I Forgot
How miserable it is painting realistic metal. But it’s coming along.
Photoshop 1.0
Or a #2 pencil drawing and a copy machine.
Prospector
When work is slow draw a sad prospector guy on neon paper.
It’s been one of those days
Where you draw a little kid launching a hellfire missile from a reaper drone.
Cause and Effect
or things that would be way cooler 8’ x 8’ or painting stuff no one wants in their house since 1984.
Panel One
Cause:
this would look pretty bad if I did it on an larger scale, somewhere around 8 ft x 8 ft. Maybe if I get in to one of these residencies I’ll be able to pull it off.
Progress
This photo got kind of washed out since it’s overcast here in Denver - but all I have left is to finish painting the embroidered stars and some interference orange to make the edges of the flames appear translucent. It’s taking almost a month of working in my free time on this painting. 2018 has been strange in America. A sitting president is under criminal investigation investigation yet continues to peddle lies, propaganda, conspiracy theories, and disinformation to discredit the investigation. The republican lead congress just sits by and does nothing as he attacks the free press. The worst part is people still believe him, and he has support among conservative groups. This is utter insanity.
Well That’s Like
On the easel
This was a full pencil
When I started this 72 inch tall painting.
Couple more sketches
Blatant drug art always seemed pretty lame to me, so I’ve gone through several iterations of these preliminary drawings in my sketchbook before landed on these two. It’s definitely been an internal struggle of whether I should even make these. I went through the same thing when I was working on the AR-15 painting but it ended up turning out pretty powerful.
Whoa
Well the reaction to this painting has been pretty interesting. No one actually likes it, which is what I was actually going for. The left leaning types apparently don’t want to face the reality of guns in the context of school shootings especially when it’s to scale of a real AR-15 and the right sees it as some sort of attack on their personal freedom. The fact is America has too many guns and my biggest issue with where the gun control debate is headed, is towards the scapegoating of people with mental health issues. Blaming an already stigmatized and marginalized section of society isn’t moving forward. The Las Vegas shooter by all apperences didn’t have any “mental heath issues” before his massacre.
Oh and I have two words regarding the argument about a well armed militia: predator drone.
The upside
Of no one really caring about your work is it free’s you up to create stuff that will probably piss people off!
Freedom
Something, something
That Point
where you have to walk away for a while and build more stretcher bars so you don’t screw up your painting and keep objectivity.
Sketchbook
I’ve always said a sketchbook is the best weapon in an artists arsenal, this is how I use mine in the planing stage
Manifesting Ideas
Or something like that.
Couple More
of these license plate paintings in the works, let me know of any signs you’d like to see!
A month later
And I’m still working away on this painting