Men's Fellowship Logo

I'm trying to work up a logo for my Men's Fellowship. This is the black and white version for printed stuff.

Shooting

This is just back in East Texas. I am taking target practice at the bank of a "tank".

There is something disturbing about this picture for me. It is the curly hair, the pistol and the dismal foliage.

Vicenza, Italy

This is me after being out of the Army for a few months. I had just returned to Italy after traveling around Europe.

War Pictures

On December 7th, Pearl Harbor Day, I was interviewed for the Smithsonian Veterans Project. The Project seeks to preserve the memories of U.S. Veterans from all eras.

The interviewers were two college seniors not much older than my truck. At one point I caught myself worrying that I was telling my wicked war tales to kids so young.

As I followup, I have promised to send Kate Lynn and Mellisa of San Diego State pictures of myself from that time and after. While looking them up I decided to post them to this blog as well.

This one to the right is from about 1970.

Mask for Illustration Friday (IF)

I love masks. People behave differently when they have something disguising their faces.

Even masks by themselves have their own life. Like some disembodied persona.

I had created this face for another drawing.

Hugging

Guys Kissing

Might IF

I was not excited about this subject matter but I think I got some "shock and awe" out of my system.

Invention IF

Smoke/Humo IF

I wanted something beyond whispy images and dirty habits to illustrate Smoke for Illustration Friday. These are characters from my Paraders below.

The Masked Man

This is from a collage art project I led at the Unitarian Universalist Mens Fellowship Renewal Weekend in April 2006. All the pictures used in this collage are from the November 2005 edition of POZ Magazine.

Paraders

this began with some stick figures and I elaborated on their body shapes and hair.

Dr. A. Brad Truax Awards

Truax Awards are scheduled again on December 1, World AIDS Day. This is the award I made from polymer in 2003 for Mary Caffrey.

Wind IF

This is my entry for Illustration Friday theme Wind.

Ghosts IF

This is a late entry into Illustration Friday's "ghost" topic. After looking at some of the postings I wanted to try my hand a more human haunt.

Phoenix Ghost IF

This is a remake of a previous posting of "Phoenix". I made the old bird at the bottom a little more ashen. I had thought to draw a traditional autumn haint. But the Phoenix tale, rising from the ashes of the consumed parent bird, seemed to fit the theme so well.

Four Ways

This is the design for my submission to the New York fundraiser, "Postcards from the Edge". I'm working on applying beads to it right now which changes the whole feeling. I like this palette of colors.

Happy Halloweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen!

This is a paper cut-out made lifesize from an old greeting card. If I'm ambitious he may get some more bones to hang out with. I'm hanging the finished product in my front door window.

I read La Cucaracha every day. When I had the idea of a soylent green/guacamole connection, I thought of Pepe and Chepe delivering it. Tough thing is is that I love good guacamole.

Trouble IF Charles Roberts

This is one of my most somber illustrations. The figure is based on a photo of Charles Roberts, the man who killed the Amish schoolgirls. There were sides to his personality which no one could see.

Father and Son

I'm trying to find a benefit image for an AIDS Service Agency which specializes in working with families. It's tough to find the right contrast in a baby's skin. The bit of a moustache and patch give the almost soft looking father more of a masculine feel. I've seen babies hold on like this.

New Head Shot

Quiet--Illustration Friday

This is my Illustration Friday entry for the subject "Quiet". This looked like a quiet group to me.

New Self Portrait

Freeway Phobia IF

This is for Illustration Friday, "Phobia". This is a phobia which is new enough that it does not have a Greek name. The best I have heard it described as is "Freeway Phobia". It can be the sometimes paralizing fear of driving on a highway or freeway. One person told me that for almost two years he sat in his driveway and cried each morning before making his L.A. County commute.

For those of us who rely on our cars to get to and from work this can be a terrible thing in our lives. One can, with help, overcome it. My first step in overcoming it was realizing other people suffered from this demon too.

I really enjoyed seeing my work on the Unitarian Universalist website area for clip art. I needed a chalice for a flyer I am doing for a worship service for peace. This is an update of a piece I started some time back. Flames are the hardest thing to capture.

Ellen asked for a new sign for our table at Church. This is my fantasy design. It's a cross between Looney Tunes and the DOD.

Managing my time 365

Change IF

Change IF.

DIG is Development in Gardening, a non-profit promoting veggie gardening in poor areas of Africa and Latin America. These are fantasy flowers. I started with the roots and grew them up to the blooms. All of it drawn September 13 and 14 for presentation on the 16th. This is one of several drafts begun with the one yesterday.

This is for a fundraiser for a non-profit called Development in Growth. They promote gardens for food in developing countries in South America and Africa.

Couple, 365 DD

I love the contrasting colors and the simplicity of design. This is 365 DD for Sept. 12

September 11 is the birthday of D.H. Lawrence. His The Plumed Serpent is one of my favorite novels.

This was my work for 365 DD for Sept 10. I also drew this on the inside blank area of a church program. Then I cut and pasted and added a few touches on Adobe Illustrator.

This is my entry for the art project, 365 Daily Devotionals. Today, September 9 is the 156th anniversary of California becoming a state. Califia was the queen of the Amazon. The Spanish thought they had found her land when they saw Baja. Pat Califia is a writer activist. I combined the two for a personification of the best of our state---old and new.

Ant Farming on Mars (IF)

This is for the Illustration Friday theme of "Farm". I thought there had to be farms in the future. I first thought to have the farmanauts riding real giant ants. Then I thought they would just use the design of the ant for strenght and to maneuver over the rough terrain.

There is something spooky about dark rooms. Particularly when there's a "bump in the night". Ooooooooo!

I recently found a Yahoo Group called 365 Daily Devotionals. It calls on its members to post an artpiece for every day of 2006. This is mine for Tuesday, Septem 5th.
My friend and neighbor Mark planted a beautiful catus garden in front of the house across the street. He later died of a long battle with cancer. I noticed that the cactus now has lots and lots of red fruit. This is my tribute to it.

I don't necessarily advocate it but church services are a great place to practice sketching the human face. The subjects are usually going to sit in the same place for about an hour. This is our minister during his sermon. I found myself paying better attention than when I simply sit there and my mind is liable to wander.

Safe "Illustration Friday"

I like Illustration Friday because I seldom wind up with the same concept that I started with. It's like the association test where you are given a word and asked to say the first thing that comes into your head. With IF you take that one step further by putting it into an image.
As a gardener I am well aware that I only share these plants with thousands of little critters. I thought of this poor posey "safe" behind an iron fence. That is no challenge to this little grasshopper who sees only his personal salad bar. Maybe he is feeling this is a "safe" place to have lunch.

Capture "Illustration Friday"

This "field of athletic competition" evolved from the original idea of the hands playing "capture the flag". Though I redrew them from scratch, I had used the blue irises in something else. My own eyes are green. The score roughly came from the count of players on each team. I do want to know if anyone counts them. Whatever the game is there are no injuries, though one of the players is laying down. Tired? And two players on the bottom left have gotten huggably close. Enjoy the game!

Sacrifice IF

God called on Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac as a test of his faith. At the last minute an angel stops Abraham's hand. The story has leant itself to many artworks.

I got time off for good behavior!

Skyline IF

Modern Proportions

My best gay July 4th!

20 years ago today?

Song Book Cover

This is the cover for the 2006 UUMF Song Book. The icon of Unitarian Universalists is the flaming chalice. We first used the book in the 2006 Spring Renewal Weekend at deBenneville Pines.

Phoenix

Dog Eat Dog

Sticky IF

When I thought of sticky I thought of sweet. Sweet is candy. Candy is lollipop.