Work of Art

I don’t normally use this space to rage, but I really feel that this is a subject that,
a. I want to talk about and,
b. needs my meager input and my insight.

Bravo TV fired up the second season of “Work of Art.” I watched the first episode and I was not disappointed. The show gave me plenty of things to complain about.

I think a touch of background information is important here. I watched season one. The show is kind of like “Survivor” for “artists.” Each week they get an art challenge, and must complete a work in a very short time. The lovely China Chow tosses the loser with her catch phrase “your work of art didn’t work for us.”

Last season I did very little public commentary on the show, the one time I did was in Laguna Beach, when some people were talking about the show as they entered a gallery. As we passed, I did say that Miles (who ended up being in the final three) was a douche, which is a comment I stand by to this day.

So in the interest of providing season two with at least one great artist, I went to an open call for the show. I waited in the glaring sun of Los Angeles with about 400 other people for about four hours. I brought a portfolio of paintings and photographs. When I finally got in to see the inquisitors, the one comment that will forever stand out was “your work is really great; it is however, just photography.”

So I found it interesting that the guest judge on the first episode would be Mary Ellen Mark, a very accomplished and wonderful photographer. I was quite disappointed by the way the other judges seemed to treat Ms. Mark. I wanted to reach into the TV and choke Jerry Saltz when he rolled his eyes at one of Ms. Marks comments.

So I guess it really doesn’t matter if you’re amazingly famous, or just a guy from LA, because in the end your work is “just photography.”

The Final Frontier or Accidental Porn?

Life has been busy; I’m still working on new pages for the Legend of the Ninja Knight, as well as creating title slides for an independent film.

But I still found time to create two new abstract paintings for a show celebrating the connection between Art and Science.

I decided to paint my Interpretation of an image taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. Now after it’s been finished, judged, displayed at the Science Center, and returned to me, my wife takes a look at one of the images and asks me if I intended for it to look like a nude woman.

I really didn’t, but now that she has pointed it out, I named the image, Aphrodite Nebula.

New Pages and One Ah Crap!

Finished page 7 this week, and it was a real struggle. I finally figured out what my problem was. I was trying to stuff ten pounds of story in a five pound sack.

I dropped the last two frames and it worked. Unfortunately, that also led me to make a mistake. I got a email today from the writer who pointed out I used a panel where the Templar has both hands, in spite of having his right hand cut off on Page4.

I quickly switched to the correct fame. Damn working late.

Legend of the Ninja Knight Page 4

Uploaded page four today.

In this panel, the Muslim commander orders the sword hand of the Knight Templar cut off.

Last weeks panel was tough, it was mainly a set up for todays. Today there is more action and I found it somewhat easier to complete, but still had some real debates on how to portray the action.

Page Three Legend of the Ninja Knight

This week’s panel was really difficult for me. For the most part, it's a set up for page four. Lots of dialogue, which is much harder to portray than action, but maybe more important.

So what happens on page four, guess you'll have to wait until next week.

The graphic novel is now live on the internet!

Check it out at www.legendoftheninjaknight.com

Enjoy

Back at It

Today we went up to Big Bear for a little hike in the mountains. I hate to admit it, but I must be getting old. It was pretty hot, and the uphill parts of the climb had me breathing heavy. Maybe it was just the thin air. Sure.



Anyway, like I said in my last post, I have been busy; I can finally talk about what I have been up to. I have been working on a Graphic Novel with a writer in Northern California. The story is called “The Legend of the Ninja-Knight” and is a kind of semi-historical myth.
The Novel will be on a WEB site starting on July 12, with a new page every week. The site is www.thelegendoftheninjaknight.com.