Abstract Remote Niantic

Three New Paintings

2010-10-30T18:31:00.001-07:00

Relatively new paintings. Painted in early September. Just thought bottles were nice for a change.

My first Memoir/Fictional novel is set for publication

2010-10-30T18:18:00.000-07:00

My book is series of three novellas which share characters, including myself, as well as a lengthy prologue setting up the story.
I've been dealing with many disturbing and challenging and wonderful memories from my early childhood. What I've come to understand about myself and my life would blow people's heads up, if they only knew. So I leave it vague, yet entertaining, this book of mine called "A Children's Guide to Guerrilla Warfare." The next book is showing promise, but I will not provide details except to say it clarifies a few points that were the basis of the prior stories, and carries on the the last part of the first book, which took place in San Francisco and Outer Space.
The first book will be available in paperback on Amazon.com or through any retailers willing to special order it, and maybe a library or two. So keep an eye out for it if you like experimental fiction.

A Children's Guide To Guerrilla Warfare

2010-10-23T07:22:00.000-07:00

Have (self) published an e-book. Within the pages, I digest and regurgitate long lost memories of abuse while keeping a sense of humor about. The paperback should be available on Amazon.com within a week if the proof copy comes back alright.
the book's title is "A CHILDREN'S GUIDE TO GUERRILLA WARFARE" and I was surprised no one on the planet had used that title- at least officially. It probably occurred to someone in the Defense Department during the 50's, which is the main conceit.

In the meantime here's the EBOOK link on the Kindle service:
http://www.amazon.com/Childrens-Guide-Guerrilla-Warfare-ebook/dp/B0046W6UMA/ref=sr_1_38?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1286907479&sr=1-38

me three bad ass paintings

2008-07-15T11:29:00.000-07:00

emile bernardish
title"the old jill breton place" 8x10 oil on canvas

petit oiseau en feu 8x10, oil on canvas
brian duff

"rouge, rudd, verte" 8x10, oil on canvas.
brian duff

2008-07-15T11:26:00.000-07:00

"and either I had a bottle of vodtka or he had a bottle of vodtka, but anyways we were drinking vodtka and I was so happy because I found somebody who would drink vodtka with me."

Letter to Star Editor June 6th, 2008

2008-06-06T12:39:00.000-07:00

Some quotes from the Quartering Act of such and such a date by such and such a King: you should allow our soldiers "in inns, livery stables, ale houses, victualing houses, and the houses of sellers of wine and houses of persons selling of rum, brandy, strong water, cider or metheglin... uninhabited houses, outhouses, barns, or other buildings"... “ to provide them with food and alcohol, and provide for "fire, candles, vinegar, salt, bedding, and utensils" for the soldiers "without paying any thing for the same".

Now, what the military has done with fair Indianapolis is not as egregious, but I for one feel it has overstepped it's bounds in using our city's public and private property, without forewarning or debate, for the uses of conducting it's operations. This country is at war, to be fair, but under the present climate of public discourse in our country and, perhaps more certainly this city, I for one wonder if storming Indianapolis with paint ball guns in shear boredom is the proper thing to do in this election year. Many would argue it is for our combined benefit to allow troops and their commanders to conduct operations in our parks, malls, private spaces and skies. Doubtless there is some benefit. There is benefit in all things in which we conduct, abstract as it may be- I'm sure there is benefit in these deeds. But our mayor perhaps has discounted the windfall that landed him his office. Many would argue before his arrival most thoughts in our city where centered on money and jobs. It is our liberty I most worry about these days, that slippery slope which these recent events have encouraged me to speak out about. The Quartering Act of 1765 I cite reference to because I worry deeply about the use of private and public spaces for the purposes of military exercises or preparations, regardless of the institution or agency which produces it, or the literal translation into public grievances. King George or Hammurabi, it is mostly the fact that I heard my housing shake under the wings of helicopters this past day that inspires me to write this.. I understand that Marines need preparation for the tasks they face. We as a people should indeed be as prepared in steadfastly demanding our government consider the source of their power before apparently flaunting the crudest of its formulations this election year, in a city and nation that is long concrete in demanding through democratic processes responsibility in government. This occasion gives me grief, but some benefit may come from debate.

Brian Duff, Indianapolis.

berry wants to see more paintings...

2008-03-09T17:05:00.000-07:00

so here they are.... working on a venue for this series. three from a series of a dozen or so.

Review...

2007-11-21T13:11:00.001-08:00

Been working on cardboard...
alkyd, grumbacher medium iii, primed surfaces...

been working on paper...
van gogh watercolors
colored pencil, pen

here's my new still life I'm proud of.

empty post which won't delete.

2007-08-06T13:04:00.001-07:00

duffcolors

2007-07-18T11:00:00.000-07:00

apart from duffcolors.com going up, I've been busy painting small nudes, small pictures of horses, all of them the size of regular trading cards or tall trading cards. I also have made small pictures of fields under sunlight, clouds, storms, abstracts, etc. I have an idea in mind for a venue. More info on that later.

here's one such painting:
this was among the first five paintings of 45 so far...

here's another which followed.

And a landscape...
I made a dozen or so.

Duffcolors.com is Up, hooray.

2007-07-15T02:17:00.000-07:00

Let the BOok of CHa commence.

www.duffcolors.com

La Casa Con Brio

2007-07-03T11:37:00.001-07:00

This guy/gal was painted for an eastside preservation group.

On the Facade of a Village Pantry

2007-07-01T12:17:00.000-07:00

A mural for the folks who live there on the eastside. Trying out some new things in this one. I didn't use any tape in the previous mural for the neighborhood, note the squared or angular shapes notioning a sense of purpose among the hustle bustle of organic gesturing in the environs. glad they called me back into this.

b

better seen in person... and 4 of 20 or so new paintings for 07

2007-02-09T00:09:00.000-08:00

whamo.

"The dEvil crashed my volkswagen in Indiana"
image and content copyright brian duff 2007

revisiting a still life...

2006-12-08T10:50:00.000-08:00

this one was staring at me intently so I had to put it up away from view... I went back into it today, changing the fruit from three yellow, to a yellowish pink, a reddish pink and then a green. the bottles got more work as I also refined the background and color of the table, the shadows... the doodle on the napkin (oh, that's what that is... huh...) needs work.
Apart from that it is nifty to me. I saw a gaugin next to some other folks at the IMA yesterday, and the fruit on the gaugin caught my eye, as it should.
aside from that, Jerome's opening is tonight at the Fountain Square Library. His shows are always fun. I hope he plans on spiking the cider like last time. It is cold outside.

recent commission completed two weeks ago

2006-11-30T23:19:00.000-08:00

This was done prior to the thanksgiving break... When my sister came back from a weekend trip to see friends in Illinois, she gravitated to it during the five minutes she had before leaving for the airport. My brother also seems to like it...
let me know what you think.

brian

four days after a week off from art.

2006-11-30T11:31:00.000-08:00

some new works here...

these are from the last four days... One, "East Washington Street", is actually painted over my entry for the Masterpiece in a Day competition during September. Berry might recall what it looked like before, I think he liked the orange in the lower left (former lower right)... two cucas and an abstract done last night to see if I could match colors and composition from a much smaller painting. could.
I forget what else I might have painted, but if there's anything it will be put there.

I've taken down my work from the library after a moderately successful three month run. Jerome is taking over for December and January, his show encompassing holiday themes and more contemporary threads.

Brian

East Washington Street (oil and spray paint, approx 26x48 on plywood)

(east washington street former pic_ previously my entry for Masterpiece in a day... Everyone lost to a lightbulb taped to a wood fence with tinsel and wire... at least in the abstract section)

the cucas

cuca with pink and tan tones (5x7, oil on fixed ink on clayboard)

cuca with center grove pox (5x7, oil on fixed ink with scratch detail on clayboard)

backasswards still life with bottles (the impending mutilation of three oranges with makings of a party) (18x24, oil and spray paint on canvas)

last night's abstract following the pox cuca

"southern michigan rainy day lion" 11x14, oil on gallery canvas.

sharpie jaws fun (by way of William Mckenna's painting "First big Blockbuster" which features Jaws aiming to gobble up a converse shoe floating where the young woman would be swimming in the poster...)

violin deconstructed

2006-11-17T15:35:00.000-08:00

Whatever that might mean to you...

11x14, oil on canvas. Sort of in Jan Boyer, now come to think of it. Not intentional. The Jerome Neal influence on the perspective of the jutting pipe-bow is evident to me, given his monumental approach to representing music in abstract.

brian

Ink Wine Apple

2006-11-17T15:27:00.000-08:00

Another one... Did this last night. One hour. 8x10, oil on stretched canvas. Off angle crop due to glare bugs.

"Ace Wine Random"

2006-11-09T13:09:00.000-08:00

Ace Wine Random
8x10, oil on stretched canvas.

foodish

2006-11-07T07:43:00.000-08:00

Here's a couple from the past three days...
Images copyright brian duff 2006...

The first is "Antibiotic, camembert, bread and wares", oil on gallery canvas 12x12 inches, dominant non-cerulean blue.

This second one is the first of the garlic set... with a playing card and coin.

"his Joker, split garlic, & 100franc coin on table" 5x7, oil on clayboard.

"clubs garlic cloth" 8x10, oil on clayboard.

here's a bonus:

"A week and a day since bridge was played, one deck remains in the frame"... kind of a student painting look to this one... This was painted the same day as "antibiotic..." the first that day. Ink, oil on clayboard.

Two months later.

2006-10-18T03:16:00.000-07:00

I've painted a lot. Some work coming for me soon. Have a happy holiday, even if it's this weekend. Pop in that mix cd you have, all covers of John Lennon's "So this is Christmas" and have some eggnog? Don't have eggnog? Take heavy whipping cream or halfnhalf and throw in a bunch of rum... close enough. If you're like me and your neighbor started a christmas tree farm in suburbia some ten years ago, undermine his/her profits by taking a saw to a tall one tonight... dress like a ninja. shake out the squirrel and old bird's nests. I write this because although I have a mural job coming up and the usual paintings to complete, I need a change of pace and occupation, perhaps.

"Temporary Alternate Swimming Dynasty"
8x10, oil on canvas panel

"Cheek Turntable Front"
8x10, oil on canvas panel

Here's a new horse painting, this the smallest I've done in this line.

"Mamere Cuca"
5x7 inches, oil on canvas panel

Horse farm visit

2006-08-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

Visited a horse farm to deliver a painting of a horse in stable. I love visiting ranches, reminds me of my mother's place in florida. Took these following photos after a beer. Have a couple rolls left to develop, these are from the digital set.

Upcoming show, "Buttery Moon" runs September 1st through October 31st.
reception is Sept. 8th 2006 6-8pm @ the Fountain Square Branch Library
food, drinks free. Prints Available.

Upcoming Festival
"Feast of Lanterns" Spades park 3800 Nowland Ave.
NOon to 11pm August 26th

Berry is still showing in Thorntown, and you ought to visit his show at the Sugar Creek Arts Center. It runs all this month. For info visit the link on the right "Berry Connell".

heya back to pegs

2006-07-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

Been bak in pegs. yes.

images are copyright 2006 Brian Duff

Post peg Series 2 no.s 2-5

No.2

No.3

No.4

No.5

announcing: Buttery Moon, Brian Duff solo show

2006-07-17T23:37:00.000-07:00

What: Buttery Moon

where:

Fountain Square Branch Library, Indianapolis, IN

when:

Exhibition runs from Sept.1 to the end of October, reception on September 8th 6-8PM where patrons may view and purchase paintings, a limited quantity of prints are available, and food and drinks will be served.

contact Brian Duff at bduff585@gmail.com for info

nealish orangism and other new things...

2006-06-29T18:16:00.000-07:00

Here are some new paintings and a couple old ones I touched up.

new ones:

"very short cool down and back to sports" 24x36, oil on canvas.

"Nealish Orangism no. 3" 16x20, oil on canvas board.

"Bones of the Haute" 11x14 oil on canvas

Older ones I touched up

"Alternaria Alternadda" becomes an interim "Asteroid" and then is titled "inspecting fused, vinyl, sloping blooms" and that's where it stands, 3x4 feet or so, spray paint and oil on canvas.

This was formerly titled "Constructivist Theory 1" or in other words "how to have fun" and then I took it home after the April Show and painted more, going in with a script liner. you can't make out much of the detail from the photo. This was painted by Kevin Johnson and me.

"Galactic Elephant" 24x36 or so, acrylic, spray paint, and oil on canvas.

new sculpture and recent events.

2006-06-02T19:57:00.000-07:00

Lost my hat, found my hat, mildewed. It was in the drier, undried. smells like my coat now. need new clothes. had nice pants. cigarette hole in it now. paint on them, etc. ink too.

Made a sculpture today... sorta. Assembled something today. Found a headless statue of a saint in some garbage on the street today. Took it home and fitted it with a new head. I think it's John the Baptist, Ascended. He sees people with a flower-eye and radiates batismal thoughts out the golden dome.

Painted some things, too. lots of abstracts, some astronomy oriented, some newyorkscool action painting drip and draggle. Oh, and I'm working on a project for Stopover, a charity the April Show artists work to help.
later, b.

found my bullwhip

2006-05-20T10:38:00.000-07:00

yessiree. found the bullwhip. things are whipping into shape hardeeharhar.

news and probablement-ality

2006-05-20T05:55:00.000-07:00

lovely weather we've been having, eh? I've been sleeping through it. I imagine good weather and bad weather.
here's some paintings that indicate new directions I'm looking into. I'll probably never revisit them.

b

"Keyboardist" from Transband series and a tagged waterfall

2006-05-06T19:50:00.000-07:00

My sister thinks all my band member paintings look like transvestites... oh well. they were based on a sketch of an actress... oh well. hi ho.
here's the keyboardist... 8x10, oil on canvas panel.

and a waterfall now belonging to Rachel Colina. 4x5 inches, oil on canvas panel.

I've painted four more cucas persuant to the previous two in April. I plan on holding them back from publishing here so folks can get a first glimpse at the Midland or perhaps the Feast of Lanterns.

April Show fun stuff

2006-05-03T04:02:00.000-07:00

Berry ethplaining a painten to Rachel

me wall downstairs

It was a great show. I've been busier than usual the last few days. Heard from folks who want more of certain paintings I had up, and I'm starting to work on building up a bit of work in those areas... Cuca was popular... I'm making more of her, various sizes and treatments. Landscapes did very well, glad I showed them.
Might have a solo in the works.

Found 2, Persuant to the entry "Lost"...

2006-04-16T04:28:00.000-07:00

I found my hat. yay... it's my favorite.

April 13-14

2006-04-14T00:14:00.000-07:00

1. :Gold fish, water plants..." 11x14
2. "Funkland depth 8" 11x14
3. :Figure in Florality" 16x20

all are oils...
all have website tags. apologies for that.

been up all night, sleeping all day... painting, nervous.

April Show is in two weeks. These paintings here are not remotely dry, and in any case, the selections I took over to the pre-show dinner have been done for some time... I could, yes, use pale drying oil, or alkyd medium or something to speed my process, but I like the pace, and it gives me time to see the painting enough to know if it needs to show... Last year I made the mistake of showing a bunch of spray paint things that weren't ready, or at least, not all of them were picks of the litter.

I've been drawing caricatures of my goldfish...

Plein Air with Kevin and I

2006-03-31T08:57:00.000-08:00

This is our first plein air painting of the season for Kevin and I... It measures approx. 24x48, painted in acrylics and spray paint on plywood. I brought over a couple tubes of paint and the plywood to Kevin's and he had the idea to go over to Pleasant Run and see if we could paint the railway bridge that goes over the Run. We couldn't find a place to park though until a street or two down, when we spotted this house. It sort of has a unique architecture to it, sort of European in a way. Very nice people came by to check it out, tho there were some knuckle/chuckleheads in cars shouting obscenities and the same in gestures... dunno if I was ever the one to shout obscenities in that way... anyway, the good of the community there seems to have precedence over the bad, which comes by in their cars all 1957 with their crew cuts and their fat mufflers...
but yeah, we kept at the painting... I was sort of bummed at the end because while Kevin was signing it I, unaware, stepped on a tube of his paint and it emptied almost entirely onto the grass.
We stopped for coffee at the Lazy Daze Cafe in Irvington, got a coffee, smoked a cigarette and a man took an Intake out of the news box, we unloaded the eisel at his place with the supplies and promised to do more painting later. We have tentative plans to hit up Eagle Creek at least once when the leaves are spring green.

impossible valley

2006-03-28T16:23:00.000-08:00

This painting and I have an understanding... I question the perspective, it questions mine.

Everest Rapturous Joy

2006-03-27T11:56:00.000-08:00

of January 2005.
small photo.

More fun... KJBD session August 2004

2006-03-27T11:35:00.000-08:00

Here are two of my favorite of the six or so 26x40 (approx dimension) that KJ and I did that first session. I'm not particularly sure where these are now, as I left them in his possession to sell... Berry might know if these were in the IUPUI thing last October... I don't recall what all of Kevin and my work was in there.

Back in August 2004

2006-03-27T11:29:00.000-08:00

Kevin spent a night or two at the place here and we did some painting... Here's one I did myself on the floor... My friend Steve C Jones introduced me to the method of drip painting in 02 or so, maybe 03, can't recall. This is day glo acrylics, regular acrylics, and spray paint for the border, August 04 round about. It was a warm summer, and we had a pet spider under the canopy who KJ and I called "Good Time Charlie".

I don't know how long this one will last because it is painted over oil (albeit, well-cured/long since dried) as I had begun the oil part in early 03... none of which shows. Anyway, this was fun to do. I just added the border a few days ago.

recent paint thing

2006-03-24T15:31:00.000-08:00

"Field Aflame with Grass and Bird", 11x14, oil on canvas panel. This will not be in the April show... not remotely dry yet. I might have it in the Midland this coming October.

Sozyes Austin

2006-03-24T15:04:00.000-08:00

austin... I can think of only three artists in Austin... each from DA... there are, likely, more I've missed out on but all the while knowing these three's work... I don't feel like I've missed anything, but gained a great deal.
F.Elliott,
S/Niwi,
E.Gibbons.

You Are Austin

A little bit country, a little bit rock and roll.
You're totally weird and very proud of it.
Artistic and freaky, you still seem to fit in... in your own strange way.

Famous Austin residents: Lance Armstrong, Sandra Bullock, Andy Roddick

What American City Are You?

Cuca Doll, finished prolly

2006-03-16T03:21:00.000-08:00

This is the semi-finished version of the first Cuca painting...I basically reworked the ears, the back of the head, and the top of the snout... She looks more like herself now, as the original version had her looking like a mule.
I also painted another landscape, the same Normandy coastline, only 90 degrees to the right. It turned out sorta Van Gogh, sorta eric Gibbons (at least the sky reminds me of that.). I'll try and upload that later. I might have some more painting to do.
I might just have some tylenol to take.

2006-03-15T22:35:00.000-08:00

And a new version of Cuca... This is Cuca 2, approx 24x36...

2006-03-15T22:34:00.000-08:00

mess up. the house was 16x20, this is as well. this is from a charter sailing trip we stagiers took off finistere, in Bretagne.

2006-03-15T22:24:00.000-08:00

The new ones. The horse is 18x24, the other two are 16x20, oil. off tilt photos because of flash issues.

Titanium White

2006-03-15T16:47:00.000-08:00

Kicks ass. Best white ever. zinc and flake white don't have anything on it.

Cuca (burrah)

2006-03-14T21:35:00.000-08:00

This is Cuca, my mom's first horse, an Apaloosa mare. My first horse painting. I might add some purplish/lavender flowers on the left side later tonight, but I'm done with Cuca herself.
The painting is 16x20, oil on canvas board.

Normandy

2006-03-06T23:48:00.000-08:00

"Normandy 1997.1" 11x14, oil on canvas

Apologies for the bad composition of the photo, the oils glare otherwise.

This painting is based on a photo I took while in France in 1997. I didn't do justice to the flowers in the foreground,(what flowers??) (exactly.) which was the primary reason I took the picture in the first place... ohwell. I'm happy with it all around. Berry- David has a couple more of these canvases for you to have... 11x14... They rock. originally sold for maybe 4 dollars a piece, they cost twice as much today and the modern equivalent isn't as tight as these were and surprisingly still are.

Greater Pondside Canvas Burn

2006-03-04T13:17:00.000-08:00

]"The Greater Pondside Canvas Burn"
10x16, oil on canvas panel

new stuffs

2006-03-02T13:23:00.000-08:00

Three images, several paintings. These aren't dry enough to take real pictures of them, so I'll leave them where they're at now. Here's what the newer ones look like.
Take care,
Brian.

Untitled
11x14

(next to "!76 peg mem")

next: "Spirited Away" 24x30,
oil on canvas,
lots of oil on canvas.

Finally, newuns, too.
ranging from 5x7 to 16x20

2006-02-20T13:45:00.000-08:00

This is titled "Satellite photo of class mmm tidal Pool"... this was shown at the IUPUI Cultural Arts gallery this past Oct-Nov alongside the work of Kevin Johnson, Jerome Neal, Berry Connell and Kathleen Nelson. I had a few others up, but this was my favorite of the bunch.

2006-02-20T13:31:00.000-08:00

this is a picture of my work area. there's my chair, borrowed from the dining set that is perpetually de-leafed so that we can play bridge (when we have enough people) (when it's not covered in old newspapers, mugs, paintings, etc.) I work under daylight bulbs.

mobbers

2006-02-19T15:46:00.000-08:00

"curling mob"
8x10

inches

oil

bduff 2-19-06

"Orange Mob"
8x10 inches
oil
bduff 2-19-06

journal entry 1.

2006-02-18T12:53:00.000-08:00

it's cold outside. brrr.

Cobalt blue

2006-02-15T16:30:00.000-08:00

Kicks ass. Add a lot of white and you get robin's egg blue. Start over and add equal parts Alazarin Crimson and you get MC Hammer Purple pants. You can't beat that. Too legit, just tooooo legit.

elementary landscapes, April Show preview.

2006-02-15T13:11:00.000-08:00

SILENCE

Sunset On the Land in Wine, Beer and Coffee Country

Beams of the bridge on Cripple Creek

The Forrest for the hell yes

2006-02-15T12:03:00.000-08:00

Forrest Elliott

Stephen Aubuchon's Website

2006-02-15T11:42:00.000-08:00

http://stephenaubuchon.com/

Il est un photographeur... et un ami de moi.

I'm a Dada!! Cigars!

2006-02-15T11:23:00.000-08:00

from the same quiz site. I was hoping for neo-expressionist. I'd like to know the error differential.

You are a Dadaist. You make very little sense to

those around you. (heck you make very little

sense period) You defy convention, and

challenge norms! You can be a bit on the

wierd side, but those who can understand you

find you clever and refreshing. Congrats.

*You* are Dada.

Which Art ism do you belong to?
brought to you by Quizilla

emergence possible

2006-02-14T20:03:00.000-08:00

emerging possibilities... the title hints at the relation between free abstract and the concrete representational form. This painting voices the emergence of form from the formless. I am a germ. Once again this is in oils, 8x10 inches.

painting

2006-02-14T08:50:00.000-08:00

painting
This is Mike Lay's blog. He was a favorite of mine at Deviantart... the dude just knows portraits. owns.

"!76 Peg Mem"

2006-02-13T05:38:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's painting. This is an 8x10 inch canvas board, painted in oils, surpris.

Death of Socrates? Me?

2006-02-13T04:53:00.000-08:00

Granted this quiz leans away from the likes of Kandinsky.

Like David's "Death of Socrates" you are

an intellect to the end. Science, math,

order...yup... and you're not afraid to spout

it! Go you!

Yourself as Art.
brought to you by Quizilla

2006-02-13T03:56:00.000-08:00

This is a photo I took and rendered in the darkroom at Denison University in 1999. They may still have this couch at Cleveland Hall. It was an introduction to photography course.

and this is a photo of me for the blog... backdate...

bravo breyon.... E. 10th Street commission news

2006-02-13T03:05:00.000-08:00

David "the Hit-man" (that's not his nickname) Hittle e-mailed me with some news. The Feast of Lanterns organization is considering using my recent commission pieces for their advertisement of the festival this coming summer. I've included a couple pictures of the commission, specifically panels 3+4, the Festival Panels. I had a table last summer alongside Kevin Johnson, Jerome Neal, Berry Connell and James Horn ... August 27th and we had a great time. The Lord of Yum-Yums was in spectacular form, the bands were great and it only rained briefly in the afternoon. I had a great time and was pleased to find they wanted something done featuring a rendition of the event.
The paintings (four panels total at 4'x6' each, displayed in a pair of 4x12s, in acrylics and spray paint) took two weeks to complete and the project found me in the garage during the coldest and warmest parts of December 05-January 06. So, when I heard today that the festival people were pleased with the work enough to want to use it in promotions, I was quite relieved, as I had taken many liberties in color and rendering of the event.

FOUND and c-minor

2006-02-11T11:35:00.000-08:00

This message does not pertain to my hat, which is still missing along with forty dollars cash, the keys to my car, the car, two bottles of rum, half a carton of cigarettes, and the bullwhip I bought in Gatlinsburg, TN in 1996. I would like them all back sometime, preferably unspent, unharmed, undrunk, unsmoked and unused.
However, something has been found or, rather, someone. I've recently corresponded with the sister of my best friend in high school, and received his phone number yesterday. Got his voicemail. Called him up this morning and we talked. Was refreshing to hear him after two years of absence. To sum it up: he's been working a managerial position at a college bookstore, I've been painting. Feels good, knowing he's alive and well, I had my doubts this past year. There was some talk of cancer some months before we lost track of each other in moves.
Here's a painting called "Loom of the Land", a title taken from a song by Nick Cave on his album: "Henry's Dream". The song just fits the painting's mood, but then it could have easily been called "Christina the astonishing" or "Where the wild roses grow".
I digress.
Another note since this is becoming somewhat a journal blog, moreso than either exhibition or opinion... I'm a manic depressive, and the other day my sister relayed to me something I had said following a hospitalization a few years back, which I had forgotten probably the moment it was uttered. I must have still been out of sorts, because I said, "The nurses were (are?) on the other side of the door, plotting to steal the key to my music." Musical keys. It was probably a minor key. I'm all majors anymore even when I play blues it turns major all the time... carry over from a prolonged obsession with the violin. I wonder if "Adoration" by dvorak? was a minor key. I loved to play that song. yah.
Loom of the Land.

LOST

2006-02-10T02:56:00.000-08:00

I haven't seen my favorite hat in a month now. I feel quite out of sorts without it, it's my thinking cap... It's dark blue, a stocking cap type, with a white band in the knitting on the brow, and has been tailored to fit. If you've been in my place recently and have seen it, please e-mail me.

"When I love a girl"

2006-02-10T02:47:00.000-08:00

I've been in an obsessive mood lately, not that it's anything new, but my infatuation is usually about my work, but recently my thoughts have been more or less hijacked by memories of people I used to know, not to mention that scene in Fargo where the one dude says, "You were always such a super lady" and proceeds to weep... This painting reflects my feelings best. This was formerly titled "monterey 87" on a popular image site, and "china cat sunflower" on the back of the physical painting... now it is "when I love a girl" here and on the painting itself.

walking on alligators

2006-01-26T02:19:00.000-08:00

walking on alligators

This is a blog by a friend of mine, featuring his paintings of rural Indiana, still life and other works. He lives in Boone County, Indiana, and is a little goofy. If you ask him nice he'll show you something- a little goofy.

Garfield Park Indianapolis Jan. 21-22

2006-01-24T16:13:00.000-08:00

There was a competition at Garfield Park this past weekend. I competed in one of three divisions, The Arts division. The other divisions were Diversity and Garfield Park. It turned out that the Arts was the category the fewest people applied to compete in, garnering half the entries than each of the other two had. I met some fantastic people, a portrait painter named Michael was nearby and scrubbing away with oils. The competition spanned throughout the entire building with people taking their spaces anywhere they felt comfortable. This is where I felt comfortable. On Saturday I started off by taking a cup of joe from the thermos and splashing it over myself, my left hand shaking and quaking out of control. I get nervous when I'm performing in front of others... Usually I'm just by my own in the garage doing whatnot.

The morning of I took a snapshot or two of my great uncle Lowell Duff's violin and set to sketch an angle of it that pronounced it as a chief figure in my experience. It is a very old violin, brought back from the Civil War, likely to the shagrin of some family in Tennessee, our family having lived in Laporte, IN for some time- knowing that many Indiana soldiers went to TN to fight, this seems the most likely spot where it originated. It was perhaps bought, but most likely stolen... Bummer. Anyway, I need to get new strings for this violin, perhaps steel core, but whatever gives it a slightly warmer G, D, A. The steel tailpiece lends the violin a slightly tinny sound on the all strings, but E has always sounded great. Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting it up and running, which should happen within the next two weeks. I have not ruled out cat gut.

All in all, I had a great time. I met some fantastic people and discovered this very interesting building, which may prove in time to be a formidable asset to Indianapolis in hosting art events of this type and others. There's been some talk of their hosting weekend retreats for artists to come and work, socialize. The grounds are quite beautiful, and this was expressed through the work of many of the artists in the Garfield Park category. I'm looking ahead to seeing this place mature into a center alive with activity. I did not mention, but this was the first event held at the center since it was reformatted to be an Arts building.

no thoughts at this time.

2006-01-12T17:30:00.000-08:00

I had a page at da, but I'm no longer posting there as of february 9th, 06.
You can look forward (or not) to paintings being posted here, along with various comments I have on what needs be said, if anything at all, which is... remote.