cartoon
Next Entries »A Studio Affair
Tuesday, October 28th, 2008
“Your eyes are like plastic pearls”
“I bet you say that to all the inanimate objects”
The romance began last year.
Mockingbird ritual
Thursday, March 6th, 2008
Mockingbird mating flight ritual – 10 x 10 inches study in graphite, eraser, paper
Last night it was especially noticeable that the Mockingbirds have started their mating season. Pronouncing himself at the highest peak on a rooftop, the male mocks other birds’ calls, repeating each 3-4 times before changing to another call. Then in a ritual flight dance he flies up a short distance and does graceful flip in the air, flashing the white wing stripes, back to the perch and repeats the pattern over and over.
After listening to them quite a bit, there are some that have a larger repertoire of calls and a louder, determined, clearer song…I’m guessing that those are the most mature and attractive.
Valentine
Sunday, February 10th, 2008
Graphite drawing, scanned and detailed with digital pen.
Out with the old, In with the old!
Tuesday, January 1st, 2008
My studio is filled with all the things I love, including inspirational images and shelves of favorite objects. I still have Art supplies that I used in Grade 2, and hang on to various space-consuming materials like too much cardboard and a bulk of previous work. All this needs paring down at least once a year, and it’s always enlightening to sort through.
Rediscovering things long-forgotten, like this cartoon by Saul Steinberg (1961) that drew my attention years ago, I spot links and relevancy to my recent work, revelations about short and long-term goals, and patterns of recurring themes I still wish to explore.
One immediate association that comes to mind through Steinberg’s cartoon is how our visual sense speaks a language of its own, even completely on its own. For an artist, what a boost to take a second glance at how powerful images can be. We have high unrealistic expectations for words, speech, and logic alone; as if they are complete and final once expressed and need always be perfect. Beyond that, it’s a curious thing how, even if we speak the exact same language, words can fall short, be misinterpreted or misunderstood. Personally, I’m grateful to rely on a creative drive that allows for infinite forms of expression.
In our progressive age of high technology and wireless everything, it’s the Human factor that now needs refining. We still need to develop the abilities to effectively communicate with each other. Intrinsic to the intense desire to communicate, creativity thrives… always has and always will. The power of our emotions, usually given values of negative or positive, are all rather the same when it comes to Art and creativity: they become useful in learning, as a means to transformation and going beyond our own personal limitations.
What I thought was going to be a simple tidying and organizing of the studio became a surprising source for renewed perspective and motivation. I highly recommend it, but you will probably be sidetracked by all the old pictures!
Peace On Earth
Tuesday, December 11th, 2007
Peace On Earth, pen on paper.
‘Tis the season
Tuesday, October 30th, 2007
“Hey Baby, How’s it goin’?”
Scared of Color
Saturday, January 20th, 2007
Have you ever painted the walls in your house, difficult it is to choose a shade of white, or come home with a can of paint based on a one by one inch splotch of color, only to find it’s totally different. Why don’t people have red living rooms, purple kitchens and bright green foyers? I still have reservations about using pure color on my canvases. Color makes you feel a certain way…colors or lack of them in our homes reflect the way we feel or want to feel.. Likewise, your Artwork; color is the most difficult thing to master .
Scared of Color was drawn with my new computer pen, using the Paint Shop Pro program. It’s like learning to draw all over again.
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