Sketchbook 13: Memory of happiness

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Memory is a curious thing - it sneaks into your sketchbook when you least expect it. These past few months in Vancouver have been a strange dance between present and past, between what I'm seeing and what I'm remembering. My sketchbook has become less of a visual diary and more of a memory palace, where happiness from hours ago mingles with imagined robots contemplating human nature, and where princess portraits share pages with poutine-induced revelations. As someone once said, artists don't capture what they see, but what they carry within them. These pages are proof of that.

On Walking with a Stupid Grin

They call me the guy who wanders Vancouver with an inexplicable smile. Truth is, I'm often lost in recent memories, letting happiness from hours ago paint my present. They say you only recognize happiness in retrospect - I've learned to turn that into an art form. One good moment in the morning can fuel my soul until midnight, no need for seeking pleasure in mediocrity. My watercolors try to capture this - a soul floating around its body, trying to understand its own joy.

Fragments from Past Pages

Some sketches are time capsules of forgotten thoughts. Like this humanoid pig with its beer - I can't remember what I was thinking, but the feeling still echoes through the strokes. Isn't it strange how emotions outlive their contexts?

Rediscovering Old Loves

After a long affair with unforgiving inks, I returned to pencils through a chance encounter - a girl dressed as a pirate on Canada Day (which made absolutely no sense and therefore perfect sense). The familiar graphite brought back memories of simpler times. Sometimes a technically imperfect sketch can be perfectly satisfying simply because it was fun to create.

Portraits and Fantasies

• A pastel tribute to CHVRCHES' lead singer, my personal interpretation of their sound

• A princess with flame-like hair and generous curves, because sometimes watercolors need to dance

• A couple riding a giant turtle, now living in Edson's collection, carrying stories I can only imagine

Tales from the Machine Heart

My robot character searches for life in a post-apocalyptic world, pondering human peculiarities: "Why do human books say 'every person should sit quietly and listen to the river'? I've been here for hours... I don't understand."

"Is it common for humans to look into the past? They were so keen on preserving history, learning from it... Such simple superstitions for beings who were here for just a fraction of time."

Going Native

I'm drowning in poutines! The ultimate sign of Canadian assimilation - painted myself in a box of cheesy, gravy-soaked fries. Some transformations happen through art, others through cuisine.

Notes on Joy

• Happiness isn't always about the present moment; sometimes it's about carrying good memories like precious stones in your pocket
• Old sketches are like archaeological finds of your own past emotions
• The best art sometimes comes from things that make no sense
• Even robots need to understand human poetry
• Sometimes becoming local means surrendering to local comfort food

Between remembered joys and drawn dreams, these pages hold the story of finding home in foreign places.

Until next time, keep your pencils sharp and your memories sharper. Share your own moments: Instagram | X