A humor and art blog consisting of : Art Projects, Original Cartoons, Cigar Box Guitars plus other entertaining Odds & Ends. All content & imagery copyright 2010-2020



Sunday, February 24, 2013

Silk Screen Project


This week we are looking at a recent project I made for a Silk Screening class that's a part of my degree program. Granted, the format does not look all that different from the weekly cartoons you have come to know and love. But what you see here is a scan of a four color printed piece. In this class we are being taught how to make traditional, hand-pulled, silk screened images. This is a very labor intensive process, with a lot of subtleties and technique that I am still trying to learn properly. For those who want more information on silk screening you can visit our good friends at Wikipedia and learn more than you ever cared to know. But please, return quickly as you might miss something while you're gone; like cash and prizes.

My learning curve has been rather steep in this class and there was much room for improvement in this the final product. However, I did some repair work and added the border before posting today not only to enhance your viewing experience, but also to prevent embarrassment for myself.

This image presents a little narrative that raises some questions. The title says "What Is This?", but who's asking the question? Is it the reptilian creature? Is it the Teddy Bear? Or is it you, the viewer? Another question might be; Is the bear alive, or is it a toy? Perhaps we'll never know.

Sunday, February 17, 2013

XXXL or Think Big


Today's gag is a play on the name of a dating site called eHarmony. This is a site that I highly recommend if you're in the market for a new relationship.

Last week Americans celebrated Valentines' Day. This is a strange holiday in that it actually excludes people. If you are in a new or happy relationship, it's great. If you are in a committed relationship that has gone sour, the day is awkward. If you're currently unattached, it can really suck! The whole country is celebrating love and romance, and you're made to feel like a loser. Believe me, I've been in all those situations.

Well, here's some good news. There is a movement to "re-brand" Valentines' Day into "Generosity Day". A day to perform random acts of kindness, and service. This is an intriguing idea. We live in a world that could use more kindness, generosity, and direct (low-tech/no-tech) connectedness with others. Learn more about it here.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Stay Sharp


Once again "real life" has led to the creation of another cartoon. My new girlfriend is a licenced acupuncture and sports injury therapist. Discussing her work and undergoing treatment myself has generated some ideas that will probably see the light of day at some point. The doctor in this toon is only the third time that I have created a caricature of a real person.

The two other examples are:  here  which features my first wife, and the other is a caricature of a veterinarian who used to treat my former "menagerie" of cats and dogs many years ago.

Sunday, February 3, 2013

The Secret Life of Fish

This cartoon is based closely upon a rather surreal joke I heard from a good friend a few years ago. Normally, I use only my own original material as a source for cartoon creation. However, in this rare case I will make an exception. Earlier this week I felt compelled to create my own visual interpretation of this joke. Now, I realize that some people may not get the (strange) humor of this one. But, I encourage those folks to read it out loud (with enthusiasm) as that may help. I look forward to your comments.