2022 - Let the Games Begin...

Happy 2022! I hope your New Year Eve's activities were fun and satisfying. I had such high hopes for 2021 as many people did, only to see those hopes crushed pretty quickly by the horrific and disgusting events in the US capital on January 6th and then the Delta and Omicron variants keeping the COVID-19 party going, not to mention the extreme weather events and WW III threats. Bah. I haven't read or heard one optimistic outlook for 2022. It seems everyone is holding their breath and keeping their heads down. But you don't come here for my lame world-weary commentary, no I'm guessing you want to see some art. 

Before I talk about this week's offering, let's set the ground rules for this year's Friday postings. I've decided to open it up to any kind of creative expression; drawing, sculpture, photography, short film, animation; whatever I am playing with at the moment. 

This week's post is a doodle I made of the Mohawk Man figure I posted December 10, 2021. Often after I make a drawing, that image stays in my mind for some time, cached in my short-term creative RAM. I find it to be a fun exercise to draw from memory and see how I unintentionally change the image. This version made me think of the main character from Napoleon Dynamite. 

What creative plans do you have for this year? I would love to see what you are working on, so post a link in the comments section.

Don't let the bastards get you down,

OK HW

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 - Patchwork Tin Man

 

Have you ever felt like you were ripped up and reassembled? That's what I thought when I saw this strange figure fabricated from pieces of tin (or is it bronze, brass?) Chunks of life tied together in a patchwork that make a world-weary soul. I can relate.

I know nothing about this piece unfortunately, other than it is likely from Africa. I found it on the Instagram account of "fernandin_jones" . Update! Fernando Pujol provided information about the piece. It's an"old reliquary Kota from Gabon".

On first look, the shape caught my attention, then the expression, the eyes and mouth (great lips always get me) and the droopy horns that just lay down along the oval dome head. Once more I worked tiny, this piece is only nine centimeters high, same pens as last week (Sakura Pigma Micron 005 and Mitsubishi Uni Pin Fine Line 0.3) and added him to the same page of last week's drawing. The style is inspired by R. Crumb with some Frank Miller thrown in. I will drawing this one again sometime using a ballpoint pen that allows for more subtle shading and textures. 

It is a snowy day here in Riga, Latvia. It's been snowing nearly everyday for the last week and stayed cold enough that the snow hasn't melted, just piling up. Good day to hunker down and make drawings.

Happy Friday,

OK HW