a cardinal

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

I recently saw three people on bikes, welded together with a giant bat sculpture hoisted above them going down the street.  There was a guy standing up in the bed of a pickup driving slowly in the bike lane behind them, filming them with a cell phone.  I love it here.

Cleo

I met this person a while ago. They burst into my life, out of nowhere, out of the blue, just showed up and started making me see things, realize things, started teaching me things not by trying to teach me things but simply by being themselves.  I've seen a depth of beauty, capability, grace, forgiveness, and charity in this person that I literally did not know was possible, an energy, an inner light that just permeates into and through everything around them.  Having the knowledge that there's a person like this living is so inspiring, so motivating.  This knowledge has been consistently allowing me to see more ways of improving my artwork.  It's like its increased the amount of beauty I can find in everything else, and, in the case of my birds,  if I see my work lacking beauty, this persons influence in my life gives me a vision of how to improve it.   The more people like this I have in my life, the better.

 Here is the evolution of Cleo:

 

 

 

 In preparation for the next showing of my birds, I'm considering a lot of my older work again, and with some I've been able to go back in and improve them.  Cleo's starting to pop out a little more, starting to look a little less washed out and a little more vibrant.  Also I realized this morning while walking to work that I have 18 of these birds now.  More to come, and a song to fit my mood:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fle-zebSXNc

Cardinal

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

Kingfisher progress

I used to think it was really cool to save cardboard coffee cup clutch dividers when I worked for Caribou Coffee.  Wish I had more, actually.  They are 11 x 17", an acceptable size for me,  and also have a side that is a very comforting shade of grey.  It's a durable surface as well, allowing me to spread graphite around smoothly and also has a high tolerance for color. 

I made a sketch of a Kingfisher on one of these lovely, sustainable dividers about nine months ago, and just kind of forgot about it after that.  I feel like at that time, my style wasn't ready, I couldn't conceive of a process to finish it.  I looked at it a few days back and had a vision for it right away.    I'm using 15 different pens at this point, probably 18 or 19 after I finish the wood at the bottom.  Variety.

What a funny looking bird.  Still cool though, like the Grandmaster Flash of kingfisher drawings.  Hope to finish it up today or tomorrow.  Or the day after that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6e9G-ump3Y

run that back

This drawing has been sitting around for a over a year now.  I was trying to fit birds inside shapes one night, and this was me fitting a bird into a circle.  I think it needs something else in order to be finished, something for it to be standing on at least. 
 

A dope track for tonight:  Zion I feat. Planet Asia - Critical
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l3EHv6r38k


And one more, People Under the Stairs - Earth Travelers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrIS13kmiRA

This is another Townsend's warbler.  Is it too hot for you?  Probably.  I apologize for that.  This is Kyle Voigtlander.  It's 2012.

9/16

Welcome to the lounge.  Here's what's happened:

Townsend's Warbler #1 is for sale, and if you're in the greater twin cities area is availbe on the spot at Marla's Caribbean Cuisine.  Emily and Adam Johnson are the first proud owners, and are practically foaming at the mouth for the release of Townsend's Warbler #2, which will be available Tuesday.

T.W. #2 is the best yet, in my opinion, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder so you'll have to decide for yourself.

I still haven't fixed my scanner, so no sneak peaks.  Sorry. 

My product speaks for itself.

So do the Jungle Brothers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmG3wVkdm7w

Vikings

So I served three players from the Minnesota Vikings today, and one of them actually bought a print from me.  I'm still a Packer fan.



Everson Griffen bought this

 

Free use of the imagination

"A community whose life is not irrigated by art and philosophy, day upon day, is a community that exists only half alive. The fundamental values of a true community are to be found in poetry, art, music and the free use of the imagination, the pursuit of non-utilitarian activities, the production of non-profit-making goods, the enjoyment of non-consumable wealth. Here are the sustaining values of a living culture."  -Lewis Mumford

This is something I've always felt to be true,

but could not articulate. 

I believe it wholeheartedly. 

I'm off to draw an amazing hummingbird, 

and make the world a better place in doing so.

Also, I'm going to leave you with this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm3aMQEIxsA 

Thanks, Jedi.

White guy from Wisconsin

I am an average sized white male, hailing from Ladysmith, Wisconsin.  And these are the sounds I like to hear:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTUbCuS93IU

I listen to a wide variety of genres, but good hip hop will always have a special place in my heart.  I'm off to my weekly meeting with the Gunnar Collective.  We're a group of Christian artists who talk about art, and Jesus.  Yes, art and Jesus.  I've seen a few performance pieces that were all right, but rubbing dirt on a blind guys face and restoring his sight?  Performance art by Jesus.