Cycladic Secrets in Translation

I made a series of prints at Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop, over the course of the last year, as studies for larger paintings. They show how capricious memory is since I was at the Metropolitan Museum and looked at the Cycladic figures that inspired them. In my mind they were direct descendants. As artists we do have quite a transformative  imagination.

All Hallow's Eve in Art School

A Humble Performance

My son Nemo recently sent me a link to a site where I can see him drawing in real time. Is there a future of art where the collector can be a participatory voyeur? SMSing as the piece emerges? Performance art unintention? It feels humbling to see his courage in letting others in to the process.

Watch live streaming video from neemoh at livestream.com

Contest!!!! How am I doing?

I have been trying to improve my drawing, so I've decided to hold a contest. I am looking for a caption for any of these drawings that has humor and references the drawing in some way. The prize, which has no value, is an original drawing by me, chosen by me, and sent to the winner via the USPS (that includes overseas airmail since this blog is now read in over 50 countries). I will select a judge or two (not me) who will make the final decision. Winning entry will be published right here in the blog. Closing date is August 3, 2009, no late entries will be accepted. Send your entries (and be sure to say which drawing you are referencing) via the comments section of the blog. If you win I will ask for your snail mail address. Do your best or as they say in Japan, あなたのベストを尽くす!

The Tree is in the Leaves

One of the things that happened when I was in Louisiana, was that I took a "Cajun" French immersion class. I had a wonderful time learning forestry, crawfishing, cooking couche-couche and making bousillage--a hybrid mud mixture of mud, clay and Spanish moss used as a plaster to fill the spaces between structural framing. Seen in French architecture of Louisiana of the early 1700s. Wood bars (barreaux), set between the posts, helps to hold the mud mixture in place. The bousillage wall when dry was plastered and then painted. The bousillage also formed a very effective insulation especially against the heat.

The class ended up doing some original skits based on the adventures of Boudreaux and Thibodeaux--a classic Cajun duo akin to Laurel and Hardy. We also performed some traditional songs including "L'arbre est dans ses feuilles." I ended up sketching it for translation assistance. It is a list song, with lines like, "on the branch there is hole, nest in the hole, egg in the nest, bird in the egg, heart in the bird and so on ending with love. I loved drawing the birds I saw out on the swamps. C'est un bon souvenir, hein?