bighappyaccident

First time I’ve ever done a portrait of a darker skin model in oils.  A bit more complicated than the lighter skinned folk,  The grey hair was a bit of a challenge as well.

Disney Feature has this fantastic perk John and Ed brought down from Pixar called eduhancement. It seems its one of those little googleish programs companies are trying out these days to better the skill sets of their staff members. It is Semi related Career training, money set aside for an artists creative benefit. I’m using it to take a little painting class under painter Sean Cheetham at LAAFA over in Van Nuys. The real work begins next week, this is sort of a before instruction exercise… hopefully we’ll see a bit of progress in the next few months and I can convince ali to sit again for an “after” piece. This particular painting was also sort of an exercise in emulating Sean’s style using his palette, (which is an adaptation of Michael Hussar’s palette).

A few drawings from the Getty Villa sculpture garden in Malibu last weekend… and Justin on the sofa.

This is part one of a small effort to place a bunch of my old blog posts and such from other non-wordpress blogs in one place.. That place being here. Aside from this introduction all text is that which accompanied the old posts… Some of it sounds a bit ridiculous now I know and most of the people discussed are not so much in my life anymore, but reading back I still find at least the core emotion behind the drawings true… And I still sort of like some of it.. which is rare, for me at least. Here goes.. 2005 and some of 2006:

fairfax and beverly.
before a show at largo I think…
circa. april 2006

scribble translation
“los angeles is first kisses by parking meters”

satisfaction

Vampire Day

” My old girlfriend’s studying medicine.
Would you save my life is I got sick?
Haven’t seen you in a while. How have you been?
Of course if you had the right insurance for it.
And I think if we got back together again,
you know, give it a run, you know.
You were my first love.
You’re very drunk and we were very young.
Plus I’m going to see this guy and it might be love.
Yeah, I think he might be the one.
If you get married can I come? I gotta see this.”

@ the pier, hermosa beach
july 4th weekend…
saw someone throw up in a paper bag out side sangria..

the right page, if I remember correctly is a list of things that make me happy…one of those feeling worthless, dumped yesterday for no real reason, I’m good enough and smart enough sort of scribbles…

I miss her, and she lives up the street
and I see her once a week
we went camping
I missed her when we were asleep in the tent.
I’m jealous of her best friend
It was her birthday on saturday
they had a party
she said she’d never come around if I’m never there.
I went to someone elses birthday party at a steakhouse.
Some of my favorite people in the world were there
most of them were canadian.
canadians are rad.
I drank too much red wine and caught a cab up the hill
she wore an enormous black faux fur jacket and had feathers in her hair
and movie star, barely see your face sunglasses on.
it was one AM.
She said hello, and nothing else.
I said happy birthday
her best friend whispered in my ear “you adore her” with her mouth
and “you shouldn’t” with her face
I was watching while she replaced the black trash bag under the sink.
Someone was speaking to me, I heard nothing they said.
I put on a long black wig to get a bit of attention.
and dance
and play a character for a few minutes.
before I turned my phone back on to call a cab.

Stephen wrote the word beautiful backward on a napkin and hung it like a sign around sara’s neck. She wouldnt eat the grahm cracker crust with no filling so he finished with her fork. It was close to ten, the shops all closed down on the promenade their storefront windows became mirrors. proud, with catalogue posture, her and her new nametag clear in all 54 black glass panes on the way back to the 2nd street parking garage.

Water color and guache on paper