JANUARY 2014

"I believe that everyone has greatness in them. 

...and I think regret is never knowing what that is."

- Will Terry

A NEW YEAR - A NEW LOOK
After a rather long re-gathering of my wits, I have returned to the blog-life. This year, look forward to my general antics, opinions, life in These-Here-Toledo, experiences and as always, the art. There is always something brewing in the studio.

AM I GOOD ENOUGH?
I have made the decision to engage Chris Oatley of :  chrisoatley.com
I started my new year by indulging in the podcast: AM I GOOD ENOUGH? The interview and discussion with Will Terry is lengthy - but every word of it is GOLD. The discussion covers everything from feeling "not good enough" to the artist's work ethic. My personal favorite part of the entire show was a discussion about "branching out" from art. This is the basic philosophy that in order to be able to CREATE work that grabs people emotionally, we, as artists, have to go out and have LIVES separate from "art."

Also important to note: the definition of SUCCESS. What does success mean to artists? Is it the steady 9 to 5 that puts food on the table? Or is it creating pieces that grab people and pull them in?
I love the fact that the two people involved in the show are also very pragmatic. There is a "realness" involved - a no-holds-bar reality check.

LISTEN HERE


THIS YEAR'S ENTRY
Time to push into new ways of seeing... here - the shadows are built from some warmer tones. I also took the ever so comfortable graphite into a world of textures. The result is this year's "entry": that ONE PIECE that will be forced upon every illustration./design/art annual/competition I enter in 2014.

See it here: Illusion Scene 360

UNTIL NEXT TIME

I SURVIVED THE HOLIDAYS

I just thought you would like to know. I would like to thank everyone who purchased my work over the holidays. I am truly appreciative.

STUDIO 566 was rather prolific over the break and will share the product of said pictorial prolificness with abundant prolixity. My current class is another portfolio class. Yes, ANOTHER portfolio class. The course description should read:

This is the course that you gather all of the projects you put hundreds of hours worth of blood sweat and tears into that other professors deemed  “portfolio ready” only to find that this professor doesn’t like ANY OF IT.

ART STUDENT OWL

FAN MAIL!

"I was just shopping for holiday cards and came across several designs I really liked. And then I linked to your store and found out that most of the designs I liked best were by YOU. Your work is awesome! Especially the rabbit stuff!! I will buy some. :)"

I blushed. Then I laughed maniacally. I'm not sure what that was about.






I HAVE ARRIVED

I must thank God for the politics of my city. It allows for wonderful editorial illustrations and a real life pay check. 

The city's X Mayors (Jack Ford and Carleton S. Finkbeiner, respectively) formed a united front against the current Mayor. Personally, I have no idea why anyone would want to be Mayor of Plywood City, Ohio -- but who am I to judge.

REMEMBER, THE ARTISTS ARE FIRST TO DIE IN THE REVOLUTION.

AROUND THESE HERE TOLEDO
There are a few things around this grand town that just defies explanation. . . and yet, these are the things that the Mayors fight to mayor over and then complain about how each other mayored over it.





I am not sure what role a blow-up kiddie pool plays on an abandoned factory site, but I am so glad our tax dollars went to pay for the yellow slide. That yellow slide sure brightens up the landscape.

Some people feel that the libraries should be given more city funding. Perhaps someone should inform those in charge of the libraries that the furniture goes INSIDE the building--I should write city council with that savings tip.

OH... WHAT TO DRAW… WHAT TO DRAW…
As I watch the insane world all around me, just about anything will inspire… well… just about anything (note editorial illustration and photos above). I hardly used my sketchbook over the break. I do NOT suggest that. Always be jotting notes/images in your sketchbook. My sketchbook was unavailable to me as I would have had to have gotten off the couch to get it. Hey... I was on vacation.  

ARTIST IN REPOSE

CROWS
This crow mocks me whenever I leave my house. As soon as I set foot outside he is there Cawing. As I walk to the parking lot, he flies overhead. He will sit in the tree tops or in the neighbors yard and laugh at my life.

THIS:

I MOCK YOUR LIFE

BECAME THIS:

HE LOOKS SO SMUG

STILL, HE MOCKS

AEROPLANES
Walking along in one of the fancier hotels of these here Toledo, Ohio (no hookers or homeless to speak of) – I spied with my little eye: a paper airplane. In a 4th story window. Across from a balcony. No, I did not put it there.

ANTHROPOLOGISTS WILL ONE DAY WONDER AT THIS

WHEN BUNS ATTACK

CRAZY RABBIT

SHE TASTES EVERYTHING -- INCLUDING THE PAINT WATER

INK/WATERCOLOR ON CANVAS

THE REST OF THE STORY:
Remember the project "LUST"? I finally completed it. It is for sale on products also. Here is the final tentacled beauty...

MOM?

AND NOW THE BUNNIES OF 566

THIS ABOUT SUMS IT UP

BUNNY OF NEGATIVE SPACE

THEY LEFT ME PRESENTS TOO!

BAH-DUM-DUM! TSSSSSSSS.

OH THE HUMANITY!!
INSPIRED BY THE SYFY CLASSIC: SNOWMAGEDDON
(NOTICE THE SNOW GLOBE)

FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS GOOD!
DON'T SHAKE THAT SNOW GLOBE!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
OH THE HUMANITY!!!!






CRAZY

MYSTERIOUS A



Based on a woman I knew in high school who is quite the writer/photographer and even has a PhD in science... she is a true Renaissance woman. Her name begins with "A" and the scarlet is no play on Nathanial Hawthorn. In fact, I loathed that book. Of course, upon looking back, perhaps I should have marked it "A+."

DRANO CAT

HAHAHAHAHAHAHHA

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
I crack myself up.



NEW GAME!
The website www.thesmokinggun.com now features a “time waster” game where the viewer matches various things to the mug shot.  I spent part of my holidays researching this game. I did well with crimes, nicknames and charges.  Finally, it pays off to have trailer park coursing through my veins!

THIS GAME IS RATED:

SPEAKING OF TRAILERS: MY SIMS UPDATE

Just chillaxin with the bun in my underwear, pink chucks and hat... in the snow... next to my gazing ball on a pedestal (I call it ODE TO THE CHROME BALL)... thinkin' 'bout art n stuff.

LOOK MA!
NO HANDS!

What is he doing to her????










THE END

I TURNED 47 THIS WEEK AND...

I was working in my studio, contemplating my life (laying around staring at the wall) and wondered where it had all gone (I had to go to the bathroom). While standing at the open window of the bathroom (hanging out of the open window because I was having a hot flash), I see this outside of the 5^th floor bathroom window:

NOT ENCOURAGING FOR ARTISTS

Isn't it comforting when you find that you aren't the only one contemplating their life from a window ledge?

What lies below that window ledge...

WHY TOLEDO CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS

At least once a week, a car or two has their windows smashed and the owner will find things missing from said automobile. The broken glass adds a certain ambiance to the already terrifying Jefferson Avenue. We manage to keep the police officers at a distance. I am not sure HOW we do it, but we do. I do often wonder how it is that we all get parking tickets every hour on the hour from the PARKSMART city workers but they never seem to be around when the bad guys are using artist's cars as piñatas.

THEY WILL STEAL THE CHANGE OUT OF YOUR ASHTRAY

RECOGNIZE!
It was difficult deciding which one of these honors to present first –I decided to go with the most exciting for me: PEPPER SPRAYING COP GOES LA GROTTE CHAUVET PONT d'ARC!

I made the cut on the TUMBLR meme protest, and now I am creeping across the psyche of the web.

CLICK TO SEE ON TUMBLR

“Morguk got wasted and rolled his razor scooter again. God dammit, now we have to schlep all the way over the Euphrates to get parts for that damn thing. Again. Grounding doesn’t work. Taking away internet privileges doesn’t work. Should we send him to boarding school? Would that make us bad parentsAUUAHHAGHAGAHAGHGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH”

If you wish to see all of the places that this image has infiltrated (I vanity Google for fun), click on the links and know that I bask in the internets glory... even though it is anonymous.

20 of the BEST
http://blog.gaborit-d.com/20-parodies-du-policier-qui-a-envoye-du-spay-a-uc-davis/

the french love me.

I'm #1

http://annagaloreleblog.blogs-de-voyage.fr/

I am #1 on his list of favorites. He’s French. The French love cave paintings.

My Favorite
http://archaeopop.blogspot.com/2011/11/pepper-spraying-cop-meme-goes.html

http://www.occupythegame.com/lieutenant_john_pike/

http://designyoutrust.com/2011/11/23/20-best-pepper-spraying-cop-parody/

http://www.theplatform.info/feedcontent/article/75965

http://www.quora.com/Internet-Memes/What-are-the-best-Occupy-Cop-Casually-Pepper-Sprays-images

http://www.webnoviny.sk/svet/policajt-ktory-striekal-sprej-sa-stal/432616-clanok.html

http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2011/11/bratton_called_into_uc_da.php

And now... LOOK!

MY IMAGE

MY EGO

PUBLISHED!

My business card was chosen to be included in David E. Carter’s BUSINESS CARDS 1 - BRIGHT IDEAS IN DESIGN coming out in 2012. (This means another MAZIE award – w00t!!).

OCCUPYING ON SABBATICAL
Occupy Toledo has decided upon a seasonal sabbatical due to the fact that it gets colder and icier than hell in this our Toledo, Ohio. In their honor, I took a McDonald's®, Happy Meal™ Toy featuring a character from Disney's©®™, Dreamworks™ Puss-N-Boots©™.

I also landed an acting gig! Yes, that theatre degree paid off!

EAST SIDE
Here are some artistic views of the East Side from Water Street. Try not to be jealous of the beautiful landscape. After all, we all can't live in this paradise.

 

This is Yours Truly lounging on the banks of the Mighty Maumee River on my birthday:

YOU KNOW IT'S MY BIRTHDAY BECAUSE
I'M IN MY BIRTHDAY SUIT.

TIS THE SEASON

I went to HOBBY LOBBY for a big BLACK FRIDAY WEEKEND adventure. At the door is the holiday stable of the Salvation Army bell ringer. He was a trip. He was funny and charming. Even the Salvation Army is "anti homo" (as Honorable Daughter #2 says), I donated money and took a piccie of Honorable Daughter #1 shoving it in the bucket.

Have you ever given money to charity only to later realize you grabbed the "wrong" bill from your wallet? I thought about going back and asking for change because it would be funny... but even I felt funny about doing that. I apologized to Honorable Daughter #2 for giving substantial money to "Anti Homos." She patted me on the head, reassuring me that it was ok -- that it could go to a family where they are closeted. Either way, someone is going to get to eat.

CAN YOU MAKE CHANGE?

BEST ANTI HOMO BELL RINGER - EVER!!!

FOR THE LONELY

NEXT, ON ANIMAL HOARDERS...

BUNNIES
Do not ever underestimate the intelligence of a rabbit.

LANCE BREAKING INTO THE FOOD BIN

 

AFTER A LONG DAY OF CHEWING ON
MY DRAWING PAPER, LANCE IS OUT COLD

Do not ever underestimate the ability to bond with a rabbit.

RUSSETTE SNUGGLING AND KEEPING ME COMPANY

Do not ever underestimate the the power of The Sims Social on Facebook.

I HAS A BUNNEH IN MAH YARD!

STUDIO 566

HARLOW

BLARRRRRRRGH!

LAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

PROJECT LUST
My next assignment was to develop a text illustration for LUST. I borrowed elements from the woman illustration. This is the strongest decorative text:

With added elements:

Some tweaking of the tentacles still needed... God knows we all need a good tentacle tweaking once in a while.


THE END