Shikow: Painting

Showing posts with label Painting. Show all posts

Paintings I Have Made for Others and Just Remembered after Deleting Old Pictures from My Computer

The Making of Swine Flu & Some Whining* (Update)

I have way too many things going on at the moment. I will be glad when I'm done with this whole PhD process. It's an awful lot of work to contact all your former professors and do all these exams and such. I would much prefer to never do this process again. Of course, I'm doing it now, so whatever. Like I told Sogee, either one of these schools accepts me or they don't. I can't really do much more to make myself more than what I am, or maybe I should say, "I won't make myself anything other than I am."

It seems to me like a lot of these kinds of applications are made from the perspective of molding a model applicant. I can understand that that's reality and most folks are doing their all to seem attractive. I'm just not that interested in a school that would be duped into anything but having someone because they are there to work hard and figure out what they need. That just might be the way I roll into the personal statement. Either that, or I'll just make myself into a model applicant. Who knows? I guess it just doesn't matter that much.

In any case, I have that to get done, take these exams, and then get all these other things going. The biggest on the list is getting distribution for THE HUMAN WAR. My hope is that dis-tro or an angel investor come through so we can make the movie this year. Time will tell if that's possible...

I was going to write about the next Slipshod album and how I'm reading Ray Bradbury's "Zen and the Art of Writing," but I don't feel like talking about that right now. I'll just end with some more pics of "The Making of Swine Flu."

I will have to finish "...Swine Flu" this week. I'm tired of looking at it half done...

Finished!

Lost Painting Found: The Jesse Owens Story

I remember Seattle being less rainy. I must have come during breaks in her schizophrenic barometer. As of now, it has rained off and on the past coupled days. It's not horrible, but it definitely gives me second thoughts about ever living here in the future. I just couldn't take that over an extended time. That's probably why So Gee and I will be in a place like Los Angeles or Hawaii for the long haul. Hawaii sounds great. I'll have to visit there this year too.

In between Seattle's intermittent showers, I was able to attend an excavation of sorts. One of my friends dragged me to their living room, where, lo and behold, he revealed a painting I did in 1998 (see above). The inscription says "Man vs. Horse" - a direct reference to Jesse Owens racing horses for a living after winning four Olympic medals with Adolf Hitler watching in 1936. I thought it was such irony that the United States used Jesse Owens as a face against Hitler, but didn't have the decency to offer him a job because of racial inequality once he returned home. Can you imagine racing horses for a living after being an Olympic champion? I don't think Michael Phelps will be doing that anytime soon.

I am now off to a massage. Four cities within a week has made all the muscles in my body want to be stretched and folded several times over.

READING: Haruki Murakami's What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

My Painting Keeps Growing

I woke up at 4 a.m. today. I had to work on the painting again. I didn't really know what I was doing. I kept using more and more paint. I abandoned brushes. Now it is getting thicker and thicker. It isn't quite where I want it to be, but I am getting happier with it now. I just have to find more risks, more danger.

Aside from that, I spoke with my brother. It seems that the strike in Hollywood is still hot and heavy. He thought me coming home would be better in summer, as most everyone in the industry is out of work at the moment. That was a bit discouraging to hear. I am ready to go home now. Korea has been an interesting experience, but I miss the comforts of home. I miss talking to people.

Earlier tonight I went to the Outback with a few ex-pats. It was nice to sit there and watch the Australian Open. It soothed me. I also got a chance to hang out with Mina. That was nice to be with her. She has a wonderful spirit and energy. It is definitely uplifting.

Aside from that, my stomach is acting up again. I am not sure what's going on. I am going to have to make a list of what I can eat, and hope I can last here until summer. I will try it for the next week. Hopefully, things will improve. If not, I can only assume that a trip home would be inevitable at that point. The only question is where to land. Do I go back to Hollywood? Pick another city?

I have no idea. I will keep an open mind. Hopefully, I will feel better by the end of this week. Then it will give me some time to mull it over with a healthy mind and body.

Second Painting and Shopping Spree

I've started a second painting. I'm using gesso as a base before I begin. This will definitely make the colors a bit brighter. I also got two tubes of rose hues to be the primary colors. I'm not sure if I'll use them, but something tells me I will. It may be too fab for words. Who knows? We'll see what happens.

___________________
3

I would say this painting is fairly complete. I would like to add something unusual in the left corner, but I may not. I may just do touch ups here and there, and call it a day.

___________________

As far as other news, I finished up my taxes. I have it all set for my accountant, and I'm thrilled to have that done and over with. It was hanging over me for a while now. It wasn't until this morning that a strong urge to do something set in. I'm glad I listened.

___________________

I've also started to learn Dreamweaver. I'm going real slow. Baby steps. I figure I'll have a site up in the next couple months. Something fun and exciting. We'll see if I can translate my vision into reality. Who knows? It might just work out dashingly.

___________________

I will be getting a scanner, guitar, and new threads on Friday. Hopefully, Jim will accompany me on this shopping spree. I can't wait to have a guitar in my hands. I am also uber excited to have a scanner/printer for the possibility of finishing some animated shorts. I will post them as soon as they're made. I'm thinking a series of them. I haven't decided what it will be about, but I think they will be fun.

__________________

I got these.

No, they're not numchucks.

American Painting

Click to Play

Well, today was eventful. I finally got some paints. Two tubes. One light green and the other a zinc white. In the middle of work, I got the idea to document what I was doing. Then I just started having too much fun making this short.

Sherlock Pomes: Graffiti in Korea

Today I watched some Korean boys spray paint the words "Dickies" and "Nike" in blue aerosol on one of Duksung University's pristine, red bricked walls. It struck me as so innocent and perplexing. Why would they spray paint Nike and Dickies? What do these words represent for them? Is it a brand of shoes the children support or wish they had? Are they saying something about the University? Do they simply want to imitate American culture?

I find these questions fascinating. I will have to do some investigating.

TESL Course Continues

Today we listened to Louis Armstrong sing "What a Wonderful World." I get choked up everytime I hear that song. It's one of the best ever written. I think one of my classmates could tell I dug the song. He reached up to his eye and pretended to joke-sniffle, but I could tell there was real passion behind his sarcasm. He even qualified it for me, by offering the entire class a Cliff Clavin about the song's history.

It was 1968," he paused, getting into radio announcer timbre. "Armstrong knew it would be his last time recording. He was in his old age and had wanted to see one more hit top the Billboard charts. The song was released in 1968 and made a bigger splash in Asia and elsewhere than it did in America. It wasn't until the 1987 film Good Morning, Vietnam featured the tune as part of its soundtrack that the song topped the charts once again."

"Yeah, we liked that song," another classmate agreed. "We used to listen to it a lot in Vietnam."

"Why is that?" our teacher asked. "I always imagined you'd listen to heavier stuff."

"Sometimes we listened to tough songs, but there were times when we listened to peaceful stuff. We liked listening to it. I don't know. I think it was good to have something calm and nice, when we were in a place that was so opposite that."

I am amazed at the lives of the human beings who surround me. There are so many incredible people on this planet.

Tonight I spoke to Lotus Blossom 75, a nice, North Cali girl who I've been asked to communicate with in robotic bips and whistles, much like R2D2 of Star Wars glory. Always a robot to please, I mustered a good-intentioned C3PO, and sat back with utter enjoyment, to make heads and tails of her half Southern California lilt and Japanese "O's" like "W's".

"So/w/ te/r/ me about /ch/oo?"

"What?"

"What about you?"

"Me? What do you want to know?"

"You say you have brother?"

"Yeah, one lives with me. He's 20. Good guy."

"And you have another?"

"Yes. He's 26."

"So you have a lot going on?"

"What do yo mean?"

"A lot of brother."

That got me laughing. It was also when I knew I was in trouble. You don't want to make me laugh. It gets me fired up. Really, it does. In the world of turn-ons, I would say laughing is the biggest for me. If you can make me laugh, you got my heart. Put that in combination with an accent from a sexy women, and I'm ready to keel over and float in the clouds like an angel on Sunday. Especially when Lotus Blossom 75 uses words that are completely outdated in the English language like "squished" or asks me if "everything's alright?" when she doesn't have to. Those are definitely winners for me. But what took the cake was when she told me her roommates cats love HER more than him:

"They just like ME better," she says. "But I can't sleep with all 3 of them on the bed. They are too big. I get squished."

"That makes sense. They're big cats."

"Yes," she giggles. "Fatty is a big cat."

"Sounds like it."

"Yes," she laughs. "His name isn't really Fatty. I just call him Fatty."

"I know. I like that about you. You have a cat named Fatty."

She laughs for a bit, then composes herself. (I envision alien love.)

"So you say you work a lot of job?"

"It's actually a world record. I've had 32," I tell her.

"32!!!" she yelps. "Oh my, Gawd!"

"Yeah, it's a lot.'

"Why, so many?"

"I don't know...It ended up that way."

"So many-"

"Would you like to hear them?"

"Not all of them. Maybe, one or two."

"How about you guess? I've done them all."

"Okay...Porn star?!"

"Well, I do have a story about that one..."

We are supposed to meet for coffee sometime this week. I think it'll be fun. Especially meeting in Long Beach. I don't think I've ever been down there. I've just kept to Hollywood for the most part, since I moved to Cali. Call me Sheltered.

Tonight "Life Is Beautiful" was on television. I couldn't go to bed. I had to see the whole "Bonjourno Princepessa" plot to its end. It's one of the most brilliant 'falling in love' sequences I've seen at the movies. It might even be better than "It's a Wonderful Life." Or rival it, at least.

Anyway, I got to get to bed. I have nothing to do tomorrow. That takes energy.

Well, hold on, I'm so tired I almost forgot that I was going to talk about the first time I saw "Life Is Beautiful." I was in Philly. It was some theater right off 95 near South Street. I had just broken up with this person I was seeing, and feeling sad on love. Kind of lonely too. I went into this bar across the street, and ordered 3 martinis. By the time I showed up for movie time, I was completey blitzed. It took me the previews, the first fifteen minutes, and an espresso to finally get zoned in. Then Roberto Benigni took over. I laughed through the whole movie. Then I cried.

Later that month, I fell in love with the Ex-wife, and I took her to see the film.

Today I actually spoke to Mrs. X. She slighted me for not being the bread winner while we were together. Well, for clarity purposes, lets paint this picture to the tee.

"So how come you're not with me? What? You get tired of trying to save money with me?"

"Well, I had that one on my own," she grumbles.

This was where the conversation got real quiet. I wasn't upset or anything. I was just taken aback that she was still so angry with me. I figured a a couple years would wind down the heat. I also wondered why I didn't notice the anger while we were still puppies and kittens. You'd think a person could tell when someone's mad at them. Who knows? Maybe, this is a new side of the coin with her. Whatever it was, I didn't know it as what Mrs. X was when I was with her. Then again, I could just be a year older and wiser as Mickey G says.

Now I'm over and out.

P.

*Bobbie Hawkins once critiqued me heavily for using the word "squished in a story. She called it "disgusting."**

**Bobbie also refused to allow the word "placed" in any of my stories. " 'Put' is so much better," she told me. 'Placed" is just awful." That made m laugh, but I listened. And you know what? I think she's right."

Painting, Etymology and Love: Audio and Text Interview with Alie Ward, March 2006

Curiology is a little funky company founded by visual artist Alie Ward. Originally from San Francisco, Ms. Ward relunctantly relocated to Los Angeles five years ago, and has become known for both her apparel line and her paintings.

Working almost exclusively on wood, Ward's paintings show a passion for the exploration of words as labels, and the elasticity of such when applied to simple illustrative images, as seen in her ongoing "Dichotomy" series.

- Curiology Website

Audio Interview Part 1 Part 2

PK: What is a signologist? Is this your term?

AW: Did I call myself that? I'm such a dork. No, I'd say that, in a way, that's the fictional term for a field I'm passionately drawn to...(Technically, I would be a semiologist though...) One of my greatest attributes and downfalls is that there are so many -ologies I adore. Etymology, entomology, biology, curiology...

_______[ "dime / dozen" ]____________

PK: Are you more inclined to oogle over a billboard or a Picasso?

AW: Hahaha. Amusing query, sir. I suppose the nature of billboards and marketing lies in their accessibility, so by virtue of sheer interfacing, I'm spending more time looking at the billboards, as they are all around me. And I could be flayed for saying this, but I'm probably more interested in the mechanism at work on the billboard. I often can't help but think about the plotting and the sheer social science that went down in a board room at some corporate HQ to get me to look at the billboards for a new zesty taco. I think what's interesting about signs and billboards is their drive to communicate something very specific, and what I love about painting is the crude use of signage to communicate ideas that are merely for the sake of the concept itself. There's a certain authority in creating a sign, and it takes the pretentiousness that is so rampant in art, throws it away and makes room for function and simplicity. I love love love making paintings that are very simply trying to communicate a verbal idea, I guess. Wow, I'm rambling.

Would you classify yourself as a writer or painter?

Professionally, recreationally, physically and mentally I am both. But I "write" my paintings as thoughts or sentences before I make them, so perhaps writing trumps it? Curiology literally means writing with pictures, so there you go. Both.

Will you be exhibiting in any galleries in the near future?

I'll be showing with the collective project: for their C-note show, and most likely with Cannibal Flower again soon as well, the a group show in Paris which is scheduled for April. Meanwhile, still doing illos and articles for the Weekly, running the shirt business, and doing commissions for clients. It's matter of having enough work to show really. I just took down a solo show yesterday, and I've had two full solo shows this year, so right now I don't have any available new work. Ah, the very day after a show comes down, and I'm plotting the next. Thank god for yerba mate, nature's answer to meth. Without it, I'd have to sacrifice an -ology or two.

Alie Ward is a painter and journalist. She lives and works in Los Angeles. To purchase her paintings, check out her apparel line, or to experience her parched, dry wit with accompanying visuals, go to Curiology.

My Mom and Kandinsky

My mom is beautiful. Last night she creeps into my room. I say creep, because she doesn't like to disturb me. She watches me for a while.

I am looking at Kandinskys on the web. I don't even know why. I can't stop looking. I can't do anything else.

"Pirooz," she says. "What are you doing?"

"Looking at paintings."

She comes and stands next to me.

"Are these your painting?" she asks.

"No," I say. "Kandinsky."

"They're beautiful."

"The most beautiful in the world."

She stands as I scroll through some images. She loves the "Circles" painting. She says how beautiful they are. We look at the paintings for a good while. Then she stops as if an idea has just come to her. She tells me to come sit with her.

"Come, Pirooz," she says. "I want to talk."

We go into the living room. She tells me her worries. She cries a bit. Then the launching starts. Story after story. She talks about a trip to New York City. A forgotten plane ticket. My dad's business trips. How crazy the men in this family are. How crazy I am.

"I save your life, Pirooz. You were so crazy."

I laugh.

"Don't you remember?"

"No."

"Come on, boy. You remember. You are blocking it. Don't you remember when you were break from Lynn, and your band is not going together anymore, I tell you to come be with me. I say, 'Pirooz, come stay with me.' But you get so angry. You are like, "NO! I am not going anywhere.' Then one day, you call me and say, 'Mom, I want to come live with you. Come bring the truck.' And I say, 'Thank God,' and I say, 'Pirooz, I do not have truck. I will bring car and we make two trip.' Then I come and we get everything from Lynn's place, and you come home. And, oh my God, Pirooz, you stay in your room day and night. I come in and see you, and you are just looking at the ceiling. Sometime for 10 hours. I say to myself, 'God please save my son.' Then one day you come home and say you want to go to New York. You say mom can I have 50 dollars. And I say, 'Pirooz, I'm sorry honey. I do not have any money.' And you get so crazy. You pick up Panauh's Walkman and you crash it on the ground. Then you take my pot, and it has Shivit Baghali inside, and you just throw it everywhere. I still have this pot. The handle break, but I keep it. And then you crash everything. You go and grab this dish that I keep the candy, this nice crystal, and you take it outside and just crash it."

"Oh, Pirooz, I was so scared. I think my son is really crazy. I run to the bank. I say to you, 'Wait, Pirooz! I am going. I get you the money. I got to the bank like this (shakes her hands), and I get the money. And when I come home I see you have dustbuster and broom, and you are cleaning everything, and I say, 'Here, Pirooz. Here is the money.' "

"Then you say to me, 'Mom am I crazy?' And I say, 'No, honey you are not crazy. You are just depress. Maybe you want to go see psychologist.' And then you say, 'Yes, mom. I want to go to see psychologist, but it has to be a woman, and they have to be this thing, psychiatrist, or psychologist,' you say. I say, 'Thank God,' and for two days I am on the phone to find psychologist, but no one has appointment. Then I go to supermarket, and I see Carla, and she is talking about her son, and say that he is not doing good, and that he see a psychologist who save his life. And I think, 'Oh, thank God, maybe this man save my son life.' But I don't say anything. I just say, 'Is good to have good doctor. Can you give me his number.' And she give it to me. And I call this doctor and I say, 'Please help my son. Do not worry about bill. I pay whatever you need. Please just help my son. Please save his life.' And the doctor say he help."

"Then you go see this doctor, and I see little by little you get better. I call the doctor and I ask, because I do not know if you even go, 'Is he coming?' And he say, 'Oh, yes. He is coming. He is a beautiful boy. Very smart. Very bright.' But he doesn't say anything else. And I think, 'Thank, God.'

"Then one day you come and say you are going to go back to school. And then you go write the letter and you go, and then you move in with Sonny, and then you come to me one day and say, 'I meet this girl Mom. I meet her 6 years ago She is very nice. What do I do?' "

"Because sometime you are still with Lynn. And I say, 'Isn't Lynn with other boy sometime.' And you say, 'Yes." And I say, "Well, then it doen't hurt to go and see.' And you say, 'Okay, mom I go see.'"

"And then you go with Nicole, and everything is nice. And you go to school. And now you are separate, and you are handling so well. You are here. You are so calm. I am so proud of you, son."

"Thanks, mom."

"Yes, all of you are so crazy. I remember one time Paiman come home from school, and he come inside, and I see one second later someone knock the door. I open the door and this woman is here--the one who live with the Indian man--and she is screaming, 'You're F-son! He F this.' And I say, 'What is going on? What happen?' I look at Paiman. I say, 'What did you do?' And he say, 'I didn't do anything.'"

"And this woman is so mad, Pirooz. She is screaming. She say he come and she use the word ---- take his thing, and he just peep right on her tree. 'He take his thing and do it right by my window,' she say."

"And I say, 'I am so sorry.' I look at Paiman, I say, 'Why you do this?' And he say, 'Mom, I try to hold it. I couldn't do it. I was going to explode. You don't know how it is. You are woman. I have to go. This was the best spot.'"

"Oh, it was so funny, Pirooz."

"What happened with the lady?"

"Oh, she was so mad. She say, 'Never again! Do not come near my house. Walk by the road. Don't come to my house again!' She was so mad."

We all laugh. The well has been unleashed though. My mom continues.

"And Panauh, Oh my gosh. He box everyone. One day I see he come home, and then one second later, I hear the ring. These people come who are parents of--what is his name Ben, Brian--"

"Ben ****," my brother says.

"Yes, they are mad. But they are not like that lady. They just say, 'Your son come and box are son, and his nose is bleeding, and we have to go to hospital.' And I turn to Panauh, I say, "Panauh why you do this?" And he say, 'I didn't do anything.'"

"And then these parent confront him, and I say again, 'Why you do this?' And he say, 'He call me gay.'"

"Oh, Pirooz, how many boy he hit. So many. He box so many boy they have a meeting at school. I come and is seven people and one chair for me and I sit. They say, 'If one more time your son box someone, we going to send him to boot camp.' Then I come home and tell Panauh, and the guidance counselor he call Panauh. And then he understand this is real, because we go see a commercial on TV, on this boot camp, and he get scared, and then he doesn't box too much anymore."

My mom stops her storytelling. She looks at the clock. She is right on time.

"Come, Pirooz. Come let us go see this Barbara Walters. Tom cruise is coming."

I prop pillows on the bed, and she lies down. We watch the whole special together. I am moved by Kanye. Jamie Foxx seems to be doing good. My mom persk up when Tom Cruise comes on the screen.

"You love Tom Cruise," I say.

"No," she tells me. "I like him because he look just like you."

I smile. I turn back to the Kandinsky on the screen.

Mars, the Painting 5 days!!

Only 5 days left for MArs, the Painting at auction. It looks like Jim may be the lucky owner.

of course, i know some of you are waiting for that last minute rush.

just a reminder. 5 days left.

bid on it here.

Mars, the Painting

The latest painting. It moves me very much. The script is Japanese and Korean on the side. They say beautiful things. "Samurai" things like that. Anyway, I am going to be finishing Mars or Bust soon. This may be the cover for it. So if you but this painting, take a quality picture for me. The auction ends in 10 days. Bidding starts at $200.

Moksha-- if you want it, make a bid.

Jim--This is in regards to the post I deleted. I am not upset. Just sending a shout to the world. I will do that on occasion. The academy is not my concern though. I think about my family, friends, you, my new apartment...

That's right, folks. New apartment. After moving to L.A. in July, and living on a couch until now, I will finally have a place of my own. Of course, I have no furniture. I also have no money. I am selling this painting to provide me with a bed and desk to write on. If there's any left over, I might get a refrigerator.

Anyway, love to you all. I will post a comic later tonight. For those that visit me during the wee hours (M-'just a wee bit), it's Mars or Bust, baby. Mars or Bust.

Love's Lullaby (Kyle as Me) 4 Sale

Love's Lullaby (Kyle as Me)
Originally uploaded by piroozkalayeh.

This was feverishly done this morning. It is a response and show of gratitude to Kyle Kaufman.

This is the fourth in the Light Series.

It is now available as well.

Buy it HERE

My father's response to this painting was, "Is too much work."

"No, it's just the right amount," I told him.

He thinks my paintings are worth more than what I'm selling them for. He wants me to copy them at Kinko's.

"I am not attached," I told him.

"Really?" he asked.

"Really," I said.

It's for you guys out there. It's for me to make some extra cash. And, this one, in particular, is for you, Kyle. Keep blowing that horn. My heart thumps with you.

Love, P to the XYZ

Fiery Childhood Painting for Sale

Fiery Childhood
Originally uploaded by piroozkalayeh.

This is the 3rd in the Light Series. It is on sale at ebay now. Please come make a bid. As usual, these start at $1.

Buy it HERE

The Traning Continues Painting for Sale

backatthehess
Originally uploaded by piroozkalayeh.

I'm back at the hess.

I found a river behind the gas station.
This was some comfort.
Training has been difficult.
I haven't talked to a human being in 3 days.

Of course, no one said being a superhero
was fun and games.