MOSSSSSSHHHH

Here's a laughable take on colorful take on a mosh pit from 1994 as a mural for some music store:

To me it just looks like they're all just dancing in place but my friend Grey informs me that the women on the far left is clearly throwing her windmill back and the guy to the right of her is definitely two-stepping.

And here are two much more admirable, accurate, and good versions from Dan Witz:

Mosh Pit 2001. Oil on Canvas. 48x46.

Big Mosh Pit 2007. Oil and Mixed Media on Canvas. 46x70.

Self Portrait XIII

"Self Portrait XIII: Denial of Self", Digital Painting, 2008

Ok so I'm pretty busy with college classes but I managed to get this semi interesting self portrait done anyway. Drawing class is going well but it's mostly basics to the extreme so I don't have any real work to show from that right now.

Blue Scholars

Digging the lyrics of Seattle Hip-Hop Group Blue Scholars:

"While the people sleep
I'ma speak till they wake.

Beats. Rhymes and life.
Each time I write
the fire ignites
I light the sky
There's an infinite inkwell
high above the city
Dip the pen steadily
Sing the melody."
-from The Inkwell

"Fifty-thousand deep
And it sounds like thunder
When our feet pound streets
...
They call this a riot?
I call it an uprising."
-from 50k Deep

"And my people building monuments to weather the flood
I'ma leave how I came, screaming covered in blood
Died once, born twice
Both times we knuckled up, alongside our people
We gonna struggle with love
Struggle with love
Struggle with love"
-from Opening Salvo

"I spark a fire for the cold in the dark
Peace and war both pumping soul in my heart
And though they can't keep what they stole from the art
And they love to see beef because it throws us apart

More fire for the people
More jobs for the people
And more music for the people
More books for the people
More schools for the people
More love for the people
More love for the people
More love for the people"
-from Fire for the People

Also starting Drawing 100 and I'm loving it! I'm expected some great work to come out of this and my skills to improve drastically.

Self Portrait XI

Fauve + Francesco Clementeish =

"Self Portrait XI", Digital Painting, 2008

NYC Photo

Was looking through my NYC photos and found these two which I thought would look really interesting cropped and juxtaposed like so (right click view image for full size):

"Hotel Room: A Study in Light and Wallpaper", Photography, 2008

Painting is one day from finished. Will have photos up soon. Currently digging and checking out the work of Umberto Boccioni and Alberto Burri.

National Geographic Picture

I've been working on a new painting for the last week or so. The progress has been excellent. Although the last session sorta ruined my recent good mood with the piece's morose mood. Been listening to David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust album and am highly impressed.

Here is a National Geographic photo of the day by my favorite nature photographer:


Joel Sartore "Snarling Wolf, Ely Minnesota", 1998

Although it was taken with a remote controlled camera, I find it highly well composed. Carcass's blood, organs, fur, and bones nearly become an amazing sort of abstract landscape with the wolf's head perfectly balancing the composition.

Being Quite Productive Lately...

Went back in and actually made my latest portrait into how I intended it to be:

"Self Portrait X: Tissue"
Then I worked with some old stock photos I had of a particularly interesting basement as well as a photo I took while flying to NY:

"Flight Deck"
Then I took some inspiration from those medical diagrams you always see and made a "dark" version. Nice way to flex my design skills but still use some painterly elements, feels strongly like an illustration:

"Asphyxia"
Right click view image any of these for full resolutions.

Lately I've been listening to some pretty great music too. Couple of live shows of Sonorous, a post rock/indie/ambient band from right here in fort wayne. Also downloaded a free amazing indie concept album by the very talented Dan Warren called The Scientist. Go download it now!