Image for 8-26-2011 - Hello Irene...

 Here's the current Weather Underground WunderMap of the approaching Hurricane, Irene. It's been a few years since we've had to ride out a storm threat like this. The last couple of big hits have been Nor-easters that can be every bit as bad as a hurricane. We are staying in our beach house across the street from the Chesapeake Bay. If the storm were a strong three or higher, we would be hightailing it to the mountains. As it is, we'll ride this one out; have all the supplies and are ready for whatever Irene can throw at us. I took a couple of "before the storm" photos of the beach and the houses across the street that will take the full fury of the storm. I'll get the "after" photos Sunday and post'em. We are all hoping for a few down branches to clean up on Sunday and a brief power outage, but know that it'll probably be worse then that. To any of my friends in the path of this monster, be safe, no surfing, stay away from the windows and keep that supply of SPAM and liquor handy (same plan as the zombie apocalypse). I'll check-in after the storm has moved on.

All the best!

OK HW

Happy Birthday Bukowski

Hank would have been 91 today. It's amazing he lasted as long as he did considering how hard he tried to end sooner. I stumbled on Bukowski through a great article about him in Film Comment magazine when "Barfly" was coming out and it made me curious enough to get one of his books, "Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame" and it branded my vision. The older I get, the more I understand what he laid down. There is a directness and truth to his writing that never fails to pierce my soul and help burn the bullshit away. Here's a little taste of Hank reading "dinosauria, we". Reminds me of Leonard Cohen's "The Future". Get a good jar of the red, close your eyes and listen to this:



OK HW

Images for August 15, 2011 - Bring Out the Gimp

Here's another sculpture I did many years ago. He was one of a series of little busts that I sketched up in Sculpey, a polymer clay. I usually painted them with acrylic paints, but this one was never painted. I recently was surfing up what other artist are doing with Sculpey and found a whole group doing some fantastic sci-fi and fantasy genre stuff. One of my favorites are The Shiflett Brothers. Their work continues the same epic sense of adventure and power that painters like Frank Frazetta and Boris Vallejo are so well-known for. Looking at their work and going back and reexamining my own from back-in-the-day, is making me a little itchy to push some clay around again...

OK HW

Images for August 14, 2011 - African Mask Drawing

Got a little drawing done today. I have to get my skills sharpen in anticipation for the Monster Drawing Rally in Richmond at the 1708 Gallery later this month.

This is a "Gabun, Bakota figure" that I drew from an old book titled, "Primitive Art: It's Traditions and Styles". I like this piece because it is so abstract and alien. After finishing the drawing I noticed how asymmetrical the main form is of my version  compared to the original and I'm OK with that. The aim of the exercise was not to perfectly replicate the photograph; I may have well just scanned the photo and posted that, instead I wanted to filter it through my hand, brain and heart and see what happened.

OK HW

Images for August 10, 2011 - The Amazing Hypno-Man

Stare deep into my eyes...Deeper, DEEPER. Yes, that is better. Your eye lids are growing heavy, heavier, really dang heavy. BAM yo ass should be asleep.

Beware the Amazing Hypno-Man! You never know when he'll strike next!

OK HW

Images for August 9, 2011 - The Cement Pond

Today at work I got to participate in a little piece of NASA history. The "Hydro Impact Basin" or HIB the new big pool that's being used for Orion testing, was officially declared open. It was an unpleasantly hot and humid day, but that only encouraged the many visiting dignitaries to keep their speeches brief.

UPDATE: Here's a link to the official NASA Langley article on the event. If you watch the video, you can catch a glimpse of me in the crowd shot right after the ribbon cutting at :35 (I'm kneeling, taking a photo, a little off to the left and wearing a plaid shirt).

Here are a few of my shots from the event:

My pal Rob video-taping the event.
That's the HIB or "cement pond" behind him.

Lining up for the cut are Lesa Roe (LaRC Center Director)
and some politicians including Bobby Scott.

And that's a wrap!

OK HW

The Billy Price Band

Another Saturday night and more live music at The Jewish Mother's new location in the Hilltop area of Virginia Beach. Some friends called and invited us to go with them to see "The Billy Price Band" yesterday. I wasn't familiar with Mr. Price's sound, but I trust my friend's fine taste in good music, plus it was Saturday night, so what the hell. The risk was greatly rewarded by a show that rocked my soul and made me an instant fan. Billy Price's heart-felt blues and R&B grooves were just what I needed after a long week of weirdness and worry at work and in the world. Judging from how the crowd danced and partied through song-after-song, I don't think I was the only one needing their spiritual batteries recharged and Billy Price and his fantastic band definitely carried that load. The Jewish Mother's new Hilltop location (formerly Steppin' Out) has quickly become my favorite place to catch live music because of the fabulous and clear sound quality, the comfortable sitting and great food. Watching Billy Price work the stage and crowd with his old-time preacher-like gestures that were polished yet sincere, made me feel like I had slipped through a time tunnel back to an era of nightclubs and entertainers and new good times, not some snarky, post-modern grasp at authenticity. Unfortunately, I did not have a camera with me to grab my image-of-the-day, so here is a bit of video pulled from YouTube of "Nickel and a Nail", my favorite song from the show last night, though I must say, it was a hard to choose. Enjoy and if you see that "The Billy Price Band" is coming to your part of the world, do yourself a favor and get on down there for some heart-healing blues...

OK HW

Image for July 30, 2011 - The Kill Circuit

This is my friend EJ and he's in a great rock band called "The Kill Circuit". They played at the new Jewish Mother in Virginia Beach tonight and they blew the joint right on up. This is the fourth or fifth time that I've seen them and this was their best show by far. The sound was great, the lads were tight and swinging it hard. They get better with every show. Check'em out sometime.

OK HW

Image for July 29, 2011 - Little Gifts

Sometimes the universe gives us little gifts. Today's gift for me was having a rather large dragonfly land on a fence, two feet from me. He (I always think of dragonflies as "He's") hung out for a few minutes and let me snap some photos with my phone camera. I got to commune with him and study his beautiful coloring and intricate, exquisite head. Fly on brother dragonfly!

OK HW

Image for July 27, 2011 - Ekpo Mask Drawing

Been too long since I spilled some ink in the little sketchbook. This was drawn out of a book of African Masks. This mask was too crazy to ignore; reminded me of Bootsy Collins. It is a tiny drawing, less then two inches high. It felt good to make some art, no matter how small.

OK HW