The Future Calls...

Everyone has dreams, right? Sadly, I think most of us never realize them.

I think I know what I'd like to do with myself, and with my life.

Unfortunately, it will take a lot of money. Actually, this may be one case where an alot of money will come in handy, only I am unsure of how to snare the elusive beast. His or her ever-replenishing coat of Jacksons or Benjamins could certainly come in handy.

Of course there are things like Kickstarter but I think that would be better put to use later in this dream.

I have a place in mind for this fantasy to take place in too.

I even have ideas of some people to involve in it, maybe some people I know would like to be involved in it. I'm not much of a networker though.

I suppose I could qualify for grants, but I don't know the beginning of that sort of thing. I see people hiring grantwriters from time to time--that must be what they are for.

I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have to worry about finding accountants to help with things, but I think the type of plan I have requires lawyers. Well at least one, probably not more than that.

Its funny because I haven't really felt excited about anything job-related. like, ever, but for once I do. I just don't know where to begin. Unfortunately, I don't think the Internet adage of

Step 1: Dream Project
Step 2: Start project
Step 3: ???
Step 4: Profit!

applies here.

Especially since what I have floating in my head is anything but a for-profit mega-conglomerate. No, it'd be local and very community and art-driven.

I'd actually had a different plan months ago that was related to this, but I think that was more fanciful (and selfish). This non-plan-plan is much better because instead of (potentially) fattening my wallet, it would fatten the collective spirit of a community.

Most people give up on dreams, and I understand why; it's hard. I don't want mine to end up in the same place as most others. I want others to reap the benefits of what I want to sow.

Drawing is pencil and charcoal pencil on paper.

Sometimes Wedding Bells Sound More Like Thunder Claps

Weddings are fickle things. They are important but silly all at the same time. They are kind of like birthdays in a way. I don't feel much different on or after my birthday, but the ticker that keeps track of my life has seemed fit to increase by one. After a wedding, is anything really different than before? I don't think marriage makes you care for someone more or love them more, but the way people treat weddings, you feel like you ought to.

I maintain a wedding is just a big ass party; I don't think you can deny that. Sure, there's a ceremony, but the bulk of a wedding is the reception-- that's the part people have fun at, the part people remember. Do people really remember a ho-hum ceremony when the DJ rocked some pretty phat beats courtesy Kenny G? I highly doubt it.

So it seems silly that for what is essentially a gathering of people, strongly resembling that of a party, has so much pressure put on it. Even more weird is that, most weddings are pretty much the same, formulaic bullshit. No offense to anyone who opts for such a wedding, some people love tradition, I respect that. I just think people should shake things up a bit from time to time.

I don't know if the best way to manifest that is by playing the Sex Pistols at a wedding, though. Just sayin'

There is definitely a weird aura that surrounds weddings and their planning, though. Everyone has an opinion. Most of those people, of course, are the ones who pay for weddings, so their opinions tend to find themselves grounded more in fact than opinion, though. This can be kind of stressful at times though, when the same people are telling you to do what you want to do in one breath, and the next don't seem too thrilled by your choices.

Like rings. Engagement rings aren't really necessary, are they?

Apparently to everyone else they are very important.

A song which will likely be played at the wedding:




This is pretty much verbatim what went down buying a suit. Some words may be slightly off, but I could not understand the tailor at all. Personally, since she was a woman, I think she is a seamstress. To me, tailors are men.

The salesman dude reminded me of an amalgamation of a whole lot of people. I actually quite liked him, though. He wasn't very pushy (until the end, but that's okay, I guess). He was more than patient, gave us space, and didn't mind being playful. Salesmen are all too often far too serious. I know, I used to be one and worked with a bunch of them. Pushy little fuckers. That company is out of business now though, so it serves them right. He had a kindness about him though, sort of Tim Gunn-esque. Just not as fabulous.

Prairie dogs. Need I say more?

Pronghorns. Their horns are unlike that of other horned animals. They actually shed their horns every year. They are also bone, which is covered in a sort of hair-like furryness.

Pygmy marmosets. Pretty much Krissy's favorite animal ever, so they had to be included. The Howler Monkeys are rather fun, too.

Apparently, dinosaurs are not appropriate. I think the dinosaurs and zoo animals would get along just fine. A rather large group of people are under the impression that humans and dinosaurs once coexisted peacefully, so I think they'd get along with peacocks as well.

Seating cards. If we could do it the way I'd want to (in an ideal world) they'd be flawless and seamless. Since we lack the right kinds of equipment and expertise and junk, we'll have to settle for adorable and still pretty kick-ass.

Where the whole shin-dig is going down. This picture is so pro. I should get paid for this kind of thing.

What's nice is that the walls are wood, so any light ends up with a very warm color temperature.



Peacock! They just roam about. There are at least five of them. This one is particularly pretty.



In the end, any stress really isn't worth it, though. Minuscule details, even if not perfect, will probably be forgotten. What people will remember is if the day was fun, if they enjoyed themselves, and hopefully that the day was a bit different.

Some Drawings

I feel like I haven't posted any drawings in some time, so I'm going to. I guess these are sketches, since none of them took much time, if you want to get into semantics.

First, is this fellow. I draw faces a lot, because they're the only thing I generally feel confident in. It's odd, because faces are, in my opinion, the most important part. You can get by with some features being off, but the face needs to be kind of perfect. If the face is off, the whole image suffers. It's like photographs: if the viewer doesn't connect with the person in the image, they don't connect with the image. That's why Tyra goes crazy for fierce eyes, and why people always say to smile with your eyes. If your eyes say "I'm happy" the picture does too.

But I draw faces, mainly because they turn out okay. I'm certainly not that great at drawing them by any means, but compared to anything else I draw, I think they are the best that I do. Obviously, that sentence is not the best that I do, because it sounds awful, but I am leaving it, because I like typing in stream of consciousness.



He kind of reminds me of Golem. Or is it Gollum? I think that's it. It's funny because that wasn't my intent. I think I drew the eyes first, and then the head. He has a weird mustache effect going on, which I'm not crazy about, and his lips look off. But that's okay, because he's off. And it was one of my earlier drawings of a face, so I can use inexperience along with ineptitude as an excuse.

His ears are awfully pointy. Normally I don't even draw ears, and you can see why. They aren't the right size, and they are at different heights. I don't know how to draw ears, so I usually leave them out, or try to see how others have done them, which I did not do here, obviously.

His nose is funny. It's acceptable, considering at this point I kind of did noses as an afterthought. By that I mean, I knew they were required, obviously, but my whole not knowing how to draw them thing tended to leave them being drawn quickly and poorly. In this case, it's funny looking, but at least you can tell it's a nose.

He has weird skin. I don't know what most of those lines are; they're not wrinkles.They make him look somewhat wooden. I think this was my was of showing topography early on. I didn't know what else to do or how else to do it, so I think I just drew lines, apparently at random.He looks like the Ultimate Warrior or something.

I like his liver spots on his head. I think that's what they are called, anyway.


This is a drawing of a fictitious beast of the ages. I modeled it off of several other fearsome animals throughout time. Can you guess what they all are?



First, I am horrible with perspective, and my landscapes suffer horribly from it. In this case, there is nothing in the background except for a tiny volcano shaped like a cupcake liner.

Second, I like the shadow underneath him. I'm really happy with it, then and now. It looks good, I am pleased.

Third, I can't really draw animals, so they are always in this same stance. It's the way I've drawn dogs for as long as I can remember, and I have not progressed much. Similarly, the way I draw cars has not progressed much either, but I don't have any examples I can share right now.

This is a combination of many creatures. First, you may notice the unicorn horn. He has healing powers from this, but can also use it for self defense. Unicorns never attack, never forget that. He also has a small rhinoceros horn underneath that. This can be used for ramming and attacking despite the fact that it is shorter than the unicorn horn. Don't try and bring up physics or math here, that's just how it works, okay?

he has a trunk, like an elephant for bathing and such (the ladies don't like 'em dirty). He can also use it like a turkey baster to soak up any type of fluid and spray it at his predators, or to get a fine looking ladies attention. He just has to remember that urine and toxins are for the predators and pretty, pleasant smelling liquids are for the ladies.

He has a triceratops-like shield around his head. This is rounded, though. This can collect water to and dissipate heat to keep his head cool in the summer and collect snow in the winter to make him look like a lion.

He has the body of an elephant, with some parts of him being covered in scale-like thingamabobs. These are for defense, I guess. Or maybe he just really likes dragons. His back plates are from a Stegosaurus. These have many purposes. First, they dissipate heat pretty well. They can also maybe be used for defense, although scientists are not quite sure about that just yet. They make handy perches for birds to sit on too, when he's not in motion. I think this may keep him cool in the summer because he will be shaded by the birds. Or maybe he just likes the company.

He's also got a spiky tail, like that dinosaur. It resembles an armadillo, but it's huge? I never liked them because they're ugly, but I liked their tails. This is an improved version of that. This can be used for defense or offense, or when courting a female. When competing with other males, he will flail his tail about much like giraffes do to gain favor with the females.


Finally, the last drawing. If memory serves, I drew this around Halloween. I like it. The drawing looks better in person than it does on the screen, though.



This is a scene with much tension in it, yet it contains a certain calmness to it. The man and cat are very calm, like they're on prescription medication (they're not, don't worry). Meanwhile, they are surrounded by all kinds of destruction. There are volcanoes oozing magma everywhere, there's a moon that looks like a comet going across the sky, like a giant ball of fiery hell. The clouds are rather ominous, like one of those bizarre storms that just looks photoshopped. But they are still.

The man is holding a broom, though I use the term "holding" with a grain of salt. You'll notice he is ensconced in a cloak, so he can't actually be holding it. Despite what you may think, that is definitely not a Snuggie.

So let's just say his broom is leaning against him. I like the broom though. It turned out well. The handle part looks pretty well detailed, which is impressive for me. I like his face. He has large, puffy cheeks and the most ridiculous mustache I've ever seen for someone in his situation. I also like his hat. I like drawing hats too, and this is probably the first to have some semblance of detail. I feel like I accomplished that in his hat.

The cat looks kind of pissed off, or constipated. Maybe both. Maybe the cat is pissed off because he's constipated. Then again, cats usually look pissed off. The tail looks like I knew what I was doing. I can see a few planes on it, and it has detail otherwise unheard of in my drawings. He looks silly though, and cartoonish. He is scraggly, but loyal to his master. Perhaps his demeanor is as a result of what he and his master do? Maybe that is why his fur is matted and dirty. What adventures these two must enjoy! Oh, I can just imagine.

Or maybe he just tried licking his balls and realized his master had them cut off when he was a kitten. It could really go either way.

Man Cat As Art: Chairman Meao

[This is part of a continuing series:Man Cat As Art. For more like this, see Van Gogh, Matisse,  Da Vinci, Darger (and a couple others) and Tommy Wiseau.]

I'm still coming to terms with the fact that I cannot draw a cat. Well, I can't draw their faces. Not realistically, anyway, so be kind and imagine that this looks vaguely reminiscent of a cat. One day, I will be able to do this much, much better. That's a day I look forward to.

I don't know a lot about Andy Warhol. He lived before my time, and I was never much into art history. Much of art has passed me by in a whirlwind, and I am just now beginning to look at it, and ask questions. I'm a bit more familiar with Andy Warhol, though, because he just happens to be Krissy's favorite.

From what I have seen and read, he was eccentric, but what artist isn't. He didn't create pop art, but he is one of the driving forces behind its popularity, and what it is today. There are only a handful of artists I can recognize as inspiring other pictures or art, and when it comes to pop art, I can think of just two: Warhol and Lichtenstein.

I think I'm improving, but I think I'm going to have to take a look at cats, cat drawings, paintings, and the like, because trying to improvise kitty features is kind of hard, especially when you are trying to put them where they do not belong-- like on Chairman Mao.

In some ways, it's kind of fitting to have Mao as a Man Cat. Cats can be ferocious little beasts, and any freedoms one once had before getting a cat are soon swept out the window. In a way, all cats are little Meaos. But they do all generally have their moments where they're all curled up and cute like. That's why no cats, Man Cat included, are truly Meao Cats.

Maybe one day I can come back to this, and redo it so it looks more realistic, though. Not realism realistic; just better. I'm not entirely happy with it, especially in some parts. But overall, considering my abilities, I think I did an okay job. I don't know why I ever decided to make a project involving drawing a cat. Fur is hard (for me at least), and cats have differently shaped faces to humans too. I'm getting used to human faces, but cats are something else entirely. Maybe in doing this, I will improve on that, though. After all, if I can master drawing a cat, or at least a cat face, then that opens up a wide swath of new animals, since so many animals have that cat-shaped head, or a small variation of it.

Also, still getting used to my tablet, and using a new program, which made this take forever. I think I could have been a tad more expedient had I been using Illustrator, but it's okay. Corel Paint is kind of fun.

Anyway, I've rambled enough. This is my drawing of Man Cat as Art: Chairman Meao, inspired by Andy Warhol. And some of my randomly random thoughts as they came to me concerning it. I hope you enjoyed them.

I Love My Wacom Tablet

Every year, I never really know what I want for Christmas. I mean, there are always things I want, but when Christmas rolls around I just sort of forget, I guess. Though, in the past, I think that there wasn't really anything I really wanted. I didn't really have specific hobbies or interests that warranted requesting certain gifts. But this year, there are lots of things I wanted. Narrowing the list down was harder than you'd think, but I settled on the one thing I really wanted: A Wacom tablet.

My First Sketch. All Kinds Of Ugly, But Fun.

There are a lot of reasons I've wanted one. I've said on a fairly regular basis that I've wanted one. Krissy was probably sick of hearing "If only I had a tablet..." I like drawing, even if I'm not very good at it, it's fun. I will also be using it for editing photos, too, since a tablet is way easier to use than a mouse in that regard. Drawing, too, is immensely easier. Drawing with a mouse is like embedding a crayon in  arock and trying to draw with it.

So I've been messing around with my new tablet, and I like it. A lot. I don't know all the ins and outs of it, but I will. Plus, since my mouse died awhile back, I can use the mouse with the tablet for easier browsing and such. Mouse Keys and incessant tab-smashing is hardly an ideal situation for using a computer.

Castle, Mountains, Sketch. Foreground Kinda Blows

I haven't been able to experiment with my tablet as much as I'd like to, either, because The Sketchbook Project book needs to be mailed out by the fifteenth, and let's just say Krissy and I have been slacking. Having to do two sketches per day, makes it harder to sketch on the computer, since I'm not always feeling creative enough to draw. So I feel like I'd be wasting a sketch doing it on the computer instead of in the book. There will be plenty of time for virtual sketching to come I'm sure. I drew a pretty sweet owl today in the sketchbook, which I'm kind of proud of.


This is the tablet that I got. It's expensive, but really nice. Size wise, it's good, it just takes some getting used to. Since I'll be using it as a mixture of photo editing and drawing, I think medium strikes a good balance. It's not too small for drawing, but not too large for photo editing. So far, I'm doing fairly well in maneuvering my hand around it with minimal fuss. Using a tablet is incredibly fun, if you've never done it.

Below are some alternatives if your budget doesn't allow for this large of an expense. The Intuos4 line probably has some unnecessary features if you just want to doodle and do some basic photo touch ups. But if you want the easy maneuverability a tablet offers, and the fun-having a tablet affords (Krissy likes it, too), then I'd suggest the Bamboo line from Wacom. I don't think I'd recommend another brand. I've never heard of another brand, and Wacom has been doing it for ages. I trust them. Thank you for reading.

Of Dwarves And Gnomes

I've long said I can't draw, but the truth is I never really tried. Yes, I've drawn before, and seen the same stick figures everyone can draw and just decided I couldn't draw, like most people. But the truth is, anybody can draw. Whether or not it's any good is relative and in the eye of the beholder, as they say.

It isn't until recently that I've tried applying myself to drawing, and drawing regularly. I've always liked art inside, and resented the fact that I wasn't artistic on paper. I've always dabbled in illustration and graphic design on the computer due to the fact that I resigned myself to being unable to draw on paper. I decided to prove myself wrong and, for once, actually try. My art didn't need to be great, it just needed to be better.

So I purchased a sketchbook (one made of recycled content, woo!) and applied myself. I even joined The Sketchbook Project so as to force myself to draw. Unfortunately I have slacked a bit on that front. My drawings started with ManCat who, by now, I hope you are familiar with. At some point I drew a dwarf. I don't know why; maybe because I love Scandinavian culture or something. Whatever the reason, it brought me to the first drawings I kind of liked. I felt that what I drew looked like what I'd wanted it to look like. I've always been able to see a drawing but I have never been able to translate that sight to paper, which has constantly antagonized me.

I surprised myself with drawing faces and eyes. I'd have figured drawing a face would be the most difficult as its the most important. I figure if the face is wrong the whole drawing doesn't work. Unfortunately, my faces still weren't there yet though. I had issues drawing noses, I didn't like ears, and mouths just never looked right. You should have seen how I drew hair too, that was downright atrocious.

I've always liked painting. By that I mean, I wanted to try painting since I'd never actually done it. I've always been amazed the way a painting comes together, and I wanted to try it. This is what I came up with:

It's not perfect, but I was really happy with it. Considering that I'd never painted anything before, I felt that it looked pretty good. Of course there are areas I don't love; the nose is a weird shape, his mouth looks like he got into a fight, and his shirt is ho-hum. But I was proud, and this fine gentleman now hangs above my bed as if protecting Krissy and me.

I mentioned The Sketchbook Project before. The project is actually pretty neat. You send them a small sum of money and they send you a sketchbook. You return the sketchbook completely filled and they take it on a nationwide tour, culminating in its inclusion in the Brooklyn Art Library. If anyone takes out my sketchbook, they inform me, too, which is cool. Here is one of my sketches:

The theme is I'm sorry I forgot about you. I am pretty happy with this sketch. I really like the eyes; he looks devastated that the bus passed him. Clearly, this is not the first time he's been left out, and no matter how tough his exterior is, his eyes can't hide his anguish. Or something. I like his lunch box.

Here is another sketch from the project:

I'm pretty happy with this sketch too. I am proud of my lamp; well, at least the shade. The lamp base is a tad wonky as is the table it's on, but that's okay; I like a bit of wonkiness. This one is a summer scene. And, yes, dwarfs always wear their full regalia no matter how hot it is, okay? I'll leave any dissection of this sketch to you, however.

Next is a painting I did, and it's probably one of my favorites, to be honest. I bought some 8x10 canvas boards to paint Jessie a picture for her birthday (seen here), and felt like painting one evening so I did. I started by drawing a dwarf and decided that rather than the typical portrait, I wanted it to be asymmetrical (?). I really liked the idea of him coming from the corner like a photo bomb. Behind him a sort of children's-book style forest. His beard is (maybe?) impressionist in style. His cheeks are rosy like apples. Dwarfs always have rosy cheeks, don't you know? I'm extremely happy with the eyes. You might have to go to flickr to see it bigger to see the detail, but it still looks good as a small JPEG, too. He's not perfect (but who is?) though; his suspenders have a lack of definition-- they look flat. His pants look a bit off. among other things. But as a whole I'm quite pleased with this. Truth be told it was originally going to go to Jessie but frankly we liked it too much. Sorry, Jessie.

Last, is a painting I painted for Chris, my brother, for his birthday. I'd been wanting to paint a painting for someone and I was trying to figure out who best to paint for. I figured Chris would like it the most. I thought it would be really funny for Mike and Jen to have to hang a dwarf up in their house, but ultimately I settled on Chris. Besides his birthday came at the right time. Also, my dwarfs tend to resemble him in ways; he looks like a dwarf (in a good way).

Yes, the head is floating and I wanted it that way. I really like the hat. The hat is what I painted first and it came out better than I could have imagined, frankly. Originally the face was more in the orange color range but, inexplicably, I decided to do the shady side of the face in purple. It took me awhile to be happy with it, and I kind of regretted it for a couple days, but in the end I feel it worked out. The eyes are okay; they are good enough but not my favorite. The nose is kind of okay, too, although it is sort of weirdly misshapen. His moustache is in the style of Jimmy Mcmillan.

That's all for now. I hope you enjoyed this. Feel free to comment. =)

Man Cat: A True Republican

A couple weeks ago, our republican friends in the senate continued their vow to get nothing done. You see, there was a bill up for vote called the Paycheck Fairness Act. Sounds understandable, right? Nah, it's actually a jobkiller because, if you're a republican, everything except tax cuts is a jobkiller. Let's dive into this bill, shall we?

First of all, this isn't a new bill; it passed the House of Representatives almost two years ago in January of 2009. That's how congress works, the House passes things and the Senate occasionally might vote on some of them. This isn't an exaggeration; through filibustering and other nonsensical senate rules the House has passed an astonishing 420 bills that the senate has just let sit around. It's kind of stupid when you consider that the house has several hundred more members to have to wrangle to get things accomplished than the Senate. But the Senate has the filibuster, their Golden Gun, so to speak. Not only does the Senate have the option to ignore bills the House passes as they please, but should one of these bills come up for a vote a mere 41 senators can stop a bill from being voted on. Yeah, senators are such children that they need to vote on whether or not to vote. And unless you have a supermajority of sixty votes, forty one senators can block anything from getting a vote to pass.

One such senator is Susan Collins from Maine (yes, a woman) who argues that the bill would place an undue burden on small businesses and "impose increased costs and restrictions on small businesses in an already difficult economic climate." That's right paying women the same amount as men simply costs too much. Not to mention, asking business owners to pony up that extra cash at a time like this? Hell no, ain't gonna happen. Who wants to be restricted on what they can pay a man when they have to constantly worry if the women they employ are also worth that much. Or maybe this will hurt men in the long run, because they won't get the raises they deserve for fear of needing to also give women that same raise, as Forbes suggests.

It kind of pisses me off when people try to blame problems on unrelated things or skirt issues by changing the subject. The major complaints people have is that women have more rights in wage parity and more resources to fight for equal pay. How is that controversial? The law doesn't say that you can't pay Jim $35,000 and Susan $32,000. No, what it says is if you're going to pay Jim more it has to be because he is better at his job than Susan is.

I think we've all been at a job sometime working our ass off getting paid practically peanuts while someone less skilled was, shall we say, more handsomely rewarded. Doesn't it suck? I know I've literally been in the room with a boss of mine while he thanked someone else and told them what a good job they did on something that I actually did. And when that person pointed out that I actually did the work, not him? Nothing. I can only imagine the strife and annoyance women go through on a daily basis in the workforce.

I'm not feeling particularly wordy anymore, and I'm tired and annoyed by this kind of crap. Over and over again and this childish behavior really out to end. Be a fucking human being already.

Introducing Wiseau Fridays!

A classic scene from a classic movie

"You're tearing me apart, Lisa" audio from The Room (Click to play)


Every once in a while a movie comes along, different, unorthodox, unappreciated, but a masterpiece; The Room is one such movie. Bear with me here, I understand you're probably wondering to yourself how you've never heard of this movie. Or maybe you've seen it and disagree. Watch it again. Sure, The Room may not be as polished as The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It may lack the convoluted forethought that was Star Wars. But it was filmed with two cameras! Film and digital! 


The Room was released in 2003, with a budget of seven million dollars (from what I've read). It was written, directed, produced, and distributed by Tommy Wiseau; consider that for a moment. Imagine funding, writing, acting, directing, producing, and distributing a movie and you'll understand the many hats of Tommy Wiseau. The man is made of steel. Weird, grotesquely bumpy steel, but steel nonetheless. Tommy is an American, and refers to himself as such but is a worldly man. He has lived in France and many other European countries throughout his life. I think the many places he's lived have all contributed slight variances to the dialect that is Tommy Wiseau. Listening to him speak, you'd never know where he was from. He looks kind of Italian, sounds sort of like Jean-Claude Van Damme, and that is uniquely American.

I'm not going to give a synopsis of The Room, just know that you should see it. But don't watch it alone. The Room is a dish best served to a group. It's kind of an experience to see the movie with a group of people. Having achieved cult status, The Room garners midnight premieres on a regular, recurring basis in Los Angeles and I believe that to be the gold standard ideal way to see it. Think Star Wars or Harry Potter on opening night at midnight, and that's the kind of devoted fan base The Room has garnered. That said, buy the movie, it's really a movie everyone should own. I rented it once and have had a definite longing for it since. After a recent gathering of people to screen The Room (sorry we didn't ask permission, Tommy), we remembered just how much we like the movie and will be getting it.

You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll scream in empathetic anger, and you might even get a little turned on.

Lisa, Lisa, Lisa; you dirty tramp.

Buy the Room from Amazon (it's the cheapest there) using the link below and a small percentage of the sale will go to me =)

Everything Is Always A Work In Progress

Another round of my Man Cat as art project is in store today. Today's drawings are not done yet, in fact, they've hardly been started. I decided to draw Man Cat inspired by Henry Darger. In case you don't know Henry Darger, he would draw cute, young, girls with penises instead of vaginas. I believe he got crap for that since it's kind of controversial, I guess, but I think it's cute and funny, and something I like to do anyway so once I saw In The Realm of the Unreal I knew I'd have to create a Man Cat drawing inspired by Darger. It's in the very beginning stages. Really, I just jotted an idea down in a couple minutes so I wouldn't forget. I hope to finish it sometime in the future, and make it colorful. And cuter.

Man Cat Inspired by Henry Darger (Click to Enlarge)

As for this drawing, the bottom is going to be Man Cat as chairman Mao, inspired by Andy Warhol's print of the infamous dictator. I think that suits Man Cat well. The top stamp-sized sketch is Man Cat inspired by Shepard Fairey's OBEY print of Andre the Giant.

Man Cat inspired by Warhol and Fairey (Click to Enlarge)

More to come on these drawings when they are finished.

Thanks for reading.

Where The Wild Things Are

Everyone dabbles...

I like children's books. I may not have the affinity for them that a certain other person does, but, to be honest, I've always loved them. I may not read them every day, or think about them all that much, but I like them. I cannot imagine writing (or illustrating) one myself. They are incredibly simple at face value but beyond the simplicity of the words and rhymes directed at children are messages far more profound. I don't know if this is for the parents or if these deeper messages are meant to sink in for the children who are merely given these books for their educational purpose (what kid learns with War And Peace, right?). I suspect that children know what they're reading; perhaps children aren't given enough credit.

Max (Click to see larger)

I drew this first picture the other day. For some reason I decided to draw Max from Where The Wild Things Are. I don't know why. Maybe because Max is troublesome, or a rebel, or because of a certain cat, but it is likely because my brain meanders constantly and at that precise moment it thought Where The Wild Things Are.

I don't have a deep connection with this book. I like it (also, the movie is good). I don't recall reading it all the time or anything. I do remember it though. I like that it's not your typical children's book; it's darker than many are. But the story is relateable, is it not?

Monster #1 (Click to view larger)

Next, I decided to draw the rest of the characters. I figured, while I am at it, I may as well do the rest of the characters. Truth be told, I haven't started one of the characters yet (the girl with the long, straight hair). But I started with who I can only assume is the leader of the monsters Max finds. I like the way he looks. My drawing actually turned out fairly well. I have since drawn a new one with colored pencils, which looks pretty decent but I don't have a photo of it yet.

Goat Monster? (Click to view larger)

As I made my way through the cast, I next arrived at this goat like fellow. He seems angry, but I don't know why. Maybe he wants to be in charge sometimes, maybe he is tired of having to take orders from the other monsters. Maybe he reflects Max's struggles with his mother, which subsequently get resolved in the end. I don't know, but he is angry and he really shouldn't be. Sure, he's kind of alone. He only has three other monsters on the island to keep him company; perhaps he needs more. Some people do, after all, need more companionship than that. Maybe he needs to be surrounded by creatures to be comfortable. Then again, maybe three is the perfect number and once Max showed up, his entire foundation crumbled; not to mention Max immediately becomes their king, so maybe the monster has a lack of trust there.

Bird Monster (Click to view larger)

Next in line is the bird. I was looking forward to the bird, to be honest, but it proved to be somewhat of a pain. I found it difficult to find a good source image so I could see what the bird actually looks like. All in all, I am fairly happy. He is not perfect, but then again who or what is? The fur and stuff isn't bad. Oh well, I'm pleased.

King of the Wild Things (Click to enlarge)

For some reason I ended up painting Max. It's loosely based on the drawing from the first card. This is an 8x10 canvas board. Krissy likes it a lot, but she likes everything. I like it. As a whole, I'm happy with the painting but there are definitely parts I feel could be improved if I knew how to paint, but I'm kind of a perfectionist, so if I knew how to paint I can only imagine how I'd tear it apart. I didn't add the bush's shadows until the end, and I feel like it brought the painting up a level. It's kind of neat how small things can have such an impact sometimes.

The Vitruvian Man Cat

Leonardo da Vinci—Meet Man Cat

The Vitruvian Man Cat
Photo by:Dennis

I drew this awhile ago, at the end of August. For some reason I never took a picture of it, so I never uploaded it. I finally got around to taking said photo the other day, so I thought I'd post it here.

I'd have to assume that anyone reading this would recognize the source of this image, but in the event that you don't I based this drawing on Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man. My version by no means is perfectly proportioned as da Vinci's is, but I'm pretty pleased with it. I spent some time trying to get limbs lined up and various body parts more or less proportional. If I am unhappy with anything in this drawing it is most definitely the hands; I feel like they look weird. In a way, they are kind of cat-like, which, I suppose, is a good thing in this case (except that cats don't exactly have opposable thumbs). The feet are slightly wonky, too, but all-in-all they are not all that bad.

I admire da Vinci; he was most definitely a Renaissance Man. Da Vinci is a world-renowned artist, inventor, scientist, mathematician, engineer, writer, and so much more. Basically, anything da Vinci dabbled in, he mastered, and da Vinci dabbled in everything. He was also a notorious procrastinator and experimented in everything. I can respect that. I'm sure that his experimentation is largely a result of his being a driving force of the Renaissance. It's pretty amazing that for a period of time the world was so productive with ideas. It would be nice if we could one day return to that era of thinkery; alas, I feel that it will never happen. Not that there aren't great people doing great things, but the world is, unfortunately, a different place now. Who can spend time just thinking now? Thinking doesn't pay the mortgage. I've got to imagine that holds true even when you get a degree in it (except, obviously, a Doctorate of Philosophy, which is to say an advanced degree unrelated to philosophy).  I think the world should take a twenty year break encouraging people to think and do things that they might otherwise do if they didn't all have to worry about bills. Think of the mass enjoyment people would have following something they actually enjoy doing, studying what interests them. Think of the innovation companies could conduct. Of course this would never work, because money makes the world go round—now more than ever.

The Dance

The Dance
Photo by:Dennis

This is my second foray into Man Cat As Art. This drawing is based upon Danse by Henri Matisse.

I chose this as my second attempt because, honestly, it seemed simple enough. However, I think that with more complicated drawings there's a bit more room for error, so this was actually harder to replicate than I thought. Also, my drawing is much smaller than Matisse's painting, since his is a mural the size of a wall on (I believe) three panels. He also painted one for The Barnes Foundation. I highly recommend The Art of the Steal, a documentary about The Barnes Foundation and how his enemies usurped his (40!) billion dollar art collection.

Man Cat As Art: The Post Man Cat

The Post Man Cat
Photo by:Dennis

This is the first entry into the Man Cat as art project I began awhile back; as you can see it is dated August 26, 2010. I decided it would be fun to merge Man Cat with real art- that is art that has already been deemed art by people who claim to be able to tell actual art from smut. This project is sort of my way of navigating the ancient world that is art by picking and choosing paintings, sculptures, and drawings that I appreciate. In other cases, I may simply decide to Man Catify a piece of art for its (potentially non-existent) comedic appeal. Regardless, this is my foray into Man Cat as art, a way to meander my way across a sheet of paper, hopefully, ending at something approaching...art.

This drawing is titled The Post Man Cat based upon Vincent van Gogh's painting The Postman.