Purple People #01

By in General, Purple People, Revisiting Older Works

purple_people_01_lo

Continuing my project of bringing my older works up to date…

This was the first of a series of acrylics I did back in 1995 that I called, “The Purple People.” The purple people are meant to be every-people. They were inspired by a fellow from this art class I took in college. We had the usual sketchbook assignments and every one of his pages had these little faceless people on them. On one page, he drew fencers with hearts. I liked the way they looked and borrow his idea a few years later. I wish I remembered his name. He was an engineering student I think.

Anyway, I wish I’d written down what exactly I’d been thinking when I painted this, but I’m pretty sure it’s about growing up and also about falling and being out of control. I was 23 when I did this and a recent transplant to Los Angeles. Let me see what I can remember…

  • First, the dreamer is dreaming of falling which usually indicates being out of control of one’s life. Consider that the thesis statement.
  • The top right panel is a complete steal from The Catcher in the Rye. See the little children playing ball, falling off the cliff and then growing up and becoming Suits.
  • The middle left panel is taken from The Fool card in a Tarot deck (note the dog tugging at the leg). This one is actually falling in love, though. The heart falls first and then you tumble after it with Junes, spoons, moons, etc. Dog is saying, “Don’t be a fool!”
  • The middle right panel is of falling and hitting bottom with no place to go but up (this is a panel I personally have no experience with).
  • And I think the last panel repeats the first one. Being out of control but not terribly concerned about it. Just questioning what’s going on and seeing where you land.

Looking Back In Order to Move forward

By in General, Purple People, Revisiting Older Works, Women

mother_earth_lo

Sometimes, in order to move forward, one has to have a look at one’s past. So I have started going back through some of my old works and bringing them up to date. It seems I’ve had an interest in goddess images for quite a while.

Her dress was highlighted in a gold opaque watercolor that doesn’t translate very well in this photograph because “shiny” doesn’t translate well in reproduction. The dress pattern is based somewhat obviously on Klimt’s designs. I didn’t do anything more than brighten up the photograph a little but except that I did digitally update my signature. My name wasn’t Mishka back then. Wow. 18 years ago. Yikes.

I’m going to be putting a bunch of my older works up on DeviantArt for sale as prints, cards, and postcards. Some of these haven’t seen the light of day in… um… 18 years?

This is an interesting way to go forward, isn’t it? By first looking back? Happy 2014!

Recycled Art Show 2012

By in General, Shows, The Score is a Work of Art

I’m recycling my art!
No seriously, the Hotel California (Kenter Canyon) piece I did for the Zip Code Show in 2009 is part of the display at Arlington Central Library.

More information here: http://library.arlingtonva.us/2012/06/08/recycled-art-show-reception/

Photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/arlib/sets/72157630080973010/

And a little press: http://www.sungazette.net/arlington/people/recycled-art-exhibition-returns-to-library-after-hiatus/article_e082eb8a-b6dc-11e1-8c34-001a4bcf887a.html

AoM 2012: TSIAWOA Bluegrass

By in Artomatic, General, Series, Shows, The Score is a Work of Art Tags:

Bluegrass music mostly originated from the old time music of Appalachia, which itself was partly imported from the British Isles. Country, Gospel, Blues and the amorphously named “American Folk” styles were also thrown into the mix. More or less codified by the middle of the 20th century, the name and instrumentation derived from Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys band whose members also included Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt.

Each piece shown here represents both a bluegrass song as well as one of the instruments that comprise the bluegrass band. The pieces are strung with the strings of that instrument. I did some of the arrangements myself (though that is hardly saying much considering I could only fit a couple of bars on each piece). Yes, in some cases I committed the blasphemy of altering the key to make the notes fit and look better on the staff. The banjo piece was also influenced ever so slightly by the work of George Crumb.

Though Bluegrass music has evolved over the past 75 years, the basic flavor of the music remains the same. The musicians I’ve chosen, who play the music on which my pieces are based, represent different generations of performers and styles but none of the songs themselves are particularly new.

Fiddles


Hear the Music

Little Cabin on the Hill (#2 & #3): Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs

Oh, someone has taken you from me,
And left me here all alone,
Just to listen to the rain beat on my window pane,
In our little cabin home on the hill.

Guitar


Hear the Music

The Blackest Crow: Uncle Earl

The blackest crow that ever flew would surely turn to white,
If ever I prove false to you bright day will turn to night,
Bright day will turn to day my love, the elements will mourn,
If ever I prove false to you the seas will rage and burn.

Banjo


Hear the Music

Blackberry Blossom: Mean Mary

instrumental

Mandolin


Hear the Music

Pretty Saro: Engines Of Commotion

My love she won’t have me so I understand,
She wants a freeholder and I have no land,
I can not maintain her with silver and gold,
Nor buy all the fine things that a big house can hold.

Resonator Guitar (Dobro)


Hear the Music

Big Scioty: Aly Bain and Jay Ungar (Jerry Douglas-dobro)

instrumental
Music from these artists:
Transatlantic Sessions – Series 1: Volume One
Jay Ungar & Molly Mason
Jerry Douglas

Bass


Hear the Music

Wayfaring Stranger: Johnny Cash

I’m just a poor wayfarin’ stranger,
While travelin’ through this world below.
Yet there’s no sickness, no toil, nor danger,
In that bright land to which I go.
I’m goin’ there to see my Father.
And all my loved ones who’ve gone on.
I’m just goin’ over Jordan.
I’m just goin’ over home.

Artomatic 2012

By in Artomatic, General, Shows, The Score is a Work of Art

Before:

After:

Artomatic is back! After 3 years, the artists have taken over an entire vacated office building in Crystal City (over by the Pentagon and National Airport in Arlington, VA). Man what a dusty, stuffy old space. I got stuck with blue carpet but what the hey. I’m generally pleased with my show this time around. It’s another part of The Score is a Work of Art series but dedicated to bluegrass music. If you’re in the DC area, check out Artomatic. My space is on the 11th floor behind the service elevator. (Space#11-3-03-0262 – Floor 11, Section 3, Area 3, Space 0262).

In other news, we just bought a new house and are selling our old one. We move in late June. It’s a great diet! Try and put an art show together while simultaneously packing up your house so it looks like you don’t live there and also chasing a 13 month old around who has suddenly figured out walking. Yeesh. I’ll be happy to get to the beach in July.

Edit: Here are some photos of the bluegrass band. If I was cleverer, I would have named it and posted a set list on the wall.

Wayfaring Stranger (Bass)


Big Scioty (Resonator Guitar)


Pretty Saro (Mandolin)


Little Cabin on the Hill #2 & #3 (Fiddles)


Blackberry Blossom (Banjo)


The Blackest Crow (Guitar)

Walking to Caesarea (Eli Eli)

By in Series, The Score is a Work of Art

eli eli 1

I finished another piece in The Score is a Work of Art series based on the Hebrew song, Walking to Caesarea (Eli Eli). It is a very powerful piece – originally a poem – written by poet/playwrite/warrior Hannah Szenes who did not live to see 23 years old. The music was written by Israeli composer, David Zehavi.

For me, this is a simple song about walking on the beach and wondering why there is so much unrest in humanity.

eli eli 2

I’d been trying to figure out how to do execute this for a while and am still unsure whether this is a study or a final. I had thought about working with polymer or resin casting in order to be more literal, so I may do another version of this piece in future trying those techniques.

I found this series of wooden frames that I liked when framing a print of …Wandering Aengus and on an impulse decided to use the frame and it’s glass as part of the art for Eli Eli, though I think the glass is perhaps too smooth and too close to the sand to be representing water. The idea is that the sand (glued in layers to the canvas) is under the water. The hemp strings of the staff are like fishing nets under the water digging lines in the sand. The pebbles here are floating on the water, which I like because it’s fanciful.

All in all, I really like the way this turned out though the photographs don’t really show the depth very well.

Here is the version of this piece that Harris recorded as part his masters thesis – The last one, #8 (we both always liked the song): https://harris.wulfson.com/?p=312

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