ooblog

So I’m sure you have all heard the Katy Perry “California Gurls” song featuring Snoop Dogg.  I can’t get it out of my head.  The video is cool, fun and colorful too.  As everyone knows I have a sweet tooth so the Candyland theme doesn’t hurt either.  The song makes me think of being creative for fun sake.  The act of creating art is not always about trying to convey a message or to make better art, but to just simply have fun and be in the moment.  Here is to making some new work just for the sake of making something.

Although the piece below is a specific piece for a short story, it reminds me of summer fun.  Maybe even a Coca Cola ad.

With economies collapsing, needs for extreme energy conservation with few consumers actually taking action, and the internet becoming our biggest source of connection to the world, I wonder when the downward spiral will change direction. Most of us don’t know who our neighbors are, and what they are doing.  The fragile structure that holds everything together appears to be weakening. The what is in it for me approach consistently becoming the norm.

I did the following piece for a short story about a struggling couple living in a trailer park.  The story address communication and a desire to connect with loved ones along with strangers.  When I did this piece I thought about the couple, but I also thought about the lives of their neighbors in the trailer park community they live in.  Even if the struggling couple makes it, what about everyone else, and what does that say about the community.

Speaking of community, this piece is in the first issue of Carrier Pigeon.  We are attempting to raise funds for publication through kickstarter.  If you are in the giving mood or have funds to donate please contribute.  Thanks in advance for all of your support.

“Carrier Pigeon is a magazine of illustrated fiction and fine art. By giving full creative control to the artists, illustrators, designers and writers this magazine hopes to level the conventional perception of the singularity of each artistic discipline. Carrier Pigeon provides artists with a venue for telling stories in an undisturbed environment by offering the chance to show full bodies of work and unconditional artistic freedom in both direct subject matter and the interpretation of text. This publication will be printed quarterly.”

To contribute to Carrier Pigeon please take a moment and go here.  http://kck.st/9lVXM2

My friend Almitra told me about a Craig Macneill film project she is working on from a chapter in a novel by friend Clay Chapman.  It is in the final stages of completion.  To contribute to Henley please go here. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1801923751/henley

There are great stories originating from books that eventually get made into movies.  Sometimes the movie is a good adaptation, but we know it will never be as good as the book.  My theory is partially related to the fact that descriptions of taste, thoughts,  mixed emotion vs actions, as well as things left up to ones imagination are often solved in the readers mind.  Interpretations of how to keep the story moving, relevance to plot, and engaging the viewer through action are often dilemmas addressed in movies.  Outside of this one might also think that the director is using the story line loosely to secretly tell his/her own story.  Regardless of the outcome, a person interested in reading should rarely decide not to read based on a movie interpretation.  A movie can only inspire people who haven’t read the subject, to give the book a chance.  In short, movies which are based on books should only increase readership and not the other way around.

I worked on the image below back in January of this year  for a PBR Contest.  I didn’t make the cut, but have decided to post the stages.  The idea was to make a Professional Beer Rocketeer.  Thoughts of a mechanical beer bull also came to mind.

I hope everyone was able to enjoy independence day.  I witnessed the Macy’s fireworks displayed off of the hudson river.  I could feel the explosions, smell the smoke and enjoyed the panoramic type visuals with surround sound echoing off of the building behind me.  It is always ironic to me how much people complain in crowds while the nation commemorates unity and freedom. I can only hope that when it really counts people will always work towards what is best for everyone.

There are only a few more days left to check out the Post-It show at Giant Robot off of 9th street.  The piece below is an image I recently did for the NY Times.  Many thanks to Aviva for the direction and the work.