A paint-by-number portrait
January 13, 2010
“This is one of my best features … soft, warm and much friendlier than the crooked teeth they hide.”
A telegram
December 31, 2009
The stories of my five friends and myself: These are telegram style.
Bob B. went to war and didn’t come back. Bob S. got hooked on weed and is now a junky. The other Bob S. hasn’t come around for a while. Bob H. stole my girl and I still want to punch him. And Bob V. isn’t named Bob at all. His name is Joel. My story is art is dead. I killed it. This is my self-portrait and the self portraits of my friends if I say so.
-Patrick Waldron
A John of many talents
December 10, 2009
“Hi, my name is John C. Kuchera and I am an Artist.
To who it concerns: John C. Kuchera is now living in Harlem, a downtown boy
from the early 1980s is now enjoying the open spaces uptown.
John C. Kuchera has been painting and drawing for years, his style is refreshing and
enjoyable, he uses many a medium but he likes pen and ink and oils with
acrylic. A printer, photographer a porter at Columbia University, farm
worker, security guard in Maine (guarding mice) a janitor cleaning banks,
even a copy writer, his most famous copy was, Yes, Virginia we do toilets
(for a Cleaning service) © Kuchera”
Thank you, John, for guarding mice and adding your peace to this site.
Acrylic anger
December 3, 2009
“I have been drawing and painting since as far back as I can remember. In almost every childhood picture of me I have a pacifier in my mouth and a crayon in my hand. Art class was my refuge in high school.
I drew or painted almost every day until my first year of college. I don’t know how it happened, but I got it into my head that I was a big fraud. I had a sinking feeling that I somehow wasn’t a real artist, and it was only a matter of time before everyone else figured it out. I didn’t make art for years.
Then one day not too long ago, something happened that made me angry. And not just regular angry – burning with the fire of a thousand suns angry. I stormed into my apartment and had the thought that I was either going to light the place on fire or find a way to channel my energy elsewhere. After briefly considering what prison would be like, I chose the latter. Without thinking I grabbed my paint brushes and this picture just fell out of me onto the canvas. Talk about therapy!
Making this painting reignited my inspiration. Lately I can’t seem to stop, and my tiny little apartment is losing walking space every week as I get canvas after canvas. These days I am much less angry.”
-Story and art by Rachel Rolseth in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Rick did it.
November 29, 2009
A self-portrait by Rick Hutchinson. Check out his work on 723.com as teds53913. My favorite: “The Caterpillar King”.
The new pumpkin brew
October 29, 2009
Not every goblin unearths success while carving the iconic pumpkin.
For all the ghouls that can’t quite use the tools, here’s an alternative to the madness of slashing & slicing:
No fear this Halloween. Invent your own festive beer koozie. Bring it to the costume party. Or just rock it on your couch with a hard cider (or preferred hard beverage of choice).
A buzz without the bloodshed.
Lessons from a blood-thirsty bat
October 27, 2009
Heed the lead of the vampire bat, and play nice with your neighbor. Tit for tat.
In bat world, if one guy doesn’t snack on a bloody meal every two nights, he will need a kiss from a friend or face death.
Bats are probably more altruistic than some of us. A donor bat will help his hungry buddy and share some dinner (blood) through a succulent smooch. When a group of vampire bats keep each other alive, the whole colony is more likely to survive. No need for greed.
Selfish souls will not stumble upon success.
Lesson: Share your toys & snacks with friends and foes (if they are in your Facebook network). Give lots of kisses. Help the needy.
Want to be a baby’s mama? … for a bat? Sponsor one.
Be anonymous this Friday
October 9, 2009
A digital self-portrait created by Anonymous in Pennsylvania. A happy holiday weekend to everyone.
Poignancy and charcoal with Emily
September 29, 2009
Art by Emily Charlotte Pearl Safford of Salem, Oregon
“I recently met a girl who told me ‘I could put you in a box’. I never really thought I was in a box; I always considered myself to be a nonconformist. Ever since she said that I’ve been wondering exactly which box she thinks I’m in, and whether it’s the same box that other people who have known me throughout my life would think I am in.
There is a quote from the Tao Te Ching that says ‘He who defines himself cannot know who he really is.’ I’ve always believed this, but only now am I really beginning to realize how trying to live with this idea in mind affects me. I have been told I have a lot of integrity and that I am true to myself.
I am a freshman in college, and living away from home for the first time has caused me to question who I am. How can I be true to who I am when I don’t even know who I am? How can I make decisions when I don’t yet know what I want from life? Do I still have integrity if act differently because I feel different, or do I have to act consistently with some set of values I claim to have?
I am a different person from moment to moment. I do not want to live my life based on a set of morals I have picked simply because everyone wants me to have an opinion. We go through life having to make quick decisions, because life is constantly changing and it goes on whether we have enough information to make the right choice or not. Maybe the constant change means I will never know who I really am. But I’m starting to think it means that I may not be able to know who I used to be, and I may not be able to know who I will be, but I will always know who I am.”
-Beautifully stated by Emily Charlotte Pearl Safford
Playing with idioms
September 4, 2009
