Pablo Ferro facebook page posted my "Tattoo Girl" from Rolling Stones

My "Tattoo You Girl" has been posted on iconic movie title designer Pablo Ferro's facebook page and the story behind the collaboration.  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pablo-ferro/145899742258668?id=145899742258668&sk=photos_stream

Pablos's site features the "Tattoo You Girl" I painted for a Rolling Stone's HBO-Televised live concert back in the day. I worked with famous movie title designer, Pablo Ferro, who worked on such movies as Dr. Strangelove. This was my first project for film. See article:http://blogcritics.org/working-with-genius-pablo-ferro/

KICKSTARTER - UNDERDOG PROJECT REWARD as an INVESTMENT

Kickstarter is like a fun little school project that you don't have to go by the teacher's agenda. Except it can be a time bandit, absorbing your mind's focus, whether it is successful or failing. How much comes from the community of Kickstarter may depend on how much you yourself have Kickstarted the campaign from your own resources - that's why Kickstarter may not be the best name for the funding platform. Adrenaline Booster may be a better term. It may not be the place where astute critics reach out, but more where, opinionated project surfers seek out waves that fit their liking and they will ride it, until the next wave comes by. How much the funders care about the success of the project may have something to do with how much they care about the person behind it, if they know that person. The project on its own, may be ahead of its time, and may be passed up for any number of reasons. The supporters will feel a royal Kick in the butt when they realize the project that everyone passed up has become quite the work, and the little REWARDS offered for cheap, are now PRIZED COLLECTIBLES demanding high prices. Yeah, that little $25 pledge on the LIMITED EDITION ART PRINT or that higher pledge on an ORIGINAL piece of art, may turn into a major INVESTMENT. But, you can't really say that in the project description. So, let's just say, that the rewards may be worth much MORE than you bargained for. Placing a pledge for that UNDERDOG PROJECT may be your best bet, but to get your "investment" reward, the project has to be fully funded. So, spread the word. And before you know it, you may see a win-win situation and another dream comes true.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1538065671/drawing-my-ship-in

DRAWING MY SHIP IN

Kickstarter Campaign: To encourage a 1st pledge, I offered the Project Image itself as a Freebie to the 6th pledge, 6 because I was playing off the 6% some site - probably one of the many wanting me to hire them to promote my site - predicted my campaign had the chance of success. But, after no takers, I offered it to the 1st bidder. It is an autographed original. Wearing a Blue Ribbon, the artist whips out drawings on the assembly-line - this was the real thing - NOT the hands-off faux-factory of the cold andy warhol's so-called factory where he had others doing much of his work, allowing him to perpetuate the mystery under a wig and on cloud nine enjoying the escapism of heroin, like his cohorts, david bowie, john lennon, and a slew of other Manhattenites.

Magic Marker Monsters

From left to right, Quaad, Inca Ray, Diplo, Magi Blue, Rye Catcher.

In the 1990's, pages of monsters emerged in my art journey. They became a magnet for color as I used magic markers to give form to my penned shapes. They had an eerie nature that suggested that the right spell could bring them to life. I wrote in my notes, as a description, "...combining the primitive with the technological, the ancient with the present." I will be posting more soon.

Art History in One Picture

From the dust-filled, noise-filled, factory floor, where dreams were broken and life beyond this black hole was hardly imagined, emerged my drawing style. A small gesture - mounting a flip-top drawing board next to my machine on the line, sealed my path. My original drawing board was torn down once by management, but weeks afterwards I mounted this less conspicuous flip-top version. Pictured here is a very abbreviated summation of the series that emerged. I will show how hieroglyphic, figurative, and abstract fragments eventually came to completeness in my continued unfolding path towards achieving a voice, a language in the visual arts. I will expand upon it for world-wide exhibitions. Mark my words.

Ella Lyman Cabot Trust Grant

On Monday August 18, I received an email from a Clerk, announcing that I would be notified of the committee's decision of my proposal by the end of September. Today marks the last day of the month and I am awaiting a decision that could catapult my 20 plus year struggle on a shoe string budget to an exhibition ready format. Of course, after that I would have to pitch it. But each support system snowballs the project into a stronger case. And of course the granting agency gets the benefit of being visionary or atleast for being insightful enough to realize the merit in an artist's deserving work.

Bathroom Drawing - an old outlet revisited

It may sound a bit strange - sketching in the bathroom, but reading in there is not uncommon. I've done it before years ago when I was working in the door plant. It had the aura of a studio, something I didn't have back then. Back then, I took a scrap of wood and placed it on my thighs to sketch. Now, I use styrofoam - there is no shortage of it in the shipping and receiving department where I presently work. I break a piece and presto, I have a surface. Pictured here is my sketches from yesterday on 1 1/8" thick styrofoam, and 20" long by a variable height of 9".

Perhaps the unwritten beauty of it is this - it is a testament of my irresistable urge to draw and my continuing dedication. So there you have it - Bathroom Drawings!

What if a grant is granted this week?

I applied for my first grant months ago and will find out if it passed initial screening within days. I could do so much with this grant. Twenty years of work stored in a small room could come to life in my proposal for a protptype for exhibitions that reveals the symmetry of my journey.

It would make such a wonderful and enlightening exhibition. It would also show viewers the rocky road to achieving a voice, the ups and downs. Bills continue to mount and I and my supportive wife continue trying to stay afloat. Yesterday, I sent out a package to a museum considering acquisition. Today, I send out an introductory letter and pics to Gallery in upstate NY. Someone will see that something in my work that will inspire others - that is the motivating force that makes all these mailings purposeful.

I've gotten the eyes of important members of the art world. Now I have to get their ears. I need a solo show and I need assistance in bringing it to the people, damnit!

LUNCH WITH A CURATOR

Last year, my donation to the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey's Annual Blank Canvass Benefit, was a painting depicting an alter ego of myself having lunch with the juror for the 2008 International Show. This was the "Best in Show" award - to sit down for lunch at the Whitney and have the ears and eyes of the juror, which in this case was the Whitney's curator of drawings. Did I resort to some ancient voodoo tactic to try my luck? No, I merely used art to express my hope for a certain outcome before it was decided to not happen - I wasn't even juried into the show. But in 2007, I won a Merit Award, one of the top 6 awards selected from about 1800 entries. So, my hopes are high and probably not too far-fetched. But, who's to say when hope is misplaced. I can think of many other things more misplaced.

This year I am submitting for the auction, a logo for the "Lunch with a Curator" Best in Show award in the upcoming 23rd International Show at Summit. It will consist of a plate, a fork, a 1" brush, an approaching ship made of clay, stick on letters, and a re-structuring of the VACNJ logo. I'll spray it chrome and call it "Lunch with Curator II."

Drawing Prize

Last year in May I flew to Cambridge to receive the Outstanding Drawing Prize in the 10Th Anniversary of the Cambridge Art Association's National Prize Show. I was returning from a furniture delivery when I got the personable call from Kathryn Schultz. She was so welcoming saying, "New England opens her arms to you." My drawing with its Hard Knocks development had finally gained indisputable academic credentials - the Director of Harvard Art Museums, Thomas W. Lentz, had selected me for this prestigious award. How could I beat this I thought.

Well, this past May I was selected by Sylvie Fortin, Editor of ART PAPERS, for one of the three top awards in the Madison National Exhibition at the historic Madison Cultural Center. Three of us received this $1,000 Best in Show award. I was tipped off to my winning when I received the exhibition announcement bearing three images on the cover, one being a close-up of my accepted entry.

Just weeks ago, I won the Chung & Press Award for Drawing in the Will's Creek Survey Exhibition in Cumberland, MD., for my drawing, "Geisha" (pictured). The juror was from the Corcoran. Suddenly, my drawing is on something like a winning streak. However, not one original has sold at these shows where my work was honored by important members of the art world's curatorial staff. I'm a bit perturbed by this, despite the winnings. Curators are supposed to follow the artists, and collectors should do the same, supporting the artist that is struggling to gain a fresh mastery of his medium. What does it say about the visionary qualities of a collector if they wait until other collectors make the first moves. Where is that strength of belief in an artist. I'm doing my part and forging my own voice, breathing new life into this thing called art.

The awards are great, but why haven't they brought about a purchase? I still struggle to get money to pay for my paper and pens. Not to mention, framing costs and shipping & handling to shows. How nice it would have been to attend these past two art openings to hear the attending juror give a talk on the art. A talk that may never make it to a publication. These little things bring joy to an artist seeking to gain academic insight into his or her own contribution to the arts.

What's next now? By the end of September, I will find out if I was considered for a Ella Lyman Cabot Trust Grant. This is the first time I've asked for support. I feel I have a good chance; I've crafted my words pretty well and stated my case succinctly and it fits the trust's requirements in giving. I feel as though I've won enough through the past three years and need to now have a solo show and that is what I've requested assistance with. I need to develop a prototype for an exhibition of my 20 year plus journey in art. There is an important symmetry that has emerged. Without an audience the work is incomplete.
Posted by Drawingmyshipin at 9:00 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: art, art shows, artist, awards, drawing, grants
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