Music + Birds
This is a translation in process for a possible idea for the Chicken Chokers and if not, a good exercise in breaking out an illustration into black, white and red--from a no holds barred--full color blowout. This sort of thing is a puzzle for me--and something they dont address in the illustration program--but necessary as a good illustration broken down into 2 colors can easily become a teeshirt or better yet, a logotype. And, it is not as simple as it looks. I will post the final as soon as it gets done and looks like something (which might be pushing it). I tried this before with my dodo bird, stripping out all the color except black and grey--using a big color for the background. Also with the pumpkin (which I did post--lemme think...). It has a clean look that I would like to develop.
We strolled through the 6 foot embankments of plowed snow to get to the for dinner Thursday night at the Pourhouse. There were 2 of the 5 Chokers and family settling in to hear a trio from Maine, Tough Cats. The Cats were very funny and accomplished and got a great reception from the few of the Tburgers that got out in the cold and snow. The Cats comprised of a trio of accomplished and funny musicians: guitar, banjo and drums. The music was solid and the performing, wild. Part of the drummers kit is an old suitcase that he wails on with brushes...wildly gesturing complete with a very mobile and expressive series of faces. They drove up from NYC for the Pourhouse gig and were going to turn around and go back to Manhattan the next day. All in a days drive! Fun. Very Avett Brothers in attitude and spirit.
IF: [anti]Gravity
Was working on some stupid sheep drawings and the IF topic emerged. I have always loved the idea of the french in the mid 1700s with their decorative hot-air balloons with M. Montgonflier. It was balloon mania at the time. This is my bow to antigravity. Up, up and away, in my beautiful....beautiful balloon!
blue sky winter
This is what we found this morning. No more veil of snow. Crystalline, cold and clear. Blue shadows, spidery bass trees with Camp Street in the background. I gotta take more pictures like this tomorrow cause this is the sort of thing we long for in the middle of October to make our clients happy for their holiday cards.
Happy Valentines Day
Can you believe this thing? Absolutely nuts. I am on the verge of being totally offended and wanted to see if you were? Or should we look at it without the bias of our time, and consider when it was designed and produced and look at it through those lenses? It is wierdly fascinating--mesmerizing.... And who are Wayne and Bobby? Why are they sending this card to Mr.Cullison? What does this say about their relationship? Is there a story here? If so, send it ahead. Erich and I have been pondering what the "backstory"is.
Valentines Day Snowstorm
As promised, we got the snow. Little chippy icy snow, persistently falling--a veil of whiteness. Light...not like that heavy,soft snow that snaps the trees from the weight. It started last night and has kept coming (with predictions until 10 tonight)--We must have about 10" right now. The radio recitation of the school closings was a veritable dictionery of Native American, Mohawk and Greek names from Chemung to Ulysses, Ovid to Oneonta.Lots to do here. I have posted a weather inspired valentine for your pleasure. This valentine and the ones from yesterday and the piece of resistance (to be posted after this) was from an ebay auction as this sort of stuff is invaluable resource materials. Have a happy valentines day!
Nice copy with the accordian! If only...
Valentines Early Bird
Rafts of Geese
No.
This is not a goose or a geese.
This is a work in progress. A flamingo. I am trying with this to make a very bold, motherwell type of composition with the face and part of the neck in focus, and the rest to go to unarticulated color.Not quite finished but was needing something to show you...so here goes.
Saw rafts of geese on Cayuga Lake up at Sheldrake yesterday. Some were clustered by the shore and the others as huge flotillas mid-lake, taking in the heat from the water...gliding away. Mixed in with this group intermittantly were white swans. It was amazing to see all those birds--honking up a storm--creating a din it is hard to think with.
Am totally in love with The Believer magazine. Read a great article on Sumo wrestling in Las Vegas, referred to by the author as the a place where they take simulation seriously. Loved that. Loved the whole progress of the story, the introduction of a little history, a little intro on the who what where and when of the sport and then, finally of the event in Vegas. Engaging and frankly, even better, fun. A good personal story of an author and his interactions with John Updike leaving the reader sad and thoughtful about their relationship. It is terrific watch the snow come down and hibernate reading.
Our dining room is now Benjamin Moore red. Looks great.
K back from Ontario and the winter hijinx they seem to enjoy from toboggoning to dogsledding to copious amounts of pea soup and waffle eating. She had a lovely time, but will be flagging due to lack of sleep for the next few days.
We may be getting a dump of snow in the next few days. More later.
IF: Not a Crash-- a whisper.
Even though this feather looks like its made out of metal which means it might crash when it lands...a real feather floats and sails until it hits the ground. This IF is a toughy this week and I don't have much in my sketchbooks and pictures to make a sensible entry this week.
Charles Burns
Charles Burns' self portrait from www.symphonyspace.com
Charles Burns is amazing. I knew his work...just didnt know his name. So, as I was reading the new McSweeney's magazine, The Believer, this morning, I was rapturous about the wonderful portraits on the cover and had to find out who the big talent was who does these intense portraits chock full of tiger stripes and elegant line work. From that came the discovery that Charles Burns is the very man. My looking about (noted by the links below) took me to the world of Charles Burns, author, illustrator, entrepeneur and his art. He is the illustrator of choice for the Believer (along with cover, a great tee shirt, a poster of faces etc--see their store). He is an inspiration in his work, the breadth of his talent and the "wierdness" that is often cited in the articles on him. I dont think he is "wierd"-- I think he is someone to study and watch. He has the handle on something distinct and real.
"Comics Master Charles Burns Digs Deeper in Black Hole">>
Charles Burns' publications through Fantagraphics>>
This included his Black Hole publication.
Wiki on Charles Burns (cartoonist)>>
Lambiek.net's artist's biography on Charles Burns>>
McSweeneys>>
The Believer>>
deep blue shadows
The school buses are rolling. Game is back on. The shadows on the snow are lavender and deep blue. Gorgeous. I almost wrecked the car yesterday on a round trip skittle to Corning startled and stunned by the mid-afternoon, long shadows the trees were casting over the fields. Striking. Even the snowmobile tracks look good. I need to shoot some reference as it doesn't get much better than this. Also, need to get in front of snowy card images for my clients as it rarely looks this good before Christmas--so images shot now would be welcome in October for that holiday card rush we always experience.
Birds coming on. Working on 2 goose pictures at the same time. Puffins, penguins, an ostrich, a hawk, a snowy egret in it's mating plumage, another chicken head and a raven on the docket. All open to change. I am also thinking about Pale Male, an impressive blond, red-tailed hawk that lives in Manhattan. He is an avian celebrity. You should see the paparazzi in the park with their long lenses pointed at the sky.
The news is making me nuts. The Scooter case is crazy....I wish PBS or NPR would broadcast that circus. It is true that reality is better than fiction. And its a week more of Al Franken, and then he leaves us. Amy Goodman doesnt have the fun factor or the wonderful interviews Al does. Who is going to fill that gap?
frozen schoolbuses
Another day of no school. The golden buses are sitting in their parking lot...waiting to warm up. Subzero today. Tomorrow, a balmy 15˚ or so. Cos Tangorra, our superintendent of the School of Love said in a pdf on their website:
"I would like to explain the circumstances that caused this morning’s late announcement of the school district’s delay and eventual closing.
Due to new state regulations restricting additives that may be used in school bus fuel, we have been experiencing difficulty with our buses during extreme conditions. Our Transportation Department has devoted a great deal of energy in an attempt to address the situation. This morning when the buses were started, we certainly believed that the issue had been attended to and was well within our control.
At approximately 7:00, a number of our buses began experiencing difficulty and I was informed that we had no choice but to delay school. By 8:15, it became clear that we would not have enough buses to bring the students in and the decision to close school had to be made."
What does this mean? What do they add to the "school bus fuel"? What is "school bus fuel"? Karo syrup? Bug Juice? And the experiencing difficulty? Does that mean stopping? Or the windows opened and shut automatically for 20 minutes? Or the door wouldn't close? or the neon Stop on the stop sign changed to Love? I love the obtuseness. Another thing I do know, there are 1500 kids (or so) thrilled to have another day to sleep in and watch the fast food tee vee they love. They will be swarming Main Street, steaming up the windows of New York Pizza and crowding the tiny Gimme--sipping lattes, hot chocoate and chai. Sounds pretty divine.
Maybe I should hang out with them?
Started the birds phase 2. This is good. A little levity in the heart...
There are pictures to be done inspired by the Hindu goddess, Kali. She is a babe.
Wiki sez about Kali>>
Kali is a feminine form of the Sanskrit word "kala," meaning "time". It also means "black". Kali has therefore been translated variously as "She who is time," "She who devours time," "She who is the Mother of time," "She who is black," and "She who is black time". Kali's association with blackness stands in contrast to her consort, Shiva, whose body is covered by the white ashes of the cremation ground (Sanskrit: 'śmaśan') in which he meditates, and with which they are both associated, hence Kali's epithet 'Śmaśanâ.'
Doesnt that get the juices going?? This is a gal that is depicted with four arms and a garland of 51 head. She is a wrathful chick (to some) who in her anger,impatience and frustration will stamp her foot that will cause earthquakes. In her rage, she will drink blood of her enemies. Isnt she something? And lots to work with...
Here's a little tale that warms the cockles of my heart--(think children's book!!)
Once Kali had destroyed all the demons in battle, she began a terrific dance out of the sheer joy of victory. All the worlds or lokas began to tremble and sway under the impact of her dance. So, at the request of all the Gods, Shiva himself asked her to desist from this behavior. However, she was too intoxicated to listen. Hence, Shiva lay like a corpse among the slain demons in order to absorb the shock of the dance into himself. When Kali eventually stepped upon her husband she realized her mistake and bit her tongue in shame.It is also said that the story goes like this: In a time of dark age when a demon roamed the earth and couldn't be destroyed by any man, only a woman that from the 3 divine forces of Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma a lady figure was formed. This was durga maa or Mother Durga. Mother kali is an incarnation of mother durga and mother parvati and they all depict the female force of Shiva. The story of kali goes like this. There came a time when there was so much evil that mother durga couldn't take it any more that she grew angry and came to earth as kali maa. Kali maa destroyed all the demons and had to drink their blood for our sake for if it fell on the floor the demons would multiply. In her rage she, herself was causing destruction being such a powerful goddess. She was so angry that she was going to stamp her foot on the ground but her power was so great that if she did so she would have caused an earthquake powerful enough to destroy the world. But Lord Shiva himself appeared under her and seeing his divine face she stopped.
Maybe Condi Rice could take some lessons from this bad ass babe?
Your thoughts?
the diesel in the schoolbuses froze
...and that is why there is no school today. We are talking negative 22 today. Cold enough that is hurts to breathe. Vermont cold. Stinging, no humidity cold. Snap the branches off the trees, cold. What we were anxious for when it was 70˚ in January, cold. And, now--we have it. Enough.
I am totally bored with the damned burkas. I feel like the poor frozen schoolbus. Something's gotta change. So, allowing myself to think a little (imagine!), I have decided to give myself a little permission to change my thesis and get back to the birds. I love them and the reaction to the birds have been positive. Not that the burkas are bad, its just that I want to get away from them...and the intent from the advisor, was to do work about something I was passionate about--and he surmised it was burkas as I did one illustration about them.
Lets start with the fact I have no problem with women and women's issues.The whole female schtick is tough for me after fourteen years of all girl school and the consciousness raising that went on there. I am sympathetic and supportive but not a bomb thrower over female rights etc. I believe women are indeed equal to men and they deserve to have the right to work and be paid equally to men. Same job, same pay, same rights, no questions. I believe women should and must be educated. I believe women should and must have the choice to have children or not. I believe women can do anything as well or better than a man...so the woman thing I am onboard with.
However, I have a hard time getting all geared up about fundamentalism in a culture that I do not understand and have no touch with. It is as if I am studying polar bears on the moon, aliens, quarks or the lives of circus freaks. I have no context, no true sympathies (empathy yes...), no sense or semblance of this lifestyle and decision making. So the illustration process is impersonal and dispassionate--and I think it shows. I got so happy with the chopping out of the little kingfisher--I asked myself, "what gives?" . Which prompted this little discussion I have with myself about imagery and what am I more charged about...thus, the return to the birds. Your thoughts?
new little sketch from today
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This little guy was quickly chopped out to point to viability...which I hope to the client, it does. I am thinking this could really fly (no pun intended!), has a certain elegance to it...and would be relatively bulletproof for it's use. Plus, I had the chance to find out a little about Kingfishers. They are classified as Tree Kingfishers, Water Kingfishers and River Kingfishers. Just that cut is very romantic and filled with all sorts of references and ideas. I need to go think>>
The snow is accumulating. Big fat flakes.
IF: Sprout
You can grow these on your window sill. They are paper white narcissus which sproutfrom bulbs planted on stones, suspended above a bit of water--forcing them to grow indoors while it snows outdoors. It takes about 3 weeks and you will have stems about 20" tall, and fragrant blooms that fill your eyes and your nose. It is a wonderful treat.
Here's to these sprouting miracles.
go back to basics, part two
As I said earlier today...when in doubt, get in the time machine and see what worked for you before. I bought this old set of books printed in mid 1800s chock full of English heraldic images and descriptions. So, that got cracked open and scanned like mad today. Don't you just love this image? I want an eye in my hand. If I cant have that, I need to make more images of stuff like this.
Another wonderful thing that I stumbled over and want to share with you. I was reading the adobe "meet the fabulous digital artist" article about Josh Davis. Josh is way cool--combining his ability to program along with his fondness (I am assuming it's fondness--maybe its just like a hammer--and who is fond of their hammer?--am I sounding like a girl or what??) for adobe illustrator. His code generates illustrations--One thing led to the other--from his website > to where he is teaching>> The Anderson Ranch. Summer Camp everyone!!!The Print shop looks cool. The faculty is cuspy and cool. If I weren't going to be melting in Syracuse, Colorado would be a place I would want to be. What do you think??
always look at your old stuff first
I am a big believer that whenever stumped, going back to old work, old sketches, stuff from the primordial times (even high school) is basic, quintessential imagery or ideas that continue to pop up in current pieces. We all have old favorites, old magic references, old techniques that when stumped, is a good place to start. So, I show you something that keys off of the work Matisse did when he was an old man. Growing up in Pittsburgh, the cut paper Matisse that they have at the Carnegie Museum of Art was a beacon for me on days I would spend trolling the collection in search of a new idea or image. So, to that, here is to old man Matisse, surrounded by sweet young things, cutting painted paper and having his assistants place the pieces according to his direction and demands. Now we have adobe illustrator. All I need is the painted paper. More later.