from the jamboree

the oh-so-talented Ms. Heather Herrera painted the one on the right.

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Michigan Roots Jamboree

my solo effort. accompanied by the Sweeeeeeet musical stylings of the ragbirds.

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Art that spinz is art that winz

As you may or may not be aware, sweet reader, I have been playing bicycle polo since the beginning of 2010.  I have a nice, solid road bike with a lugged steel frame and a price tag that makes it bearable to see her pummeled and battered two times a week.  Here's a cool site with some general info about the sport.

The frame is pretty-much bomb-proof and the components have mostly been stripped away, leaving just the bare essentials.  However, The wheels are where I've been having most of my problems.  Collisions and polo balls into (and sometimes through) my spokes have necessitated the acquisition of numerous cheap steel and alloy wheel-sets.  So!  When I came across a sheet of corrugated plastic...I knew just the purpose to put it towards: wheel covers!  A few guys that play bike polo in Ann Arbor have been rolling with them and I've always imagined the artistic possibilities that might be waiting to be explored.  So, I cut the sheet to size (I have 27" wheels on my polo bike) which happened to yield four-24" discs.  I did the first 3 in sharpies of various colors and, for the fourth, I decided to try some spray paint. I'd never used spray paint for any sort of artistic purpose, but I really like the effect I was able to get.  Here are the two I have on my front wheel:

R

L

The other two are still being considered.  I don't think I want them on my back wheel...so here's an idea!

!!!WHEEL COVER GIVEAWAY!!! If you "regularly" play bike polo in Ann Arbor, came to my blog, and managed to read this far, post a comment for this entry!  Whoever posts first gets both covers!  Howzzat?!  

Here they are!  

1

2

Good luck!  

!Live painting(s) at the Ypsi Roots Jamboree!

So!  Exciting fallout from the Skatepark Art Show: I was contacted by an organizer of the Michigan Roots Jamboree and asked if I'd be interested in doing a LIVE painting(!)  The Jamboree is a bluegrass/folk festival in Riverside Park in Ypsilanti, MI that I tried to attend last year.  Y'see, I lost the bike trail at some point and got waaaaaay lost before finally giving-up and returning to Ann Arbor, crestfallen and mildly annoyed with myself.

But this year will be different.  I will be doing two live paintings on Saturday, August 7th.  I'll be on Stage 2 at 7:40pm and again at 9:40pm.  The early one will be a collaboration with a friend from the old neighborhood: Cristina Mezuk.  The later painting will be done next to a friend from the new neighborhood: Heather Herrera.  We'll have ~1 hour to work on a 4'x4' piece of prepared board and then the finished pieces will be auctioned-off.  Artist(s) get 80% of the sale! 

I'm pretty excited, more than a little nervous, and my head is running through all sorts of ideas.  Check it out!  I hope you can make it to Ypsi for, what I think will be, a very good time.

!!!Michigan Roots Jamboree 2010!!!

Tsukuba Ham

This is a re-imagining of an earlier work entitled "Billy George Jr."  I decided to go for a simpler design on the marbling of the meat.  I'm not sure I like the placement of the meat on the table (looks a little flat) or the light reflecting on the pooling blood (looks a little bad).  Also, the goblet/chalice might be a little over-done.  Any thoughts?

Thermidor

has been a very busy month.  Happily, I was able to get a couple paintings finished.  They had actually been existing in some sort of "work-in-progress" limbo for months now and I finished them both in two days.  Not a bad week, eh?

Here's the first; it's another Beksinski-inspired portrait.  Watercolor and pen on Arches.   This guy got lots of positive feedback after I put him up on facebook.

Aaaaaand some detail:

Those who can't do...

I am still very much in love with the idea of some day becoming an art teacher.  I really enjoy watching other people create art and I had a blast as an English teacher for almost 2 years in Japan.  For some reason, I more-often feel a deeper connection when I am looking at another's artwork than when someone else is looking at mine.  I don't rightly know why that is.  Maybe it's because I am afforded so few opportunities to see other people's creations.  Most of the people in my life don't consider themselves artists(ic) and, I think for most, the idea of putting pencil or brush to paper can be intimidating in-and-of itself, nevermind having to show the final product to someone else.  But on the rare occasion that I do get to see something my friends or family members have created, I am always inspired and deeply grateful for the opportunity to share in their vision.

Here I am with an ad hoc pupil during an impromptu lemon-juice painting session at Baker Co-op.  

Learning is fun!  Teaching is fun!