Good Day Blogorhythms,

Today it is my pleasure to introduce you to Alexander Overwijk: Ottawa-based high-school teacher, freehand-circle-drawing-master, and all around awesome dude.  He showed up in this YouTube clip in January that has seen over 3 million hits in less than two months.  As kick-ass as the video was, it posed too many questions with not enough answers.  Like Lost.  The video was exactly the same as Lost.

This week I tracked him down by email and he was kind enough to address some of these questions.  The answers I discovered were far more amazing than I could have imagined.  Unlike, I am beginning to strongly suspect, the television program Lost.

1.  How did you learn how to draw circles like that?  How do you get started in such a hobby?

I did this in math classes over the years and have refined my skills throughout my teaching career.

2.  I spent a good 20 minutes trying to track down the competition you referenced in the video (the one in Vegas) and got nowhere.  Is it for real?

It is now: Link, link and link.

3.  How well can you draw a square, with and without a ruler?

Pretty good – but I am not the World Freehand Square Drawing Champion – that  goes to Irving McGillicuty.

4.  What’s life like as a viral video mega-celeb?  What’s changed?

Pretty cool. Nothing has changed other than the odd interview and interest from various folks. We will be posting a video of the actual freehand circle drawing championships on YouTube in the next two weeks. That will be fun.

5.  Do you teach your students your secrets/can you teach me?

I have numerous techniques that I can use. Teach people and students?  Of course!  Freehand circle drawing 101- here we go.

---------------------------------------

And the plot thickens.  I’m kicking myself for missing the Championships on the 22nd, it could have been one of my only chances to get close to this shadowy McGillicuty character.

I’ll post vids of the Championships if I can track them down, and have a great weekend!

In blog we trust,
Reggie.