Five Arms and a Boot. The Process.

The original piece...Headless...just wasn't doing it for me and it hadn't been from the the moment I "finished" it last time. it was the third (or so) in a series and it just didn't have the impact of the others. The imagery wasn't as strong...the colors didn't shine as well as the other pieces...and the meaning was just forced. I didn't buy into it.

However, I also knew that the surface, clay-board, had a great texture, the original purpose for buying the surface...I didn't simply want to paint over the thing and destroy the only part of the piece that i thought really set it apart from my normal work.

So what to do? I didn't like the imagery, but painting over it would neutralize the surface...

To the sink it went with a little hesitation behind my hand...I wasn't sure what exactly would happen to the image or the surface when introducing cleaning products...but a little scraping, some selective washing and a few hours of thought and work later, the results were better than I ever imagined...

Five Arms and a Boot.
14x11"
Acrylic, Charcoal, Ink and Pastel on Clay-board.

The Garden. Details.

The Garden.
40x60"
Acrylic, Pastel and Colored Pencil

Human Remains Search at Site of 9/11 Plane Debris

An update to the 9/11 plane debris that was found last week...
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/30/17987775-search-for-human-remains-at-911-plane-debris-site-in-nyc-begins?lite

Shallow Graves. The Details.

Shallow Graves.

16x20"

Acrylic, Collage and Pastel on Canvas.

Peter Doig. A Retrospective

Take a look at this review of a massive retrospective of painter Peter Doig.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2013/apr/29/peter-doig-exhibition-national-gallery-scotland

And take a look at some more of his work here...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/gallery/2013/apr/30/peter-doig-paintings-pictures

Sneak Peek.

A sneak peek at a new piece...

This Is Not A Real Show.

Why We Care That Jason Collin's Came Out.

It was a little over a week ago when the top Women's basketball player Brittney Griner, just selected first in the WNBA draft, announced that she was gay...and nothing really happened (media/political-wise.). Today, Jason Collins became the first major pro US athlete to come out as gay and it's making some big headlines. Why did we have such a different reaction and what does it say about the status of sexuality in our society?
http://www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2013/04/why-jason-collinss-coming-out-is-such-a-big-deal/275383/

Feed the Bear. The What.

This piece is all about "fostering" an agenda...

Usually, we are told "do not feed the animals" when we go to zoos. There are a variety of reasons...but mostly it's dangerous and makes the animals used to getting food where they are not supposed to. They'll simply continue looking for it with each passing patron...and with each patron directly interacting with the animal, the possibility of an accident goes up.

This piece is about doing the opposite. Not necessarily "feeding the animals" in terms of purposefully breaking the rules, or in terms of the animal being violent...but more in the sense that, to feed someone's agenda with no end, no limit, and no critique leads to an out-of-control situation far worse than anyone intended or expected.

One act of feeding a bear will not lead the animal on a violent rampage just as backing someone's idea will not immediately result in them ruling the world...but to continue that "feeding" without pause to re-assess the situation periodically, you'll never have a clear view of what's happening and what the results will be.

In the piece...someone's been feeding the bear....and he's not stopping till he finds something more...

There's nothing wrong with getting caught up in the moment...but let that moment extend to the next...and the next...and the next without stopping to look around, you'll quickly realize that what you're caught up in has become very different from what you initially supported.

Photographer Captures Rare Orca v. Sperm Whale Battle.

For the first time ever in underwater photography, someone has captured a battle between orca's and sperm whales, giving us dramatic insight into the rare event...take a look...
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/04/orca-v-sperm-whale/?pid=6740

Sony World Photography Awards.

Take a look at the rundown of winners from this year's Sony World Photography Awards.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/gallery/2013/apr/25/sony-world-photography-award-winners-pictures

Feed The Bear. A new piece...

Feed The Bear.44x32"

Acrylic, Pastel, Charcoal and Pencil on Canvas.

 

Feed the Bear. In-progress.

A new piece with a few hours work...

Lazy Sunday. New Piece.

Getting started on a new piece...

The Head of a Man as the Head of a Bull. Update

Added a few marks to the piece from last week....

The Head of a Man as the Head of a Bull.

20x24”

Coffee, Charcoal, and Pastel on Canvas.