Lists: Sketched Out Monday June 28 2010

While I've been on the road in New England I did do a number of sketches...but I was playing with a different medium in some cases.  I'm not much of a list maker, though I have a friend who is rather obsessed by the idea.  When I do make lists they often end doodled on and cryptic.  So  I thought I'd show you a few List Doodles I was doing.

These are lists that I created for the sake of the experiment.  

This one is a list of things I heard at a particular time in the hotel.

The next one was of the first five things I noticed when I sat down to doodle

and last I wrote out a list of the countries that I have visited.

It's not what's on the list that I find interesting but the doodle I do while I'm pondering a list.  This is how all my shopping lists look too.

Thought you'd like the variation for your Sketched Out Monday.

cheers

M

Sketched-Out Monday...First Day of Summer

 

Hi all

another edition of Sketched out Monday.   Been busy trying to get caught up the week I've been home then off to Boston.   

While I've been home I've had a few projects I've been working on.  I was working on the prototype for my Purse'n Place or Thing Workshop in WA this Sept.  Then been working on some strange angels.  And then getting ready to leave for Boston at Absolutely Everything.  But I did manage to get a few sketches in through the week.

In a couple of cases I used sketching to solve some issues I was having with composition.  

Case One:

Strange Angel

I'm not going to go into great detail about this one because I have an entire blogpost that relates to a different issue that I want to talk about regarding this piece and the transformations it took.  What I will talk about right now is that one again a sketch helped make some decisions.  Here's the sketch...bare in mind, that in both cases the sketches were made while the piece was being worked on. They were in progress design tools.

Here's what I ended up with.

A couple of things changed.  The frame for one but that wasn't because of the sketch.  The main thing the sketch did for me was the grassy area.  It was bare down there...and needed something.  Originally  I had thought of fire...which was how the sketched started...it then evolved into grass.   More on this angel in another post.

Case Two:

Purse'n Place or Thing.  I was struggling with the sample for the class for some time.  It's a class on purse's or satchels that are made of various items.  Couldn't quite get it right.  For the longest time I referred to the piece as the "!^*&**^%-er!!!".  Then I decided to pull out the sketchbook to assist in the matter and finally...I mean...FINALLY  the "!^*&**^%-er!!!" started cooperating.

Here's the helping sketch:

May not seem like much but it helped me add some crucial elements.  

Now here is the finished piece:

So what the sketch helped me work out was the side attachments.  The scroll holders.  I knew it needed something but wasn't sure what.    I no longer call it the "!^*&**^%-er!!!"  It is now called "Dream Keeper".  What a difference a scroll makes.

Well I hope you liked the sketchy little journey.

Wait!  One More Thing!  Not Sketchy but I have you here...so:

URN YOUR KEEP

While I've got you here I should mention a class I'm teaching at only a couple places.  Urn Your Keep.  Yes that's right a mixed media housing for....er...you...or....er...someone else.  I wanted to do a mixed media coffin class, but time wouldn't allow (it's a very practical idea really, you use it a coffee table and then its there when you need it later...very handy)

Here's the sample, Urning Rubber:

Anyway I'm teaching this at Idyllwild in Southern California when I'm there July 8-11.  

  Click Here if you want to join me there

 I'm also teaching it at Valley Ridge as well. 

Click  Here if you want to join me there.

Sure its kind of creepy....but I know you secretly kind of like the idea...don't lie.

Thats it

ciao for now

M

Stop Your Whining and Start Your Wining

As some of you know I was invited to created this year Halloween label for

Madonna Estates.  

The produce a wine every year with a ghoulish label to celebrate there annual "Hallovine".   Well the label is done and the wine is getting ready to be put on the shelves for consumption....and how!  I'd thought I'd share the finalized wine label for you.

I also wanted to mention I'll be doing a wine label signing (I've never done a wine label signing...thats pretty cool) at the winery in Napa as well as Tangerine

in the East Bay where I'll be teaching classes  there on Sept 26th - 28th.  I have a feeling their might be a little wine tasting going on too...but what do I know?

So don't be like Dracula (which, by the way, is something I seldom say):

Screamin' Jay and the Little Demon

One of my very favorite performers is Screamin' Jay Hawkins.

I guess you could call him a blues singer...though that isn't quite right...in any event, what is great about him is that he is friggin' bizarro...and amazing to watch.

His stage persona is what I love best about him.  A Vincent Price of the Blues...you might say.

...a kind of voodoo priest with some stylin' threads including zebra striped loafers.   Often emerging from a coffin, his performances would encorporate everything from rubber snakes, fake tarantulas, to boar's teeth around his neck and in his nose.  Oh...I need to mention Henry.  Henry is his cigarette smokin' skull mounted on a staff.

Screamin' Jay is from Cleveland and had desires to be a opera singer in the style of the famous African American opera star Paul Robeson, but that never came to fruition.  Instead he created his own operatic style...and I mean "style".  He never made it really really big, only a few hits but became a cult favorite.  One of my favorite albums is "Black Music for White People".   His most famous song was "I Put a Spell on You".  Originally designed to be a ballad he added the snorting and rambing's after some hard drinking...which got it banned from radio stations.  Instead of retreating he forged ahead with even more weirdness.    I found a video of him performing it...what a trip...to say the least:

You might have seen him in Jim Jamusch's film Mystery Train.  Screamin' Jay plays a night clerk at a hotel....steals the whole movie in my humble opinion.  Here's a scene...this scene has a few musical greats in it other than Screamin' Jay...it opens with Joe Strummer (lead singer of the Clash) riding in the pickup...then throughout the clip you can hear Tom Waits as the voice of the DJ.  Check it out.

Now the reason I'm rambling on about Screamin Jay is that I was in the studio listening to him the other day and created something in honor of his song "Little Demon".

This is my Little deMon...it's funny how what you're listening to can guide you in a direction.

In honor of the late great Screamin Jay Hawkins....

   I called him Screamin' Demon.

So here's to Screamin Jay...that cat is wild.

Sketched-Out Monday...er...Tuesday

Sorry for the delay everyone.  Lets just say I've had a very adverse 24 hours in the airport department....but good news is I'm on route home finally.

So here is the delayed version of Sketched out Monday...

Very Studious

Island of Dolls...actually reminds me more of that haunting song by Billie Holiday, "Strange Fruit"

happy Tuesday

Toying with you

Hi gang

had a great time at Small Studios in Cleveland. My hosts Ginny and John Smallenburg couldn't have been more accomodating. Great fun. Great classes. Great students.

Ginny has more workshops coming up this summer so check them out.

Here are a few samples from the deMented toy class.

Carmone's bird boy or girl:

Shelly's Bird Girl..

hmmmmmm....I'm seeing a trend

Carolyn's Duck Girl....yes a definite trend

What's with the bird people?  Well it was a very fun class.  Ginny has more classes over the summer...so if your near Ohio head on over.

Click Here to learn more

...

Headlines

Lots of stuff in the news...lets begin..

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

Remember the contest that Borders and my publisher were having.  The prize was the Anima Sola piece I made for Dusty Diablos.  Well the winner has been announced.  Woohoo! 

The winner is Pola L. of Los Angeles.  Congrats!  There were over 2150 entries.  Wow!

Next up:

I'm heading to New England to stir up trouble at Absolutely Everything in Topsfield.  This is alway a blast. I'll be there June 26-27....see you there!

Click Here For More Info

Next Up:

A Handbag Class?  deMeng and handbags...yep it's true.  I'm heading to Snohomish to teach at a place called the Ranch.  If it's your bag come and join us.

Click Here For Info

Next Up

Well the word on the street is that I got into ArtFest.  Always a treat to teach there.  Registration begins by August 1.  See you all there.

Next Up:

Speaking of registration...Art and Soul has begun registration for Las Vegas.  Viva Las Vegas!

Click Here for Info

Yes it is true...it is Sketched Out Monday again

Howdy everyone...

Here's a few goodies for you for Monday's installment.  I'll be putting another post up separately about all the mumbo jumbo going on.  For now...here are the weekly sketches

Just some doodles to begin with

Next up a little scene of Eden...el Diablo...lurking below

then

a Beelzebub sketch...Lord of the flies

Hope you enjoyed them.

Happy Monday