Just in time for the flu season! Germs are everywhere. Some are useful, and some are not. Often called pathogens (Greek for “the causes of disease”), the four types of unfriendly germs (bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi) have been known do away with millions of people throughout the history of the world. If you think of them as gang members, here are the varmints you should be keeping an eye out for. Click the image below for a larger version. (Text courtesy Kids Discover magazine.)
From Wikipedia: “In Central European folklore, Krampus is a horned, anthropomorphic figure described as ‘half-goat, half-demon’, who, during the Christmas season, punishes children who have misbehaved, in contrast with Saint Nicholas, who rewards the well-behaved with gifts.”
Thinking it would be fun to visualize the good and evil stories of Christmas, I sketched and began to craft a character that I refer to as Santa Krampus. This bas-relief carving is extruded polystyrene and chalk acrylic paint, and is roughly 39″ x 50″, and weighs but a few pounds. Would love to know what everyone thinks of the piece. Enjoy!
I’ve had several requests to explain the process behind my strange wall sculptures, my latest being a cubist turkey. Click the sketch at the bottom for a quick tutorial on carving and painting these kinds of artwork. Enjoy!
This styrofoam carving thing is getting to be a lot of fun.This is my submission for the Halloween season. Styrofoam, chalk paint, and 20 amp Romex wire. The entire creation is roughly 4ft. high by 3ft. wide. Enjoy!
I’ve discovered that making larger-than-life faces is a real hoot. In keeping with earlier pieces, this is carved from 2 inch styrofoam and festooned with acrylic chalk paint (and some pastels and crayons). The hair is fashioned from PEX plumbing, and the entire creation is roughly 4ft. high by 3ft. wide. Enjoy!
In the short tradition of large masks staring at passers by from our living room wall, I present my latest creation – a Picasso-esque tribute to the famous Spaniard. Carved 2-inch styrofoam with latex and acrylic chalk paint, roughly 4ft. x 2ft. Enjoy!
Every so often I feel compelled to put down the mouse, turn off the Mac, and do something much more tangible and hands-on. I found some clip art, tweaked it a bit, and used the pattern to craft this African tribal mask from styrofoam (2-inch) and latex paint. It’s about 4 ft. x 2 ft., and really has a presence on the living room wall. Think I’ll do another… if it’s okay with the wife. Enjoy!
I honor famous clarinetist and band leader Benny Goodman in this sixth in a series of Semi-Famous Barnyard Animals. Not too many people can state that reading the dictionary is fun, but I’m not like many people. Enjoy!
Moby Dick is a foundation of modern literature, so I co-opted the name. This image is the fifth in a series of Semi-Famous Barnyard Animals. Enjoy!
I love playing with words, especially names. This image is the third in a series of Semi-Famous Barnyard Animals. My favorite movie of all time is To Kill A Mockingbird, so the character of Atticus Finch (and the actor) is never far from my mind. Enjoy!
Sometimes I come across an old dictionary or book that has been damaged or simply has several pages missing, and see that object as something that still contains a lot of information, AND, useful paper. I’d earlier crafted something similar to Pigasus that dealt with the theme “When pigs fly,” but wanted to step it up a notch. This will be the first in a series of Semi-Famous Barnyard Animals. Enjoy!
