Image for December 7, 2011 - Hello Rudolph!

I got out for a quick two mile walk after work tonight. The air was full of wild energy because a storm front was moving in. The winds were whipping the trees around. Many of the houses in the neighborhood are well decorated with Xmas lights. There seem to be more then last year, which I take as a good sign that things are getting better. One yard had a lovely herd of reindeer lights with Rudolph in the lead. Guide us through the gloom Rudolph!

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Image for December 6, 2011 - Xmas Card Blast From the Past!

Way back in 1994, before the internets (well, before the net was available to "normal" people) and Facebook and all this new fangled crap that makes our lives so extra special these days, I would send out post cards to invite folks to art shows or, in this case, to celebrate a holiday. I made this card exactly seventeen years ago today. Made it by hand, no Photoshop kids, just me and an X-acto knife and a glue stick. That's not a photo of me, but an image that I found somewhere and added my style of facial hair. Funny thing is, re-reading this card all these years later, I'm still not ready for Xmas... OK HW

Note- click images to enlarge.

Image for December 3, 2011 - How These Things Get Done...

I have mentioned on here from time-to-time about a project I am working on to collect my old underground comic from the late 1980s called "Reluctant Sadist". Considering the glacial pace that I have been moving on this project, I should just call it "RELUCTANT" and turn it into a performance art piece. I was going great guns gathering materials and scanning all the art work and contacting folks from the past securing permissions to use their words and images and then I came to the hard part of the project; ACTUALLY WRITING THE DAMN THING. Through the years, I have grown lazy in my creative work habits and throw on top of that distractions like the internets and the sad result is not much to show. Part of my problem too is I haven't been able sustain the effort. Sure, I have been able to achieve little victories here and there, but then I'll have a gap of months with no work and I lose the flavor of the thing. Today, I decided to commit to half an hour a day to the project, even if it's just research or reading, I need to keep my ass in the chair with the materials in front of me for that thirty minutes. Now, that doesn't sound like a lot of time, but you'd be surprised at how much can be accomplished in those thirty minutes. I also find that I often work well beyond that period, as I did today, because the hardest part for me is often just getting started. Here's my work table, I need to spread out. I also have three different notebooks open for other notes because I usually get ideas for other projects; short movies, comix stories, this year's Xmas card, etc; and I make sure to capture them all.  I also took this photo to document how I work, as I enjoy seeing other people's work and studio spaces. What's your workspace look like?

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Image for November 27, 2011 - The Wagoma-Babuye

The day started with a little quiet drawing time. I've always been attracted to African masks. They are mysterious and powerful objects. I am ignorant of African tribal history, so I make my choices purely on gut-reaction. I picked this one because I thought it was funny (no disrespect to the Wagoma-Babuye of Zaire). Woooooooo-wooooooo-wooo...

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Image for November 26, 2011 - The Santa Menace

Here he comes, are you ready? That Ho-Ho happy man that will make you empty your wallet, maybe even go into debt. He'll make you eat too much and drink too much and surf up long-lusted for childhood toys on ebay. His massive, unavoidable form will obliterate everything else and even though you have the best intentions to do things different this year, ultimately, it never works, so you find yourself shellshocked and whimpering into your eggnog while watching It's a Wonderful Life [Blu-ray] for the hundredth time. It's OK really, because I'm right there with you. I have a love-hate relation with the bearded one and the season. My favorite part is decorating the tree. I still feel that glow of happiness as we transform our living room into a mini-shrine of Xmas joy. Still do the stockings. Still hang-up the Xmas cards. Once all the gifts are bought, wrapped and shipped, I can settle down and enjoy the madness.

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Image for November 23, 2011 - I Love Fall

I got out for a seven mile hike today. It rained in the early morning and stayed gray and a little gloomy even after the rains moved out. That was fine by me because I love fall. I love the gloomy weather, the leaves turning color and falling, blowing in the wind. Sometime I even love the shorter days. The long nights are good for curling up and reading or watching old movies. Fall always makes me nostalgic, and memories of old friends, some now gone from this world, play through my mind and remind me that our time here is short. I came across this leaf on the walking path and nearly passed it by as the heart-shape is over done, but then I turned around and snapped this shot. I did it because I needed a sign, something positive and hopeful. Another reminder that there is always love in the world, I just have to see it.

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