ArtForDorks.com

Local Min, Local Max X

Math.

Texas X

This is another unfinished doodle. I think I just need to come to terms with the fact that I really don't have the time to devote to an afternoon of refined drawing. I drew this while waiting for class and listening to Big Black. Little bits and pieces from the album crept in like: "This is Texas This is badass This is chain-gang This is mustang I am Texas I am Texas I am Texas..." ...then... "Got a foot and a half of unregistered steel Shake that sis, we got a street to deal Sawed-off Shotgun Sawed-off Shotgun (Space Invaders and Asteroids sounds) Bang bang bang bang " And so it goes....

Amorphous Blob X

Recently, I've found myself at a point with drawing where I don't quite know where to go next. I've been into the idea of visualization, mapping, mathematics, graphs and all that has seemed to come out of those combined interests are these amorphous blobs. Refined drawings fit for a wall they are not, but I'm finding out more and more that I'm coming to love them. I like to think of them as organisms that weave in and out of themselves and that also play between the idea of structure and chaos. I'm starting to focus on randomness and what that means and how we can use randomness in order to make things look more natural and less refined by functions and perfect curves. So, out of all of that, I deliver you...the amorphous blob.

Mayhem X

When asked to sketch up an idea for the cover of the Independent's city hall issue, I took the idea of city hall mayhem and ran with it (maybe a little too far since they ended up going in a less chaotic direction). Here was the low down : Santa Barbara's entire city council is up for reelection. Like any rip-roaring-fun-time local election, there's a fair share of he said she said and a few outside interests (particularly one man from Texas with a lot of money to burn) who are pushing to get their pet initiatives passed. The other confusing thing about the election is that it's vote by mail only. These ideas are evidenced by the hungry mail box, funny looking people doing funny things like tearing down city hall and hitting each other with "measure B" bats and the cowboy riding a plane (...it's a plane....not anything phallic for those of you who want to go there....although I admit that it's an easy mistake to make, whoops) . So yes, it didn't graze the cover but it did get a bit of love in the Super Santa Barbara art show that opened last night. The show features local artist's takes on the future of our beloved city and ideas about building height limits and the like. It will be up for a week or two and for putting together a show in two weeks, everyone came up with some amazing stuff. Swing by and check it out, you can get all the info at supersantabarbara.com

Bookcase X

Bookcase : Pen on Paper I moved about a week ago, across town and into a much smaller and already furnished place and thus, had to give up most of my belongings. I justified it to myself as cleansing but that didn't help me get over the eerie feeling I had while bargaining a price for my books. It just didn't feel like it was supposed to be that way. I had gone through my life just accumulating these little books as reminders of where I'd been and what I was into and it felt like I was selling the personal history more than the book itself. But then I cashed the check, got dinner and it quickly was replaced by more practical thoughts. I kept the books I really really love, did I really need the others? So about a week later I got to doodling my old bookcase while sitting on the couch at Henry's house and I just got to thinking about how attached you can get to objects. I love that bookcase and how its shelves are impractically low and off kilter making it perfect for my "tiny" books and figurines. I also love that it came with some family photos circa 1981 in it too. I kept them in there, it's their house now. I suppose if I were smaller (about the size of a tiny book or a photo), I wouldn't mind living in the bookcase either. So yes, objects and ownership, deep thoughts for a Friday night. I really love the bookcase and I'm thinking about drawing other things I really love. Maybe get away from drawing people for a bit, though, to make it clear, I love people too. Maybe by drawing the things I love I'll never have to fully give them up because they'll fit nicely into my sketchbook and won't be a pain in the ass to move. They can all be about the same size and if I get bored, I'll make a me figurine and a tiny sitting room for tiny me and my tiny things.

Kraftwerk Keyboard X

Just thought I'd add this little blast from the past. It's my first applet in Java and it runs pretty weirdly, sorry, but the sentiment is there. Just hit play and the keyboard goes into autoplay mode, if you hit stop, you can play the keyboard yourself and make your own beats! • play with it

Honestly X

: 11 x 17 : pen and ink on paper. Honestly, I can't spell, but nonetheless, can you really put anything else with a picture of Abe Lincoln? Maybe "Log Cabin" but that'd just be hokey though that's never stopped me before. Sooo yes, Abe, he's a fun one to sketch and I'd like him much better in glasses. I got to watching America's Funniest Home Videos and began thinking that it'd be nice to do a little American Diptych with Abe one one side and Bob Saget on the other. Then I began brainstorming words to go with Bob, I think I liked Saget-cious the best. It's kind of like sagacious now isn't it? This plan was quickly thwarted when I actually sat down and drew Mr. Saget from a freeze frame still of AFHV's Holiday 1996 episode. He could be the world's most difficult person to draw. You'd never know it was him by looking at the drawing. I think it's because he lacks really definable facial characteristics, like Abes grizzly jowls or the ever so chic Mao-mole. Come to think of it, Mao-mole kinda sounds like mammal - now I'm envisioning drawing of Mao with a small kitten for a mole - meow.

Let's Do Lunch X

: 11 x 14 : pen and ink on paper.
There's nothing like the Sunday family lunch at an empty sit down Mexican food joint. There's something profoundly boring about going out to eat sometimes. I was sitting at a table by the window when I saw the mini-van pull up. The side door rolls open and out comes mrs. scrunci here followed by her beau, who was dressed in an auto-mechanics one-sie (I'm quite sure this isn't the professional term for the garment). The group of em then stroll into the restaurant to sip water in silence. I left before they ordered so I didn't get to witness the excitement that the rest of the meal most surely held. It just reminded me of those days you'd go out to eat with your parents between the ages of 11 and 16. Nothing exciting about it, just filing out of a mini-van and getting food somewhere other than home.

Hair Do Done Did X

: 11 x 14 : pen and ink on paper.
Again, I've strayed from my main agenda of drawing from actual living people I see around, but I think I'd like to see this person. This is my positive manifestation of what I'd like from the universe, you're move heavens. But on a more serious note, I got to thinking about the term 'hair-do', it's an odd duck now isn't it. What does the hair do do? When was that first used, were the barbers of ancient Babylon lazy with their verbs. Perhaps the ancient Babylonians were more concerned with beard-do's - bad joke, now I'm done.

See No X

: 11 x 14 : pen and ink on paper.
Oh what simple pleasures the sandwich affords. I've been toying around with the iphone sdk but I can't figure out what kind of little application to write. Daniel suggested a little program called "make me a sandwich now" that would offer you delicious sandwich selections in time of need. Maybe that was on my mind when I did this one. Really though, I just like the simple sentiment in regards to being elderly, or my ideas of being elderly. I feel as though many of the cafe counter regulars I spot just keep to themselves. A car could crash into the window, the ceiling could cave in and a humanoid race (adept at soccer no less) could come attack but as long as the cold cuts are safe, they think nothing of it.

Stargazer Billy X

: 11 x 14 : pen and ink on paper.
A little late on the draw here but if y'all remember, there was a lunar eclipse not so long ago. It just so happens that as a result or, emphasizing something already there, I've taken up a pretty hefty interest in astronomy. I do at times, like to fancy myself and ancient greek pondering the cosmos, but being neither ancient nor greek, I'm left to draw old men who are pondering the celestial bodies. This little picture is inspired by a guy who was standing on my corner during the eclipse with his telescope, I went ahead and took artistic liberties swapping the telescope for binoculars but the sentiment is pretty much the same. Maybe I'll upload a spacey tune in no time to go with it.

C you Never X

: 11 x 17 : pen and ink on paper. To cut straight to specifics, I can't say I was ever so much a fan of Arthur C. Clarke's novels seeing that I've never read any or even seen 2001: A Space Odyssey yet, in a more general sense, I have a profound appreciation of SciFi. I like space, I like reading, I like reading about space, but I think my likings lean a bit more towards science-fact than fiction. But for the sake of being cosmic, couldn't all of our profound knowledge just as well be fiction?
(cue space synth here.)
I got really into the late Mr. Clarke here primarily because of an interesting story I can across detailing how we recently recorded the largest gamma ray burst in all history. It's really incredible, the New York times did a nice little write up on it. And it just so happens that the blast blasted it's gamma goodness on the same day that Mr. Clarke checked out of life of Earth. Coincidence...I think not. (resume spacey synth)

Bokonon X

: 11 X 17 : pen and ink on paper So for all of those who've read Cat's Cradle, I joined your ranks on Saturday and I'm very happy that you can all be part of this little granfaloon . I reserve my karass for something unknown, yet bound to happen, right? So yes, having read the novel, you may know who I've drawn. For those clueless to the first few sentences, this is Bokonon, the Calypso singer who's philosophical couplets punctuate the novel.

Married to the C X

6 X 6 : pen and ink on paper I'd like there to be more a story behind this one but it is what it is. I went to a nautical themed party and I had visions of the sea on my mind. This guy kinda reminds me of this guy who's always walking up and down Valerio St. I haven't seen him in a while but I drove by him the other day and he's just as he always is. Sailor cap wtih, Einstein-ish white hair flowing out the sides and always with freshly pleated polyesther pants. He's really amazing, I think Valerio street is sea and he's most definately married to it.

Whatevs X

9 X 10 : pen and ink on paper I was in a bit of an odd mood and watching TV and doodled this guy. I like him, he represents boredom.

Aeronautix X

98 X 6 : pen and ink on paper Bryan was nice to do give me what could be the best book of all time. It's a chronicle of the Great International Paper Airplane Competition and this guy if featured on the title page. There's so many great pictures of people intensely focused on airplanes, and it comes with paper to build your own plane with...I'll let you know how that goes.

Well Timed X

8 x 10 : Pen and Ink on Paper This was a drawing of a nice guy that works at the OMSCI in Portland I met when waiting in line to buy a ticket for the Black Hole Movie (unfortunately, we were late for Creatures of the Deep in IMAX) at the planetarium with my cousin. He was really excited that we were going to see the movie and really wanted to tell us how relevant it was since they're recently found evidence that further supports the theory of black holes. This was only the beginning, he then went on to explain how the medical community frequently shuns cutting edge notions but eventually the truth surfaces...I liked him, he was awkward.