The Naked Silo

It's been almost a year since I built my cardboard study model of the now non-existent Bata Headquarters , a fine example of Canadian mid-century modern architecture designed by John B. Parkin , and I'm now just about at the painting stage with my proper scale model. This build has been frustrating at times, but always interesting and a great learning experience. I'm having lots of fun with this and I'm pleased with how it's coming along. View from Eglinton Avenue. (just east of Don Mills Road) This is pretty much the view I had of this beautiful building each time I went to St. Clement's or the  Science Centre in the 1970s and '80s (yet somehow completely ignored it/took it for granted when I worked next door at The Radisson in the summer of 1989). Because this was the only angle from which I'd ever seen the building, I had no idea there were six, three-storey-high tower blocks on the opposite side where the main entrance is. My model w...

Winnipigeon Logo for The McLuhan Institute Ink and digital, 2018 I was recently contacted by Andrew McLuhan (a friend, master upholsterer , and a former colleague at the  Regent Theatre  (he's still there; I'm not) about doing a logo for The McLuhan Institute (he also happens to be Marshall McLuhan 's grandson). He had a very clear idea what he wanted, but felt he couldn't execute it to his satisfaction. The idea was of a pigeon perched atop a W, which could then be inverted to become a pigeon hanging from an M. The M is, of course, for McLuhan (and Marshall, too), and the W is for Winnipigeon. I'll let Andrew's comments from the TMI Facebook group explain that last bit: "Marshall McLuhan referred to himself as a 'Winnipigeon.' "As far as I know, he's really the only person to do so - it's not really a thing. "I think I first came across that reference in this issue of ChicagoLand (July 1969) in his article 'Medi...

approx. 20" x 15", watercolour, 1994, private collection My friend and former Shopping Channel colleague, Roger Kornfeld , recently posted a photo on Facebook of his son, Brian who just turned 27, and I wanted to add to the happy birthday thread with a photo of the painting I did of him back when he was about three...but I didn't have it on my computer. After rummaging through old photo boxes, I finally found it and here it is. I was surprised I hadn't posted this this here before now because I like this painting a lot and Brian's wet hair always reminded me of the title character from The New Adventures of Pinocchio which I watched a lot and loved as a kid. Incidentally, today marks the tenth anniversary of this blog (and this is post #755 ) which started way back on April 7, 2008 with another family-oriented  watercolour portrait .