Original Art Sundays no. 358: Sharp Invitations: Esther's Hands, pp. 1 and 2

 Into the next chapter!

This will be a bit faster and less emotionally charged than the Curt chapter. Planned and drafted at 10 pages, probably come in around 20. This chapter deals with my relationship with my mother, and with how she handled my transition.

This chapter comes before the chapters on work, surgery and Curt in the final book.

Very open layout on these. I plan to use her style in drawing this as much as possible. Since her style and mine are similar anyway, this shouldn't be a challenge. These pages are necessary background. I toyed with just doing the first panel, the horseback shot, in pencil, and finally decided to leave the soft background in pencil and do minimal erasing. The wedding party photo is not my work, of course, but it does belong here. I considered re-drawing it, and opted for straight photography instead. Both schools of thought are valid. In Fun Home, Alison Bechdel renders photographs, but The Magical Tack of Long Tack Sam uses photos, objects, collages.... it's a memoir. Go with what works.

Pretty much the standard tool list on these, a bit heavy on the Photoshop. I did use a new #1 brush on that first panel. 

Next: marriage to a serviceman, kids, complications....

Original Art Sundays No. 357: Sharp Invitations: Curt, final pages

 Hi again.

Took an extra week to complete these pages. I hope you'll find the wait worthwhile!

When we left Diana and Jenny, they (we) were motoring back from Curt's trial in Madison. Please join us for the aftermath.

 

That concludes this chapter. 

It was such a humbling experience to have the people who survived all this with me, the women who put up with this nonsense, beside me at its culmination. Like Pete Townshend said in Somebody Saved Me, all I know is I've been making it- there have been times I didn't deserve to. I really don't know if I believe in ritual power or not. But whether we were invoking outside forces or giving me a healing moment of catharsis, it worked. And I'm sure his dying shortly after the ritual, 250 miles away and unknown to me for 10 years, was coincidence. Really, pure coincidence. You can't prove a thing. You got nothing on me, coppers!

I'm tempted to include a section on repercussions, to talk about how these effects scarred me in unexpected ways over the years. But I have other things to say before the book is done, and some of that will present itself in the coda.

My original outline, based on the ten chapters in my 64 page draft edition, was to deal with this as a small part of my life. This chapter comprised 10 pages of the outline. Turns out I had more to say about it than about some other parts. Ultimately, the book is about three things: trans stuff, class issues (to a small degree), and surviving in general, with surviving abuse as a specific aspect of that.  One of the original ten chapters is gone. It's a good story, but not for this book. The remaining chapters will cover my mother (6 - 10 pages), my father (about the same), sex and sexuality coupled with gender concerns (another 12 pages as now planned), and the coda, which ran 12 pages in a recent rewrite. About 50 pages, give or take.

Then it's done, aside from edits (assuming I get a publisher).

My big concern about the book is that it not be too grim, sad, or unrelenting. I've known plenty of joy along the way, and I want that to come across too.

Art notes: 

Getting a handle on these pages was a challenge, the second page more than the first. These are fairly static, minimal action pages. On the ritual page, there was one big action that served as the focal point. I'm not a big fan of sound effects in my work. I played with adding something here, but it didn't really gel. Technique is pretty straightforward on these, with minimal Photoshop corrections. I'm developing my own set of tools as the work evolves: sparse backgrounds, use of gray value from pencil to weight the visuals of more airy pages and panels, and a deliberate sense of framing. That last drawn panel on the second page turned out okay- everyone sitting around the table celebrating quietly. The final page is lifted verbatim from the draft edition. What can I say? Sometimes it's right the first time. I just took a traditional 35mm photograph from back in the day, scanned it and added text.

The tools used here are much the same as on the previous posted pages, so no updates necessary. I did get a porcelain escargot dish to use for inking, based on the recommendation of Terry Moore, and it's pretty cool.

Next: the chapter on Mother begins. I will need to find a better title for that one! In the draft the title was Esther and Gandalf, and I don't care for that at all now!

Original Art Sundays (Saturday) No. 276: Theda Bara

My, it's been a while, hasn't it?
Two semesters and a quarter of an epidemic later, I have finally have art to post.
Oh, I've been drawing and making music. Just...not post-worthy.
A couple weeks ago, I remembered a photo I saw somewhere. I think it was Theda Bara. Ballerina balancing a bright globe in a black space. It fascinated me.
I can't find the photo for reference.
Maybe it's just as well. The photo realism thing works for me sometimes. I usually end up correcting proportions to compensate for some strange distance between the image and my perception of it.
I think it's a bit like cooking in that respect. The first time a cook makes something, they adhere to the recipe. The second time, they look at the recipe. The third time, they make it, allowing their personal flourishes to come through in the interpretation of the dish.
That's my approach to photo reference.
So I gave it a go.
Working from memory, getting the proportions reasonably accurate, and bringing my Art Deco chops into the figure's hair were my biggest challenges!

I'm fairly happy with it. I thought about adding some stippling to the window edges, and decided that sometimes, less truly is more. The position and proportions of the left hand were a real challenge!
I wanted to get away from the story a bit and just draw.
Materials:
2 Ply Bristol Board
Sumi Ink (My Walnut ink is used up! What's left is too gummy to be practical! Very sad.)
FW Acrylic White
Tight Spot correction brush
Lead holder and #4 leads
Magic Rub Eraser
Brushes: No. 0 Connoisseur Sable,  No. 4 flat synthetic, No. 4 round, No. 10 Princeton round.
That's it for now. Enjoy!
More sooner rather than later.

Original Art Sundays no. 120: oddment: photography

Well, the next page of A Private Myth is done. No time to scan today, but will be spending the day at work tomorrow and will make time then.  So next week we're good to go.
Every time this issue comes up, I wrestle with the practicality of a home scanner. It's more a space consideration than anything else.
Meanwhile, I'd like to share a photograph from The Old Days. You know, film.

This is the man I almost married (there but for the grace of the Deity and all that), standing by a stone bison near an insurance office down by the Walker Art Center. All are gone now for various reasons. I do miss the bison.
The sun washes it out, but he's wearing an Omaha the Cat Dancer button.
While I originally took this for the subject matter, I find the variety of textures compelling. The composition is a little on the nose, but it serves.
I find the wide variety of angles in this seemingly simple composition fascinating.  The textures are equally intriguing in a subtle way. Stone, glass, carved stone, varying fabrics, leather, hair, skin, branches- this thing is all about the texture.
I resisted the temptation to try to correct this image. I find more is lost than gained in that process at times, especially when working with varied textures. Not to say it can't be done, but there's something to say for letting the original speak for itself.
Again, despite having worked with some high end equipment and taught digital photography several times, I still find the nuances of film and laboratory much more satisfying than digital.  But times change, and our choices remain to adapt or to die aesthetically.
Next: the next page of A Private Myth, for real, on Sunday, May 6, the first day of the last week of class.

Original Art Sundays No. 116: photography: Birthday Suit

Feb. 19 is my birthday.
I have  new page on the board done and awaiting scanning. But since I didn't want to run in to work to scan today, I'm posting something a bit older, with some pride and some reservations.
This self-portrait was done with multiple exposures on  a single negative.

This is intended to show three different facets of me. Looking back on it, it's a bit on the nose, and a little ostentatious. But hey, it was 20 years ago. I've gained weight since then (and was probably too zaftig for the look even then), wear my hair shorter these days, and am not so concerned with the dictates of fashion as I once was.
The print from which the scan was taken is old and weather-beaten, but I still think it's important to try and preserve these things.
Within the next two days, I'll post an additional birthday reminiscence.

Original Art Sundays No. 113: Hello Peoples!

Starting off the year with inventory, but strangely new.
This is a photo I took in 1991 using 35MM B & W film and printed on Ilford matte paper.
I was driving around with my pal Pauline Johnson, taking shots of folks just out and about. These guys just opened up to me. Very refreshing, considering they followed a woman whose expression indicated she'd maim me if I clicked the shutter.
The title comes from the saying etched in the cross beam behind the bench.

I love the energy and attitude of this shot. The textures of the wood, the wall and the bench are fascinating.
Sadly, the scan washed out a lot of the detail and texture, and no matter what I did, I couldn't get them back!
Sometimes I regret that film is a thing of the past. Digital is here to stay and has its strengths, but each can do something the other can't, and I'm loathe to discard any craft. After all, we still have live theater despite the presence of TV, film, DVD and digital download. Why should so-called "slow art" be any different?
Ah well, the price of progress, I suppose.
Next: I'll have scanner access again this week, so if I meet my writing deadlines, I should get to the next page of A Private Myth by next Sunday.

Original Art Sundays No. 96: Oddment: window light photography

Another blast from the past. But not too blasted out, we hope!
This photo was done using only window light.

 

I like the textures a lot. The subject's contemplative expression is in quizzical contrast to the brightness of the image, and the textures and folds of the fabric are fascinating. The scan is not completely faithful to the print, but holds most of the texture.

I scanned this in RGB, adjusted levels of each channel individually, then desaturated and faded the desaturation to get maximum range.

When I was teaching a liberal arts course in summer session (high school students going for college credit), I was extolling the virtues of negatives and the darkroom.
Yeah, compared to Photoshop, it's a big clunky mess, but there really is no experience comparable to making art- any art- by hand.
next week: back to Tranny Towers, as we gear up for Original Art Sundays no. 100 in four weeks!

Shawn Phillips, July 26, 2010

I will write more on this tomorrow. The post will be expanded, but I wanted to get it out there that tonight's Shawn Phillips concert was amazing!
Here's me and Shawn, courtesy of my cheesy cel phone.

More details about this fantastic evening tomorrow!
Well, as Martha and the Muffins once sang, let me tell you, it's tomorrow and I never know what tomorrow will bring!
Shawn details:
Show started promptly at 7:30 as is Shawn's way. He made his entrance from the top floor of the 2-story stage setup and walked down the prop spiral stairs, which was big fun!
Shawn's playing with a band for most of this tour. I'd rather see him solo, but this band was a good complement to him. Talented players who knew when to step in and most importantly, when to hold back. Passion and restraint are such a difficult combination!
Here's some rehearsal footage with the band from earlier in the day.




The show was one long set, a little under two hours.
While Shawn was in voice and on for the night, and the material included stuff not performed publicly for more than 30 years, I was most struck by the philosophical and moral content of Shawn's works.
He spoke of the three things he tries to include in his writing:
Anger
Wonder
Technique
Anger is an awareness of what's wrong and a willingness to try to do something about it.
Wonder is a continual appreciation of the beauty in beads of water on leaves, an awareness of the delicacy and endurance of nature, of life.
Technique is balancing the two.
I've never heard it put quite that way before.
As often happens during a Shawn concert, I marvel at what the man has survived. Last night he told us about his 1976 accident, when his long hair got tangled in the propeller of an outboard motor. He was in critical care for three months and spent another four in recovery. The doctors were afraid he had brain damage and would never be able to write or compose again.
Much of the evening was about craft and possibility.  When I'm honored/confronted by the work of a creator of Shawn's caliber, I find myself torn between feelings of tremendous inadequacy and aspirations to immense possibility.
The evening was archived, which gives me hope that there may be a DVD in our future! (addendum: learned that there will be no DVD of this one).
I'll let one of my favorite Shawn songs close. This is from the MN Zoo performance two years ago, the best Shawn Phillips show I've ever seen. I encourage you to buy the DVD!

Original Art Sundays # 48: A Movie for America

I love this country.
Any place else, I wouldn't stand a chance!
America, the home of bratwurst (oops, that's Germany), fries (sorry, that's France or England, depending on how they're cut) and pizza (sorry, that's Italy).
So what have we given the world?
Jazz, movies, nuclear power (for good and bad), Walt Disney, man on the moon, and a singular form of democracy (again, for good and bad).
So much great music: Aaron Copland, Paul Simon, Duke Ellington, Laurie Anderson, Mingus, Phillip Glass, the Doors....
Hendrix!
Some of my favorite musicians are purely American: Mark O'Connor, Paul Simon, Mike Nesmith, Shawn Phillips....
And it's a beautiful country, full of joy, anger and surprise!
To celebrate July 4, I've taken some photos of my US travels for the last few years and combined them with a couple fast, loose guitar pieces.
Art for America, anyone?

Original Art Sundays #44 (Friday): Night for Day

No excuses for missing a Sunday. I've just been a bit disheveled of late. Back on track again this week, despite the beginning of a new class on Sunday (more on that later).
This is traditional photography again: film, darkroom, photo sensitive paper, the whole shooting match.

What I find interesting is that this is a night shot, about 10:30 PM.
And it's so oddly bright.
Really weird night, sort of an orange fog light dispersing mist everywhere. The texture of the tree just jumped out at me, and the result was this odd rule of thirds composition.I'm fascinated by the texture of the dirty snow and the parking lot as the shadow of the tree hits it.

Original Art Sundays # 37: I Am A Camera (Jack)

New page next week, time permitting. This week was eaten by meetings, grading and writing.
This week's art comes to us from the world of photography. It's an image of my first photography teacher, Jack Mader.

This is not done in Photoshop.
This is traditional photography. You know, film, negatives, paper developing, the works, old school.
I took an image of Jack with half the lens masked. Then I rotated the mask and took an upscaled shot of a Nikon 35MM camera. For the second negative, I took a shot of a broken mirror, shattered from the center out.
Then, projecting the negative through the enlarger, I cut a mask of the projected area of the Jack/camera composite.
Masking first the mirrored area and then the composite negative, I exposed both areas of the paper. The mask was slightly off-register, which gave the nifty solarized edging.
I've always been rather proud of this one. When I applied for credit transfer at MCAD, this was the only photo I showed in my portfolio, and they accepted my photo credits.
It remains a favorite.
There are at least three songs titled I Am A Camera: one by the Buggles, one by Gentle Giant, and one in the musical Cabaret.
next week, more of A Private Myth.

Happy dog time! Picture, picture! Good boy.

Time to shake off the grief of last week's events.
Here's a double header designed to make me smile: (1)the official photos of the First Family have been done (2) by Annie Leibovitz.
This is good for three reasons.
1. It keeps a human face on an administration some are inclined to demonize.
2. It gives the nation a photo of the First Pooch! I'm a cat lover, but, come on, how adorable is this guy?

3. It gives work to Annie Leibovitz. In light of her recent troubles, she could use a break.

Original Art Sundays, No. 14: a dusty old bar....

I don't publish my photography much. This is partially because the market is saturated with really good photographers. It's also because I'm rarely satisfied with my framing.
But this shot, done on a shoot with a Digital Photography class on Mineeapolis' North Side, came out as I hoped.  There's a mood to the tiredness and dust in good sepiatone that I find quite compelling.
I haven't decided if I'm posting this year's 24 Hour Challenge book here. I completed it, oh, 9 hours ago- got done early, and it only shows on a couple pages! We'll see how it goes once I do my print run for the upcoming anthology/box.