I TURN HOME
I TURN HOME...
“Is that the wind?” I asked from the north end of Williston State College’s drawing room. “Yes” Caitlin said as she modeled in repose for the monthly figure-drawing session as it beat the metal-on-metal Morton building housing the university’s art department. “It’s so loud” I said, “is it raining too?” “No” she said, “if it were raining it’d be louder.” We continued capturing Caitlin’s long n’ lithe profile in a semi-circle as wind howled against the tin can. “I hope my new roof isn’t this loud” Daphne said from the cresent-shaped easels. “Is it metal?” Kathy asked. “Yes” Daphne said. We all grimaced silently as the Short-Grass-Prairie wind ripped across us. “Lino calls it ‘The Marching Army’” Caitlin said. “No kiddin’” I said, “sounds like Genghis Khan crossing Eurasia.”
We sketched in silence through poses as the wind clanked our rectangle-dwelling into submission. The wind stopped and it got silent with the sound being our four pencils scribbling. After a moment of reprieve Caitlin said “It makes me nervous when it gets like this...” “Right” I said, “calm before the storm.” But the rain never came remaining motionless. We doodled in silence until breaking at twilight with sunrays penetrating the Step-Plains east of Williston in a kaleidoscope of gradation.
I Chevy’d home to the laboratory past the giant, docile American flag looming above Williams County Courthouse with a Badlands rendition of Dalton Trumbo’s verse from Kubrick’s “Spartacus” on my lips —
“When the blazing sun hangs low in the western sky. When the ‘squitos buzz in the Missouri no more, when Lake Sakakawea sleeps like a maiden at rest, when twilight touches the shape of the wandering earth and the wind dies away in The Bakken...I turn home. Through blue shadows and purple woods, I turn home. To Mamma Mia! who bore me and step-daddy who taught me. Long ago, long ago, long ago. Alone am I now lost and alone in a far, wide, wandering world. Yet still, when the sun hangs low, when Bird-Woman sleeps, when twilight touches the earth and the wind dies away...I turn home.”
TWIN FALLS FAREWELL
Semi n’ pumpjack tattoo bartop brainstorm, ballpoint-pen on Buffalo Wild Wings napkin.
“You’re an artist” Clint said pointing to me, “and you’re a tattooist” saying to James. “Sketch a semi in silhouette like this...” as he outlined a big-rig profile, “and I’ll have James ink it on my thigh.” “Alright” I said sipping a lemon seltzer with too much rocks. “Maybe throw in an oil-well...” he said. I humored him given his decade long on-n-off relationship with The Bakken before trekkin’ a stone’s throw from home in Pocatello...
Monkeying the Mouse
READING, WRITING and SKETCHING from Robert Greene's "Mastery," while transcribing Richard Williams' "Animation Survival Guide," mimicking Mickey from a 'Dole' celery wrapper commemorating ninety years of redefining global entertainment and aping a logo from a skater brand, Volcom — a derivative of Vulcan — the crippled Roman smith god who captured passionate War (Ares) and adulterous Beauty (Aphrodite) in an unbreakable net personifying the role of art in visual metaphor.
I finished Greene's "Mastery" enjoying the closing statement on following that "still, small voice that says, 'This might work, I'll try it'" according to Diane Mariechild. Here's my paraphrase:
Not striving for mastery leads to feelings of powerlessness and disappointment. This leads to enslavement of the FALSE SELF — accumulation of voices of conformity — parents, friends, society and ego to adhere to seductive values. EGO protects from unflattering truth and speaks lucidly, "Mastery is for geniuses, the lucky. It's immoral and ugly only for ambitious and egotistical. Accept your lot. It's too hard, why bother with pain?" EGO LIES — mastery isn't genetic or luck but following natural inclination of deep desire WITHIN. Not motivated by egotism or sheer ambition for power; emotions blocking mastery. Instead it's a deep expression of something natural marking you at birth as unique. Follow this INCLINATION to climb to mastery and contribute to society, enriching it with discovery and insight while making the most of the diversity of nature.
The height of SELFISHNESS is consumption of what others create and retreating in a shell of limited goals and immediate pleasure. Alienating from inclination leads to long-term pain and disappointment for trashing uniqueness expressed in bitterness and envy as the taproot of depression.
TRUE SELF doesn't speak in banality. It comes from DEEP WITHIN — from the substrata of psyche, embedded physically WITHIN YOU — emanating uniqueness through sensation and powerful desire that seems to transcend you. It's unknowable why you're drawn to certain activities or forms of knowledge. It can't be verbally explained — it's simply a fact of nature. Follow this voice to realize your potential satisfying your deep longing to create and express your uniqueness. It exists for a purpose — it's your LIFE'S TASK to bring it to FRUITION.
— Robert Greene (paraphrase)
Mack n' Mom — Cyberpunk'd
I dug up thumbnail sketches of mom and I from years back with quotes from the Matrix; obviously, I had recently seen it when these original sketches were done. I compiled a comic based on the doodles with mom always practical and I…well, they don’t call ‘em a spacy artist for nothin’.
Copy of Tinteretto's Emperor Vitellius
It’s always good to copy master works to see how artists past worked out problems to save face.
Christmas Story
Flyers and stage design concept art for Entertainment Inc’s. “A Christmas Story” on stage in Williston, North Dakota.
Entertainment INC! — audtion form redesign
I tried out for the local play in Williston, ND — A Christmas Carol. After the audition, Kyla, the producer, asked, “Will you please redesign our audition form.” Here is the result…
Chasing Gage's Ghost
Merrell Gage (1891 — 1981) Born and raised Topeka, Kansas sculptor who headed the sculpture department at the University of Southern California for three decades has six pieces in Topeka I've sketched to better understand his process— master copies. Gage, the master and I the copier.
Mariachi Luna Flyer
Photos were stolen on an iPhone while the mariachi band waited on the steps of Our Lady of Guadalupe for the professional group shot taken by Richard Wiley. The off guard portraits were superimposed on cartoon bodies bursting out of a reluctant piñata. Muchas gracias para la commission.
Disney Animator -- Marc Davis
I stumbled upon an art book on Marc Davis while perusing Amazon and fell in love with his work. Marc is one of the fabled, "Nine Old Men" who were Walt DIsney's team of core animators during their Golden Age run from Snow White through 101 Dalmatians. Marc was a brilliant artisan as well as an animator who created striking character designs from Maleficent to Cruela de Vil. Davis is certainly an animator to study not only because of his sound mechanics, but he single-handedly helped define the burgeoning look of the early Disney full-length feature era.
Dragon's Lair Sketch
I recently read famed animator, "Don Bluth's Art of Animation Drawing" and absolutely love the book. This sketch is inspired by his 'turn-around' sketches, or character drawings from multiple angles. I copied his work to better understand the illustrated figure from multiple angles.
"Not a day without a line. By writing, reading, working and practicing daily, perseverance will lead me to a good end.” – Vincent Van Gogh