OPEN YARD

Our yard has become the gathering place for the local youths to paint, chase the dog, and play the canjo. Sure we put up a fence, but the door is open. Just not for the dog. She has to stay in the yard.

Here's some more of their latest works:

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ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: THE BLUES - MA RAINEY

"You sing 'cause that's a way of understanding life."

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POST #301: SINGIN' FARMER

I'm resuming my eBay art career with this guy, SINGIN' FARMER. He looks like he's off-tune, but I'm sure no one minds. He's singing

I am a man of constant sorrow
I've seen trouble all my day.
I bid farewell to old Kentucky
The place where I was born and raised.

That song was in the movie, Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? which the wife and I have yet to see.

Also, I think I can tie this in with the latest ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY topic, Juggle, as I am trying to juggle owning a house for the first time, my regular job, and this art thing.

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RED BELLIED WOODPECKER

This one is going into the show at the Tate Street Coffee House downtown. If it doesn't sell there, it'll go on eBay. Or my wall. It's my bird, I'll do what I want.

UPDATE: Haven't done an Illustration Friday in a while. The topic this week is VISITORS. I'd say this one is appropriate, as the red belly is one of our regular visitors to the feeder.

Speaking of visitors, we had some surprising ones in our NEW back yard - TURKEYS.

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ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: REJECTION

I've been trying to get an aceo done of Hank Williams Sr. Previous attempts have been likened to Pres Bush. The one on the left up there looks like Giuliani. I'm not sure which Republican the one on the right looks like.

Anyway, these are a couple of the rejects. I made a bad ink choice on the tip of the nose on the Giuliani one. The proportions are all wrong on the anonymous republican one. Neither one is as good as my final sketch:

Totally off-topic, but you should go over to GreensboroBirds.com and check out the birds I shot. SHOT.

With a camera, of course.

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ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: SUIT UP, AJ FOYT

Here's a pic of AJ Foyt, before SUITing up for a race.

And here is the photo I used for inspiration:

See? He looks nothing like Atilla The Hun.

And let's not forget the obligatory close-up:

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ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: CARS

Junior Johnson, from bootlegger to stock car driver to team owner to Country Ham salesman back to moonshine (this time legit). A true American hero.

Art-wise, I'm trying out the spotty shading technique instead of the crosshatching. Like? Here's a closeup:

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RED BYRON

Now that GOD OF WAR II has been completed by the wife and I, life can resume.

True story:

Robert "Red" Byron raced in unorganized stock car races in the 30's until he served in WWII. He came home with a destroyed left leg, so when he got back into racing he put on a steel stirrup which was bolted to the clutch. He won.

He was also the first official NASCAR champion.

Here's a close-up:

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY UPDATE:

The topic is Signs. Since this is a NASCAR aceo, would the sign Left Turn Only apply?

Ugh. That was terrible. I hate the "left turn/NASCAR" jokes. Yeah, I get it. You find NASCAR to be monotonous because they only turn left. Isn't it ironic, though, that the same joke is made EVERY TIME to make that point?

Just saying.

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ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: NEIGHBOR

I'm all excited about the De La Hoya vs Mayweather Jr fight tonight. So much so that I'm listing another boxing themed aceo even though they never sell. The wife and I are going over to a NEIGHBOR's apartment to watch it, as the Pay Per View price-tag is $75.

The full title to this one is PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG ARTIST DOING NECK EXERCISES.

In real life, it looks like this:

The only difference is it's done on the edge of the boxing ring, not the ottoman. And bored-looking dogs aren't in danger of getting a weight dropped on her head.

I predict De La Hoya to take this one by decision.

UPDATE: Mayweather Jr took the decision. I figured De La Hoya would find a way to connect more than he did.

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ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: REMEMBER

My downstairs neighbor used to be in a band in the 80's. He asked if I would mind drawing some aceos of his past. Here's one from his trip down memory lane.

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ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: OLDEST POLAR BEAR

Here he is, the man, the myth, the legend. Dude has been jumping in freezing waters wearing nothing but a speedo and a swim cap for like forever. I thought I'd spare you the the full figure image.

You're welcome.

The old man lived life by his credo
To only do things that were neato
Don't need to be hotter
To jump in the water
In nothing but swim cap and speedo.

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CROW VS OWL

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: FORTUNE

I had the fortune to see a great horned owl the other day.

The wife and I were walking the dog in the park and heard some crows going crazy. They were mobbing something. Looking up in a tree, we saw the crows hurling their anger at a nonplussed great horned owl. We ran back to the apartment to get the camera. Zooming in, the owl was looking right at us. Very spooky.

Did you know that a great horned owl has enough claw strength to take your face off?

Anyway, here's an ACEO to commemorate the event.

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TREETOPS

Here's one I did for my dad for his birthday. We traded, since it was my birthday soon after: I got a mountain dulcimer. As much as I like this aceo, I think I came out ahead.

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY UPDATE:
The topic is GREEN. Here in Greensboro, NC, GREEN is busting out all over. Looking out my window, I see a scene similar to this one.

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BELLY PUNKER IN SHADOW

UPDATE:
I'm late for Illustration Friday this week, but I feel a need to make a last minute contribution. So I'll make one slight alteration to make it applicable:

The Belly Punker dances. Not for money, but for the SNAPs of beatniks.

OK, weak, I know. I'll be better next time.

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As you can tell, I'm enjoying working with the India Ink and Bamboo Brush. So much so I had to visit an old friend, The Belly Punker. Note, too, how I composed this piece with an "X" shape theme. The aceo is divided into four triangles, giving the viewer a sense of order, juxtaposing the chaotic Id that is The Belly Punker. Upon closer inspection, of course, the "X" is askew, surely a comment on the whimsy of the artist (that is I). Continuing on the Balance vs Chaos theme, the shadow that makes up the lower right hand corner combines with the light in the upper right to create a sort of Yin Yang symbol.

Also note the subtle Pencil Moustache, itself in compete shadow. Does the artist wish to convey a sense of absence? A void of the familiar, some dark matter that has swallowed up humankind's meager attempts at creating a substance to style like a black hole does entire stars only to spit it out on the "other side" (wherever that is)?

Or did the artist use too thick of a brush stroke?

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ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: I SPY

Uh oh, look who's discovered India Ink and the Bamboo Reed Pen.

Me. Stop looking.

Here's my first go at it - a bird of prey finding it's next meal. See that little dot in the upper left corner? Dinner.

The fast bird flies by
To find it's next meal
No matter how high
Good eyes, great deal.

Poor little rabbit
Oblivious below
The fast bird shall nab it
Bunny blood will flow.

Nature is vicious
Don't think I am cruel
The rabbit, delicous!
The fast bird needs fuel.

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ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: WIRE

Because you guys aren't paying THOUSANDS of dollars for my aceos (yet... bwa ha ha ha), I have to have a day job. Thanks, guys. That day job is Groundskeeper/Maintenance trainee. I am learning a lot of good skills, I gotta say. Fixing faucets, changing water heater elements, what happens to the bodies of dead birds. You know, life skills.

The answer to that last one, by the way, is the Groundskeeper finds them, calls his birdwatching wife, tells her what he thinks it is, she sighs irritably at his lack of bird identification skills, and says, "I'll have to see it. Bag it."

Here's how that transaction went the last time:

Me: I found a weird looking dead bird. I think it was killed by a paintball. It has a crest, a cardinal-like mask, bigger than a titmouse, a little smaller than a robin.

Her: A crest, mask, wait a minute - what? A Paintball?

Me: Yeah. There's this fleck of neon orange paint on it's wing.

Her: Are you and your maintenance buddies running around with paintball guns all day, shooting at birds?

Me: No! I swear! I promise I'm not paintballing on the job. Anymore.

Her: Sigh (irritably). Bring it to me.

Turns out it wasn't paint. It was a Cedar Waxwing. They have a little neon pink waxy tip to their wings. No one knows why for sure.

Here are a couple of work in progress pics:

First layer of watercolor over the sketch



More detail, ready for HJoshy inkiness

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HIDING GEISHA

Emperor Nobunaga has been a real pain lately. "Read me more poetry! Serve me tea! Make intelligent conversation!" Dude. Chill.

What's a geisha to do? Make like a panda and hide in the bamboo.

Yes, smarty, I know geishas are from Japan and pandas are from China. Give a guy a little poetic liberty, why don't you? It's not like I tried to rhyme "station" with "direction" or something equally ghastly.

What's that, you say? You want a Haiku? What do I look like, a geisha? Sigh. Fine.

Attention craving
Mama's boy with great power
Sun rises, moon sets.

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ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: ZOMBIE LOVE

I'm not sure what the title of this one means, either.

I was in art class waiting for a still life to dry, filling the time working on this aceo. My art teacher, who bears a resemblance to Eugene Levy only when I draw/paint him, saw it and said "Ooh! Zombie love!"

Who am I to argue? Anyway, the topic for this week's IF is COMMUNICATION. It looks to me like this Zombie Couple is having a tiff, and not really speaking to each other. Come on, now. Nobody likes a petulant zombie.

Inaccurate pic of my art teacher:



Eugene Levy:

What goes on between consenting zombies is none of my business.

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ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: CRASH

The crash landing is only the beginning of your troubles.

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ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: SPROUT

See, THAT'S why you shouldn't pop pimples. You never know what they'll sprout into!

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