Thursday, October 29, 2009

INCOMPLETE ART


 






This is just a note to self....

The sitting woman became way too manic, and is now a manic collage, completely covered. The black and white (greyscale) face was done over the manic woman. She was just too hard to get the proportions. The B&W squiggles, who knows. I was in a brush stroke phase. The pieced together woman with her fingers interlaced was actually the first thing on the canvas with the other sitting woman and B&W face. (My dissatisfaction is economical!) She eventually evolved into an erased charcoal piece that is on my website. And El Dia de Madre, well, I never really liked how the drawing turned out. I feel bad about that one, because it was supposed to be a gift. Sorry Ma, still belaboring the process vs. my taste....

12/28/10 UPDATE: See completed version of Virgin HERE.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Steve Brodner, illustrator, political satirest

Steve Brodner has been my favorite political satirist (still alive) since 1992. I first saw a piece of his on the back of a punk rock record sleeve. It was a drawing of Bush Sr. filling his gas tank with gasoline made of dead Iraqi babies. Not a subtle piece, but it grabbed my attention. He's not one to shy from sharing his rapier-like imagination. And his pen is just as sharp.

One thing I have appreciated about him lately is his willingness to speak truth to current power. So few people seem to want to risk talking about the things the Obama Administration is doing that are similar to the previous administration/s, or anything that might blemmish the everything-is-going-to-be-alright-now-that-the-Dems-have-the-Whitehouse-again-and-a-new-knight-in-shining-armor mentality that has blinded us in light of the Hope hype. It's a superstitious fear that we will curse the good ride, and stoop to the level of the overtly negative media, and I think it is silly. Yes, I think we should bask in all the new directions we're seemingly headed because we elected a community organizer who is an honored 12-year Professor of constitutional law, and a civil rights attorney, among even other things. But we have a responsibility as citizens to critically analyze our elected leaders. I think it's just refreshing to get the fisheye lens over the tunnel vision...

Jane Mayer of The New Yorker has reported that the number of US drone strikes in Pakistan has gone way up since President Obama took office. During his first nine-and-a-half months in office, Obama authorized as many CIA aerial attacks in Pakistan as President Bush did in his final three years in office. At any time, the CIA now has multiple drones flying over Pakistan, scouting for targets. Mayer writes, “there is no longer any doubt that targeted killing has become official US policy.” David Kilcullen, a former adviser to General Petreaus, says that the propaganda costs of drone attacks on civilians have been disastrously high. He recently wrote, “Every one of these dead non-combatants represents an alienated family, a new revenge feud, and more recruits for a militant movement that has grown exponentially even as drone strikes have increased.”



Regardless of whether you care about politics, or war, or even satire, Brodner's art alone is worth checking out. Fortunately, he is accessable (I find it very odd that I can have a daily dialogue with him) he has a steady blog, and is open to discussion. Click on the title of this entry to check the link.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

The Graffiti Phase...


Found an old sketchbook from around 1993. I was really bad at tagging and working with lettering and words, so I stuck primarily to characters, especially when going out painting. But even with those I didn't have much originality. I looked up to (i.e. stole from) the talented dudes: Barry McGee (Twist), Andy Howell, Mode 2, DAIM, Dalek, and local talent like Maceo, and Marco from Olympia.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

A BUSY DAY

Art-n-crafts day, but not before going to Olympia to an art auction fundraiser for Evergreen State College.

 

Monday, October 5, 2009

Thursday, October 1, 2009

The Savi Wall Mural

3 months and some real anal retention. Or hence...

No primer, and the expensive paint I bought didn't work any better. Just a stubborn surface. Navy blue acrylic house paint, no masking 'cept for the long straight lines. A friend told me, "man up and just do it." And that was that. Best and only advice really.


 
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