The American Dream

When I was in history class in eleventh grade with Mr. Proulx, I remember hearing all about something called the "American Dream". A legacy of multitudes of families immigrating to America seeking jobs and business opportunity. It seemed beautiful in history class, the kind of thing that would bring a tear to your eye when you heard the "Star Spangled Banner". Then I got a little older and heard a band called Pennywise who very much questioned this American Dream and I started to think about how much capitalism really allows you to either go one way or the other.

Today I was thinking about this again, as I was holed up in the Ashland Village Pizza waiting for nine o'clock to roll around. I was thinking "I don't do what I thought that I'd do, and I am not what I thought I'd be." Either way I made a picture to go along with it, thus illustrating that even if I'm not making a living as what I thought I'd be, perhaps I still am that.

And as you can see, it was super busy at work, because I have another sketch for you that I also did while at work today. Tossing the tables on the robot population five at a time.....

Last, but not least, when I got home tonight, I continued to live the dream, and started a new piece for the big upcoming show:

It's a simple piece, but most of the pieces that I've put together for this show have had quite a bit going on in them and I thought that maybe it was time to calm it down a little and Chillax.

Let me know what you think about the work, and for that matter, give me your thoughts on the American Dream. Remember only one page, double spaced. Nothing larger than 14 point font....

Peace
Mike

Move Your Car

Lately I've been obsessed with the punk rock of my youth, eighties metal and eighties hip hop. What this generally means is that I am in a good mood, my brushstroke is on, and my color schemes seem a little less muddy. This is all very good. I'm beginning to think it is my natural cycle. I cannot get excited about my shows without a little bit of stress, and the need to finish something stat.

Recently I've felt this pressure, and it's shown. I'm pretty pleased with the out come so far. Check this one out:

A Room with a View, Done and Done. The show is coming together well, and then on to the next show and the next and the next, and god if only I had about eight more hours every day. I'm going to do some talking to the sun. I'll let you know how it works out.

peace

While Reminiscing on the Carousel

The other night when I was suffering from my incredible insomnia, I felt a kind of change come over me. I remembered something, and I guess I've been hinting at it and suggesting it for months now, but I finally realized again, how fun it actually is to be a painter. I love paint and watching it pile up and watching it create shape. I love that. That is what makes me who I am.

This piece really let me get into the paint again and really let me discover some more color. I also played some intense mixing off of straight hue in some spots. I think it actually helps the piece, though after a couple days I may change my mind about that. It is not the most detailed piece I've done, but I think it is successful as is.

Here goes the finish:

The Getaway. If you listen to Ten Foot Pole while looking at this piece, I think it might make it even more intense. Let me know what you think. Peace.

-Mike

Like Sky Rockets in Flight.....

Today I was looking at a piece that I had drawn out and trying to think of a way to make it work, get it a little more busy, add something interesting to it. So I was drawing on this board for a while, and nothing was coming out right, except that I changed the robot and I kind of like the new robot. In the end I grabbed my sketchbook and threw together a little sketch that really didn't fit with the proportions of the board that I was working on.

I cut myself a new board and drew out this little guy. This piece is not quite finished and won't be until the chandelier in the kitchen stops raining water, but it is poised for the finish soon.

Let me know what you think on this one. I'm really trying to push the cute envelope a little here so this is a bit of new terrain for me. The bird over the shoulder might be a bit much, but I like the story, so I'm trying to work with it. Oh, and check out the purples and reds. When was the last time you saw that in my palette?

Another piece that I've really gotten into lately, pretty much started from nothing, and now I'm very much into it's clouds and the form of the bird. I think it's going to be very successful.


I'm also really into the point of view on this piece. The clouds are definitely starting to be my selling point on it though. I haven't been able to render clouds like this since "Cloud Cover".

Let me know what you think of the new stuff. I have more to post as well as soon as I get a chance. Maybe I'll even be able to finish off this show in time to frame everything well. Phew!

Busting Out into the Sky

I've been busting my butt recently. That is no lie, and I have a couple pieces that are in progress still but almost done that I wanted to show. What you're not seeing is the four other pieces that are also in progress that are also almost done. Things are really starting to accumulate and snowball and my show is really rounding out nicely. I think this is going to be the best one yet, which is something we as artists always hope for, but can't always say.

The first is a piece that I reworked the drawing on. The prior composition was too stagnant and I think this is much more successful:

The scarf and helmet were Beth's idea, I'm not ashamed to say, and boy, she's pretty awesome. (By the way, she is going to be in the SILA show at the Nucleus gallery in LA!!!!! *tiny screams of joy while she's not looking*)

The second piece, is probably turning into my favorite. I've started working the birds a bit more, and frankly I've learned that I need to buy a couple new small brushes, because these guys deserve a little more body than what I am capable of doing with my present brush line up.

Let me know what you think, unless of course it's negative darn it!

I'll be posting more images of other pieces before this week is over. Hold on to your hats, I'm busting out into the sky.

peace

Thoughts on an Inconvenient Truth

Last night I watched the highly hailed Inconvenient Truth for the first time. It was kind of like when I watched Bowling for Columbine the first time. It was an amazing film, and it did give me information that I did not know, however, the overlying motif of the film was one that seemed kind of obvious to me. Inconvenient Truth = treat the planet well, plant a tree, maybe walk to work instead of driving, don't leave your lights on all night. Bowling for Columbine = Don't raise your kids to be like the fictional Michael Myers, don't kill people, and maybe background checks on guns aren't a horrible thing.

That said, I appreciate what Al Gore has been doing. He's won a lot of respect with me, and perhaps people should spend less time "thinking about terrorism, and more time thinking about saving their planet". I like his take charge attitude and it prompted me to make a drawing also in this cat theme like the other day. Hope you like it:

Hope all is well with you folks, I'll be posting a lot (hopefully) the next couple days. Until then though, be well and go plant a tree or something.

peace

Lightheartedness to help me through....

Sometimes you find yourself so overwhelmed with the list of things that you have to do that you just have to start drawing some things that a.) have nothing to do with your upcoming shows, and b.) are completely ridiculous. Last night I stepped out for a drink at Beth's job and sat down with my sketchbook. I drew a couple things that were terrible and then decided to draw my cat. I came up with this. I love it, and if you know my cat, which some of you do, you'll love it too I think:

I also let a girl at work touch my sketchbook. She showed me her best stick figure so I added to it. I think this is super funny, we'll see if you feel the same:

Tennis fans anyone? Anyway, I'll have some more serious stuff up soon ( I have three days off this week ) but for now I will leave you with this.

peace

Learning to Fly (or: Taking the leap to be professional.)

For once the image says everything that I want to say.

As soon as I get batteries for the camera I will upload some photos of the large piece that I am working on. It has a human being in it. Very exciting. I hope that working large will help loosen me up a little bit.

We'll see what you think when I have batteries in the camera. Peace.

-Mike

Brooklyn Art Project

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