Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Sailing
I don't have any interest in the new Star Wars movie, I haven't seen any of the recent three, and I'm not a particular fan of the first three but I do get nostalgic about making a racket in my teenage band.
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Bear
I'm not the biggest taxidermy guy. I only have one stuffed lizard I got as a gift years ago but when two bear skin rugs appeared at a thrift store I had to have one. Half price was the following day so I held out, one had sold for regular price but the one I wanted was still there ( tho I have to admit I think the lady at the counter tucked it aside for me when she found out I wanted it since it was no longer displayed prominently bless her). I did something I've never done before and lined up before the opening of the store. I barely squeezed buy this big bearded eastern European guy who picked a bad spot at the counter on the wrong end.. he was pissed and started yelling at the cashier and me. Sorry buddy one of us slavs had to get it. Anyway she's a charming gal and also a valuable art tool for sketching a bears head and night time escapades. I don't condone hunting for sport in any way and would never buy something like this new. This was donated so someone had to buy it and the store helps the community.
Monday, December 07, 2015
scribbles
watching a couple of favorite Christmas movies on the weekend. THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER and HOLIDAY AFFAIR. Also came across a first season of Buffy for a couple of bucks so I'm finally going to watch that show.
Sunday, December 06, 2015
Friday, December 04, 2015
Pruett Carter
I'm a huge fan of early American illustration and most original art of the artists are way out of my budget range. I would love to own more original art but I'm pretty happy with a few of my pieces. One of my favorites is this Pruett Carter oil from a 1950's LADIES HOME JOURNAL (a copy of which I still have to track down). Carter was inducted into the Illustrators Hall of Fame in 1988. Like many commercial illustrators his technique changed with the times from the more bravura, moody brushwork of the twenties/thirties to the more graphic playful mid fifties work. My piece falls a bit in between, not as graphic as later pieces but still simpler and brighter then the earlier pieces. What is the same is brilliant draughtsmanship, composition and handling of paint all on show in the painting I have. Heck I even love the chickens, and some of the looser light patches really come together if you stand at a distance. Having gone to shows and galleries to see works likes this its pretty cool having one around all the time. I love everything about this painting even the original frame and the notes to the magazine on the back. Carter was a real master and taught at Chouinard in California and his students include favorite Disney designers like Mary Blair. Sadly they're is a dark and tragic side to the story (yup:-), no one knows exactly why but on November 30 1955 Carter shot his son and wife before taking his own life. Its interesting to me that he painted images and for magazines of the perfect or idealized way of American life in the 50's yet he was clearly troubled inside. Its a sad end to magnificent body of work.
Tuesday, December 01, 2015
Wonder
Woman history that I found riveting. Leads you through the fascinating (and yes, secret) life of the creator and his ties to the feminist movement of the early 1900's. Marston lived with two women his life, Elizabeth Holloway and Olive Byrne and had kids with them both (tho Olive's children were never told he was the fatther). Elizabeth and Olive remained together till their death many years later. Olive was a niece Margaret Sanger, champion of woman's rights and birth control that eventually morphed into Planned Parenthood. The artist of the Marston stories, Peter, was a cartoonist on early feminist papers like The Woman Rebel from around 1916. There's also lots about why Wonder Woman is always tied up during the Marston years and its not just kinky. Fascinating stuff.
I've always had this early 70's comp of 40's stories and reprints in comics, I feel like picking up
some other archive editions now.
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Friday, November 27, 2015
Birthday
My niece's birthday is this weekend which means, apart from presents, doing a card for her and a nice family dinner. She always does great cards for me and this year's was a favorite (tho she did vainly choose a younger picture of herself). Her mum is indeed a dark overlord and a fairly accurate description of me taking her too school.
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Sound
I really like these two books a lot. Especially NO MORE HEROES which is a real nice reference// biography/discography volume. I'm sometimes surprised by omissions tho. In NO MORE HEROES there is no entry for the Outsiders, a really great band that put out what is I believe the first UK punk band self released lp, Calling On Youth. Both that and second record a year later are great albums and not just obscure singles (both of which I only have vinyl reissues of sadly), What happened? Its more curious since the singer /songwriter of the band went on to form a great post punk band called The Sound mining territory between Joy Division and Echo and the Bunnymen uniquely with amazing songwriting and guitar playing by leader Adrian Borland. Critically acclaimed but not commercially which would be ok except The Sound are not even mentioned in RIP IT UP which I find pretty bizzare since they're better then a lot of the bands that get mentioned here. I have a small connection with Borland in that my brother in law formed a band with him and worked with him for about a year and half post Sound before breaking up so I've heard stories of how brilliant and difficult he could be to work with.
from the first Lp released '79
Monday, November 23, 2015
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Bunny and Baby
Incredible score from the thrift store last week. Not only do I love the painting but the frame is incredible.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Friday, November 13, 2015
Shadows
Back from a road trip to the Finger Lakes, an area I really love. I'll post photos and sketches soon but
here is some nice finds from the trip. The Wintertime book has beautiful art by Tom Oreb who did lots of amazing animation design work in the 50's and 60's. The Yogi is illustrated by the great Mel Crawford. I came across the Dark Shadows game in Rochester and they wanted 75 dollars for it so that was not going to happen but then I found it Ithaca for 15 which was perfect. Complete with a fairly tattered paper board game but still all there and such great illustrations.
Thursday, October 08, 2015
Tuesday, October 06, 2015
Haunted Horror
Steve Banes, editor, posted this great pic of Danzig with a copy of HAUNTED HORROR number 18. I designed one of the 3 horror hosts, Clizia who is in this issue so its cool to see.
Saturday, October 03, 2015
Friday, October 02, 2015
Battle
The age old rivalry.. as a youngster I would have firmly thrown my lot in with the chipmunk gang but I've mellowed over the years and can appreciate the value of Disco Rubber Duckie. And a good gatefold sleeve. I'm not sure what the first punk gatefold would have been. If I had to guess it would have been Sham 69's Thats Life which I'm not that big fan of or The Ramones It's Alive, which is one of my favorite live albums ever.
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