Ben Garrison

Ron Paul Quotes

2012-01-01T22:06:00.000-08:00

PERSONAL & CIVIL LIBERTY

“I'm convinced that you never have to give up liberties to be safe. I think you're less safe when you give up your liberties.” “You wanna get rid of drug crime in this country? Fine, let's just get rid of all the drug laws.”"The federal government has no right to treat all Americans as criminals by spying on their relationship with their doctors, employers, or bankers." “Ideas are very important to the shaping of society. In fact, they are more powerful than bombings or armies or guns. And this is because ideas are capable of spreading without limit. They are behind all the choices we make. They can transform the world in a way that governments and armies cannot. Fighting for liberty with ideas makes more sense to me than fighting with guns or politics or political power. With ideas, we can make real change that lasts.”

TAX & ECONOMY

“One thing is clear: The Founding Fathers never intended a nation where citizens would pay nearly half of everything they earn to the government.”

THE WAR ON TERROR & THE PATRIOT ACT

“A citizen walking through the airport today is bombarded with 1984-style propaganda messages that are designed to make us fear some amorphous threat and also be suspicious of others. The government designs these messages to make us feel dependent and heavily lorded over in every aspect of our lives. These messages are becoming ever more pervasive, hitting us even in grocery stores when we are shopping.”

PRINCIPLES & INTEGRITY

"Unlike my opponents, I'm not running from my voting record. I'm not running from my public statements. I'm not running from my predictions.I'm running on them."

NON-PREEMPTIVE WAR & MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

"When one person can initiate war, by its definition, a republic no longer exists. "“It is no coincidence that the century of total war coincided with the century of central banking.” “Setting a good example is a far better way to spread ideals than through force of arms.” "Another term for preventive war is aggressive war - starting wars because someday somebody might do something to us. That is not part of the American tradition. ""Our foolish policy in Iraq invites terrorist attacks against U.S. territory and incites the Islamic fundamentalists against us."

LIMITED, CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT

"In the free society envisioned by the founders, schools are held accountable to parents, not federal bureaucrats." "The moral and constitutional obligations of our representatives in Washington are to protect our liberty, not coddle the world, precipitating no-win wars, while bringing bankruptcy and economic turmoil to our people."“When one gets in bed with government, one must expect the diseases it spreads.” "Every government, democratic or not, is capable of tyranny. We must understand this if we hope to remain a free people.""I will always vote what I have promised, and always vote the Constitution, as well as I will not vote for one single penny that isn't paid for, because debt is the monster, debt is what's going to eat us up and that is why our economy is on the brink.""I will continue in my uncompromising opposition to appropriations not authorized within the enumerated powers of the Constitution."

NON-PREEMPTIVE WAR & MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

Similarities

2011-12-31T00:37:00.000-08:00

Two paintings. I love them both. Both affect me similarly, and yet they are from vastly different times. I wonder what DaVinci would think of Picasso...

Likewise, I often wonder what Tchaikovsky would think of Shostakovich. What would Beethoven have made of Stravinsky? One thing is certain: I know our founding fathers would be very disappointed at what's going on with our government today.

(Click to enlarge)

Ron Paul is Doing Great!

2011-12-29T22:47:00.000-08:00

Ron Paul is doing great. We can tell by hit pieces such as this:

http://www.unionleader.com/article/20111229/OPINION01/712299993

In it we hear pejorative and ad hominem attacks such as:

Ron Paul..."truly dangerous"

(Ron Paul's platform is) "nothing short of nuts"

"...Paul being the favored candidate of the lunatic fringe (see white supremacists, anti-Semites, truthers, etc.)."

"Paul has been consistently spouting this nonsense."
In other words, we are called racists for supporting Paul and the Constitution. Oh gee...I'd better vote for one of the neo cons so we can continue to start wars we can't afford and blow up innocent people to get people such as Gaddafi. We will support muslim fundamentalists to do it! Why? So we can replace leaders we don't like with radical muslims so we can...defeat the muslim fundamentalists? Yeah, that makes sense. Oh--and let's make sure America is called a battlefield and everyone give up our rights so that 'terrorists' can be whisked away and tortured. FEAR FEAR FEAR! And our own government creates false flags to get us all scared so we can give up more money, lives, liberty AND DIGNITY (groping at airports) to those at the top--you know who I'm referring to--the ones you admire, Mr. McQuaid...the big banksters ripping us all off. The Federal Reserve who has destroyed our middle class and are propping up the corrupt banks. People such as Corzine who outright steal billions of dollars from private accounts.

YOU and your ilk are 'evil nuts,' not us. I have news for you, Mr. BIG SHOT PUBLISHER JOSEPH W. McQUAID, New Hampshire Union Leader, we 'lunatic fringe' care about the Constitution and ending your ridiculous wars including the war on drugs that sends plenty of minorities to prison just because they have the wrong vegetation in their pockets. We are going to vote for Paul and end the cycle of fear they are using to strip us of our rights, our dignity, our money and our jobs just so your banker buddies can make bigger bonuses. And the traitors who are trampling our rights in Congress? THEY are the enemy--not some turbaned-guy in a cave that was sent there by the evil CIA. And what can be more anti-Semite than dropping bombs on Arab children? (Yes, Arabs are Semites, too). Sorry, Mr. Big shot McQuaid, YOU are anti-American, anti-decency and anti-Constitution. YOUR opinions are warped and truly dangerous.

Ben Garrison, a Ron Paul supporter.

To My Friends

2011-12-21T01:56:00.000-08:00

I remain under attack from Nazis and various creeps who want me to stop drawing anti-Federal Reserve cartoons. I suspect many of these groups are paid off by the powers that be to attack individuals such as me who would dare to speak out against the corruption at the top. So I get smeared and libeled by disgusting and cretinous hate mongers who are residing in their dark places all over the world. Tough beans, you Nazi kooks--I'm not stopping. And I'm taking notes and saving addresses and if there's a way I can sue you for your vicious libel I will!

Unfortunately I must disable all comments on my blog from now on because I don't have time to constantly monitor it for their slimy hate messages.

I suspect they'll come after Ron Paul too since he may win the Iowa caucus.

RON PAUL 2012!!

Viola Update

2011-12-15T00:43:00.000-08:00

I have not posted a message about my viola playing in a long time. I stopped playing for about 6 months after seeing a video and hearing how terrible I was. Still, I began missing it. Playing music is a good distraction from one's troubles. I especially like playing Christmas music duets with my son (an excellent violinist). So I have begun practicing again and it's all coming back fairly quickly. We will put on a concert for a few people when he's home from college.

I realize I'm a perpetual beginner, but there are no viola teachers in Kalispell. I will muddle through as best I can. Some day I'll be able to play something by my current favorite composer--Shostakovich!

Merry Christmas and be sure to support Ron Paul for president!!!

Christmas Blog Message

2011-12-14T23:26:00.000-08:00

The year has gone by very quickly. Maybe it's the higher altitude here in Montana. There's also less gray here than in Seattle so maybe that helps tempus fugit at a higher rate, too. (Just kiddin'--I still like Seattle and miss it sometimes. Just not the traffic there).

I have been fortunate to have had some good freelance jobs this year--even in this bad economy. I wish I had more work, but some is better than none. Also, I actually sold a painting! That's a great achievement for an artist in any economy. I sold it using artID.com You can check my work out there:

http://artid.com/members/bgarri/

On a more serious note, anonymous Nazis continue to hack up and destroy my work by adding in offensive racist caricatures--while leaving MY name on their crud. So I am forced to answer and continually tell people that no, those are NOT my cartoons. I have been told all I can do is put up a disclaimer--and I have, but if there is a libel lawyer out there who would like to take my case on, please contact me at

ben@grrrgraphics.com

I can't afford to pay you (well, maybe a little) but if you'd like to help me go after these libelous cretins out to ruin my reputation, I will let you have 100 percent of any settlement. I want no money--only justice. Trouble is, these Nazi white-power types probably live in their mother's basement, and most likely they own nothing. And they certainly own nothing of merit when it comes to ideas. That's why they're reckless. I believe in free speech and I don't care what they draw as long as they leave my name off their putridness. But they lack the talent and intellectual horsepower to draw their own cartoons. Even the offensive garbage they add on to my work is drawn by some anonymous racist. Way to go, cowards.

These libelous Nazis pick on me and not some MSM cartoonist because they know the MSM have plenty of lawyers to handle such annoyances. I'm just a lone voice fed up with the criminal bankers ripping us all off--MF Global is yet another example. I want to do something to speak out against these criminals--and exercise our freedom of speech while it's still available--and as an artist the cartoons seem to be a good way to go about it.

What really annoys me is I must answer their sycophants who email me and congratulate me for that trash. They don't bother to check out the fact that I want nothing to do with their racist, libelous, degrading junk nor do I wish to plumb the collective cesspool of their minds. I want to concentrate on my cartoons and not have to deal with this rubbish.

Thankfully, the vast majority of people see my genuine cartoons and many fine people have put those cartoons on their sites and blogs all over the world--including people such as Andrew Napolitano. I thank the good people who are speaking out against the unconstitutional banker crony capitalism and the threat of a fascist government police state. 2012 should prove to be a propitious year for Americans.

Merry Christmas!

VOTE RON PAUL 2012!

http://www.grrrgraphics.com/

Sibelius

2011-09-13T08:47:00.001-07:00

One of the most beautiful themes ever written in classical music.

"In Memoriam"

2011-09-13T00:30:00.000-07:00

The tempo is a little faster than I've heard on other performances, but just as beautiful. Shostakovich is one of my favorite composers because...well, I'll let the music explain it for me.

http://youtu.be/A2El2BPzZ0Y

Bernstein conducts Mahler's 2nd

2011-09-03T07:55:00.000-07:00

One of the most beautiful things I've ever heard...

GNATZI BUGGERS

2011-06-14T23:01:00.000-07:00

It's nearly summer and the gnats are out. Or should I say GNATZIS. Little characters with no 'character.' After all, anyone who would attack the reputation of an honest artist willing to sign his own work--while they buzz around hacking and changing the work of others...all the while cloaked in web anonymity...well, they are cowards!

For some reason those cretins have it in for me...not sure why. So they have been affixing my name to the work of one of their fellow GNATZIS--an artist who won't reveal his real name. (Yeah, real brave people we're dealing with here). All I want to do is raise awareness about the broken system of money we have due to Keynesianism, out-of-control statism and especially the Federal Reserve. They want to twist the dialogue to racism and bigotry. That way, if you question the Fed, you automatically become a fringe nut. Just the way the bankers like it. I wonder if the Nazis get paid by the elite bankers to do this? Hmmmm...

I believe in free speech--and I welcome them to draw their OWN damn cartoons and put their OWN names on them. But that would require some guts on their part and like most bullies, they have NONE.

So here's the cartoon--click to enlarge. Thanks, Tina!

Jascha Heifetz Plays Tchaikovsky

2011-06-14T14:10:00.001-07:00

PURE GENIUS!

Shostakovich Symphony No. 7 Finale

2011-06-12T11:03:00.001-07:00

One of the best finales ever!

Blues Brothers

2011-06-11T11:37:00.000-07:00

The Bank of Dad is CLOSED

2011-06-10T19:47:00.000-07:00

I drew this today for Father's Day. To all fathers everywhere, there comes a time when one must say NO to their kids when it comes to money. That way the kids come to appreciate the hard work that goes into earning money.

Ron Paul for President!

2011-06-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

Ron Paul's fund raiser yesterday was a big success. He raised well over a million bucks in one day. I was a contributor. (A small amount to many perhaps...but I wanted to help regardless).

Why I support Ron Paul:

• He wants to end the Federal Reserve, which is neither federal nor a reserve. It is an institution owned by elite private banks. The same banks that were TBTF and got bailed out so execs involved could get giant bonuses. Debt money is printed and these crony private bankers receive interest via tax money. They use their money to buy out Congress and oppress the people.

• He wants to audit the Federal Reserve. Then we'll know how much money went to international banks.

• He wants to audit Fort Knox. Is there really any gold left there or has it been stolen by Fed cronies?

• He wants to end the wars that benefit money-mad, power-mad banks and select private corporations. He voted AGAINST the war in Iraq.

• He wants to end the ridiculous and expensive 'War on Drugs.'

• He never voted to raise taxes.

• He wants to end taxes on tips, thus helping hard working lower classes everywhere.

• He has never voted for an unbalanced budget.

• He has never voted for federal restrictions on gun ownership.

• He has never voted to raise congressional pay.

• He voted against the pernicious Patriot Act.

• He is against the TSA.

• He is for sound money based on gold and silver.

• He wants to cut way back on nanny-state government which has continued to bloat and take away our rights.

• He is pro-Consitution and for restoring the Republic.

http://www.ronpaul2012.com/

Libelous Bigots Attack Me

2011-05-22T15:37:00.000-07:00

There's an entity or unknown cretin out there changing my cartoons--adding in offensive Jewish stereotypes--and then spreading them throughout the internet. While leaving MY name on them.

Rest assured my target is the elite international banking system and the Federal Reserve. NOT Jews. I apologize to anyone who was offended by the hijacked cartoons. Please help me report these creeps and if you see them on blogs, demand their removal.

Thanks,

Ben Garrison

Quagga Problem

2011-04-28T18:07:00.000-07:00

Here's an illustration I did a few years ago for High Country News. It didn't run, but a few others I did managed to make it to print. Anyway, I like how it came out. We need to keep these invasive and dangerous buggers out of Flathead Lake.

Swasticked Off

2011-04-12T18:50:00.000-07:00

Some idiot took my cartoon, changed it up and posted it on his blog. WITH my signature still on it. I won't even link to his site--it had swastikas on it.

My protest art is aimed at tyrannical big government and corrupt elite banks who have taken over the country. This has to be expected when something goes 'viral.' My cartoon has been seen by millions of people. Who knows--government operatives may be setting up sites to do things such as this. Then they changed my cartoon to discredit and insult my motives. I mean...honestly...what sane person considers themselves a fan of Hitler?

I've asked that he remove my cartoon. If he doesn't I'll be forced to take legal action.

I apologize to anyone who saw the cartoon and thought I drew the anti-semitic figure in it. I did not draw it that way. I'm a libertarian and have nothing but contempt for statist figures such as Hitler, Stalin and Mao. Unfortunately my cartoon threatens those who would love to set up a police state--with banker elites running the show. Therefore I get smeared.

Ben Garrison.

The Swan of Tuonela

2011-04-04T14:21:00.000-07:00

Here's my latest painting. I took inspiration from the music of Sibelius. Namely, "The Swan of Tuonela." I had my son Ian pose as Lemminkainen. I used some reference for parts of the painting, but most of it was done directly from my imagination.

The painting (24' x 36') was done in oil using traditional methods. That is, a complete sketch transferred onto the canvas. Then a sepia wash. Then the underpainting in black and white to establish values. Then thin coats of color built up slowly until this end result.

The black swan on the Black River sings a sad song. Lemminkainen was sent to kill the swan, but the swan's song was so beautiful he was unable to do so. A Finnish god later punishes Lemminkainen for this transgression and his body was cut up and thrown into the river. His mother later rescues him and sews his body back together. Life is infused into Lemminkainen again with the help of another god and a magic drop of honey.

In Sibelius' music, the swan is represented by the English horn.

Click on image to see larger version.

Global Force for Good?

2011-03-27T09:59:00.001-07:00

Saw this commercial on the boob tube yesterday. A recruiting advert for the US Navy.

"A global force for good." WHAT???

What is this so-called 'good?'--attacking countries that are no threat to us? Just because the UN/Nato/Globalist bankers command it? Our armed forces used to be there to defend America at the order of Congress. CONGRESS has the power to declare war, not the UN. The president used to execute the orders of Congress as commander in chief. NOW the president does what he wants at the behest of a private clique of globalists.

They are out in the open with this crap. In our faces. Join the Navy--a global force for good. BAH!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3wtUCPWmeI

GREAT SITE FOR ART VIEWING

2011-01-30T10:20:00.000-08:00

I came across this yesterday and thought I'd post it on my blog. So I'm posting it on my blog! Get ready to lose a few hours gazing at these masterpieces from long ago...

http://www.wga.hu/index.html

The Web Gallery of Art is a virtual museum and searchable database of European painting and sculpture of the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassicism, Romanticism periods (1000-1850), currently containing over 26.000 reproductions. Picture commentaries, artist biographies are available. Guided tours, period music, catalogue, free postcard and other services are provided.

Wild Bill Hickok Painting

2010-12-21T15:10:00.000-08:00

Here's my latest cubist painting: A portrait of Wild Bill Hickok. He was shot at the No. 10 Saloon. This is my first cubist portrait and I wanted to keep the colors simpler and more restrained.

Click on image for larger view.

GrrrGraphics

2010-12-01T12:27:00.000-08:00

Here's where you can find more cartoons and commentary from Ben Garrison:

GrrrGraphics

TSA: HANDS OFF!

2010-11-17T21:59:00.000-08:00

The TSA is a harbinger of a police state. Choose to get a radiation dose and a detailed nude scan or 'opt out' for an embarrassing grope by a TSA thug? No thank you to both. It's bad enough we have to take our shoes off as well as our belts and shuffle along on dirty airport floors trying to hold up our pants as well as our dignity. TSA has declared war on dignity. Americans need to draw a line here. Chertoff, former 'Department of Homeland Security' head made sure the scanners were bought so he could profit handsomely from the sale. It's time to put him in prison. It's time to tell 'Big Sis' Napolitano that's it's not OK to completely strip human dignity from Americans in the name of fear. It's time to stand up for our fourth amendment.

Here's a cartoon I drew today (click to enlarge) that sums up what's happening. I am trying to develop a GrrrGraphics.com site and that's why the tagline is on the cartoon. I hope to have the site ready soon--it looks like it will be done by this weekend sometime.

The Battle Against Clichés

2010-11-13T16:38:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to amass 20 paintings before I attempt to get a show somewhere. It will be a daunting task no matter what, but I've come to a few conclusions when it comes to my art.

At first I tried painting my regular style and it wasn't very good. Part of the problem was that for most of my commercial art career, I had been terribly rushed and so everything I did was rushed due to force of habit. The quality was compromised because I was also rusty. I hadn't oil painted since college. Now that I've decompressed, I'm realizing I don't want to paint Montana landscapes as much as I thought. Oh, I will still do a few here and there and some plein air paintings too, but I'm far more interested in doing the cubist style for a variety of reasons.

For one thing, I am utterly sick of seeing the same old clichés around here. Tourists buy the same tired stuff in the Flathead Lake area during the summer (if they buy at all). Flying eagles. Wolves in the snow. Boring elk in a pasture; a bear in the woods, etc...all finely detailed and technically well done. But dull and tedious to look at. They've all been done thousands if not millions of times. Very low on the originality scale. And so on a lark, I decided to paint a cliché myself--only turn it around and make it fresh. So I did a cowboy painting using cubism as a retort to the local art here. I liked it so much I did an Indian, too. At first my wife didn't like the cowboy. Then, the more she looked at it, the more she realized she loved it. Now I want to paint this way even more. This gold panner (click to enlarge) is my latest and I have many more ideas. They look easy to paint, but I actually do a lot of drawing and planning before I do them.

Anyway, I find such things to have less of a 'tireability' factor in that some things are only hinted at and suggested and the objects are interwoven into the environment to suggest that all things are connected. I like putting a sense of time into the art, too. Things aren't static--they are constantly changing and shifting. I like harmonious color schemes that tie it all together. I'm thinking of doing some cubist works on classical music themes, too.

My native-Montanan neighbor has a collection of marvelous western art--some done by famous Montanans. He said he only likes paintings where he can smell the sage and gun smoke. I showed him the cowboy painting I did. He didn't say anything. I think he was completely baffled. That's OK. It's to be expected. To me, that's part of the allure of such paintings. They shouldn't be easy to 'get' right off. The longer they take to grow on a person, the better. That makes them have more staying power. Not everyone will spend the time to appreciate them. A painting that had mass appeal would probably end up looking like one of those forgettable things seen in most galleries.

Maybe the story is apocryphal, but I once heard a story about a workman who was remodeling some rich guy's bathroom or kitchen or something. He'd walk by a Picasso in the living room every day. At first he was baffled. "That's the ugliest thing I've ever seen! My kid could do better than that!" But every day he'd stop and look at the painting. By the time he was done he told the owner he was glad he was leaving. "I must be losing my mind, I'm starting to like that painting!" My paintings will be that way to an extent, but I'm not copying Picasso nor do presume to ever come close to that level of greatness. Still, every cubist has a unique approach, so my work remains original. So while it might take some getting used to, I like to think it will keep the eye from getting tired in the long run.

Music is like that too. It took me years to 'get' Shostakovich, for example. Now I can't get enough and I can't understand what in the world my problem was. Maybe great music takes time whereas kids these days listen to crude banalities that have all the subtlety of a stubbed toe. It's sad because they are missing out on the great stuff.

When I get the 20 or so done, I might take out a small ad in an art magazine. Maybe even a western art magazine. I'll also need to get another site that's devoted just to fine art.

The March of Tyranny

2010-11-05T12:51:00.000-07:00

I've been receiving a lot of response from my cartoon "March of Tyranny." I now regret not spending more time on the drawing (it took me about 4 hours to do), but it's the idea that's important. Originally I drew it for friends, but somehow it got out on the internet (good!) and has garnered a lot of interest. Thank goodness for a free internet because the MSM won't publish my cartoons. They only publish 'safe' gags--usually the same old donkey vs. elephant stuff.

The response has lit a fire under me to get going with my anti-tyranny site, "GrrrGraphics.com" I will try to complete the site before the end of the month. I will be drawing more cartoons, bumper stickers and so forth to help Americans protest the banker takeover.

Meanwhile, I do have some of my cartoons on Café Press and Zazzle.

http://www.zazzle.com/march_of_tyranny_shirt-235557166145634787

http://www.cafepress.com/GrrrGraphics/7442722

Montana Back Roads

2010-10-20T23:56:00.000-07:00

Here's a small painting I did last year. I decided to repaint it to make the color scheme more harmonious. Although it was inspired by a photo I took on our way to Butte, it was painted almost entirely out of my imagination.

Bean Boopers

2010-10-18T15:10:00.000-07:00

I was going through boxes of old papers the other day and burning them in the backyard fire pit. I happened to come across this original. I hadn't seen it in many years and I didn't know I still had it. It's one of the few remaining drawings from my childhood. I drew these two cartoon strips (one sheet of paper--part one on the front; part two on the back) when I was in the 6th grade. I had just started drawing and I was interested in cartooning. I named these original characters "Bean Boopers" and drew them off and on until high school.

The drawings (click to enlarge) weren't bad for a kid my age. Some probably will think I don't draw much better now. I actually had a sense of humor way back then, too. Still, I'm considering revamping the Bean Boopers. I think they might make a good kids book or Flash animation. Maybe I could sell Bean Booper magnets!

Vote 'em Out!

2010-10-07T17:55:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since my last post. I've been keeping busy. I'm also trying to practice my viola again after a few weeks lapse. The lack of practice took its toll on my already poor playing, but soon I'll get back up to snuff--back to my old level of beginner mediocrity.

Meanwhile, I have plans to launch 'GrrrGraphics.com' which will be a site where people can order custom protest art or stuff my wife and I are already producing.

Here's a sample postcard that people can use during election season. It's available at

http://www.zazzle.com/grrrgraphics+gifts

The March of Tyranny

2010-08-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been thinking of a book I read long ago in high school: "A Tale of Two Cities" and the French Revolution. It was the best and worst of times. America is sliding into the worst of times, but we can return to the best again if we wake up and realize who is really lording it over us: The global elite banks (Fed central banks, IMF and their owners who control the debt enslavement money). If little Iceland can toss them out, then so can we.

My cartoon (click to enlarge) shows how the banking and corporate masters (crony capitalist fascists) control both major parties behind the scenes. They keep us distracted with left vs. right while giving us the illusion that voting for one of the other parties will solve things. It won't.

A good article I read this morning on the matter:

http://matterhornassetmanagement.com/2010/08/16/there-will-be-no-double-dip/print/

"...management has achieved a major increase in income and wealth. In 1973, chief executives in the US earned 26 times the median income. Today they earn 300 times. This enormous widening of the gap between the top few percent in society and the masses is morally and socially unacceptable. When the bad times start in earnest, this is likely to lead to major social unrest and violence directed against the privileged."

Until we return to the sound money of the Constitution, gold and silver, this debt slavery serfdom will get worse.

"Repression is the only lasting philosophy. The dark deference of fear and slavery, my friend," observed the Marquis, "will keep the dogs obedient to the whip, as long as this roof," looking up to it, "shuts out the sky."

Plein Air Oil Painting

2010-08-11T15:38:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago I made another trip to the country to do some open-air painting. This time I used oil paints. I had not oil painted since college, so it was a struggle at first. I found acrylics to be unacceptable in the dry heat. They dry almost instantly. But with oils I discovered it's best not to lay the colors on thickly at first. They don't dry fast enough and messes can occur quickly.

This was painted at Smith Lake, which is about 10 miles or so west of Kalispell. I used my heavy tripod. It helps keep the painting and box stable and won't tip over during a sudden gust of wind. The 'Guerilla Box' has a mount on the bottom and easily slides on and off the tripod. I bought the box from Judson's Art Outfitters and it's a nifty thing.

My intent was not to paint a masterpiece, but instead do a painting in one hour. That would prevent me from getting fussy and better help me capture the fleeting light of the scene.

It ended up taking me an hour and fifteen minutes and it looks very sloppy, but it doesn't look that bad when viewed from a considerable distance. Work has prevented me from going out again, but I will because it's a challenge and a lot of fun!

Plein air paintings

2010-07-12T12:02:00.000-07:00

Here are two paintings I daubed in the great outdoors a couple weeks back. I should have used oils. Acrylics dry way too fast in the Montana summer climate. I plan on doing a lot more of these this summer. This was just a start.

The first painting was done in three hours late in the afternoon at the Lone Pine Reservoir near Hot Springs. I spent way too much time on it. I chased the rapidly changing light. That was a mistake. It ended up looking a bit overworked and fussy.

The second painting was done at a building site off a country lane. Early in the morning. I resolved to paint this in an hour and I did. It looks a little fresher. It was nice to get out and hear the pleasant sounds of the country early in the morning with nobody around. Just a horse, meadow birds and some distant mooing. I find it restorative as an artist to paint directly from nature. No photos, no computer screens and no 'undos.'

"Moonlight Becomes Her"

2010-06-03T23:51:00.000-07:00

Here's a painting I did recently. It shows a woman with a hat holding a glass of wine. Moon shines in through the window and makes reflections at various angles.

GRAPHOMETER

2010-06-03T23:08:00.000-07:00

Here's something I drew for fun. It shows a variety of graphic styles from left (brained) to right (brained). I call it a "Graphometer."

Click for larger view.

Apologies to all the artists I tried to emulate.

My Latest Cubist Paintings

2010-05-03T18:54:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of paintings I did recently. I've admired the work of Picasso (Braque, too) nearly all my life. I remembered painting a cubist-style work in college and I was delighted when it sold. But selling is not my prime motive here. Mostly, I want to explore a different realm. After years of commercial art, I just don't find the realistic approach all that interesting. I admire those who can summon up the energy to paint every nodule, every hair, every blade of grass, every glint and pull off the magic tricks necessary to sell their art. I like looking at such things. But not for long. I grow tired quickly of the same old thing. Picasso said artists should be explorers of sorts. He was right. We should paint in our own century, but I write this realizing that cubism is about 100 years old! I will use it as a starting point.

To be sure, I don't want to be an 'analytical cubist.' I'm not going to boil down an image to some harmonious mathematical formula. Dry, engineered paintings bore me completely whether they be realistic or not. Many people picked up the impressionist mantel and made it their own. Thousands of artists still paint in that popular style today. Few are cubists. Harmony can be dull, but too much dissonance can lead to chaos. I like a balance of the two. I like paintings that are comfortable and easy to look at. Reality is constantly changing and there are endless points of view. Colors are transient and shifting. I want to add time to paintings. At my age, that is slipping by fast. Mostly, I want to paint works that have intrinsic meaning to the viewer. Paintings that can integrate into their consciousness over time. I doubt many would like these works upon first glance. My wife didn't care for them at first. But they grew on her and now she likes them a lot. Most people don't understand a complex symphony on first hearing but after a while the music is very satisfying. The best music and art have a high durability factor. It's hard to get tired of a great work of music or art. In the end we can get tired of anything if repeated enough times. The best work holds up to repeated hearings and viewings.

When I was a kid I admired the cowboy artists and western scenes. I tried to emulate them, but I know little about horses or the cowboy era. The best cowboy artists are the ones who lived the life. Like Charles M. Russell. Regardless, I did two paintings as a tribute: Cowboy Cubism and Indian Cubism.

I will still paint from nature and there are wonderful scenes here in Montana. This summer I will be doing a lot of plein air painting and watercoloring, too.

Happy painting!

On Top of Blacktail Mountain

2010-04-23T18:11:00.001-07:00

Here I am standing in a snow drift near the top of nearby Blacktail Mountain with my nephew Devin. It was around 70 degrees at the time and this snow won't last long. It was a mild winter in Western Montana and spring is here. We've been in Lakeside for nearly a year. Time is flying by!

Devin just got out of the Navy and by now is back in the Texas. He was very impressed at the scenery here. As are we all!

Health Care

2010-04-13T15:11:00.000-07:00

Here's my latest cartoon that illustrates how I feel about health care. (click for larger view). To be sure, Americans deserve health care considering all the money we pour into the system. The trouble is, the government is broke and won't cut spending (the military, for example) to pay for it. Instead, we'll be taxed more. We'll face a new, inefficient bureaucratic labyrinth. We'll have more tyranny foisted upon us through the IRS. Eventually we'll be told what we can and what we cant eat, drink and smoke and so forth. We'll be told when to die. There will be long waits for care. The doctors won't be adequately paid.

This is not freedom and as usual, we're being forced to pay for our own slavery.

Norway Flyer

2010-03-07T13:14:00.000-08:00

Here's something I cranked out very quickly last week. (Click to enlarge). This shows a flyer that someone did last year and my current redesign.

These days, anyone with a computer and cheap software can become a designer by default. Most of the time amateurs aren't aware that their work looks, well...amateurish. I took the same elements that were on the flyer, added a few of my own et voila! Instant improvement. From what I've heard, the organizers were more than pleased with the results. Sometimes its worth a few extra bucks to pay an experienced designer to do the job right.

It's Time to Audit the Federal Reserve

2009-11-20T20:57:00.000-08:00

Last year when I still lived in Washington State, I wrote my congressman (Jay Inslee) and both Senators telling them to vote NO to the banker 'too big to fail' bail-out bill that cost us taxpayers trillions of dollars. Even though I and nearly 90 percent of the other letter writers wanted 'NO,' it passed anyway. Now they have the gall to say they're against 'too big to fail' after the bail out bill has proved to be an abysmal failure. None of that money trickled down to the 'small bizshnuss' man as Bush promised. Right now credit is tighter than a snare drum, but Goldman Sach certainly made out well--their stock more than doubled. They also raked in record bonuses while many Americans got pink slips. And now they're offering to loan $500 million to small businesses as a PR gesture. What a pathetic joke. Why are so many GS operatives in key government positions? To change the rules to favor themselves. If this isn't fascism, it's at least cut-throat capitalism. Some call it 'crony capitalism.'

Earlier today I happened to catch Sen. Judd Gregg on CNBC getting visibly angry when questioned about Ron Paul's bill to audit the Federal Reserve. CNBC and other media outlets routinely support the Fed, Geithner and the status quo. They repeated the Gregg clip throughout the day. In these days of kelpto-corporatocracy, fair reporting gets replaced by naked greed and self-interest.

I'm paraphrasing from memory, but here's what the foolish senator spouted:

"Auditing the Fed is an outrage!" "The Congress can't manage its own fiscal policy, but now they want to manage monetary decisions?" "The Fed needs to maintain it's independence, but they want to unfairly paint it as a dark entity!" "This reminds me of William Jennings 'populism.' "Paul and his supporters just want to beat up on the Fed to get reelected." "It's the Fed's job to keep the dollar sound--and this bill endangers that..."

======

It amazes me how HE thinks people have lost touch with economic reality when its the FED who has bankrupted America more than any other entity--including our spendthrift Congress!

• Auditing the Fed is not an outrage. The Fed's 'independence' has enabled a cabal of private bankers to control our money system--and us. Paul has said it's not about interfering with monetary decisions. It's about finding out where trillions of dollars went--a lot of it to mystery banks overseas!

• It's not a matter of Dems vs. Republicans and it certainly is not about 'populism.' It's about We The People having some say where OUR money goes--the money we must pay for with interest.

• We need the Fed to keep the dollar 'sound?' That was a howler. How can that guy say that with a straight face. Hard to believe he can say that when, after the establishment of that pernicious institution, the dollar has lost 96 percent of its value--and going down!

Gold and silver are the only safe haven against the 'Fed's monetary decisions' and that's why precious metal has been going up.

It amazes me how some people continue to want to cast a cloak of meretricious goodness over these bums. They're worse than bums. They're greedy, money-mad, power-hungry criminals. Yet how many times have we heard talk show hosts like Alan Colms and Bill Maher say "Oh, I'm no economics expert and I don't understand the Fed...we should just let them handle it!" My jaw drops when I hear this. These guys are experts in politics and have opinions on everything under the sun EXCEPT the most important thing--who controls our money? He who controls the money controls the game! That's why Goldman Sachs has so many operatives and lobbyists in government!

It's time for Americans to WAKE UP and see the curtains pulled back on this money system we have. It's BROKEN.

OK, that's enough from me.

Fishing for Files

2009-11-17T22:08:00.000-08:00

I have been reorganizing my files lately. I put together a file containing fish and fish-related .ai art I've done through the years. I've drawn a lot of fish in Adobe Illustrator, but this file only shows two thirds of what I've drawn. I'm sure I've drawn more. I know I'm missing a lot of fish I drew for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

I decided to post a .jpeg file of my collection for no particular reason. Click on image to see a larger version...

My Top 10 Favorite Symphonies (Updated)

2009-11-05T19:38:00.000-08:00

1. Shostakovich No. 7

2. Sibelius No. 5

3. Brahms No. 2

4. Berlioz Symphony Fantastique

5. Shostakovich No. 5

6. Tchaikovsky No. 4

7. Schubert (Unfinished)

8. Mahler No. 2

9. Beethoven No. 6

10. Sibelius No. 5

RENSE

2009-10-09T20:39:00.000-07:00

My 'Ron Paul/Audit the Fed' cartoon made it on Rense.com today!

Here's the cartoon. Click to enlarge. Click on the link to see the 'toon on rense.com

http://www.rense.com/2009halloween/ex.jpg

GRRRGRAPHICS

2009-10-04T08:52:00.000-07:00

I came up with this logo yesterday to help tie together my anti-big government tyranny cartoons and graphics. My point here is this: If we do not exercise our Constitutional liberties, we will see them compromised or lost outright. Therefore, it's important for all of us to speak up and speak out using words and pictures.

Also shown here is my latest cartoon and I have many more ideas!

Spokane Timeline

2009-08-18T10:34:00.000-07:00

Here's a graphic I did last month for the Spokane Inlander. It took awhile to get paid, but they came through. Yippee! Waiting to get paid for freelance (or not getting paid at all) is a common lament among freelance artists.

Rather than do the traditional timeline left-to-right bar with lines pointing toward copy, photos, logos and graphics, I decided to make it more visually interesting by breaking up the centuries into hills. I had to build in space in the middle for the fold, which I was told was rather deep.

It was a fun project and I wish I could get more assignments like this, but times are tough and jobs are few.

Big Government BS

2009-08-16T10:03:00.000-07:00

Here's my latest cartoon. I have lots of ideas but no venue to post 'em. Newspapers won't touch 'em of course. I want to make these free to the public, but I'm not sure how to do that yet.

Click on the cartoons for a larger view. Feel free to use the cartoon however/wherever. Just make sure my signature stays on.

Tyranny Tree

2009-08-11T22:15:00.001-07:00

I drew another editorial cartoon today--this time depicting the 'tyranny tree' that has entwined its roots into the nation. Of course people will call me a conspiracy theorist but the CFR really does exist and Hillary admitted to receiving instructions from them (she actually called it the 'mothership'). The Fed system and its onerous income tax system certainly exists (needs to be audited) and the Bilderbergs meet secretly with top political officials. Nearly every president since Kennedy had to have their stamp of approval. So there you have it.

I also colored the 'audit the Fed' cartoon I did earlier. I have more ideas and will draw them and try to get 'em out on the Web. I submitted the black and white version to the local paper in Missoula. Naturally it was rejected.

Audit the Fed!

2009-08-06T16:02:00.001-07:00

I'm a big supporter of Ron Paul's efforts to audit the Federal Reserve. Of course, the international bankster elites are balking. Bernanke claims it will interfere with decision making. Nonsense. What it WILL reveal is where the many trillions have gone. Without knowing, it's no different than a bank robbery. It's taxation without representation. We The People must pay all that money back. WITH INTEREST! It amounts to slavery for us and our descendants. It's time to end the Fed!

In that spirit, I drew this cartoon. (click to enlarge). It's free to anyone who wants it. If you need a larger copy or color version, just let me know.

Flathead River shoot

2009-08-03T14:54:00.001-07:00

It's been a long time since I've blogged (not that many read it anyway, but I like keeping a diary of sorts) and there's not much to post. A month ago I had severe heartburn and ulcers and it forced me to radically change my eating habits. No more coffee and now I'm on a strict, more alkaline diet. I've been going on long walks and in four weeks I've lost nearly 30 pounds. Hard to believe, but it's true. I'm getting back to the old 'skinny' me. Not easy for a middle aged guy, but I feel much better.

I've also been out taking photos. I hope to use some for reference for future paintings. I'm not the best photographer but every once in a while I can shoot something that impresses me. Here's a shot of me in action.

More posts soon I hope!

Field of Yellow

2009-06-29T13:25:00.000-07:00

I've been too busy to get out and explore the new environs yet, but on Sunday I shot this field on the way to visit some art galleries in Big Fork. It was high noon when I took the picture. That's never an optimal time for outdoor photography, but the intense yellow made the shot. I don't know what the plant is, but I suspect it's canola. This would not make a convincing painting. It would task the viewer's credulity that a field could be this intensely yellow. (Click on photo for larger view).

Water Works

2009-06-03T22:10:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of simple info graphics I did recently. They were a fun change of pace from what I normally do. I miss newspaper work and these reminded me of assignments I'd get as an info graphics artist.

New Horizons

2009-05-21T09:40:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I've blogged and a lot has changed. I'm now living in 'big sky' country and that description is accurate. The skies are bigger and the views are magnificent and inspiring. Everywhere I look I see landscapes to paint. Moving, of course, has been a gigantic headache. I've learned it's better to jettison as much as possible and buy new later. It's too expensive to haul things like heavy desks, ladders and so forth.

Here's a photo of the road to the peaceful town of Lakeside. I've already walked up and down it several times. Also shown is my son playing in the living room. It sounds like the Hollywood Bowl! The acoustics are great due to the high ceilings. I even sound fairly competent on the viola. It is a lot more fun to play when sound is resonant.

I need to get going and do some unpacking. I'll write more later.

Eearios

2009-03-24T22:54:00.000-07:00

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=eearios&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2

I came across this image the other day by accident. I did it. Hadn't seen it in years. I tossed it together in a couple hours for an AOL contest--I guess maybe about 10 years ago. I won first place and prize--a little base boomer speaker for my computer--long since broken.

I don't know how this image got proliferated, but it has. I noticed various sites put their own label on the file. Nobody knows I did it. I guess it should be obvious to me just how powerful the Web is IF you can come up with an image or idea that catches on. Could spread like wildfire. Could be profitable or it could open avenues that could lead to money. Who knows.

Fiddling While the Economy Burns

2009-03-08T15:26:00.000-07:00

Here's a snippet from Khachaturian's Symphony No. 2 that I played with my son while he was home for a few days on late winter break (why so many breaks? I have no idea). This piece was very difficult for me to learn due to the subtle shifting from sharp to flat to natural and so on. My son was a great help and our final production went well except I want to do the end plucking with my middle finger instead of index.

I should be spending my spare time figuring out ways to drum up extra money, but instead I've been fiddling on my viola and playing sad music like this. I have no excuse.

Creeping Tyranny: Beware!

2009-02-03T09:47:00.001-08:00

Patriot Act Fact Sheet

What it is: The so-called “Patriot Act” was pushed through congress in the days following Sept. 11, 2001. Few congressmen had time to read the bill, let alone analyze it. The Bush administration threatened that Congress would be blamed for its inaction following future terrorist attacks if it did not pass. In reality, the bill does little to protect us from terrorism and contains numerous items that Congress had rejected in earlier bills. No discussion or amendments were permitted. It gives the Department of Justice sweeping new unconstitutional powers despite that law officials, many of them Reagan-Bush appointees, say it actually hinders our ability to protect ourselves from terrorism. The proposed “Patriot II” act goes even further to curtail American rights and freedoms.

What it does:
The Patriot Act
Allows the FBI to access your records without a warrant or probably cause. It forces any third party, including doctors, libraries, bookstores, universities, and Internet service providers- to turn over records on their clients or customers.
Forbids disclosure of their seizures. In other words, the FBI can, without a warrant, review what books you are reading and forbid the librarians from informing you that you are being watched.
No longer requires the government to show evidence that the subjects of search orders are an “agent of foreign power,” a requirement that previously protected Americans against abuse of this authority.
Frees the FBI from showing reasonable suspicion that the records are related to criminal activity, much less the requirement to show “probable cause” that is listed in the Fourth Amendment.
Removes judicial oversight, a part of checks and balance. Judges would not have the authority to deny any investigation.
Allows surveillance orders to be issued based on one’s First Amendment activities. You could come under investigation because of the books you read, the Web sites you visit, letters to the editor you write, or even attending this rally.
Forbids disclosure of an investigation, denying the individual the right to challenge illegitimate searches.
Violates the Fourth Amendment, which says the government cannot conduct a search without a warrant and showing probable cause to believe that the person has committed or will commit a crime.
Violates the First Amendment’s guarantee of free speech by prohibiting recipients of search orders from telling others about those orders, where there is no real need for secrecy.
Violates the First Amendment by effectively authorizing the FBI to conduct investigations of American citizens in part of exercising their free speech.
Violates the Fifth Amendment by failing to provide notice – even after the fact – to persons whose privacy has been compromised. Notice is a key element of due process, which is guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment. Notice allows one to question irregularities in the warrant and forces law enforcement to operate in the open. Without notice, we have created a secret Gestapo.
Allows wiretaps without warrants for criminal prosecution. It effectively revokes your right to speak without your conversations being monitored. The justice department has regularly acted irresponsibly in this area. The FISA (Federal Intelligence and Security Act) Court noted that federal agents applying for warrants had regularly filed false and misleading information.
Puts the CIA back in the business of sping on Americans. This was outlawed due to abuses in the 1970s and earlier when the CIA engaged in widespread spying of protest groups and other Americans.
Creates the crime of “domestic terrorism” in which those supporting groups such as Operation Rescue, Greenpeace, or PETA could come under investigation. Any non-citizen providing assistance to any such group could be detained or deported.
Allows for the indefinite detention of non-citizens, denying them due process.

Chilling. But even worse is Patriot II. It would:
Allow the government to disappear anyone it chooses by not requiring them to identify those being detained.
Allow local authorities to spy on religious and political activities.
Allow chemical plants to operate with no accountability to the communities they occupy. Chemical plants would no longer be required to disclose the public safety threats they pose.
Allow the government to revoke the citizenship of natural born Americans.
Allow property and asset seizures of those participating in civil disobedience.
Allow the deportment to any country of citizens and non-citizens alike, to stand trial before a foreign court without any review from American courts.
Effectively repeal the writ of Habeas Corpus.

It almost sounds comical, if it weren’t so serious. The danger to our civil liberties is real. Just as the RICO anti-racketeering law, established to fight organized crime, was interpreted to crack-down on other groups such as pro-life organizations, these laws, once on the books, would allow the government unchecked powers to remove political opposition. Imagine what would happen if, following a WTO protest, the government seized the property and deported even a hand-full of the protest leaders. What would this sort of power due to free speech in America?

What you can do:
Copy and distribute this fact sheet.
Get more information. Visit the sites below.
Write your representatives. Many of them don’t like these laws either, but are to intimidated to stand against things with such misnomers as “Patriot.”
Visit the ACLU website. In about 2 minutes you can send a fax to your representative telling them to vote NO to Patriot II and repeal Patriot I. It couldn’t be easier. Tell 10 of your friends to do it to!
Sign a petition demanding that libraries and other institutions say no to section 125 of the Patriot act. Librarians are staunch defenders of the first Amendment. Public libraries across the country, including Palo Alto, CA and Huntsville, AL have issued statements that they will not comply with this unconstitutional law.

Sibelius: Genius from Finland

2009-01-26T00:26:00.001-08:00

I usually go through phases and listen to certain composers over and over before moving onto a different one. With Sibelius I can't stop listening. If I had been born a great composer, I would have written music like his. Today I listened to his very short 7th symphony a half dozen times while working on a project. I've heard plenty of profoundly beautiful music in my life, and the finale of his 7th is right there at the top. The music climbs the highest summit and then keeps on going up from there. One critic said the music defies gravity and he's right. It's amazing stuff and a tonic to the soul. Shown here is a photo I took of an impressive bronze bust of Sibelius at the Nordic Heritage Museum last year.

As for my feeble viola playing, it's an ongoing struggle. One that I enjoy. Today I decided to change my 'A' string. I have been unable to get a good sound on it when playing quietly. I replaced the string and it sounds better, but unfortunately I can't get the single tuner on that sting reinstalled correctly. A simple thing that produces complete bafflement.

I bought a beginner book on positions. The 3rd position is the next logical step in my musical journey. I don't feel I'm ready for that yet and I keep putting it off. I spent most of December playing Christmas music including some older works that sounded monastic. I loved it. My son was home from college and we played many duets and his girlfriend came over a few times (she also plays violin) and we played several trios including a piece from Handel's Messaiah. It was great and so much fun when I played it all correctly. The few people who heard me play last year commented that they've noticed a great improvement, and I was happy to hear that. (Thanks, mom!) I used to be petrified to play in front of audiences--even one person--but with practice my confidence and powers of concentration have greatly improved.

Meanwhile, I just put together a little course on info graphics--in particular charts--for the company I work for. I used to know all that stuff like the back of my hand when I worked for newspapers. I was surprised at how rusty my brain had become with all the rules and SND jargon. It all came back to me, though. I put together several sample charts for the presentation and that was a lot of fun too. I may post some on my next visit to blog land.

On a side note, it's my son's 19th birthday today. His last year of being a teenager. He's doing well at RMC at Billings, Montana. Right now he's enjoying temperatures near 0°. Happy birthday, Ian!

King Street Station Brochure

2008-12-03T11:37:00.000-08:00

Here's a brochure I recently designed for the City of Seattle. (The inside spread shows the King Street Station poster I did).

I also took the cover photo, but it was originally meant for reference only. Still, the copy block fit nicely into the composition.

King Street Station Poster

2008-11-11T11:57:00.000-08:00

Here's the poster I recently drew and designed to show the public the improvements being made (some still in the planning stages) for the King Street Station.

It was a very interesting job and I was saddened to see how the station was allowed to decay and fall into disrepair. The City of Seattle has their work cut out for them to get this landmark back into shape. The clock tower will be an obvious improvement. It will give the correct time and be properly illuminated. Restoring the rest of the station to its near turn-of-the-century sparkle will be quite an (expensive) accomplishment.

(Click on the poster to see larger image)

Bank Bail Out: RIP America

2008-09-28T02:09:00.000-07:00

I snagged this photo tonight and messed with it a bit. It's the first thing that popped into my head. I am furious at what the greedy, super-rich, hyper-elite, power-mad Wall Street fascists are doing to our country. They are committing an outrageous crime and so far they're getting away with it. The majority of Americans oppose the obscene $700 BILLION bankster bail out bill, but our intrepid Congress just hammered out 'a deal.' How wonderful for them. Those boobs and knuckleheads actually think they're solving the problem. In fact, they're about to make it much worse while handing over more money and power to international bankers--our new and unconstitutional 4th branch of government. But, as Bush said, they can't let the Constitution ("a goddamn piece of paper!") stand in their way of bigger government, even more reckless spending, trillions more in debt and deficits and more bloody and expensive wars we can't afford. Just print up more debt and 'all is well!'

Well, things are about to get a lot worse for our country if the bill passes. All they are doing is kicking the can down the road a bit. Their cure is causing the disease. The dollar is on an express elevator to hell: Going DOWN! No worries. They can print up unlimited dollars and abuse citizens with unlimited taxes, right? What will it take for citizens to rise up and head to D.C. with pitchforks, tar and feathers? How much more abuse will we all take? Tasers? Getting 'chipped?'

Meanwhile, the fascists will soon be telling us via their propaganda arms (their MSM) how great the deal is for Americans because it brings liquidity back to the system. The Fed banksters create panic and fear to bring about their desired solution. In this case it helps them consolidate more power to the Fed fascists who run the freak show. They can now resume their credit swap gambling on our dime, only now they can also dip into brokerage accounts and probably (soon) 401k accounts that folks won't be allowed dip into. These wolves are also eating up the assets of any weak bank they can find. Just seize it. Don't ask management or shareholders or anything. JPM can cherrypick for pennies on the dollar--no questions asked! After all, they're in charge. They control the horizontal and vertical. All to the applause of their adoring sychophants in Congress, "Oh Mr. Bernanke...Oh, Secretary Paulson--you know SO much about the ECOMONY (sic)! We are so luck luck luck (chicken like) luck luck luck LUCKY to have you!"

I say we do NOTHING and let the banker bums stew. Sure, there might be bad times. There may be a recession or depression and folks will have to live within their means. Fine. Bring it on. Burn out the bad undergrowth and drive out those that screw up companies. Don't reward 'em with bail outs. Failure to bail them out now might cause us all to lose money, but better that than to lose our freedom and liberty along with it!

We need to elect people who will address the CAUSE of the problem: The Fed. Elminiate the Fed and the Income Tax. Do what Andrew Jackson did: Kick the uppity banks to the curb and start regulating them again. It's not just our right. It's our DUTY.

Where's that Ron Paul revolution when we need it?

Viola Update

2008-09-07T15:28:00.000-07:00

About a month ago I bought my son a digital recorder. It's a nifty device that records better than CD quality. There are also different levels of quality so he'll be able to record lectures if need be. Mainly I wanted him to record stuff he's playing in Montana so I could hear his progress.

I also recorded myself playing my viola. I was shocked when I played it back because I sounded much worse than I thought. I know I'm still a beginner, but I've been playing over a year and expected better. My intonation, bowing, rhythm--all terrible. I was so discouraged I gave up playing for nearly a week. But then I began to miss it and picked it up again. Nobody has to listen to me, so what difference does it make? Still, I should probably get lessons again. Now that my son the violinist is gone I have nobody to help me out.

Meanwhile, among other things, I've been playing this line from Sibelius' "Swan of Tuonela." (click on it to enlarge) This snippet looks simple to play, but for me it's not. Oh, I can play the notes okay, but the bowing and vibrato make it difficult. This line is also the hauntingly beautiful heart of the piece. I've listend to the 'Swan' many times and I never get tired of it.

The Waiting Room

2008-07-30T19:14:00.000-07:00

I'm working on a poster for the King Street Train Station refurbishments and I recently went down there to take photos. I was amazed to see the opulent ceiling above the standard low-hanging generic white tile ceiling that was installed around 1970. At the time it was hailed as a modernization. HL Mencken once remarked that when it came to architecture, Americans have a libido for the ugly. The ceiling change is a perfect example. He also said "Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." Thank goodness the City of Seattle has the good sense to restore the ceiling to its original 1904 splendor.

The buffer zone was quite dark so I cranked up the ISO on the camera and that's why the photo is a bit grainy. I tried to get the floor below in the picture in order to show scale and highlight the irony of what the train passengers are missing.

More Bragging About My Son

2008-06-07T13:27:00.000-07:00

Ian got his yearbook yesterday and was surprised to see a full page devoted to him (designed by me). He also received FOUR music awards. His 4th Music Letter, "Most Inspirational," "Most Outstanding," and a "National Orchestra Award." I'm very proud of his musical accomplishments. Next week is graduation and then, later this year, he's off to college!

My Son the Violinist

2008-06-06T02:22:00.000-07:00

My son Ian will graduate from high school next week. He had his last concert a few days ago and had several solos. Ian is the concertmaster and 1st chair violinist. He played Wieniawski's "Legende" on his violin and he played it from memory. He made one mistake, but kept going despite the glitch. To me, it was a sign of character. More character than I have. I would have been too rattled. He kept playing and made it through with excellent playing. I was especially impressed because it's an extremely difficult piece to play (a lot of double stop and double trills--fingers doing two different things at the same time) and he only memorized it a few days before the concert.

He also played a duet by Boccherini with his best friend Tyler. It was a tune featured in the movie "Master and Commander." It was a big hit and people were surprised to see the violin and cello being strummed guitar-like during segments of the performance. They both nailed it. Tyler lives down the street and has been friends with Ian since they were little kids.

The finale of the concert was a piece from "The Phantom of the Opera." It was called "Music of the Night." Ian was the soloist and he hit some very poignant and touching notes at the end. They were in the highest register. I looked around and noticed a few folks in the audience had tears in their eyes.

I'm very proud of my son and all the kids who played. I now realize there are a lot of very high-quality young people out there. Our future needs more like them.

Top 10 Symphonies

2008-04-01T17:27:00.000-07:00

My 10 favorite symphonies in no particular order. Each by a different composer.

1. Mahler No.2 (A long, but satisfying emotional journey with one of the best endings ever written. I like the overly-romanticized Bernstein version. My dad was listening to this when he died).

2. Beethoven No. 6 (It used to be 3, 7 and 9. I like his 2nd too. Now it's his 6th. I like the flowing peacefulness. It's very hard to get tired of the Pastoral).

3. Dvorak No. 8 (Sometimes sunny optimism is the best balm for a sad state of mind).

4. Berlioz Symphony Fantastique (An early work from Hector. His audience loved the waltz and the March to the Scaffold. One can actually hear the blade slam down and the pluck of the strings afterward sound like the head tumbling into the basket. What a shame he did not write more symphonies).

5. Bruckner Symphony No. 7 (Celibidache. Not a mean bone in Bruckner's body).

6. Brahms Symphony No. 2 (All four of Brahms' symphonies are magnificent).

7. Khachaturian Symphny No. 2 ("The Bell" I have a soft spot for this war symphony. I like his original version written during the war and when the war's ending was still in doubt. The finale is triumphant, made more effective by a questioning strain of alarm that remains in the background to the very end).

8. Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 (Four french horns announce his 'fate.' A complete break with his first three symphonies which were all loosely based on Russian folk melodies).

9. Sibelius Symphony No. 2 (Lemminkåinen would approve).

10. Schumann Symphony No. 3, ("Rhenish." What a masterpiece. I don't like the overly-romanticized Bernstein version).

Viola Update

2008-03-05T16:20:00.001-08:00

I'm still practicing my viola nearly every day and making slow but steady progress. Shown here is a study that I've been playing for a over a month and today I finally...FINALLY played it without making a mistake on the notes. Of course, the intonation was off here 'n' there and the tempo wavered, but it was satisfying nonetheless to play it through without goofing it up.

I also bought a viola fiddle book and to my delight I was able to sight read the simpler pieces and play them through. I am starting to read music!

Playing a musical instrument is good exercise for the mind and spirit. I'm glad I stopped putting it off and finally put in an effort. After nearly playing the viola for nearly one year I'm still a beginner to be sure, but that's not the point. I'm making progress and that makes me happy.

Dog Day Afternoon

2007-12-19T22:23:00.000-08:00

While taking photos of puddles in our neighborhood ballfield for an upcoming Zone page that has to deal with drainage, I happened to see two dogs carefully watching me. So I slogged through the mushy grass to get a photo. I shot this one quickly and hoped for more photos, but the camera-shy dogs disappeared behind their fence when I got closer.

This kind of setup is a perfect opportunity to take an eye-catching, if obvious photo. A small, aggressive white dog with a scowl on his face and a large black dog with a laid-back attitude. How can the photographer go wrong? (I don't know which one was 'Boots' and which one was 'Maxiumus.')

The Voyevode

2007-09-26T23:08:00.000-07:00

While working I find an odd textural rhythm going through my brain. It's the background string section of Tchaikovsky's "Voyevode." I am fascinated by this work to the point where I bought the score. I could not make heads or tails of it. It was way too complex for me. But my violinist son could sight read the violin section and play it without ever having heard it.

Below is an interesting tidbit found in one of my internet searches. It explained a lot about what could have been going through the composer's mind.

Rather confusingly, Tchaikovsky wrote two works called Voyevode. The first Voyevode was his first opera, written in 1868 when he was 28. It was not a success and he abandoned it. Only the overture still survives as his Op.3. More than 20 years later, he came across a ballad by Pushkin with the same name, and decided to write a short tone poem based on it. He composed it in 1890, at a time of crisis. His patron and supporter, the Countess Nadezhda von Meck, who had supported him emotionally and financially for 13 years with a stream of correspondence, commissions and money, withdrew her support. Tchaikovsky was devastated and bitter, and never really recovered from the blow.

The story of Voyevode is simple and harsh. A Provincial Governor (we might call him a Sheriff, the Russian word is a Voyevode) returns home to find his wife in the garden with her lover. Giving his servant a gun and ordering him to shoot his wife, the servant shoots the Voyevode instead. Pushkin’s ballad is ironic, dry and unemotional, but Tchaikovsky’s version is full of intense emotion. Perhaps the story of a man deceived and abandoned by a woman, and his unexpected death, carried a resonance for him in feeling abandoned by Nadezhda von Meck? Whatever the truth, within three years Tchaikovsky himself was dead, in unexpected and (still to this day) unexplained circumstances.

The first performance was conducted by the composer in 1891 and was quite successful, but Tchaikovsky decided the piece was no good, and after the concert he tore up the score, and would have destroyed the orchestra parts too had the librarian not gathered them up and refused to hand them over to the angry composer. As a result the work was only published in 1897, four years after Tchaikovsky’s death, from the preserved orchestral parts from that first performance. (It has been suggested that maybe one of the percussion parts went missing after that first performance, because the percussion scoring now is surprisingly thin – only timpani and side drum, where one would expect at least cymbals and triangle too).

The work is in three sections – the two outer sections representing the urgent stormy tensions between the Voyevode and his wife, and the central section being the love affair between the wife and her lover. The final section concludes with the fatal shot, and a dark sombre ending that looks forward to the darkness of the 6th symphony.

----
I have several recordings but I recommend the recording by the Frankfurt Radio Symphony's version with Eliahu Inbal conducting. It's an amazing performance--the best I've heard. Here's the review I wrote for Amazon.com before I knew about the Pushkin story that inspired the work:

Listen to this masterpiece and you may be reminded of a Russian winter. At midnight. Spring is so very far away that it seems an impossible hope. But there is a brief respite from the frozen winds on this moonless night: A small fire inside a Russian peasant dwelling provides some feeble warmth. Unlike his other tone poems, there is no love theme here, but it is still splendid and flows like a shot of vodka. Then suddenly SLAM--the door is shut. We are once again lost in the numbing brutality of the Siberian winter. The ending is similar to the 6th symphony only this time it is even less gentle and sympathetic. There is no heartbeat or the slightest speck of hope. Just a Stalin-like cruel ending. Tchaikovsky tore up the score and called it 'rubbish.' This is very curious and indicates the distressed state of mind he was in before he drank the cholera-laden water. Fortunately they reconstructed the work from the remaining orchestral parts.

ECOTOPIA

2007-09-26T14:15:00.000-07:00

Here's the first page in a series of five. I'm now putting the Zone pages together using InDesign. I like InDesign a lot better than Quark especially since it closer matches other Adobe programs. Formatting type is a lot easier and faster. Adobe Illustrator is still easier for me when designing pages that are graphically complex. Nevertheless, InDesign has features that make things very easy. Drop shadows and transparency is a snap. I am sold on InDesign.

Viola Update

2007-09-20T12:07:00.000-07:00

My teacher gave me a passing grade on the study shown here. I played it so many times that I found I had the work playing in my mind over and over too. I can't say I'm able to play it perfectly even now, but I did come close a few times.

I think I'm over the 'wall' that deters many beginners from continuing to play a musical instrument. There is still plenty of frustration, but I now look forward to practicing and practicing longer (when I have the time) and I know am making progress despite inevitable plateaus.

Vote For Ron Paul!

2007-08-28T23:43:00.000-07:00

Best Kept Secret Of The 2008 Presidential Candidates!

1. He supports the Constitution.
2. He has never voted for a tax increase.
3. He is against The National I.D. or Real I.D. Act.
4. He supports the rights of private property owners.
5. He wants us out of the U.N.
6. He is for 2nd amendment rights
7. He wants to shrink the federal government, not expand it.
8. He does not belong to the CFR (Council On Foreign Relations).
9. He wants to end the I.R.S..
10. He wants to cut government spending.
11. He is against eminent domain.
12. He is against the NAFTA Superhighway.
13. He is against the North American Union Or SPP (It Exists Google It).
14. He is for the principle of sound money.
15. He is against the idea of the Amero (Google It).
16. He is philosophically opposed to big government.
17. He voted against the misnamed Patriot Act that stripped us of our Rights.
18. He is for the Bill Of Rights.
19. He will not forcibly implant us or our troops with microchips or
like devices
20. He has delivered over 4,000 babies and values life.
21. As a doctor, he is informed on the health care issue.
22. He favors guarding our country over policing the world.
23. He has never voted for an unbalanced budget.
24. He has never voted for a federal restriction on gun ownership.
25. He has never voted to raise congressional pay.
26. He has never taken a government-paid junket.
27. He has never voted to increase the power of the executive branch.
28. He voted against regulating the Internet.
29. He does not participate in the lucrative congressional pension program.
30. He returns a portion of his annual congressional office budget to
the U.S. treasury every year.
31. He is against a mandatory draft.
32. He understands inflation is not just the prices going up, but rather the value of money going down.
33. He’s a Vietnam Vet
34. For the first time in a long time, you will not be voting "for the least worst".
35. You will help undo the damage done to our country over the last several decades.
36. He is our last hope for a free nation.

If You Care For America Vote Dr. Ron Paul

From Sheep to Sweater

2007-08-11T15:43:00.001-07:00

I got word that the Zone pages will indeed start up again this fall. I am currently working on the September pages. I came across this little graphic that I did last year for the Puyallup Fair. I am putting it here just for grins. (click to enlarge).

On a happy note, by prized blueberry bush is putting out a bowl-full of tasty ripe berries every day. I like this time of year!

Alpine Paradise

2007-07-29T12:49:00.001-07:00

Yesterday my friend Glenn and I went on a hike down at Mount Rainier. Ian came along too. We began at Lake Mowich (el. 4,929 ft) which is located in the northwest part of the park. There was a lot of elevation gain to around 7,000 feet which wore me out fairly quickly. We were rewarded with spectacular views, including the northwest face of Mount Rainier. We had lunch on the banks of a small lake--a 'tarn' actually--which was fed by snowmelt. There were many flowers in the alpine meadows and small but ancient evergreens. We returned on the Spray Park Trail which was heavily wooded. Altogether it was an 8-mile trek which reminded me that it is very important to stay in shape at my age. (click montage for larger view).

Licensed to Drive

2007-07-26T10:57:00.001-07:00

Here's a photo of my son Ian giving the thumbs up sign as he starts to drive off to his violin lesson on the day he got his driver's license. He will be driving 'his' car to high school in the fall. I bought the car the year he was born--1990. Who knew then that some day he would be old and responsible enough to handle it? Time goes by fast. Indeed, the bird of time is on the wing and has but a little way to drive. Er, fly.

Music Makers

2007-07-03T17:40:00.000-07:00

Here's a blurry photo from a performance held yesterday. We played something from the "The Lord of the Rings" book. Shown here is a screen capture from digital camera footage. My son Ian is on the violin and his friend Tyler plays the cello. I am, of course, on the viola. My playing was far from perfect, but I thought I did okay until the ending. There was a key change there and I fouled up some of the sharps. Ian gave me sharp look when that happened and it was very funny. Ian and Tyler then played something from the movie "Master and Commander." They sounded really good. I am very proud of both of them. Meanwhile, I need more practice.

Dinosaur Eating Lunch

2007-06-27T20:47:00.000-07:00

Here's something I did a couple of years ago for a Zone page. (click on it for larger view). I came across it on my computer while looking for something else. I had almost completely forgotten about it. This was cranked out in Illustrator in a few hours. It looks like it took longer but I cloned a lot of things including the trees, leaves and mountains. The horsetails too. We have horsetails in our garden. Pesky plants that were in existence in the times of the dinosaurs. The eye hiding in the leaves belongs to a hunting velociraptor. The last paragraph is missing a period. It's an easily overlooked detail that jumped right out at me after it was published.

Viola Upgrade

2007-06-21T13:15:00.000-07:00

In my continuing quest to gain some small measure of mastery over the viola, I decided to get an upgrade. My first viola was way too large for me. My arms are plenty long to handle it but my hands weren't large enough to stretch to the proper places on the fingerboard. Earlier this week I went to a shop that specializes in stringed instruments. There, with the help of my viola teacher, I found an instrument better suited to me. It looks and sounds great. It projects the sound a lot better and when a loud chord is played it has a nice 'ring.' This ring can be sustained for over 10 seconds. My big viola has hardly any ring at all. It sounds more muffled. As you can see in the photo, I can now hold the viola in the proper shoulder position. It will take me a while to get used to it, but I can hear progress already.

That said, I've gone back to having problems holding the bow. My thumb often mysteriously goes stright when it should be bent. This happens without me noticing it when I am trying to concentrate on reading the music. My son Ian told me to move my index finger up. That helps lock the thumb in position. It seems to work. However, when doing that my pinkie finger wants to straighten out too much and it ends up getting tired. There seems to always be something going wrong, but I am not giving up!

Viola 1, Ben 0

2007-05-31T13:13:00.000-07:00

I've been playing the viola for about 6 months now. Five of those months on my own. I got a teacher at the beginning of May to help me sort out all the bad habits I picked up by trying to learn by myself. She's a professional viola player and an excellent teacher, but she has her work cut out for her. I suspect kids are easier to teach because their minds are more malleable and video games have taught them the importance of quickly learning from trial and error. I think it really is more difficult to teach old dogs new tricks.

I knew the viola wouldn't be easy, but after seeing my son Ian make fantastic progress on the violin (he's 17 and started at the age of 9), I developed the desire to learn how to read music and play a stringed instrument so we could play duets and such. Nothing complicated--at least not to start off. Still, I was unprepared for what seems like an endless 'string' of errors that has befallen me. Here's a typical session of playing the viola:

I'm holding the viola properly, but my elbow is in the wrong position.
My elbow is correct, but the angle of the bow is wrong.
The angle is right, but my right thumb is straight--I'm holding the bow improperly.
I'm holding the bow correctly, but my finger isn't hitting the right note.
I hit the right note, but forgot the slur.
I got the slur, but played an 8th note instead of a quarter note.
I played the right note again, but my thumb is riding over the fingerboard.
Got my thumb back into the right place but I was playing the lower bow instead of the upper bow.
Got the bow in the right place but hit the wrong note again.
Got the right note again, but the bow was riding up too much toward the bridge.
Got the bow back in the right place, but my counting is now way off and I'm missing the beat.

You get the idea. Playing the viola involves doing many things right simultaneously. Since I've always been poor at multitasking this is quite a challenge to me. So far I've lost the first round. I want to give up in frustration but I won't. Why? I asked Ian if he got frustrated when he started. He replied "I was frustrated and wanted to quit for about a whole year, but you wouldn't let me." Now I can't let myself quit. Look out viola, I'm not down for the 'count' just yet!

Going For a Walk

2007-05-25T15:02:00.000-07:00

I love the change of seasons here in the Pacific Northwest. Especially spring. The air is filled with redolence. The scenery turns lush and verdant. I have been trying to get out of my chair and walk more often and it's a lot easier when being beckoned by spring scenery. I took my camera along and snapped a few photos. I tossed them together as a montage in no particular order...but it does start with a photo of my first step out of the garage. Included here are neighborhood sidewalks and flowers as well as the nearby neighborhood of Brier which includes a marvelous house painted in Mondrian colors. It has a very meticulous Japanese garden. (Asians live there and they love brightly colored homes).

I also pass a small creek that contains actual salmon minnows. I brought a tiny handful of goldfish pellets in my pocket and tossed them into the water. The salmon went crazy for it!

Blackberries grow wild everywhere. They are often enmeshed with morning glory flowers in the spring. I'm not sure why, it must be a symbiotic thing. Himalayan blackberries are actually a non-native species and they can take over entire fields.

New homes are springing up faster than the blackberry vines. One area nearby offers home starting in the $500k range. Big homes on tiny lots. They are all already sold. Some have sold before construction began. Everyone wants to live in the Seattle area. I can't blame them but it leads to even more horric traffic jams. When will it end? I don't know.

I also walk through a small park that contains a swampy creek and pond. There is skunk cabbage there and a trail leads up ridge flanked by giant trees and flowers. The walk altogether is about four miles. I'm ready to go again!

(click on montage for larger view)

Salmon Sunrise

2007-04-17T13:44:00.000-07:00

Here's another painting I sold for a few bucks on ebay. I may have made the sunrise a little too opulent, but I had fun painting it.

End of The Road

2007-04-16T14:32:00.000-07:00

Here's a small acrylic painting I did a few years back. I sold it on e-bay as an experiment. I think I got $20 for it. It was done in a few hours and it was totally out of my imagination. I didn't even have an idea or pencil sketch. I just sat down and started painting whatever floated into my brain. Maybe my inspiration was Van Gogh's "Cornfield with Crows." I love that painting. A road abrubtly ends in rich waves of corn with ominous crows flying out to greet the painter. Like Van Gogh's work, my painting might also symbolize death, but at least there is some scenery worth looking at before it happens. I added a blank sign to symbolize how all man's words and philosophies ultimately ring hollow. Words can't stop the end, nor can they convince us completely that there is something after.

Life can end randomly and abruptly at any time and at any age. Today in a Virginia Tech classroom. Or when one gets old. As we age the end looms ever-closer. It's no longer around the bend. We all know life is short. Wills need to be signed and notorized.

Dusty Airbrush

2007-03-20T17:28:00.000-07:00

A month or two ago I was cleaning up the garage. I have boxes of old newspaper clips and other boxes of old art supplies and equipment. I came across my old air compressor and airbursh. The airbursh was expensive and in its day, one of my most valuable tools. Shown here is something I put together quickly for the San Antonio Expess News around 1983. I spent a late night cranking it out and the frisket was flying. Frisket paper. Ugh. I remember how difficult it was to cut that stuff out for masking on cold pressed illustration board. The x-acto blades had to be kept sharp. I had an array of airbrush inks. I had a bottle of airbursh cleaner to clean out the inevitable clog in the pen. Airbrushing always came with a lot of surprises for me. Everything would go smoothly until plphphphpht! It would spit out an ugly sputter of paint. There were no 'undos' with airbrushing. If lucky, the accident could be covered easily.

Now everything has changed. No more inky fingers, frisket sticking to shirts or jackhammer-like compressors. It's all done on computers.

As for this sample, I scanned this old torn clip in on my scanner. It has yellowed with age. The art director didn't like it--said it was too risqué and bordered on pornography. There was some tight cropping here (to crop out her skirt and legs). I have no idea what happened to the original. It's probably stored away somewhere and gathering dust. Like the airbrush that created it.

Useful Mordor

2007-03-16T19:51:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago I was in Toledo Ohio visting an oil refinery for a graphic I'm working on. Shown here is a 'coker.' It turns sludgy oil into stuff that can be refined into gasoline and also produces a byproduct known as anode coke. I held a piece in my hand--it's made up of very dark pea-shaped objects conjealed together. It is sent to a power plant where it is burned. It helps generate vast amounts of electricity. Anyway, I was fortunate enough to go on a tour with an expert there who described many interesting things--including the fact that they totally rebuild most of the refinery every few years. Most people would probably think of this place as noisy, smelly visually chaotic and environmentally repulsive. I suppose it is all those things, yet it is a fascinating setting nevertheless.

The smells did not bother me at all. They reminded me of my childhood. When I was 8 years old, my family and I spent about a year in Toledo Oregon. My dad, a retired Navy chief, took a job at the local paper mill to support his family of five. He wasn't happy there, but he was never happy anywhere. We lived 3 miles from the ocean, and yet my dad never took us to the beach. I had some great memories of the place, though. I remember picking blackberries and selling them door to door for money I'd spend on candy. On some days, tiny odd black specks would appear on automobiles. The smell was very strange in Toledo but it didn't bother me. To this day I like the smell of a paper mill. I can still remember the sounds the mill would make: "Klickitah Klick! Klicktah Klick! Klickitah Klick! Klickitah!" I used to wander about the railroad tracks and poke about the rubble and refuse. Parents would never let their 8 year-olds do that today. Back in those days parents let their kids wander off out of sight and play unsupervised.

Yes, the papermill was loud, smelly and smoky. I loved it. That's probably why I liked the oil refinery too. The complexity of piping there reminded me of a Jackson Pollock painting. There is beauty in everything--even the ostensibly ugly. It could have been Mordor. Machines, drab pallid colors, gray smoke and not a hint of green. There was even a big flame situated high on a metal tower--not unlike the great unblinking eye of Sauron. But unlike Sauron's realm, many people want to work there. They have a huge waiting list. Our engineers must be saluted. I hope the U.S. engineer who invented the catalitic cracker during WWII received some sort of big award. Nazi Germany had no such technology and could not convert heavy oil into gasoline. They ran out of gas and lost the war.

Titanic Struggle with Quaggas

2007-03-06T11:18:00.000-08:00

Here is another quagga illustration I did. To get the dated old-world feel, I used the sponge filter in Photoshop. As always, click on any blog image to enlarge them in a new browser window.

It's a nice day here in the Seattle area. Almost spring like. The bright blue sky makes my eyes ache. Springtime in western Washington is a glorious event. I love all the season changes here, but spring is the most special of them all. The warmer air becoms full of sweet, rain-washed redolence. A happy blend of flower blossoms, pine needles and optimism.

Invasion of the Quagga Mussels!

2007-03-06T10:33:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of fun illustrations I did recently for High Country News. They were done in post-card format and they show vacationing quagga mussels from the Ukraine (Black Sea) having a good time in U.S. waters. So good a time in fact, that they are staying. They are also causing grievous environmental damage to all ports of call. They filter out all food from the water--leaving the fish starving and plankton-less. They breed very quickly and are more impervious to low water temperatures and they are also on the move. Even sports fisherman can facilitate their spread through bilge water transfers. These types of illustrations are fun and easy to do.

Rock of Ages

2007-02-26T10:20:00.000-08:00

Today marks the half century point for me. Yes, I'm 50 years old and a stone's thow from 60. How does it feel to turn 50? A lot better than turning 40. Despite being slower, having less hair and more weight, I now have less to worry about because my fate is already sealed. I am old and that's that. Only young people have to worry about growing old. I can now thumb my nose at getting old because once one is old, there isn't as much to lose, so why worry about it? In fact, it feels like a liberating accomplishment. I'm firmly on the other side of the hill and gaining speed. There's no looking or going back. I no longer want to go back.

I realize that getting old in today's culture is seen as a very bad thing. (Gasp! He's getting sooo old!!!) It's almost seen as a character flaw. Yet nobody actually chooses to get saggy and lose hair. Unlike China and the old Indian tribes, Americans generally do not respect their elders. Capitalism and advertising is mostly focused on the 20 somethings and the next wave of consumers. Old people usually already have all the 'stuff' and are looking to get rid of it as they get older.

So that's today's report from this oldster. Unfortunately I have way too much work to do and so my birthday will be spent with 'my nose to the grindstone.'

Rooster vs. Mullahs

2007-02-14T00:29:00.000-08:00

Here's a blast from my past. My uncle in South Carolina was cleaning out various items from his office when he came across this old clipping that my mother had sent him many years ago. He snail-mailed it to me and it brought back a lot of memories of my first newspaper job at the San Angelo Standard-Times in West Texas.

It was mid 1979 and I had just graduated from Angelo State University after a grueling summer semester. I wasn't exactly sure what I would do and so I was delighted to receive an offer for full-time work. The low pay did not concern me--to me it seemed like a lot of money compared with the bakery job that put me through college. More importantly, I had a chance to sit in a chair, design and draw--and get paid for it.

This was also the year of the hostage crisis in Iran. Jimmy Carter should have supported the Shah who was trying to modernize Iran. Instead he helped usher in Khomeini and all the religious Muslim fanaticism which we must still deal with today. I was asked to draw some small cartoons that would appear above the nameplate on the front page each day that would help show the paper's support for the hostages. At first everyone thought the crisis would end in a few days. Instead, it dragged on for over a year until Reagan was elected. The cartoons were a big hit. I used the S-T's 'fighting rooster' and mascot, General Beauregard, to represent America. (Beauregard was a confederate general--I'm sure the rooster has been renamed by now due to today's pervasive and unctuous PC thinking). Anyway, the cartoons whetted my appetite for editorial cartoons and I began drawing a few for the editorial pages. Most of them were clunky and ill thought-out, but they generated a lot of buzz. Most of my cartoons dealt with Texas politics. Soon I had a syndicate going and sent cartoons to other newspapers in Texas. Many were also republished in a college textbook.

A few years later I left for San Antonio where I was promised the editorial cartoonist job at the Express News (along with a lot more money). I was told their cartoonist had been offered work elsewhere. I soon learned that this was totally bogus. The cartoonist had no intention of leaving and saw me as an interloper (or worse). Naturally he was not happy and neither was I. Instead of editorial cartoons, I worked on feature pages and designing 'wingo' ads and promos. I was also asked to work on serious informational graphics. I had done some for the Standard-Times but I really didn't know what I was doing. They had another star cartoonist there named Bob Dale. He drew very quickly and had the slick style of cartoonists from an earlier era. Everyone loved him. I was a big fish in San Angelo. In San Antonio I was a small fish--a nobody. Worse, I was not very good at design and info graphics. I became frustrated and so I left there to work for the competition--the now defunct San Antonio Light. They had an info graphic expert there who helped whip me into shape and also some good designers who really helped me out. The editorial cartoonist there did not think I would ever make a good editorial cartoonist. He said I wasn't mean enough. He was right. I enjoyed the drawing part of them but I really didn't like taking pot shots at politicians even if they deserved it. It didn't sit right with me. Also, I was subject to grumpy/depressive streaks. I love to laugh, but forcing out humor on a daily basis would not come naturally to me, especially since the situation in the world seemed way too serious for that. Lastly, I did not at that time have much of a political ideology. I didn't know if I wanted to be a liberal or a conservative. I wanted to be able to change my mind on subjects over night. A big no-no for cartoonists.

So I gave up hopes of enjoying the glamorous life of editorial cartooning. Instead I became a designer, an info-graphic artist and illustrator. I don't presume to be expert in any of these fields, but I have achieved a certain measure of competency and I'm happy with my accomplishments. I'm glad I gave up cartooning even though on occasion I get a brilliant idea for an editorial cartoon. And even today I could still draw General Beauregard kicking an Iranian mullah.

Mozart's Violin Concerto in G

2007-02-10T11:45:00.000-08:00

We just got back from a district-wide recital. My son Ian played in a quartet and then played a violin solo. He did a terrific job and the judge was full of praise. I'm very proud of what he can play on the violin and especially the poise he shows while doing it. He had a pianist play the orchestral part of the concerto and great music filled the room. Shown here is a page I scanned from the work. (click on it to see a larger version). It does not look easy to me, but he made it sound playful and carefree.

BRAVO, IAN -- BRAVO!!!!

Ron Paul for President

2007-01-24T02:20:00.000-08:00

My original intent was to post about my graphics business and not to turn my blog into a series of political rants (I love to rant!) I don't admire many politicians, but this man is an exception. I have read many articles he has written and with a few exceptions, I almost always agree with him. We need to return to our Constitution and dismantle the Federal Reserve which is neither federal nor a reserve. It was illegally created and it is a means to bankrupt our country while concentrating wealth and power into the hands of a few. Ron Paul knows that those who control our money control our country. Their inflationary system of money and taxes has made us progressively poorer while placing our country deeply in debt.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Paul

http://www.ronpaulexplore.com/

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http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/january2007/120107ronpaul.htm

Ron Paul's office has confirmed reports that the Texas Congressman is set to run for the 2008 Presidency. Paul unites opposition to the war and the police state at home across the entire political spectrum and in contrast to the current gaggle of criminals running the White House, represents everything that America truly stands for. A gargantuan effort in support of Ron Paul needs to be mobilized now to prevent Americans from being hoodwinked once again into electing a different puppet of the same dark establishment in 2008.

Paul first ran for President as the Libertarian candidate in 1988, receiving a massive 400,000 votes. He now commands the support of those all across the political spectrum, from libertarians through anti-war Democrats to real paleoconservative Republicans.

Paul has been in and out of Congress since the 70's and is universally hated by the Republican elite, who routinely back Democrats against him just to try and get him out of office. The former Vietnam flight surgeon is the perfect candidate for President and activists from every corner of every political persuasion should mobilize now in an attempt to help Paul shatter the power monopoly of the Republican and Democrat establishment who have worked together for decades to slit America's throat in the interests of power, greed, and ego - all working towards the realization of a new world order.

The Texan represents a dying breed in Congress, those who actually cast their votes in accordance with the Constitution and not at the discretion of lobbyists or the fear that the elite will tarnish their political careers if they don't continually support the establishment. As a result Ron Paul is the elite's worse nightmare, simply having him on the ticket itself will be a massive public relations blow, and that's why media organs will probably be activated to try and discredit him before 2008.

Paul was one of only a handful of Republicans to vote against the illegal invasion of Iraq, contenting rightly that the Constitution clearly states that only Congress can declare war. In bucking a trend, Paul was anti-war long before the majority of the country came around to a similar way of thinking following the catastrophe of the occupation.

While Democrats soft-peddle and cozy up to Bush, creating phony arguments about the level of troop presence in Iraq and ignoring the majority will of the country to bring the troops home immediately, Ron Paul's opposition to unnecessary wars of intervention has remained steadfast throughout his entire political career.

If a gargantuan effort is made from now until the end of 2008 to heighten Paul's media profile and forward him as America's last hope, he truly has a significant chance of giving Jeb Bush, Rudy Giuliani or whichever elitist puppet the Republicans choose to put forward a real run for their money.

At the very least it's a chance to attract attention to some serious issues and hold the establishment's feet to the fire. But with the favor of the political landscape continually swinging away from the scam repeatedly run by the Republicrats and Democans, we should really start off on a positive footing and consider the fact that Ron Paul, though still an underdog, has a real chance of becoming the next President.

According to the Associated Press, "Paul bills himself as "The Taxpayers' Best Friend," and is routinely ranked either first or second in the House by the National Taxpayers Union, a national group advocating low taxes and limited government."

On every single issue of national importance - borders, the war, limited government, U.S. sovereignty, tax and the federal reserve - Ron Paul stands for populist ideals that the country is screaming out for after seven years of hell under Bush, preceded by eight years of disgrace under Bill Clinton.

Ron Paul voted against the Patriot Act, opposes the draft, advocates the abolition of the income tax, urges the re-introduction of the gold standard, and stands against initiatives to strip the U.S. of its sovereignty such as CAFTA and the FTAA.

From reforming Marijuana laws to supporting an unregulated Internet, to supporting the 2nd amendment, Ron Paul hits home with keystone populist issues across the board.

During several appearances on The Alex Jones Show, Ron Paul has consistently upheld his commitment to civil liberties, slammed the militarized police state that Bush has created and also called for immediate impeachment proceedings to be brought against the current incumbent of the White House.

President Ron Paul could truly return America to the great nation it once was and his decision to run is an exciting development that we should all embrace and stand beside him in the fight to restore some form of dignity to the office of President that has been completely absent since the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963.

"Congressman Ron Paul is a dream candidate, a super patriot, a total Constitutionalist, an American hero."

"We must elect him President."

--Alex Jones

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Here is a link to some of Ron Paul's columns. Forget the same old Republicrats and Democans. Vote for Ron Paul!

http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul-arch.html

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http://www.freedomtofascism.com/

Primary Objectives
Stop the polarization of America
Stop the domination of the Democratic and Republican parties over our political system
Shut down the Federal Reserve system
Return America's gold to Fort Knox and have it audited
Have Congress and the IRS, in a public forum, reveal the law that requires Americans to pay a direct, unapportioned tax on their labor.
Make computerized voting illegal in all 50 states
Keep the internet free and out of the control of large institutions
Rescind the law called the Real ID Act so Americans never have to carry a National ID Card
Make it illegal to implant RFID chips in human beings
Educate juries to the fact that they have the right to determine the law as well as the facts of a case
Educate juries to the fact that they are not obligated to follow the instructions of a judge
Stop Globalization because it is the path to a one world government
Protect our borders
Restore the environment
Put an end to the Patriot Act

Cascade Symphony

2007-01-16T13:14:00.000-08:00

Here is my son Ian accepting an outstanding achievement award in music from the Cascade Symphony's conductor Michael Miropolsky. Ian has been playing the violin since the age of 8 and has made great progress. I am very proud of him.

The symphony had a guest soloist--a violist named Arie Schacter--who played Bartok's very difficult Viola Concerto. He was absolutely amazing. The entire performance was magnificent. The program ended with Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture and that also was first-rate. The conductor explained (in a pleasing Russian accent) that when the communists took over, they did not like the very popular 1812 Overture because it contained a theme that alluded to the Czar and God. So what did they do? They snipped it out in both places (beginning and at the end). Needless to say, the conductor was delighted to perform the 'complete' version for us and it was very rousing.

I have been drinking way too much coffee lately and so yesterday I quit cold turkey. I'm really feeling the effects today. I have had headaches, eyeball aches--even my teeth hurt. I've also been very lethargic and sleepy. I plan to start drinking coffee again, but only a cup or two in the morning. I was up to a drinking a full pot during the day--caffeine is insidious! (I don't like decaf).

Illusion Wines

2007-01-04T11:36:00.000-08:00

A couple of years ago I designed a wine label for Illusion Wines. Dave Guest and his crew bought some prime vineyard land in south Washington--just east of the Cascades. They make excellent wine and they get all sorts of comments on the label. I went to the wine tasting event they had last year and all of it was very tasty indeed. They're having another tasting this weekend. They're fun people to be around and they make some great vino. I particularly like the red stuff. Here is their invitation:

Once again, we'll be pouring samples of our wine. This time, it's in Bellevue at George's Wine Shoppe. The date is Saturday, Jan. 6, from 2-5 p.m. If you've got time to stop by before the Seahawks kick off (5 p.m.) please do. Bring your pre-game party to George's and pick up some wine and a look at my (Dave) short haircut (thanks to drunken Paul on New Year's eve).

George's Wine Shoppe
Lake Hills Shopping Center
521 156th Avenue SE, Bellevue, 98007
425.644.7723

Their website address:

http://www.illusionwine.com/

An Old Fashioned Hand-Drawn Illustration

2006-12-18T14:06:00.000-08:00

Above you'll see one of a series of illustrations (click to enlarge) that I did earlier this year for Lightspeed Design. It was part of a presentation they did for a tire company. Check out LD's website--this company is led by some exceptionally talented people including Bob Mueller, art director.

This drawing was done on hot press bristol board using a 'sharpie' pen. I scanned the illustrations in and colored them in Photoshop. Back in ancient pre-computer times, all graphics were drawn by hand. I remember the days of amberlith, t-squares and x-acto knife blades quite well. Computers have enabled artists to do more work and work longer hours, not less. Self-employed artists now wear many hats: They are pre-pressman, paginators, conceptors, archivists, typographers, system troubleshooters, designers, illustrators, photographers and self-publishers. Whew!

A Tale of Two Cents

2006-12-15T11:52:00.000-08:00

First off, never call 'em pennies. Pennies are found in England and they are descended from the old Roman coin, the 'dennie,' or denarius. Cents are what our coins are officially called. What you see here are two 1-cent coins, side by side. One is a heavy copper slab from 1803; the other is a light piece of zinc clad in thin copper from 2003. They may not be actual size here, but they are to scale. We all know how small today's penny is.

The 1803 cent is thicker than today's cent. I scanned it in while it was still in its plastic sheath. The details were too subtle for my scanner to pick up through the sealed plastic. More detail can be seen with the naked eye. It is rated a VG-8 which means its not in great shape. Still, it's a fairly rare coin and not cheap. I like to look at old coins like this and wonder who owned it and what they bought with it. In 1803 a penny, er, cent was really worth something. For one thing it was worth its weight in copper. America's coins back then were gold, silver or copper. Real money with real intrinsic worth. Another difference between the two coins: "In God We Trust" is not on the 1803 cent. That phrase was added to coins later on. Instead is says "LIBERTY" on the top. I prefer that. Early coins not only were real money, they kept religion out of it too. Today's cent is worth more as melted metal than it is a money. This is why I think nickels and cents will soon be out of circulation. Our money consists of the fiat dollar. It's not a promise to pay nor is it backed by anything. It's merely a slip of paper. Trillions of dollars can easily be printed up at a low cost. Gold, silver and copper require costly mining, smeltering and refining.

Our coins have been down-sized and cheapened. Since our smaller coins cost more to make than they are worth, perhaps soon the penny will soon be made of steel. Maybe we'll see plastic coins?

Whatever the fate of our coins, a good book to read on this matter is "What Has Government Done to Our Money?" by Murray N. Rothbard. All fiat money throughout history has ended up worthless. When the dollar collapses, perhaps the Fed will come to the rescue and replace it with a new ponzi scheme--the 'Amero.'