GRIZZLY PEAR

written snapshots

Category: Artifacts

  • Stray notes from July 4, waiting for the neighbors’ fireworks.

  • A splash of colour

    Damned if I know what just happened. Scribbles in ink, pencil, and oil pastel with watercolor and ink washes on a steno notepad.

  • Lumbering llamas laboriously labeled lubricated lizards locating loathsome laudanum.

    An outline handsketch of a hand shaping the ASL American manual letter “L”, in red ink on a yellow spiral bound steno notebook.
    Pen and ink with watercolor wash drawing of an elephant with the small stuffed elephant.

    In May, we came out of our hyper-cautious shell and started doing indoor activities like shopping with the kids. On my birthday, they insisted on getting a stuffie at IKEA even though my wife isn’t fond of these dust bunnies. She also insisted on having this little gal cool off for a few weeks. We finally brought her in in June.

    At first the boy wanted to call her “Claire Elephant” because he’s obsessed naming everything after his imaginary little sister Claire. He then proposed “Smalley”. Mama countered with “Mini”. After some debate, Mini won.

    That evening they misplaced her in the messy playroom and we spent half an hour looking for her. When she woke up the next day, my daughter was not amused when she couldn’t find Mini in her safe place (because I borrowed her for the sketch).

    ~

    This moment of magic was inspired by recent newsletter, where Emily Charlotte Powell shares her in-progress drawing of a mermaid-yet-to-be-named.

    Black and white pen scribbles on a white steno pad.
    Old scribbles by the boy. I enjoy these weird serendipities.
    Pen and ink with watercolor wash drawing of an elephant.
    The boy has been burning through paints — I borrowed a little for a change.

  • The boy would do well in Ronchamp; his lunch lasted three hours.


    veggies in the bowl
    gnaw gnaw gnaw
    chewing greens

    laps around the room
    gnaw gnaw gnaw
    chilling on the couch

    snow angels on tile
    gnaw gnaw gnaw
    sweeping the floor

    ䷴䷷

    three years barren
    beyond favor
    wild geese landing
    favor return    s

  • A sapphire vessel plied the turquoise skies, bisecting an enormous gossamer bird of paradise.

    scorching desert sun
    high noon — 9 AM

    Super Pawn
    NOW OPEN!

    fronting
    Extra Space Storage

    paucity and excess
    Warm Springs west

    ䷶䷬

    starlight
    day bright
    folded arm
    alright


  • “I only like to speak English now.”

    he found an apple on the dining table.
    Daddy, you picked a big apple!

    妈妈! 爸爸 picked 了一个很大的苹果!
    (Mama! Daddy picked a big apple!)

    (Actually, Mama picked it)

    ~

    妈妈! 我要跟一个人玩. 但是不是你和爸爸!
    (Mama! I want to play with one person. But not you or Daddy!)

    你要跟姐姐玩,就好好问她.
    (If you want to play with your sister, just ask her nicely.)

    ~

    弟弟,给爸爸抱抱!
    (Come hug Daddy!)

    NEVER!
    big grin.

    ䷺䷅

    disperse
    foam
    coalesce
    foam

  • Search for the monster who fears the moon.

    they turn off the lights
    tell me to jump out with claws

    RAWR!

    they emerge from their fort
    clang sticks against metal lids

    RAWR!

    they scream, giggle, race back to safety
    sneak out with a flashlight

    RAWR!

    they tell me that I’m scared of the light
    I shrink away in fear

    rawr?

    the moon monster
    waits in a dark bathroom

    ䷫䷱

    wrap a melon
    willow leaves
    lunar mana

  • 弟弟 x 三

    Outline
    Outline + Hatch + Pixlr Distortion
    Hatch

  • Kinky kangaroos kneaded kaleidoscopic kraken at Kevin’s knockin’ Kitty Klub.

    An outline handsketch of a hand shaping the ASL American manual letter “K”, in red ink on a yellow spiral bound steno notebook.

    My sister and I toyed with this PortaSound PSS-460 as kids.
    The kids now dance to the drum kit (max volume!)

    In between, it sat in our empty house;
    While we stayed with parents when he was born.

    A squatter took over one Thanksgiving —
    A young blond woman with a ponytail.

    She quietly left with her black backpack.
    I found the keyboard on a dresser, plugged in.

    I occasionally wonder about her,
    Plinking tunes on this toy Yamaha over a cold, dark holiday.

    ~

    This memory of everyday magic was sparked by a beautiful poem and rendition by Nadia Gerassimenko.

  • Wreck-It Ralph, Rich Moore, 2012 & Ralph Breaks the Internet, Johnston & Moore, 2018

    She spent half an hour going through the Disney catalog.
    She was intrigued by the princesses in the sequel.

    We started with this one.
    We watched it a few years ago but forgot the story.

    The bugs are scary.
    The 8-bit breaks up the monotony of CGI.

    A thrill a minute.
    A simple fable with the usual Disney lessons.

    Why isn’t it better known?
    Why isn’t it lauded as a modern classic?

    Great fun for the kids,
    Great love letter to the parents’ childhoods.

    Is it the lack of princesses?
    Is it missing a surreal song and dance routine?

    Ralph Breaks the Internet:

    The internet is a big place, so it makes sense that the movie felt less focused than the first one.

    Still, it was a fun time with the kids.

    The cameos of the Disney Princesses were great, but they also need that little extra to keep interest in the story.

    The boy is always taciturn at the end of a movie, but this time he announced
    “姐姐 (Sister) I hate the gigantic Wreck-it-Ralph!”

    Most importantly, I’m happy to report they had a song and dance routine this time.

    Plus the Eeyore cameo might convince the kids to watch Winnie the Pooh!