Filed under: character design, sketchbook | Tags: Art, California, character design, Commentary, Funny, Humor, people sketches, sketchbook, sketchbook drawing, USA, Wine
Filed under: Photo's | Tags: Beach, California, Cinema, Commentary, Culture, Film, Nature, Ocean, Photography, USA
Taken about a week ago I thought this photo had a look of Biblical proportions.
Also…
Many of you already know I’m a cinephile possibly from mentioning it on previous posts. I’ve only recently become a fan of the late Yashujiro Ozu. Two of his films resonate with me Late Spring 1949, the first of his later films and An Autumn Afternoon 1963 his last film. These films have made such an impression on me I’ve watched them at least a half a dozen times each, finding the commentary on the DVD very informative and helpful to understand and appreciate these films. I’m not an old film buff, I often find many films of this similar time too dated for me to appreciate. These two films however seem to transcend that and reveal the essence of what it is to be human and that’s art.
Filed under: Photo's | Tags: America, Commentary, Nature, Photography, Travel, USA
I’d like to share what probably is a contrast to the photos I’ve previously posted on this blog. I took these some time ago while back east. Some may recognize without any introduction the place, for those of you who don’t know it’s Pennsylvania Dutch or my preference Amish country. In an attempt to summarize for those who don’t know, it’s an area in the eastern part of America where a people originally from Germany have settled in America. The name Pennsylvania Dutch is a misconception that over time hasn’t been corrected from the original misnamed. The area they live doesn’t neatly fit in Pennsylvania and they are not originally Dutch. Dutch comes from the mispronunciation of the name German. Deutsch. I, like many others have an affection for the atmosphere of area for its quiet, peaceful & timeless beauty. It harkens back to a different time in America, which as you can see by the Amish gentleman in the mule drawn cart, have no intention changing.
Filed under: Photo's | Tags: America, anti-Wall Street, Commentary, Culture, International, New York City, Occupy Wall Street, Photography, politics, Wall Street, Wall Street Protests
Posted on another post on this blog previously I thought it appropriate to revisit this photo I took at Wall Street a couple of winters ago. It was packed with people from all over the world taking photos just like me.
I remember an ironic and poignant moment I had during a conversation with a young woman when I lived in Pasadena that relates to this. We’d just meet. Although not American I gathered from what she said she visits frequently. She said while traveling by bus in Pasadena she’d been robbed. She asked me if this was a common occurrence in America. I thought for a moment to explain the best I could. I told her here society is not as homogenous as, for instance where she was from. For that reason there is more mistrust that leads to more crime of this sort. She looked at me unbelievingly.
Filed under: Photo's, Uncategorized | Tags: Commentary, International, Peter Gabriel, Photography, politics
Taken during a road trip awhile back.
I felt I wanted to revisit this post first published May 3rd of this year.
When I asked my daughter what she thought about the recent news she said some were saying the war’s over at the school she attends. The more sober know it’s not.
Here’s the conundrum. We’re human. Humans are aggressive. If you see it just in the context of nations you’re blinding yourself. The seed of violence is in all of us. Whether it plays out in physical violence in one human and not another is inconsequential.
Filed under: character design, sketchbook | Tags: Alien, Andy Warhol, Art, character design, Commentary, LA, sketchbook, sketchbook drawing, surreal
Recent sketchbook vision of the third kind.
Although I’ve read some of Andy Warhol’s more famous quotes before they had no particular significance to me then. I’m seeing them in an entirely different light. The first is fairly self-explanatory. The second is a statement he made after his attempted murder in 1968.
“I love Los Angeles. I love Hollywood. They’re so beautiful. Everything’s plastic, but I love plastic. I want to be plastic.”
Warhol had this to say about the attack: “Before I was shot, I always thought that I was more half-there than all-there – I always suspected that I was watching TV instead of living life. People sometimes say that the way things happen in movies is unreal, but actually it’s the way things happen in life that’s unreal. The movies make emotions look so strong and real, whereas when things really do happen to you, it’s like watching television – you don’t feel anything. Right when I was being shot and ever since, I knew that I was watching television. The channels switch, but it’s all television.”
Filed under: character design, sketchbook | Tags: Art, Art Center College of Design, character design, Commentary, Humor, Illustration, Los Angeles, sketchbook, sketchbook drawing
Commentary aside….I just watched a film I’d recommend should you be interested in watching a romantic comedy. Well it’s categorised a comedy but I wouldn’t say it’s a comedy. (500) Days of Summer. If all romantic films were as true and well done as this I would have watched many more than I have.
Filed under: character design, sketchbook | Tags: Art, Art Center College of Design, Big Man Japan, character design, Cinema, Commentary, Film, Funny, Humor, Illustration, sketchbook drawing, story illustration, villain
When I was a student at Art Center College there was an unsaid assumption. If you were “good” you were not a nice person. To illustrate the point there was an illustration major at the time who was considered good by many. Whenever he was brought up in conversation I noted they always added, “And he’s a nice guy”. Sure enough when I meet him he was nice. One of my favorite illustrators, actually he had been kind of hero of mine visited to talk. I naturally wanted to listen. Shortly before his lecture I ran into the head of the illustration department who asked if I was going. I answered, “Of course, he’s a hero of mine”. She said, “And he’s behind you right now”. I turned and sure enough it was him. I introduced myself and found to my utter dismay the guy was a jerk. Now what was that saying about a certain time in a person’s life and hero’s?
Also..I recently watched Big Man Japan. I’d seen the trailer a number of times before and although thought it interesting I dismissed the idea of watching it. When I watched the film I realized how intelligently the film used cultural references by using monsters as metaphors as a way of understanding them. Pathos. It was well observed, wacky, funny and entertaining.
Filed under: Drawing & Painting from Life, Photo's | Tags: Art, Commentary, Culture, Illustration, International, Japan, Korea, Photography, Thailand, Travel, Vietnam
Here’s some initial photos I received of the 2011 Vietnam International Illustration Exhibition sponsored by The Korea Society of Illustration Research in Hanoi. Once again I’d like thank my friend and major coordinator of this and previous exhibits Jae Chang. It was suggested this year’s exhibition location was more exotic, less modern atmosphere compared with the previous exhibitions in Kagoshima, Japan 2010 and the 2009 exhibition in Bangkok, Thailand. I imagined it would look something like what you see above. I’m told more photos will be forthcoming. I’ll share them on this post when I receive them.
Filed under: Drawing & Painting from Life | Tags: Art, character design, Commentary, Illustration, marginalization, people sketches, quick sketch, sketchbook, sketchbook drawing
Ugly…Cafe Seens, a photo by 9567 on Flickr.