Moments in Between the Noise

I'm messing around on a collage piece in between working on a commissioned painting which has been a bit of a struggle for me. Having something fun and with no preconceived outcome is a good way to reset my mind and get out of my own way. Kind of like meditation...the silence in between all the noise.

I enjoy collage much more than painting. I'm always fighting in painting...fighting the image, all the training I received backed up on loop in my brain and at some point stop and say "fuck" really loud and drawn out because it's not what I want to have done at all, and always, always fighting myself. It's very rare that I get joy from it. Collaging on the other hand, I've had no classes for. There are no rules save for the copyright infringement, so basically it's completely free. I can do whatever I want how I want. No one can tell me how it's done is wrong because it's just opinion about a working process. The energy is so rewarding that I am probably never going to do traditional paint-only works again after this commission is done.

Below are some photos of the new piece.

This will be a hand holding special objects

The head of a transformative being that has no permanent shape

She's working on building the one thing she lacks, a functioning heart

So that's that, as they say.


Color Obsession: French Gray
Song Obsession: "Sol" by Zwan
Smart Words: Supinate

Mask Making Continued

Red - Caguão: compsite from beginning to finish

Yellow - Ishupopo: composite dry sculpting finish

Green - Ooshoofeté: painting finish

Music obsession "Clearing the Path to Ascend" album by YOB
Color: slated mint
Word o' the week: Crespuscule

posted from Bloggeroid

Red Mask Beading: A Pandora's Box

So if you follow me on facebook, you'll have already seen these in progress photos on the red mask, but I post them here because now I can talk for a bit.

Look at Gary II. Now I feel he requires a hat of sorts, if only so accentuate his fine sculpted bone structure ;-).
This beading...this insane beading with seed beads has created some issues. One, it's seed beading, which is ridiculous. They are 1/16, super small which equals a very time consuming task. You lose them quickly if you drop them(or a whole strand. Curse words abound!) and are patience-testers. They are what they are and their qualities are much more appreciated when you are not working with them. I took a box home filled with all the beads I want to use and spent a few days beading at home, after work, on the weekends, before bed. But after figuring out how to strand them with efficiency, I now want to do more of this with other masks. So, there's that.
I don't know why I choose to do this to myself. (Insert blank face here)

Also, I've also been working on/ignoring somewhat a new website and will be blaring that all over the social media feeds as soon as it's completed. Which needs to be soon.

Anybody else's To-Do list seem never-ending? I feel I should just refer to it as my Mobius Strip instead. More accurate that way.

Alright, enough. I need to get back to the studio and work.

Color obsession: dirty plum
New song obsession: "Death of Me" by Gojira
Vocabulary improvement: verisimilitude

posted from Bloggeroid

After rain walk - March 2nd, 2014

The magnolia trees are blooming too soon since we still have more rain to come. It's not their fault though-it's been so warm and dry this winter I see everything from daffodils to the drooping tulips confused.
Listening to Sleep's "Jerusalem" for the first time and it's a good song for a wandering walk like today. I feel somewhat like a wandering Jew- searching for a Holy Land.
The wet smell of Elmwood Village and upper Claremont is fantastic and clean. I love it when it rains but none more so than afterwards. Everything's feels quiet and refreshed.

A Valentine for my Valentine

Last year I made pretty elaborate valentine and decide never to do another again. Well, that was a lie that made itself true less than a week and a half ago when I drew some fiery heart designs and thought how great they would make for a valentine. This was much more complicated than I initially realized, but I'll be damned if I don't finish what I start. This is constructed from 90# and 120# watercolor paper. Watercolor, colored pencil, and some gouache. And about 10 hours of work.

But this was all for love. Unless the focus of your affections doesn't much care for these sorts of things. Then don't fucking bother.

Song of the moment: "Ready to Bleed, by Prayers
Color obession: Dove gray
Smart words: predilection

Digital Peacock Weed

Peacock Weed has been a design I have done previously. I have imported a recent weed growth into Illustrator for a live trace and then into Photoshop for messing around with some color. Although I am not one to work this way, or to be fair, enjoys working digitally, the ease of which color comps and value studies are accomplished makes this process useful.

Also, exciting news! I moved into an art studio on Chinese Lunar New Year. This will be my first studio that I wasn't also my apartment. I feel like such an adult. ;-)

Color: Poppy orange

Song: "Night woven of Snow, Winds and Grey-Haired Stars" by Drudkh

Word: Atramentous