Robin Williams Tribute - Illustrated

Robin Williams, 2013. Coloured pencil on paper, 2014, © Ashley de Jong-Doucette

A legend died this month. When I was a child, every role he had made me teary with laughter. As I grew up and saw his more serious roles, my fondness for his warmth only grew. Mrs.Doubtfire, Patch Adams, the Birdcage, Aladdin's Genie... the loss of this wonderful actor and human being is heart-wrenching. 

"What's right is what's left if you do everything else wrong."

                                                          -Robin Williams

30 Day Art Challenge - Beginning August 1st.

Since I started my job as a full-time graphic designer, I feel I've neglected my illustration and fine art practice. Now is the time to challenge myself, to loosen those elbows and really work at some new techniques. 

I'm going in this with three main goals:

1) To make art-making a daily practice, moreso than it already is.

2) To broaden my colour pallette.

3) To improve my composition by not neglecting background elements.

I will try to post my results every day. Can I do it? Will I manage? I suppose we'll see!

If you care to join this challenge, do the same, and post a link to your progress in the comments.

Boris Groys' New Article on E-Flux

(From Sketches Snatched)

Nowadays, one hears a lot about the growing degree of surveillance, especially through the internet. But surveillance is not something external to the internet, or some specific technical use of the internet. The internet is by its essence a machine of surveillance. It divides the flow of data into small, traceable, and reversible operations, thus exposing every user to surveillance—real or possible. The internet creates a field of total visibility, accessibility, and transparency.

-Boris Groys, Art Workers: Between Utopia and the Archive