Epiphany - Illustration for a Short Story

Epiphany is a story about impermanence, and it takes place on a different planet, in a different age. The main character is some form of a creature, perhaps beast-like, who faces an ambiguous yet surreal predicament. It is a short story by author, John Janda, who commissioned me to create this illustration...

Acrylic wash and graphite on paper, 14" x 11", 2012.

Thank you for reading about the paintings, sculptures, drawings, works in progress, reviews, Doodle of the Day, and other art by Los Angeles artist Lucas Aardvark Novak. To see older blog posts and other doodles, click HERE :)

Your Drawers Need To Be Ironed

A quote I like by Banksy goes like this: "All artists are willing to suffer for their work. But why are so few prepared to learn to draw?" It appears many artists today have the misdirected notion that the ability to draw accurately is obsolete. They convince themselves that, since their art is not representational, they need not practice the art of drawing. They reassure themselves by looking at recent art auction prices of contemporary art, like Jeff Koons’s Tulips which sold for $30 million, or Gerhard Richter’s abstracts regularly selling around a similar price. It is easy for artists to be convinced by the spotlighted outliers of the art market, driven by wealthy businessmen who treat art as commodities (or as “poker chips”). Add that academics continue to declare that intellect, concept, and cognitive value are most important in a work of art, artists today quickly disregard the importance of being able to draw accurately. (The phrase "draw accurately" does not necessarily mean in a photorealistic style.) I believe all art must carry a certain high level of craftsmanship, and the ability to draw accurately is the backbone of the craft.

It is easy to forget that artists like Picasso and Richter have produced work which demonstrates their ability to draw exactly what they want.

So, I practice drawing regularly, either in the form of doodles or quick sketches. It’s like going to the gym. Certain skills need to be ironed out periodically. The following is an example of a sketch, about 18 inches tall, of a friend who agreed to sit for me for thirty minutes. A time pressured sketch of a live person is usually a challenge, as it requires a quick grasping of shapes and efficiency of strokes with the pencil...

By they way, one of the greatest masters of efficiency of strokes with the paint brush, Diego Velazquez, has a painting at the special exhibition on Caravaggio currently at LACMA: 

Along with Georges de La Tour:

Thank you for reading about the paintings, sculptures, drawings, works in progress, reviews, Doodle of the Day, and other art by Los Angeles artist Lucas Aardvark Novak. To see older blog posts and other doodles, click HERE :)

Doodle of the Day - Be Mayan For Christmas

The talk of the year may be the end date of the Mayan calendar, December 21, 2012. Are we getting nervous? I was at the airport the other day and overheard some adults discussing it in front of children. It was simultaneously amusing and sad, and then this doodle was created...

Have a crazy December!
Cheers,
Lucas

Doodle of the Day - The Tormented Artist Cliche

somewhere in los angeles among the mix of actors, stereotypes, and expectations, there are creatives who think they need to play the role of crazy tormented artist in order to succeed. i suppose if you can play the part and mold yourself into that perfect cliche, people might follow to embrace you as an artist. but for the rest of us normal-looking folks, we're just tormented. lol.  

i don't mean that we talk to little birds on our shoulders that only we can see, or that we cut our ears off and mail them to past lovers -- i mean tormented in that we are consumed by creation and destruction. put aside common money sob stories or substance abuse which may apply to people in any profession. art is not a "fun" pastime; it is a person projecting his anger, frustration, compassion, and love.

artists ponder their creations everyday, even during mundane daily tasks. they think about the next steps to take in the current pieces they're working on. they contemplate destroying their work. they struggle with insecurities about whether they have any talent at all. they question what the heck is the point of creating art anyway. they fight their feelings when the feelings disrupt the flow of a piece. or they barf up their emotions in the form of scribbles in their sketchbooks.

tormented in that sense.

i suppose a lot of my recent work isn't quite the eye-pleasing decoration that people like to put on their walls. fuck it. if i wanted to decorate i'd be a party planner.

Doodle of the Day - Up Close and Personal

Want to get up close and personal with the Grand Canyon? This is the tour for you!

Thank you for following the Doodle of the Day and the paintings, sculpture, drawings, works in progress, and other art by Los Angeles artist Lucas Aardvark :) To see older blog posts and other doodles, click HERE.

Doodle of the Day - A Reason to Occupy Wall Street

The "Kleercut" campaign headed by Greenpeace to stop the destruction of Canada's ancient forest was a success...to be determined. But it was certainly a step in the right direction and motivation for people to mobilize and stay active to end inequities and corporate greed. After all, a corporation has legal standing the same as a person, but a corporation operates only to maximize its profits - if this comes at the expense of the environment and community, then so be it.

Thank you for following the Doodle of the Day and the paintings, sculpture, drawings, works in progress, and other art by Los Angeles artist Lucas Aardvark :) To see older blog posts and other doodles, click HERE.

Visiting Rembrandt at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

In the past week I visited both the Art Institute of Chicago and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Each is world renowned for its gigantic collection of some of the greatest works of art ever created. Although I did not have enough time to give the Philadelphia museum an investigation in its entirety, I was lucky enough to visit when the museum was featuring the works of Rembrandt with Jesus as his subject.


The show was smaller than a typical exhibition at a major museum, since many of the works included his drawings and works by his students, instead of the iconic paintings by the master himself. However, in the art displayed that was painted by Rembrandt, the show was a powerful declaration of faith — not just the faith in Jesus portrayed by Rembrandt, but our faith in the authority of Rembrandt’s painting hand. Rembrandt redefined the grand religious narrative scene as a subtle but powerful human moment.

The tablecloth alone in the following painting, The Supper at Emmaus (on loan from the Louvre), struck me as though Jesus himself touched the painting with his hand:

Even the life story of Rembrandt seems somewhat biblical. He accumulated wealth from his art, and in his later years he lost everything and declared bankruptcy. When Rembrandt died in Amsterdam in 1669, he was buried in an unmarked grave and disappeared as if his body never existed. But throughout his lifetime he provided the world with hundreds of revered paintings, drawings, etchings, and prints, artwork that continues to be revered today, like gifts from the Heavens. While the body of Rembrandt was just another person, buried and forgotten, the portal of Rembrandt led to sanctity.

Doodle of the Day - Adventures in Online Dating

Online dating appears to be the new hot thing for many people. But beware: it doesn't mean you will meet the next hot thing!



Thank you for following the Doodle of the Day and the paintings, sculpture, drawings, works in progress, and other art by Los Angeles artist Lucas Aardvark :) To see older blog posts and other doodles, click HERE.

Doodle of the Day - In Trouble With The Authorities

Every so often you hear about criminals who make stupid mistakes. This time, these bank robbers made the mistake of targeting The Piggy Bank!

I hope this doodle doesn't get me in trouble with the authorities or my police officer friends :)

Thank you for following the Doodle of the Day and the paintings, sculpture, drawings, works in progress, and other art by Los Angeles artist Lucas Aardvark :) To see older blog posts and other doodles, click HERE.

Oil Pastel Still Life

Edgar Degas said, "The secret is to follow the advice the masters give you in their works while doing something different from them." Before a true artist may successfully do something different from the masters, he must first understand their advice.

I don't think that every artist must first learn to paint like all of the old masters, nor is it my intent to do so. But it is the naive and pretentious man who disregards the importance of drawing, line, and composition, mastered by those of the past, in the man's quest for artistic greatness. The practice of art is a lifelong study, and even Degas himself, on his deathbed, lamented, "Damn, and just when I was starting to get it!"

In continuing my lifelong study, even though most of my current larger works may be categorized as abstract, I hone skills by investigating the paths of the masters, like Degas, by examining people and objects and translating what I see to paper using oil pastels. Avoiding the laborious photo-realistic style, I am more interested in creating a representational picture in an efficient, economical, and natural way, as mastered by Degas and Spanish artist, Diego Velazquez. This approach allows for the inclusion of my own stroke and subjective feelings, and it places the emphasis on color, texture, line and composition, rather than subject matter.

Thank you for following the paintings, the Doodle of the Day and the sculpture, drawings, works in progress, and other art by Los Angeles artist Lucas Aardvark :)
To see older blog posts and other works of art, click HERE.

DOODLE OF THE DAY - YOUR HOLINESS?

Sometimes when I can't sleep I stay up scribbling in a sketchbook. The scribbles usually turn out to be nothing impressive, but sometimes they lead to bigger and better ideas. And the scribbles sometimes include scratching out notes, such as what my next painting should be, or an analysis of the progress of a current painting, or even an idea for a simple doodle. In this case, it was toilet humor...

Thank you for following the Doodle of the Day and the paintings, sculpture, drawings, works in progress, and other art by Los Angeles artist Lucas Aardvark :) To see older blog posts and other doodles, click HERE.

Doodle of the Day - Pigeon Tales

Today's doodle was inspired when I was sitting outside eating lunch and felt some little feet wander over my toes. The patio was populated with pigeons, and another customer next to me was disgusted by them, muttering insults.

Thank you for following the Doodle of the Day and the paintings, sculpture, drawings, works in progress, and other art by Los Angeles artist Lucas Aardvark :) To see older blog posts and other doodles, click HERE.

Doodle of the Day - Don't Call Me A Bum

Happy Friday! Hope you enjoy today's daily doodle. It was inspired by my weird family and friends. If you're a fan of the Doodle of the Day, please feel free to suggest ideas for future doodles! Ideas are always appreciated :)

To see older blog posts and other doodles, click HERE. Thank you for following the Doodle of the Day and the paintings, sculpture, drawings, works in progress, and other art by Los Angeles artist Lucas Aardvark :)

Doodle of the Day - New Car Alerts

Every time I turn on my car there seems to be another bell and light to alert me of something: "DING! Fasten Your Seat Belt" or "DING! Washer fluid needs refill." As long as the car is nagging me, why not include: "DING! Do your laundry" or "DING! Call your mother!"

But after being cut-off in the fast lane today by a dude going 45 with his right blinker on, I stumbled upon the idea that a more important alert could be added to the list of alerts and serve a valuable purpose in the cars of many, especially in Los Angeles where EVERYONE drives:

To see older blog posts and other doodles, click HERE. Thank you for following the Doodle of the Day and the paintings, sculpture, drawings, works in progress, and other art by Los Angeles artist Lucas Aardvark :)

Doodle of the Day - The Dog Whisperer

I recently moved into a new place, and I think EVERYONE on my block has a yappy dog! It's as if nobody has seen the show the Dog Whisperer before. I’m thinking of calling up Cesar Millan myself to let him know that the entire street needs help – teach those dogs to whisper. He could go door to door like he’s selling Bible studies, preaching his spiritual connection with the canine world, saving the dogs from their yappy anxiety, and even better, saving my eardrums and sanity! Come on people, get some of that pack leader mentality.

To see older blog posts and other doodles, click HERE. Thank you for following the Doodle of the Day and the paintings, sculpture, drawings, works in progress, and other art by Los Angeles artist Lucas Aardvark :)

Doodle of the Day - Your Widget Order Is Complete

Just another daily doodle...

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Doodle of the Day - You Are What You Eat

Happy Friday! This doodle was inspired when I witnessed a simple encounter on my fence yesterday afternoon, a bird chattering at a goofy looking squirrel. For an instant, I understood the language of bird, and this is what he proclaimed...


Perhaps the saying is true, that you are what you eat. Click on the image for a larger view. To see older blog posts and other doodles, click HERE. Thank you for following the Doodle of the Day and the paintings, sculpture, drawings, works in progress, and other art by Los Angeles artist Lucas Aardvark :)

Doodle of the Day - The Van Gogh Lizard

If Vincent Van Gogh had been a lizard...

To see older blog posts and other doodles, click HERE. Thank you for following the Doodle of the Day and the paintings, sculpture, drawings, works in progress, and other art by Los Angeles artist Lucas Aardvark :)

Doodle of the Day - R.I.P. Cy Twombly

Cy Twombly was an internationally famous fine artist with contemporary works of art which were mere scribbles and chicken scratches made with pencils and crayons. His "paintings" often caused people to respond with "Are you kidding?" or "You call THAT art?"

Twombly was prolific in his lifetime as an artist, and sadly, he recently passed away at 83 years old. This link shows some of the scribbles on canvases that made him hugely successful. It is remarkable that his works of art were not dismissed as children's paintings. Or maybe they were children's paintings and Twombly proved that success in the art world has nothing to do with artistic talent.

You can click on the image for a larger view, and thank you for following the Doodle of the Day and the paintings, drawings, sculpture, daily progress, and art of Los Angeles artist Lucas Aardvark.

Doodle of the Day - The Rat Race

Does anyone else find it weird that we go to places like the gym to burn calories? I'm not saying I'm better than it - I do go to the gym and try to stay in shape. But there we are, running in place or lifting dumb objects, burning energy. Energy! Shouldn't that energy be harnessed for something productive? Couldn't those calories be combined for the creation of something more meaningful in the community? Instead, we emit exhaust into the air to get the closest parking spot to the entrance so we can get on a machine and work our tails off simply to break a sweat because, alas, maybe we all ate a cheese platter for lunch that afternoon.

There was a day when we lived in nature and sculpted our bodies by building stuff and eating to live. It is a bit strange the way society has developed. On the one hand, people in the world work and fight for food to have enough energy to survive; on the other hand, people work out to burn energy for free, creating nothin' for no one. All that energy wasted.

But like most people, I go to the gym to maintain a healthy body and lifestyle. It just seems that, in this "energy crisis", our calories shouldn't be lost in the ether. And I certainly hope that society doesn't develop into a situation where we go to the gym simply so we can flex our muscles like "the Situation" from Jersey Shore! That would be weak.

Anyway, you can click on the image for a larger view. Have a great Labor Day weekend, and thank you for following the Doodle of the Day and the paintings, drawings, sculpture, daily progress, and art of Los Angeles artist Lucas Aardvark.