"GOLDEN BUDDHA" - PROCESS AND PRINTS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

"GOLDEN BUDDHA"

 This is my "Golden Buddha" which is a lino-cut produced in the Chine-cole' technique. All Buddha prints available measures approximately 6" X 9" and are printed on Rives BFK 100% rag, archival quality paper, (with the exception of the gold metallic paper). There are some Buddhas on Grey Paper, others on Cream, and still others on White. Each print is being sold for $40, and is being sold in order to raise funds for a return trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand in September where I will be working with the wonderful folk at Cultural Canvas/Art Relief International. The original print of the Buddha was drawn on-site, directly on to the piece of linoleum, and then cut and printed upon my return to NYC. If you would like to see what's available, you can hit me up on Facebook and take a peek or send me a message here on Blogger.

PRINTED "GOLDEN BUDDHA"

INK LINOLEUM

 

 PLACE SWATCH OF PAPER ONTO INKED LINO, CAREFUL TO NOT SMEAR THE INK  ON TO THE SWATCH 

ADD LIGHTLY DILUTED PH NEUTRAL GLUE TO PAPER SWATCH YOU WANT ADHERED TO THE BASE PAPER AND PRINTED UPON

PLACE BASE PAPER OVER GLUED SWATCH AND INKED LINO, CAREFUL NOT TO SMEAR INK (THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PART ;0)

PRINT WITH GOLD PAPER EMBOSSED

PRINTED "GOLDEN BUDDHA"

WAT CHEDI LUANG, CHIANG MAI, THAILAND

This is one if the last, (only 2 sketches in the series left), of the series of linocut sketches I drew while in Chiang Mai, Thailand in January while doing work for the volunteer group VOLUNTEER POSITIVE.

This image was created while sitting in the shade under a tree surrounding the massive Chedi in Wat Chedi Luang.

From: Thailand For Visitors

"In its day, Wat Chedi Luang must have been the most impressive temple in Chiang Mai. Built about 600 years ago, the huge chedi which gave the temple its name (the name of the temple translates to "royal pagoda") must have soared high above the surrounding city. We say "must have" because the chedi was mostly destroyed within a few hundred years of its construction. Some say it was an earthquake in the 17^th century that did the deed; others say it was King Taksin's cannons firing on the city to chase out the Burmese in the 18^thcentury."


"The pagoda has been partially reconstructed, but the spire has not been recreated since nobody can be sure what it looked like."

Friday night is the opening of Jennifer Kosharek's eve-N-odd Gallery's "Coloring Book Show" of which I have submitted a piece for the coloring book as well as created a special handstitched, hand-painted lino-cut, 5 page, accordian fold Berube Bugs piece for the actual show.

Coloring books are available for $10.00 HERE

This is the page I submitted for the coloring book.

A GREY DAY IN SOHO, NYC

Finally finished my Soho painting. Not particularly thrilled with it. Way too many details and lots of stop and go between when I started it and when I finished it. These little paint projects are supposed to be "sketches", the idea being that I take reference shots from my day and paint them as documentation, a visual journal of my life, the people I love, the things I see. Unfortunately with subject matter like buildings in Soho on a gray day, there isn't a lot of emotion attached to the reference. Actually looking forward to moving on to the next, a portrait of my friend Chad Pace. Far more interesting. But I have a crazy work week lined up and I want to avoid the whole stop and go thing this time.

Here's the process for the Soho Painting. Start to finish.

CORNER OF 52nd & 10th, NYC - AKA: THE VORTEX

This is the apartment I live in at the corner of 52nd Street and 10th Avenue in a little place called Manhattan in a little neighborhood called "Hell's Kitchen".

At 17 years this year, It's the only place I've lived longer than the home that I was raised in. With my studio located in the front corner room, (count up 2 windows from the corner of the building). Over the years, it's become the center of my Universe. I've seen a couple roommates come and go, a couple boyfriends come and go, a couple dogs come, (The Mimz is still here.... and well, one ex is still here), but most importantly, I'm still here watching the world from my little corner.

Below are a few of the steps I go through to finish one of these itty-bitty, little 5" X 5" paintings.

"JOSHUA AT THE DOG PARK"

Being the type of person who doesn't make friends, true friends, all that easily or all that often, I've learned over the years that people like Joshua Paprika Fennell are a rare find in my life. The type of person that I know I was meant to meet and meant to know for the rest of my life.

We met a few years ago at the dog park down the street from where I live and as I discovered not too far from where he lives as well. It just so happens that Joshua has a Jack Russell Terrier, the same breed of dog as my, "Mimzy", and he's also an aspiring self-taught Artist with a passion for life that is evident in everything he does. Joshua is what I refer to as my, "Brother from another Mother", or "Sister from another Mister", depending on the mood and his behavior.

"JOSHUA AT THE DOG PARK" - Acrylic 4.5" X 4.5"

"GEORGE" - The Process

Because I do not have the ability to do one thing at a time, I was taking pics of my progress last night on this portrait of my friend George Berberian and texting them to him as I was working on the piece. 

Part of the conversation that ensued is contained below. It will give you a little insight into what the brain of a Virgo Artist is doing when he's walking along the street, or sitting on the subway, visiting a foreign land or hanging out with one of his favorite people. I have been blessed in so many ways with having the ability to relay what I see visually, but I've also been condemned with the ability to never take things for their surface appearances. In my minds eye, there isn't just a blue sky, a pretty orange flower, or a beautiful set of eyebrows.

TEXT


George: Far be it for me to criticise the artist...
              tho I do think my eyebrows are too thick...
George: You're doing it so quickly, and with paint... impressive
David: Lol. I told you I wasn't done fool!!!.
            Besides, what do you think a Virgo Artist sees first, second, third and fourth when he looks at          you?
George: Uhhh... different shades of color?
               Is that a rhetorical question...
David: And I had already adjusted the eyebrows before you texted.
            I'm challenging myself by using one size brush.
David: Not for me it isn't (in reply to george asking if my question was rhetorical)
            My job in life is to observe.
            And appreciate.

MY REFERENCE MATERIALS

THE INTREPID

"Having lived 16 years just a few blocks away from The Intrepid, it's easy to forget about it. Today was the perfect occasion to remind myself how fortunate I am to live so close to the Hudson River." - March 28, 2012

New "SKETCH" BUDDHA - RUBIN MUSEUM OF ART

Here's my latest acrylic "sketch" based on a photo I took of a Tibetan Buddhist sculpture at The Rubin Museum of Art in NYC. My sketch is approximately 4" X 4", acrylic paints on textured paper. Unfortunately, because I used metalic gold paints, reproduction of my painting isn't the best quality. The subtlties of color in my painting are not obvious in the photo.

CHANGE OF PACE

I've been in a bit of a linocut burn-out phase after cutting and printing many of my linocuts from my recent trip to Chiang Mai. I've also been craving doing some color work and some painting, so I broke out the acrylic paints and brushes and did this quick little "sketch". If you've been keeping track of my recent linocuts, you'll have seen a similar image printed of this same subject. What I've learned to do over the years is to always photograph the image I am drawing on to lino when i am traveling and doing an on-site lino drawing. The reason for this is to have a refer4ence shot of whatever it is I'm looking at just in case I decide to add color to the lino or I have trouble understanding what I drew. This is my friend Phra Kritsada Prueprong, a 20 year-old Buddhist Monk I met and became friends with in Chiang Mai.