Love Yourself by Ralf Schulze - 3/17/2015 - Image-a-day

Today's image is a drawing done by my good, old friend Ralf Schulze. It was in a crazy package of bootleg movies and music and random DaDa bits and pieces. Ralf and I met through the underground comix zine scene way back in the late 1980s. We have managed to some how through the years, maintain a friendship. He's always been good at constructing elaborate packages full of art and silliness. It's like unpacking some lost time capsule from a tribe that got wiped out by unknown forces. I've tried to repay in-kind with my own packages, but they always seem to fall just short of Ralf's weird, eccentric glory.

I love this demented piece of art called, "Love Yourself". I see a skull fragmenting across some cyberpunk universe. If you can't love yourself, then who will?

OK HW

Where Do Lo-Fi-Ga's Come From? - 3/15/15 - Image-a-day

One of my regular hiking routes takes me through a nearby park that has several Hickory Nut trees along the path. I'd seen the broken nut husks on the ground for years and never thought much about them until I was invited to take part in the "Small Works" art exhibition held at the Charles H. Taylor Center in Hampton, Virginia ever fall. I was looking for a fresh idea and seized upon these naturally discarded nut containers. Their shape suggested to me tiny, primitive masks and so the Lo-Fi-Ga's were born! Im careful to only select sound fragments that won't break or crumble. Today's image is the harvesting grounds.

OK HW

Happy Birthday Jack Kerouac - 3/12/15 - Image-a-day

My Portrait of Jack Kerouac

In 1922 Jack Kerouac was born today. He only lived to the age of forty-seven when he died in his Mother's bathroom from internal bleeding brought on by acute alcoholism. His best known book, "On the Road" has inspired me to try and live a life of adventure and non-conformity. I reread it every few years and find as I grow older my perspective on the book changes. Now it seems naive and nostalgic and magical, were once it was the future. I still love it and love the beats and the prefect, neverland of beatnik Ponderosa that I'll always be chasing.

Sleep well Jack and know your words still ring true in the hearts and minds of a billion earnest dreamers searching for kicks beyond the work-a-day life.

OK HW

Art Supplies - 3/10/15 - Image-a-day

I've been carrying around a twenty-five dollar American Express gift card I received as a gift since Christmas. I didn't want to thoughtlessly blow it on a burger and a couple of beers. I wanted to think of something tangible I could get, something that would feed the better part of my soul, so I got some art supplies. It is impossible for me to go into an art supply store and not buy something. I always will buy another sketchbook or journal. This time I got two. Art supplies symbolize possibility and empowerment. I managed to get all this great stuff and still had four bucks and change left over.

What kind of art supplies do you like to buy?

OK HW

Angel Wing - 3/8/15 - Image-a-day

Finishing carving an Angel's Wing in basswood. It's a commission of sorts for a friend. When I researched  Angel's Wings on the interwebs, I was confounded to find such a mind-boggling variety. One could spend an entire life carving Angel's Wings and never repeat a style. There are far smaller ways to live a life...

OK HW

Pop Criner - 3/7/2015 - Image-a-day

Nine years ago today the world lost a bright and charming soul, my step Dad, Johnny "Pop" Criner. He was an adventurer, a musician, a gourmet cook, and the love of my Mom's life. Pop was a career Navy man and loved to tell tales of all the places he had been. He taught me how to shave and drive and tie a tie, much of what makes me the man I am today came from him. For a time he and my Mom lived in Norfolk, Va. where I was living and every week I'd go over on Tuesday nights to have dinner with them. Pop loved to cook fancy meals, trying out new recipes and we'd start every meal with a raised glass of wine and his signature toast, "I wonder what the po'folks is doing!", which always brought an ironic smile to my face because we were the po'folks if you measured our bank accounts. In all the ways it truly counted, the love and laughter accounts, we were truly rich indeed.

I miss and love you Pop!

OK HW

Happy Friday Night! - 3/6/15 - Image-a-day

I am so glad it is the weekend! This is a fun little piece by Battle Babies I got years ago at the Heroes Comic Convention in Charlotte, NC. Tonight it represents the spirit of Friday night! Party on!

OK HW

The Game of Art - 3/5/15 - Image-a-day

Where do ideas come from? Sometimes they are a lightening bolt out-of-the-blue. Sometimes you got to work hard for them. Other times, you just play the game. Turn off that critical part of your brain that shits on everything and just have some fun. It's a lovely puzzle to play at changing the world. Artists create something from nothing. Given the choice between being an artist and being a billionaire, I'd gladly pick artist because that well is infinite and can never be taken away, while money, no matter the amount, can be lost in a second. Any day I can play the game is a good day indeed.

OK HW

HRBT Traffic Stop - 3/4/2015 - Image-a-day

I drive through the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel (HRBT) twice everyday for work. It is one of the many traffic choke points in Tidewater. Today I was three cars away from making it though the tunnel, when the dreaded "Prepare to Stop" sign flashed and the man halted the flow. I used to get stressed out by these unscheduled breaks, but now take it as an opportunity to breath and enjoy the scenery. Today I saw this fishing boat on it's commute home while I waited.

OK HW

Meet the latest Lo-Fi-Ga, "Hoo-Tah" - 3/3/15 - Image-a-day

Here is another Lo-Fi-Ga I recently finished. His name is "Hoo-Tah", the spirit of mysterious sounds in the night.

All of the Lo-Fi-Ga's are carved from  Hickory Nut Husk. This one, without the base, is about an inch and quarter high.

OK HW

Have you had enough yet? - 3/1/15 - Image-a-day

Have you had enough of the cold and snow and ice? I'm still enjoying this winter, though I have to admit I'm tired of there being so much ice still on the side roads and sidewalks. This has been an unusually cold and snowy winter for southeastern Virginia, so much so that I'm sure that it's driven more then a few people to drinking. Just like this snowman I saw on the beach today, PBR in hand. Whatever get's you through!

OK HW

PS - I did not make this snowman.

Dead Bird Composite - 2/28/15 - Image-a-day

Icy northwest winds are still blowing and snow still covers everything. I got out on the beach once more to get some hiking in. This cold weather has been tough on birds. The last few hikes I've seen many expired birds littering the beach. This bird was one of the larger ones I've come across. The white feathers on the body were stiff with ice. Even in death, this bird is graceful and free.

OK HW

They Have Arrived - 2-27-15 - Image-a-day

I found this jellyfish on the beach today. It was an odd sight in the middle of winter. This strange, organic jewel looked to me like an alien life form or maybe even a tiny flying saucer.

OK HW

Meet "Bo-San" the Latest Lo-Fi-Ga - 2/26/15 - Image-a-day

I thought I'd take a break from posting another picture of snow as I'm sure you are probably getting tired of the cold and snow and winter. As this was a "snow day" for me, which meant a day off of work as my work place was closed, I put the time to good use and finished off a few things that have been lying around the studio for much too long.

Allow me to introduce the latest Lo-Fi-Ga, "Bo-San". He is number six in the ongoing and open-ended series of miniature, neo-primitive carvings. Like of the other Lo-Fi-Ga's, "Bo-San" was carved from a Hickory Nut Husk.

OK HW

DAMN DIRTY SNOWMAN! - 2/25/15 - Image-a-day

I got a walk on the beach after work today. Even though it warmed up to the mid-forties today, there was still a lot of ice and snow on the beach. Along a particular lonely stretch, I happened across this damn, dirty snowman with seaweed hair and lopsided grin. He was a kindred soul to my solo stumble under the winter sky. Sometimes I feel frozen in place. It can be hard to see any progress in my life except for the hand of time greying my beard and setting crow's feet on my eyes. One day the shadow will come for me and I hope that day is a long way off. Before my time is done, "I have a mind to misbehave", as the "Firefly" quote goes. Many adventures that I've rehearsed in my mind's eye. Places to go, people to meet and art to create. Damn, dirty snowman...

OK HW

PS- Here is the path I walked.