Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Medieval Castles

http://www.ebay.com/itm/261718386145?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649Medieval castles were not glamorous. They served a function and the earliest castles that are still in tact today have been useful in modern wars. In fact, there were several castles used by the allies in WW2. 
Most medieval cities started as a fortified home on top of a hill. When the neighbors struck a deal with the lord or the lady and agreed to protect the land, they were allowed to build their own home on the castle grounds. Collectively they built walls and a moat around their structures and this became the legendary castles we know today. Feudalism was a social system that protected the land from hostile rogues that wandered the land searching for treasure. These fortified homes were so secure, the vikings chose to attack monasteries instead of fortified castles. The monasteries were less secure and contained just as much gold and treasures.
Once Europe became stable, they continued to build castles and other fortified homes because they looked so beautiful with their towers and crenelated walls. At is the time we began building castles to look like the romantic scenes we see in paintings today. The original fortified structures influenced architecture all over the world. You can find castles in almost every country in the world.

Monday, December 29, 2014

The Mysterious Dr. Byrd


http://www.ebay.com/itm/261716880109?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649



This monochromatic print is available on ebay


"What is he up to this time? The mysterious Dr. Byrd creates quite a questionable stir, staying up late in his laboratory working on secretive experiments. Is that a chart of a human or bird on the wall? Is he making humans into birds or birds into humans?"
The original painting for this print was inspired by many things: my love of vultures, my love for Sci Fi, and my love for the macabre.
I'll address each one of these muses separately...
Vultures have always fascinated me. When I was younger and a group of us were driving to Mexico for Spring Break, we came across a group of vultures picking away at a carcass in the middle of the highway. They were so bold they would not move for us. The driver had to slam on the breaks to stop from hitting them. I wanted to take a picture of them but they wouldn't stop long enough for me to get my camera out. The driver screamed at me, "No way am I stopping! Vultures are nasty!"
Vultures have been called "nature's environmentalists." Imagine how messy this world would be without vultures. The ancient Egyptians believed that the vulture brought your soul to heaven. They probably drew this conclusion by seeing a group of vultures picking away at a carcass and then flying up into the sky.
A black vulture is featured in this painting, much like the ones an Egyptian would find in the desert. I've dressed him up in doctors' clothes to reference Dr. Frankenstein, one of my all time favorite books. Mary Shelley was way ahead of her time, like many science fiction writers and I've mentioned her famous book before. (See my writing on Edvard Munch.) Dr. Byrd also represents Dr. Moreau. I love H.G. Wells and "The Island of Dr. Moreau" is my favorite of all his works.
Monsters make great horror stories. They are symbolic for the unknown and the mutant. Many monsters in stories are the cause of humans' wrong-doings which gives the monster a relationship to our own societies. I believe those are my favorite monsters although I do love the legends of Bigfoot and the Thunderbird. I would like to think there are still species this large that we have not discovered.

Friday, December 26, 2014

Silver Plated Steampunk Earrings


http://www.ebay.com/itm/121524400417?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
These earrings are available on ebay


Just a few terms that might make this pair of earings a little more interesting:

Silver plating is the process of electronically putting a thin coat of silver over another metal. Before you sum this up as a cheap attempt at jewelry, think of the process involved. In order to transfer the silver molecules to a piece of copper, electricity and cyanide are used in a tank with a sheet of pure silver for the transference. If the metal is not completely clean, the person doing the plating could DIE from toxic fumes produced by mixing these chemicals.

The process of veneer goes way back to antiquity. Precious resources such as silver and gold were hard to mine. We still have deadly mining accidents today. Imagine how treacherous those mines were in ancient times. The ancient Egyptians were constantly applying thin sheets of silver and gold to materials that weren't as precious. Even the pyramids are veneer! (Polished, white limestone over cut stone and bricks)

Our next term is called forging. (No, this isn't like writing a phony check or signing someone's name.)  Forging is done with a hammer on a hard surface - usually an anvil) When a metalsmith gets skillful enough, they can create beautiful, calligraphic lines with thick regions and thin areas that look a lot like written brushwork. Hammering one way can create a thin line out of wire and then  hammering the other way creates a bold, fat line.

Our next term is called Steampunk. This was a term created over ten years ago and the art movement is still popular which is impressive for a 21st century trend since our society goes through trends and fads faster than the earth changes seasons. You can find a lot about the concepts behind Steampunk here. (or simply do your own search) I love this retro movement because it brings back some great Victorian authors such as Jules Verne, H.G. Wells and Edgar Allen Poe. There is an emphasis on machinery parts and equipment that reflects the late industrial age and the mastery of the steam engine. We now have a new appreciation for steamboats, trains and large clocks that we might not have had before this movement. Steampunk looks at the artistic quality of these inventions and how solidly they were built.

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Louis Prang and Victorian Graphics


{{PD-US/layout | text = ''This media file is in the '''[[w:public domain|public domain]]''' in the [[United States]]. This applies to U.S. works where the copyright has expired, often because its first [[w:publication|publication]] occurred prior to January 1, 1923. See [http://copyright.cornell.edu/resources/publicdomain.cfm this page] for further explanation. | warning text = This image might not be in the public domain outside of the United States; this especially applies in the countries and areas that do not apply the [[w:rule of the shorter term|rule of the shorter term]] for US works, such as Canada, mainland China (not Hong Kong nor Macao), Germany, Mexico, and Switzerland. The creator and year of publication are essential information and must be provided. See [[w:Wikipedia:Public domain|Wikipedia:Public domain]] and [[w:Wikipedia:Copyrights|Wikipedia:Copyrights]] for more details.'' | lang = {{subst:SUBPAGEThis image is part of public domain  {{PD-US/layout | text = ''This media file is in the '''[[w:public domain|public domain]]''' in the [[United States]].   This applies to U.S. works where the copyright has expired, often because its first   [[w:publication|publication]] occurred prior to January 1, 1923.   See [http://copyright.cornell.edu/resources/publicdomain.cfm this page] for further explanation. | warning text =   This image might not be in the public domain outside of the United States; this especially   applies in the countries and areas that do not apply the [[w:rule of the shorter term|rule of the shorter term]]   for US works, such as Canada, mainland China (not Hong Kong nor Macao), Germany, Mexico, and Switzerland.   The creator and year of publication are essential information and must be provided.   See [[w:Wikipedia:Public domain|Wikipedia:Public domain]] and [[w:Wikipedia:Copyrights|Wikipedia:Copyrights]] for more details.'' | lang = {{subst:SUBPAGENAME}} }}<noinclude>{{translated tag|license}}</noinclude>

What a better way to reminisce about past Christmas' than to look at the old Victorian graphics. When we think of the original greeting cards, we think of Louis Prang, whether we realize it or not. His graphics were on some of the very first Christmas greeting cards.

This time period was the beginning of one of the most creative times for printers. Some printers would even design their lithographs while working at the press. The process of lithography revolutionized the printing industry and allowed printers to become artists again. This time with an abundance of color and means of expression. The way pencil on a stone canvas allowed them to draw and paint at the same time. They could use a full array of colors and this is something they could never do before which allowed many artists to creatively express themselves while mass producing their works for the general public.

Louis Prang was one of those who mastered the technique of color lithography. He created thousands of images that reflect the Victorian era which was at the final end of the Industrial Revolution. Society was excited about all the new technology, especially with the support of the queen in the Arts and Crafts movement. We were mass producing so many goods with beautiful labels on the containers. These labels were so beautiful the average mom would soak the containers in water and then carefully pull the labels off and place them in albums for viewing. In fact, this is how the art of scrap booking began.

Louis did very well for himself making these beautiful color labels along with other advertisements, maps and eventually Christmas cards. He established his own advertising firm with another artist partner and traveled to Germany to master the craft of color lithography.

There's another reason that Louis Prang reminds me of Christmas. Christmas reminds me of art supplies because I usually received at least one art kit during the holiday season as a child. Louis had children as well and like most father artist, he was concerned about his kids getting into his art supplies. Most art supplies (even today) are highly toxic so they could harm a small delicate toddler. Louis was aware of this and through necessity, created the first line of non-toxic art supplies for children. We still use his watercolors today in most elementary schools. Remember the old, long metal case with Prang on the cover? When you opened it up there were 8-10 watercolor cakes with a thin plastic brush on one side. The back of the cover had water wells for mixing your paints. Everything the child needed to create a masterpiece was efficiently provided in this one little case without a single harmful toxin involved.

So we can see how Christmas, Prang, Children, toys and creativity all come together on one of the most special days of the year. Now, go get your watercolors be a child again!




This image is part of public domain
{{PD-US/layout
| text = ''This media file is in the '''[[w:public domain|public domain]
]''' in the [[United States]]. 
This applies to U.S. works where the copyright has expired, often because its first 
[[w:publication|publication]] occurred prior to January 1, 1923. 
See [http://copyright.cornell.edu/resources/publicdomain.cfm this page]
 for further explanation.| warning text = 
This image might not be in the public domain outside of the United States;
this especially applies in the countries and areas that do not apply the 
[[w:rule of the shorter term|rule of the shorter term]] 
for US works, such as Canada, mainland China (not Hong Kong nor Macao),
 Germany, Mexico, and Switzerland. 
The creator and year of publication are essential information and must be provided. 
See [[w:Wikipedia:Public domain|Wikipedia:Public domain]] and 
[[w:Wikipedia:Copyrights|Wikipedia:Copyrights]] for more details.''
| lang = {{subst:SUBPAGENAME}}
}}<noinclude>{{translated tag|license}}</noinclude>

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Frozen Tree

http://www.ebay.com/itm/261703910508?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
This image is available on ebay and all the money from the sale goes to charity.

I love an icy landscape which is something I don't get to see very often in the south. I do feel sorry for all the people up north who have such treacherous winters which is why money for the sale of this piece are going to the Red Cross. 

The winters in my local are mild with only a few days a year below freezing temperatures. Icy landscapes look beautiful from a distance. Truly one of those places we would "love to visit but wouldn't want to live there." It adds to the fantasy of Christmas because like a Christmas tree, everything in the landscape catches the light and sparkles. It's natures way of using glitter.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Stairway in the Sky

this original image is available on ebay


http://www.ebay.com/itm/261545482568?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
This image reminds me of the song "Stairway to Heaven" which has been written up as one of the most famous and popular songs in music history. There's all kinds of trivia on the internet about the song since it is so famous. My favorite trivia is when the lyrics for the song appeared in a book titled, "'Scuse Me While I Kiss This Guy: And Other Misheard Lyrics by Gavin Edwards and Chris Kalb." They claim we've always heard the lyrics as "...and there's a wino down the road. I should have stole more oreos." when in fact what Led Zepplin is really singing is, "and as we wind on down the road, our shadow longer than our souls." Much deeper, right? 
I wasn't thinking of this song at all when I created the image, though. I wasn't feeling very spiritual or melancholy, either. I was simply frustrated with my students for not getting a perspective assignment correct. I created this as an example of how a stairway in the sky would look in perspective. Linear and atmospheric perspective are both used here to form the illusion of something trailing off into deep space.
In linear perspective all horizontal angles converge at a vanishing point which rests on the horizon. (that's really a traditional textbook definition) The horizon line (where the earth meets the sky) can be below the viewer's eye, even with the viewer's eye or above the viewer's eye like this image portrays.
Atmospheric or aerial perspective occurs when we stare out at the horizon and the detail of all the objects becomes blurry as if the atmosphere is absorbing the earth. (Which it is. We are viewing the curvature of the earth so we see the bottom layer of clouds obliterating the landscape)
Both of these devices, when used correctly, can give the viewer a deep sense of space.
This is important for 2-D artists because as illustrators of a concept, we must create the illusion of the third dimension. Our greatest challenge is that flat, picture plane and white canvas.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Dead Fish Swimming


http://www.ebay.com/itm/251752458687?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

This image is available on ebay:

 

 

 

 

 

My work has always been influenced by the 'old skool' graffiti art style that we see all over industrial cities today. It really brightens up the deteriorating,  abandoned buildings and gives these forgotten artifacts a new sense of purpose: a giant canvas for the modern, urban artist.

This pastel was created with the best oil pastels (Neocolor) on thick, heavy-duty paper. The black background makes the colors glow. 

The skeleton of a dead fish is another modern icon that I just love to toy around with in my art. It's just too whimsical to be gruesome. The fact that the actual skeleton of a fish still outlines the shape of the living organism when seen on the beach makes this one of the most identifiable symbols in the world.



Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Snake Mandala




The mandala (sanskrit for circle) has been a sacred image in hundreds of cultures all over the world from prehistoric times to the present. I'm partial to the native american mandalas and how the shaman would use these images to heal a person who came to them in need of a cure for anything from physical to mental to supernatural. It didn't matter what realm the disturbance came from because the shaman approached it all the same way.
The snake has always been considered a symbol of healing. Only in the Bible does the snake take on a sinister evil character. In most cultures, the snake symbolizes medicine. We get our symbol of the caduceus from the ancient Greek legend of Asclepius who inherited Apollo's healing powers and used the snake as a vehicle to heal the ancient greeks in the temples dedicated to him. An ancient Greek would fast for days before traveling to the temple of Asclepius to sleep amoung the snakes. They might have a dream or a vision of the great god who would answer and heal their prayers.
What's interesting about the symbol of the snake associated with healing throughout time is that we derive more organic medicines from snake venom than any other creature. In fact, the more poisonous the snake venom, the more powerful the medicine.

This image is available in a 13" x 13" modified print on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/261686920543?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

I actually add more pencil lines to the work after it is printed to sharpen the details.