Friday, September 20, 2013

An (unfortunate?) Aspect of an Artist's Temperament

Wow. So, the last time I posted was back in February and one could assume that I had died or absconded to some strange corner of the world with no network connection, but I've been actually been buried in the mist of living life. And as always, it seems to get more hectic the moment I think I have a good handle on thangs.

I have fallen into an artist-specific trait of "Just Drawing/Painting/Sculpting" (basically working)and generally not following through with the well-intentioned updating of the website/blog/facebook or any socializing, although I have been better on the FB posts as it's usually pretty instantaneous and requires no real writing effort. And for reals, I know to be "viable" I have to update on a regular basis. But, really, all I think most of the time is "fuuuuuck that shit. I got some art to do." This is also present in Justin Sweet's recently updated site, which has new work and is, as always, so friggin' cool it's not surprising that he's a huge influence for me.

Anyways, here's some photos that I have posted via Facebook but will be a good li'l artist and post here as well.
ze tiga-a sketch that started somewhere else

"Be a Good Girl"
"Smoke Hyena of the Future Plains"




"Laundry Clairvoyant" in progress

"Tiny Senorita"
























"Smoke Hyena of the Future Plains" is a mixed media acrylic and pencil painting. "Tiny Senorita" is gouache and water color on a 2"x3" trading card. "Laundry Clairvoyant," essentially one piece of collage, laundry drying on lines in the sun, on lace affixed surface, is an in progress work.

I will endeavor to be better about posting, although I will most likely fail.

Color: plum
Sound obesssion: Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot album
Word of the moment: Hootenanny

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Not Just Any Heart Valentine

February never fails to remind us, all of us, of Valentine's Day, with its saccharined heart. I always have loved and hated the symbol since it has dictated how a complex and varied feeling (Love) should be and only be about the overly sweet and ultimately sickening nature of love or strong affection. And the symbol (or Love) has never been that way for me.

This is my valentine for my Valentine, based on the concept of the stereotypical heart shape, which is two hearts fused together:



Front of Valentine minus front lacing
Interior of Valentine with bike in the background
Completely handmade Valentine.  If that doesn't say "I love you" then I don't know what does.  Also, the holes in running down the middle of both hearts are for a deep purple ribbon to tie them together.  I took these photos after I gave it and it was quite the pain in the butt to lace it up the first time, and I didn't feel like doing it again.  My hands are tired, my friends.

Color obsession: Gentian

Song obsession: "Apply Some Pressure" by Maxïmo Park  
Words that make ya sma'ta': Aggregate   


Thursday, January 24, 2013

Mask concept drawings-Buffalo

This is a concept sketch from about 3/4 of the way done to finish I did this past Monday (MLK Day) while hanging out in a café near my house.  I've been doing drawings of buffaloes a lot as of late, and my thoughts always turn to the way early American and European "sportsmen" decimated the American Bison population to the point of near extinction.  And, to add insult to injury, mainly did so just for buffalo hide leaving the carcasses to rot in the prairies.  Now, buffalo only roam on protected areas, such as ranches and preserves, their numbers not even close to what they once were.  I know why this bothers me.  It's the narcissistic, tyrannical attitude that people, especially in first world countries, seem to have in them.  I don't know why though, if you have a brain and a heart and aren't a psychopath, you wouldn't care that this has a history and continues.  So many creatures that make our world a really cool place to live are being brought to extinction, or near it, for what?  Delicious soup, a nice rug, a trophy, more land to build more structures that will remain mostly empty.  So many reasons and all of them bullshit.  It saddens and shames me beyond belief sometimes.

This concept I've called "Goodbye Buffalo" but have also been toying with naming the actual mask, if I make it, "American Domestic Policy."  My concept was to have a tired buffalo, with his head cover in blood and the beard made out of used rifle casings.



These were done in watercolor pencil, ink and gouache.

Music obsession: "Dulcinea" by Isis
Color of the Moment: Burnt sienna
Words that make ya sma'ta': Verisimilitude