Shreds n stuff

"Out of the Closet"

2011-02-15T09:43:00.000-08:00

Self-portraits...an interesting proposition. It takes more than a bit of courage (or outright balls)to paint or draw oneself and then put it up for the perusal and assessment of the general public. I suppose that there are a lot of ways to look at the process. Is it a bit of ego, public soul searching and revelation, catharsis, masochism, or just artistic tightrope walking? I've done my modest share, but I decided to go all out and over the top with this one. At 72"x30", it's full sized. (The bone man is scrunched into a 5' 7" tile border, so he will need some chiropractic adjustment at some point.)

My opinion is that a self portrait is overtly about the artist and how he sees himself, but once hung on display becomes much more a mirror for the viewer. We tend to recognize bits of ourselves in it and our lives, and in the process may be either fascinated or repulsed by what we see. The best self-portraits that I have seen are endlessly fascinating. My own visual appreciation of them usually includes a large dose of self assessment and comparisons with the elements that I find an affinity to. Sort of like going to a party and checking out how cool or lame one's clothes are to the rest of the company. We hope that we are in the top 1%, but are often brought a bit closer to
reality in the process.

Well, we are a pretty comical species...so lofty, and often so childish.

For your perusal and contemplation..."More And Less Than I Appear". Acrylic on muslin over wood panel, 71 7/8" x 30"

"Light Lunch"

2011-01-31T12:20:00.000-08:00

It's been quite a while since my last post. Why haven't I posted? Who knows? It's certainly not because I have nothing to say...that would be a rare event for sure. However, here is my latest painting, "Light Lunch". Done for an upcoming show/fundraiser titled "Just Sweet". Since I did a self-portrait with a batch of blindfolded crows included, paintings with crows as elements has become a bleed-off from all that research. Besides, they are fascinating creatures. I'll be posting some of the work done between "Four and Twenty" and "Light Lunch" in the near future Including the self-portrait, but this will help me get back into the swing of posting. 12"x24" Acrylic on canvas

Pandora & The Pie: "I'll Chance It!"

2010-06-04T07:58:00.000-07:00

I've always been fascinated by the nursery rhyme "Sing a Song of Sixpence". When I was very young I was always puzzled about what it meant and completely baffled by the line that stated (nonsensically in my mind) "When the pie was opened the birds began to sing." Right! It seemed quite logical to me even at a tender age that having been "baked in a pie" in such a crush, 24 blackbirds would come storming out of the open pastry in a mad dash for the open skies and freedom....(More like Pandora's box!) "the birds began to sing"..."Dainty dish"...indeed! More like a whirlwind. And there's no reversing the course and getting them back in the pie either.

I got to musing about the effects of cutting open the pie of creativity and the irreversible results. Not always a whirlwind to be sure, but definitely it doesn't just sit there and sing to me...well, it might sing to me, but maybe from a trapeze, the high wire, or a trampoline at the very least. I make the first cut when I set out to create a painting or other work, and when it's completed, and I put it out there to be seen by all, that second cut opens the pie and whatever ensues is out of my hands...much like the blackbirds. The piece is scrutinized if I'm lucky (to be sure, being ignored is the most ignominious fate). Sometimes it will be appreciated and enjoyed, other times it is judged and relegated to some classification niche for mental "ease of handling". Sometimes it might be taken as an instigation and bring on a whirlwind of critiques and dissections that attempt to lessen its power. Hopefully it doesn't just sit there and sing its dainty song. But...that carries the weight of the unknown.

I'm pretty sure that if I knew the final result of my attempts at painting, I would soon give up the chase out of the boredom of predictability. Equally, if I knew how the piece would be taken, what doors would open or shut in my face, what soul travelers I would have the pleasure of meeting, or even what mental cubbyhole I might find myself in the "Art World" I'd probably get tired of the exercise pretty quick. So....pass the pie and the knife please...."I'll chance it!"

For dessert, "Four & Twenty Blackbirds (When the Pie Was Opened...)" (An original painting by WB Eckert, acrylic on canvas, 30"x 25", custom frame) Please direct all inquiries to WBEckertStudio@gmail.com .

Camouflaged

2010-05-11T13:36:00.000-07:00

This new piece has been sitting around finished for a bit, but I didn't really know it...or would that be "I really was not ready to admit it"? In that sense it was right under my nose, camouflaged. It's a bit different than most of my other pieces in that it's not a running narrative type of image. Most of my work has a story to it (if they don't have one at the inception they certainly do by the time they are finished). This one doesn't...or at least it's not very obvious to me. This one is sort of an observation without comment if you will.

It's funny how I can look for something till I am totally discouraged and give up in exasperation only to notice that it's been right there in front of me all the time. (I'm very familiar with that one.) I think it's really the same with life and everything around me. It's all made of the same basic "stuff" and exists in the same "sea of ether", (the space that's between each and every bit of "Stuff" in existence), but somehow I manage quite efficiently to sort it all out and make sure that the limits of everything are carefully delineated in my mind. There are times when I stop to realize that there really are no limits to anything... my physical body, my life force, trees, animals, my keyboard, all overlap and spill into one another. It's just very convenient to look at everything as if it's all separate in some way. After all, if I can't have a determination as to where I stop and you begin...well, that might just change my whole outlook and way of acting! No wonder that my usual way of looking at things tends to get me into a lot of trouble, while simultaneously causing a great deal of trouble for those around me!

It is a tough nut to crack since I've all spent most of my life buying into the concept of individuality and separateness. At times and with a bit of effort, it is possible to see past the camouflage I've carefully constructed...if for no other reason than to occasionally scare the selfishness out of myself...and see the marvelous continuity and interplay that I am a part of and is in turn an integral part of myself.

So having finally admitted it done...I offer "A Carefully Camouflaged Whole". (An original painting by WB Eckert (Acrylic on canvas, 24"x 24" [...with a custom frame, not shown, that appropriately establishes it's limits]).

The Warp and the Weft

2010-04-26T19:02:00.000-07:00

This is a pretty hectic time for me, even stressful. I've been doing quite a bit of painting, but there is all the attendant "grunt" work, and I, of course being who I am, resist that tooth and nail. So, actually getting down to it has been quite a task. A number of shows are coming up, so there are painting in the works and on the drawing pad, printing of photographic prints, framing, and the paperwork, artist statements to slog through and etc., etc. But, as I said I am painting, and this is a good thing.

The piece on this post is the latest finished piece and there are three on the line in various stages of progress. I usually have a title early on, but this one resisted the usual. Possibly because it's the first of a series that I have in mind and it's too early to tell. That being said, as I sat down to do up this post, a title quickly came to mind... "Warp and Weft".

I'm always amused at all the thoughts that fly through my head while I'm working on a piece. Some are high flown while others trudge along the surface. This one brought musings of Hemingway's idea of "grace under pressure", and the idea that to get through life is one thing, but to flow through it gracefully with all it's weavings and bobbings around obstacles and distractions is quite a goal to be sought after.

It seems that this is the warp and weft of life....the forward motion through all the events and issues that are part and parcel of the journey (99% of which we definitely have no say in) without it you can't have the whole cloth, or even any cloth. Honestly, I think that I'm a very late bloomer at this quest, but as they say, better late than never, and the discovery of something that's been in front of my nose for such a long time is humbling and exciting at the same time....So...forward and onward into the breach...or through the warp!

"Warp and Weft" the series, number 1 (Original acrylic on canvas 15 x 30")

The Early Bird?

2010-04-21T17:45:00.000-07:00

Another study. This was a nice surprise. I was working on another piece and was pretty burnt out. I had been painting for most of the day and it was getting difficult to see the subtle color variations that I was looking for in the piece. I wasn't ready to quit painting for the day so I did a quick sketch, picked up a small 9x12" canvas and thought I would explore some color ideas for another painting that is coming up. It was a good call, the small piece worked a nice turn and surprised me. When I showed it to my wife, she agreed and suggested that if I had another canvas that size I should do more of the scene. This is the result.

I suppose I can take a lesson from this for those times when I quit before I'm really ready to and think that I have nothing left. There is usually something left, but I'll never know unless I keep going that extra bit. Good advice to myself...maybe I'll remember to try it a bit more often.

"Morning Patrol" (Original painting by WB Eckert, acrylic on 2 canvases, 9x12" each.)

Study, Study, Study...

2010-03-10T11:29:00.000-08:00

I nearly forgot how enjoyable and instructive it is to do quick studies...or maybe that's instructive...then enjoyable. I've gotten so busy with my larger paintings that I really neglected to make time to do these quick studies. Even though I might have "deadlines" for the larger, finished works, they still offer more latitude as far as time spent on a particular subject. For these small studies I generally only allow myself an hour to execute it from start to finish and on occasion an additional half hour.

The biggest difference for me is that I have to anesthetize my obsessiveness in how I execute the painting. Like drawing straight off with pen and ink, placement and all other decisions have to be made on the run, so to speak, and the clock is ticking. I often find that by depriving myself of the luxury of pondering a decision, I generally make the right (or at least suitable)placement of the pen or brush, stroke or color. The exercise tend to be an affirmation of the skills that I have developed but don't trust enough, sort of a tested in combat approach. I generally come away with both a more appreciative attitude towards my actual skills and a healthy dose of humility as to where I actually am versus where I feel I need to be. It's a very worthwhile exercise.

What I do find humorous about these exercises are my mental states during the process. They correspond to the states that I go through with larger finished paintings but the time span is greatly compressed. I first (in this case) put the live set-up together and light it...squeeze out the colors I've decided on the palette, choose my brush(s), mentally frame the setup on the canvas, and put the first brush marks on the canvas...and then look at the clock and panic, wondering what in the world I was thinking when I chose this particular subject matter and assuring myself that I will now be seriously reminded as to the foolishness of this endeavor. Then I go to work like a madman, alternately making decisions and decrying the reality that the minutes are ticking away at an unnatural rate and that there is not nearly enough time to complete the process, let alone do a decent job. Then the allotted time invariably ends and the piece is finished. Sometimes I'm amazed, sometime dismayed, but always satisfied with the exercise. If I'm dismayed I "vainly" plan out how it will go next time as I assess my folly. Of course, if I'm amazed, I "vainly" go look for some laurels to rest on. In either case, study and practice are the order of the day.

I'm pleased with the result of the most recent hour and a half study period..."Frog and Cruet with Pomegranate", 11x14" acrylic on canvas, (Donated to the Paso Robles Art Association for a fund raiser, and now in a private collection.) More work at www.WBEckertStudio.com . Send inquiries to WBEckertStudio@gmail.com

On the Dead of Winter...

2010-01-03T08:26:00.001-08:00

There seems to be something about the middle of winter that brings on my meditative spirit. In all likelihood it has everything to do with the feel of barren vegetation and lack of growth that exhibits itself the strongest at this time of year. Skeletons of trees and steely skies certainly set the stage for my ruminations. A sort of virtual cabin fever is part of it too. Even if you're not one of the exuberant physical types, the feeling that you can't engage in all those imagined outdoors activities (even if you wouldn't normally anyway)makes them feel all the more inaccessible with the attendant feelings of loss. (It's all in the head of course.) But don't get me wrong. I like it. In fact, I like anything that gets me to thinking deeply.

I'm amazed at how often something can be observed as holding the seeds of it's opposite. The serenity of winter's barren landscapes buzzes with the energy of life just barely concealed... waiting for the proper catalyst to launch it into full bloom. Here in California, it seems that no matter how dry and barren everything looks at certain times of the year, all it takes is a bit of rain (or even a heavy mist spell) to turn the hills a delicate green. Of course that brings all the insects out to sample the wares and...right up the food chain. Winter snow eventually melts providing the moisture to set the whole chain of events in nature on its yearly cycle. All you have to do is let your mind roll over those thoughts for a while and all sorts of events in life/nature start to take on a completely different look.

It's all too true that life doesn't revolve around me, but as the observer of all the things around me, it's sometimes difficult to step outside of that mindset. My environment and surroundings certainly affect me profoundly and take on the characters of "good" or "bad" depending on how they affect me, but in reality, they are not there for me. They, no less than me, have a life of their own. In that respect, biting winter cold, typhoon winds, earth rattling upheavals, and tsunamis are neither "good" nor "bad"...just very inconvenient for the lives and plans of us temporary residents. Like a guest at someone's house, I need to learn the to adapt myself to my host's life environment...it seems to be just good manners.

So, what did I tell you...the dead of winter brings on all sorts of mental journeys. And on that note... "Winter Meditation" (Acrylic on wood panel 8"x 8". This work is available, so if you are interested, please feel free to view more information at http://WBEckertStudio.1000Markets.com or inquire at WBEckertStudio@gmail.com)

Delusions of Grandeur

2009-12-14T11:16:00.000-08:00

I am quite often amazed (in retrospect of course) at how often I think that I've got it all figured out. One would think that observing how often I've come to this conclusion in my life that I'd have learned my lesson...but NO! I wonder why that is? I'm sure that part of it is situational amnesia...that once deluded that I've "figured it out" I am so relieved that there is an answer that I forget about the short duration or the spotty history of "the answer".

Umberto Eco's thought on the matter, "I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless enigma that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as though it had an underlying truth." causes me the knee jerk reaction of nodding my head with the suspicion that he may be onto something there. In any case no matter, next month I may find the answer to it all...again.

For now, some visual meditation. "The Grand Delusion" Acrylic on two 8"x 8" cradled wood panels. This work is currently on exhibit but is available, so if you are interested, please feel free to view more information at http://WBEckertStudio.1000Markets.com or inquire at WBEckertStudio@gmail.com)

The Rhythm Method

2009-12-08T14:35:00.000-08:00

I seem to be getting getting a rhythm to my work discipline...a very good thing. It hasn't been easy, but I'm making surprising progress and it feels great. The whole process puts me in mind of all the rhythms around me that make things work...the seasons (California excepted of course), patterns of the day, cycles of plant growth everywhere, the comings and goings of all the myriad types of birds that frequent all the thickets around the house, and of course the murmurs and rants of the sea.

I truly enjoy watching the flight of pelicans up and down the beach, they have their own rhythms. They are regal and confident in their flight. They never seem to be in a hurry and appear for all purposes, "unflappable" as they coast along. They have a near perfect aplomb and are perfectly attuned to the sea...readily apparent when watching them coast along the breaking wave crests. In fact, their attitude signals the feeling that they might have invented flight and are quite assured in that respect. My kind of bird.

Celebrating the heartbeats of mother nature and the perfectly pitched attitude of the pelican ...

"Pulse" Acrylic on canvas, 36"x18". This work is available, so if you are interested, please feel free to view more information at http://WBEckertStudio.1000markets.com or inquire at WBEckertStudio@gmail.com)

Progress

2009-11-14T13:37:00.000-08:00

Looking back while I'm moving forward is sometimes an encouraging endeavor and often a surprise as to what I discover. Time can often change my perspective about things that I once thought were cast in stone. I never throw anything away, which makes me a sitting duck at spring cleaning time...and no, you don't want to ask me about storage and inventory unless you want to see my eyes roll back in my head and my tongue loll around in my open mouth...not a pretty sight I assure you. I was looking for a canvas this size to start a painting on and i found this one with a fully realized drawing on it that I had planned to paint probably 18 years or so ago...so, I thought that i'd try to see what I could make out of it...a task made more intriguing since I hadn't done a proper dolphin painting in nearly as many years. So, this is what happened...

"Blue Progression" Acrylic on canvas, 48x24". This work is available, so if you are interested, please feel free to view more information at http://WBEckertStudio.1000markets.com or inquire at WBEckertStudio@gmail.com)

What's with the birds, man?

2009-11-06T16:11:00.000-08:00

Ah, the birds. I like them...pick a meaning for them...beautiful, nervous, quick, elegant (and clumsy of you ever watch a pelican touch down)... wonderful shapes and colors. They set my mind to wandering when i see them...flying alone, in squadrons, in gangs diving into a rosemary thicket, tiny finches, turkey buzzards, regal and aloof hawks and boisterous and raucous scrub jays...a bird for every purpose and idea and emotion under the sun. Sometimes they are speeding shapes in the corner of my eye and sometimes huge flocks above the waves feasting on schools of "unfathoming" fishes. So, I'm doing birds in all kinds of situations...in whatever venue that seems fitting.

And here is "A Morning Flight" Acrylic on canvas, 15"x30". This painting is available, so if you are interested, please feel free to view more information at http://WBEckertStudio.1000markets.com or contact me at WBEckertStudio@gmail.com

I Told You So

2009-11-04T17:22:00.000-08:00

Well, i did say that i was sneaking up on a showing and i did. i really dislike the phrase, "I told you so!", it usually follows some personal catastrophe that one is supposed to feel could have been averted if only the "expert" warning had been heeded...Anyway, this time it's all good. I'm showing some of my new work at a local coffee shop, seven pieces that i haven't shown before, and i was afforded an entire wall for them! Life is good. The only thing better than having a wall to hang my paintings on, is a wall to paint one on. One really great upshot of getting these items out there is that i'm tremendously inspired to get more of my backlogged ideas down on canvas and paper. This is a VERY good thing!

So, i'll be posting some of the new work, and i'll do that starting with "Interwoven"...this one meanders like my thoughts, but it's all tied together. the birds theme is very far from being exhausted...so for my first offering...(all of the following until i say "uncle" are available, so if you are interested, please feel free to view more information at http://WBEckertStudio.1000markets.com or inquire at WBEckertStudio@gmail.com).

"Interwoven" acrylic on canvas "36"x24"

Sneaking Up

2009-07-21T09:12:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a while. i can actually claim that i have been working, if not posting. i decided a while back the i would hold off on the posting till i had a number of pieces to post and i have (not in small amount helped by the fact that i am just a procrastinating genius of sorts). i'm slowly sneaking up on my goal.

i decided to post this one since it's already up elsewhere. i've been doing birds lately while pondering other things...these are pretty idealistic birds but they seem to fit where my head is residing these days. This is my latest. i did it as a birthday present for my wife...it had the desired effect...complete surprise and delight. i like it when that happens.

"whisperflight" acrylic on canvas, 15"x30", Private Collection)

Balancing Act

2009-02-17T17:12:00.000-08:00

more peppers...

although these seem to be leaning right, they are most definitely liberal peppers! this turned into a bit of a balancing act of sorts. although i feel that the peppers lean a bit towards the abyss outside the picture frame, they seem to have achieved a precarious balance. when i was posing my spicy subjects, despite my better compositional judgment, all the positions that looked balanced seemed rather dull, so i went with this one...at the time that i finished it, i didn't think that i liked it, but viewing it the next morning proved it a hasty call.

teetering for your perusal...."Peppers On Glass" original acrylic on canvas

Things That Bump

2009-02-16T17:18:00.000-08:00

so it's raining outside and dreary, but it doesn't bother me, in fact i wish it were raining much harder... it does put me in the mind of bright color though, probably the need to balance it all out. sameness seems to demand contrast, even of the violent sort, while raucous turmoil and intense and unrelenting contrast beckons some sort of soothing consistency...sometimes things that bump in the night are needed and even welcome, even in the day.

i'm not sure where this came from, i can see roots in "starry night", but it did offer a refreshing contrast to the rainy day outside...in stark contrast to my obsessively worked out pieces this one was free and easy...all the incredible life and movement that is going on in the night (and all around us any at time for that matter) that we are scarcely aware of...

"Night Movements" original digital print.

Spicy

2008-11-30T11:35:00.000-08:00

i like peppers, i like how they taste, i like how they make other things taste, i like how they look. i prefer the twisty ones the most. i've noticed that many stores seem to prefer peppers that look like storybook peppers...uniform and uniformly "pepper-like". i think that i prefer the "Mapplethorpepper"...suggestive and sensually twisted...visually spicy!

what i did with three of them one afternoon...
"3 peppers" original painting, acrylic on canvas 8"x10" study on stretched cotton canvas ($125)

Where Does It Come From?

2008-11-22T11:50:00.000-08:00

Inspiration...great stuff...but where does it come from? does everyone get it? why do some people seem to get large doses of it, while others seem to languish? why does it seem to dry up sometimes?

whatever it is, i think it's a good thing.sometimes i muse that it's a slippery item to claim as one's own. maybe we can claim that we had the good sense to act on it, but it hardly seems that we generate it at whim (which would be the only way that we could lay claim to owning it). Another thought to shake around in those quiet times.

i always wanted to try this...i'm not sure if i would want this kind of muse around all the time...rumor has it that they have large and omnivorous appetites.

"The Source" photography, various 3d applications, and Photoshop

Fated?

2008-11-20T15:25:00.000-08:00

What is Fate, is anything "fated", do we make out own Fate, are we helpless before fate, in fate we trust? if there is such a thing, from what does it emanate?...some things to ponder over a reassuring glass of something stronger than ginger ale.

One of my latest paintings "fortuna ex machina"...41.5x33", acrylic on canvas.

Bird Brained

2008-09-20T13:30:00.000-07:00

birds on the brain...that must be the reason. i was doing some photo research on pelicans for a future painting so i found myself, camera in hand, stumbling around the rocks at the sea shore. it was a very nice day and the birds were most accommodating (lazy?) so i got some nice pics and even better inspiration. i wish i had wings...

for the flighty...."Pair On a Popular Perch" and "Simple Requirements"

Follies

2008-09-19T18:46:00.000-07:00

i decided to paint...just paint. i find that if i spend time deciding whether my impulse to paint any particular idea is worth spending the time on...i don't. the result of that little exercise is no painting. so, in the interest of producing some paintings, i'm painting ANY ideas that seem interesting. this particular one is not the latest, but it is in the recent roster. i also decided to stock them up a bit instead of releasing them every time i complete one. more on this topic later, but for now...

"Birds Before the Storm" (acrylic on canvas, 15"x30", SOLD)

The Wrong Thing

2008-08-13T21:07:00.000-07:00

i really have taken a liking to the sound of the word "bling". it's a wonderfully descriptive utterance for something that has a momentary sparkle and flash...the passing twinkle in an eye used in an over-the-top visual comedy...so sad that we grab onto that so often as the first thing...and spend an inordinate amount of energy of all sorts trying to possess...nothing...or, arguably less satisfying, the wrong thing.

such an incredible lack of discernment..or is it simply just laziness, like looking at nothing in particular and past everything and just grabbing the first "bling" we see?

it makes me very uncomfortable to ponder this one..."calming vibrations"

Facing Faces

2008-08-12T15:01:00.000-07:00

i usually take the stand that there are "absolutes", but as i get more experience in life i have to admit that there seems to be no possible way to ascertain what they (or it) might be.

every single object or event looks different, and may have different significance, depending on the person observing it or the location of the observation point...that would seem to include physical location, mental state, life experience, education, and whatever else we could imagine that would make each observer/location combination unique. it sometimes seems to me that if we could just get all the views, we'd know what something absolutely is...or would we?

i'm fascinated by this concept, and it's easy enough to play around with it on a small scale while photographing the same thing from different perspectives...the more i play with it, the more i'm convinced that there's just no telling...and so i go on exploring and observing.

two of the many faces of one of my favorite buildings, the templeton granary..."a matter of scale" and "boxes and boxes".

Arc Flight

2008-07-31T17:20:00.000-07:00

i thought i'd post my latest painting. this has some of my favorite arcs and swoops (and the arm and hand movements that go with them), and the animal whose movements i love to trace with those forms. it's been quite a while since i've painted dolphins, and this is a completely different approach to the subject for me. i may go this way for a while and see where i wash up.

for your pleasure..."Arc Flight" acrylic on canvas

A Hit to the Eye

2008-07-12T11:00:00.000-07:00

Not much to say here...color...texture....it's everywhere! i like it!

just a couple of pieces that tickle my retinal receptors..."Turquoise Harem" and "Intruder Warning in Red"

Webs We Weave

2008-07-11T08:32:00.000-07:00

throughout the world, in all of our lives we see the evidence and consequence of the intrigues we create. we are often aghast to observe that, once created, they are likely to take on a life of their own...completely out of our control, careening down paths that we never imagined. oh what wondrous webs we weave...and in the nature of webs, they become tangled and entangling...it's just the nature of things.

unfortunately, we fool ourselves into thinking that we do have control over our creations and machinations...we don't. it's not that we can stop our web-making, and it's impossible to untangle our creations, but it's worth the effort at times to stop and observe that tangle and try to sort it out to find a focus...if for no other reason than to learn a thing or two about them.

these two pieces required considerable thought to find a focus in the tangle...but, worthwhile i think..."industrial strength web" and "snail snare"

Rachel

2008-06-25T14:44:00.000-07:00

people and images...i surely find people the most challenging of all images to make. it's not all that difficult to take a good photo of a person, but to capture a bit of their personality...for me, that's a tough one...

my favorite person, wife, partner, and, pleasurably, my favorite model...rachel... "rachel deep in thought" and "piece of mind"

Chaos and Order

2008-06-25T08:42:00.000-07:00

it's fascinating to consider the place of chaos in a world where we value order, or is it considering order in a world that seems to admit chaos at every turn? in any case, in art it is a struggle at times to order the chaos of images, colors, forms, and aromas that we encounter at every turn. like doing a term paper or essay, it's often difficult to corral the material and make some digestible sense of it all...

both of these pieces presented that challenge..."Torigata 2" and "barely contained"

A Star Is Born ... Every Day

2008-06-21T11:48:00.000-07:00

sometimes it flat out amazes me to see something that i am very familiar with and think i "know so well" in a new context. my first reaction is one of awe at what i'm looking at...its beauty, color, shape, complexity, whatever the overwhelming sensation may be. if i examine it at length, i may come to realize that it is a very familiar thing that shines in contrast to a foreign environment. a star is born! i find myself overwhelmed by the sensation and fail to see what i am really looking at...the "same old thing" in a context that showcases its special traits.

in light of this observation it's surprising that we should be so anxious about being in unfamiliar situations...the very places where we might shine.

so....."punk'd out in orange" and "a star is born"

Something New, something older...

2008-06-13T11:48:00.000-07:00

i'm defintely not an advocate of forgetting the past. i have often been advised that it's good for an artist to destroy all that clinging old work so that we can work a fresh slate...i'm not there. i'm always fascinated by old works. i have a sort of detachment from them in that it's not too long after they are completed that they don't feel like mine. they are fascinating and yet seem foreign to me...like looking at someone else's work. good, bad, or ugly that's the way it is.

at times i revisit old works and re-invent them, or re-do them in another media...or return to the path that i wandered off on when i did them originally. this is one such piece...the sketch was done on a plane flight, and i worked the solution over a period of time...now i'm looking forward to a second journey for it on canvas. "Guilt:Formal"

Breaking Camp...

2008-06-08T14:23:00.000-07:00

Most of the work that i've posted recently has been photographic in nature, but i thought i'd post something a bit different this time. i just finished a commission that i procrastinated myself through for way too much time...having just "broke camp", i'm understandably pretty excited!

without going into gory details, this is an original portrait of a young man on a 1927 Harley Davidson based on a black and white photo of the subject supplied by the client ...done in acrylic on canvas, 30x40". "Shaw's Ride", SOLD

In and Out of Focus

2008-05-26T17:19:00.000-07:00

it is interesting to consider that even though we think that everything we look at is in focus, actually only the very specific area that we are looking at is in focus...the rest is just shapes, colors, or movement. we don't normally take notice that we look rapidly at a great number of things in a short period of time, and that our eyes focus and adjust very quickly to each new area of interest...so we get the whole picture rather than just a bit. the camera can tease us with a different view...

playing with that concept with the camera has all sorts of possibilities..."fiery iris" and "green bursts"

The Little Bits

2008-05-23T10:14:00.000-07:00

it's amazing how often we miss the beauty of the little insignificant parts...shapes, color juxtapositions, words, inflections, sighs...in our mad "appreciation" of the grandeur of everything...

here's to those bits...."colors bumping" and "little bits of time"

... And All That Jazz

2008-05-15T11:07:00.000-07:00

well...there's the mysterious and then there's "in your face".

i did mention that i find it very hard to settle for just one style, one emotion, one look in my work. of course that makes me pretty hard to categorize, but, i gotta admit that's the way i am...as i mentioned in a previous post...like ruby rod in 5th Element, "i don't want one position, i want all positions!"

this is like going from chamber music to art blakey or herbie hancock, but i do like it at times when everything falls into an ordered structure...clean lines, precise shapes, vibrant colors, methodical structure...while working on these two, i was reminded of the painter stuart davis and his jazzy paintings so i had to reacquaint myself with the pleasure of his work....bright and flashy...

so...bright, flashy, and structured..."jazzy ensemble" and "mee 2"

O So Mysterioso

2008-05-04T07:25:00.000-07:00

when i was very young my father used to take my brother and i for walks in the woods...we used to explore and play tag and hide and seek (me in my red jacket)...i always thought it was a magical place...mysterious, dark, sometimes light streaming into secret places revealing wonderful scenes...i don't think i've ever lost that feeling of the mysterious in nature...one of my favorite experiences, still, is wandering in some out of the way area (this often can be 5 feet from a road!) and discovering a bower, a pile of leaves, a stream, a wizened and impossibly gnarly tree, a spider sitting on it's woven lace picnic blanket awaiting a guest for dinner... being awe inspiring without the slightest need for an audience...and here i am, the lucky observer... like being someplace i'm not really supposed to be.

if i have my camera with me, i can spend hours, trying to capture that feeling of awe and the delights that i'm seeing and experiencing. it's not so easy, i find, to capture that mystery...

these two shots are a pleasure for me...i think i came close to capturing that element of mystery that i enjoy..."after the shower" and "oak grove on a rainy day"

Glory Daze

2008-05-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

time passes and so does the sheen.

i guess missing the sheen is normal, but letting it become the defining element of our thinking is less than invigorating to one's creative life. when that becomes the focus, all endeavor seems to lean to recapturing what we thought was the more successful time of creativity (or would that be notoriety?). we all(exceptions are entertained)love to be noticed and noted. in fact, creativity seems, like happiness, to be much less satisfying if not shared. there is definitely a thrill and satisfaction from the work done, but put all the results in a place where no one else can see and laud or critique, and i doubt that any of us "creative types" would continue. that's the "fak" jack! (yeah, i know that feeling insular and above it all is a great pose...a lofty perch above it all in the pecking order, but it's not a very original delusion.)

so, what's left? no faded glory that's for sure! like the rust forming under metal that has been repainted in an attempt to restore the old glory...often, like the experiences of life, the bubbling, dented, weatherbeaten, crusty layers add a new glory...and for me, i think i'll try to capture that...there'll be enough time to reflect on the "old glory" when i'm pushing up daisies!

so...for reflection and introspection..."Once Upon a Star" and "Glorious in Retirement"

Special-ness & Success

2008-04-16T08:48:00.000-07:00

in a crowd of 6.7 billion people, "special" is a pretty astounding word to use when describing one of us, yet we all believe that each one of us is special...(smoke that one for a while!)... and just what what is "success" among this number of strivers for the brass ring...and who or what calls the shots that determine the outcome?

of the millions of sperm that are sent on their mad dash for survival/success in a single act of intercourse, only one will be successful...of all the eggs that are fertilized only a certain number will see the light of day of birth...of those, many newborns will not live to see puberty...and still the number of "successes" are astounding considering the odds.

once reaching adult status, very few are "successful" considering the standards of the world...whether by fame, monetary status, or power...and then how many of us attain the status of "truly memorable" ... those whose ideas or accomplishments are credited with steering this vast human ship through the uncharted waters of history..?

pondering this is a good reason to reach for that additional beer or two...and ponder "beating the odds" and "chosen".

Fracktured Flickers

2008-04-09T09:36:00.000-07:00

while working on these images i got to thinking about how i physically "fit" in the world.

i tend to think of my personal self as insular and totally inclusive to my own "place" in space and time...but experience, science, and "spirituality" seems to hint to something quite different.

how did i know what that other person was going to say before they said it? where do "my" body's atoms and molecules end and the outside's begin...exactly? why does it seem to me that "prayer" or positive "vibes" or energy is effective in the world?

at times these considerations seem to fracture my concepts of just what or who my self is...

does it matter, or is the only practical consideration the skin i'm in?

so..."cat branches" and "boy through water"

Framed I Tell You, Framed!!

2008-03-26T16:22:00.000-07:00

everything today seems to be framed...from the pictures on the wall, to events in the media, to the messages that politicians wish us to devour whole-cloth...one of the things that humans seem to do innately as a species is make images of life...as someone who remembers the advent of television (but not the events in the lascaux cave), i can attest that this visual framing of everything is everywhere in our lives...propagandists and preachers rejoice!!

i sometimes wonder if we tend to live the greater part of our life being influenced more by framed images and messages than we do by actual real life involvement... it is after all just as easy today to live local lives between home, work, and possibly church...and to shrink from real life as a dangerous horror or snide joke that we see framed in the media spread before us...wouldn't a thought or two remind us that all images are taken "out of context"?....

i wonder... "short of involvement" and "through a glass"

Phancy Phlights

2008-03-25T11:27:00.000-07:00

sometimes...setting is all. a diamond set it in a glass of water...it becomes invisible for all practical purposes no matter how perfect a diamond it is. take a rotten tomato, place it on a black field and set a small spot light on it...you will have an interesting if not beautiful picture...

so...i thought that i'd search the archives for items that i've always liked, but never did know what to do with and apply some creative settings using elements of the original shots for that purpose...(this bears further experimentation i'm thinking...)

these two have always reminded me of the french impressionists...and now dipped ever so tentatively into the arts nouveau setting have a bit more sparkle than before...

"lily pond pastels" and "lily bloom"

Getting the Bird

2008-03-23T18:59:00.000-07:00

i always have a feeling of triumph when i can actually get a shot of some birds that are interesting to me...they are usually all over the place and not very amenable to close inspection unless the observer hides out somewhere...alas, a nature photographer i'm not... that being said, i love to watch birds interact...they often take on the form of human social groups...gathering in cliques, chattering away, excluding some hapless member of the avian community...hanging around some light pole or other...real light weights...

in that vein i'm sneaking in "not ready for prime time" and "evening recap"

Sparkle

2008-03-21T18:56:00.000-07:00

keeping that "spark" way past the jaded...can everything old still be new without having to get alzheimers to experience it. i suspect that the key has something to do with learning to really look at things anew and not blowing them off as "the same old thing". photography, or any of the "arts" seems to be a facilitator for looking anew at things...almost of necessity the process slows us down enough to look or think again...

"preening in the Sunset" and "morning hangover"

Candy

2008-03-15T13:45:00.000-07:00

there's subtlety and refinement and then there is CANDY!

enjoyment at an entirely different level...the guilty pleasures...
sometimes that's all we want...the uncritical glutinous intake of an intricate visual feast. that's how i feel when i look at these. this subject is pretty unceremoniously an enjoyment of raucous architectural flamboyance...yes, it is obviously art deco flair, but considering that it is a stucco front on a metal quonset building and that the building serves as a construction headquarters pushes all the meters towards the top...

pure candy!

"sweet!" and "more than one way to the top"

Secret Places

2008-03-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

funny thing about "art"...if it has any chance at all to be any good, it comes from, and in all reality is about, the secret places in the craftsman's heart and soul...the very private and personal element that is mostly unseen by anyone but the artist....then it is outed for anyone with eyes to see. probably not a good thing for the artist to muse on, but definitely a great thing for the enrichment of souls and hearts...

"casual enticement" and "heart of the secret place"

Jumping Off

2008-03-12T10:03:00.000-07:00

well, after considering the virtues of asking the important questions before i take a shot, i have to equally consider the virtues of just jumping in...that doesn't say that the eye behind the lens shouldn't think...maybe it's more that i wonder how often after thinking some fine impulse over and over, to my later regret (or surprise) i realize i missed something special.

the included visuals are older shots revisited...areas cropped for visual and visceral interest and to the dogs with my nagging technical (nice word for it) conscience. i find that very often, the result is more satisfying than i had considered...so here's to "on the higher plane" and to "jumping off"

See Worthy

2008-03-10T17:18:00.000-07:00

a couple of new ones...i had taken a batch of photos while wandering among the tide pools and the rock formations and this is my second round at some of them. many looked good to me after the first round, but lacked the bite that i felt i had experienced while taking the shots.

i did some experimenting with light as the focal element and actually am a lot happier with these two than originally...once again, i had to go back and remember what it was that excited me about the subject matter that day...the closer i can recall that and focus on that, the closer the finished pieces satisfy my emotional memory of that day.

"stand offish" and "untitled rocks" (so far).

STARK

2008-03-08T09:12:00.000-08:00

"what was it about this scene that compelled me to take the shot?"

years ago, i read some advice from photographer Freeman Patterson about taking photos...the idea was that it is so easy to pick up a camera and point and shoot that we really need to ask ourselves what it is about the scene we are contemplating that is enticing us to make the shot...and then do all we can to capture that element.

i have tried to do that over the years with better success at times than others, but i find myself just as often asking myself the question afterwards...it certainly can be an intriguing exercise and at times illuminating....

"night in day" and "stark"

PushPush

2008-03-07T10:05:00.000-08:00

well, i've been having an interesting time pushing these out to the edges...i find that the gritty textures and shapes along with the colors (which are there, but a lot more subtle) are very satisfying to me...like i can run the outer edges of my sensibilities along the surface and feel a bit raw.

this may be a very productive venue...who could know? "notorious"

Cripes!

2008-03-06T07:13:00.000-08:00

at the rate i update this blog, i could never publish a newspaper that's fer damn sure!

i think i'll get back with a couple of pics with little or no explains...some of my photographic work that is "clicking" for me....a spark in the dark....and a paddle to get out of the becalmed sargasso that i've floated in for some time now...we shall see....

oh yeah....titles... "rocky shore" and "clear headed" and "appearance of propriety"

2008, New Year, New Stuff

2008-01-10T13:21:00.000-08:00

well...looking forward to the new. it will be interesting to see what creative fronts reveal themselves. i started posting again on renderosity.com (under my artist nom de plume "steelrazer") after a long hiatus. some interesting stuff, plus a flush of new ideas. sometimes i muse that i should focus on one creative venue, but i don't think that's me. like ruby rod in "fifth element", i don't want one position, i want all positions!"

so, it's all the input, dreams, hopes, and anticipation "in"...i'll just have to wait and see what develops "out".

i dunno...but i do

2007-07-14T17:41:00.001-07:00

life is twisty weasel, isn't it?

so, here i sit with a whole boatload of stuff to rant about...and wondering what another ranter will add to the already overcrowded rantatorium. so, i'm not going to rant at all! i think i'll just post a coupla' things and such and you can draw your own conclusionary endings. (oh yeah, don't mind the strange words...i make em up as i go along...whatever is descriptive and sounds reasonable...reasonableness is a quality, along with critical thinking, that seems to be undergoing a drought these days...(maybe the oil companies bought up those rights too?)

Oh, and hey...go check out mark bryan's site (or sight if you will) at http://www.artofmarkbryan.com/ ...

cave paintings II

2007-07-04T21:01:00.001-07:00

this is another group of really old werx...across the board...the only significance of these is that for some reason or another, they still fascinate me, if for no other reason, because they are across the board. the two snow sleds were two of the many that i designed in conjunction with my brother...it was my job to design the look and still make it work...

cave paintings I

2007-07-04T20:42:00.000-07:00

these are definitely cave paintings...pretty vintage wbeckert...all media, acrylic, pen and ink & brush...probably some twig and ink...of course...the really spelunker stuff is photo free....it amazes me where i didn't go when i look at these....

Lore of the Ancient

2007-07-04T16:27:00.000-07:00

I ran across these "oldies" when i was looking for slide shots of old and forgotten werx. much insanity...

New Stuff of old stuff

2007-07-04T16:08:00.000-07:00

just a bits 'n pieces site for now....we'll see what it develops into over time.