Friday, December 18, 2015

Burning Man 2015 Photos: A Few Highlights


Burning Man was great for me this year.  I had had some mixed feelings about going, but I went and was re-inspired.  The weather was harsh, putting a damper on some activities, but the art was rock solid, enough to blow the mind of any new burner wandering out for the first time, or even to rekindle this old veteran's wonder and amazement about the whole meshuga event!

The main attraction of this year's Burning Man, in my opinion, Titled, "I am You and We are Everywhere." It's a naturalistic sculpture of a woman about 80 feet tall.  Here you can see the sub structure of steel bars of varying thickness, through the mesh skin.
Also, it was animated, the chest rising and falling with a slow breath.  The lighting projected onto it slowly cycled through the color spectrum.
Simply stunning.
A very moving piece out on the deep playa. Not sure the name of this one.
The keyhole installation at 6:00 and Esplanade, a central spot for art on the playa.
Part of a set of wooden sculptures based on iconic monuments.  This one evoked Easter Island.
Totem of Confessions, a large temple covered, inside and out, in dioramas with macabre photos.
...like this one of a dancer wearing a dress of skulls and crosses.
An array of LED's cycling through a program of colored patterns, for laying underneath and tripping on.
The Temple of Promise, this year's temple had a simple elegant design.


Friday, December 4, 2015

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Alien Alphabet


Inspired by the unintelligible but gracefully self-consistent writing in Luigi Serafini's Codex, I have begun attempting to originate my own alphabet of alien writing. I probably should just study sanskrit instead, as it already seems to embody the types of lines and linear relations I am contemplating.  
Anyway, here's a page of it.  When I look at the symbols long enough, they start to mean something.

Alien Alphabet

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Rift Portal Sketch

Sometimes the rift opens up before you, spreading open like an orifice, bursting, portal-like with teeming weirdies from nether regions, strange dimensions, converging on this nexus of hyperspatial awareness.  Dig it!

Rift Portal
2015

Friday, October 9, 2015

Vision Sketch: Abstract Tower


This tower, or something that looked quite similar to it, appeared in my mind's eye as I lay down to sleep recently.  


Abstract Tower 2015

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Additional Vision Paintings

 
These few paintings were completed awhile ago, maybe a year or more, but for some reason, I neglected to post them to this blog. Now here they are.
My vision paintings are paintings of visions that I have, in dreams, or sub-conscious states.  I try to remember them when I have them, and sketch them down on paper, to be later finalized in paint.
 
Gnomes in Sentient Forest






Spiral Energy Beam






Energy Cone

 
 
 
 
 
Light Show






Energy Beam Omega







Spirits of Consciousness








Energy Field





The following paintings aren't exactly vision paintings, in that they are not based on any vision I had.
Rather, they represent a style I experiment with, of filling in the visual field with swirls and splotches of bright color, then finding faces in the jagged edges of the splotches and bringing them out with additional paint.  As such, abstract and naturalistic-looking creatures and spirits emerge.  Enjoy.

Paint Spirits I
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Paint Spirits II
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Paint Spirits III
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Paint Spirits IV

Friday, August 7, 2015

Practice Oil Painting

 
Trying to get familiar with oil paints as a medium, this scrapey design emerged.


Thursday, July 2, 2015

Security Man: Political Comic Strip

 

This is an old one.  An idea for a political cartoon featuring a psychopathic superhero, whose heinous acts are all in the name of "security."  You can probably guess this was around the time of the invasion of Iraq, following the September 11th bombings, which Iraq had nothing to do with.  At that time, many wrongheaded and destructive policies emerged out of blind calls for "heightened security," "homeland security," and "think of the children!"  I can't apologize for the violence of the cartoon: it's a cartoon.  The real violence and terror committed by our country in the name of "security", can never be apologized for.

Pardon my penmanship; translation below comic.
SECURITY MAN
Woman: You know, it's prob'ly nothing, but I just don't feel as safe as I used to, before that big unpleasantness a few years back.
>BAM!<
Security Man: Someone feeling unsafe?
Man: Security Man!
Woman: Oh Thank God!
Man: What the-?
(gun sounds) Klik!, Ch-chik!
Woman: NOOO!!
Crowd: AAAAAARRRGHH!!
(gunfire) Bada-bada-bow! Blammo!
Woman: No!! Please!!
(gun) Klik
KA-KOW!!!
>squish<
Security Man: Security Man is Secure.
Narrator: HOOORAHH!!!

by David Fleischmann
Copyright 2004

Friday, June 26, 2015

Vision Sketch: Alien picture frame

 
Barely just started on this one.  Another vision sketch, to become a vision painting, perhaps starting with a page-sized watercolor, and then stepping up to a large-sized acrylic painting.  Just the elaborate, alien architecture of a picture frame for now, to contain an idyllic pastoral mountain scene, but I may have said too much.  The image will speak for itself, once completed.  For a drawing with this much detail, documenting progress in stages is wise, kind of like saving a backup, in case the computer goes kerflooey.  Anyway, enjoy.
 
I'm out drawing on Main Beach, Laguna Beach, California every weekend, at the south end of the boardwalk by the kids' playground, just south of the historic lifeguard tower.  Look for me in the afternoons and evenings, and get your caricature drawn, free of charge!


 

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Vision Sketch: Boxy figures

 
 
Another one of those images that drifted into my consciousness as I was on the edge of dreaming. Once again, I make no excuses for what I see, nor how I interpret it.  Enjoy it, or not. 
 

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Vision Sketch: Intricate Circle Patterns


I had this vision of an array of circular patterns.  Each highly intricate but each having its own style or character. This is but an approximation of what I saw. In my vision, the array of patterned circles was held tighter together than in the sketch, and each was of a level of intricacy that is well-nigh impossible to capture, and can only be approximated.

Intricate Circle Array

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Albino Pigeon: Photos.


Ever seen an albino pigeon?  Now you have.  On Main Beach, Laguna Beach, California.

I made friends with this albino pigeon.




With other pigeons for comparison.


Thursday, May 14, 2015

Vision Sketch: Organic Tower in Ecotopia


This organic-looking tower appeared in my mind's eye one night as I was drifting off.  I tried to capture as many details as I could in my memory, but, as always, something is lost in the translation.  Anyway, I rather like how the sketch came out, and plan to make it into a color painting.


Monday, May 11, 2015

Palm Frond Mask: Blue Period Man


Another of my latest set of masks.  Mostly blue for this guy.  A simpler, in-process shot shown below.



Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Drawing: Vimana


  A Vimana is, in the Hindu tradition, a spiritual vehicle that ferries souls to the afterlife, or any other realms where they need to go.  There may be some mysterious connection between this myth and sightings of UFO's.

  This image just popped into my mind's eye, as artistic visions will do, and I did my best to memorize the details of it.  Generally something is lost between the vision in my brain and the sketch in the physical world, but I hope at least the idea is preserved.  I interpreted the image as a Vimana, perhaps my Vimana.  This vehicle just had an elegance and grace to it, while it's form still suggested power, freedom of movement.

Vimana Drawing
2015