Tag Archives: artist

Skull of Persistence

By | |
Leave a comment

skull-of-persistence-charr-crail

This is dedicated to the person on my street who– for days–  has been trying to start a car.  For hours on end the ignition is turned and held on but the car never starts.

Today I was inspired to create a new piece that is part of a series of skull images I’ve been working on for a couple of years now.  I happened to be searching my mind for a title when the ignition again caught my attention.  No need to get all heavy or philosophical here.  Persistence is key sometimes to getting what you want.  Whether it’s a car to start, answers to the questions of a developing artwork, bringing your invention to the market or something you simply want in life just because you want it.  Persistence. Where would we be without it?

Adobe Photoshop, Corel Painter, my own homemade photoshop brushes and my own homemade fractals were all used to complete this part piece.

Geisha

Image

By | | ,
Leave a comment

Geisha

“There is currently no western equivalent for a geisha—they are truly the most impeccable form of Japanese art.”—Kenneth Champeon, The Floating World

And the quote actually sums up the picture for me. Today I took the original a few steps further– it’s a bit subtle perhaps, which make me think a bit philosophically too about the (my own) creation process.  

This may sound strange to people who really know me but I find myself rather restrained and long to break out artistically. Truth is no matter what level you are at, the creative must always strive for more– bigger, greater, more profound, always trying to up our skills a notch, figure out how to do that new cool thing. It never stops.

I’ve learned a lot about courage from looking at others work and desire greatly to put more courage in my approach and execution of what I do too.

No matter what I’m photographing, I’m always looking to please both the client and myself so I often capture juicy imagery that I might eventually make art out of even if it does take me years to get back to them.

The original image that I created this art piece from was photographed during a job, an event assignment, where many people were in costume.  This woman just caught my eye, possibly because the she so embodied her character it was entrancing. Today I happened upon the original in my archives and decided to put a spin on it artistically and now you see the result!

From Wikipedia: Geisha (芸者?), geiko (芸子) or geigi (芸妓) are traditional Japanese female entertainers who act as hostesses and whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music, dance and games.

Drawsome the App

By | |
Leave a comment

Are you as amazed as I am by the number of wonderful apps out there?  I found one recently that has really got my attention in a big way.  DrawSomething.  On my iPhone or iPad, one finger and a bunch of color choices to  get another person to guess the word you picked based on what you drew.  I’m constantly delighted to see how the simplest line gesture can suggest so much. It’s a treat. I’m not advertising for the app.  It’s just that so many artists, including myself, work very hard to get things just right, trying to make something perfect in their art.  This is a delight because of the freedom to NOT get it right.  Just have fun and get the idea across.  So here’s a video of a few of my drawings I managed to save along the way.  Better to keep those creative juices flowing by whatever means, this is one I’ve found that really works for me…

The Next Fashion Star, lessons in peek-a-boo

By | |
1 Comment

SHOW ‘EM WHATCHA GOT! Or in the immortal words of EMINEM– You get one shot so don’t miss your chance to blow cuz opportunity comes once in a lifetime. Last night I watched The Next Fashion Star.And I kept asking myself over and over what are you guys thinking???It was with some suspicion I watched The Next Fashion Star on NBC last night. I tuned in because I’m a HUGE Project Runway fan and hoped this might be interesting. Talk about life lessons, oh my.Imagine you are an aspiring fashion designer and Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and H&M are all there–in the room holding tens of thousands of dollars to spend– to look at your stuff. Do you show them your best work or do you tease them and make them work just a little too hard for it? I swear it’s the ultimate in arrogance to take the spot light and show anything less than your A game! There were three memorable contestants who really didn’t get the fundamental idea of the WOW factor necessary for capturing the attention of someone you want to get into the game with. You gotta WOW ’em! These people don’t want a tease, they want the goods. One of the contestants sent ONLY neckwear made from the collars and pieces from men’s shirts. The dresses the runway models wore were some other unnamed designer. Really? A neckwear accessory. That’s it, that’s all she sent the buyers with promises– Oh yes, I have so much more, she promised with a breathy growl. But what she showed did not make me even slightly interested in the ‘so much more’. The second one on the chopping block was a colorful sweetly silly prone to crying cherub of a man who’s workroom we saw in B roll. Imaginative, colorful and just deliciously fun work! Did he send deliciously fun onto the runway? NO. He sent pretty things but nothing unconventional and exciting like what we’d seen in his workroom. Luckily the mentors saved him from being eliminated because it looked like he might be the first to be kicked off. But then there was the guy who told the two women mentors and the two women buyers that he doesn’t think women know anything about men’s wear and what’s trending so he wasn’t interested in their opinion. UH WHAT? Buh Bye. Even when he tried repeatedly to correct himself he kept making the same ridiculous point. He’s the one who got kicked off the show first. The point of all this?Your assignment is to show your BEST work to your potential clients. Don’t tease anyone– not unless it’s the Holy Cow of teases. Even the tease should be amazing. Got that? Now, go make art!

Holy Smokes I made a gif!

By | |
Leave a comment

Dizzy Bunny!, line drawing animationFun with animation, a line drawing I did on this lazy and sweet Sunday. The best way to learn anything is to do it again and again! This is one of those things I’ve wanted to learn for so long– simple gif animations. It is simple but definitely a little confusing at first. Nothing like making it work using 58 layers!