Great Lakes Myth Society 12/11 concert at Alma, MI

Here are some poster options for the upcoming Great Lakes Myth Society concert being thrown on December 11 at 8pm in Alma, MI. Their song "Big Jim Hawkins" is such a grand homage to the Mitten, that I couldn't stop designing. Love the music!

Let me know what you think...

Music - Double Bass

for |illo friday|

Another take on music.

Dali music: Music so soft you could bend it over a german bow.

Spools

This is for all my sewing needlers and seamstresses out there. I would get this as a tattoo, but where would my Sideshow Bob in front of a Union Jack go?

Threads unite!

Peanut Butter Crackers

For Illustration Friday's theme of 'cocoon.' Each little peanut butter cracker is cocooned in its plastic cellophane wrapping.

music

for | illustration friday |

contra bass, upright bass, stand-up bass; all is music to my ears and is one of the deepest, sonorous instruments to evoke such a robust audio flavor. deep deep strums the broom-broom-broom thump, throng and rumble

Edgar Meyer, Chris Whitley, Marcus Miller, Ron Carter, Victor Wooten, Chunyang Wang are best bets

unbalanced detail shots

just some closer looks at interesting line work

unbalanced

for |illustration friday|

you have no idea how hard it was to get this still life. very Jenga-like.

Unbalance (B&W)

for |illustration friday|

black and white version of "unbalanced."

macro micro V

"macro micro V" and "macro micro V" detail

charcoal and conte, | 7"x13.5" |

Working better now that I've decided to multiple stump islands. They might be floating to some, but that technicality is still being worked on. Many questions surrounding whether to add visual depth or implied depth. Good session though. Quicker on the upper portions' form layout and editing. Better grip on the positive space in the threadlike root hairs located on the underneath section.

Influences in no particular order: waking up late; John Williams' score to Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back; Stefan Sagmeister's website buttons; Swiss graphic design; Jessica Scott Felder; Nietzche's "abyss" metaphor; and Mr. Frederick Kruegar.

macro micro IV

"macro micro IV" and "macro micro IV" detail

charcoal and conte, | 9"x14" |

Starting to figure out how best to lay down detail in the root system. Curious enough to realize that the stump, the slice of the tree, is merely a baton with the stem as the middle and the branches, both above ground and below, resemble one another for the sake of the tree organism's balance. However, I've noticed that some stumps from the shrub or bush variety produce a Koosh ball effect.

Using the eraser and white conte to emphasize certain areas of information when making the marks is as especially fun to inform around the deeper areas to enunciate depth. Changed up the way to contain the stump island mass by experimenting with definite or suggested form lines. You can see it in the detail.

Influences in no particular order: earl grey tea (yuck); Vivaldi, "Night on Bald Mountain", Stephen Gammell, and Jessica Scott Felder, and a mitten on a 7 month old oak sapling.

Inserter Machine

and now for something completely different...

One of the joys of tedious and meaningless work, not production, I mean "work" in every numbing sense of the word "work," is blatantly recording for two or five hours the same images. Same machines, same stack of papers, same everything when you are an inserter for a printing company. This image was drawn on one of my breaks and definitely, absolutely, and completely off of memory.

Kevin Smith said it best in An Night with Kevin Smith 2; [paraphrased]

I remember when I'd get Mewes and be like, "Hey, come make papers with me and then we'll go do something. And for any of you who've ever made papers... (someone in the audience shouts out "That job sucks!") See? That person gets it. Worst job ever. But money's money at the time."

The machines in whole are pretty cool to stare at and glaze over. Sometimes you just zone out and think of things that might happen. Explosions, paper catching on fire, the building burning down, an arm getting caught in the presses, the strapper binds someone's leg to their face. Although if it gets really quiet, the constant thump-thump and whirring makes some sort of dysfunctional industrial symphony.

macro micro III

"macro micro III" and "macro micro III" detail

charcoal and conte, | 4"x13.5" |

Advantages lay in this stump, which I had to track down about 45 minutes before I could sketch. Fuzzy memory for where it was. More calligraphic since I got a late start and the temperatures fell. Hand froze down to just slashing at the paper at one point. Good note to keep working at early afternoon when the shadows are going West-East.

Paraphrased part of my AS:

"This examination has allowed for the opportunity for the work to broaden my boundaries of how subject affects form and vise versa. Each level of design, whether it is the components of singular organisms, or the compound as a whole demands both a critical ability to capture detail while projecting a readable composition. The simple and sometimes unnoticeable tree stump is a start concept for my drawings. The challenge of using the dual media of charcoal and ink allows me investigate and build forms with an ambidextrous technique that results in contrasting sharp details with softer, grittier, and often larger implied textures. Having these dual contrasts as qualities within the composition’s layout draws the viewer into each piece to consider the curious forms. This also provides the work a sense of activated space and weight, both emotionally and physically. My works are reminiscent of a hybrid form of suggestive shape and intended information provided by the aggressive use of line in these landscapes. The unusual magnified scale proffers an invitation to experience a harmony of objects being both heightened in perspective and intimacy. "

Influences in no particular order: black beans and rice; lady grey tea; newfoundland-black lab mix; peanut butter and crackers.

macro micro II

"macro micro II" and "macro micro II" detail

charcoal and conte, | 8"x13.5" |

Just finished my first rough draft of my AS for hopefully this series and my MFA application. Spent a good three hour chunk with the stump islands out in the DNR state park nearby. This particular stump island is one of the more general ones but with a clearly defined root system. Lucky to have started with this one. Another 55 degree or higher day would be amazing. Snow seems to be right around the corner.

On a more technical note, i've found that laying down the ink first then adding charcoal washes to be most advantageous. Although in a second drawing, laying down quick bursts of smudged softer charcoal led to a more calligraphic layout.

Influences in no particular order: Heironymous Bosch's outer wings of the triptych "Garden of Earthly Delights"; Stephen Gammell's "Scary Stories" illustrations; Ameriah Rauscher's works; and the ever mesmerizing traveling "Bodies" exhibit.

macro micro I

"macro micro I" and "macro micro I" detail

charcoal and conte, | 8"x13" |

Starting on a new mini series called "macro micro," and hopefully understanding how to depict regenerating tree stumps as these island worlds of growth.

The whole and the parts of the subject is fascinating. First, there is the individual organisms such as the saplings, grass, and moss constructing the covering architecture of the stump world. Second, is the pulled back view of the stump island itself.

Things could get interesting.

Influences in no particular order: Heironymous Bosch's outer wings of the triptych"Garden of Earthly Delights"; Stephen Gammell's "Scary Stories" illustrations; Ameriah Rauscher's works; and the ever mesmerizing traveling "Bodies" exhibit.

blur

for | Illustration Friday |

Blur- when you see motion or sounds that smear in a dream...

Self?

random self portrait