Cubist Comix

Art On The Run

Here you have the first of what I refer to as Art On The Run or drawings created while out and about or traveling; I feel that this will add a new dimension to my blog and give you, my dear readers, more of an insight into my creative process. This particular drawing was created at the request of my friend and fellow artist Christyna McMahon while I was in Southern California visiting family and friends last week. It was the combination of Christyna's request and my recent acquisition of an iPhone that made this possible. Ultimately, the important thing here is the challenge of creating a drawing on the spot wherever I may be and to share it with all the wonderful people that visit my blog from across the globe. I must admit, I really like this idea of creating art on the run; I hope that you like it as well.

Freedom Through Dreaming

This idea began one day as I sat at the cafe. As always, I was looking for an unsuspecting victim to draw when I spotted the lovely young lady pictured here. I originally did this in pencil with the idea of finishing it up later or on a return trip to the cafe but that all changed when I got home; the cool, overcast weather combined with the luxury of a day off spurned me into action. I became excited with the possibilities that opened up to me in that moment and I decided to just let myself go with what I was feeling. The first thing I thought of doing was experimenting with my pen and ink technique; having mastered cross hatching I, now, would like to add and expand that into something new. The second thing that came to mind was turning a basic cafe drawing into something strange and new. I didn't know what I would end up with but I can certainly say that I love what happened with this. This is just a preliminary drawing for a finished illustration that I intend to do within the next two weeks; I can't wait to do it as I've had even more ideas come to mind since I began this.

Two for Two

Here's another "Organic design" that I recently found while digging through piles of other art stuff. What is it? What does it mean? You're asking me? I'm the last one you should ask when you look for an explanation about my work; I just draw and paint and that's all I know - the rest is a mystery. I intend on finishing this series of paintings so keep a look out for those to pop up somewhere: here, Etsy, post cards, etc. So far I've had great feedback on these and would like to do something with them in the not too distant future.

So, what's next on the agenda? What am I going to throw myself into next? For the next six months or so most of my attention will be focused on the comics stories that I'm currently in process of preparing; my hope is to have at least thirty-six pages of material ready for this fall. I will post examples of what I'm working on as I get it done. Writing and drawing your own stuff is very time consuming so please bear with me. Aside from that the only other thing I can think of doing is... drawing. Pen and ink, watercolor, and colored pencil on bristol board.

The Door Must Always Remain Open

I recently found this painting while digging through piles and piles of art books. I did this ten years ago with the intention of doing a series, but as usual, other things got in the way and I ended up doing only two of these. When I did this I did it because I was feeling burned out with representational pictures and I wanted to do something, anything, no matter how strange or bizarre. Oddly, at the time I planned to do these solely for my own pleasure and this is why they were put away for so long.

This find couldn't have been any more timely for me; even though I started this project a decade ago it really pointed to where I am now - I guess you could say that I've come full circle. Over the last few days I've felt very restricted in my work; I do less of what I really want to do and more of what I don't want to do. How crazy is that? Strange, nonsensical ideas are always coming to me but they're not being put on paper and that must stop. Many of my recent posts have, to one degree or another, been about this;I guess it's just a natural part of growing and maturing as an artist. You reach a point where you know that you have to be yourself and follow your heart without caring about what anyone will say; I definitely have reached this point and there's no turning back now. It's do or die, folks. Over the weekend I had a conversation with a dear friend about this but in a more general sense; we both agreed that most people are unhappy with their lives because they're stuck where they're at and they think that they can't get out. They have literally shut the door behind them; they've given up on their dreams. It's all about the credit card payments and the mortgage payment. No thanks; I'll pass. Being yourself  is not the easiest thing in the world to do, but in the end it's all you can be. Pen and ink, watercolor, acrylic, pastel and gouache on bristol board.    

I'm Baaaaaack!!!

 Gee, has it really been a month since my last post? He he, I guess it has. What in the world have I been doing that's kept me from making new posts and keeping in touch with my dear readers? DRAWING, lots of drawing is what I've been up to. I was actually finishing up a long standing commission for a good friend of mine and starting work on some comics stories that I've been wanting to get out of my system. I will post examples of my work as it progresses; I plan to have all the material done by October of this year in time for the Alternative Press Expo in San Francisco. Amazingly, I've actually found time to work in my sketchbook over the last month and I have various pages in progress and should have them up within the next few weeks.

So, what's going on with this page? Well, I guess it's my reaction to all the layoffs that are becoming oh so prevalent these days. I thought to myself, "Before you know it even the cartoon characters will be getting laid off." Yes, we are living in tough times, no doubt about that. But this is nothing new, it's just part of life; things get hard then they get better. So, chill out folks, the best is yet to come! You know, sometimes you just have to laugh it off; it's all too silly to take so seriously. Have a good time all of the time!

Have A Good Time All the Time

My goodness, how time flies when you're having fun; that's exactly what I've been doing since my last post and this is the result of that! Do you ever feel as if you're following the rules a little too closely? I was having that feeling lately and finally I said, "Fuck it, I'm going to have fun, no matter what!" Life is too short and rules were meant to be broken so why not have a good time, right? Nowadays we have the perfect opportunity to be free and do whatever the hell we want;  fifteen years ago we were still at the mercy of publishers and galleries (Bastards) when it came to getting mass exposure, but now that's changed thanks to these blogs. I'm not crazy about everything in the technology age but being able to show my work this way is certainly one thing I do like about it.

So, what the hell is the meaning behind this latest masterpiece? Good question. Don't ask me, I don't know; I don't think too much about it, I just throw myself into it and whatever happens happens. Not knowing what the result will be is half the fun when it comes to drawing; at least that's what I believe. Putting down what you really feel is not an easy thing, you have to have the guts to do it. I don't know about you but for me it's become something that has to be done; maybe people won't like everything you do or worse they might end up hating your guts but, hey, that's their problem; I'm too busy having a good time over here to worry about stuff like that. Have a good time all the time!

Another Day In Purgatory

This page began just like most of my pages do, at the local cafe while indulging myself in my sketchbook. The night that I began this page was another typical cafe night; a night filled with coffee swilling, sleep-deprived students. Both of the guys that I drew were wearing black jackets thus causing me to use up all the ink in my freshly filled pen. I was going to continue drawing that night but I was getting a little irritated with the run of the mill, made for the masses music that was being playing as I drew. I swear, the song that was playing was just one big blur of dead and gone; jeez, you can only take so much of this kind of crap. The two drawings to the left of the page were done spontaneously; although they were done from my imagination, they still reflect my thoughts. The top one refers to my disdain of artsy-fartsy, tourist-trap, ready-to-buy art. Man, I hate that crap! Who sells this kind of work? Mindless, talentless hacks. Who buys this kind of work? Mindless, Walmart-loving schmucks. The way I look at it, it's a match made in heaven. The guy at the bottom came about because of a recent article that I read in which the city that I live in was named the most miserable city in which to live in America by Forbes Magazine. It doesn't get any worse than this, folks. For years I've said it but no one listened; now I been proven right. I touched upon this very subject in my November 23rd post, Purgatory; Trust me, I don't call it that for nothing. Anyhow, the look on the guys face is a perfect reflection, not only of my face, but of many people that I run into here in... Purgatory. Rapidograph in Aquabee. 

The Exact Meaning of What?

This page comes from a sketchbook that I was filling with stream of consciousness drawings. It was an attempt to get away from the rigid rules of academic drawing. I've always believed that a stream of consciousness drawing can be much more revealing than a drawing that's intended to be revealing. When you put pen to paper and start drawing you have no idea what is going to appear, hence the magic of this type of drawing. So, what the hell does it mean? Good question. You're answer, dear reader, is probably as good as mine. There are things that are obvious to me but beyond that I couldn't tell you much more. So sorry. The quote at the top is from a Kate Bush song, sometimes the lyrics in a song somehow apply to a personal situation and so on and so forth. I stopped work on this project; I'm not sure why,  maybe it was a little too revealing, who knows. Rapidograph in Aquabee.   

Tea For One

An illustration from a work in progress entitled Innervisions. My goal is to fill a 64 page, 6"X9" Aquabee sketchbook with stream of consciousness illustrations. It's always interesting to see what will spill out onto the page when doing this type of work; you never quite know what you're going to get, all you know is that it will be a surprise. Often I am asked about the meaning of my drawings and  the truth is that I, myself, don't always know the exact meaning behind some of my work. Sometimes I will do things with a specific meaning but even then I prefer not to reveal the meaning behind them. Why do I do this? I do this because nowadays people want everything explained to them, the don't want to make any kind of intellectual effort when it comes to things like art. They want things spelled out like a map and that's not what art is about. In the end the most important thing is that the viewer go away with a personal impression of what he has just seen and not about what he has been told to see. Rapidograph in Aquabee.

One Night At The Café

Drawing at cafés is something that I've been doing for years. No matter where I go there's always a café waiting for me and my sketchbook. There's always someone interesting to draw while sipping your coffee, it's a given. The guy in the drawing was falling asleep as I was drawing him and so therefore making it easy for me to draw him. The figure to the left and the text was added some days later while sitting at a park with my wife.