Daily Artandcolour

Variety of floral arrangements, September 2010

Hydrangea, September 2010

Gnome and Frog in the sun again, September 2010

Enlarged, this Thistle's background shadows and foreground textures reminds me of a carpet, September 2010

Small Sedum blossoming for the second time this season, September, 2010

The Thistle is mostly gone, but there are occasional new blooms. The Goldfinch among other birds feast on these seeds all day, every day. It's quite something. I usually deadhead these, but not this year. It's like a gourmet organic salad bar for so these birds.

Dried Thistle heads, the Lily Munster or Morticia Addams of the gardens. I love them.

Life of a Sunflower

This photo shows stages of the sunflower blooms, from perfectly wide open at the top, through the aging process leading to the one at the bottom, frazzled and forlorn, yet still elegant in a decrepit sort of way.

The giant sunflower is bowed yet still standing more than seven feet tall. 

September Flowers

Nasturtium and purple daisies, backyard. September 2010

Equalized interior arrangement. September 2010

Zinnias and Cosmos in their native habitat. September 2010

LS600C/h: More Than Meets the Eye

Pillarless coupe LS by Lexus. Long-wheelbase platform of the 600l/h is utilized with the cabin set back a full eight inches for better weight distribution with the LFA's V10. Stretch-out interior room for four, accessible through the two wide-opening front doors and two rear-opening access hatches, powered opening and soft-closing. Upgraded hybrid drivetrain and advanced Parking Assist standard, as is every electronic convenience in Lexus's parts bins. Coupe is slightly longer and lower than the sedan, and approximately 20% more expensive than the LS600L/h. This is a more stylized rendering than the pillared LS coupe below, but I felt the V10 and long wheelbase demanded a bit of drama. I try to demand a bit of drama out of every day, lol.

A quick second prototype. The door handles have been moved down a couple of inches and a satin chrome molding highlights the big car's new curvy "hips."

2 Door SWB Lexus LS, Pillared

I think there is no reason for Lexus to be absent from the large 2 door market. This version is the SWB (short wheelbase, in old coach-building terms). This would be the base for the Sport version, which would benefit the most from the pillared construction in torsional rigidity etc. Lexus would also market the LWB coupe, a long wheelbase model, with pillarless construction, for higher-end lux sales. Chop to come before its sale date, lol.

One of the minor changes I made was a cutline on the lower rear bumper cap, to match a similar rocker panel groove in the middle of the car. I think it makes the bumper look lower and the rear overhang look longer, which aids in the height/length visual proportion. I also added more obvious LED taillights and modified the chrome plinth molding. A full length glass roof should be standard on all luxury cars these days.

Scion tS New for 2011

The Scion tC's styling is the basis for this slightly stretched tS, Scion's own flirtation with the sporting four door coupe fad. With Scion's xB's signature box shape, the xD's contemporary hatchback profile, and the tC's 2 doors, Scion's first sedan is aimed primarily as a fashion statement, and not for those seeking the most room for their money. This sedan's tight 4 bucket seat interior is high on style, not extra head- or legroom.

America's Saab 9-3 Competitor...MKZ!

MKZ Zephyr Coupe—How about making the entry-level Lincoln MKZ a full model range, with sedan, coupe and crossover wagon? Let it fully bracket the 3 series/A4/9-3 market segment. The hatchback coupe would bring utility and sportiness to the line. There would be base, Hybrid and Zephyr top-of-the-line models.

Changes to the MKZ sedan include pushing the front wheels forward about four inches and lowering the roof two inches. I changed the C pillar to more of a fastback, to give the hatchback more utility as well as giving it a distinct look from the sedan. I also moved the keypad from just above the door handles, to a vertical position on the B pillar. The taillights were "frosted" and would be all LEDs.

A Bit More to Layer 1

I'm subdividing the larger painted squares, and have gotten the plaid going on the fifth piece. This is where I might add movement to my pieces, leaving rows of stripes between sections of checkerboard or rows of a mix of the two. This subdivision creates "roads" or "channels" and leads the viewer around, or through, the piece. Sometimes the ultimate evenness and balance of my pieces overrides that tension and keeps your eye happily in the center of a piece.

Meet the Lemon Cucumber

Picked today, a perfectly ripened Lemon Cucumber. Next time I'm going to leave a portion of the stem coming out of the top. They're quite photogenic, tweaked or not. This image has had the color of the wood enhanced, the vegetable hasn't been tampered with.

Natural color of the porch floor. I think both of these photos are great enlarged.

Old Bike, Vintage Stickers, New Art

My circa 1985 Fuji racing bike, with its circa 1990-ish stickers for ACT-UP, sporting both Silence = Death and Action = Life, outside today with some of new cardboards. I must have plastered five hundred locations with these two stickers back in the day.

Not to be outdone, my lightweight, aluminum Schwinn mountain bike always has a group of Veteran's "Poppies" on its handlebars. This bike was a Thrift store purchase, and came already equipped with an orange Virginia Tech sticker on the frame (infamous college shooting site), along with an ID beginning with BJ. A little Wry with that Irony? 

Never saw a Vet in front of a store that I didn't give them a buck if I had it. Even if I only had one. It's interesting, to me, that you almost never see a veteran of WW2 anymore, and rarely the Korean Conflict. Most seem to be from the Vietnam War. Time is certainly moving on. I feel it rushing by.

The long view of the new cardboards outside today for some fresh air. These are done as far as the first layer goes, so I'm going to put them aside for a couple of weeks to cure totally before the next step. 

Applying Artandcolour

Dahlia, September 2010.

Nasturtium/Sedum, September 2010.

A bit of Warhol influence perhaps. Zinnia, September 2010.

Seen in the Yard Today

The Cosmos are finally flowering. They're more than six feet tall.

Finally! One of my new-this-year dahlias is finally in bloom. They're a bit late, but will bloom until the first frost, hopefully in November!

A tiny Nasturtium, in the ground in the front garden. The entire plant is only about 4 inches high. That's a late-blooming Sedum on the ground next to it. I didn't cut-back my Sedums this year, forcing them to grow shorter with more flower stalks, so they're all laying on the ground now.

The large sunflower is leaning decidedly towards the ground now. Still majestic, if bowed.

Marlin Sport Sedan

Just a quick chop showing a 4 door hardtop Marlin. I lowered the roof about an inch, maybe two, which lengthens the car even more than the '67 facelift, and the move to the Ambassador's longer wheelbase for its last year. Just by adding a second set of door handles, it's weird, but the car just looks better to me. It seems almost mainstream to these 21st century eyes. The only detail I had to change from stock was the odd trim piece in front of the rear bumper. There are nicely pressed-in 'bomb' shapes in the sheetmetal near the front and rear bumpers. but for some reason AMC stuck on an unneeded piece of trim, a rare design misstep, in my opinion. So I took the molding off and left the nicely sculpted sheetmetal instead.  I didn't even enlarge the wheels or change the hubcaps. It's all nicely period the way it is. Oh, and I added local Goldenrod to the background, lol.

This isn't a chop, just a quick photoshop collage of a '62 Rambler Classic Custom sedan. A few of us here have professed admiration for American Motors Corporation, AMC, and the earlier Nash, Hudson and, of course, the Rambler. I found this clean specimen for sale at the Goldenrod Garage, a reputable purveyor of older cars. They're located in Freeport, Maine, and have been taking ads in Hemming's Motor News for decades. I can remember looking at their black and white ads in early issues of Hemmings printed on actual newsprint. Nowadays they have a website of course, linked above, and show several views of each car for sale. 

I found this image, at Wikipedia, of the sixties Rambler logo. What a beautiful example of corporate logo art from later mid-century design. Love, love, love, mid-century modern design in all things, furniture, architecture, fashion and of course industrial/transportation designs. 

Looking at the '62 Classic I collaged above, I'm struck at what a perfect package it really was. It was not anywhere near as long or as heavy as the 'low-priced three' from the big mfrs. It used a unit-bodied, all welded structure, good for lightweight and rigidity. By this time they had a choice of modern V8s and a mix of sixes. They had all the optional extras the major players offered. The Edmund Anderson-directed styling of these Ramblers seems almost European to me today, and overall really attractive. I could see a resto-mod version, completely stock on the outside, complete with wheelcovers and whitewalls, but with 4 Recaro buckets and full leather interior with all the modern-day goodies. Maybe upholstered in turquoise like the original!

Listening to RIght Now...

One by U2 and Mary J. Blige.

M U S I C — I have to admit I really don't understand videos like this. This is what I call 'Coca-Cola Commercial" videos. I have no idea why they have to show the band in such odd hand-wringing emotional crap onstage, lol. The music and performances are genius, but I'd rather look at a cinematographer's concept of what the music says to him/her, instead of this pseudo sexual gut wrenching 80s pastiche. I know, I'm a bit bitter. But wouldn't a Yellow Submarine sort of animation, or a beautiful garden tour representation of  "One Life" and all of the various forms life takes. But that's just me. Click on it though, it's a good performance. Just close your eyes and make your own video. If I knew how, I'd make one of my art, lol.

Or stare at this smaller than the 6 series, 628. I chopped this confusingly named BMW coupe a couple of years ago. Consider this bonus art for this musical post.  : )

In retrospect, I think this should be a 4 series coupe, halfway between the 3 and 5 series, just as the 6 coupe is slotted between the 5 and 7 series.

Cardboard Quilts in Progress: Newborns

I've created ten new cardboard quilts in the past few days, and I've started painting five of them. I'm probably going to use up all of my cardboard squares this time, and make as many bases as I can. I'm hoping for another ten or fifteen for twenty-five total. I get these pre-cut corregated cardboard squares from my publisher; they come in packages of books and would be recycled anyway. They save them for me so I have plenty right now. I love the look and feel of them all along the process.

These photos capture very, very early in the life of a piece of mine, consider them newborns of about 3 months old. They're alive and healthy and starting to show some personality, but they're way too happy and cheerful and bright and in-your-face. Don't worry, life will happen to them along my artistic process, lol. Right now I'm subdividing these basic squares into smaller checkerboards. Each square will be divided into four for the most part, to make the overall pattern much tighter. I think all of these might end as straight-up abstract paintings of colorwork. Well, I might add a few printed images. And definitely more detail work everywhere. This is at the end of layer one, with perhaps 25 or 30 layers to come, with a further 6-8 clear coats on top of them all, sanded down between coats of clear.

I've been working 12-15 hours a day painting and gluing cardboard together, but I'm used to juggling lots of things. All of the wood I've collected is calling my name wanting to get put together, but there are only so many hours a day...

Today in Les Fleurs

The Lemon Sunflowers live on. The second stalk has erupted into this bouquet-like cluster. I caught a bee in mid-hover about to land.

Click to enlarge this photo and you'll see not only the morning glories, and a hanging red geranium at the lower left, but near those red blooms are a few yellow flowers of my Lemon Cucumbers. They're climbing everywhere, including this cedar pole alongside the glories. When I had to thin out the initial two cucumber clumps, instead of throwing out the individual stems I pulled up, I planted them on the outside of the fence and they all took.

Growing on the top of the wire garden fence. I had great fun this summer weaving the burgeoning twisting vines and training them  to grow outwards.

Facelift Time for the MKS? Take 2.

Another chop that goes a few steps too far, lol: Lincoln MKS with aero package.

C H O P — I started out just reworking just the rear taillights, trunk lid and bumper. Then I deleted the C pillar 6th windows, and added aerodynamic rear fender skirts. I smoked the rear taillights and added an orange turn signal lamp. I darkened most of the chrome on the body and window surrounds, but I added a chrome side spear tying the door handles together. the normal opening doors—yes I made a Lincoln without suicide doors! The chrome slash is meant to evoke the full-length belt line chrome molding like so many Lincolns of the past, but in a modern way. In addition to the Lincoln Star ornament, the slash is the only chrome on the body sides. 

Don't Let Your Dog Eat Puzzle Pieces

Washington State—the piece from the antique jigsaw puzzle below. Why? Because that's where Bette lives, and that's where she's celebrating the ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of her business, Tiny Growl. I can't believe it has been a year already! I can't believe how fast each day passes, let alone weeks and months. Bette looks back at that first year, here.

Bette writes a great blog for all of you dog lovers. I like dogs, as long as they belong to someone else... I haven't had a pet since grade school. So click over and wish her well! She's old, she just had a birthday and she needs the encouragement. HAHAHAHAHA (I'm ducking now)

Interactive Geographical Representation of... Oh, It's a Jigsaw Map of the U.S.A., ca 1881

M Y   C OL L E C T I O N — Back together again after who knows how many decades, this circa 1883 jigsaw puzzle map of the United States and Territories is just slightly the worse for wear. Vermont is missing now, and as you can see if you enlarge the thumbnail, Georgia has been replaced with a homemade version to replace a piece gone missing generations ago. The sliding-top box for all of the pieces is to the right of the completed piece. This piece has my great-uncle Art's name printed inside, as he was born in the early 1880s, it would fit that he would have played with this map. Inside the box, on the bottom is scrawled, Gloria—Hoohoo's given name, bron in 1925—so it's obvious it was passed down through the family.

Box cover, which slides to the right to open on hidden tracks. 

Hard to read text: 

Kindergarten 

Geography

New and Improved

Dissected

Map of the United States

Published by

G. N. Tackabury & Co.

Canastota, Madison, Co. N.Y.

The underside of the cover piece. Testimonials to the product, dated 1880

Some of the individual pieces.

Close up view of all of the existing pieces together. The fit is surprisingly close, probably as tight as when it was new despite the intervening 130 years of indifferent storage. Vermont is missing, and Georgia has been replaced at some early point in its life with a handmade, and handlettered, piece.

A map I found online of the state of the States in 1880 when this puzzle was produced. The dark pink states are the actual states in existence then. The light blue areas were still territories, and the green state, Oklahoma, is listed as an "Unorganized Territory."

Ideals in the 1930s: School Project Scrapbook?

1933 Packard ad. Stately bodystyles illustrated, but Packard also had some beautifully sporty bodies this year. I think the artist may have gotten the wheelbase wrong on the Victoria coupe at the bottom...

1933 Cadillac ad. Elegance and sportiness for four hardy individuals.

No copy for this illustration. Not sure what it went with.

Tea Time: Good to the Last Drop. Ad? Art? 

M Y   C O L L E C T I O N — These page scans are from a scrapbook my mother put together in '32-'33. She would have been 15-16 years old, so I'm guessing it was some sort of high school project—Home-Ec? These pages have fallen out, making them easier to scan. The whole book consists of magazine clippings showing different ideals of life in the thirties.

Let's Play! Vintage Sound-Effects Record Set

Front cover, the Airplane.

M Y   C O L L E C T I O N — This is a vintage two record set of "exciting action games with true-to-life sound effects!" There are two records that look like 78s, but the ID number on each starts with 45, as if they're early 45 rpm records. I haven't tried to play either record to check. I believe this set dates to the 1950s, although there is no date anywhere on the entire album or either record. I can imagine the cast of the Dick Van Dyke show, hamming it up at a party with these "sound effects" records on in the background. I think the artwork on this album, inside and out, is just wonderful, so evocative of the period.

Inside front cover, the Train.

Inside back cover,  the Telephone.

Back cover, the Fire-Engine.

U P D A T E : 

Thanks to Marius for coming through, again, with recordings of these performances! I'm still not quite sure what to make of these records, lol. I think I'll stick with, "nice artwork on the album!"

The Airplane

The Train

The Telephone

The Fire-Engine