crazy for ROBOTS: robot #50

Junkbot, by Goobeesta

For robot feature #50, I thought I'd show these two very different, very cool gems by Goobeesta, aka Brian Gubicza. I love them! Junkbot was made out of tea tins, pipes, pez dispensers soda caps and plastic spoons. He then painted him and added the decals, which he created digitally. I really love how he did this. The layer of paint really unifies the whole piece and disguises the "junk" that makes up his body.

Robot, by Goobeesta

I also love the graphic simplicity of this bot. You can order prints and buttons of this bot on Brian's etsy site, where he has tons of other fun stuff as well. Check it out!

*Images taken from Goobeesta's flickr page.

crazy for ROBOTS: robot #49

Robot 1 by Flix

I just love the pixelly, graphic goodness of these fun, colorful, simple bots by Flix. I came across these cool bots on flickr a while ago, but have forgotten to post them 'til now. Seeing these 3D paper bots makes me want to stack 'em like Jenga pieces. How tall can you make your robot totem before it falls down?

paper robots by Flix

The Old Robots

just a sampling of the robots you can find on The Old Robots

About a month ago, my husband sent me a link to this amazing robot site called The Old Robots. It is one of the best catalogued robot sites that I've seen. It's very cool! Not only do I love to be able to look at all the robots, but there's a ton of great info on them, too. I love the way they've been organized into grids, with their names placed clearly underneath each one of them.

a section of one of the many pages on the site

zeroing in on Starroid's Radio Robot

The kind keeper of this site has not only provided plenty of pics, but has also provided lots of other info on each bot including PDFs of the original manuals and packaging. They are always accepting submissions and photos, too, so if you see something you had/have, be sure to write to The Old Robot so the info on the robot can be updated, added to, or corrected.

Starroid's Radio Robot model #i-M-1

Needless to say, I'll be visiting this site again and again. Seeing so many different kinds of robots really makes me want to draw and make some more of my own. Lots of great bots on here, a whole ton of which I hadn't seen before now. Enjoy!

*All images taken from The Old Robot.

Portrait Invitational at Blue Gallery

Family Portrait

mixed media on canvas, 30x30 inches, 2009

(click on the image for a larger view)

I am honored to have a few pieces in the Portrait Invitational show that's currently at Blue Gallery here in Kansas City. I had so much fun creating the recent piece I did for the Kansas City Art Institute auction, that I decided to try something similar with this piece. It's fun trying to figure out what's going to go where and how the pieces are going to fit together, especially considering that I have no idea what the final outcome will be. Unlike the piece for KCAI, this piece has several family photos in it. While not all of the photos are personal, a handful of them are pictures of relatives mostly from my mom's side of the family. When I use personal photos, I never use the originals. I always have new prints made. The other photos in the piece, however, are actual prints that I've found in various antique malls and shops over the years. It's interesting what you find out there. For me, these little fragments of peoples' lives captured on pieces of paper create new stories as I try to figure out in what context they were taken when they were taken and what they mean to me, now, so many years later. For some detailed pics, please check out my flickr page.

I just need 20 more minutes

Eric Zener, oil on panel, 16x20 inches, 2009

Needless to say, I have several favorites from the show, a few of which I had to post. This first piece is by Eric Zener. I love it. Wow. It just blows me away. The subtlety of light captured within this piece is beautiful to me. It feels like the early morning, eyes slightly pained with the knowledge of having to wake up. I am not a morning person. I can relate.

Alison (shift)

Brad Williams, oil on canvas, 35x38 inches, 2009

This beautifully executed piece, by Brad Williams, is another favorite of mine. I love the calm tension in this piece. It feels and looks like water is rising, yet the calmness on her face makes you wonder if that's what's happening or not. I also love the lack of color in this piece. The color in her face and eyes as well as her jet-black hair and sweater really makes you focus on her, and not the rising water.

I Remember Her

Sola Sawyerr, oil on canvas, 60x48 inches, 2009

The last piece I'll share from the show, and perhaps my favorite of them all, is this wonderful piece by Sola Sawyerr. These ghostlike images capture the feeling of so many of the old photographs I find. Worn and weathered, held and treasured, they once meant something very dear to the person who carried the image of their loved one with them. They are both beautiful and sad to me. I love the mark-making in this piece. The textures seem to indicate the time that's passed.

These pieces illustrate part of why I am so honored to be a part of this show: I cannot paint like this. I think in my life I have done one actual portrait in oil on canvas. It was a painting of my brother when he was about 10 years old. (His wife now owns the piece.) I am not saying I would necessarily want to paint this way. I'm happy and thankful every day to be able to do what I do, the way I do it. But, I have always been - and continue to be - blown away by artists who can draw or paint someone and capture their likeness so exquisitely.

The Portrait Invitational Exhibition at Blue Gallery is open now and runs through October 2009. Gallery hours are Tuesday - Saturday 10 am - 5:30 pm, or by appointment.

Photos taken from Blue Gallery's website.

the summer sun is setting

Lake Michigan • summer 2009

I think I might be in denial that summer is over. I mean, officially, fall doesn't start 'til September 21, right? *Sigh* See? Denial! It's always hard spending time in the studio in the spring and summer, but this summer was particularly hard...partly because my hubby and I were too busy having fun! It was a great summer filled with cave exploring with friends, an extended weekend getaway on Table Rock Lake with family, and a relaxing week-long trip to Lake Michigan with my good friend Julie and her family.

me, not too sure of being inside Fisher Cave

Meremac Park • summer 2009

That's not to say that I'm not excited for fall - it's probably my favorite season! I love the cooler temps, the changing leaves ( especially the orange ones!), a warm cup of coffee or tea to keep my hands warm, and the thought of upcoming snow. There's something about the crispness in the air that gets me excited to hunker down in the warmth of my studio and spend hours drawing and painting. I have several projects set up for this fall that I'm excited to start. More on that later!