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Newton turned 5 months this week. He's now 12lbs, which is a lot more than the standard weight for the breed. I didn't realize it until we met a 1 year old Iggy, about half the size of Newton! No wonder people mistake him for a Whippet, and he's still growing strong. 

urban sketching in the Walls Notebook

I attempted do draw one of the parks along Wellington Street downtown Ottawa during one of my walks with Newton a couple days ago. He was not feeling staying put that day, so I did a quick sketch with a pen and added the leaves and grass in green later on. I decided to draw in my walls notebook to do this sketch. I might try this again. It's interesting to have different backgrounds and it's also a good way to actually use the book. 

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Newton did not take to kindly of the unusually cold weather last week. He did seem to like to be wrapped in his blanket with his shirt on however. He's still growing and his shirt is starting to be a little too small for him. He did seem to like catching some sun rays on the sofa with me over the weekend though. 

road trip sketching

My absolute favorite way to travel to Toronto from Ottawa is flying via Porter. My least favorite way is by car. It's so long and boring. But sometimes, driving is the best option. In this case, to keep my mind occupied, I tend to doodle (if I'm the passenger of course). On our last two trips to Toronto I started to "draw what I hear on the radio". It makes the ride a little more enjoyable. I think I just stated a new trend (at least for me) : Road Trip Sketching :) 

TGIM sketchnote 15

This week's TGIM made me a little teary eyes. It's very moving and inspiring to see the results of such dedication and hard work. The cycle has been broken. By doing this ET has not only open the door for his family but for many others who like myself who are able to benefit from the TGIMs and break cycles of our own. Who knows how many boys will now be able to have a great relationship with their dads as a result of this and also do great things in their lives. This is truly a beautiful thing.  

jar challenge update 5

The jars don't lie. There wasn't much traditional drawings during the month of May. I've been working on other projects, but I still want to fill up two jars by the end of the year. We're already halfway through! So many more things I want to do. But I'll follow ET's suggestion, and just shut up and work :) 

ANIMAL CONNECTION 020 : The old lady and her cat

I found out about a series of photos of this old lady, Misao, and her cat, Fukumaru that are truly adorable. They are the work of photographer Miyoko Ihara  who followed them for 13 years and created a photobook of their friendship. According to an article on BuzzFeed, the cat was found abandoned in a shed and they've been inseparable since. 

TGIM sketchnote 14

This week's TGIM tip is "Work while you're at work". It's not always easy, especially with so many distractions all around all the time, but it's simple. It's really a question of discipline. That's something I can work on. I'm not at the Ray Lewis level yet, but I'm working on it. One of the main thing I did this year to get there was to cancel cable TV (no more reality shows for me). It helped.  Now I have to be careful while browsing the internet. That can also take a lot of time away from doing actual work.

Check out the TGIM video. The preview of the audiobook at the end is intense. I'm looking forward to hear it. 

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One of the highlights this week for Newton was our walk along the Ottawa River Pathway. It's a nice feature of the city and it's nice to be able to walk along the river and see nature so close to the city, where he gets to meet other dogs and bark at some birds on the river. 

READ IT - Thank You and You're Welcome

Title : Thank You and You're Welcome
Author : Kanye West and J. Sakiya Sandifer

Format : book 

Summary : Kanye West teams up with co-author J Sakiya Sandifer to make his literary debut, an entertaining volume of 'Kanye-isms' -- the creative, humorous, and insightful philosophies and anecdotes used in creating his path to success. It captures the same wit, playful irony, and piercing insight found abundant in his lyrics. In this book Kanye delivers his personal message uncensored, without any five-second delay or media distortion. "My book is a guide to creating then celebrating your moment!" says Kanye.

Why this book ? : This book was a gift from Kanye West. It was given to people who attended his concert in Montreal, years ago, at the end of his amazing show (Best concert I've been to thus far). It felt like receiving a surprise parting gift on our way out. I had a great time and and I'm happy I was able to get it. (I hope to be able to go see him in concert again soon too. It's been too long.) 

My Review : This is a great little coffee book of inspirational quotes and life philosophies according to Kanye. I remember him saying on a interview that he doesn't like reading too much and prefers the short and to-the-point kinds of books, which is what he created with Sandifer. To me it's a great book to have lying around so that you can quickly read a random page from time to time and reflect on it. It's also interesting to be able get a glimpse into the mind of such a successful, creative and inspirational artist. A lot of what he says make sense and is very positive. With each quote, there's also a little paragraph explaining what he means. 

Here's a sample of some of the quotes I like from this book:  

• "Get used to getting used" 
• "Never justify your behaviour with the wrongs of others" 
• "Never complain without offering a solution" 
• "Would you believe in what you believe in if you were the only one who believed in it?"
• "Life is 5% what happens and 95% how you react"
• "Think it. Say it. Do it" 
• "Know your worth" 

With his new album coming up, I wonder if he's going to do this again. That would be neat.