box! Tom and Jerry figures in a box that looks like a television set. Also this set of 3 very detailed bunny girl musicians. A couple of french maids to add to the growing collection of maids. And there's this one item called Charisma Sexy. At first it looks like it might be some kind of Japanese drink but upon further studying the package I realized it's not what I thought. So what is it, you're wondering. I took pictures of it and I think I'll let you arrive at the answer on your own.
Footnote, I will not be using this item anytime soon. It's for display... really.
I've also started buying more art prints. There's so many good artist at these conventions. From Howard Shum who's work am a huge fan of, I bought a drawing of drawing of Fay Valentine of Cowboy Bebop. And I discovered the works of an incredible pinup artist named Ismael Rac. He claims he is self taught. Another amazing artist at the expo was Cheng Li. She does portraits of people as anime characters in watercolors. I commissioned her to do one of me. It turn out great!
As always at these conventions, the costumes were amazing. Some people put insane amounts of time creating their costumes while a few other just cut out holes in a paper plate, ran a string through it, tied it around their heads and that was it.
Over all, this convention I'd say is equal to what is going on in New York. Maybe a little bigger is size.
Aside from this recent convention so many things have happened. First off, I am officially a resident of California now. I have a California license! I took the written test and pasted it. I was a little nervous about taking it but I did fine. I would have been pissed had I failed cause people out here can't drive.
Yes, I said it. Californians can't drive.
The majority of drivers on the road out here make New York cabbie look like the safest drivers on the road. It's the norm to make lane changes without signaling. And tail gating is except-able especially when driving over 70 mile an hour on the freeway. When I've had this discussion with natives out here their response is equally as crazy. "If you don't drive at the same speed as the traffic on the freeway of course there will be tail gating. Average speed, 80-90 miles an hour. I kid you not. When I go down to San Diego for Comic Con I might attach my video camera to my dash board and download some of the video. You got to see it to believe it.
I don't understand why the state doesn't seriously crack down on the insanity going on out here.
I am still enjoying be out here though. I don't think I can ever live in the east again. When people are not driving in their cars there is a calmness here that's incredible. It seems like you'd really have to go out of you way to find drama if that's your thing.
Any way, I've posted some pictures on Myspace and Facebook from the anime expo. Looking forward to Comic Con. I'll only be there for the weekend but it should be fun. I will have 2 sexy Amandas out there who are close to my heart. Paradise! I can't ask for more.
----------------------------------------------------
Photos from the Anime Expo will be posted on my pages on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/people/Pierre-Bernard-Jr/1040283982
and Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/pbdotman
Looking back on this week, Wednesday was good. I got to do a short bit on the show with Kareem Abdul Jabbar. I can't thank the audience that afternoon enough for the warm reception that I got when I came out. I felt like I was among family.
So now we did a week worth of shows, each one funnier than the day before. Conan did an incredible job, everything worked the way they were rehearsed. I think it's safe to say we're off to a great start.
