And on a Positive Note… RUN

I had to work Sunday. Sometimes th new job requires that. But it was enjoyable work. We hosted a community art project in the park across the street from the Museum where I work. The event was called Sunday in the Park with George. We loosely based the idea on the musical of the same name. We started with an illustration that I did of Marilyn (for the Andy Warhol aspect) and had everyone paint it in a pointillist style (for Georges Seurat). We also let people do oil pastels mini portraits that they could take home or add to our collage. The kids were great and had loads of fun. It's amazing to see everyone's different portraits. It was hot but we sure did have fun.

So, where does "run" come into play? Well, look closely at the painting. There's plenty of running going on there.

Run

Why is it that we are always in such a hurry to grow up? As a child, I saw everything with much clearer vision. The world was a much happier place. I didn't care what was happening half way around the world much less who killed who across town. I look at my childdren and they are worried about those things. My younger daughter worries about the things in the world constantly as well as the homeless people in the park at the end of our street… and not the good kind of worry. Our children have been forced to grow up quicker. The onslaught of marketing starts at birth and nothing they do in their lives isn't watched and recorded. They want to be taller, prettier or the best. Nothing is that bad about these things but when you add them all together… you realize… that childhood is a thing of the past and the world is out there waiting to eat you up if you give it the chance… where are the simpler things in life?

Illustration Friday - Match

OK so I was back for a couple of weeks. They jsut seem to keep finding things for me to do so I dusted off an old image and here you go.

There is a bit of a tie-in with the previous posts as this does seem to show a bit of the underbelly of society. I went through a phase where I painted in this splatter style watercolor. They were quick and fun and left many a thumbnail stained with pigment.

It is amazing how stream of thought or serendipity has a place in life. I had an old painting with a match and I just drew one at work for a project. I'll add that quick sketch later. And maybe, just maybe, I'll find the time to try something completely new.

Thanks for stopping by.

330 Miles Per Gallon!

It can be done… at least that's what the builder says. Even if it doesn't make it all the way to 330 mph whatver it does will be better than what we have now. The manufacturer's website is interesting but the discussion on Wired's Autopia blog poses a lot to think about beyond this one vehicle.

We can only dream.

Illustration Friday - Play

it's playtime and since i was having so much fun last week, i decided to stick with the series… so, it isn't as much fun as catching rain with a butterfly net but you haven't seen where he plans to set sail…

and sailing is probably the best idea for travel these days anyway… what with the gas prices the way they are and flying is a bit scary right now… gas-guzzling SUVs, manned by crazed, gun-toting fools with cell phone permanently attached to their heads kind of makes driving anywhere some kind of loopy… so… time to set sail…

night all…

Illustration Friday – Capture

Capture can get a person to thinking about all sorts of dark and scary images. The citizens of my lovely city are enduring somewhat of a murder spree, Jacksonville has surpassed Miami for bragging rights in the state of Florida and will probably make the top ten in the country. The neighbors on my street has been plagued by recent thefts and breakins, and I have had to deal with attempts.

So it would have been easy to just dust off my long unused pencils or watercolors and drawn some kind of criminal capture with a bit of police brutality thrown in for good measure. BUT I couldn't. I chose instead to look to the lighter side of lifeÂ… at things that make me happy. And children most certainly do that. My own children are such a joy.

I like the way their logic works and that's what got me to thinking about this weeks word. If a child wanted to catch some rain drops what better thing to use than the butterfly net that he used only minutes before to capture a butterfly?

Oh yeah, and if any of the thugs in this city get near any of my kids, they better HOPE and PRAY that the police catch them before I do. There. Now you get a little bit of darkness from me.

It feels good to be back.