The Devil Rides Out

 

I've been occupied in mind and spirit by this terrible war. I am astounded at the massive display of evil deeds that the ruzzian (the way I choose to write "Russian" now. Small "r", double zeds to show my disdain) army has perpetrated. The pain and suffering being inflected is too disgusting to imagine. I cannot understand this depravity. In response, I'm trying to find ways to support the Ukraine people and their awe-inspiring strength and courage. I am an ally of Ukraine and anyone else who desires a world free of aggression. 

If you would like to learn about supporting Ukraine, Support Ukraine NOW is a great place to start.

Today's drawing is a Kanyok hunting fetish I found on the Instagram account "african_artefact_art". I choose it because it looks like the devil. The puka shell eyes give me the creeps because they look like mouths with rows of tiny, sharp teeth. The odd shaped head with the black, horn-like protrusions and mouth open in a frozen scream also are unnerving. This is a face that projects evil and fear. Perhaps the Kanyok people needed such a fierce talisman to face the dangers of the jungle?

Wishing everyone peace.

OK HW

Draw Angry

 

The war rages on. I am in awe of the Ukrainian people, soldiers and President Zelensky. The grace under pressure they display every moment is inspiring. It is gut-wrenching watching the horror and seeing that the Western countries are unable to respond for fear of triggering WW III, but most especially a nuclear exchange. I don't know what the right answer is, but I am glad to see the lines between the free world and the so-called "strongmen" is clear now and the fight is on. My hope is that this dark time will lead to a new, bright era. One thought that won't leave my brain alone is wondering why this had to happen? Why couldn't putin turn all of that effort, resources and planning to something positive for the common good? This war is a horrible disaster in every way and will set back Russia decades. Russia is a huge, beautiful country and could be a true world leader, not the corrupt crime joke it is now. Why is it more difficult for some people to create instead of destroy?

All of those emotions were swirling around in me when I made this drawing of a an African "We" Mask from "feereafricanart" on IG. I decided to run at it fast and loose and let that rough, frustrated energy flow. I exaggerated the eyeholes for effect. The mouth was a definite attractor for me with those big, fat lips and sharp, tiny teeth.

While the war rages, I have volunteered to help preserve Ukrainian digital culture through Saving Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Online (SUCHO) and have been working to archive Ukrainian websites. 

Glory to the Ukrainian people!

OK HW

This Should be a Dove

 

I'm feeling overwhelmed by the news of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It's a disgusting, unnecessary, illegal and immoral act that seems like it should be impossible here in the 21st century; aren't we past world wars? But here we are and all because of one asshole who is not smart enough to think of creative ways to contribute to the common good, instead he has to fuck it up for all us. The people most negatively affected besides the Ukrainians are the Russian people who will have to suffer the consequences of this nightmare for generations to come.

So, what does that have to do with today's drawing? I almost didn't do anything today because, frankly, I feel really depressed about the state of the world. The center does not hold and all of that seems to be the way of the future. Why bother making a drawing or anything else? But I got something done, thanks to a bit of encouragement from Ieva. I feel guilty because I should have drawn something related to the war, drawn attention to some image or hopeful idea, but I wasn't feeling that. I needed a break from the doom scrolling of images of destroyed buildings, scared people huddling in subways, blasted tanks and satellite photos of damaged airfields. I went for the safety and comfort of African masks and pulled this one from the IG account of feereafricanart. Ironically enough, many of these masks were designed for rituals to confront danger, ward off evil spirits or send curses to bring misery to an enemy. I don't know what this Dan mask was original used for, but let's send it out to inflect sharp pains through Putin's colon and send him running for the nearest bathroom and a long, painful explosive shit that leaves him and limping. Fuck that asshole.

All we are saying is give peace a chance...

OK HW

ACHTUNG - DADA POSTCARD ALERT!!!!

This week's entry is a postcard I made for my friend, Micheal Wingfield (WingDing), mailed in December 2021. He and I have been collaborating and sharing DADA art for decades. These cards are collaged from whatever is on hand; catalogs, stickers, old postcards, cereal boxes, train tickets, a head gasket from a 68' Buick, a piece of tread from a Sherman tank, seabed sludge gathered from the bottom of the Mariana Trench, Abraham Lincoln's toenail cuttings, a Brontosaur sneeze, fifteen coins pickpocketed from blind nuns, a feather from the wing of a flying monkey, the color of the sunset viewed from a balcony overlooking the Chesapeake Bay as seen through a glass of white wine, trimmings from Groucho's mustache, all of the natives killed by King Kong when he went on his rampage, 2,312 grains of sand collected from the secret beach, Tom Waits' nose, Charles Bukowski's asshole, Jack Kerouac's lost sense of humor and destroyed liver, only perfect autumn leaves, disused Cracker Jack prizes patiently waiting on the shelf, the blood of a lamb, three guys named Mo-ham-med (a new set of stooges), the sound of an old man slipping and falling on the ice one full moon night, the smell of a baby's burp, all the missing jigsaw puzzle pieces, vodka, gin, rum, Mother's Milk, and tape, tape,  tape, tape, tape, tape, epat, apte, a, p, e, t, a, p, e...........a ....................p .....................t......... ................................t.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................OK HW

Holo Man

Greetings and welcome to another Friday art post. This week is an India ink painting/drawing done with black and white ink applied with brush and pen, a technique I haven't done in a long time. I really love the subtle shades of grey this method allows. It's easy for me to fall into layering washes and diving into the intense blacks, then coming back with the heavy white ink (more like paint) to pick out details. I chose this mask specifically to play with this process.

This is a helmet mask made by the Holo tribe from Angola that I found on the Instagram account racine_premiere. Read more about the Holo people on this African Art website. 

The white areas around the eyes and mouth were the first element that attracted my eye and compelled me to draw this. The sharp teeth and shape of the mouth, which I detailed with a very fine-tipped pen, was another feature I admired. Finally, the crown with cross-hatched strong X's along the top was another detail that was a pleasure to draw.

And what art or creative action did you take this week? 

OK HW

Keep a Diamond in Your Mind

 

From the Tom Waits' song "Get Behind the Mule".

Never let the weeds get higher

Than the garden

Always keep a sapphire in your mind

Always keep a diamond in your mind

These are days that make me think of this song, because this song is a reminder that very often it is hard work to live a life. For some people they never get a break and never know comfort or love or security. These last couple of years it feels like we are all sliding in that direction, being pulled into the virus horror show and seas are rising and the wind is picking up. Or maybe it's just how I'm feeling because I finally caught COVID-19. I was fully vaccinated and boosted, but even so a breakthrough can and does happen, especially if you take your mask off in a bar and talk to many (6-8) maskless strangers over the course of a night. There was one tiny voice of warning providing a commentary track throughout the night, "This is not a good idea. You really need to put a mask on. You do know the pandemic is still raging?", etc., but it didn't matter. I'm as weary as most everyone else is of this new, shitty COVID-19 lifestyle and just decided to take one night off from thinking about it and that's how I got it. It has been an inconvenience, but only because I was vaccinated and boosted, otherwise I'd likely be in a hospital right now with a tube down my throat or worse. 

So here's my first, and hopefully last, COVID-19 drawing, actually done will the virus was in my system. It's an Ibibio Mask on found on "feereafricanart" once more on Instagram (I need to find some new sources as I hate to fuel Zuckerberg's fortune) I choose this mask because I love the top-heavy shape and Frankenstein-like head bolts. Also the overall look of the face, the wide, full lips and arched, dark eye sockets. It's maybe not my best drawing, but it made me happy to make it while I tend to my runny nose. 

"Keep a Diamond in Your Mind". What do you think that means? For me it means you focus on the positive, on that hard, brilliant piece of you that understands no matter how dark the world gets, you still have something to give. Something I have to give is my art. I make it for myself, but share it because I hope someone else will enjoy it, maybe be inspired to learn more about African Art or find a few minutes to cultivate their own creative life as others have inspired me to do. As I feel my body fighting back against the virus, it also makes me realize that I need to do more, make more art, focus on my creative life, finish the many half-completed projects because time is running out. 

What will you do with the time you have left?

OK HW