After I moved my family to Vancouver I found it pretty hard to find a job.

 
 
 
My first regular job was as a janitor & I relished it as best I could.

I worked for rich people who were allright. I liked them & they gave me gifts, clothes & other things.
So for the first time in my life I learned to dress well.

Nobody in my neighbourhood knew what I did for a living so I walked around with dignity.

 
 
 

I would change my paycheque into c-notes & wear second hand rich people clothes.
At work I had very little to do so I'd pick bottles from the recycling bin & take them in during work hours.

I saw alot of other well dressed bottle pickers.
I hated both bottle picking & being a janitor. When my family fell apart, both became necessary.

For my self esteem I wouldn't go out unless I had tailor made cigarettes & could afford the best coffee, often instead of food.

I nursed alot of fantasies about rich women wanting me but couldn't really act on them because of my position & my poverty. There was no depth to the masquerade.
When I accidentally got invited to show at a gallery in a ritzy neighbourhood I was overjoyed & bragged to all my rich patrons.
Maybe a litle too much. One day I was fired.

All of a sudden nobody liked me & people who were regularally friendly were scared of me.


rides a bike

 
 

...to be continued?...
Well, I don't know.

MickeytheSwan "Picks Bottles & Acts Rich"MickeytheSwan "Rides a Bike"MickeytheSwan "talks to Robert"MickeytheSwan "Gets a Cheque"MickeytheSwan "Wears a Coat"MickeytheSwan "Visits with his In-Laws"MickeytheSwan "Burns his 4skin"



 
 
 

7 printmaking methods
29 human figure paintings
the portrait
pen & ink drawings from t.v.
studies of bus stops
studies of taverns
commercial portfolio
portrait of an artist as a young man 
(& other novels drawn by me)
paintings from C.R. Avery's "A Shotgun Wedding"
a contribution to Jabbar al Janabi's "Anu"
the diarial adventures of Mickey the Swan
sha.la.la.la. (the late 20thCentury.bop)
the quick brown fox
view guestbook
sign guestbook

MiketheSwan
@yahoo.com

resume