My Pewit's Rock

I took this rock from Pewit's Nest (Shhh...the nature police are on the case) and placed it yesterday and it was already gone by lunch! SO either someone liked it or REALLY didn't...either way, someone had to notice it which is the whole point.

But anyways, I'm a big fan of this type of work. It's free ($-wise), free (stress-wise), natural, and the vibrant color on the earth-tone is just awesome. It's much like painting on bare canvas or burlap..The background color just gives it a dimension that gets lost if it's just the glaring white of gesso showing through the missed parts...Keep a look out for more!

Another dude I forgot about...wonder where he is

Chris Johnson wants us to "STFU"

Johnson is on the offensive, blasting fans that have been...well, blasting him for holding out for so much (SOOOOO MUCH!) money. He told what he saw as "fake fans" to "STFU" or in regular speak "Shut the fuck up," while telling "real fans"that he loves them...wellllll sorry CJ, but here's my little rant for you to mull over...

When will you that "real fans" cheer for the team and not the player. The "real fan" wants the best players on his team so that the team wins, not so that they are the highest paid player in the league. Real fans cheer for Chris Johnson to be the best in the league so that their team will benefit from it. Real fans cheer for WHOEVER is helping the team, and against whoever is hurting the team. On a similar note, a REAL TEAMMATE that cared about the team would do what's best for the team. A real teammate would put his differences aside and help his team out. Yes, Johnson has to look out for himself and get the money he deserves (less than what he's asking) but you can do that in a more team-friendly way. Johnson, take a look at Larry Fitzgerald...then I'll tell you that I respect him being a "real teammate" and to yourself, being a fake one to "STFU."

there...I feel better. Fitz went to camp and, at the same time, worked out a deal making him one of the highest paid players in the league. What he didn't do was request a crazy number and sit-out and pout like a little snob. Before you attack your own fans CJ, know was a real sports fan loves (his team) and realize that you should probably make sure you are "real" yourself (unless he's trying to just be real greedy) before accusing others of being fakes.

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22475988/31650784

Amusement Park Altercation not so Amusing

In a recent story, two park officials were hospitalized and 15 people arrested after an altercation over a NY amusement park's ban on headgear on certain rides. The problem is that there were about 3,000 muslim visitors in the park as part of a tour and the women, wearing the traditional headscarf, were turned away from some of the rides. Some people started arguing and the officials were injured after things escalated a bit...anyways, I wanted to get this out there...you look at it and many people will cry about how their religious freedom was being taken away and I'd ask you to stop and think about it.

The rule is there for the safety of the riders, first of all. Headgear can fall off, be caught in the machines, land on tracks or any number of situations. The park is simply making sure they can't get sued. That's all it is. It's too bad something like this occurs, but you can't reverse a ban because of religious practices. That's simply where we are as a society. There are so many rules and regulations and opportunities for companies to get screwed with lawsuits that they have to cover absolutely every possibility, no matter who it excludes.

They can't make exceptions for the height or weight requirements. They can't make exceptions for religious practices. it's all the same. If you want to blame anyone about how it's unfair, blame the society in which we live where nothing is our own fault, always someone else's for not making sure for us. It's not our fault we get sick from smoking, it's the cigarette companies for not being completely obvious (see new label requirements). It's not our fault for eating 50 twinkies, it's the twinkie company for not saying that we shouldn't. It's not our fault we were screwing around with a gun, it was the gun's fault for not being safer or harder to get ahold of.

It's a world where every company has to explore every possibility from a person being too small for the harness to someone being able to unhook themselves during the ride to the possibility of someone choking on gum from the momentum of the ride. It's gotten to the point where, if we reserve the right to sue a company for pretty much anything, they have the right to restrict their product to certain guidelines to prevent that. It's unfortunate, but it's not anti-religious or racist. It's simply how it is.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44340971/ns/travel-news/#.Tl5qU2AkLKE

Fine Arts Guide Cover

Hey guys...so if you didn't know I have an awesome job (modesty rules supreme here)...and it gives me some opportunities to showcase everything from my illustration to photography and design...and now my fine art. Take a look at the most recent Shepherd Express and check out my painting "The Festival" on the cover! It was done a few months ago at "Bastille Days" live, for Art Milwaukee (GREAT ORGANIZATION!). SO anyways, check out the new Shepherd, take a look at the arts guide for all the great shows coming up in the area and support local artists!

Apps for Apes

HAHA...this is awesome. The Milwaukee Zoo is taking part in/starting a program to get Ipads for Orangutans in zoos to help them communicate, as well as giving them a safer way to be creative. The Orangutans have been using finger-painting apps, cameras and videos, and the use of skype has even been brought up to re-connect separated apes. Also, pretty interesting that the gorillas are mostly afraid of the Ipad while the Orangutans are drawn to it. Pretty cool...let's hope they don't download "Planet of the Apes"

http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/128720748.html

Suckerpunch

So I haven't seen the movie yet, though it looks like a pretty wild, SFX laden explosion, but the soundtrack is pretty darn good. They took a bunch of songs and reworked them, doing them in a techno-anthem style that brings a different side of each song out. From "Tomorrow Never Knows" by the Beatles, to "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane and "Sweet Dreams" by the Eurythmics, they really made some interesting versions of the songs that are both driving and haunting at the same time. The epic scale of the composition also creates a HUGE soundscape that I can only imagine perfectly fits the dynamic look of the film...Keep in mind that the songs actually accompany a movie here, so some of the songs are pretty long and change throughout...but they still make for a pretty awesome soundtrack.

Check out the opening scene featuring "sweet dreams"...pretty cool. not exactly family friendly FYI

Mountains of the Spirit

This guy I did over the weekend in Madison while watching HP (harry potter for those not in with the lingo) and changed pretty drastically throughout. The original idea was to fill the white part on the left completely with the symbols, creating this "sketchbook doodles" type of look; A jumbled mess of ideas and symbols. But throughout the process, the jumble just wasn't cuttin it for me. It just wasn't looking very carefree....way too forced. So I blocked a bunch of them out and went for something else that I think worked out well.

The symbols are meant to represent a civilization forming. The buildings rising, the symbolism created. The Mountains of the Spirit are in not natural mountains, but temples. Large man-made "mountains" devoted to spiritual health. The color represents that which is being lost through the creation. While the society grows in city, spirit and communication, they fall from nature, the spirit of nature, and the connection with the earth. It's meant to depict that struggle anything faces when change comes. To make room for one, you must leave something to the side. I suppose this piece simply asks...is it worth it? is there a better way?

I spose that answer is left up to all of you.

The Ghosts and The Spirit Mountains

The Ghosts That Carried Us Away is done and I think it has a bit more backing by that "uplifting" feeling i had been talkin about yesterday then before...and I think it's a good thing. I liked how...simple it was before but it was a little bleh. It felt too easy, to slapped together, to briskly laid down...just bleh...i liked it, but i didnt feel much of anything about it. You could have told me it was awesome and I'd have agreed-ish, and you could've told me it sucked and I'd probly say "Ya, it wasn't my best." I guess the idea gave it more of a sheen than the actual piece...but i think it's fixed...

As for the next one....

pretty sunset is pretty

it's all like...physics or chemistry or some bullshit like that

That's pretty much all you need to know to get the jist of this post...nothin deep, philosophical. meaningful, spiritual, helpful or artistic...just a badass sunset from last friday.

Ghosts...

It's not quite done...but neither are ghosts so we're even

I'm not seeing dead people (my shorts are thankful of that) but I did a piece that was "inspired" by a bit of spirituality, and not in a religious way. I was watching some show on the history channel, natgeo, or cartoon network about "ghosts", or "spirits" as most of the interviewees called them, and found it interesting that many of these people had the notion that these "spirits" were not there to haunt, hurt, or scare them, but to guide them. Many believed that they simply had something in their lives that was not fulfilled, or they had done something rather bad, but regretted it. They were stuck in between death and life, not because they were evil, but because they had to, basically, pass on knowledge that would have helped them. They were guides ensuring the safe passage of the living and once their goal was realized or unfinished business was taken care of, they left.

So I thought that was interesting.These "ghosts" were there to guide us, help us, and lead us in the right direction. If we walked off the path they could take us back to it. If we were faced with a decision, they could take our hand in support. If things were falling apart, they would try to piece it back together. And while the idea felt a bit depressing at first, "souls" left in the monotonous realm until some "revelation" happened,  I realized the beauty in the idea. We have backup....THAT'S AWESOME.

I'm not saying I believe them or in ghosts in general, even though it would be cool, but the idea itself is uplifting. We are not alone. We can make mistakes. and we don't need to feel bad about it. There's someone watching our back, and even if we do screw up, we get a chance at redemption afterwards. "The Ghosts that Carried Us Away" is a piece that displays this. A hazy, dreary, and muddled composition that doesn't quite create an understandable image, but provides that bit of color, that smack of energy and focus, guiding you to believe there's something there...something to grab onto.

Local Artists at the Haggerty

So let's put all our "I should be in that show" angst aside and celebrate the fact that local artists are being shown in a somewhat large museum. I mean, there's always a first step to getting somewhere in life, and at the very least, you'd hope someone in your situation can make it, if only for the confidence that if someone can do it, maybe I can too. And so everyone should go see and support the local artist show "current tendencies II" at the Haggerty museum over by marquette. Featuring a large variety of work by 10 artists, it makes for an interesting and impressive show of sophisticated creativity from our very own city. From the surreal-pop of Reggie Baylor to the primitive and primal figures and shapes of Sharon Kerry-Harlan, the work covers a wide-range of aesthetics as well as ideas and purpose and is sure to supply an inspiration for every kind of artist and viewer alike.

The Shows open so head on down...read more here.
http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/arts/128157418.html

Lewitt's Place

Picture taken by some other turkey

So Although I can never remember the name of the place, Pewitt's Nest (actual name) is AWESOME and definitely worth a visit. I think it gets a little overlooked, situated near the hustle and bustle of The Dells, but the relaxing and gorgeous gorge and river make for a great day-destination for anyone looking to swim, hike or just lounge around. We headed out at around 1pm and spent a good three hours sliding down the waterfalls, jumping in the pools and throwing rocks like the little kids we actually are. Anyways, it's a very wet spot so I didn't get any pictures, but you can click the linkbelow to check it out. It ain't the seclusion and beauty of the Northwoods, but its about as natural and beautiful (and away from neon lights) as it gets just outside the Dells...definitely a win for us, and for you if you decide to spend the day there...

http://www.devilslakewisconsin.com/information-center/other-natural-areas/pewits-nest/

Murrayland and Planet Brett

If anyones ever watched Flight of the Conchords, you may have seen the "interstellar real estate" part...Well it goes something like this...

Anyways...turns out that Brett's question was totally valid because astronomers just found an entire planet believed to be made of diamond...and it's five times the size of earth...that's right. How about a bazillion karat ring for your special lady? I'll give my life savings to the first person who can drum up an interstellar rocket and promise a return on the investment in less than ten years....any takers?

http://news.yahoo.com/astronomers-discover-planet-made-diamond-180427124.html

Over the Line?

So the protests have been going on forever it seems like and though they are diminishing in size and intensity, they are still making the news in a variety of ways...and this is a bad one.

So you hate Gov. Walker, I understand that and I understand why. What I don't get is why you think protesting an inner-city catholic grade school is the way to show your feelings. Furthermore, I don't understand why you think protesting at a catholic grade-school on a visit that is to promote to kids the importance of reading helps your cause. And even more, I don't understand why anyone would think that supergluing the school's locks shut would hurt Walker in ANY WAY. You really think he's gonna show up and be turned away by a principal saying "sorry gov, our locks are superglued, guess we'll meet some other day."

No. You're dumb. It hurts the school who has to buy new locks, pay someone to replace them, and now deal with a police investigation. It hurts the janitors who have to spend an extra hour or so now fixing locks instead of doing their actual jobs of keeping the schools clean. In fact, it hurts pretty much everyone involved except Walker. If you're going to protest, don't confuse who you are protesting with where you are protesting. It's not the schools fault, it's not the principal's fault, it's not the janitor's fault. Grow a brain and do something worthwhile or don't bother...it makes you and anyone involved with you look bad and hurts your cause.

Way to inconvenience an inner city school, you really showed them what's up.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/128464198.html

FLOWERS!!!!!!!

SO i took the day off tomorrow and will be hanging out in Madison, painting a mural at the Art Milwaukee building, and hangin out with my bro(ther) So since i won't be hanging out with all yall on the interweb machine, I'll leave you with these two quick sketches from the Milwaukee Domes fest that I did while waiting for the big guy to dry....

They are both close ups of some of the cool flowers in the tropical dome, done quickly and i think they have a really nice edge to them that falls away when I work on things like this for a longer amt of time. But since I was working on a larger piece, the little stuff feel by the wayside and these two ended a few steps from where I'd usually stop...maybe I should start stopping early more often... HAVE A GOOD THURSDAY PEOPLE!

Only a real douche...

Takes advantage of people's dedication to religion for their own gain. No matter what you think about religion, I would imagine most people would never use it as a way to scam people for the betterment of their own personal financial situation. To make a mockery of something that so many billions of people hold dear is simply deplorable, especially when that something is so fundamental to some people's lives that they plan their meals, days, even lives around the need to feed that faith. I find it just ridiculous that you would resort to exploiting a person's faith for your own gain....And he didn't stop there. Not only was he accepting donations based on his claim that he finds historically and religiously important jewish material from around the world, but he even stated that he had saved torahs from concentration camps during the holocaust...what a stand up guy.

Well Menachem Youlus is being charged with a couple types of fraud for stealing "hundreds of thousands of dollars" from the charity he set up, meant to help him in his "search" for Torahs around the world. And not only was he fudging the documents to get more $ for his "finds" but many of his "discoveries" were actually good ol' Menchem just buying the artifacts from other dealers. That's right, the money donated so that he could travel around the world, saving torahs from a doomed, forgotten future could have just as easily been used to directly purchase the scrolls from dealers...out of a gallery....for much less

Well take a bow Menachem Youlus. Not only are you the asshole of the day but you are spending the next 20 years in prison.

read the story here.
http://news.yahoo.com/torah-charity-founder-accused-fraud-over-lost-scrolls-194642386.html

What I learn as an artist volume 4

#8. No, a nail that small will not hold that giant wooden painting up.

#9. Yes, that giant wooden painting will smash your toe if its in the way.

D.C. Earthquake Devastation

OH THE HUMANITY! We should set up a relief fund.

http://jmckinley.posterous.com/dc-earthquake-devastation

The Alternate Uniform.

The gem of the Bronco Throwbacks

The big craze, at least in the NFL, the last few years has been using throwbacks or weird old alternate jersey's once or twice a year and for the most part, I like it. It's fun to see some different takes on your team's uni and It's always interesting to see a 50 year old design on today's players, especially when it is eons from what anyone would dream of proposing to a team today. And actually, on the rare occasion I'm a bigger fan of the alternates than what the team actually uses; even more so on throwbacks...

Well in college, it seems teams, or at least maryland, are jumping on the Oregon bandwagon and instead of just using throwbacks or alternate jerseys, they are using entire alternate uniforms. From black to red to yellow to orange, Maryland unveiled a slew of new jerseys for the upcoming season at a recent "fashion show."

I have to admit, they aren't quite as conceptual as Oregon's, but it does keep you guessing on saturdays. I'm all for it. As long as the jerseys don't stray ridiculously far from the color scheme of the team, I don't think using multiple uni's is that big of a deal, even if you didn't like the design. It's a chance to see something new and gives work to people like me...and it gives all of us one more thing to look at on the internet...

Art Docs

A new art documentary is coming out that chronicles one of the greatest art heists in history; the stealing of the Mona Lisa. After one-hundred years, the myth of how the heist went down is still a hot topic. Picasso and Apollonaire were questioned while New York entrepreneurs were suspected. And still, questions of how the lowly house-painting italian accomplished the feat still remain. Check out the story and info about the doc below! HOOOORAY FOR ART MOVIES.

http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/Stealing-the-Mona-Lisa/24414

Just Woke Up Too Soon

It needs more detail, I think. Just a bit more faded marks in the background , maybe a bit more black. But overall I like how it came out. One of the few pieces where I have an idea that actually stays somewhat similar throughout the entire process. The original idea was much more orderly, consisting of lines of symbols in a grid type layout, almost like egyptian hieroglyphs or a mathematical matrix, but it came out a bit more free-form.

New Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

A new memorial to Martin Luther King Jr. was publicly revealed today on the Mall between the Jefferson and Lincoln memorials in Washington D.C. to a bit of controversy, but mostly welcome arms. The 30ft tall statue symbolizes a link between the brain (jefferson) and the vision (lincoln) of our country, bridging the gap from potential to realization. 

The controversy came from who made it, and also a bit of how the Dr. King actually looks. The artist Lei Yixin (don't even try to pronounce that) is a communist, a fact that would have King "turning over in his grave if he knew" said artist Ed Dwight, who was on the projects early planning team. Also, King has a rather, well, pissed off look on his face. His brow is lowered, eyes are a bit squinted and his lips seem rather pursed, a view some people don't equate with the peaceful agitator of the civil rights movement. Some people even said he looked a bit asian. 

Well I dunno...as an art piece, I'm not impressed (as with most gov. art projects). It's pretty straight-forward and basic as a concept as well as with presentation. I don't think the style is very interesting or unique and doesn't fool me into feeling like he is emerging from the stone block. The "mountains of despair", the background sculptures, give me no sense of despair and feel fairly pretty and relaxing as far as mountains go. Also, while King was known for his fire, passion, and controversy, anger is not the emotion I would equate with him. I understand that confrontation was a large part of what he did , but the image of the man that I see is of a controlled, pensive, and serious man. What I see here is a bit to much on the side of anger and intensity, and with his arms crossed, almost a sense of stubbornness (in a bad way) and arrogance...and with his eyes squinted like they are, he does have a bit of an eastern look to him...It jsut doesn't hit me as a self-reflection-unducing piece. It's a nice tribute, but completely falls short of the emotion that a tribute to this man, and everything he stood for, should have...

But that's just me....read about the sculpture here....
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44228158/ns/us_news-life/#.TlK-nmAkLKF

The Domes

I did some plein air painting over the weekend at the Milwaukee Domes Art Fest and it was a really good time, despite deciding to paint in the "tropical dome" aka, the most humid room ever. Most of the Plein Air painters decided to paint out by the booths which turned out some good stuff, I however wasn't that interested in catching the nuances of color reflecting in all the white tents, plus with all the the other artists doing nice pieces including the domes, I thought it'd be cool to focus a piece to the point of the domes: the amazing fauna within them. And I got this...

My pretty little disappointment

I have to admit that I really liked what came out and thought it was a very successful piece that showed the huge number of wonderful plants in the dome and also the "feel" of the jungle that you had standing in the dome. It's a jumble of unkempt, wild and vibrant plants that overflowed onto the paths, brushing at your shoulders and dangling from the canopy above. 

As I admit that I like the piece, I also have to say I was disappointed that I didn't win anything with it. While the pieces that won were good, the two that I'd have picked had I not won, I still thought mine had a unique energy and feeling from the others as a whole. OHHHHH WEELLLLLLL...I AM happy with the piece and am glad I did it..it just now carries the slight angst of being disappointed in the judging results.

Walter in Milwaukee

I found Walter at Cubanitas in Milwaukee...no Donny though

Calmer than you are

Oh...they have REALLY good food too.

Spongebob turns to art heist...sort of

Apparently the recession has even hit Spongebob, or at least his designer. Actually the whole story is pretty weird. One side is that White (designer/artist for spongebob) hired some "goons" his attorney, and his studio manager to go threaten and hold hostage the owner of the gallery that sells his work while they stole much of it to sell themselves. White's side of the story is that they uncovered that the gallery had forged copies and signatures of his work, selling them as originals, and had the men go to the gallery to discuss a resolution to the "widespread fraud" after setting up the meeting with the accuser. I don't really know who's right here, but if White really hired these guys to hold the gallery owner hostage, why in the hell would he have his studio manager or attorney go? isn't the point of robbing someone to NOT get caught? For them NOT to be able to recognize you?

The lawyer of the owner rebuked saying that if they uncovered the fraud, why not go to the police? but then again, as an artist, releasing the information that there are frauds in the market can be very damaging to your name and prices...Plus, White did say they were there to discuss an exchange in which he would drop the infringement claims against the gallery. AAAANNND he said he had contacted the hotel (where the gallery is located) told them about teh forgeries, and that Howell had even recorded a confession.

So the story is either an old lady got caught in a big fraud scheme and is sour that the artist actually found out and acted, or the spongebob designer went to some pretty extreme lengths to get his own art back to sell. I'm not sure which I like better.

Story below:
http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/Gallerist-sues-“SpongeBob”-artist-over-alleged-heist/24413

Burger King ads going more "McDonald's"-y

Well this kinda stinks. Nothing worse than McDonald's ads (maybe Geico), except for another restaurant doing equally bad ones. Not that I thought the Burger King ads were particularly funny or awesome, but they got some good lines in, had good design and were quirky enough to be interesting. Now though, apparently people are more interested in the garbage that McDonald's comes out with...No Im not loving it either...and because of a decline in sales, Burger King is switching the highly acclaimed and awarded ads to a more formulaic strategy. I understand its business...it's just too bad so many people on the planet like bad advertising

(just so everyone knows, I didn't really like the king mascot so im OK with that, but the writing, narration, and sarcasm was 1,000 times better than what I fear is coming now)

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/113356/burger-king-drops-king-mascot-forbes

Juggalos

So anyone wanna go?
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/things-i-learned-at-the-gathering-of-the-juggalos

A Little China Brawl

Well that didn't go as planned. The Georgetown Hoyas were in Beijing playing a game that didn't end up so friendly. Apparently a few minutes into the 4th, the game was tied at 64-64 but the Chinese team had a FT shooting edge of 54-15 (unknown source) with the Hoyas receiving a slew intentional fouls, while absorbing some pretty rough, uncalled play. Anyways, who started it is unsure, but tempers had been boiling throughout the game and the Hoyas had to be taken from the court as fans started throwing bottles and Chinese players started throwing chairs. There's a few times you can definitely see Hoyas on the ground with some Chinese players gathered around kicking...but I dont want to jump to conclusions...pretty ridiculous no matter who overreacted first.

Accidental Installation

Our dryer broke a week ago and I had a full load of bed sheets and blankets already washed, sitting in the washing machine....little did I know that that could be the start of a billowing installation. I ended up attaching the sheets to our fans in the living room and got giant, billowing, vibrant creatures that rose and fell with the wind, wrapped around you as you walked, and knocked over paint can after paint can laying around. The above picture is a combination of about 20 pics, merged in photoshop. It wasn't a commentary on man's inhumanity to man...but it was pretty surreal and goofy for a day.

To make your accidental installation simply obtain multiple bed sheets, the same number of fans, and wrap the sheets around the fans while turned on high. Viola! you've just transformed your apartment into a social discussion on the rights of government in its citizens lives...or whatever you want it to mean.

Terrell Pryor

So there's a lot of "up-in-arms-ness" over the NFL announcing that Pryor will be eligible for the supplemental draft, while still being suspended the 5 games. I understand it and I understand a lot of people simply dislike guys that are more successful than them who don't show the same "qualities" that they feel they have. Here is how I see it.


I do think he deserves punishment, but I also think making him ineligible would have been a HUGE hinderance to his ability to become a pro. The  punishment for something like his infractions should not result in ruining a guys career. And before you say he lost his chance or doesn't deserve it, his infractions, to me, while serious and illegal seemed fairly pedestrian to what some past athletes have been getting. Not mention with "The U" stuff going on, how would they explain barring Pryor from the NFL while still allowing at least 8 current guys to continue playing without repercussion? I know he went around the system and it could set up a hairy situation in the future, but from the released statement of the NFL, I feel that they think he bent the rules without breaking them. In which case they allowed him to play, as he technically is eligible, yet punished him for the backhanded way he did it, warning that it won't be tolerated anymore. He didn't get out of his five-game suspension he would have served in college, and he most likely won't be playing in games at all this season. Everyone always blasts Goodell for being so stern and harsh with punishment, and then he gives a guy a chance and everyone thinks he's a tool. Taking money as a student athlete is against the rules, but it's a meaningless crime in everyday life and should not destroy a guy's future. He misses out on so much learning and preparation through those first five weeks that the five game suspension will reach farther than the actual time he is barred from participation. I think it's a fair deal.

I think people are getting "undermining the integrity of the rules" mixed up with "breaking the rules." To me, the fact they said the first instead of the latter shows that he didn't break any rules, leading me to believe he was technically eligible in the eyes of the NFL. HOWEVER, they didn't approve of the tactic and never expected something like this to happen.
To compare it to something else, in swimming they introduced the new suits and everyone was up in arms over the records being broken. They weren't technically against the rules, but they did create a distinct advantage over swimmers not using them. Once they realized it, they banned them. But until that point everyone kinda just said "the times aren't really legit, but the suits aren't illegal."
Pryor may have used backdoor ways, but he still may not have broken the rules.  Think of it this way, It you have been hanging out with a girl for a,long time but you never ask her out or never specifically say your dating, you can't really cheat on her. It's a sleazy, dishonest and horrible way of looking at it, but it's still true. Pryor didn't follow the rules but, from how the NFL said it, I don't think he broke them.

So there it is. Im not defending his actions or saying he deserves this, but from what the release said, what Pryor actually did, and the fact that he is still going to have a VERY hard time this season getting any playing time, I'm not upset with the decision to let him "play".

So before you go out and blast the guy, ask this: are you mad because you actually think the "integrity of the draft" is ruined or because you're tired of seeing high profile guys get accepted into the NFL after college transgressions? If it's the first, then make your case. I just don't see it as that harmful. If it's the latter, get off your high horse, everyone makes mistakes, anyone would be trying to get into the draft in his situation, and getting some tattoos and a thousand bucks shouldn't destroy your future.

SO Hey!

Theres a bunch-a-stuff comin up here soon and I luckily, unlike my normal tactic,  decided to not schedule every single one of them on consecutive days so I might even have some time to do some fun stuff! Oh who am I kidding, I'd still manage to do a bunch of art throughout that anyways and always have fun...BUT here goes!

Coming up this weekend yall should come talk up the name Fleming (that's me) around the proverbial water cooler so that I can win the Milwaukee Domes Art Fest Plein Air Competition. I'll most likely be painting Friday, Saturday and maybe Sunday...doing some expressive, abstracted landscapes...basically kickin some ass.

Coming up in January I'll be having a show back near Rochester MN at Crossings in Zumbrota, showing some abstract work back in the gallery that saw my first sale and my first public show! I haven't quite gotten this one all planned out but it's sure to be a great success as their shows are always good. More news to come on that one.

THEEEEEEEENNNN I am taking part in the Open Canvas event in the fall, live painting and auctioning off the work to benefit MIAD among a variety of other organizations! Yay volunteer work! Yay live painting!

Also sometime in the Fall is the Fall gallery night where we will have some great new work (probably hasn't even been created yet!) in Gallery 218 in the Marshall Building for the month.

And again in the fall, I'll be in the MIAD Alumni show, trying to sell some cool stuff I've done since graduation. Sizes will vary but everything will be priced to sell and should be a great show with a lot of variety.

There's a few commissions mixed in there with a few things I'm almost definitely forgetting, so I'll let you know as my good ol' brain decides to remind me. Hope some of you can make it to a few of the events! see yall around.

Go Brewers!

From the CBS Sports power rankings...Brewers #5 in MLB and that first line made me laugh out loud.


If they played the Pirates every day, they would go 162-0 and win the pennant and the World Series and probably some kind of technical-achievement Oscar and all the little boys and girls of Wisconsin would beso very happy ... The Brewers fans who wrote me are right: Whether or not they've fattened up on the league's ninnies, they've wiped the floor in recent weeks with whoever's in front of them -- including the Cardinals. Teams get no bonus points for degree of difficulty ... Along those lines, you have to like the way they responded to Tony La Russa's whining and needling. They didn't start winging brushback pitches willy-nilly or respond to his complaints about the molecular consistency of the batter-box chalk. They just shut up and played. Smart.


Anyways, see the rest of the rankings below
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/powerrankings

Relating to the Masses

Apparently in China, all you have to do as a politician or business man to gain the appreciation of the general public is, drumroll please, order your own coffee? Just read the story below. Kinda funny, pretty interesting culture difference.

http://news.yahoo.com/photo-bag-carrying-ambassador-charms-china-184349082.html

Quirky Gallery.

Ran across this semi-interesting gallery of "quirky" art at the Art Basel Art Fair. Most of it is quite a bit on the conceptual side for my taste (and probably for viewing through photos)...but it's still interesting to see whats going on. Pretty cool for me to see the Picasso Palette...I like painting stuff..

Not a big fan of the violence video concept as it is described. Having each of their crimes up individually seems (to me) that it would glorify the acts a bit, while you show all men getting arrested on the screen in a large grid at the end as though that is somehow less valuable...or a less important act. I would have gotten a better message if you switched the two formats, showing the violence as a "general" occurrence and then bringing a bit of humanity in, showing each man arrested and taken into custody. but that's just me reacting to a description...so i can't even say that definitively

Anyways, take a look!
http://www.theartnewspaper.com/media/gallery/Art-Basel's-quirkiest-works/24392

Clouds Ascend, Your Rainbow's Falling

Placed and everything. This piece got made a week ago and kinda sat around till I added the black and the pastel over top. It started as an exercise in "staining" the wood with watery paint, but as it came together, I realized Im not patient enough to be a minimalist . Im still very interested in creating some more "airy" and unconcentrated pieces, similar to some simpler Miro or when Kandinsky started using more detached symbols than altogether compositions, but my brain is too scattered most of the time. I put a few marks down and while I may like the simplicity of the work, I tend to seek something more striking, more bold, more emotional. Anyways...ten points to whoever finds this guy (actually it's in a pretty visible and busy spot so it's most likely gone already!)

Getting the ol' Two-fer

How To Get The Girl

So I set out to make a very long, tapestry-like piece. One that would appear to run right to left, top to bottom as if it was telling a story. It's inspired by a documentary about deciphering the Mayan language, in which the investigators around the turn-of-the-century copied down thousands of mayan symbols in long lines and columns from monumental rock faces. The symbols, which remained unreadable for hundreds of years after the collapse of the culture, retained a brilliant sophistication and detail that both baffled and amazed archeologists. This piece is based on those ideas. The creation of a story through symbols, colors, or pattern which may not be able to be directly understood, but obtains an overall universal beauty and elegance that gave it its power to begin with.

Color Wave #1

Then, I decide to play with it a bit and came up with some  interesting and dramatic photos. Nothing spectacular but it does bring to mind some possibilities for future pieces while creating an interesting effect. Could be very cool to get a number of these going, set up and interacting with each other in some sort of sculpture or installation.

STUFF

So this weekend should be interesting! I am competing (for the first time ever in live competition) in the Milwaukee Domes Art Festival Plein Air competition. For those you who don't know,  "En Plein Air" means "in open air" and it's those fancy, anti-shave french artist's coined term basically meaning "painting outside." It's always taken place, but really got popular when the impressionists started to come along,( and paint started being available in tubes) really relying on accurate depictions of light to portray the subject. That guy Claude Monet did all his pretty haystacks and water lilies "en plein air."

So anyways, 12 (i think) artists will be taking to the open air Friday, Saturday and Sunday to create some landscape painting and vying for a variety of prizes. So that's my plan for this weekend, paint some Wisconsin and make some money...on one...BREAK!


And yes...I do paint real things occasionally.

And go here if you wanna learn more!

http://www.milwaukeedomesartfestival.com/

HOLY MEDICINE BATMAN!

Well when you say it that way it makes ya wonder why we've never done it before! Scientists find new drug that could revolutionize the treatment of viral infections from the common cold to Ebola and far more. Pretty spectacular.

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/antiviral-0810.html

Again

Just look him up...for serious

Basqiuat; 23 years later.

Honestly, one of my absolute favorite artists ever. My break away from a fauvist style was solely dependent on him. Almost everything I do now is totally based off of his ideas, technique and style and I would be willing to say that other than Matisse, who is responsible for me being a painter altogether, Basquiat is my greatest influence. And the more life goes on, the more I see him as being even more important than Matisse to how I see art as a whole.

He broke out on the art scene around age twenty after living on the streets of New York, occasionally selling small collages and growing a reputation as one of New York's most interesting and unique graffiti artists. Once he took part in his first show, he became an immediate success, selling all of his work on the first night. From there, he meteorically rose to the forefront of the art scene, becoming friends with Andy Warhol and even dating Madonna for a time. But, as fame comes the demons of your life can arise as well. He struggled with drugs throughout his life, and when galleries were no longer clambering over his artwork, added with Warhol surprisingly died of a surgery complication, his life started to spiral. Jean Michel Basquiat died on August 12, 1988 of an apparent overdose on a mixture of cocaine and heroin.

If I could give you any advice as an artist, it would be to learn about its history and most of all, the people that influence you. If you are interested in Basquiat, take a look at some of his work and even more, I suggest the documentary "The Radiant Child" and the movie "Basquiat." He truly was a visionary and one that was taken far to early, proven by the fact that his art still manages to stimulate artists today. R.I.P.

Debra

Everyone should get to know this song...
http://grooveshark.com/#/s/Debra/1knt3n?src=5

What I learn as an artist #3...Beer

#6. Beer is a good first step in any creative process.

#7. Beer is a bad first 10 steps if you plan on getting anything done.

Fact of the Day: Auto-tuning = oil spills

As dumb as auto-tuning usually is, it's actually amazing how much it has taken over music recently. From techno, to rap, to sufjan stevens it's use crosses all types of music, but that's not what this is about. If you want a detailed history of auto-tuning I suggest you read "Tune me up: The official history of auto-tune pioneering." (i hope that's not a real book)

NO this is the interesting fact of the day. Did you know that auto-tuning was originally invented as byproduct of an oil finding software, meant to analyze seismic data? That's right! Thank Exxon Mobile for making "auto-tune the news" and all if T-pain's glory possible.

Yet another reason we should reduce our dependance on oil....auto-tuning

New Mural Photos

Hey all, everyone remember that mural I did a few months ago? Well I do! and here are some more photos uploaded by the lovely miss Molly. Thanks, enjoy.

Skin Mural

I'm pretty sure I was about to fall over and die at this point

7 hrs later - BIG FACE!