Into The Voices

 

9x9

ink on bristol board

(click on image to bigify)

I had the honor of providing two drawings for Mary Stebbins Taitt's book of poetry called When Time Stumbled. The book is a tribute for her brother Tom, who passed away last October. For those of you who aren't familiar with Mary, who is an incredible artist as is, but she is a wonderful poet, as well. I can really connect with her imagery. 

The first of the two drawings that I did is for a poem called Into The Voices. Sometimes, well actually, a lot of times, I can be quite literal when adapting the written word, whether a poem, a short story or a song, in which I have done all three at times. And this one is kind of no different. But, I have no regrets with this piece. The poem has an o'possum in it and I just had to make that my central focus. The rest is more of the literal part. I was quite happy with my crazed and excited  'possum. I'll show the second drawing in another post.

Here is Mary's poem Into The Voices

An animal climbs into the bush outside my window, 

it's identity lost in darkness, a 'possum, perhaps,

or a raccoon. meanwhile, inside my room, the voices. start.

All of them.

Some rise above the din, other sink

and disappear in the babble. Strange voices whisper

suggestions, make proclamations, ask questions.

Rant and rave. People I don't know, have never met, holler.

Their words make no sense, confuse me.

Outside,

the animal crashes in the branches. "How do you say -- afraid?

a male voice asks, in a heavy Russian accent.

His face appears from the dark sea of faces, a stout,

middle-aged man with a worried look and dark bushy eyebrows. 

Another man, speaking German, writes algebraic equations

on a blackboard while an old white-haired woman explains

how to crochet.

A man with odd, glowing salmon skin

appears on a white stallion with a flowing mane.

Though I don't know him, he feels familiar, a long ago lover,

perhaps. He holds out a hand, and I climb on behind.

We canter easily off.

Somewhere in the receding distance,

an animal climbs down out of a bush and walks away

into the locusts. Tonight, with this man, I ride ankle deep, 

thigh deep in a sea of voices.

We climb the side of a hill, 

above a valley where a green sun just rises,

half of it visible above the edge of the ridge.

The book will be available for purchase at the gallery opening reception, on May 9th at the color Ink Studio in Hazel Park, MI. The show will run through the end of May and will feature artwork from the book. My above piece will be in that show. 

Mindblowing Exhibit

My Heike Diver drawing will be included in the Mindblowing exhibit at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial starting tomorrow. I am one of 58 artists exhibiting their surreal works. I was able to see some of them when I dropped of my piece on Monday and there are some very cool and evocative works to be on display. There will be a lecture about the show with the Canadian artist Adam Strange who was the juror for the show. That will start at 6:30 on Thursday August 7th. Awards and such will also be presented at this time. Below, is my piece all framed up and ready to go.

 And below, is the drawing as I scanned it.

The Grosse Pointe War Memorial is located at The War Memorial campus, 32 Lake Shore Dr.Grosse Pointe FarmsMI48236. Stop on by to see the show. It will run through the beginning of October.

A Recent Sci-Fi Commission

11x14

ink and markers on bristol board

This here drawing is a recent commission for a fine chap across the pond. He always has fun ideas and is a treat to work with. The gal on the speeder bike is his own creation, in which I've drawn before. The speeder bike is an unused concept from the original Star Wars trilogy, in which was designed by Joe Johnston, I believe. A fun commission, for sure.

 

Norman Rockwell

 

9x6

ink on bristol board

This here drawing by Norman Rockwell is the next commission in the pipeline. This one done for a Substack reward for generously donating to the cause (a new newsletter is in the works, too. This one focusing on linocuts). 

I believe that Mr. Rockwell painted from a glass mounted palette and for the discerning eye, the palette that he is holding is from one of his paintings, complete with number and shapes of the globs (technical term) of paint. The tilted head is just because I liked the tilt of his head in his self-portrait of him painting him. You know the one. A nod, you might say.

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O Is For Oola

 

The next drawing from my as of yet unpublished Star Wars A-Z book is for the letter 'O.'

O is for Oola

who danced in Jabba's lair.

I thought that Jabba's pinky finger was a nice touch.

The Great American Sexual Predator Patriot Matt Gaetz

 

Because that 'square-headed asshole' (as I heard someone call him) was in Michigan last night spreading, or better yet infecting, the populous with what passes as a congressman these days, I thought I'd share a drawing that I did of him earlier in the year. 

Zombuggeez,™ Part Three

 

Here is the next Zombuggeez™ drawing in the lineup. It's actually the second one that I illustrated and will most likely be the next sticker available, as well. More on that soon.

The original black and white drawings will also be available soon on my website and can do commissions for your favorite kind of car all zombified and stuff. Contact me for the details.

Zombuggeez™, Part Two

This here was the very first Zombuggeez™ image that I drew, but will be the next sticker available for purchase in a couple of days (they are supposed to arrive tomorrow). I will post the news when they are up on my website store.

Alice Allhoff, HS Art Teacher

I just found out yesterday that one of my high school art teachers had passed away on the 9th. Although, Alice Allhoff was not my favorite art teacher (she was up there, though), she was an important one in my development as an artist. We butted heads often, as she was an abstract expressionist and I was into realism. I was shy, awkward, and immature, yet defiant in many ways and this came out most awkwardly in my stumbling towards improvement. 

As I was looking through some of the drawings that were done in my first year of high school drawing classes (I hadn't looked at these in years), I noticed a lot of Cs. A lot of them. A lot of criticism, too. As I was reading her marks on my pages I didn't disagree with any of them. She was extremely patient with me and even if I didn't realize it then (I did at times), she taught me to look at things in different ways, take different approaches and all the things that an art teacher should be doing. She was very good at what she did, even if we didn't see eye to eye. I was lucky to have the instructors that I had in high school. 

There was this one time when I arrived in class late and as I was walking in she said, "well, if it isn't Mr. Rude, Inconsiderate... and Tardy, as well." That one stuck with me for quite some time, thanks to my classmates. 

Another lesson learned was when I received a C on an assignment and this girl in the class who was not even an artist and didn't want to be an artist received an A. I went into the sculpting room bitching up a storm, the injustice of it all, blah, blah, blah. The sculpting teacher, Mr. Zeibert (my fave) let me rant and rave and carry on and when I turned to him for validity, he told me I got what I deserved. See, he paid attention to all that was going on with his students and he then proceeded to tell me that said girl actually tried to do a good job, she worked hard and improved on her piece from start to finish, where I, on the other hand had just 'mailed it in,' as he said. He and Ms. Allhoff expected a better piece than what I turned in. By the time I finally picked my jar up off the floor I realized that I had been schooled (in school, no less!) and it was an immediate lesson learned. 

There was an office that connected the painting class to the sculpture class and one day the drama teacher, Mr. Beard came into the office to visit and sat down at the desk as she lectured. The phone rang, so he answered it, saying loudly "Hello... Auntie Alice's Palace of Flesh." Now, Ms Allhoff was a pretty straight laced kind of person and she just slowly turned her head, grimaced a bit and Mr. Beard shrugged his shoulders and said "Maybe they'll call back?" 

Below are some pieces that I picked out for the comments:

This assignment was supposed to be blind contours, but as one can plainly see, I peaked. It didn't fool Allhoff any, at all. Surprisingly, I received a B+.

I remember doing this piece vividly. I thought it turned out rather well at the time, but she noted that I 'used too much tone.' This one received a B.

Working in ink washes on this one and as she stated 'shiny objects need highlights.' Well, duh, they sure do. A deserved C-. 

I'd almost forgotten my Frank Frazetta-ish signature. I used that for years. Goofy.

So, I'm saddened by her passing, as she was instrumental in my growth as an artist. And a person, as well. 

Visions From The Upside Down: Stranger Things Art Book

Discovering Things

ink on bristol

8.5x11.25

Last Tuesday was the release of the Stranger Things art book, Visions From the Upside Down, in which I have a piece. I call this one Discovering Things and the book is put out by Printed In Blood through Del Rey Books. Check it out on Amazon and wherever books are sold. I will have an official print available at some point soon.

Friday Ink: Lt. Worf

I haven't done one of these Friday Ink exercises in awhile, so here is a Lt. Worf for ya. I am currently into Season 2 of Star Trek: The Next Generation, in which I have never seen a full episode. So, I'm fixing that. And Michael Dorn, who played Lt. Worf will be at next weekend's Michigan Comic-Con and I will have this on hand for purchase if so desired.  

Friday Ink: Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman

5x7

ink on bristol board

Friday Ink: The Henchmen

I haven't done one of these Friday ink drawings in awhile, so here is a new one. The ever lovable henchmen of The Monarch, No's 21 & 24, I believe. I will have this with me as a new addition to the original art that I will have with me next week at the Cherry Capital Comic Con in Traverse City, MI.

Delays On The Porter Line

Delays On The Porter Line

16.75x13.75

colored pencil on bristol

I'm posting this colored pencil drawing that I did back in 2001 because I've been having a few dreams that involve my grandpa and this piece is about my grandpa. Now, I hardly ever have dreams where someone that I know is in them, especially relatives. I don't know why, but it's true. In the past few weeks I've had  four dreams about my maternal grandfather, the woodworker. In every one, it was him through and through, the way he talked, his mannerisms, the way he dressed. Well, not everyone. In the last dream he was wearing cabana wear, something he would never have done. I do like to think that after all this time he finally came to visit, but who knows how dreams work. 

This piece above was done about two years after he passed away. I was thinking about how family really made it a point to get in his way when he faltered there at the end and how he responded was always with calmness. He was hugely into trains and model railways (his basement set up was an amusement park), so the train here represents him in a way. I borrowed from one of my Thomas Hart Benton's paintings for this part. The train, smoke and sky are in that style if not a plain ripoff. The toy soldiers were something he and I experimented with in my youth. Making molds and trying different substance for the soldiers. Just to see if they worked. Hardly any of them did, but we had fun. The ostriches that are blocking the way with their heads in the sand are family. I felt this of them during these times. The Camaro was one of the two that he owned. The other one, also gold, had a spoiler. He didn't act like an old man, that is for sure. The little guy down at the bottom there is me as a really small kid. I always felt helpless to act and not knowing what to do to help him, so yeah, there's that.

The drawing was damaged some during the last basement flood, so the scan is a bit wonky.

Oh yeah, this piece also won an Honourable Mention Award at the 1st International Drawing Biennale in Melbourne, Australia in 2001. I look at it now and kind of cringe, but happy of the award nonetheless.

Prisoners

I was thinking about this drawing recently that I did in 2005, so I thought I would share it with Electronic Land, since I probably can't show anything new until the new year.

Can you name each 'prisoner' and why they are considered so?

The Greater Michigan Dementia Creative Arts Exhibition

Last week I was able to view a exhibition that was curated by a guy that I have known for decades. The 1st Annual Greater Michigan Dementia Creative Arts Exhibition put together by sculptor John Wood and is being held in conjunction with a similar show in South Yorkshire, England. The theme of the show is 'The Senses' and how they relate to our memories. 

A very interesting show by a variety of artists, young and old and bringing a better understanding to  those suffering with dementia of all kinds. 

The show is being held at the Services For Older Citizens center in Grosse Pointe Farms, MI and will run all summer and I would encourage all to go and view this fine collection of artwork. The pieces are on view throughout the center in various rooms that covers two floors. 

Here are just a few of the selected works in the show:

by Anne Garavaglia

by Anne Garavaglia

by John Wood

by John Wood

by Ronald T. Konopka

by Ronald T. Konopka

by John Wood

by John Wood

by Ronald T. Konopka

Below are a links to John and Anne's works:

John Wood

Anne Garavaglia

Mr. Quinlan

A sketch that I did a few months back of Mr. Quinlan, from the series The Strain. One of my favorite characters from the show and hope to see more of him in the next season.

Immortan Joe

Immortan Joe
5x7 on board
markers and ink


Here is another drawing that I did while at the Wizard World Columbus show last month. I plan on doing a bunch of drawings like this and possibly selling them as 5x7 prints, as well.

Merle Dixon

While I was sitting at my table at the Wizard World Columbus show this past weekend, I used my time as best I could since it was a slow show. I did this marker and ink drawing of Michael Rooker as Merle Dixon from the Walking Dead, since he was there and all. This is a 5x7 piece on colored matte board.

KISS Detroit City Gallery Show, Part Three

The KISS show at Start Gallery in Detroit is coming to an end this Saturday, so you have one last chance to see a pretty good show. Above is the prelim drawing that I did for the painting that is hanging in the show.