Because my blog "A Retro Artist in a Digital Age", is acting funky (that is, the dashboard and compose features on that particular site, are not connecting with Facebook - why? - no clue), I am writing about some sad news I just learned. On one of my blog favs: "lines and colors", I just found out that one of my all-time-favs; Jack Davis, has passed. Jack Davis was the epitome of caricature and cartooning for me. In my youth, especially when I was in art school, his art was EVERYWHERE. From Mad Magazine, to Time Magazine; an ad for some product and Hollywood movie posters - everywhere. Mr. Davis had an enviable talent - the strength of his line, the grace of his composition, the hilarity of his subject's situations - all so beautiful, funny, so right.
And even (God forbid!) if some of you don't know the name, you will know his art. Look over the links below; bow your heads for a moment of silence, and acknowledge another Icon has passed.
I warn you, the power of his art will make it difficult: it's hard not to chuckle.
I told a friend that I would be glad when April 26th came; so the collective 'we' could get through this 'voting season'. He said; "It's only the primaries, you still have the general in November!" I said; "...yes, you're right, but it is the next step with getting on with the whole thing." And, of course he replied: "Yeah, but it's all still going on until November!"
I don't know if he was despairing the fact that 'it's all still going on until November'; or if he just had to be right.
I don't necessarily talk much about politics, unless with like-minded individuals; somehow, a debate on platforms and candidates, quickly becomes a heated debate, which in turn can turn to yelling, bad feelings, etc. I ran into my neighbor this morning, on my morning dog walk, and she on her way to vote before work. She asked me who I was voting for - I hesistated. But she and I see eye to eye on a lot of things, so I told her. That is a rarity, but we were, once again in agreement.
Coming from a family of traditionally, Democrats, but with a few Republican members; you learn to avoid political talk. My grandfather was a Justice of the Peace, in the small town district that we lived in, so politics was discussed. Sometimes, political seasons could get a little contentious - if you know what I mean. Not because of my grandfather, that is, he was reasonable and considered honorable amongst his peers and his family. He did like the occasional political discussion though. The ones who might be deemed contentious, were the ones who thought that, if you don't vote for the same guy they had voted for, there was something intrinsically wrong with your character. You don't know what you're doing! How can you think that way?!
Well, let's just throw the Bill of Rights out the window, shall we?
My grandfather firmly believed in the American system; I think he'd crack a smile at my sarcasm. When I came of age, I was glad that because I was an American, I had the right to agree with whomever I chose, not an over zealous family member. I have to say, that even though my grandfather and I sometimes disagreed, he respected my choice.
I have to say, that political talk may have been one of the reasons that my journey has been one of the individual, as opposed to following a 'herd'. I bristle when someone says things like : "Aren't you voting the same as your husband?" Grrrrrr! That's one of those statements that makes me spit out something like: "Hello! It's the 21st Century! Are you a time traveller? Aren't you aware of where you are?"
I know, I'm a shit.
All things considered, I am a proponent of the vote. Whether you agree with me or not. Look around the world - yes, EVEN in this 21st Century - and you'll still find repression, fixed ballots, denial of rights. So go, vote; make your choice. Do It.
Unless you are a time traveller, you'll have to be informed and perhaps repatriated, first.
Yeah, here I am again; seems my writing has frittered down to once a month again... sorry about that. I don't want you to think I've abandoned you, I've been caught up in learning processes. Did you ever have those times when you are taking on something new; I'm not talking shopping here... this isn't about the latest style of shoes, or a 'killer' new sound system... I'm talking about your own personal education.
I'm talking about what I try to do during those times between work and life, when work is just that, work; and life has fallen into a routine. It may be a small space of time, early in the morning, late at night, actually for me, it becomes whenever I have to wait for someone or some thing to occur (TV, email, and phones are not always a good option); where I try to squeeze in learning how to do some skill or information. Now, normally, with such a little bit of time, I don't do anything too messy or that gets in the way of work or life - you can't always let stuff go until tomorrow; and the commitment to it has to be on my terms. I try to do something that can be easily put aside, and believe me, if it's something you have any kind of passion for, that ain't easy.
So... when all else for the day is done... well, yes, I've gone and done it. I'm on the computer, so there's no clean up. Actually, I did it once before, but my information was limited, along with my time, at the time. I'm in the midst of doing a genealogy search for my Mom and Dad, this time, I logged onto Ancestry.com. I've traced some of the Maxwell and Steigerwald Clans to The Old World. But that's not the half of it. I'm doing this for my parents; they want to know the 'when and whys' of ancestors, something I may or may not be able to deliver. I am sure that the search for answers could be a life-long endeavor... as for me, I may have to put it aside at some point. There are other venues to search for the answers my parents wonder about, besides Ancestry.com. For me, one word: Time. In the meantime, I have found out some surprising things; like, part of my Mom's side of the family have seen themselves as wholly and totally German, yet, it seems my Mom's great-grandmother's maiden name was Conery or Connerly.... I'm still looking for the correct spelling and whether she was a Scot or Irish. That blows that theory. "We" are the World... at least a good deal of Northwestern Europe.
Now, most of the art I render, can't be really be shown until the client has his/her debut with it. When it's public, with most of it, I can JPEG away - online or wherever. There is some artwork that I show reluctantly, though I have shown it in my blog; "A Retro Artist in a Digital Age", as I think that it's good to live the journey, to show 'the warts and all'. There is some disagreement on this, in some camps; but I think, in this 'faux world' we live in, that being genuine has it's merit.
The art I'm talking about is the stuff I do on my digital tablet. I am by no means a 'digital wizard'. I come by whatever I have learned honestly, with a lot of failure, frustration and finally, some enlightenment. That said, I still don't consider myself a 'digital wizard'. On the right I show you some 'unfinished business'; a small section of an illustration I've been working on with my tablet. It still has a way to go, but as I find the time, I apply whatever I have learned - about myself and learned skills - to the art. When it's finished I'll post it.
I guess what I'm saying is, that's what life is about, there is always another lesson and as a result, more 'unfinished business'. Speaking of 'business', I'd better get back to mine!
... just sayin'; "Hello". I recently got caught up in one of those Facebook challenges; 'post three pieces of art in five days'; with my SoNet track record - I barely did it. Actually it took me six days, as I was crushed with work and couldn't make the post, one day. So, sue me. I need to make a buck.
One of the contenders was "Hisself", a piece I'd done over a decade ago, when I did OOAK Artist Dolls, on the side. He's about 4 1/2" high, with his base, I liked working small. It was a challenge to make everything to scale. That market is pretty much non-existant these days, but I made a few dollars at it, back in the day. It's too bad the market is down, it was fun.
There's a better pic of him somewhere, there's some kind of wonky glare in his eye, and it soooo leans to red, but at the time I was trying to quickly fulfill a challenge, so this is the one at hand. I figured, since it is the Month of The Irish, well, actually we all know it's just a day; but when McDonald's rolls out their 'Shamrock Shakes' on the first of March, and as commercial and somewhat distasteful as that may seem; I say, hell, just roll with it. Let the Irish have a month, it's okay with me, they're in my DNA. It's said you can't fight city hall, or multi-billion dollar corporations. Unless, you don't buy their 'fake shake' - oh, you insurgent, you!
My last post was about the Amaryllis I'd received at Christmas... I'm putting a timeline together for that. I had a couple of inquiries about it. It turned out to be a pleasant surprise, but more later.
Until my next post, and in the spirit of The Irish, though "a wee bit early": "Happy St. Paddy's Day"!
... but, better late than never. So it's December 26th? So what? Happy Holidays!
Don't even tell me that it's 'over' - you know it's not! You're eatin' those leftovers right now. You'll dip into the Nog, one more time - at least. The New Year is right around the corner and you know you'll be revelling days before it gets here.
It's THE HOLIDAY SEASON. Make some Merry. Count your blessings. Give some Joy.
I still have gifts to give; laughs to share; and I'm doin' it 'til the end of the year.
The oft idolized... as well as sometimes villianized for being the face of a corporation; Mickey Mouse was 86 years old yesterday. Say what you will about Disney, or how you feel about thier cartoons; the Mouse has done okay for himself.
I still have my musical Mickey Mouse watch, given as a present many years ago. I suppose I kept it mainly out of nostalgia - I said I'd like to get it fixed and never did - but really, well, I grew up with the Mouse. The watch played the "Mickey Mouse Club" theme, and possibly, my least favorite song, "It's a Small World" (if you've ever experienced the "Small World" ride at one of the theme parks, there's a good chance you feel the same way).
Regardless of how you feel about the corporation, you have to admit that there's something ingratiating about the Mouse. Perhaps 'nice guys' don't 'always finish last'.
After all, he is an American Icon, even to the French, who seem to love/hate him. N'es pas?
I am at the age when the things that are familiar to me; the people, places and events - that have always been with me - are now in flux and change. Those same people, places and events have been in change; but the movement was slow, for so many years, that everything seemed as though it would always be as it always had been. That is an over simplification - I'm not that shallow - it's that word "familiar"; that made all seem safe, there, and forever. Taken for granted, sometimes overlooked; until you see them again with new eyes.
It's funny how major public figures find their way into your life. You may never, ever meet these people, but somehow they become "someone you know". When their lives change, you may comment on the change, as though they lived next door. You may love them or hate them, but they've had an impact on your life. I feel sad today.
When Robin Williams came on the scene it was a jolt of lightening out of nowhere. The wilder he was, the more we wanted. I worked for an apparel company at the time - graphic tees were the rage then, as now, and the big thing was transfer prints - "Nanu-Nanu" was everywhere. Everyone I knew was talking about "Mork from Ork". The Media exploded with this guy. We were taken in by his comedy and overcome by his humanity.
I think it was the early '80's, when friends and I went to see him perform, here in the 'Burgh. He was a manic fireball - all over the stage - it was pure joy.
It was post Belushi, post drug days for him; as part of the show, he'd mentioned that he was 'clean'. At the time I think most thought he'd just 'got out of it'; the whole drug scene was taking a turn. Didn't turn far enough, I guess. Back then, there wasn't a thought of what might really be behind using drugs, so many did. Some walked away and lived their lives, others weren't so lucky. Even without drugs, Mr. Williams was a Man on Fire.
I actually bought this pin, this 'shooting star', as it was supposedly made by the artist who did the pins on "Mork's" rainbow suspenders. I can't believe I still have it now, it's kind of funky and faded. But it was all part of the hype, the cult of celebrity. I was a kid then, and Robin Williams was irresistable. He was a comic voice of the generation - wild fun.
As we aged, he aged, but he never let us down. We saw other facets of his brilliance, not only did we laugh, but we wiped a tear. We got the full spectrum. Not many crossover and do it, and do it well. On the outside, even as an older man, he was still 'on fire', with little chance of burning out.
Real life intervenes. It's seldom like what is shown in the media.
Back in the day, I was asked to do a caricature of Robin Williams. I don't know where the final one is, but this (right), was a reject. It was too 'all over the place' for the client. It's really not a great likeness; it was unfinished - you can still see the pencil lines and "white-out" touch ups - but what I did like about it was that it WAS all over the place. If you'd seen him perform, you'd agree. When you do caricatures of celebrities, and though you don't, you may think you know them. You do, if you even only know a little about them, get a sense of them. At the time, I remember thinking, how long will this guy sustain this roaring flame that is his persona.
I think as time went on, I just figured he had figured it out and was going on to the next phase in his life. With a touch of "irreverence" at every turn - much to our delight.
As I said, real life intevenes. So sorry that I was wrong. Thanks for the humor and humanity.
H. R. Giger, the man who designed The Alein of the movie Aliens, passed away yesterday at the age of 74. His Alien design scared the bejeezus out of me the first time I saw that movie - which was enhanced by seeing it at the old Warner Theater, with it's curved screen, in downtown Pittsburgh.
Giger was an amazing artist, and his subject matter was a surreal - natural and unnatural; organic and man-made. Somewhere, even beyond 'fantasy'.
With the exception of some of the art from magazines in my morgue file; my one and only piece of Star Wars paraphenalia. Of course it's Yoda. I most likely had received it as a gag gift in the early '80's. He's fully intact and still had all of his accouterments, including the snake. Unfortunately, the packaging is long gone, and his complexion may be a little faded. Still lookin' good old fella!
I was talking to a friend the other day about the announcement of a new Star Wars movie; we marveled at how old the "returnees" from the original film were. Of course, my friend and I have grey hair, so there's not much room for us to comment. But I think it's pretty safe to say that both of us will see the new movie at some time or other.
The passage of time is not lost on me. I've been made acutely aware of it in the past few years. No, not from a vanity perspective; aging happens; but more from what is and what could have been. I don't want to bring anyone down here; I have some regrets, but I don't dwell on them. Well, there are a few regrets I revisit from time to time, but they are events I had no control over. I won't go there, as I would imagine we all have those times in our lives. It strikes me as funny though, when talking to someone, and they say: "yeah, it's been 20, 30 years since..." - I am always surprised. I have a friend who always says ' I don't feel (enter age), I still feel 29' - every year on her birthday.
My awareness is from aging parents and growing children. From renewing acquaintances from years past and seeing how things that were once thought to be important by the masses are now on the wane, with each generation. I just attended a fund raiser, as a guest of a friend of mine, who does a program for a group who deals with people with infectious diseases such as HIV and AIDS. My cousin was, at one time, one of the leaders of this particular group, and I was recruited as the program designer at that time. As time went on, leadership changed, I became less involved. I was familiar with a few of the people in this organization, and since my friend had been working with them all this time later, we became reacquainted. We were talking about the crowd in attendance; when it struck me that there were very, very, few people under the age of 45 there. Less than a handfull, you might say. I hope this doesn't continue. I think this group needs support - even though there are advances, HIV and AIDS have not gone away. This isn't an 'old folks' issue, it is still very real. The organization is called Shepherd Wellness, check them out and show support.
Updates from previous posts: The Tulips
Well, my botanical geeks, there is no good news. The tulips went from looking healthy and lush (left); to dry and brown (no they got plenty of sun and water!); to a couple of hopeful shoots (they are very small and very light green in the right pic); to nothing at all.
I will try to preserve the bulbs and try again for next year.
Can't win 'em all.
However, with the arrival of Spring,my "neighbor" has been a busy fellow.
If you look closely, you can see he's renovating, yet again. Quite an Industrious Lad!
Yes, after seeing him work, I feel inspired! Perhaps I'll knock out a wall.... er, maybe not!
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