52 Fridays - You Had Me at Bobo

 

How can anyone resist Bobo? Maybe a creepy clown named Bobo, but otherwise, Bobo just sounds like fun. If I ever ran for President (I never will, overqualified), I would change my name to Bobo and surely would win. This week's drawing subject is a Bobo statue (Calao) Mali I discovered through the Instagram account of Artwork Baillod, a private Swiss collection of African Art. You can visit their website here. This figure made me think of Tim Burton's work, particularly "Beetlejuice" and the always reliably zany cartoonist Lynda Barry. He looks like a proud Bobo, with that grin and groovy hat. It was a lot of fun to draw him. If you are feeling stressed, drop what you are doing and draw a Bobo!

I've noticed that there have been more visitors to my blog in the last month or so, and I appreciate everyone taking a break from the million other eyeball options and resting here for a moment. Your eyeballs are welcome!

Have a good week!

OK HW

52 Fridays - Happier Vibes

 

Somehow we have made it to another Friday as this year of our (your? their?) Lord 2021 grinds on... I hope everything in your corner of the universe is going well. If so, then count your blessings. I try to do that everyday.

This week's drawing is a Dan Mask by the sculptor "Zon" from the Ivory Coast and Liberia region of west Africa. Once more, I returned to the fertile Instagram feed of "feereafricanart" So many wonderful examples of African art there. As always, if you enjoy this image, please take a moment to read about the history and origin of the Dan people so you can fully appreciate it. I love tribal art from all around the world, but African tribal art has a particular power and influence in my creative life. 

So, "happier vibes"? How so? After feeling the DOOM of life in 2021 closing in on me this last month, I am lighter today. Reminded myself that in my three feet of space, all is content and well. That all my hand-wringing and teeth-gnashing doesn't help or change anything. Better to keep a clear head, affect positive change where and when I can and let go of the rest. My interpretation of this mask shows that, as my version is narrower and has a gentler, less scary expression than the original. I like the original, and will draw it again sometime staying closer to the wider head, more intense eyes and larger lips, but I also like what I have done here. You got to love your imperfections. 

No change in materials, still using the same cheap, black Bic ballpoint pen in the same Muji notebook. Hope to have it filled by year's end.

Stay safe, be kind to everyone you meet and make something this week!

OK HW

52 Fridays - Another Frankenstein

 

Week 34 of the 52 Fridays drawing project and this week's subject is a "Ekoi Widekum headcrest" from the North-West region of Cameroon in Africa. Another image I harvested from Instagram ( I really need to break free from Zuckerberg's web) on "ph.ilippe1003" account . This is a headcrest, so not actually a mask. I choose it because I like the elongated shape, moody shadows and that it reminded me of some weird Frankenstein's monster variant with the electrodes running down the sides of it's head. Drawn with a cheap Bic ballpoint pen on regular paper, nothing fancy. I like to work with everyday materials and not fetishize my tools and work materials too much as it can be a distraction. I also like the quality of line that ballpoint pens produce. 

How was your creative week? 

Thanks for stopping by, see you next week.

OK HW

52 Fridays - Demons Loose in the Land

 

I'm so fuckin' tired of the virus, but the virus ain't tired of us yet, so here we are heading into fall with parts of the USA in total COVID free fall, hospitals getting overwhelmed by proudly unvaccinated morons who don't believe in science until they fall deathly ill, then they'll take all the science they can handle if it'll save their dumb ass.  I was actually hopefully for a few weeks in June that things were finally heading in a better direction, but now... Demons running loose in the lands. I won't unwind the whole DOOM spiral here as I'm trying to stay in the light, even shine some light. I'm trying real hard Ringo, but most days lately, it is not easy. 

Drawing and making something certainly helps blow those black clouds out. This week's drawing is another from the never ending stream of eye candy on Instagram and the account of "contemporarycongoleseart" . Here's a demonic looking "Tabwa" mask from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Tabwa people are known for their fine carvings both masks and figurines, but much of their culture remains a mystery. was this demon mask used to protect the village or ritually reenact past terrors that the village survived? 

See you next week,

OK HW

52 Fridays - Red Frankenstein

 

Yes, I know that Frankenstein is the mad doctor's name and not the monster's, but "Red Frankenstein's Monster" just doesn't have the same ring to it. This drawing was inspired by an image of a "Grebo/Kru" mask I found on the Instagram account of "feereafricanart", a place that I have drawn from before. The Grebo people are from the Ivory Coast region of Africa and produced some amazingly weird and fantastic masks and other artworks. I know I'll be drawing from them again.

My version is very different from the original. There is some anxiety in mine that must be the result of reading the news first thing in the morning. I also leaned into the Frankenstein feeling and looking again, there's also a bit of Hellboy in there too. It was good to break out the color again and play with layering and throwing in some complementary highlights to sharpen the contrast and create some tension. 

Friend good, fire bad.

OK HW

52 Fridays - Self-Portrait From the Future

 

I want more beans! Or at least I think I will eleven years from now. Why "more beans", probably because that's all there will be available to eat, cans of beans and SPAM, but I've sworn off SPAM, so bring on the beans! I guess it's optimistic to think that I'll be alive eleven years from now, but lately, like the last five years or so, I've been feeling the opposite. I don't think the "world will end",  just that it's going to get more chaotic and less pleasant for human life. But what do I know? I'll check in again in eleven years and we will all see what is indeed up.

Zahdah and see you next week!

OK HW