Cranky's Progress

So, I haven't painted in oil in FOREVER! which is a shame. I love oils. I love the way it feels going onto the canvas and I especially love the smell, it's magic to me.

 I decided to take on of my characters- an undead priest affectionately nicknamed Crankypants ( gee why does that sound familiar?) and do a portrait of her.

I started with a black and white under painting but alas it required a lot of corrections so I just started doing them in color.

This is the first go in color and I am pretty sure those lilies at the bottom are going to piss me off.

But I don't mind really, I have been doing so much digital work lately  that a return to the traditional methods is welcomed.  I'll keep you posted on how she is faring.

A Funny Thing Happened On My Way to the World Today.

 So, my awesome-sweet-wonderful friend and mentor Maria bought me a copy of Rhonda Byrne's The Magic. It's all about gratitude. Now, if you're a hippie like me you know all about the magic of gratitude and the wonders it can do in your life.

BUT!

Life often has a way of making you forget that. Like for instance, when you go to log onto your faithful old computer with all your graphics programs to do some work and find that the last power surge the frequent storms in your area caused it to not want to come on anymore.

Now normally this would be my typical reaction to something like this.

But today I think all the gratitude work is finally kicking in. My first thought was "oh holy shit, is the laptop OK? I still need to play wow!!" and yes, the laptop (and therefore my much more awesome digital life) is still intact. I am grateful. 

My second was "well, damn, all my work was on there. The adobe programs I purchased were for a mac and incompatible with the laptop" But then after a whiny Facebook status update, I found a free basic digital program I am testing out. For all the developers who create open-source programs I am grateful.

So I decided to try a self portrait. 

Ooooo concentration face!

Now, the interesting thing is many of the tools were ones I was already used to but the layout and mechanics of them all just different enough to be frustrating. Then, as I was muttering in my cantankerous way, I realized I was fascinated again.

You know when you start to learn something you become absorbed in it? You are fascinated. When you are more intrigued by the process than the outcome. It was really nice to again look on my own face with renewed wonder and ( *gasp*!) appreciation as I tried to make the curve on my nose in pixels or using the right size eraser to get the weird shade of my irises.  

It's funny when you let go of things and let it be what fun you can have. So today I am grateful to be led back into a sense of wonder with the art I love so much. 

OKC's Paseo Arts Festival

 I spent a lovely afternoon in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma at the annual Paseo Arts Festival. The Paseo is the arts district of the area originally the home to hippies and bohemian counter culture, it evolved and evolved to the chic hot spot it is now. (if you stop down there for food I recommend the Picasso Cafe. The pizza was mediocre but their quinoa tacos and chili were amazing. Vegan friendly to boot.)

The festival brought artists from all over the United States not just Oklahoma. There were dozens of jewelry and pottery artisans. When browsing their wares it always amazes me to see how one medium can produce so much variety. It is the reason I love art so much. It is as individual as the artist.

I won't be critiquing the artists I mention here because I thought they were the best of the lot and I want you to enjoy them with out being encumbered by my opinions and viewpoints, lol.

So I don't repeat myself, PLEASE visit these artists websites they offer so much more than the one or two photos that I craptacularly took.(I did receive permission to photograph the work. I always ask and so should you. ALWAYS! It is only polite.) 

Like for instance, Daniela and Vladimir Ovtcharov. Their website is extensive with incredible work. So check out all the artists here! I couldn't photograph Daniela's work-her booth was too crowded-but was able to snap a few from Vladimir's (another reason to visit their site).

Vladimir Ovtcharov's The Sea Inside

Vladimir Ovtcharov

Vladimir Ovtcharov's Dandelion

Next I came across Chris White. Incredible encaustic works that are perfectly stressed. You can't really tell due to it being a photo but in person these pieces have a play of shine and matte, and according to Chris they feel wonderful to the touch. ( I didn't touch them with my grubby hands, I had just been eating cinnamon sugar pecans. What? Nuts are good for you.)

Chris White

Chris White's Spring Biscuit

Across from Chris was a collective gallery that held a lot of emerging artist work. Not all the artists were there but I did get to speak to Caleb Shelton, a photographer who uses a 360 panorama technique that he then puts together to create his “Little Planets” He doesn't have a website per say but he does have a tumblr, so go hook up with him there.

Little Planet by Caleb Shelton

Little Planet by Caleb Shelton

In the same gallery as Caleb was this piece by  called Catfish by Matthew Klapper. He wasn't there so I couldn't talk to him about his work or find a website for him but it's still a fantastic piece.

Catfish by Matthew Klapper

I came across Steve Nowatzki's etchings, they are truly fantastic. This was my favorite. But the glare on the glass (silly Oklahoma sunshine) is kind of distracting so visit his website, which he says is still under construction but has a test gallery up so you can see it. His “neglected” gallery, as he called it, is here.

Steve Nowatzki's The 11th Hour. 

I came across Sean Corner's booth, he was diligently working away. He said he doesn't have a website, sadly but this is a taste of his work here. He seems to be very active on the arts festival circuit so keep an eye out for him!

Sean Corner

Sean Corner

Then I came to an Oklahoma artist Jan Brieschke. She has had a nice long career as an artist and teacher. She developed a really cool style she calls fractured light and these amazing reverse glass paintings (which isn't really done anymore so it's wonderful to see it revived)

Jan Brieschke. This is the"fractured light" technique she  created.

Jan Brieschke. Reversed glass painting. I am SO sorry about the glare. It's such a beautiful piece.

Burning Books In This Day and Age

Browsing through Deviantart, I came across a post where the author had taken a photograph of burning pages of a new age book. He titled it Acts 19:19 (referring to this bible passage "A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.") and went on to say how his parents had bought the book for the sole purpose of taking it home to burn it "to prevent anyone else from reading it". The author had express great pleasure about it.

Now, I got to thinking. I'd love to burn some books myself. The whole Twilight series for instance.But if I were to burn all the crap books in the world, it would cause a level of air pollution that could possibly wipe out the population due to lack of oxygen. Not just because there are a lot of crap, but because books are  MASS produced.
You see, long gone are the days where it took skilled artisans to hand letter, bound and form a book. Now we have machines that produce them by the thousands!

Despite the rather poor selection being given to us these days, I'd rather have mass produced books and the privilege of accessing them, than not. My personal  library, which only has about 150 books actually surpasses that of kings in times gone by, suck it you royal bastards!

Anywho, so for me to justify the burning of a book whose viewpoints you don't agree with by saying you want to prevent others form reading it only shows your ignorance. And intolerance. There are many in this world who feel the bible is rubbish.There are other religions, as intolerant as Christianity, who feel the bible should also be burned for heresy.

So do we continue to breed hate? well, apparently, if you are Christian then  yes. yes you do.
The thing that gets me about these ignorant and intolerant people is they are representatives of their God. If they truly want to save people, why would you behave in a way that is contrary to the message you supposedly believe in? Why show people your God is as intolerant and ignorant as you?

For all you would be book burners out there, keep one thing in mind. If your God is almighty then he wants these books (yes, even Twilight *shudder*) to be  in the world and how dare you take it upon yourself to tell God he's wrong.

Another thing to keep in mind, or the perils of extreme persepctive

So I found this image on Pinterest. and as with the most nerve wracking thing about pinterest there is link or credit to the artist. If you know who did it please let me know so I can credit them properly.

Anyway onto the critique.

This lovely pirate lady for the most part is very well rendered. I love her cheeky expression, and the rendering of the cloth and leather textures are divine. Buuuuut ( this would be a critique without a segue) the biggest most prominent thing about the image is the limp dick pistol.

Turning the gun up  juuuuuuust a bit would have made the point a lot better. Here is a hot and totally bad ass pirate and she has a gun pointed....at your feet. Frightening. Really.
And a little too far to the right, is she aiming for some wily dwarf ninja or something? I can see it now, "Cor, I'll be taking that necklace Marm" looks to the ninja about to defend his mistress "Oi! Not so fast, ye bugger!" Admit it. You can totally see it now, can't you?

If you are going to go to the whole extreme perspective then don't slack off at the gun and the hand that holds it. He arm is jutted straight out and the elbow is locked. It would follow logically that her hand and the gun would follow suit and be pointed directly at you.

Now in the artists defense they may have originally done it that way. Then some nervous art director comes along and goes "Well, golly gee willikers. I don't think we should be pointing guns at our readers (I am assuming this is for a book cover I could be wrong.The artist could just like limp dick guns.) and had the poor artist re-paint it so the readers wouldn't feel threatened by said pigment.

But back to the  point. I've harped on this before. Logic, Muthafukka. When you are designing a composition- and you should always design it first. No matter if you are a realistic painter, an illustrator, graphic designer or abstract expressionist poopsmearer. Even the greatest abstract artists designed their compositions before painting-despite what they would prefer you to believe *cough* Pollock*cough*

Your compositions have to make sense. Otherwise you have would could be a great piece end up with a limp dick. Nobody wants that.

Running...

Clears the dust from the lungs and causes the blood to circulate most ambitiously.
Did you know Thomas Jefferson advocated running a mile a day for health?
A man so ahead of his time.

Black Widow Should Be Cropped

"oh hai, i jus gunna take sip, kay?"

I found this image on Pinterest. I like it for the most part. It's cleavage-eh, clever.  Black Widow being all bad ass, the visual pun of casually flicking Vampire Ant Man away like an annoying mosquito is amusing.

Quick before he starts to sparkle!

But there was something....something I found off about the image. Ah, the composition. It's almost perfect. Almost. But in obligatory :lets cater to sexless males" style they added an unneeded element.

Boobs.

You see, I wouldn't care if the boobs where there if :
1.) they actually fit into the composition and made it stronger. (which they don't)
2.) didn't look like there an after though that looked like the editor said "Hey! moar bewbies!"

"Go read porn will you"

See? it's stronger. The hand becomes the emphasis leading the eye to the whole point to the image. Ant Man trying to suckle Widows sweet life juices. Aside from defying every law of gravity, Natasha's cleavage was little more than wasted space. It interrupted the flow of the eye.
You should always have the view stay focused on your message. Not boobage.

Actually the boobs themselves aren't the problem. There is simply too much Widow to focus on the action at hand. You see, you can still be sexist and objectify women (hell, this one makes it more blatant. Top Cow would be proud)

"oh hai, we think you can't get a date since that is the stereotype of comic reader, fat, pimply, socially awkward, basement dwelling MALE ONLY chuds, so here are some boobs. We understand. We love you"

You are still able to focus on the message of the image AND get your cleavage on.  These were merely cropped, not magnified in anyway. Thus is the importance of good editing. You have to cut out the non-essential for the story. Especially if you are wanting to use it as a cover to get buyers.
Your message needs to be clear and concise. Whereas sex does sell, remember if you want staying power there needs to be more substance.

The Purpose of a Sketchbook

There is this disturbing trend that touts sketchbook pages as finished art. Just google sketchbook and you will see  a ton of images of finished drawings, paintings and mixed media work.
This is not the purpose of a sketchbook.

Granted, there are bits in my sketchbooks that I am ridiculously proud of. But a sketchbook is a work book. You use it to practice, problem solve and frankly give yourself a safe space to create crap.

I have a friend who tears out anything that isn't a resolved, polished drawing. I asked her why, she explained she wants to give people a good impression. She is denying herself the saftey of the sketchbook. She is also denying the people who leaf through her books the delicious process of visual thinking.

I blame museums.

They take sketches from artist and display them. I have no problem with this, EXCEPT they only display the finished "artsy" sketches. This gives the impression that you are supposed to do perfect work all the time. This is simply impossible. For every great work, there are dozens of mediocer-even awful pieces.

For all the artist, whether professional or hobbiest, please keep in mind you are under NO obligation to show anyone your sketchbooks.
And friends, family and connoisseurs, don't be rude and ask- or worse help yourself. It is a private world in those books. If you are invited to glimpse in those worlds consider it a privilage.

Harp Guitar Larson Bas 1920

I had never seen or heard of a harp guitar until I saw this lovly one at the MFA. Apparently, they have been around for over two centuries and have a long fan list that includes the likes of Jimmy Page.

I was curious about how it sounded, so I youtubed it like anyone would. Here is a Link for you. It's a nice sounding instrument. I am sad it's not used more.

Dore's Maenads in a Wood

Okay, yesterday I mentioned this bas-relief when I was talking about the painting of Summer. Housed in the same museum (MFA Boston) this is tucked neatly in a hall surrounded by a glass case. Right across the hall from a bust of Dante and Virgil.

Maenads are the worshippers of Dionysus (Bacchus) and their name literally means "the raving ones". Given their ecstatic frenzy from dancing and drinking. they are said to lose all self control and engage in wild sex and hunt down animals and men to tear apart with their bare hands and devour raw.

Me thinks this might be a *smiiiiidge* exaggerated. Possibly.

I could get into the sexual politics of vilifying women who behave against societal codes of submissiveness, but that is for another blog. Back to the art.

Hey, this pic is almost good! Yay me!

This sculpture feature deliciously fleshy nubile young women on a very dangerous precipice. Even though the title says "in a wood", it seems they have come to the end of the wood and are now looking over a cliff. Metaphor for the problems of such worship perhaps? Dore seems to have a fondness of masses of flesh piled on top of each other. Here the maenads, still in ecstatic state, dance and crawl around the central figure the only solid and sober seeming figure of the group. All are blissfully unaware of the danger before them.

The majority of the piece is actually plain "rock" only the upper portion is the figures themselves. Perhaps Dore meant for the piece to be seen from much further below than the museum has it to emphasis the dangerous pursuit of pleasure of the drunken followers of Dionysus.

Dore's Summer

I always say the best way to view and understand art is to gauge the emotional reaction you have to the art in question. I can tell you the backgrounds of the artists. I can tell you about symbols the artist used. I can tell you what it means to me but ultimately your reaction to it is the key to understanding the piece.

In this review, I have to say i was taken by surprise and awestruck by this painting.  It hangs in the delicious Museum of Fine Arts in Boston MA. When I lived there I had the privilege of seeing it often.
Paul Gustave Dore was a french artist. He was born January 6 1832 and died January 23 1883. He worked primarily as an engraver, his most well known work was the illustrations for the bible and the divine comedy. Which is how I was introduced to his work.  He was also a gifted sculpture. There is a bas relief housed in the MFA Boston that I am going to review soon.

Another example of my mad photography skills xD

This work is awe inspiring not because of the size (damn thing is huge) it the content. In the painting the startling element is the scythe. It seems out of place. Around it is vibrant lush life, but it is still too early for harvest. So the scythe lies there, impotent. However, death is patient. it will wait. it will be calm  for death knows there are cycles and seasons to everything. For now life triumphs.

All in all, it seems to me the overall message is one of hope.

A quick preview sketch

So I have been working on a comic, and I am fussy about it. I thought I'd give a teaser preview of a sketch page complete with words.

Fisherman is a euphemism for the plague,  Which plague? Take your pick it's a generic plague.

The Bubble People

Ugh, Blue Moon hangover. Not from alcohol but staying up too late. I've been waking up lately with all sorts of fun and funky things drifting in my head and I have recently taken to writing them down or sketching them out depending on what the occasion calls for.

This little picture is an example. I call them The Bubble People and it will soon be a series of them. I have no idea where these guys were hiding in my subconscious as I tend to lean toward realism and not cutesy cartoony type of anthropomorphism.

So enjoy the first one.

Blue Moon

Tonight, Dear Cherubs, is a very special full moon.  It's the blue moon! This is the moon of magic and wishes. Made even more special due to the fact it is the last one until 2015.

Blue moons occur every two to three years due to the "left over days" form the solar calender. (leap year anyone?)

Traditions all around the world  view this moon as special (except Christians who call it the betrayers moon since it came "too early" for Lent. Really, guys? Really?)

The moon of course isn't going to be blue (though that would be awesome) Since it is atmospheric pollution like dust that would cause the change, i.e. like in 1883 when Krakatoa erupted all moons where literally blue for two years.

Now, the blue moon that should be really fun is in 2028. It falls on New Years Eve and is a full lunar eclipse, imagine the craziness!!

It's seen as the moon of wishes. It is said that what you wish for on the blue moon is sure to come true. So, Dear Cherubs, take stock of your life and use that wish wisely.

St. Cecilia by Bernardo Cavallino

Bernardo Cavallino was born in Naples in 1616 and is thought to have died of the plague somewhere around 1656. Almost nothing is known of his background or training and it is hard to pinpoint if the many paintings attributed to him are his as less than 10 are signed. His work is noted for it's intense expressive religious allegory. The most famous example is probably the Blessed Virgin.

This painting however, is St. Cecilia. Patron saint of musicians and church music because it is said she sang to God as she died, which is impressive after a botched beheading.
Not to mention them trying to steam her to death. Why is the martyrs always seemed to get the horrific deaths? Don't just shoot them or anything. (Ooooo sorry St. Sebastian)

My crappy photo taken this year at the MFA. The security guard noticed my delight when I found her and tried to see what the hell I was looking at, lol.

This painting is probably one of my most favorite in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. (Here on out known as the MFA). You can see my crummy photo here. Since the MFA hasn't completed their renovations they have her tucked away in a temporary gallery hiiiiiiiiiiigh up on the wall. I took it with max zoom. Fortunately, I was able to find on the MFA website a professional photo for your enjoyment.

This is the MFA's professional pic, I found it at  http://educators.mfa.org/galleries/slideshow/1352

What strikes me so about this work is the composition. The blood red scarf flowing around her obviously aloft on the holy energy her music is producing as she channels Gods favor. Wrapping around her, it continuously moves you back to her serene and beautiful face.

Without the scarf, this could be called "Young Girl Playing the Violin" it would be a typical genre piece and like many others that fade into historical obscurity. But this is no ordinary young girl. This is a holy woman. God's chosen saint. A martyr. She plays music for the soul. Even the light that pours on her is from above and left, not humble earthly light, as from a candle but God's own light.
St. Cecilia playing her violin is a holy act and we are privileged to witness the ritual.

Ode to a Still Life

So I had been working on this still life. Still lives get a bad rap in the world for being rather generic, and I could go into the history of Dutch genre painting and the role still lives played therein. That will have to wait for another day.

Still lives are a great tool for an artist to use. They are still, free models the artist can use to flex their muscles. A still life can be explored for a long time and still not exhaust the possibilities of composition and light. Setting up a still life isn't taken lightly. You have to put in  a variety of elements in order to create a sustainable interest. Should it be monotone or a riot of colors? How about textures? the possibilities are truly endless.

This sketch was done over another in progress abstract  I was bored with. I may not do anything like that again as the strong blues interrupted the coloring of the mask and cloth, but it can be good to let go of control from time to time.

The Hand of Fatima (hamsa)

Hamsas I made to sell on Etsy.

I recently found (in Oklahoma, of all places.) some charms like this and decided to decorate them. I instantly recognized them as the Hand of Fatima. But honestly I didn’t know what the Hand symbolizes. So I decided to do a little digging.

The hand of Fatima also known as the Hand of Mary or the Hand of Miriam depending on your religious leanings, I believe it’s proper name is the Hamsa.

It is a symbol of protection. Thought to be potent defense against the evil eye. But the hand itself is an ancient an universal symbol of protection attributed to Inana, Ishtar, Venus even the Buddha whose mudras are seen mirrored by none other than Christ himself.

I found this rockin' Hamsa on google images

         In earlier times it not only represented protection from the evil eye it also served to promote fertility and easy pregnancies, which maybe why it almost always is associated with Goddesses of the loving arts.

         Often seen in jewelry, it is also painted on doors and walls or hung up as tapestry and charms.

The hand is associated with the number 5. Five fingers. Five is a blessed number in ancient times denoting blessings, power and strength. The opened hand wards off evil and the closed hand with palm up denotes blessings and teachings.

The eye in the middle of the hand is also a universal symbol of protection against the evil eye or evil in general. The eye symbolism gets me because of my love for Medusa. Who legends it’s theorized evolved from the corpses of dead sailors and devices used to keep crows away. (Nice mix there. I’ll explain that in another post)

Ancient scarecrows and even some today are little more than an eye like object that reflects the sun.

It makes me wonder how much of our world beliefs and habits are based on simple everyday things like keeping birds from your food.

My pen and I had some fun

So I have a comic idea kicking around my head, (actually I have many) but this one is getting my attention lately.
you can see somehereon DA.

My Newest Necklace

Every artist has this problem with at least one piece they make. They want to keep it. My newest necklace is that way for me. It has so many things I love that it was hard to put it up for sale.
But I need teh monies to get back home with so it will have to grace another neck *sniff*
If you want it it can be found here
.

Twinings does Pomegranate

They have probably had it kicking around for a while but I just received a sample, and oh boy all I can say is yummy.
It's a light black tea, almost no tannic taste, with a sweet fruity undertone and a floral finish.
That is my review. I will be ordering my weight in this lovely item.
I can see all the things I can make with it. Base for fruit soups, ice creams and sorbets, sauce experiments. Iced or hot, this is lovely.
go here
to for more info. click here for some free samples!!