State of the Simian Union


Watched W. No surprises. He is still a talking monkey. A monkey that thinks that if he cuts the taxes of the poor (which are minimal) they will be able to afford healthcare. This is a monkey that is totally talking into his hat. The world is a distinct and
wonderful place from the top of the golden banana tree that he is perching in...choosing to poop or spit at all those other little monkeys down there on the ground. This monkey also wants 90,000 more fighting monkeys to do his bidding he gets no buy in from the congress--choosing to do what his little pin brain thinks will be good (as defined by him), noble and just. We need new management. This is all too appalling.

The Medium is not the Message


Kitty and I were inspired by the Tara McPherson illustrations in the December (or was it November?) issue of Juxtapoz-- She did a girl's head with a flippy do and we did the same thing. Here is a spread from my sketchbook looking at that. Cheery for a dreary day.

Snowtires are finally going on the Wonderbus today. Now, I will be able to drive without fear (at least less).

Just got off the phone with my friend, the printer. They sent this wacky email as a christmas card to all of their clients that had very "helping hands at home", microsoft word inspired visuals that one was to add a password at the end of the message for some sort of electronic candycane or gumdrop. It, to me, felt like work--and to be honest, pissed me off. So, when my printer pal asked me what I thought...I told him (poor guy!! but, he did ask!). He loved the pummelling so much, he made me talk to the top management of his firm along with the locquacious IT manager who had an answer for everything. And to me...its not the medium. Its the damned message. All these bit twiddlers get all hung up around all the data that can be gathered, all the information that can be gleaned, all the wild and wonderful things from animation and sound and all the "liquidity" around all the stuff you can do with this technology. Well and good. But what does this stuff actually say? Mean? Communicate? Is memorable? Has a moment? Relates to the larger world. Technology is just the post office. It delivers the message. The message is the hard part--it is the problem to be defined. Technology can deliver it flatfootedly--or elegantly, discreetly, sweetly, memorably or in a fun way. That too, it the problem--once you have a message--how do you deliver it in a way that stands out without flashing lights and dogs barking--technology is not the way. Technology is the means. I think this is where these printer folks have been stopped still. They don't know what the message is. They just love the technology.

And, to hell with looking beautiful.

Off the soapbox.

Monday!


The beginning of a cold January week! The picture above is from my sketchbook. They are little heads that could be manufactured and collected--stackable...make your own totem poles etc. Am working on this idea for a client, might be too out there, but you never get from here to there without a few left field tries. Saw the movie, The Queen, this weekend. Beautifully made, nice costume drama qualities with wonderful shots of the scottish highlands--woven together with acting that made me feel for the Queen, Tony Blair and Prince Charles. Well worth the eight bucks.

Light in Winter this weekend.

Another burka lady almost done. If I keep clocking them down, I may have 10 or so to take with me to London to show to John. I am going to shift gears a little with technique--doing some stark black and white and grey with a shot of color or some tone on tone color ones (inspired by Shepard Fairey's color use--see below). Also would like to try the rice technique on an image too...to take that look a little further and see if it is applicable. So, there is work to do! Later.

thinking


This monkey sketch is from a book my brilliant sister-in-law and brother gave to me for Christmas. I love how wierd monkeys are...and somehow gravitate to them during lulls or no brain time. So, here ia monkey for a snowy day, today.

I have been thinking about doing the F. That is, getting the F inbetween the M and the A---through Hartford. Here are the upsides: 1) I finally get a dose of the wonderful Tinkelmans; 2)it's only 2 summers with a year inbetween; 3) I am on a roll now, so why not take the time and see what happens; 4) I will finally get the teachers we were promised at SU and then not delivered on. The downside is more time and more money. The time comes out of the margins...and its a continuation of what is going on now...and the money I can borrow or hope that a certain project I have finally begins to produce some dough. Money is not a big issue...I think I can figure that out. And, if it all dovetails, I think I will start this July--as that is when this particular session begins...and if I don't go now, it would be in 2009 which seems way too far away--and my life at that time will be in the getting kids ready and funded for college. So, to my thinking, its now or not at all.

On other fronts, the burkas continue. I did a little blog reading this week about islamic people talking about their perceptions of burkas. It was interesting to read commentary from people who view the burka as a point of extremism. One step too far...almost a fanaticism versus a very conservative commitment to the words of Mohammed about women being kept private. I think there parallels between orthodox and conservative jewish dress and that of islam--and the perceptions from within the community and outside the community. So, I am torn about how I weigh into this discussion except that my hope is that the women that wear burkas make the decision to live this lifestyles on their own. If they do make these decisions--then it is their choice to express their beliefs in a very visual and distinct way within their community. And this decision and lifestyle need to be respected independant of one's personal beliefs.

On another front, I was listening to John Dehlin's podcast Mormon Stories this week and was fascinated by the interview he had with Anne B. Wilde (a name that doesn't match up with the woman), a polygamist and member of the FLDS church. I have been fascinated by the Mormons and the offshoot, renegade FLDS church, and this very personal and human conversation that John conducted was eye opening about the power of belief down to lying and acting in a deceptive way to practice those beliefs. It is very twisty turny--but certainly takes one out of the quiet up on our hill, to how other people live and practice their faith. I highly recommend anything John Dehlin touches (if you are fascinated by the Church of Latter Day Saints ) as he is very even, balanced and empathetic to those he is interviewing and really allows that person to be up front and center. He has a remarkable way of fading into the background so that you can really hear what is being said--unburdened by the need of the interviewer to be a personality. From that point, I jumped into the bloggisphere and read some amazing stuff...more the world that Warren Jeffs and Uncle Rulon created. The comments on one of these blogs were unbelievable, as it was the community talking about who married who, who was "kicked out",etc...and there were no more than 5 or 6 last names bandied about. Here are some links, if you want to walk on the wild side (no pun intended!):

Nevada Polygamy>> Check out the comments...
Salt Lake City Tribune writer Brooke Adams' blog>>
One Utah>>
Texas Polygamy Blog>>
That should get you thinking in a new direction. More tomorrow.

Topsy Turvy



The damned world is upside down. I am reeling from all the blather and noise coming out of Washington, the talking heads and all else. Plus, here on the plateau, there has been great unrest, unhappiness and derisive behavior around the siting and planning of a proposed skateboard park. With all of this twisting and swirling, I have been diving into my sketchbook and more burka pictures. The pictures posted surround my new interest in line/and this funny rice shape that evolves in a two color layout. You will see more...but I am fascinated with the rice shape, the shadows and the tiger teeth shapes to see what happens. So, I share this with you.

Plus, let me extol the beauty of the magnificent moleskine. I have been using these notebooks for a while now, but now I am socking ink, paint,etc. to the pages--and running them backed up/ spread by spread...and the paper really takes it--except for the wicked thick sharpie which bleeds through. The stock is a little slick--which with a thin pen, a rapidiograph works wonderfully--but prismacolor and colored pencils in general, don't lay down as nicely as a notebook with tooth (Monteval, field notebooks for example). I have posted a link to the left if you want to look at the Moleskine books. They have large (not large at all), and regular (about the size of a 3"x 5" card. They have plain, ruled, grid--and now watercolor paper. Lots of choices. Take a look.

has anyone noticed that

the "War on Terrorism" is now being glibly referred to as "The Long War". I find this change of nomenclature as paralyzing. The grim walls are closing in even closer. Ey.

from Barbara Mink, Queen of Light in Winter

"Only 11 days left until the 2007 Light in Winter Festival takes center stage here in Ithaca! This year our theme is "connections": between us and the world we live in; music and art; our senses and our minds; insects and dinosaurs; the smallest particles of matter and sound and the world we actually see and hear.

Carl Sagan once said: "Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known." That somewhere is Ithaca, this January 26th through the 28th. You cancheck our website at www.lightinwinter.com for the Festival program, plus special deals on tickets and hotels. And throughout the weekend, check ourblog for real-time updates of all the events: www.blog.lightinwinter.com.

We hope to see you at the Festival!

Light in Winter is your world... illuminated!"

Worth the money. We did it last year and it was interesting, educational and got the grey matter spinning. Plus, we had fun! If you are in the Ithaca area, plan on doing the full weekend of it!

S. Fairey inspiration


Shepard Fairey does gals in headscarves. Nice job. Inspired use of color and linework. The bigger application of this was done in NYC. Fairey says on his site:

"I recently went to NY to do some art installations inside and outside. 11 Spring St. which is a building I had frequently put art on illegally is being renovated and the new owners were kind enough to give the street artists a last hurrah with the guidance of the Wooster Collective (www.woostercollective.com). I was able to do a 14 by 25 foot piece inside and a small piece on the cluttered outside. For those in NY the building is open Dec 15, 16, and 17... and that's it. My wife and daughter stayed in LA, so I also got to hit the streets with WK Interact. Dan Flores kept an eye out for the fuzz and helped with the cold late night missions."

Sources of Inspiration: Part Four


Back to Redondo Beach. Teeter Totter or See Saw with this little head balanced so beautifully in the middle. He seems dumbfounded. Dim? Stunned by being in such a wonderful arcade. Inspired simplicity.

I bet Mr. Baseman got something from a work or oeuvre such as this. Your thoughts?

two nice posts on Drawger


Today, Rob Dunlavey from Drawger has set up a show of images submitted by fellow Drawger illustrators of the President:

W: Portraits of a President

keep watching it as I am sure there will be more as time goes on.

And of course, the ever smart Mr. Brodner has commentary re Mr. Bush's new initiative>>

The commentary pretty much sums up how I feel.

Image Above from Drawger
Lone Rider by Tim OBrien
Cover for Mother Jones

stepping down from the soapbox for today.

in progress


Eyes are the mirror to one's soul. That's why I spend so much time on them whether it be a duck or a person--the eyes, for me, are key. This is the beginning of a new burqa image for my thesis.

Dead on Digby

Digby is an impassioned blogger we met in LA. This blogger is no kidding serious about the work, the messaging, the community, and making change which is happening. Today, Digby speaks on tonight's impending speech (which makes me nauseous just thinking about what is could and probably will be). Here is an excerpt:

Steamroller Democracy

by digby

I don't now about you, but I'm all on pins and needles waiting for the big speech tonight. The big question will finally be answered: how much is the president going to escalate the war and increase the American occupation?

Think about that. We just had an election that completely repudiated the president's strategy in the Iraq war. Only 12% of the public supports sending in more troops today. The military is not backing this either. Yet what are we watching on television all day? "How many more troops is the president going to send to Iraq?"

This is not just a slap in the face to the democratic process, it's a slap in the face to our concept of reality. I wrote before that this president has always governed by tantrum, and this is no exception. He is doing exactly the opposite of what logic would dictate, just as he did after the 2000 election debacle when he governed from the far right as if he'd won a huge ideological mandate --- and after 9/11 when he nonsensically insisted that we invade a country that had not been involved in the attacks.

I can hardly believe my eyes that he is getting away with it again. It's truly stunning.

to continue with this essay>>>