Suitkiller.net Blog

I'd like to wish everyone (both of you) a Happy New Year. The art has been spotty of late, I know, and I can't say whether or not things will pick up, but I'm trying to stay productive. This piece, "caduceUS", is my submission to the new "Manifest Hope: DC" contest; MoveOn.org sponsored this event to draw attention to the issues of the green economy, health care reform, and labor support. The winners will have their work displayed in a DC gallery in the days preceding Obama's inauguration. Do I have a chance? That's difficult to say. The project has gone through a ridiculous amount of changes since I conceived of entering the competition...

I spent $40 at Blick Art Supply with the intention of entering one 15" x 20" piece in each of the three categories; these were to be grand, painted things with my typical inking flourishes over the color. Due to a relentless cat-sitting schedule (involving the force-feeding of pills four times a day to a feline who loves to hide), I had to seriously adjust my expectations. Monday, I settled on putting out one solid painting in the health care category. By Wednesday, I'd decided to work in the computer, with colored accents and inked lettering. Today, I ended up where I usually do, inking on tracing paper and scanning art into the laptop,with Photoshop text. I still don't know what to make of the finished piece. I think the stress and fatigue of the week has caught up with me, and I'm not even to the weekend yet. Woe is me. Whatever...

On the bright side, my lovely wife made me a stunning coffee table book of my political art (spanning 2006 up to the "Kneeling Jerk" piece) as a Christmas present. I plan to re-work some elements of it--taking out the mushy dedication on the inside-back dust jacket--and fashion a for-sale version for anyone who may be interested in owning such a thing. I shouldn't be sharing this stuff; I have a bad habit of blowing off expectations and hating myself in the morning. Happy New Year! Again...