Building new worlds

I've really been having fun in my sketchbooks the last few weeks.  With these two sketches, I'm imagining a world dominated by vast expanses of dense forests, riddled with both real world and fantastical creatures, new cultures/religions, architecture, etc. 

It's a completely different process that what I've been doing with my birds, but the change of pace is a welcome break from the regular routine.  The challenging task of putting myself mentally in the environment I'm trying to create is arduous, but very rewarding when I feel I've captured something new and unique.  Stay tuned. 

Falcon progress

The original drawing looked a little "mushed" on the page, so I ended up cutting it out.  I became  excited about completing the drawing after that, because it is on a thicker illustration board, about 1/8" thick.  So it's subtle, however there is a slight three dimensional aspect to the drawing that I really like.  I've also been thinking that I could mount it to another thicker base, and cut it out again, increasing the three dimensional feel.  Nothing too thick, maybe 1/4".   After that my plan is to find a suitable background color, paint a large canvas flat, and mount it to that. 

value of art

It's 2:17 am.  I'm just chilling on the couch.  Hung out with some cool people tonight, was going to go to this outdoor thing but thunderstorm.  I did this drawing though.  There is good art and there is bad art.  And mediocre art.  All levels of art really, all art is in the same category and it's worth within that category also has a place.  This is some good art that I made.  I'm living in a society where a beautiful woman can upload a picture of herself on the toilet, call it art, and get more views than this drawing probably ever will.  And that's a tragedy in my opinion.  The world, society, rewards a woman flaunting her sexuality and, I don't know what she's saying actually, like "me shitting is art."?  I mean I don't know how else to take that but, no.  Just no.  Sure, she can call that art but it's definitely not good art.  Let's be smart people.

Everybody has their thing

Here's mine, in progress.  Barn Swallows for a collaboration with Shaina Lund:

And one of my favorite songs:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Etbt_8Qkb30

Celtic Junction

http://www.thecelticjunction.com/art-gallery/kyle-voigtlander/


So the Celtic Junction has me up on their artist profile page.  Pretty cool, the lady did a good job with it.  I believe Carrilon is her name, well done Carrilon.  Thanks for supporting local art!

The Crow

I've been really pleased with the development of this piece.  I've been working on it more lately.  It often reminds me of seeing hundreds of crows gathered together on the edge of downtown Minneapolis last fall.  They pooped so much, the sidewalks looked like a Jackson Pollock.  Anyway, here's a progress shot:

Campin' out on friday night

Camp

Progress shot of a celebrity pigeon.  I've got so many projects going at this point, I'm thinking I'll die before I complain about being bored again. 

It's a "People Under the Stairs" type night:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc7H3SrK4DM

Space Falcon

Space Falcon

This the latest drawing I've completed.  A personal project, this drawing was just a fun experimentation playing with scale, and trying to capture the feeling of the bird being more of a character than a bird. 


The lack of more realistic portrayal of our solar system is a distraction for some.  I didn't really anticipate that, as I was more concerned with trying to pack too much into the background, and in doing so take the focus away from the falcon.  I'm looking forward to taking what I did successfully in this drawing and improving on that in  another space bird drawing.   


This is a cool song, even cooler music video. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ID1plssS4s

Vision Poster

We've all had near misses with love.  But does that mean we give up on love?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0n4dtroy7Y

This is a mock up of a poster I was asked to do.  I'm liking the layout and general idea.  Finding the fonts for the final draft will be a challenge, but one that I take on gladly. 

raven

This is a Buddhist raven from Tibet.

A lot of good things are happening.  One of them this color scheme.

A friend of mine recently "liked" some of my artwork on facebook.  This friend is from Liberia, and after another Liberian friend saw that this person had liked my work, they were asking them about liking "art done by white people." 

In light of that, I just want to say that I don't discriminate based on race.  I don't really discriminate against anyone, unless they are an asshole, and even then I will let as much slide with them as I possibly can in order to keep the relationship at 100%.  This is about art though. 

Art has a value intrinsic to it, an importance that lies completely outside the ethnicity of the artist.

I'm sure that my being white and growing up in small town white America has contributed to the content of my work in some fashion.  Still, I'm able to find so much beauty in observing, learning about, and interacting with people of other cultures, that defining my art work as "art done by white people" is just a reflection of that individuals shallow understanding of a number of issues. 

In other news, I'm excited to get started on another commissioned drawing.  It is another love themed drawing, and this time will be including two Cenzontle, a.k.a. Mexican Mockingbirds. This is the rough sketch I did to map out the composition. 

I can't wait to get started

Weak ape throw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrmgiPO_260


This is amazing.

prints

Raven, Atticus, Bishop

I should have more of these by now.  Too many distractions.

Lovebirds

2400 project views on my behance page, 115 project appreciations.  How to get to epidemic status?  Until I find a way, I'm going to work out these projects.  Progress shot:

Love birds theme.  They are based on buntings, a painted bunting on the left, an indigo bunting on the right.  The painted bunting is looking endearingly at the indigo bunting, who is serenading the painted bunting with a song.  The branches come together and wrap around each other, as a heart shape.

Update:  11/16

Update:  12/3

Update: 12/12

Update: 12/14

Final

Sitting on three commissions.  Accepted a show at a gallery in St. Paul for January.  Preparing for two art events through Hennpin County Medical Center.  This is just great.

Finished one commission, two more to go.  It's crunch time.

yep

I met this psychologist the other day, at a cafe.  He said he's thinking about getting back into art, and if I'm willing to drive 2 1/2 hours away to his town with a thriving art community, he'd love to introduce me to several people.

Sounds kinda cool, I hope it's not a weird sex thing.

In any case, I'm still making hot drawings.

Raven  11x14" (pencil, pen)

this is hot.  queen of my dreams.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCaf0ZEckUs


 I'm posting this too, Souls of Mischief.  Cool group name, cool song, cool story, just cool.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPGCP5kwA4c

rappin for Jesus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Kppx4bzfAaE#t=92


What just happened?

a cardinal

This is just about finished.  I like it, but I still want to do another one.  More to come, as always.