Meet Tlaloc, the God of Rain (and do we need him now more then ever)

It was another one hundred degree plus day, probably the hottest yet. Earlier in the day I got out for a four mile hike. It wasn't more then a half mile from the house when I was soaked in sweat. The sun beat down relentlessly, the heat penetrating through my hat down into my head and soul. It reminded me of the kind of heat I endured the first time I went to Mexico back in the spring of 1988. My friend Colin and I rode buses all the way from Virginia down into Mexico going all the way down and through to Merida. Along the way we went to Palenqué and visited the ruins there.

I saw a lot of this kind of sculpture on the temple walls. On the walk back, I decided to carry some of that heat and memory into a new drawing. Once again I picked an image from a book I have from the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico and started scribbling. It wasn't until I finished the piece and was adding the description that I realized that I had unwittingly drawn "Tlaloc, the god of rain". A strange, accidental cry to the heavens to open up and give us some liquid love.

OK HW

Toltec Telamon, Tally Me Bananas!

It has been very hot here along the coast of Virginia lately. A perfect time to stay in the AC and do some drawing. I flipped through a big art book on the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City and found this cool figure from the Toltec culture in Tula, Hidalgo called a "Telamon". I believe he was a support leg for an alter. What attracted me to this figure was the pose and the eyes. I exaggerated the face, especially the round, goggle-like eyes. He reminds me of something the French artist Mobieus would have drawn. Here's a close-up.

OK HW

Blue Ridge Bloodfest - My June Pick

And so, after the usual hand wringing, I have made my June selection for my "Shine Some Light" project to fund culture that I believe in. June's selection is a horror film festival that is the brain child of a child, a young man named Ammon Winder all of 12 years of age. Full disclosure, Ammon is the son of some old friends of mine (his Mom, RoseMarie has a great blog called "Random Acts of Poverty"), so he had a head start, but his story would have won me over regardless of his connections. The Blue Ridge Bloodfest is in it's second year and will be held in Charlottesville, Va. on the weekend of August 24-26. I didn't attend last year, but I hope to be there this year. From what I see of last year's program, it looks like Ammon is programming independent filmmakers both short and feature length films. There is both a web site and a Facebook page that you can visit for updates or if you have a horror film, send it in! Currently, the fundraiser has eight days left and nearly $2,000 left to raise. Contributions start at only $10, so I encourage you to get onboard and throw the lad a tenner.

OK HW

My First Sculpture...

This weekend, Janet and I took on a task that has been hanging over us for a long time. We cleaned out our shed. Besides the usual gardening and yard tools, there is also a lot of boxes filled with who knew what. We had a vague idea of what was in there, but were surprised when we actually started pulling everything out. Among the various treasures, I came across this artifact from my childhood. The first sculpture that I ever did. I believe it's from the third grade, maybe it was the fourth grade, I'm not sure.

So what did I choose for the subject of my first sculpture? Why a giant sea monster attacking a seaside city of course! And I think the creature bares more then a passing resemblance to Jack Black! Click on the photos for a larger view and you be the judge!

OK HW

I got a solid 7 mile hike in today. I came across this sign along Shore Dr and had to grab a snap. I find it funny how popular zombies have become in our culture now. Images of zombies attacking and eating people has become mainstream. Back when the original Romero "Dawn of the Dead" came out in 1977, it got an X rating because of the extreme violence. Now we see worse on "The Walking Dead". OK HW

My May Pick for the "Shine Some Light" Project

Phil Tippett's "MAD GOD" on Kickstarter

I am encouraged by the response to my first month of the "Shine Some Light" project to find and fund worthy creative projects. I have had some wonderful interactions with some truly creative folks and it will make it difficult to make a choice. Please note that I am a tad behind, making my May pick in June, but better late then never. So how to choose? While thinking on how I will sort through the options, I came across a new Twitter friend's blog post on just that subject. Camilla Castree writes quite lucidly about why she is willing to put her hard earned money behind a project. This bit here hit a chord with me;


Its not the perks, although that’s a great bonus – in some cases an incredibly generous bonus – but the feeling of making a difference with the PEOPLE you ADMIRE and who have PASSION about their project.


Passion. That is what attracts me as well, as it helps me keep my own creative juices fired up. Please take a moment and read her entire posting, especially if you have ever considered throwing in on a Kickstarter or IndieGoGo project. >> Camilla Castree's blog post, "Why I back a project"

Here is the list of people whom responded. These are folks that followed my simple criteria for being considered.

1. Follow me on Twitter. >>Weaverwerx on Twitter
2. Send me a link to their Kickstarter or IndieGoGo project.

Here is a list of who responded;

1. Once A Week Film Fest - web site (IndieGoGo - project closed)
2. "String Theory" a documentary on Levi Weaver (IndieGoGo - ends 6/4/12)
3. Silver Beech Studios - Ipad Accessory (Kickstarter page not launched yet)
4. "Fat Kid Rules the World" film (Kickstarter - ends 6/16/12)
5. Tom Lancaster - "Nothing is Certain"- (Kickstarter project closed - new one for July pending)

And that was it. Out of those, only two of the projects are currently available, "String Theory" and "Fat Kid...". So for the month of May, my backing goes to..........

"String Theory" a documentary on Levi Weaver!

Now I did say I would pledge $25 a month, but there is no $25 option, so I will be going in for $35!

Levi Weaver is currently touring and will actually be playing in my town Monday night at a joint called H20! I am looking forward to meeting him and hearing his music.

Finally, I included the photo from Phil Tippett's Kickstarter project "Mad God" because I also backed it in May. Phil Tippett is an animator and special effects genius behind tons of classic Sci-Fi movies, including "The Empire Strikes Back", "Robo Cop" and "Starship Troopers". I didn't make his project my official May pick as he isn't participating in this project.

Be sure to spread the word amongst your pals to send me their project links for June!

OK HW