resplendent chaos

Angels, Dragons and Ghosts

 
For some reason, the San Francisco Fine Art Fair party I crashed back in May had a strange impact on me. As I mentioned earlier, it was the many interesting faces that captivated my attention - I barely noticed the art. I always enjoy taking in fresh new art and finding inspiration from artists, so it's never like me to ignore art.  After leaving the party, I decided to stop every art project I was doing and set out to sketch the portraits of some of the people I saw. 

Above: The bright yellow shirt caught my attention, and then I saw his face: a work of art.  I marched like the Keep On Truckin' guy right up to him and asked if I could take a photo and paint him. Of all the people I met, he was the kindest. He gave me his card and told me to send him the result. I just sent it to him....  Medium:  Oil in moleskine sketch book, digital texture.

Never before had I seen such a synergistic combination of person and art. A stunning sculpture of an intricate spiraling dragon was made all the more magnificent by the woman standing next to it.  They seemed to mirror each other in fiery grandeur.  When she walked away from it, the dragon lost a little of its magic. The lady and the dragon should be sold together as a set.  Medium: watercolor on paper, digital color.

 
I'll often amuse myself by making up stories about some of the people I see. There's a huge old crumbling Victorian mansion a few streets over from me.  High atop the mansion is a turret with an open window that never shuts (I'll get a pic and post it here soon).  It's dark in there and a faded tattered curtain whips in the wind.  When I walk by, I always look to see if an apparition might appear in the window for I have no doubt the place is haunted. Anyway, I was at the art opening and saw a ghostly woman in black fading in and out of the crowd. One minute she'd be there, the next minute she'd disappear. She was wearing all sorts of big chains and buckles and it suddenly dawned on me that she was the lady haunting the mansion. I felt a chill, so I took my photo and got out of there. Medium: pastel, watercolor on paper.

Last Call is Never a Pretty Sight

It was a beautifully random crossing of two ships in the night. Myself, perhaps a bit too emboldened with the warmth of fermented grape liquid armor, resulting in an overly assertive capture of impromptu photo snaps at the end of the evening. Herself, perhaps caught up in the frenzied last call atmosphere of the decimated free food and beverage table, perhaps piling a few too many cupcakes on a napkin and perhaps filling her plastic cup with too much vino for the cup to handle.  It was her hair, her amazing sea creature hair, that captured my attention. I made no hesitation to focus my lens on it -- but the moment I did, she looked right at the camera and jolted, thus spilling her wine and dropping her crowded mass of mini-cupcakes to the floor. One day I want my hair to be like hers, except more phosphorescent and with way more tentacles. Medium: Graphite in moleskine, digital color, free wine.

I Crashed a Fancy Art Party A Few Weeks Ago . . . Part Two

An air of commanding grandiosity surrounded them as they slowly made their way through the crowded art party. I was quietly propped against a wall immersed in observing the multi-varied throngs of eye-catching humans passing by when I noticed the crowd parting in deference to what appeared to be the King and Queen of the event.  I snapped to and headed toward them to ask for a photo. The King happily obliged, but the Queen hesitated for a bit and warned me that she "looks awful in photographs". I had a little wine in me so I screeched, "Impossible! You are gorgeous!" and then I turned red with embarrassment because one shouldn't address a Queen in such an overly exuberant manner. She shot me a look and I averted my eyes. Medium: Gouache and acrylic in moleskine.

 

The Royal Love Turtles  Medium: graphite in moleskine

I Crashed a Fancy Art Party A Few Weeks Ago . . . .

 
I slipped into the San Francisco Fine Arts Fair opening night party a few weeks ago and neglected viewing the numerous paintings and sculpture gracing the walls of the elegant event space. Why? Because the people in attendance were far, far more interesting.  I wandered away from my friends and got lost in the crowd, a camera in one hand, a cup of free wine in the other, my eyes feasting upon throngs of wealthy art patrons wearing fancy designer outfits, botox kabuki masks, fine jewelry and the usual assortment of sleek "statement"  eyeglass frames.  I wove in and out of the crowd, snapping photos and disappearing before being noticed.  I was stopped in my tracks by a dazzling, meticulously dressed and groomed figure with sparkling white teeth and a perfectly smooth and mesmerizingly shiny bald head. As I got closer, he caught me trying to hide behind some lady's big poofy hair while taking his picture. Busted yet again!  Instead of getting pissy or turning away, he simply looked directly at me and flashed a huge grin with those blinding choppers. Additionally noted was his very large hand clutching a phone and a wad of kleenex. Usually it's old ladies you see clutching kleenex, not fancy art guys. Medium: Graphite and ink in moleskine, digital color. Additional illustrations of wealthy art patrons to be posted this week.