Healthy Lady progress
"Healthy Lady," 52" x 65" pen & ink and watercolor drawing is the second in a diptych to Healthy Man (see below)
"Healthy Man," 52" x 65" 2015 - pen & ink and watercolor on paper
Custom Ear Portraits are FINALLY HERE!
Introducing my hand drawn, personalized ear portraits for a limited time. Most commonly referred to as the "fingerprints of the head," the human ear is a radically unique shape stuck to the heads of nearly every person alive. Send me a snapshot of yours or your loved one's [human] ear and I will lovingly draw it in graphite - an instant family heirloom for time immemorial. Much more affordable than a boring whole-head portrait. I can even fit up to six ears on one drawing, FAMILY PORTRAIT STYLE. Because the drawing is crafted on an 8" x 10" piece of archival, 100% cotton paper, it's easy to find frames literally anywhere you look. BEST PART - I'll send you a high-res digital version of your portrait so you can use it on your holiday card this year. Imagine Uncle Krüstey and Aunt Edith's confused delight when they greedily tear open the envelope!
Mr. Setzer
Mr. Setzer, my high school speech teacher from Mequon, WI. in 1990 drawn for our Teachers from Memory project with Renee French. Mr. Setzer used to challenge students with verbal quips and would usually "win" (end it) by essentially implying that his challenger is gay. Watercolor coming soon.
Stuff from the last couple of weeks
The last of two wall paintings in a private residence in Manhattan (see all wall drawings here)
pencils for Teachers from Memory project with Renee French
I had to employ shady tactics to lure our annual EFA Open Studio visitors onto my floor since it's in a weird place where people rarely happen by.
Explainer intro
I'm starting to make these short explainer videos and this is the first one. They're 100% function - quick and easy - no editing. My hope is that they'll help demystify my work a little bit.
Dr. Peter Wallner
Teachers from Memory project with the great Renee French : Dr. Peter Wallner - the "head master" ('asshole-speak' in the US for "principal") of the University School of Milwaukee (a ritzty-titsy school my parents could barely afford) who decided I should be expelled halfway through 8th grade (after paying for the whole year).
Sketchbook shenanigans
Left - watercolor tests. Right - Teachers from Memory project with continued: Mr. Kerr, my 7th grade math teacher and football coach at the University School of Milwaukee in 1984. He yelled and screamed and stank of cigarettes. I was a brat, a shitty student and terrible at math and he was mean - not a good place to be when you're 12. He was known for kicking the desk REALLY HARD of students not paying attention. Rumor had it that he was a P.O.W. in the Vietnam war and his captors filed down his bottom teeth. I was terrified of him. We used to chuckle imagining him out in the real world (not in school) and asking a drug store cashier in his military screamy-voice for a box of his unfiltered cigarettes. I went out for football (I lasted exactly one week) and a friend of mine literally broke his arm during practice but Mr. Kerr told him to suck it up and finish the scrimmage. The kid came to school a couple days later with a huge cast.
Watercolor makes everything more delicious
Proposal: a sandwich themed coloring book. I could corner the market for office workers that have nothing to do during their forced, hour-long lunch break. I call this page: WHEAT-MAYO-SWISS-BACON-LETTUCE-TOMATO-HAM-WHEAT-TURKEY-CHEDDAR-WHEAT. I'm hoping the titles can help the colorers determine which markers to use. The back could have a color key so the colorers would know if they got it right.
Mr. Forté - from Teachers from Memory series
From our “Teachers from memory” series (with Renee French) - Mr. Forté, a 7th grade gym coach at the University School of Milwaukee. He had a strong native Bronx (Brooklyn?) accent (before I had any idea what the Bronx/Brooklyn was). He was a pretty nice guy though intimidating with his tinted glasses, thick stubble and hairy cheek bones. I lasted a full 1.5 years at that school before "not being invited to return" midway through 8th grade.
