Doodle of the Day - Fat Company

Stocks have plunged again, unemployment is sky high, and it appears we may be in need of a modern day Steinbeck to write a contemporary version of The Grapes of Wrath. While I was eating lunch, I couldn't help but overhear part of the conversation of three business-persons at another table. At first I assumed they were speaking about the economy and their business, but after thinking about it later, I wasn't so sure. It amused me nevertheless...

Wildlife Alive

To most artists, the environment, nature, and wildlife are very important and inspirational. The newest edition to the obsolete law book series, this painting incorporates a Supreme Court decision from 1976 about the overkill and depletion of many animal species in California. This was just four years after the federal government banned the use of DDT as a pesticide because of its serious impact on wildlife, such as bald eagles which faced near extinction in California.

Wildlife Alive, 8" x 6", oil and vintage paper on wood panel, 2011.

Doodle of the Day - A Bundle of Joy!

The US Postal Service seems to be advertising a lot more than it did in the past, promoting the new services and rates it now provides. But the advertisements don't say anything about the CUSTOMER SERVICE you will encounter when you visit the post office! I had to go there today. As I stood in line for a while, I noticed the postal employee, Joy, wasn't the most cheerful person, probably because she was the only one working the line. She kinda reminded me of a female version of Newman from Seinfeld, and she amused me because she looked like a real-life cartoon. Drawing her portrait would be simple!

Then, when I reached the counter, I had a few questions about sending my mail and changing my address. I found that there was a very simple answer for everything...

Daily Doodle (VEGAS Edition)

Casinos are intriguing places. The concept behind a casino is strange - it is a place where people often drop hundreds of dollars in a matter of minutes and receive nothing in return, except maybe an alcoholic beverage and the stench of stale cigarette smoke embedded in their clothes. I spent the weekend in Las Vegas, lost my share of cash, and couldn't help but laugh at the scene. Shamelessly fueled by money yet scantily hidden behind flashing lights, candy-wrapped devices, and sexy costumes, the casino is a master at disguise. We are just monkeys funneled into its trap, incapable of learning from the electric shocks. For some reason, however, I want to go back!

Doodle of the Day

The courthouse in Los Angeles can be a place to find funny characters. I had to go to court yesterday, and several lawyers were waiting in the hallway before the courtroom opened. One lawyer in particular caught my attention. Wearing a colorful tie, he talked and talked loud enough for everyone to hear, going from one lawyer to the next, seeming to be very comfortable in this environment. He strutted around like a rooster as if he owned the place.

But the confidence he exuded in the hallway vanished once we were in the courtroom and the judge called his case. The papers the guy filed must've been below par, as the judge saw right through his peacocking act!

The Daily Doodle

Beverly Hills is known for its fashion and starting trends, often the center of unbridled materialism. Recently I attended an art opening at a gallery there. At some point my friend texted me, and I pulled out my phone to text him back. As I stood there punching the numbers on my trusty ol' FLIP-PHONE, I had the uneasy feeling that I was being judged. (As if I was in Court, lol!) I felt stupid that I cared what people thought about my "ancient" phone.

Why did it bother me? Not sure. The phone gets the job done. So I don't have a GPS on it -- that's fine, I have a good sense of direction. So I don't have internet on it -- that's fine, I have a computer at home. Nevertheless, I admit that I felt like a dumb dinosaur that day, embarrassed by some insignificant product I owned. One day I suppose I'll have to get a new phone. But not today!

Artistic Study -- Honing Skills Through Portraiture

My friend Abigail was nice enough to sit for half an hour to allow me to quickly sketch her portrait. This is what was created in that time limitation.

Even though my current direction in painting is in the realm of abstraction, it remains necessary to know how to draw! This includes drawing from life, still-lifes, landscapes, interiors, figures, and the ever-challenging portraits.
Banksy made an interesting observation when he said: "All artists are willing to suffer for their work. But why are so few prepared to learn to draw?"

Drawing a portrait with a fixed time limitation is indeed a challenge and an excellent way to hone drawing skills. With drawing expertise comes the knowledge of line, shade, and composition -- the building blocks for creating a good painting.

To an artist, painting something completely abstract is almost the same as painting something realistic. Both are simply illusions created on a flat plane using color -- it is texture, brushstrokes, line, juxtaposition of color, contrast and subtleties which give a painting life, whether it is a portrait of a person we recognize or a form of something incomprehensible. The only difference, as I see it, is that an abstract painting is a blind process, meaning there is no final image the artist is aiming for or needs his painting to look like (unless he is using an abstract photograph or Photoshop -- ugh!); rather, painting abstract is a bit like a leap of faith, using a set of tools and skills to hopefully create something meaningful in the end.

The necessity of having drawing skill is further exemplified by the great Pablo Picasso. He could draw like the old masters when he was 15, yet he still decided to abandon the representational approach as he helped pave the way into abstraction, becoming the most famous artist of the 20th century. He did this with drawing expertise.