So Much To Share!!

Hello from Piebird, North Ontario, where the goats are happy, the farmers are long-haired, and the leaves underfoot are delightfully crunchy!

If you don’t know already, I’ve been here for a month, for my yearly retreat from the city. The first order of business when I arrived was Rest. I slept for 10 hours a night, and felt like I recovered some long-lost portion of my soul. The second order was goat-snuggling (all my old friends, and the newest addition, The Mighty Pepe) and catching up with my dear dear farmer friends, Sherry and Yan. The third order was music.

I’ve been spending a few hours a day practicing, writing, and musically organizing in anticipation of recording. Last month, while traveling in Sweden and Germany I wrote a few songs, and the inspiration I was feeling has carried over to life here at Piebird. I’ve got a bunch of new material, and am feeling so wonderfully at ease with writing and playing. I can’t wait to share with you!

At first I thought this album would come into being some time in the wee hours of the new year. But scheduling, as usual gets in the way, and it turns out that Adrian Dolan and I (and a delightful gang of other weirdos), are going into the studio in March. This would make the album release slated for some time in May. I know, I know, it sounds far away, but really, Spring’ll be here before you know it! And extra wonderful is the fact that Yan of Piebird (who is an incredible graphic designer, but don’t tell him I told you so), is going to help me out with the album art, which is very exciting.

So the fund-raising has begun, and things are moving along quickly! 21 days left to raise just under 10 grand, woah, and holy shit it’s exciting! I have no idea if I’ll reach the goal or not, but so far, people’s donations have been mind blowingly generous, and they’re sharing it around like free candy on hallowe’en! One thing I’m getting out of all of this is this incredibly gratifying sense of being supported. Supported by my friends and community, by fans of The Gruff, and also by complete strangers! Amazing!

What I am still looking to achieve is even more sharing around of the Rockethub site, and a reminder to you all that even small donations, five or ten bucks, make a big difference. So here’s the link, and don’t forget that there are material rewards to be had, not to mention my undying gratitude…

http://rockethub.com/projects/3555-j-r-s-solo-album-finally

So this is the first installment in my “blogging” (anyone else think that “blog” sounds like another wordfor “barf”?) about this fundraiser and album creation. Two more days in this gorgeous North Ontario countryside with the two nicest people in the world, and I’ll be on my way back to Vancovuer to put some of this planning into play. I’ll keep you updated.

Love and ruminants.

Jenny

PS! here is a link to my new youtube channel thingy. It's got some songs on it. Currently it's as close as I'm going to get to a website.

http://www.youtube.com/user/nicejengoat

The Last Hurrah

yep. 'tis the end of the gruff as we know it.

Foxy

My newest comics for BC musician. I'm thinking I need a name for these things. I draw a couple of them every month, and due to my artistically schizophrenic and uncommitted nature, they always look different. So yeah, a name, in a recognizable font, that shows up every time. Any ideas? Help!

Spring Breakup, live and cartooned (with special guests, Gruff birds and Jenny-Jack of all trades)

Song Writing is a Complicated Process

Black bears

These are a couple of pictures that i did for Corbin Murdoch's project, "A Year in Song". The February track is "Black Bear", a song that has a lot of meaning for me, and I also sing on this recording.
http://corbinmurdoch.wordpress.com/

I seem to hate everyone...?

Do all these comics seem a little... bitter to anyone else?

comics for bc musician magazine

BC Musician magazine has asked me to do one or two comics for them every month! Money! They're paying me REAL money to do this! haha. I'm so flattered, and happy that people will get to read them.

This is a Reminder

Sometimes we all need a reminder. If talking animals or Hank Williams are needed to get the message home, well, so be it.

self portraits. sortof.

I'm living on my own right now. Housesitting. It's real nice, but the only person around for me to draw is... me! So here I am, thinking about the concept of home, and shaking a limp fish. I've been reading a huge collection of Ray Bradbury short stories, and loving his dated obsession with Martians and rockets. So here's me as an alien. Yes, I know, I'm a total classic sci-fi nerd.

Just some stuff

Heaven is a Folk Festival

To Be Continued...

Titillating Tour Tales

The Wild Turkeys are our new band friends, a wonderful group of brothers from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. I just realized not one of them is a turkey, though I covered a lot of other animal bases... check them out at

http://www.myspace.com/thewildturkeys

their tunes are awesome and hilarious, and they're the perfect pairing for The Gruff. Like spaghetti and red wine... or maybe crawdads and whiskey...

I also just realized that I drew the guitarist in this comic playing left handed... oops. I guess it was just more aesthetically pleasing that way. Artstic license, dammit.

Kamloops Motel

This is the motel we lived in while planting out of Kamloops

Grumpy Bear

I may be a little cranky, but I'm doing art again, after OH-SO-LONG, so stay tuned for more.

Amazing musicians you meet on the road

Silos - Nanton, Alberta

Leaving Nova Scotia, I finally felt inspired

tuesday!

good news hangover

the night before this drawing came in to being, the gruff won "artist of the year" at the vancouver island music awards. what this means is, yes, we can flounce around like the common drunks that we are, and everyone just thinks we're real cute. but it also means that folks were buying us copious amounts of expensive liquor all night long at the awards ceremony at the queen's hotel in nanaimo. the cointreaux and banana liquers were flowing like a river... a scary river.



thus the happy hangover.

based on a true story

musicians

i attended/played in some concerts the last few weeks. i love sketching musicians, especially people i know.

cowboys and poetry are fun