Happy Hallow Dia
Plastic with battery-powered internal light painted with spray paint and acrylics. Runs on three CR15 batteries (available at most drug stores). 4" h x 4" w. Believe it or not, prior to 2012 it was somewhat difficult to find Dia de Los Muertos decorations in San Diego. In spite of our proximity to the Mexican border the traditional holiday had not yet caught on here. I found this fabulous little plastic, light-up Halloween skull that just begged to be transformed from bone-colored and scary to brightly-colorful and festive. It was great fun to paint (spray paint & acrylics) and is now part of a growing collection of rehabilitated Halloween decorations, skulls and skeletons. $65 
Yorick
Plaster cast, brushtip Sharpie, acrylics. 7" h x 7" w. After seeing this great video on sharpie art I was inspired to see what I could do with a Sharpie. Yorick was my first experiment. I ended up painting him in acrylics because I simply couldn't resist doing so, but drawing on the skull was hypnotically relaxing. I really like the use of negative space in this which was unplanned - it was all drawn spontaneously freehand. It uses a hibiscus flower, lizard, sun and other motifs from Mexican folk art. $275 |
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Lust
Plastic figures on paper in wood shadow box. 6" h x 4" w.
Lust was originally created for Art at the Core, a project of the Art Produce Gallery. The only requirement to be in the show was that whatever you submitted had to fit into a sandwich baggie. I made dozens of little pieces, "Lust" is my favorite and the only one I kept. It assembled itself really, one day I opened a drawer of little items and found the nun and the hotdog guiltily eyeing each other as if, in the darkness, much more had been going on. $95
Plastic figures on paper in wood shadow box. 6" h x 4" w.
Lust was originally created for Art at the Core, a project of the Art Produce Gallery. The only requirement to be in the show was that whatever you submitted had to fit into a sandwich baggie. I made dozens of little pieces, "Lust" is my favorite and the only one I kept. It assembled itself really, one day I opened a drawer of little items and found the nun and the hotdog guiltily eyeing each other as if, in the darkness, much more had been going on. $95
Quebrado ("Broken")
Plaster cast main piece, acrylic, wooden box frame with lamp light. 15.5" h x 14" w.
I bought "Quebrado" in 2003 while in the border line coming home to San Diego after doing the Rosarito to Ensenda 50 mile bike ride. I was covered with mud and exhausted - which explains why in the world I paid ten bucks for a salmon-colored, glitter-accented plaster picture of the Virgin Mary. The next day I had no idea what to do with it. But not long after I bought it I was home listening to a story on public radio about a Catholic church pedophilia case when the piece unceremoniously fell over onto it's face all by itself. I was thrilled "Good, I can throw it away" I thought but as I picked up the pieces I couldn't help but think of them as a metaphor for the brokenness of the church. It also reminded me of the story of Santa Muerte. If you are a drug dealer, criminal or sex worker you may want to pray for your "business" to prosper, but you can't very well pray to the Virgin of Guadelupe. So in some parts of Mexico folks pray to Santa Muerte. It also made me think about how the Virgin of Guadelupe was created out of the name for the goddess prayed to by the Nahuatl people before the arrival of the Spaniards. These cultural/religious appropriations are fascinating to me. Not whole, but also not broken, "Quebrado" symbolizes how we synthesize mythologies to meet our needs. AND, in the spirit of great Mexican folk art, it lights up! When plugged in to a wall outlet it's inner light shines warmly through the cracks. $375
Plaster cast main piece, acrylic, wooden box frame with lamp light. 15.5" h x 14" w.
I bought "Quebrado" in 2003 while in the border line coming home to San Diego after doing the Rosarito to Ensenda 50 mile bike ride. I was covered with mud and exhausted - which explains why in the world I paid ten bucks for a salmon-colored, glitter-accented plaster picture of the Virgin Mary. The next day I had no idea what to do with it. But not long after I bought it I was home listening to a story on public radio about a Catholic church pedophilia case when the piece unceremoniously fell over onto it's face all by itself. I was thrilled "Good, I can throw it away" I thought but as I picked up the pieces I couldn't help but think of them as a metaphor for the brokenness of the church. It also reminded me of the story of Santa Muerte. If you are a drug dealer, criminal or sex worker you may want to pray for your "business" to prosper, but you can't very well pray to the Virgin of Guadelupe. So in some parts of Mexico folks pray to Santa Muerte. It also made me think about how the Virgin of Guadelupe was created out of the name for the goddess prayed to by the Nahuatl people before the arrival of the Spaniards. These cultural/religious appropriations are fascinating to me. Not whole, but also not broken, "Quebrado" symbolizes how we synthesize mythologies to meet our needs. AND, in the spirit of great Mexican folk art, it lights up! When plugged in to a wall outlet it's inner light shines warmly through the cracks. $375
Recuerdo ("Remember")
Acrylics on plywood with folding candle shelves. 6' x 4'.
A few months after the 9/11 attacks I was deeply moved by an NPR radio special called "The Sonic Memorial Project". As I listened to the show I felt like I had to paint, had to create something to counterbalance the sense of loss, sadness and disbelief I felt. Download a pdf of the full story. $4500
Acrylics on plywood with folding candle shelves. 6' x 4'.
A few months after the 9/11 attacks I was deeply moved by an NPR radio special called "The Sonic Memorial Project". As I listened to the show I felt like I had to paint, had to create something to counterbalance the sense of loss, sadness and disbelief I felt. Download a pdf of the full story. $4500
Stick Up!
Resin cast figurine on a wooden base. 6' height x 3.5" width.
I came across this FABULOUS little Jesus figurine in a backwoods Louisiana thrift shop. He was pale, dressed in pastels, with both hands held up looking for all the world like he was being robbed. His downward tilted head and droopy expression seemed to say "Fine, take my wallet. I don't want any trouble". So, "Stick Up" was born. Sold.
Resin cast figurine on a wooden base. 6' height x 3.5" width.
I came across this FABULOUS little Jesus figurine in a backwoods Louisiana thrift shop. He was pale, dressed in pastels, with both hands held up looking for all the world like he was being robbed. His downward tilted head and droopy expression seemed to say "Fine, take my wallet. I don't want any trouble". So, "Stick Up" was born. Sold.