Friday, June 16, 2006

Illustration Friday - Dance


when the world has grown weary of me and my ways…
don’t walk away teary for halcyon days…

look to the sky… on the leaf by the path…
and open your eyes… remember my laugh.

when you have the choice, don’t miss the chance…
to raise a glass… to do a dance…

but i’m not gone… i still walk this earth…
for many years… and for all it’s worth…

i’ll give what I can … probably more…
and never pass by that unopened door…

i’ll laugh… i’ll cry… and i’ll hold your hand…
and do the unexpected and all that i planned…

life may be hard, but i’ll have fun…
and the world will grow weary of all that i’ve done…

so until then… i shall dance…




i figured I'd better get a jump on it this week… i start a new job monday… settin up shop at one of the largest museaums of modern art in the south… maybe i'll be able to sneak a painting or two on the wall when no one is looking…

49 comments:

steve said...

Luv the powerful pose and musculature on that dancer ! Use of reds and yellows give the impression that he's been working hard !

stevePoisonPencil

Sarah .B. Scott said...

I love the background and the satirical air about it.

AscenderRisesAbove said...

this is my favorite so far!! Have I said that already? No I mean seriously; this one.
The new job sounds like great fun with unlimited possibilities

Teri said...

Wow, is this powerful! Gorgeous colors.

valerie walsh said...

This is so beautiful in every way!!! Congratulations on your new job Michael!

steve said...

Awesome work once again Michael! Best of luck at the new job too--sounds really exciting.

Andrea said...

fantastic background! fantastic pose! just fantastic!

constance wong said...

I love the background colours and the poem too...Congrats on your new job!

pip said...

i love how you've created such rich tones with watercolour, and i can really feel the intensity of this piece.

° said...

great piece looks lik ehe has a lot of passion for the dance good luck on ur new job

Michael O'Connell said...

thank yo all for the kind words… AND the well wishes on my new job… it will be hard to have a boss after fifteen years of being on my own… but challenges are what makes life interesting…

Anonymous said...

This is quite intense. The posture of the dancer is great and the background, wonderful and hot. Best wishes for your new job.

David O'Connell said...

This is a great pic - really intense posture and great colours. Good luck with the new job!

Anonymous said...

I guess you like dancing.yours is a very intense illo indeed..thanks for your comment, I subscribe your point of view on best beach parties...best wishes for your brand new job!

Willie Baronet said...

Beautiful!! Love the energy of this.

Amy Zaleski said...

Stunning! It's so alive and full of emotion ~ simply wonderful, Michael. More well wishes on your job from me...it at least sounds like an interesting and fun job. And you'll be surrounded by art, never a bad thing!

Liz Jones said...

OOh! Great colors!
Congrats on the job,too!

Roz Foster said...

Gorgeous figure and background. The colors are so warm and rich--I love the combination of that warm yellow and the azure of his pants. And the light is perfect--it manages to be subtle and dramatic at once. Great work!

Hey, what exactly will you be doing at the museum? If you have to work for anyone, doing so at a museum seems ideal! Have a blast!

Cez said...

best wishes for your new job...
And this illo is fantastic, full of passion and strong enough

Powpourri said...

The detail in this piece is amazing. You have done a fantastic job representing the lighting of the human form here! Forgive me for the big art words but I am currently taking a life painting class and getting the lighting right is really hard ;-) Brandi

Anonymous said...

Wonderful and powerful! The background is amazing and the dancer seems very focused.

Katili said...

Extreme power with the dance figures and the colouring. An everlasting dance, greatly captured and at the same time also the pain of it is present.

Robert McLaughlin said...

Aye, Michael... ye wouldn't need to be sneaking out a work of art now, would ye? They should be purchasing your work to display on their walls!

Very nice illustration.

Lyrically speaking said...

This colorful illustration speaks volumes of passion, you did a wonderful job, keep it up!

claudine hellmuth said...

so cool! I love the background!! Is it watercolor?

good luck in the new job!

TheTart said...

Wow! Michael I am speechless.

Incredible!
Smooch,
The Tart

(Pssst. Many thanks for all you thoughtful notes! Much appreciated.)

Unknown said...

This is beautiful!! Can feel the energy and passion in this dancer!! Love the color and texture!!

andrea said...

Was it Basquiat or someone much less celebrated who snuck some of his work onto the wall at the MOMA? Love the idea! And your image reminds me of Baryshnikov for some reason. Oh those Russians! Dance on, Michael!

Michael O'Connell said...

thanks to all for the great comments… they make me want to pick up the brush again… roz… i'm replacing the design agency and will be designing everything from catalogs to the signage and hadling the creative direction on the web site redesign… who knows… i may even redesign it and their logo myself… claudine… it is watercolor with a little help from my friend adobe to pump up the satutarion… jocelyn… i hope no one ever leaves you speechless… your words are always wonderful… and andrea… thanks for that little note on bvasquiat… i thought i had an original idea… good luck to all… keep creating…

Pickledog said...

Congrats on the new job Michael. This is a wonderful piece. I love the strength in his pose, the beautiful colors and all of the textures. Superb!

Anastasia said...

very strong, very passionate and powerful! love it!

carla said...

This is powerful! What a compelling figure...I love the strength of the physique and the emotion in his pose. The colors are totally gorgeous...and the background....ahhh...I love it! Good luck with your new job. It sounds really great!

Twisselman said...

Beautiful. There's a lot of strength and emotion shown in the hands. Great background.

HARDWAX said...

Amazing to look at, wow! So dynamic-can feel the strength and elegance in his dance, and the color just jumps off the screen. Fantastic piece of work!

Steve H said...

beautifiul illo. and congrats on the museum gig!

sazzyplip said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
sazzyplip said...

I dont know which is more powerfull, the dancer or the painting - fantastic!

Tony LaRocca said...

So much emotion in that single moment. He looks like he'd be a great bowler! Great job with the bright colors in the background, as if he's too powerful to look at easily.

lil kim said...

WOW! I love the background and the intensity of the pose. very expressive. nicely done and good luck at the new job!

tiffini elektra x said...

This is very powerful! The background is fantastic for the detailed dancer figure! Wow - I love the blue tones as well! Awesome illio!

Janet said...

I think everyone else has said it all, and I'll have to agree with each of them!....and congrats, too!

kj said...

michael, what fun to look at all the comments on your work. it is a great illustration for sure. it's clear how well regarded and well respected you are.

i'm betting you are going to love your new job. i'm a career counselor among other things so i can sense a good match when i hear one. best wishes!

kj

Cez said...

What a beautiful text...I didn't have time enough to read it last time....
You are linked on my blog Mr Poesy!!!!

sazzyplip said...

Thanks for your comments. In answer to your question I think the chart music here is pretty much the same as it is in the states. Some of the bands I listen to at the moment are, Snow Patrol, Keane, Franz Ferdiand, Cold Play (who I think made it in the states).

TXArtcGal said...

WOW! This is amazing!! I love the colors, the line, the expression on his face...his powerfulful physique...perfect!

franhilz said...

this is simply great, michael

the drawing is so strong and powerful
and from that interesting background
we can expect a lot of movement and energy
when the dance will start

an awesome piece!

isay said...

this is a very powerful painting. i can imagine him slow dancing1

lucky lucky you for having a new shop! good luck and best regards!

Anonymous said...

Good luck on your new job!

Tricky Trev said...

Very striking piece. Looks like a lot of emotion is going on in your composition. Great color palette as well. It's just cool! And yes, you should sneak some of your artwork into a museum. You do great stuff.