a bird in my hair is worth two in your bush

     This was painted on the reverse side of this.  If I keep this up I'll have to make a bunch of double sided rotating frames to display a lot of my original works.

     Meh.  Still fighting with this laziness so I'll stop here.  Thanks for taking a look.

branch face and laziness

     Painted during the same session as this guy, I was originally going to post this back in October but I ended up with so many other works that month that this one got passed over again and again.  Anyway, better late than never.  Plus I am SO FUCKING LAZY today and this was already scanned and ready to go.  Enjoy and thanks for stopping by.

a time to ponder

(you cleeka nao)
     After a full day of murder by dismemberment even the strongest of Fuzzy Skeletonians needs a few minutes to lounge and relax and reflect fondly on the bloody gurgling screams of his victims.  After all, if you don't take time to ponder and explore what you do then how can you hope to improve?  

puke face

(ADULT CONTENT BELOW)


     This started with a basic monochrome print from an image of my own face.  I then proceeded with the marker and paints and ended up with something I wasn't satisfied with at all.  I then swallowed a bunch of grey paint, gagged myself and threw up all over it.  Well, that's what I felt like doing anyway.  Not sure if the final application of grey slurry enhanced this or just underscored my strong dislike of working from a prefabricated image base.

insane brother twins

     Thought I'd have myself a Monday-Palooza-Ganza and post two images at once!  Aw yeah!  This crazy train is flyin' right off the fuckin' rails, man!!  I'm outta control!!!

     Seriously though, this is vaguely special in the regard that you wouldn't normally see these two images side by side, as they are each painted on the opposite side of the same piece of watercolor paper.  However, through the magic of technology, here they are; a couple of dirty, bloody, twisted brother skulls in a kind of metaphysical emotional turmoil and insanity.  They share the same plane of existence, the same space, no doubt some of the same pigments, yet they've never seen each other face to face.  A pair of conjoined twins who are strangers to each other.

allies amidst the bleakness

     The background on this one turned out much more pale and bleak than most of my other Red Eye paintings.  Bleakness seems to be in the air lately.  It's almost as if everyone unconsciously believes the world will end this year.  I hope it does.  Humanity could use a big death and rebirth right about now.  A casting away of old habits, a blowing off of steam and a time to relax and get reacquainted with our true selves.  Just one big time-out to rest and reflect.

     Anyway, musings on humanity aside, the more I look at this painting the more I think it's a self-portrait.  I identify and sympathize with this guy's general state of emotion.  I can't put my finger on it exactly, but I'm right there with him.  I'm his comrade and ally.

feathery anger

     This guy really stopped me today when I was trying to figure out what I was going to post next.  His eyes ended up being pretty dramatic.  That combined with the overall fuzzy/feathery look seemed like a bit of a departure from what I normally end up creating with a black marker.  In fact, this almost crossed the line from fuzzy to feathery skeletonian.  I think that was mainly due to the fact I was using my india ink brush pens.  They have much less friction with the paper than a Sharpie and I end up with softer lines.

     In other news, I found myself getting into a shouting match with a co-worker last week.  I won't bore you with the details but I guess I should have seen something like this coming.  The source material for my new header image was created before the incident and should've served as a warning to me to watch my temper but I figured it was all a part of my artistic expression of late and I thought nothing of it.  What a way to start the year : P  Oh well, live and learn I guess.

emergence

     This is actually the flip side of stalactite rain.  I've often been using both sides of my paper lately to make the most of my materials and maximizing opportunities to practice technique.  Anyway, this guy seems to be emerging from some sort of bloody or fiery vortex.  The original is noticeably darker and bloodier, it makes me wonder where I'm going with my artwork.  Do I want to do it for art's sake?  Do I want to do it for myself only?  Do I want to make money at this?  It's quite an issue to wrestle with.  Hopefully, I'll emerge from this murk with some clarity soon.

stalactite rain

(ADULT CONTENT BELOW)


     Here's another shadow of the previously mentioned cave skellie idea.  This image also spawned a further development in the story:

     He's spotted me and now his confusion seems lessened by having someone to focus on.  His erection wanes a little and now starts to drip blood as he advances directly towards me.  I continue to retreat, weaving in and out of the stalactites, stalagmites and columns, attempting to outmaneuver him.  His arms are outstretched wide as he continues pursuit, there's no way around.  Behind him I can see daylight diminishing as he forces me deeper and deeper into the cave.

     I'm even more curious now to see where this will all lead.  I'll keep you posted as best I can.

faces in the background

     This is one of the reasons I love creating random backgrounds first.  Sometimes the faces just appear out of nowhere.  All I did was follow the red spots with the black and it all came into focus.  Fun stuff : )

sharing the fear

(ADULT CONTENT BELOW)

(klik)
     Here's something I've been meaning to show you all for a while and one of the reasons I am so into painting right now.  Just look at that dark, murky blackness!  The first time I laid down some thick wet lines like this it really got to me but now it's something that I've grown to love.  There's just something so mesmerizing about the light reflecting off the wet paint and the fact that all it would take would be just one false move, one sneeze, one over-excited cat jumping up on my table and all of this beautiful liquid fragility would be completely ruined.  Of course, all of this gets lost once it dries and that's why I finally decided to take a quick snap shot for the sharing and stuff...

     No, I'm not just stalling because I'm afraid of starting on the head and potentially fucking this whole thing up, so don't even go there!  I'm sharing with you the beauty of creation and you should be grateful for this glimpse into my process...  You know what?  I don't CARE what you think!  I"M SHARING DAMMIT!!1!

blood bursting crazy

(ADULT CONTENT BELOW)

(clicka)
     I've been feeling stressed lately.  Stressed and a little crazy.  October was an amazing month.  Not only did I have three day weekends all month, not only did I complete my Octoberween-Palooza-Ganza without a hitch but I also got inspired to paint a buncha shit.  I got spoiled during October.  Got a taste of what it's like to have plenty of free time and energy for my artistic pursuits.  Furthermore, my brain has switched over.  I'm an artist now, not a fucking factory worker.  I'm getting really pissed off at having to work, having to put up with all those assholes.  The only thing that keeps me on a fairly even keel is the fact that suffering makes for good artistic content.  Okay, okay, enough venting.

     Not sure what this was supposed to be.  A flexing arm with a bulging bicep or some disembodied genitalia.  Either way, it's bursting and releasing pressure, which is nice to see.  The crazy has got to get out one way or another.

retreating into the darkness

(ADULT CONTENT BELOW)

     This is just a shadow of the vivid image I can imagine of what will hopefully become a full-fledged fuzzy skeletonian.  I can see him in my mind, a fascinating waking nightmare:

     I'm backed into a cave and he's shambling towards me, a wild look in his eyes, blood spraying and dripping from his mouth as he shakes his head in a frenzy of uncontrollable rage, lust and a kind of disoriented confusion.  He's fully erect and ejaculating freely as he approaches.  The fuzzy, furry connective tissue between his bones is matted and filthy with an obscene offal of blood, semen, grease and who knows what else.  It's day time and behind him I can see golden sunlight pouring into the mouth of the cave but I'm retreating into the darkness behind me, trying to be inconspicuous, banking on his confusion to give me an opportunity to slip by undetected and make my escape.

     That's as far as this scene has progressed in my mind.  I hope to be able to post updates about this developing morbid fantasy as it hopefully continues to evolve into what I hope will be an extremely vivid horrific painting.

red eye and the tao of painting

     This one is a personal favorite.  It is one of the first Red Eye pieces I completed last month (although his red eyes are a tad muted in color compared to most).  The little bird-like thing up on the branch was a total accident.  I guess it's more accurate to say that it wasn't consciously planned.  I often find (despite my deliberate lack of planning) I already know what I'm going to create even before I know it, if that makes any sense.  I mean, seriously, his eyes even seem to look upward, curiously, at the bird but I certainly don't recall any clear thoughts about making that happen while I was painting.  I guess it's true what they say, "I do not do it.  It is not done.  It merely happens through me."

wood burn

     Been wanting to post this one for a while.  Kinda has a wood burn look to it.  Also...

     FUZZY GIVEAWAY 2011 UPDATE!  In case all ya'lls were wonderin', I mailed off yo' artworks Tuesday afternoon so they should be arriving any day now : D

red eye and the click

     I think I'm starting to click a little.  When I'm first learning most things I'm rather slow and plodding as I get acclimated to the task at hand.  At some point I get to where things seem to "click" and suddenly methods make sense, ideas crystallize and I pick up speed.  Maybe it was just the long weekends in October but I've definitely become much more comfortable with painting even if it can't be accurately described as a full-on "click."

     What you see above is what I'm happy to announce as a new style of mine called Red Eye.  Not that this is the first one I've shown you.  I sneaked one in during my OPG, if you recall.  I did a bunch of these this past month and I'm still quite happy to keep on doing them.  I'm pretty hooked at the moment : )  Really enjoying the mostly unconnected brush strokes.

march nightmare

     Well, I tried to save the best for last.  This post at least has the highest number of artworks I've ever included in one post before.  Anyway, here goes:

     Back in March the wife and I had a very good Saturday.  We slept late, went out to eat, futzed around town, running a couple of errands, generally having a good time.  It all culminated that evening with us having a blast at dinner (appetizer dinner, one of our favorites!), consuming more than the usual amount of wine and watching one of our favorite movies, Evil Dead II.  We enjoyed it almost as much as the first time we saw it.  However, I often found myself (as I realized later) taking it a little too seriously at times, saying things like, "You know, someone actually going through something this extremely supernatural and horrific might APPEAR to be acting in an absurd or comical way.  From my experience, the OUTWARD appearance of your actions is often out of step with what you're actually feeling INSIDE."  In my mind I thought I was just having fun with my conjecture and my 'What if this was REALLY HAPPENING!?' thought exercise.  What I didn't know at the time is that I was planting the seeds of fear in my own impressionable, wine-marinated brain.  Not surprisingly, that night I had a nightmare.

     It opens in some strange house I've never been in before (as a lot of my unpleasant dreams do).  There's a zombie somewhere and it's all the fault of this douchebag son of some rich guy (apparently this is their house).  Not sure why I know all of this, it's just the given facts of the dream.

      Anyway, next thing I know I've opened a closet door somewhere in the house and find myself standing face to face with the aforementioned zombie.  He's not all, "Bleearrgh! Graaaarr! Brains!" or extremely gross looking or anything.  He's a middle-aged, balding man in a suit.  He has a blank stare and is filthy (as zombies are wont to be) but the expressionless face looking back at me from the shadows of the freshly opened closet is particularly unsettling.

       Jump cut to a side view of the the closet.  From the top shelf of the closet, the zombie suddenly shoots out head first, arms at his sides, entire body parallel to the floor and stops at the waist.  The room is lit with a sickly, bright (yet also dark) orange and the top half of the zombie is sticking out of the closet, stiff as a board like the top drawer of a dresser.  Suddenly, his arms shoot out, doubling his visible length.



     Next thing I see (not that I actually recall seeing it, it's more like my mind TOLD ME I was seeing it) is the zombie and the douchebag son wrestling on the floor in front of the closet.  The room is still lit in that sickly orange as they struggle, the zombie now in full, aggressive "Romero" mode.

     The scene changes again and I'm pretty sure I have the son safely behind me and the zombie is prone on the floor in front of me.  I'm jabbing at him with a transfer shovel trying to decapitate him.  We now seem to be in the living room.  Beyond the zombie I can see furniture, potted plants, windows and glass doors that lead outside to a back yard or patio.  It's night time and the room is now a dark, moonlit environment and I can see streaks of blood running down the zombie's face.  I jab again with the shovel, a little off target, and hit him in the face.  I don't see it but I clearly feel a splash of warm liquid hit my left cheek and eye.

     Everything becomes a little unclear at this point, although in the next moment I somehow know that I've killed the zombie.  Then I look up at the ceiling and I see the shadow of a thin, unclothed, headless figure.  It's arms are flailing wildly and shooting from it's neck are what seems to be both short lengths of hair and what looks like small moths but they have no bodies, just a pair of fluttering wings, much like heart-shaped pieces of paper folded down the middle...

 ...I'm terrified and I realize the ghost of the zombie is casting this shadow!  I panic and swing the shovel wildly at where I think the ghost is.  The force of the swing in my arm and shoulder as I hit nothing is the last thing I feel.

***



     I woke up, hungover and so dry my eyelids were almost making scratching noises every time I blinked.  I was still pretty creeped out and, even though I keep a pretty much nocturnal schedule and there was plenty of daylight in the house, I was still seriously keeping a wary eye on the hallway for any shambling zombies that might be coming my way.  After some liquids, pain killers and a light snack I was finally able to get back to sleep.

Lastly, here's another incarnation of the nightmare zombie:

     Well, I hope you enjoyed this.  I have to say this was the most vivid nightmare I've had in years.  My only regret is that I wish I could've done more artistic justice to it.  That's not to say I didn't produce a few decent images but I never really felt I completely captured the true vividness of the experience.  Oh well, I guess room for improvement is a good thing.

     Whew!  Has this been a crazy month or what?  I'm glad I took all the time off from work.  Three-day weekends all month has been SA-WEEET!  It's gotten me rested up and ye olde creative juices flowing as well!  I look forward to the holidays and you should too, as I have a stockpile of new artworks just itching to be posted : D  Thanks for stopping by, you crazy kids are the best!

little brother

     This is thick wet lines little brother.   He's not quite as epic but he has his appeal I think.  Eh, not much else to say, I'm a little tired.  It's been a long week but I've gots me a three day weekend so I'll be rested up here in a day or two.  Peace.

red mouth

     This past weekend I had myself the previously mentioned Paint-a-Palooza and, while I said I was going to sit on those paintings for a while and revisit them at a later date, I just couldn't keep this one to myself!  This one (like most of the rest) started out as a random background I made with six sheets of paper and various paint slatherings all sandwiched together.  After they all dried I had the fun of deciding what to do with all the backgrounds.  I think this one came together pretty well, if I do say so myself.  Man, am I lovin' the red and black lately : D

branchy skully

     As promised, here's more of my recent brush work featuring more open, unconnected lines.  I'm really liking this style of painting.  It's quick, fun and I don't get bogged down with details.  Also, it's a good way to practice technique.

     Last night I had myself a little Painta-Palooza and knocked out about six of these.  Those added to what I've already done this month add up to more than I can keep track of which is a very very good thing!  I love being able to just knock a bunch of shit out and come back to it all later to reflect and observe.  Hopefully that will mean some good blog posts in the not too distant future.