Hot Dog

Summer approaches.

Steak Dinner

Observation: the more traditionally American a meal gets, the browner it gets.

Shoyu Ramen

Tokyo-style ramen noodles with pork.

Barbecue Bacon Cheeseburger

Commissioned work, yo.

Still Life: Bacon

Because it's so important to make important art.

Grandpa Jimi

Jimi Hendrix would be 71 years old now.  Think on that.

Pace Yourself

I'm editing two novels this midwinter.  It's not a bad idea to have a couple of projects going at once - but not at precisely the same stage at the same time.

Still, getting there.

My Nephew Quint

I swear to you one of his fingers wouldn't get a suntan, he had it up his nose so much.

Happy 14th, my man!

Goodbye Twinkie

After a series of 'corporate restructurings' that saddled the Hostess baking company with a billion dollars in debt (thank you, venture capitalists), the corporation has announced it's going out of business.  In homage, here's half a Twinkie.

Ultra-Retouching

A couple of low resolution snapshots inspired me to use photo retouching techniques to take them well past the 'retouched' phase and into the 'completely different image, really a painting' phase.  Because the techniques are usually used in the beauty and fashion print industry, I chose to take them in that direction, but not striving for beauty.  Rather a surreal effect.

Who knows.  Anyway, I sure like Photoshop.

Zombie Art!

This guy, Jason Chan, does all the usual hot-chicks-with-a-twist type stuff that the kids are nutty about these days, but he's got a particularly good eye for narrative details.  And then... he did this picture, which contains more adventurous horror than my entire zombie novel.  In a single frame.

Well, maybe not more, but apparently a picture is worth 50,000 words.

Well Preserved Barbie

She's the Susan Sarandon of vinyl.

Cthulu Wallpaper

For you folks who have non-Euclidian geometry at home, at last there's Cthonic wallpaper.  I'm thinking of getting a few rolls of this printed up for the bathroom.

Tumbling Lately

While I have lately been writing, not arting (hence absence of stuff here), I have also been putting together a resource to help ordinary folks understand classical art better, using captions.  So get on over to my tumblr thing and learn some art history! 

The Destruction of Toronto

Don't ask.  It's just one of those projects.

French Bulldog

Sketch for a book illustration.

The Girl WIth One Eye, Again

She showed up in the studio for another painting session, now a couple of years older.  Tried to replicate the original lighting.  Interesting to note my painting skills have actually decreased.

Another Fairy

It's frightening to paint these little creatures.  You never know what kind of mood will hit them.  Luckily they have no sense of aesthetics, so a picture is just a bunch of colors to them.  This is a quick study of a fairy that has been hanging around in our olive tree, eating worms out of the olives.

Killing Osama - The Real Picture

I was amazed to see the iconic image of the top brass watching by live feed as America's long-standing boogeyman was at last destroyed.

However, there were immediate rumors: the picture had been Photoshopped, and not just to remove top secret details.  Now, I've seen a lot of 'shops in my day, so I had a look at the pixel data and was quickly able to reverse-engineer most of the modifications.

Without further editorializing I present to you the original image as released to the press, and my reverse-Photoshopped version, which clearly indicates it was really just a Superbowl party.

I think we need to understand this administration will stop at nothing to hide the truth.  That obviously fake birth certificate was just the beginning.

Ukulele Scrollery

Here's a test for an asymmetrical acanthus pattern I was thinking about putting on a ukulele (inset), and how it eventually worked out.  Gold paint marker sealed with satin urethane -- nothing fancy.

I also replaced the jug-eared tuners with some nice friction tuners that stick out the back, not the sides.

This is an inexpensive uke, but it was the floor model at a local music store and had been played enough so its sound had opened up quite nicely.  Surprisingly loud and mellow for a plywood job.  I like these Ohanas -- the great Buz Carter turned me on to them.  He's the guy who invented this awesome chord-generating code so you can format your four-string tabs and chords to perfection. /end uke rant