Deal With it

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I’ve gone back to writing my blog.

A good friend didn’t think giving up the blog was a good idea. So……

I was looking on the page that I would use to either delete or continue my blog. I felt maybe it was too rash a decision after all. So, sitting at my desk, with the stimulus money in my bank account, I made another rash decision, and paid for another year,a

So, what about YouTube? Still plan on doing that, and posting the link along with my written blog here. So, why haven’t I done that yet? I have a good reason. A very good reason.

I’m procrastinating.

I also am feeling rejuvenated about my artwork again. I just needed a change.

Good God, I’m going to have to tidy this up. Eraser marks galore!

So, this is what’s new. I guess I’m getting away from drawing and back into design.

As I did with this one, not too long ago.

And once again, I don’t know where to go from here.

Herding (NOT Hoarding)cats

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As I have told you year after year, time after time…..St. Patrick’s Day is my birthday. And what I have told you, only slightly as often, it’s also St. Gertrude of Nivelle’s Day. She’s the patron saint of cats….I found that this last tradition is only from the1980’s. I’m disappointed, that it’s not ancient lore of some kind.

Anyway, in the spirt of having fun with art…..here’s a drawing of St. Gertrude herding (not hoarding) cats. Thanks to my friend Aaron for that great metaphor.

Meow!

Now is the time to tell you this is the last post of this blog. I’ve run out of ideas, and I’m beginning to repeat myself. It’s also time to pay the renewal fee for the year. So, I’m letting it go.

i’m not disappearing though. I will be starting a video blog, entitled, what else? Roxanne Baldwin’s Artsy Vlog. I will have it on YouTube, and a link on my Facebook page.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF1f2V8kSkazLArDNPCDNPQ

https://www.facebook.com/RoxanneBaldwinsArtsyPage

And finally….A goodbye with what else?

Cats.

The Subject Is Titles

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I haven’t done much abstract art. When I do, though, I don’t label it “Untitled “.

Can you imagine this being entitled “Untitled “? I’d probably be asking, “Can’t you give me a clue?”.

But you don’t have to ask, it’s called “Guardian Angel”.

Not to be confused by this:

Guardians

Okay, I don’t play games. If I want to say something visually to you, I want you to understand what it is.

This has a title, too. I swear! Damned if I can remember what it is.

And this has a title, too!

I think the title is “Foliage “, but I’m not sure.

My question is, how do you not title something?

When I am drawing, and thinking about what I am drawing…my mind wanders. I come up with all sorts of things sometimes amusing, sometimes amusing but inappropriate, but always something. They all make good titles, and I use the one I like the best.

C’mon, if you don’t title it, you’re missing half the fun!

Are YOu Serious?

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I realize why some of my work just draws blank looks. Art is not supposed to be funny…or at least fanciful. No, I don’t mean huge guffaws, as you get with a comedian. I mean more of a lighthearted and jolly mood. (Did I really use the word jolly?)

No, art is serious. It tackles huge, meaningful subject matter. Art is no joke.

So, that’s what I thought about while I was in my hermit hole. What’s so funny about art?

Sometimes, it’s silly. Or it should be allowed to be.

So, here from the past…..some silliness.

And so, until we meet again, have lighthearted and jolly day. And silly. Don’t forget silly.

It’S eCLECTIC!

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Can’t get rid of this damn chair, can I?

Did I tell you about my first day as a DJ assistant? I got the name of “The Electric Slide”, wrong, and shouted out, “It’s Eclectic!”.

No, that’s not true. Makes for a good story, though,

I do have a true story about the word eclectic, though.

Greenwich Old Town Hall

Back, (way, way back), I lived and worked in Greenwich, Connecticut. I worked in a small discount department store, where the close knit employees all felt like family.

The owner of the store was like a second father to me. One day he asked me about my taste in music. I said something like, ‘My taste in music is eclectic”. The boss looked at me, and said, “Don’t use that word here”.

I didn’t understand what he meant…..could there be an obscene, second meaning to eclectic that I didn’t know? I was really puzzled and upset.

Finally, I got it. My poor SAT mind was oriented to using big words. Then I realized not everyone has that broad a vocabulary. Some people wouldn’t understand, and the rest would think I sounded like a snob.

In short, don’t use a $20 word, when a $5 word will do just fine.

Cloud Over Greenwich.

INto YOUR LIFE It Will Creep

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I may not have that right….the 1960’s was a long time ago. The song was “What It’s Worth”, by the Buffalo Springfield. What “It” was, was paranoia. In my rewording…into your life it will creep is………….BOREDOM! A lot less sinister than paranoia, but they both can end up doing strange things. Like questionable art.

Once, at a job, along time ago, in a galaxy far away….no, not really, I’m talking about New York City, when I used to work there.

I was showing my artwork to a colleague, and suddenly this showed up:

My colleague looked at me quizzically and said, “Huh?”. I didn’t have any answer to that. I stilll don’t have any answer to it, and it haunts me to this day.

Just a little while ago, I showed you this drawing, thinking that this little sketch is as far as the drawing would go…..

Again, I got bored and couldn’t leave well enough alone. And again, I produced something that will haunt me to days in the future.

I’m going back into my hermit hole, and think about things for a while.

As I Said……

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Chairs represent people, too.

The featured painting, of course, is not created by me. If you’re reading my blog, you probably know this work of art is credited to Vincent Van Gogh. It’s a self portrait, illustrated by his chair.

I’ve done a few portraits that are chairs:

This is my former landlords chair. I look at this, I always think of him. Back in time, coming out of an artist’s slump, this was one of the first drawings I did.

My landlord would sit in this chair, a little bleary from having drunk a Michelob . There he’d watch the birds, the feral cats, and hear the sounds of children playing. This annoyed him no end. As you can guess, he was kind of a grumpy old fella.

A chair can also represent a cozy, comfy paradise, too. Yes, I did a series of paradise pictures, in more naïve times.

Also, this:

This is the drawing I just completed.

It’s a drawing of my partner’s mother, who passed away a few years ago, Death on a bright, spring day, always seems a little odd.

But, Dorothy wasn’t particularly fond of cats, I am. So, artist’s license.

I doubt I’ll do a full sized drawing of this. I’m pretty pleased with the little drawing, and don’t feel energetic about doing it over. So, there.

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Dorothy’s Chair

6×4 inch lightfast colored pencil drawing on archival 100% cotton rag paper. It’s matted to 8×10 inches, for easy framing. Postage in the USA, is included in the price.

$35.00

BICYCLES is PEOPLE!

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As are chairs:

But, back to bicycles, and the title of this.

Boomers will remember an old movie titled “Soylent Green “. Long story short, in a dystopian world, people are given something to eat, called Soylent Green. As it turns out, its made of recycled human remains. Thus, the cry “Soylent Green is People!” Very creepy movie.

So, I have come to the conclusion, in my work, bicycles stand for people, and people’s personalities.

Remember this picture from not too long ago?

It’s a little girl’s bike, that was cute as hell. Children’s bikes are adorable to me. That is, if children aren’t riding them around in the aisles of huge discount stores.

As a friend of mine put it “When you fall, you break something “.

Not the child’s fault, of course, but thoughtless parents.

I also wrote recently about how I look forward to January, and the end of the holidays. So, here’s the latest. “January Thaw”

A WEEK IN THE CLOUD

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The week between Christmas and New Years is a little surreal to me. It’s a regular week, but it’s not, it’s time in limbo. Real, but out of the ordinary, like files in the Cloud.

There have been better holiday weeks, than this in 2020. It’s been a rough year, for everyone. People are looking forward to the future, but quite honestly, I think people are looking quite longingly at the past.

So, this is a post about Winter Past

January 2nd

This is my favorite picture of winter. It’s the quiet time after Christmas, New Years, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Fesitvus, has passed. Even Greedfest,as a good friend used to call it.

I’m thinking of the past in New York City, the City that Never Sleeps, as it sleeps in winter.

We all have memories, both good and bad to look back on. I have faith, that as time passes, we will add to our good memories, even during these rough times.

Happy New Year, Everyone!