Boston RBS Life Drawing Event Set for January 18th

The Boston "We've Come for the Davenport" Chapter of the Robert Benchley Society has planned a January event: "Barefoot up to Her Chin," the name of our next life drawing session, is taken from the title of H. Allen Smith's interview with Sally Rand. Smith, a newspaperman and humorist of the mid-20th century, was a friend and great admirer of Robert Benchley.
We'll have food delivered at six and start drawing at seven. As in the past, we'll supply the food, drinks, and art supplies. Cost will be $25 for Robert Benchley Society members and $30 for non-members. Skilled artists are welcome, but the event is directed toward beginners. Write-ups of past life drawing events are available at www.trumbullofboston.blogspot.com. For more information, mail David at david@robertbenchley.org.

It's Okay to Stare

The Boston "We've Come for the Davenport" Chapter of the Robert Benchley Society will have a Round-up on Saturday, September 15, 2012, the anniversary of Mr. Benchley's birth. We have hired artists' models for an afternoon/evening of life drawing. For $25 ($30 for non-members), which covers the cost of the models and artists' supplies, beer, wine, tonic, and food, you can join us for sketching, food, drinks, and conversation. Maybe someone will read Mr. Benchley's essay "Artist’s Model Succumbs" to put us in the mood.

WHEN: Afternoon of Saturday, September 15, 2012.

WHERE: Beacon Hill, Boston, Mass.

HOW MUCH: $25 for Robert Benchley Society Members; $30 for non-members

NOT AN ARTIST? Don't worry. The idea is to expose ourselves to something new -- sketching -- in a fun atmosphere with friends. No one will judge your work.

Our models for this session are curvaceous Thea and muscular (welterweigh mixed martial arts fighter) Mike "The Stuntman."

Expose Yourself to Art

On Sunday, May 13, 2012, the Boston "We've Come for the Davenport" Chapter of the Robert Benchley Society met for an afternoon of life drawing based on the similar successful Chapter Round-up in November.

Above, Mary DiZazzo-Trumbull sketches our models Shoney and Jim.

David Trumbull made a music compilation CD for the party.

For more photos of Shoney and Jim, click here [WARNING, CONTAINS NUDE IMAGES.]

Expose Yourself to Art

WHAT: Life drawing

WHEN: Afternoon of Sunday, May 13, 2012.

WHERE: Beacon Hill, Boston, Mass.

HOW MUCH: $25 for Robert Benchley Society Members; $30 for non-members

The Boston "We've Come for the Davenport" Chapter of the Robert Benchley Society will have a Round-up on Sunday, May 13, 2012. We have hired artists' models for an afternoon/evening of life drawing. For $25, which covers the cost of the models and artists' supplies, wine and tonic and pizza, you can join us for sketching, food, drinks, and conversation. Maybe someone will read Mr. Benchley's essay "Artist’s Model Succumbs" to put us in the mood.

NOT AN ARTIST? Don't worry. None of us are. The idea is to expose ourselves to something new -- sketching -- in a fun atmosphere with friends. No one will judge your work. For more information or to sign up, email David or Mary at trumbull@trumbullofboston.org.

Our models for this session are:

the lovely Shoney

And handsome Jim

When this event was last offered, in November, 2011, it proved one of our most successful local chapter Round-ups. Read more here -- http://benchley.blogspot.com/2011/11/boston-rbs-chapter-enjoys-artists-and.html

Save the night: January 14, 2012

Urban Noir Opening Night

Robert Benchley Society member Helen K. Garber announces her latest solo exhibition in Los Angeles: Jan. 14 - Feb. 25, 2012 @ dnj Gallery, Bergamot Station, Santa Monica, Calif.

Helen has spent the last two years creating Encaustic Noir, the series of mixed media assemblages that will be exhibited in the main gallery.

dnj owner/director Pamela Schoenberg curated an amazing companion show of vintage night photography by the master artists who have inspired Helen's work.

You will be able to see original vintage images by Brassai Henri Cartier-Bresson, Andre Kertesz, Robert Doisneau and other renowned photographers in the second gallery. Pamela chose only photographers working in Paris in the 1930’s.

If you don’t know photographic history, please consider that they were among the real life characters represented in Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris.

The reception takes place during Photo LA weekend http://photola.com/, when the international photographic community gathers in Santa Monica.

So please save the night of January 14 and enjoy stepping in and out of the past with Helen.

Boston RBS Chapter Enjoys Artists and Models Evening

On Friday, November 18, 2011, the Boston "We've Come for the Davenport" Chapter of the Robert Benchley Society enjoyed an evening of life drawing.

Above -- David shakes the cocktail of the evening, the aviation.

Mr. Benchley, prior to his writing career, was first an illustrator at the Harvard Lampoon and in the 1920s hung out with artists in New York City, so we believe he would fit right in.

Participating in the event were: Michael Coughlin, Stephen Helfer, Will Howitt, Rich Johnson, Danielle Lauretano, Christopher Morgan, Maria Paige, Jeffrey Quinlan, Peter Sheinfeld, David and Mary Trumbull, Lorenzo Wigfall, and Jean Wilson.

More photos are available at http://trumbullofboston.blogspot.com/2011/11/artists-and-models-11182011.html. WARNING, CONTAINS NUDITY.

Boston Benchley Round-up Planned: "Artists and Models"

WHAT: Life drawing

WHEN: Evening of Friday, November 18, 2011.

WHERE: Beacon Hill, Boston, Mass.

HOW MUCH: $15 and B.Y.O.B.

The Boston "We've Come for the Davenport" Chapter of the Robert Benchley Society will have a Round-up on Friday, November 18, 2011. We have hired artists' models for an evening of life drawing. For $15, which covers the cost of the models and artists' supplies, you can join us for sketching, light snacks, drinks (B.Y.O.B.), and conversation. Maybe someone will read Mr. Benchley's essay "Artist’s Model Succumbs" to put us in the mood.

NOT AN ARTIST? Don't worry. None of us are. The idea is to expose ourselves to something new -- sketching -- in a fun atmosphere with friends. No one will judge you work.

Those of you who were with the Robert Benchley Society delegation at the 2007 Dorothy Parker Society "Parkerfest" in New York City remember that one of the highlights of the weekend was a party featuring a life drawing class modelled on Molly Crabtree's successful Dr. Skethcy's Anti-Art School classes. Let's see if we can have as much or more fun in Boston with pencil and pad.

For more information or to sign up email David or Mary at trumbull@trumbullofboston.org.

Chicken Piccata / Chicken Picasso

"Reeling and writhing and fainting in coils."

I'm a retired member of the publishing industry for many years and a lifelong portrait painter. Recently, because of my long admiration for the writings and screen persona of Robert Benchley, I completed a portrait of him (shown at right), which I'm sharing with your society. Please feel free to use it for your website or in any other appropriate regard.

Sincerely,
Jim Lether
Salt Lake City

THANK YOU MR. LETHER!

Alex Robinson Cartoon of Mrs. Parker and Mr. Benchley

Drawing of Dorothy Parker and Robert Benchley by Alex Robinson.

Alex Robinson was born in the Bronx on 8 August. He grew up in Yorktown Heights, New York where he graduated high school in 1987. His first job upon graduation was washing dishes in a gourmet deli and it was while working there he decided that maybe college was a pretty good idea after all.

He spent one year at SUNY Brockport and then transferred to an art school in New York City, where he majored in cartooning. Among his teachers were Will Eisner, Andre LeBlanc, Sal Amendola and Gahan Wilson. In his sophomore year he got a job at a bookstore, where he continued to work for seven long years.

After graduating from art school, Alex began doing mini comics (small print run comics xeroxed and stapled by himself). He soon started working on the story that would become his first graphic novel, Box Office Poison.

In 1996, Antarctic Press started publishing the serialized version of Box Office Poison. The series ran for twenty-one issues, and once the story was complete, Top Shelf Productions published the entire thing in one 608 page book. Shortly after the book was published, Alex won the Eisner Award for Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition.

Although Box Office Poison was nominated for several awards (a Harvey, an Eisner, an Ignatz and the Firecracker book award) it failed to take home a single prize. Pathetic. Alex bitterly got to work on a second book.

2005 got off to a great start when the French translation of Box Office Poison won the prestigious Prix du Premier Album award in Angouleme, France. August finally saw the release of Tricked, which Top Shelf announced was going to a second printing in November.

In 2006, Tricked lost the Eisner Award for Best Graphic Novel, but managed to win a Harvey and Ignatz Award. This year also so Astiberri in Spain release both of his graphic novels in handsome, one volume editions.

Alex has expanded his storytelling to include fantasy, with the release of Alex Robinson's LOWER REGIONS (2007), the time travel/high school drama Too Cool to Be Forgotten (2008, winner of the Harvey Award for Best Graphic Album-original) and an adaptation of L. Frank Baum's A Kidnapped Santa Claus (2009).

He currently lives in New York City with his wife Kristen and their pets, Krimpet and Wrigley.

Learn more about Mr. Robinson at www.comicbookalex.com