52 Fridays - Number 53 Bonus Week - What's Next...

 

The "52 Fridays" project was actually a "53 Fridays" project all along. That is quite fitting as 2021 proved to not follow any of my assumptions from even that basic one to where the world would be with COVID-19 (Like many people, I thought it would mostly be a non-problem by this point...) Heading into 2022 I have decided the best policy is to have no assumptions or expectations for the year and just take each day as it comes. Better to remain flexible and patient; adjust as necessary. 

This week's image is another I found on "fernandin_jones" most excellent Instaspam feed. No information there, but likely Africa. As always I will update this post with background information when it becomes available. It is always important to connect the cultures and give proper credit whenever possible. This is my interpretation of someone else's work.

The dark, deep shadows pulled me, but also the sweet smile and kind eyes, which I rendered a bit sadder looking then the original. Putting on a brave face reflects how I feel going into 2022. Keep that grin on, but it's difficult to hide the emotion in my eyes. 

It's been a good run making these fifty-three drawings. I have an idea for presenting them and may put them together as a show. Find a place to exhibit them IRL (In Real Life). Doing these drawings every week has reconnected me with the practice of making art. Now, I am feeling a bit off if I don't sit down at least once week and do some scribbling. I will continue doing some kind of creative work every week, but haven't decided what form that will take.

On this last day of 2021, I am grateful for my health, for the love in my life and the friends I have to share the journey. 

Wishing all of us have a peaceful 2022 filled with good times with friends and a few adventures too!

Never Give Up!

OK HW

52 Fridays - Moon Amigo

 

Here it is drawing number fifty-two in the "52 Fridays" drawing project! But I am not finished as I didn't realize until a few days ago that 2021 actually has fifty-three Fridays, so there will be a bonus drawing I'll post on New Year'a Eve. This has been a good project to motivate and focus my creative energies, so I will continue it into 2022, but it will take a slightly different form. What that will be exactly I haven't determined yet, so stay tuned. 

This "Moon Amigo" as I am calling him, was found in the wonderful collection of "koufengallerie" on Insta-scam . There was no description in the post, but a query yielded just the word "Gello", which my research has not produced any useful information yet.

The craters are what grabbed my attention. Like many people, my teenage years were dominated by pimples, zits, greasy skin and all the abuse that came with that. I was obsessed with remedies that would clear my skin up. Not only was it embarrassing, but it physically hurt. I'm glad those days are long gone. This fellow looks more at peace with his bumpy skin, like some ancient moon god wearing those scars as testament to hard earned wisdom. I also like the rings through the nose, though I could have done a better job of rendering those as they had subtle reflections that are lost, so I may go back in with a white marker and touch it up, or just live with it as a lesson learned.

He also reminded me of the hockey mask wearing serial killer Jason Voorhees of the "Friday the 13th" movie series. But I think this guy would just hang around humming handing out candy and not be creatively killing post-coital teenagers.

Happy Friday and Happy Christmas!

OK HW

52 Fridays - Songye, If I Had a Hammer

 

"And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy My brothers. And you will know My name is the Lord when I lay My vengeance upon thee.” - Jules "Pulp Fiction"

Are you feeling it? Because that's what I'm picking up off this Songye nail fetish figure from the Congo area of Africa. Each of those nails likely represents a curse put on someone by an enemy or it could be against this specific figure or they could represent all the people this person killed, anyway you look at it, this figure is one bad pile of Ju-Ju. 

I collected this image from "fernandin_jones" great feed on Insta-spam. No information about it other than it's a "Songye" figure and it is for sale. 

The strange, large head with nails sticking out of it and the expression on the face is what compelled me to draw this piece. I also like the fragmented body (a reoccurring motif in my drawings) and the overall shape. This also inspires an alien or demon character design that I will tinker with. Would make for a cool stop-motion creature...

Happy Friday and Happy Christmas!

OK HW

52 Fridays - Igala Nobel (with a little help from my little friend)

 

I had a little help with this week's drawing, more like supervision, from our cat Nūna. She was purring the entire time, so maybe she liked what I was doing, or maybe she was an artist in a former life, either way it was lovely to have her company.

It's week fifty, so this is the fiftieth drawing of this project, just two more to go... I won't celebrate just yet.

This Nobel looking figure comes from the Igala people of the Nigeria area of Africa. It was posted on "InstaSPAM" (I'm calling it that because lately every third posting is an ad, sponsored or suggested. It's really annoying) by "africanarttreasure.de" which is my first time referencing something from their feed. Good looking collection, I'm sure I'll pull from there again sometime.

The big mohawk/head plate shape was the first thing that attracted me, than the open, yelling (screaming?) mouth, overall textures and strong shadows. He was fun to draw.

OK HW

52 Fridays - BEARDROBEER

 

Happy "Black" Friday, although I don't do the big Christmas shopping thing anymore, especially on this day, so maybe I should say, "Anti-Black Friday". 

This week's drawing is a BEARDROBEER Gere African Mask from Liberia I found on an IG feed called "afrikaria". According to the description, the BEARDROBEER is some kind of crazy wild boar that has inspired ritual masks across a wide group of tribes in Western Africa. To my eye, he looks like one of the funkier and cool Muppets that likely sat in with Dr. Teeth's rock band. I gave the ballpoint ink pen a rest this week and used this lovely Sakura Pigma (Pig - get it!) Micron 005 pen that lays down a really nice line. I don't normally fetishize my creation tools, but I'm hooked on this pen and need to try some other sizes. This is a small, nearly tiny drawing, the pen is there is reference, no I'm not trying to sell anything here. I was inspired by the amazing work of R. Crumb and Moebius as I worked on the drawing. They both are masters of fine line work and getting the most out of every mark. Maybe if I keep practicing and live to 152, I might be as good as they are one day...

OK HW

52 Fridays - A Fragment from a Sacred Post...

 

Is this a fragment of a sacred post? Too early to judge. Greetings from Riga, Latvia. I am settling into this new life, feeling a bit fragmented myself from the jet lag and soft culture shock. I could do with a bit of defragmenting. 

This drawing was done on a layover in JFK airport on the flight over. It is a "FRAGMENT OF A SACRED POST", Gupna village, Owaraha island, Solomon island, Melanesia that I found on the IG account "tribal_art_society". I'm always drawn to fragments of sculpture or carvings and I'm not sure why that is. Maybe it's the asymmetrical form or the opportunity to fill the space in, who knows. This one also pulled me in with the one good eye and large nose ring and small, pouty mouth. 

So was this a sacred post? Only time will tell...

OK HW