Rob Kmiec Art

Work in Progress

2011-12-07T14:44:00.000-08:00

Here's an update on "Heart-Breaker."

Adding color, thinking story, atmosphere and mood. Getting great feedback via Facebook and have applied some of it in this. Thanks everyone!

Going to put it aside for a bit and get to making some art for Xmas gifts. I'll revisit it in January and try to put it to bed. Some things to address: Need to make sure her face is the first "read" in the image hierarchy. I want to use the LED lights to bounce you around the figure, out to the landscape and back ultimately. Some good crit included bouncing the warm, earth-tones into the armor to create more volume and make the rim-light on the figure match the material. I think I'd like to potentially add some other background elements. Need to thumbnail it back out and see. Anyway, enjoy!

Heartbreaker

2011-12-05T17:14:00.000-08:00

More fun designing stuff. Does the world need another space marine? I doubt it but what's another going to hurt. Anyway, here she is. . . Heart-Breaker.

Curb Your Enthusiasm Caricatures

2011-11-10T17:47:00.000-08:00

Been watching old episodes of Curb and sketching. Here are a finished Larry David and Jeff Greene and a rough sketch of the main cast. I scanned the sketches in, got some reference and painted these in Photoshop. Enjoy.

"Stolen Voices" Process

2011-11-01T17:47:00.000-07:00

In a continuing effort to document my process and share it, I give you the process image for Stolen Voices. Enjoy. (To see the image larger, click the image and then click "Show Original" in the bottom left corner. Click the new image to Zoom In)

Kid Ronin

2011-11-01T16:44:00.000-07:00

Latest character design with a little bit of a back-story. I feel like this is a first pass; that it could be richer so I'm open to some "costume" possibilities. This and previous designs are all done with a Wacom tablet and stylus in Photoshop. Enjoy.

Bubble-V(inny)

2011-10-26T18:45:00.000-07:00

I'm continuing to create characters for fun and practice. I'm working in greyscale but will kick in with some color soon. Enjoy.

Ghost Girl

2011-10-21T18:03:00.000-07:00

I'm prepping for Character Design class in the Spring. Here's "Ghost Girl" inspired by some cool movie characters and music. I'm pretty happy so far but I think she needs something . . .

Step by Step

2011-10-21T17:57:00.000-07:00

I'm planning a lesson for my students in which they will be required to take a traditional life drawing and build it into a digital painting. They will have to add lighting, color, costume and environment. I needed to test the waters first and am happy with the results. If time permits I'd like to take this to a final stage. We shall see

Stolen Voices

2011-10-17T14:27:00.000-07:00

Latest in the "Post Mortem" series . . . "Stolen Voices," mixed media on Mylar 24"x36"

Process: Blind Hubris

2011-09-17T15:33:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to get into the habit of recording my process, mainly because I forget how I do things but also to share and learn more about how other artists make their work. While it's not heavy in process, it's here . . . enjoy.

Rapid Viz Painting Demo

2011-06-13T02:58:00.000-07:00

Here's another demo I created for my students. I can't take credit for the technique. I learned it on Paul Richard's blog: http://autodestructdigital.blogspot.com

Skin Tone Studies

2011-06-13T02:21:00.000-07:00

I'm creating a lecture and have been doing some skin tone demos for my Photoshop class. Here are some that were done so far illustrating the attributes of different skin tones. I thought it important to do studies of artists' work in order to see how they tackled skin tones rather than rely on photography. The artists I chose were J.W. Waterhouse, John Singer Sargent, Wong Kar-wai, Wai Ming and Gilbert Stuart. Feel free to use them if they are helpful. In order are: Mediterranean, African/Middle Eastern, Caucasian and Asian

Lolita

2011-02-26T16:35:00.000-08:00

Finally an update. Here's the latest in the Post Mortem series . . .

Lolita, 4'x6' Acrylic on Canvas

Lolita Process
I tried to be diligent about documenting this piece but there are some pretty big jumps. Hope it's interesting nonetheless.

On the wall and on the easel . . . irons in the fire.

2010-09-13T13:50:00.000-07:00

Here's more work in progress for the "Post Mortem" series. Through this series I am attempting to communicate the failings common in many of my relationships by creating a visual dialogue between figure and skull.

"Hubris II" mixed media on Mylar 24"x36"

"Hubris" mixed media on Mylar 24"x36"

Details . . .

"Coronation" mixed media on Mylar 36"x24"

"Bacchante" graphite on Arches 24"x36"

Undead King

2010-06-05T14:58:00.000-07:00

I started this one a ways back, left it for dead and then resurrected it. Graphite and CS3.

Scout and Goblin

2010-05-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

More freelance for the iPhone RPG.

Wizard

2010-03-27T15:26:00.000-07:00

Here's an illustration for an unannounced IPhone RPG. It was created in Photoshop and based off a sketch of one of the models I often draw at the DigiPen Life Drawing sessions.

This is the sketch it was based off of.

Monkey on my back

2010-01-28T19:56:00.000-08:00

While I was visiting with my folks this past Winter I came across an old painting I did entitled "Monkey on my back." It's essentially an illustration on various types of addictions. It's roughly a 4' x 3' Masonite panel done in charcoal, Conte crayon, colored pencil, ink, gesso, gold paint, collage, acrylic, oil, egg tempera, kitchen sink etc. - a true Mixed Media!!

It was exhibited at an arts festival back east and I overheard two people commenting on it.

The first said, "This isn't art!"

The second person said "This painting looks like how I feel when my wife asks me to mow the lawn!"

I think I like the second comment better!

Wrigley

2010-01-13T16:19:00.000-08:00

Here's a drawing I did of my sister and brother-in-law's dog "Wrigley" for an Xmas gift. It's about 18"x24" and I used Sumi Ink, Conte Crayon and Acrylic. Wrigley's an energetic, playful pup so I did the drawing in one sitting and as loose as possible to emulate her personality.

More Work In Progress

2009-11-20T17:34:00.000-08:00

Here's a painting tentatively titled "Hallelujah." It's linked to "Blind Hubris," a drawing you can see in an earlier post. The colors are off but I'll be taking a proper photo soon. Enjoy.

New Figure Drawings

2009-10-22T16:40:00.000-07:00

I'll be attempting to upload new drawings from the weekly figure drawing session I run at DigiPen. Here's a couple to get the ball rolling. The first is a 5 minute and the next is a 20 minute.

Work in Progress

2009-04-29T15:26:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since the last update but I've got a bunch of irons in the fire. The following are pieces in progress for the series "Post Mortem." Enjoy . . . feedback is always appreciated and encouraged :)

"Blind Hubris," graphite on Rives BFK

"Sacrifice," charcoal on vellum

"Sacrifice II," mixed media

"Salome," oil on canvas

"St. Bartholomew 2008," oil on canvas

Sketchbook part 2

2009-03-06T16:13:00.000-08:00

Figures - mixed media. Poses ranging from 5 to 25 minutes.

Sketchbook part 1

2009-03-06T15:44:00.000-08:00

Faces . . . conte and coffee from 25 to 5 minutes

Studio Tour

2009-01-05T14:42:00.000-08:00

Here's a stitched up image of the new studio Eric and I are sharing. The space is much larger than the closet we shared before and even has a slop sink - yay! The studio is located at the OK Hotel. It's the same location as the gallery we co-curate so it inevitably acts as a storage space for the exhibiting artists.

The OK Hotel has a pretty significant cultural history for the role it played in the Seattle "Grunge" Scene. At one point the hotel had a stage, bar and a cafe and it was the first place Nirvana performed "Smells Like Teen Spirit." You can watch the gig on You Tube. Many important grunge bands played the hotel including Pearl Jam. I was informed that they recorded a music video there but I'm not sure of the song. Parts of the movie "Singles" were filmed there as well. I think I'll rent it and see. Whooopeee!

A 'newer' drawing . . .

2009-01-05T14:35:00.000-08:00

Here's Incommunicado IV- last in this series. It was done on vellum with conte pencils. I finished it some time ago but have been lax in updating . . . enjoy.

Incommunicado III

2008-08-08T15:26:00.000-07:00

Incommunicado - deprived of any communication with others . . . I never realized how prophetic this piece would actually become . . . enjoy. The image is 9"x14," graphite on Arches paper.

Bon Voyage

2008-08-07T17:37:00.000-07:00

My friends Jazno, Andie and their beautiful daughter Bella are off to Singapore for 9 months. These pictures are from Andie's farewell performance and a "going away" lunch at a local eatery.

Alecia and Gordon . . . colleagues and friends

Andie and her sister Teresa . . . Eric, my studio mate and I

Teresa belts one out . . . Andie, Bergman, me and Eric in the back

reminiscing . . .

Getting up . . . and trying to connect with Jeff the meth head one last time

Indian buffett . . . Bella meets Lily

. . . the gang

Recent Figure Drawings

2008-06-30T13:42:00.000-07:00

These are a sampling of some figure drawings I've been doing at the Wednesday night DigiPen and Thursday night Arena.Net life drawing sessions. They range in time from 10 to 25 minute drawings. Enjoy!

The Art of Kevin Hebb

2008-06-06T14:19:00.000-07:00

Kevin Hebb is a pop artist, designer and creator of strange birdhouses. He draws from his childhood experiences in suburbia and synthesizes them with his recent urban explorations. His birdhouse constructions clearly convey the essence of these combined experiences. The birdhouse is a representation of home, innocence, serenity and charm (everything his suburban upbringing represented) which is then morphed through the use of an urban language of texture, decay, graffiti, borrowed imagery, symbols, slogans and found objects. It's Pop Art and it's nothing new but it's his and he has a whole career ahead of him. He was also my student. I still have a few things to teach him and I'm sure he's got a lesson or two for me.

Check out his work . . . http://www.kevin-hebb.com/

Character Designs

2008-06-02T14:35:00.000-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to do some "blue sky" character designs for an animated short entitled "The Calico Martini." I worked primarily on the character "Jasper" who is a dastardly little boy. He gets in way over his head when he decides to get into mischief after his mom goes out on an errand. After coming up with the basic look and feel for Jasper I passed them on to my colleague Jazno Francouer (a former Disney special effects animator) who refined them even further. They were then passed onto another colleague, Dan Daly (a former Disney clean-up artist) who cleaned them up! The images below document the process from blue sky all the way through to final model sheet and emotes. Enjoy!

Second Skin

2008-05-16T15:20:00.000-07:00

Lyrics by the Chameleons UK - too beautiful, too haunting not to share - feeling it right now.

One cold damp evening the world stood still

I watched and held my breath

A silhouette I thought I knew came through and someone spoke to me

Whispered in my ear "This fantasy's for you."

My whole life passed before my eyes

I thought what they say is true

I shed my skin and my disguise and cold, numb and naked I emerged from my cocoon

And a half remembered tune played softly in my head

Then she turned smiling and said I realize a miracle is due

I dedicate this melody to you but is this the stuff dreams are made of?

If this is the stuff dreams are made of no wonder I feel like I'm floating on air

Everywhere, It feels like I'm everywhere

It's like you fail to make the connection - You know how vital it is

Or when something slips through your fingers - You know how precious it is

When you reach the point where you know It's only your second skin
Someone's banging on my door

Render Me Dead

2008-05-12T13:55:00.000-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to work with a local director, Greg Brotherton on his first feature indy film "Render Me Dead." RMD is a fim noir spoof set here in Seattle with elements of corporate espionage, murder and comic relief. I initially was slated to do storyboards for the film but much to the chagrin of the DP and the rest of us visually minded people he chose not to. I did however act as Art Director for the film's finale in which a makeshift gallery is constructed in a barn and all sorts of visuals created as clues revealing the identity of the murderer.

The location of the finale was about an hour away from Seattle at a place called Smoke Farm. It was a gorgeous place but during the final weekend of shooting the weather was miserable and prevented the crew from finishing.

Aside from acting as Art Director I made some art for the finale. I did three pieces in total. Two were on 8'x8' canvas and a third was done digitally and projected onto paper. The first concept was to create an illustration that graphically captured the crime scene with chalk outline and police tape. The second was to illustrate the logo of a group of corporate thieves known as the Air Pirates.

Alot of time and effort was spent constructing the set for the finale which required frames for all of the art and projections. Each visual was 8'x8' and I worked closely with Ben the construction guy to meet all of the deadlines - which meant alot of sleepless nights. One of the construction set ups required us to drop an eighty pound plexiglass and wood framework down on one of the leads!

Economic Heavyweight Championship

2008-04-29T14:12:00.000-07:00

Recently, I've been teaching my students about "process" and how important it is in the creation of engaging images. I decided I would show them about the process involved with creating the images for the series entitled Economic Heavyweight Championship. I've included a sampling of my favorite images from the series (there are 14 in total) along with some of the reference. It shows how much time and effort some illustrators put into the "front end" of an assignment and to what lengths they will go to produce compelling images with a sense of legitimacy. Even more so, it points out how important it is for an illustrator to have good friends - in this case Johnny T and Alex Hoxha!! They had no idea what I was doing (I'm sure they thought I was crazy) but they trusted me and posed for the reference pictures shown below. I couldn't have done it as well without them or without the assistance of my dad who was integral in helping me to get the best photos.

After compiling the best reference photos, I visited zoos to sketch bears and tore through picture files in order to find great bull/bear images. I watched E.S.P.N Classic in order to get a feel for old black and white boxing matches ala Rocky Marciano (my favorite boxer of all time who went undefeated in his pro career and even better, he was from Massachusetts). After pulling together all of my imagery, I scanned what I had into Photoshop and composited it all together, printed my final reference images and used them in completing the images you see below. My plan for these images is to add a crowd and the look and feel of an old televised boxing match complete with smoky haze and maybe an old T.V. frame. I will probably add an image or two including one that emulates the look and feel of an old promotional poster. The goal ultimately is to create an animatic with dialogue and sound effects. Wish me luck!

In Progress - Post Mortem

2008-02-09T12:21:00.000-08:00

I've been obsessing with this imagery lately . . . trying to find the right voice. Again, these images are for a series titled "Post Mortem." They're all fairly close to finish. Let me know what you think.

More Digital Photos

2008-01-23T11:11:00.000-08:00

More experiments and what not with the digital camera . . . enjoy.

Recent Sketches

2008-01-19T13:25:00.000-08:00

I bought a new sketchbook over x-mas break and have been trying to draw as much as possible. A few of the drawings were done at Gage Academy's Drawing Jam. If you're local and love to draw or just want to experience a wild 10 hour artistic orgy then go to the next drawing jam. You won't be disappointed.

Still Film

2007-10-15T13:04:00.000-07:00

I was recently cast by one of my students to act in a "still" film. My role was that of a strict, no nonsense disciplinarian professor . . . can you say typecast! I've included a couple of stills from the film for your viewing pleasure.

Color Sketch

2007-10-12T15:29:00.000-07:00

This started out as a fairly loose and quick color sketch of Pigeon. I think I may have spent a little more time than I wanted to on it - in total about 2 hours. I didn't want to kill the freshness, looseness - spontaneity of it and I wanted to work in complements - I think I succeeded. Enjoy!

Finished Batman Pieces

2007-09-13T15:24:00.000-07:00

Finally finished these pieces. Again, they were done with sumi ink and gesso on craft paper. I'm happy with these images and with these materials but in the future I might mount the craft paper to a board/wood because the paper really wrinkles with the addition of the water based mediums.

August . . .

2007-09-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

Wow. Haven't posted in a while. My family visited in early August. Here are some pics I took during their visit.

Older Work

2007-06-21T11:52:00.001-07:00

Came across some older files of work that I'm still fond of. Thought I would share. Enjoy.

Voudou

2007-06-18T19:37:00.000-07:00

I forgot how much fun blending modes were in Photoshop . . .

George Bush Dookie

2007-06-18T14:59:00.000-07:00

Yes . . . George Bush Dookie. I came across this on a walk through Capitol Hill. Wow! I had to take a picture! Enjoy, I think.

Gage Academy Student Show

2007-06-18T14:31:00.000-07:00

This past Friday I went to the Gage Academy Student Exhibition with Seattle celebrity and art model extrodinaire Pigeon as well as my two illustrious colleagues Alecia Rossano and Peter Moerhle. Gage's philosophy of art education is based on the classic atelier system which had it's heyday in France during the 1800's before it was usurped by Impressionism. The atelier system never quite died; pockets of this educational system remain and are firmly entrenched, especially here in Seattle.

Top: Pigeon and her portrait painted by Josh Lawrence - a student in Juliet Aristides Atelier

Left to Right: Alecia Rossano, sculptress and DigiPen professor with her most recent sculpture in progress;

Pigeon with a drawing she posed for; Alecia and Peter Moerhle - former Disney background painter and DigiPen professor.

Check out Peter's work at . . .

http://homepage.mac.com/jmoehrle/pmoehrle/animationart/animationart.html

Parasite Pals

2007-06-11T11:08:00.000-07:00

I forgot to post this . . . I took this pic a ways back while I was doing the Production assistant gig in the Childrens Hospital. Weird.

Interesting sights . . .

2007-06-11T10:55:00.000-07:00

Just walking around the neighborhood you see alot of interesting things like . . .

Emerald City Comic Con

2007-05-17T14:23:00.000-07:00

Here's a couple of images I took at the Emerald City Comic Con. DigiPen had a booth there to advertise and I was there to represent. Unfortunately, the only real highlights were what I took pix of . . . seeing an original Milt Caniff was awesome! Also, I finally got to meet Alberto Ruiz. There is a link to his blog in my links section . . . you must check his stuff out especially if you love the female form!

The First Rule of Fight Club is . . . .

2007-05-17T14:17:00.000-07:00

Yup, DigiPen Fight Club . . . except it's done with video games instead of fists. Maybe Microsoft has the real deal. I heard those guys get so stressed out at work that they're looking to blow off some steam. I wonder . . . .

Pilot

2007-05-17T14:10:00.000-07:00

Here's another digital sketch . . . a little look and feel for a heroic WWII pilot.

Pimp my Artwork

2007-05-17T13:38:00.000-07:00

The students in my Raster Graphics for Animation class challenged me to "pimp" this image they found on an art forum. I decided I would use this as a "teaching opportunity" and did an in-class demo on painting in Photoshop. Enjoy.

Visual Development in progress

2007-05-17T13:33:00.000-07:00

Here's some quick digital thumbs/viz dev of an Elk for a potential summer project that the faculty here at DigiPen might work on. If all goes according to plan we may be animating a 30 second short as a tool for crosstraining and fodder for marketing and competition. Keep your fingers crossed.

Mariners versus Chi Sox

2007-05-14T15:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a panoramic shot of SafeCo Field. This was my first ball game here in Seattle. The home team beat up on Chicago. I attended the game with my colleagues Gordon and Jazno. Jazno took the pix and composited them in Photoshop. Check Jazno out at http://jazno.com

In the elevator . . .

2007-05-13T16:43:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. Too much going on at work. Too much drama. Am I going up or down? We'll see . . . . more later.

"A Tree Falls in Seattle."

2007-04-23T11:02:00.000-07:00

This tree went down in a storm and had to be cut to pieces and hauled off by a city work crew.

Somebody left a pretty profound message on the stump. Sing.

Seattle Panorama

2007-04-23T10:29:00.000-07:00

I took a number of pictures of the city from Gas Works Park in Fremont not long ago and pieced them together in PhotoShop. This is pretty much the view I have from my balcony too. Enjoy.

Mixed Messages - Finis

2007-04-20T16:01:00.000-07:00

Here it is. This piece is the second in a series tentatively titled "Post Mortem."

When the series is complete I will be hanging the work at a cafe in Queen Anne called Holly's.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

the return of BlesOne

2007-04-14T18:06:00.000-07:00

Don't get excited kiddies, I was just feeling it after the DigiPen Mural.
I was gonna write wash me but I think this looks better.

More Graff Pix

2007-04-10T10:51:00.000-07:00

DigiPen Graffiti Project

2007-04-03T18:08:00.000-07:00

I was asked to act as consultant for a student animation project called "Graffiti." The response to the project was so overwhelming that the president of the school requested that a mural advertising this project be painted on one of the school's walls. We only had a week to prepare and one day to actually paint it but it was a great success. We added some "crime scene" tape to make it look legit. I'll post some more pix of it in different stages in the near future.

George Bush Sucks . . .

2007-04-02T16:15:00.000-07:00

King of All Chalkboards

Production Assistant

2007-03-25T14:16:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my colleague Jim Johnson, I had the great opportunity to work as a Production Assistant on an instructional/documentary film on Cystic Fibrosis at the Children's Hospital in downtown Seattle. We worked from 7 A.M. to 7 P.M. on Saturday and a half day shoot today. It was alot of work but I had a great time and met some very interesting people. In between unloading, loading, carrying, setting up and breaking down equipment, escorting the crew, ordering lunch, working a dolly, and essentially doing whatever was requested, I got to shoot some photos. I used three cameras in all - the director of photography's camera, the director's, and my own. I think I shot close to three hundred pics! I'm uploading just a few for your viewing pleasure.

Top, left to right: Field expert/talent - Jay, Director - Jim, Producer - Natalie, Director of Photography - Eric

Middle: Mark Iguchi - lighting expert.

Bottom: Set Dresser, Mellisa, Director, Jim Johnson and Eric Browne, Director of Photography review playback on the last scene.

Peter Kmiec - Photography Blog

2007-03-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

Creativity runs in the family . . .

This photo of my cousin Aleks was taken by Aleks' dad, my uncle - Pete.

He's got a terrific blog about his photography.

Check it out . . .

http://filthymonkey.smugmug.com/

Lenin Go Bragh

2007-03-22T16:14:00.000-07:00

This statue of Lenin is the real deal. It was rescued from Mother Russia by an American sculptor and now resides in the "red" Seattle neighborhood known as Fremont. I took this photo right after St. Patty's Day (notice the green lei wrapped around Lenin's forefinger). Oh, by the way, the statue is for sale. For $100,000.00 this famous Russian can be all yours.

Dasvedanya or Pog Mo Thoin - you decide.

Recent Figure Drawings

2007-03-20T11:47:00.000-07:00

These are examples of some figure drawing demos I've worked on for students as well as the opportunity to knock some rust off.

"Texas is the reason that the president's dead." G. Danzig

2007-03-16T17:31:00.000-07:00

F'Texas, 2006, Digital Print, 18"x24"

This is a photo of an attempt at Warhol. It's an old J.F.K Campaign Poster that's been doctored up in Photoshop and printed thanks to Kevin.

2 drastically different animations you should see

2007-03-07T14:07:00.000-08:00

Dumbland is an animated series created by David Lynch which he describes as "a crude, stupid, violent, absurd series."

The Triplets of Belleville is an amazing animated film from French animator Sylvain Chomet. If you love the golden age of Disney Movies then you'll love this.

Closer to finish

2007-03-07T14:00:00.000-08:00

Mixed Messages . . . . almost there.

Workspace . . . in progress

2007-03-04T15:26:00.000-08:00

Yep. This is the set-up. I'm using the box from my T.V. as a table and I'm using some baboon skulls from one of my colleagues collection as fodder for the new piece.

Fireplace

2007-03-01T16:09:00.000-08:00

This is the fireplace in my apartment. I turned off all the lights, opened up on the F-Stop and used a 30 second exposure. The flames remind me of layers and layers of grafitti script done with fat and thin markers.

Woodland Park Zoo - Seattle

2007-02-26T18:09:00.000-08:00

I just bought a new digital camera - a Sony Cybershot. It's an 8.1 megapixel thingy with a Carl Zeiss lens. I took alot of shots of this guy. I was about 8 feet away from him but you can see a slight reflection in the glass - the only thing separating him from carving me up.

AAARRROOOO

2007-02-26T18:05:00.000-08:00

The wolves were enclosed right next to the caribou.
The only thing separating them was a huge fence.
What a tease.

Komodo Dragon

2007-02-26T18:03:00.000-08:00

More shots at Woodland Park

2007-02-26T17:30:00.001-08:00

Carnivora, 2007, Sumi Ink and Gesso on Paper

Self Portrait

2007-02-26T17:22:00.000-08:00

Self Portrait, 2006, Mixed Media on Paper

FERAL . . . portrait of Dave Matckie

2007-02-26T17:06:00.000-08:00

Feral, 2006, Mixed Media & Funeral Tag on Paper

This is about Dave . . . I don't know what else to say.
The poem in the piece reads . . .

Ashes in a tin and no autopsy.
"What did you expect?!"
So you wash your face in a rusty sink
full of memories
and they will ask
"Are you crying?"
and you will say
"No. My face is wet from the memories."

2007-02-22T14:21:00.000-08:00

Here is another image in progress for the D.C. Portfolio that I'm planning to submit this summer at ComicCon. Again, I'm working in Sumi Ink and gesso on craft paper. My idea for these images came from the question, "What if Caravaggio painted a street fight?" Caravaggio was the master at staging a scene with a simplified background and dramatic Chiaroscuro lighting. In fact he'd make a great film director if he lived today.

More . . .

2007-02-22T14:17:00.000-08:00

More in progress . .

2007-02-22T12:48:00.000-08:00

More in progress . . .

2007-02-22T12:45:00.000-08:00

Neurosis . . .

2007-02-13T12:18:00.000-08:00

These are the lyrics from the chorus of a Neurosis song called "self-doubt."

They've stayed with me for half my life. I've written these words over and over, down in notebooks, spraypainted on walls, in sketchbooks; anyplace where I would look and be reminded about how I need to live.

Exorcise the demons from your mind
Purge the fear of failure
Reject inbred subjective restrictions
Remove the blinders, explore the infinite

check Neurosis out at www.neurosis.com

More Henry

2007-02-13T11:05:00.000-08:00

I read this last night. It's from Henry Rollins' book Pissing in the Gene Pool. It hit me pretty hard . . . hope it hits you too.

I can see it in your eyes. They're wet like a dog's. You're looking for a leg to climb to keep you from drowning. Your hands reach out, clutching for something solid to hold on to. You're weak and in need. You want something to hold so you can have something to blame. Don't reach out to me. I'm drowning too.

Triple Decker

2007-02-10T13:54:00.000-08:00

I've decided to include some poetry that I've recently written . . . you may need a little vocabulary lesson though.

Dot - the affectionate slang for a section of Boston known as Dorchester - where I grew up.

Triple Decker - a three story apartment building with each floor being one apartment.

Well, here it is.

Triple Decker

There is a triple-decker
In Dot
That I want to raze
To the ground
And free all of the ghosts
Caught up in the rafters
And in between the floorboards

If I could I would
Tear it down with my own hands
Brick by brick
Board by board and
Let loose all of the memories
Trapped in that
Hollow
Three tiered
Corpse

Paul Kmiec

2007-02-08T16:19:00.000-08:00

My cousin Paul plays the main character "Billy" in a short, independent film which has garnered alot of attention.

He was recently nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 2006 FAIF International Film Festival for his portrayal of Billy. His stage credits include Rooster in Annie, The Artful Dodger in Oliver!, Randolph Macafee in Bye Bye Birdie, Jesus in Godspell, and Young Daniel in Once on this Island. Kmiec's film credits include Tools for Teaching and Turtle Song. Paul's ambition is to become a filmmaker and screenwriter.

Check these links for more information:

www.fanclub.citymaker.com/InTheTraditionofMyFamily.html

www.orlater.com

Journal Entry: Dec. 17, 2006

2007-02-08T15:16:00.000-08:00

I came across this one today and thought I would share. It's an older entry but I like this one. I like how far away it seems even though it was less than a couple of months ago . . .

Dec. 17, 9:40 L.A.X

I just bought a pen. I can't remember the last time I bought a pen. I spent four bucks . . . on a pen. Also, I did something I don't think I've done in quite a long time . . . I ate alone. I ate in a Chilis. Yeah, I know but I'm in an airport and I've got four hours to kill. Elvis x-mas songs seem to be the artist and music of choice at both SeaTac and L.A.X. and after four hours, I know these songs by heart. I wouldn't have four hours to kill if I didn't screw up so badly this morning. I should have been in Boston hours ago but I slept through my alarm, missed my flight, dog ate my homework. I brought the pen I bought into the airport men's room to wash off the sticky price tag residue. You can imagine the looks I got in there. Who washes a pen in an airport, men's room sink?

Back to Chilis . . . I ate a turkey sandwich and read Bill Bryson's new book "The Thunderbolt Kid." It felt okay to eat alone. I thought it was going to be tough but I just sat, read and ate, absorbed in the book. The hostess kind of put all of us "dine aloners" in one section. The waitress let me stay there for quite a long time undisturbed. She wasn't ignoring me. She probably knew that I had plenty of time to kill.

Got alot of reading done. Bryson is good, lighthearted reading - perfect for everything that's been happening regarding "her." I am enjoying this solitude a little more than I expected. I get to be with my thoughts, good and bad. I get to observe people and have experiences that are mine and I think it helps that I have a goal, or destination in this case. It keeps me focused. I am alone but I am around people. I think that helps too.

The worst is being alone in my apartment in the "sticks" of Redmond, Washington. There is nothing to walk to or explore. It's conducive to running, if you don't mind the occasional black bear, but I really grew to love walking up and down Broadway in Seattle. There you can be alone without being alone. People here are friendlier and my east coast edge is softening. It's easier to communicate with strangers here. I'm gaining more confidence in myself and not feeling as tongue tied or self-conscience. We'll see what happens when I get back home . . . . more later.

2007-02-08T11:14:00.000-08:00

"The ecstasy is so short
but the forgetting is so long."

-Walt Whitman

Texas

2007-02-08T10:58:00.000-08:00

Texas, 2004

Acrylic on Cabinet, 14 x 23 inches

The Big Apple

2007-02-05T15:59:00.000-08:00

The Big Apple, 2005

Oil on Arches Paper, 12 x 19 inches

Yep, this one's about New Yawk. A former student, Kevin posed as the vandal.

Great Quote for Today: Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers, but to be fearless in facing them. Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain, but for the heart to conquer it.
-Rabindranath Tagore

Digital Painting

2007-02-05T11:15:00.000-08:00

This started out as a digital painting demo for one of my classes.

It was painted with a Wacom Tablet in Adobe Photoshop.

Work in Progress

2007-02-03T16:25:00.000-08:00

Pow!!

This is one of the pieces I have been working on for the D.C. portfolio.

I am using Sumi Ink and gesso on craft paper. I like the cool blue greys against the warm brown of the paper.

It's almost there. I'll post it again when I'm done.

BATMAN

2007-02-02T16:35:00.000-08:00

One Night in Gotham, 2005
Oil on Illustration Board, 15 x 20 inches

Anyone who knows me, knows how big a fan I am of Batman (say that 5 times fast). I did this piece for fun, a while ago, but upon completion decided I would include this image as part of a portfolio to submit to D.C. Comics. Hopefully I will be able to submit it for review at the San Diego Comic Con this summer.

R.I.P Dave

2007-02-02T15:26:00.000-08:00

My good friend of 17 years, Dave Matckie died this past summer . . . June 16, 2006.

He was 34 years old.

Rest in Peace.

This is one of the last pictures taken of him.

It was taken by a great Boston graf/tattoo artist Alone.

Here's his link: www.aloneart.com

Rollins

2007-02-02T10:46:00.000-08:00

Rollins: Self-Promotion Piece
2006, Mixed Media on Masonite, 22 x 12 inches

I'm a big fan of Henry Rollins. I have been since his days with the great and powerful Black Flag. Check out his work with the Rollins Band - especially the lyrics. His words are powerful and inspirational and if you ever get the chance to see one of his spoken word performances, don't miss it.

Hank is all about the mouth so I thought it apt to cover it with the Black Flag logo.

Here are some Hank links:

www.21361.com

www.henryrollins.com

enjoy

2007-02-02T10:10:00.000-08:00

Fenway

She was named after the ballpark of course! This is a birthday pic I took of my sister and bro-in-law's dog the summer before I left for the left coast. She absolutely destroyed her birthday cookie after I took this pic. It was gone in under a minute. I kid you not.