Chapter 134 . Heat, Drugs & the Future's at Sake!

The french have a world for that: Canicule.
In english, we say Heat Wave.

There's no heatwave, at least, not by my standards, but it's scorching hot in my apartment, on the 4th floor, with the sun powering it's heat from early morning until end of day...
I am not complaining...
However, it has become a tad... Challenging I would say...
I got a cold...
A nasty one...

The story goes, and it's hilarious, I work in an office, under the air conditioning, which, for months, have had some issues, and blows freezing air 24/7... On me...
Frankly, it is funny...
With that heat outside, there's a difference of temperature of like 20m degrees in between inside and outside, and after few weeks, yea, I was offered a cold, without the option to return it...

I toughed it up for few days, but today, I needed to go see a doctor.
My absolutely favorite thing to do, since my lungs adventures, I have limited trust with doctors.
My issue of course.
Anyway, I needed some meds, antibiotics and what's not, and now, I, of course again, feel drugged...
My throat is way better though!

Drug of the Day

And for something completely different now!
My ex wife, Ethan's mother got remarried few years ago, with an exceptional gentlemen, with whom, I truly get along.
We all are good friends, also because, we understood early that, this was in the kid(s) best interest.
They have two other boys, Ethan's brothers, one is 4, the other is almost 2, if I am not mistaken.
I realize that, those humans being, are the closest thing I have to a family here, in North America.
And this, feels good.

I was at their place last week, and took few pics of the boys.
Here are two of them:

Robin

Charlie

Voila, I need to rest, so, that's all for now Peeps!
- smile -

And also, one more time, mon dieu, que les femmes sont belles!

The Perfect Curves

Sinverely,

Serge
31st July 2014

Chapter 133 . Music, Friends, Lies & Video Tapes

Betty Kate

I haven't draw recently...
I haven't really taken any semi serious pictures recently...
I have not done a lot of image processing recently...
I have been doing music, recently...

Among waves and tsunami of drama, about a month and a half ago, my very good friend Kate went to visit.
She usually lives on Earth, and I have been trying to convince her to come down to Victoria to record some good music!

She is a Rock Star.
That is really the only way I can fairly describe her.
The way she chooses to live, the way she naturally is, and where she is going, all of those make her a true Rock Star.
This, I knew...
But what I wasn't fully aware, even though I could somehow feel it, was that she could actually write freakin' fantastic songs!

She came, dropped pages of poetry on the table, I took my guitar, and the first song was born.
Then a second one.
Then a third one...
And now, the latest one...

I write the music, and she, oh so magically, sings some beauty on top of it, and bang, a good tune is born.
And sometimes, an awesome composition...
It is, mostly, her music. But we are able to work in an awesome cohesion, a collective I would say.
Here is our contract:

Contract

We then went on to record all the songs live, just so we could practice, and get ready for the next step, the studio recording, which we are in the middle of doing presently.
Needless to say, I have a lots of work to do...
- smile -

Here is the list of existing songs:
- Alone Again
- Closure
- Oxygen
- Simply Complicated

I would love be able to share some of the recording, but, he he he, it doesn't depends on me, the lady is demanding, so, it'll come in time.
- smile again -

One of the most wonderful thing with our collaboration, is the fact that we can talk to each other without talking when we play, it's an osmoses, we are, mostly, 100% on the same page, when it comes down to our music.
That complicity is a must if you actually want to make some kind of decent music, it's what make it all fascinating, people become one through the music...
Exceptional...
It is almost impossible to capture such state with an image, but, even though of terrible quality, this illustrate what I am trying to express:

Betty & Sergio during a Recording Session

Some things need to be put out there...
What is friendship?
What does it means?
Not the concept, but the reality of the everyday friendship...

I don't want to be hurt anymore by people that I love as much, if not more than my own folks, for whom I have dedicated years and years, of soul work, ressources, my life, my life...
If you hurt me, you are not my friend.
If I hurt you, I am not yours.

We all make mistakes.
I am an expert at it.
And that, is ok.
It's life.
But life brings us all the consequences of our mistakes, of our lies.

I lied.
Many times I did lie.
Just like the rest of us, just like you.

What matters is the complete picture, all the actions we ever did put together, and here is who you are.
And I like who I am.
Someone told me it's arrogance.
But I have reasons to be arrogant.
And when you have reasons, it's not arrogance anymore.
Take that!

And last, video tapes...
Watch porn.

That's all for now Peeps.

Sincerely,

Serge
28th of July 2014

ps: Don't push two individuals away, it brings them together.

Chapter 132 . Mon Dieu Que Les Femmes Sont Belles...

Valérie

How do you explain when things are supposed to happen?
Life I guess...

Have a good week Peeps,

Sincerely,

Serge
July 20th 2014

Chapter 131 . It all depends on how you look at it...

And now, for something new...

The story is always the same, but the details differs...
I spend my life going back and forth from Illustrations to Photography.
To be entirely honest, I go to photography when I need a break from intense work, it's not even about resourcing myself, it's about taking a break.
And, even though, I have been told by highly respected persons, that I am a better photographer than illustrator, frankly, I doubt it.
However, photography also seems to come to me more naturally, so to speak, and so, be it...

In any case, I always use photography as my "models", I draw mainly from photography.
And, clearly, I am now turning in circle.
So, let's go straight to the point:
What happen if I mix a tad of photography and illustration, or should I say, what happen if I find an IN between?
That's a fun project.
there is no pressure.
It's not going to be revolutionary, but it is going to be fun.
So, here are some doodles, photo I took first, processed, and then, a sort of illustration that comes out of it...

Let's start with an object if you will...

Men in Black Car

And now, what I'll call the illustrated version:

In a Soft and In a Dream

Second, Natural Objects:

Rocks & Water

Soft Ocean

Aaron in Ecstasy

Lucid Dreaming

And, finally to end the comparisons:

The Sky, The Ocean & Myself

Cellar Door

And now, to end the trip, let's go visit my friend Betty Kate, in multiple roles, and let's look only at the illustrations files.

Betty Kate is Looking at You

Angry Betty Kate

Very Angry Betty Kate

Betty Kate is a True RockStar

In Business

Betty Kate

And finally:

Betty Kate & The Light

Voila, that's all for now Peeps.
Cheers.

Sincerely,

Serge
14th July 2014 - Allons enfants...

Chapter 130 . The Shaman - Hessfog PI

The Shaman

Completed Piece
When Hessfog talked about the Shaman, he always was very... What word should I use? Very foggy about the character.
It truly felt like if he had decided to say the less he could possibly afford.
I never insisted with Hessfog, he's not the kind of guy that is going to let you do that easily and get away with it.
What he said though, is that he met him in Casablanca, Morocco, sometimes in the 90's.
That The Shaman uses technics from different part of the world, and that, the best way to describe him was to say he was a Shaman.
He finally added that the Shaman's vision helped him solve more than a couple of cases...

This illustration is from the story The Night of the Sasquatch.
At the end of the case, while Hessfog is as confused as could be, he goes and finds answers at the Shaman's place.
In the illustration, the background is of major importance.
Pay attention to the pattern and determine where they come from.
This, in itself, is already an answer.
Also, the thick lines of smokes should perfectly complete the portrait, on a composition level, as well as on a conceptual storyline level.

The strongness of the character is displayed by him leaning towards the viewer with an attitude of defiance.

Voila.
That's all for today Peeps.

Sincerely,

Serge
07th July 2014

Chapter 129 . Skanking, Skanking, Rockin...

Last Friday, I finally had an awesome time!
I danced for hours at hand!
I needed it.
I needed it so bad, with all the heavy challenges I have had in the last month, the most challenging month of my life...

I got tickets for the Ska Fest, met with my friend, had few drinks and dance, dance, dance.
From Barrington Levy to Fishbone, we skanked the ska until as late as allowed.

Hello Peeps!

Then, we went to Upstairs to see the last 30 minutes or so of Cloud Nothing, who rocked the place like rarely seen, in the middle of a crowd of motionless hipsters.
It was great!

I miss dancing.
I really miss it.
It was nothing short than wonderful.

If I want to keep smiling, I need to keep dancing.
And so be it!

Sincerely,

Serge
06th July 2014

Chapter 128 . And then, Came the Rock Star...

... And no, it is certainly not me...

Self - June 2014

Blue blue electric blue, that's the colour of my room, where I will live, blue blue...
Silence...
I sit and look at the wall facing me.
It's like a TV, but it's playing in my head.
I see the movies, I see them all...
I sit... And look at the wall facing me...

I am outside.
It's sunny.
There is a little breeze, and the trees are slowly moving, like unspoken Ents.
I look in front of me, and I feel a powerful bliss.
The future is always strong.
I smile...

Some days,
It doesn't matter,
How many leafs are on my clover...

My friend Kate arrived, like an hurricane, with her bags, her guitar and her talent...
Kate is a musician.
There is very little else to say.
That's what she does, that's who she is, she lives and breathes like a musician, she is a true Rock Star.
And so, be it!

Betty Kate

She is a busy person.
There is no doubt about that.
And again, this makes sense.
However, part of her trip to Victoria, she usually lives on one of the Gulf Islands, was to work some of her song, and possibly record some as well, and if we were really lucky, maybe to also get her to sing in one of my songs...

And so we played...

Betty Kate & Sergio Foglio - Picture and Processing by Mr. Mike Routliffe

And we played...

Sergio Foglio - Picture and Processing by Mr. Mike Routliffe

The good news:
We co-wrote two songs, really, the lyrics are entirely Miss Kate. As for the music, we truly collaborated, and, amazing thing, even though it was a fair amount of work, it was fairly easy.
We recorded two songs live, one acoustic guitar and one voice: Alone Again (For Me) & Needing Closure.
I recorded a full rock version of Alone Again (For Me) with the band, in which I play the guitars and sing.
Quite different than what we usually do!
The bad news:
You cannot listen to any of it...
Or at least, not for now...
The reason being is simple, this is Betty Kate work, and so, she is in charge of any release date.
When she will give me the authorization to publish the Spaceboys & TST version of her song, then I will happily share it to you.
Here are some pics of her stay here:

Betty Kate & Sergio Foglio

Betty Kate

Betty Kate

Betty Kate - Picture and Processing by Mr. Mike Routliffe

On a side note, it's summer and it's wonderful, and it makes me smile, and I love the heat...

Sunrise in Victoria BC

Sometimes, the most wicked images come from the most unexpected sources...
The trick is to capture them adequately...

Untitled

Voila, that's all Peeps,
May this Canada Day bring you happiness and enlightenment...

Betty Kate - Picture and Processing by Mr. Mike Routliffe & Sergio Foglio 

Sincerely,

- I close my eyes, and you are always here. I open my heart and it's a house for you. I think of you and I am  h a p p y . The world is filled with true wonders, but it's by looking at you that it learnt -

Serge
1St July 2014