Look What The Cat Dragged In.

 8"x11"
Oil on wood panel

Since I've been all consumed by the new series, I hadn't really planned to be in anymore shows until unveiling Infernal next year. 

That was until I was asked by my friend-fellow artist Stephanie Inagaki, to contribute something for an upcoming fundraiser for Luxe Paws, an initiative to help the homeless cat situation in LA.    

Also, my moggie Ronin-the Prince of Purrsia, would never have forgiven me.

Ronin pleading to enter the studio

As DaVinci once noted, “the smallest feline is a masterpiece”, and having already featured  my cat  in the piece –“This Thing of Darkness, I Acknowledge Mine” I opted instead to paint this – salvaged from an old ink sketch, which up until now I’d adopted occasionally as a sort of working logo.

I suppose it could be emblematic of the artists dark flightiness, or at least his sky fall which I’m calling “Look What the Cat Dragged In”. Make of the title what you will.

It’ll be showcased virtually at Copro Gallery on June 6th anyway, with a portion of the proceeds in aid of  LA’s forsaken felines. More details as I have them.

As no small aside, I had the distinct honor of including Stephanie’s work when I curated my Tales from the Darkside show in 2018, so go check out her extraordinarily beautiful, and ethereal work for yourself.

Stephanie Inagaki

Stephanie Inagaki “Anamnesis” (2018) drawing 6.5” x 8.5”

Origin of Origin

Back to where it all started, the final piece of the series, or 'The Origins of Life' to give it, it's full title. This one goes all the way back to November 2016, which I mothballed when I began formulating plans for Paradiso's Fall. I hadn't intended it to be part of this series until I pulled it out again to actually paint over, and realized it totally followed the arc of the collection. I guess given the month and year it was manifested in should have been a clue.

I've retooled it somewhat, but when it's finished, I want it to sit with 'The Origin of Death' and 'Origins of a Black Hole' to form a part of a triptych-a terrible trinity if you will. 

In between, I've been ladling on the varnish which for me is the absolute worst part of the process. One cannot describe enough, the full existential horror of pouring thick wads of syrup on something you have meticulously worked on, only to discover what amounts to a thicket of cat dander,like a transporter bay of Tribble's appearing in the atmosphere. My cat Ronin, cares not a jot.
At any rate,I have resolved that my next series shall be completed in a Dexter styled kill room.

It's hard to believe I'm already anticipating that far.

I lean back on my radio oh oh

Between 7:30pm and 8pm this evening, my North Western parlance could be heard on WS Radio's Art Rocks segment. I hope I didn't waffle too much, as I've always said, I have the perfect face for radio, so it seemed to go well. Thanks to anyone who listened in, and if you missed it, at some point the podcast should be available online,should you want to hear it.
A quick shout out to hosts Philly Joe Swendoza and Cynthia Kosciuczyk for easing me into my first broadcast too.

Back to the studio tomorrow, progress missives to follow.
Which just leaves me to share this photo I snapped of my cat Ronin today.
I am beginning to suspect that he might be a Judy Garland fan.

My Best Audience.

Spent the day , updating my site and expanding my print sale on EBay. There are selected prints for just $45 available for a limited time so check them out:

16' X 20" Canvas Prints

Also had a chat with an artist friend this afternoon-ah, the camaraderie of the same boat.

Talking of comrades, my moggie Ronin sat attentively and watched every stroke I made this evening.

Perhaps he is looking to dabble in some kind of feline deconstructionism.

Head Candy-Bill Bixby goes to Monterey

Took a few days out to throw a shindig for my wife's 30th.

I've never thrown a party before, less hosted one, and hadn't anticipated the mountain of organization involved one iota, less the whole yard looks like it might as well be on Mars factor.
All told, judging from the merry throng and the lateness of the hour, I believe it was a success.

So first day back at the Art thing, should have been a cinch, except I discovered that The Alternative Cafe gig isn't in LA, but Monterey.

I'm not kidding.

Geography, was never a strong point at school.

Some quick thinking and a swift rejig made the shipping option a lot less lofty (by over a hundred nicker), but I'm afraid that I've had to supplement the monster that is 'The Valley'.

Thematically it works much better for the cannon of 12 pieces for Alternative Cafe, but my intended vision for The Hive shall definitely miss 'Triumvirate'-the piece I traded it for.

To that end, I've started a reprise of that work, but with the difference that I am approaching it more as a somber lament, rather than with the stark rawness of its former incarnation.

Sunday is final delivery date.

I swear I am Bill Bixby from the show-The Magician, pulling all kinds of rabbits out of hats.

Here's not a rabbit, but my pinhead cat Ronin, magically appearing on my head.

Notes from an Easel.

Today, I finally completed the piece which has probably been the most contentious in some time and am genuinely happy with the results. I'll premier it at the Mosaic show, this coming Thursday.
I also made some progress on the next piece-Ghost, which will be the culmination of this particular series of skulls- making it a sort offshoot of a sideline of a series.
There are of course several more skull themed pieces to produce,along with the completion of the original Theothanatos series, but the hope is to have enough to compile a book at some point, that may or may not be titled 'Skulking Around', 'Dead End' or some other title appropriate pun.

In the meantime, my cat-Pepper-who is barred from my studio whilst paint dries, hides in my closet, in the hopes that I cannot see her and foil her heinous plan.

Notes from an Easel-part 86-the Triumvirate.

Give or take a few more flourishes, I am near completion of Trinity-or the Triumvirate to rechristen it with its new, rather loftier title.I'm beside myself with how this piece has turned out-I think its my most accomplished painting to date.

I believe my cat-Pepper, would give a thumbs up too, if she had any. Instead she sits and watches me from the window sill, caught between the rush of fresh air and the heady toxins of the studio, peering from behind the curtain as I move from jar to palette to canvas and back again. I've yet to see if she has learned anything watching me-judging from the litter tray, I think not.

I'll leave it there with a short token video from the Belly Up event the other week, I make a blink and you'll miss me appearance at the 30 second mark and then again at around 1min 50, but its a lively little thing, which present company excepted, is easy on the eye.

BELLY UP MADHOUSE VID

Notes from an Easel-Part 83

This being Easter- working on this piece strikes me as incredibly a propos.
Meanwhile, the paint flows as easily as a fine Irish malt at a wake.
I can afford to be so flippant, rudely awakened today from a heavy food coma, by an earthquake that rolled the house like a tugboat on the Mersey, and rattled the corrugated awning like the sound of Thor lobbing thunder.
I fled to the garden, still dizzy from my sleep, damp with cold sweat and staring at Lani in frozen terror:wondering if this was indeed the-"BIG ONE".

'You get used to it'-people here will remark with a passive shrug, except I am gripped by horrible, irrational nightmares of the world beneath my feet falling away, and the ebon eternity beneath swallowing me up-no doubt Pat Robinsons voice echoing that my evil sigils assured my eternal damnation.

I need not have feared, my pinhead cat's lay motionless in a heap of blankets throughout.
Either they are in possession of an internal seismograph, or are content in the knowledge that come the end of days, only roaches and felines are likely to survive.

I fear the latter.

Notes from an easel-part 78

Save for a few highlights,the larger scale version of 'Is there Life After Death' is virtually complete. The background took so much reworking before I was happy, but I'm so pleased I persevered because it's given it exactly the subtlety I was aiming for.

Unfortunately, I discovered that my fevered daubing had come at the cost of sending spatter onto some of my older pieces. The damage wasn't irreparable, but enough to make me mindful that I need to find a better storage solution in my studio, than just mounting them against the wall.



I began the full scale of 'Disambiguous Foresight' today, which is rough and ready, but coming along nicely. The weather again has been atrocious, so it was freezing with the windows open, but the fumes from the turps and oil became so noxious that I am getting headaches and needed the ventilation.

My cat Ronin made for a great muffler.

Notes from an Easel-Part 63-Kiss of Death.

Found my second wind today, and spent the afternoon in the seclusion of my studio, working up a new skull piece. I've wanted to put the stark white of bone against a blood crimson background for a while-it has a Valentines chocolate box appeal I guess, so I'm calling it 'the Kiss of Death.'
However, three days in, and I've been neglecting my daily sketch, although preparations have been so frantic, I've barely been able to doodle on a post-it.Suffice to say that they shall be reinstated tomorrow.

Here is a picture of my cat Ronin then, looking like butter wouldn't melt in his maw. Would you believe that this is the same cat who terrorizes his sister Pepper, steals my brushes, walks on my wet canvases and laid a sloppy stank egg on my rug yesterday morning? Snow white demon from Hades on cocaine.


Speaking of lethal white powders, I am told that my hometown is currently in the grip of a suffocating blanket of ice, not felt since the bitter winter of 81.
Undeterred, my heavily pregnant daughter-Emma-, trekked an hour through the tundra to her art college to discover it closed before walking back. It alarmed me terribly when I found out, but that's the kind of tenacity and determination that little girl is made of-she reminds me so much of myself, and I am incredibly proud.

Tomorrow I ought to be able to complete the new piece, before the weekend and our next stop at the Hive in LA.

Something for the weekend-part two

5. The Thumbprint gallery, here in San Diego shall be opening a group show on the 19th September which is a perfect showcase for my work, entitled Faith and Formulas. Doors open at 7pm to 12am, at 3925 Ohio St, San Diego, CA 92104

6. Whilst my daughter was in town, we had the opportunity of seing an exhibit of Richard Avedons work, entitled Portraits of Power, which was still showing at the Museum of Art in Balboa Park, here in San Diego,up until a week ago.
A former photographer for the New Yorker, mostly known for his high society and movie start portraits, the exhibit centered largely around his political work of the sixties and seventies, utilizing portraits of political benefactors and activists juxtaposed alongside ordinary citizens, to express the moral, class and racial chasm that still exists within American society.


Its a very powerful collection, which stays with you long afterwards, and may be touring to a different city, but is well worth the admission fee should you find it opening in your locale.
7.Accompanying me daily on my artistic travels, are my cats, who have taken to squatting in my studio and using it as their post catnip chill out zone.

Hello Kitty

We got this little fella today through a friend of a friend who has to leave him behind for a new life in Florida. The kittens name is Ronin, and he's already got us wrapped around his little furry paw.

Pavement Art

I promised pictures from last weekend, and so-in no particular order, the highlights (or lowlights) from what may just be my final street fair.

Below: The booth looking resplendent on the Sunday-our cohorts from the previous dayperhaps having decided that the removal of an ingrown toe nail would be more promising than enduring day two of art walk (crawl), we were able to spread our wares out a little.

This is a part of the layout from day one-with the lamppost doubling as an easel-next years Turner Prize for sure.


So where is everyone?


We have puppy dog eyes and everything?!


This chap admired my work at least (please don't pee on my paintings)

Thankfully, the flow of traffic improved


I contemplate making a run for it...but its not over yet

Success!! I dance my first sale of the day.


The crowd goes wild-selling a handbag.

The best part of the weekend-vending with other artists in the same boat without a paddle. Here the enchantingly lovely Martha Martin- a rising young talent , graciously stooping because I didn't have a crate to stand on. Please Check out her website- her work, literally wears her (he) art on its sleeve.

http://www.heartsandstuff.com/

With the incomparable Johnny Tran-trip hop DJ, poet laureate and arts champion-immerse yourself in some of his choonz here:

http://www.myspace.com/johnnytranmusic

Do I look Moody,bored or pissed off...?

Will it all look any more legitimate in black and white?

Swap Shop-little did he know that in years to come, young Martha would become bigger than Frida Kahlo, and that the two amazing prints he exchanged from her for his own tat, would make him rich beyond the dreams of avarice.


Not an entire dead loss then-and like I said, you can't fault a day if even one person walks by and shows interest-worth more than pieces of gold that stuff.

Next up are the two shows in LA, so for the moment I shall leave you with the furry Entre that greeted me from the kitchen cupboard the other day.

Notes from an easel part six-furry footprints

I was looking forward to a lie in, but the furry little dictator had plans to take over the world at seven this morning. Here's my moggie- Pepper,using me as her human matress, whilst I was trying to work the other night.
We are all minions, planted here for her ultimate comfort and convenience.

I'm combining my time between several projects at the moment, one particularly which is exciting as hell. I've been asked to contribute a new themed piece for a book compilation, which will also go on display at The Hive for their 4 year anniversary show. I'm tremendously happy with the first etchings, and chomping at the bit to let the paint fly.

'Retribution' is coming along nicely too, and again I'm fired up to see the piece in its finished glory. The all seeing eye follows me around my studio-its a little disconcerting.
One thing that I have been neglecting is my side project-my reinterpretation of Dickens Xmas Carol, and I'm wanting to revisit that soon. I read that Robert Zemeckis is reworking a Polar Express style version with Jim Carey, and so I'm feeling a little competition. My version of course is more akin to Franz Kafka, than Mickey Mouse.
Perhaps with all that in mind, its no bad thing that I have a furry little alarmclock.