New Painting: Cleaning Up

My latest painting came straight from an old photo I found online. There was something really dynamic and unusual about its composition that drew me to it. As I came to study the photo, I realized there are a lot of really nice rhyming diagonals in it, like the roofs of the houses, the billows of the pool and the shadows on the wall.

I painted it with a less muted palette than I usually do but I was very conscious about keeping it balanced and harmonic. I like how the intense colors of the woman in the foreground juxtapose with more muted colors with the houses.

The challenge for the work was the water. I never really painted water before.

Solano Ct. Won First Place in the "Expression" Juried Show at the Marin Society of Artists, Part 2

I’m still in shock that I won the “Expression” Juried Show over at the Marin Society of Artists. I half expect to be told it was a mistake or a cruel joke, in spite of growing evidence to the contrary. Above is the Juror Andrea Schwartz’s statement about the show and my work.

Since we are living in this weird, shitty timeline, the exhibit is a virtual one. You can see it here. There’s some great work. Check it out.

A few more Quarantine quickies

Balancing life between homeschooling my son and wallowing in feelings of dread and despair by scrolling through Twitter, I’ve been getting some painting done too. Since I finished Pepper Tree Court I’ve been experimenting with style and with materials in a string of smaller works. Those big paintings take a lot of energy and time. It’s nice to loosen things up.

Actually, the painting above, Irene and Her Bugs, I thought was going to a be quick one. But getting the lines and the tones right on that house proved challenging and that VW Bug was even harder. Its profile is so iconic that any deviation from is curves soon read as just wrong. I opted for a cool green and blue palette for the house and surrounds because I wanted to make the central figure pop with that pink.

I added that mask at the last minute. A late night bit of inspiration.

Where Irene and Her Bugs required a lot of care with its execution, my next painting Kaye and Joe with Fish let me go a lot looser.

I loved the implied story in the original photo. The husband was clearly having a blast fishing in the hinterland. His wife, based on her hair, clothes and body language, was less enthusiastic. The photo was also dramatically backlit. Conveying both that mood and almost cinematic lighting was the challenge.

And finally, I started experimenting with painting on paper. This is a portrait of a stuffed piranha I bought over 15 years ago. I named it Condoleeza. I painted this on watercolor paper and I really liked how the paint moved on the page. I’m definitely going to do more of this again.

Solano Ct. Won First Place in the "Expression" Juried Show at the Marin Society of Artists

Last week, I learned that my work Chuck and Cindy was invited to show at the “Left Coast” juried art show at Marin MOCA. This week, I learned that my painting Solano Ct. has been invited to the “Expressions” juried show at the Marin Society of Artists. I am stoked.

EDIT: I just learned it won first prize. I’m completely overwhelmed.

You can see a video of the whole exhibit below.

"Chuck and Cindy" At "Left Coast" Exhibition at MarinMOCA

I just learned that my painting from last year, Chuck and Cindy, is going to be a part of the “Left Coast” juried exhibition at Marin Museum of Contemporary Art. It’s scheduled for June 6 through to July 19 but I’m not really sure what form the show will take place.

I’m excited because this is really the first bit of professional validation I’ve had for my paintings. And I’m doubly excited that this painting in particular got selected because this is a painting of my parents when they were newlyweds.

New work: Pepper Tree Ct

It is week four or five of the quarantine. Between the news, which is positively maddening, and the demands of looking after a very energetic six-year old, it has been a challenge. Painting is the one thing that I’ve been doing that reliably calms the waters.

This is another work in my corpses in cul-de-sac series.

Quarantine Quickies

I'm located in the Bay Area, among the first places to go into coronavirus-related lockdown. It’s been over two weeks now. The first week was spend mostly endlessly scrolling through Twitter and drinking. Lately, I’ve been getting back into painting with a revenge. I knocked out these two paintings in the past week. More to come.

RV Fire

Illustrations from 2020

This year, I’ve not only been painting in oil but also playing around with different illustrative styles. For years I’ve been struggling to find a style that was looser and less involved than the one I used for Veeptopus. Lately I’ve been experimenting with liquid watercolor, which feels like it’s halfway between ink drawing and painting.

I did the above painting last week while in the first week of quarantine. It feels right considering the moment.

Earlier this year, we went to Rome (oh, those were the days). I had a blast painting and sketching —along with eating my weight in pasta.

New Painting: Solano Ct.

When I started this series last year, I didn’t realize it would become quite so topic. I finished this painting under quarantine and, since I have literally nothing better to do aside from watch Pokemon with my six-year old, I’m probably going to paint a lot more in the future.

Live Painting at the Cinequest Film Festival

The plan last week was that I, along with three other artists, were going to do a live painting demonstration as a part of the Cinequest Film Festival and then the resulting paintings were going to be voted on by the festival goers. At the end of the fest, the paintings and the artists would be presented as a part of the closing ceremony.

Taking advantage of the VIP Lounge

Of course, the film festival was canceled after only a few days because of the corona virus. So no contest, no voting, no end of fest presentation. In the intervening time, I managed to paint the largest work I’ve done yet 6ft x 4ft. And I did it acrylics, which is a medium I haven’t really used much before. I think I going to stick with oils for the time being.

The festival theme was “elation” and we were asked to come up with a work based on that theme. This isn’t a topic I would naturally gravitate towards – “alienation” probably is closer to my speed. But while searching the internet for ideas, I came across a still from the David Cronenberg movie Scanners . That movie is most famous for having a guy’s head explode in a shower of blood and gore. I decided to paint that guy’s face just before he explodes. It looks a bit like elation but it also looks like a rictus of pain. Or as one patron of the arts noted, “It looks like he’s nutting.”

I worked at Kaleid Gallery where I will have a solo show in August. That is unless we’ve devolved into a dystopian hellscape by then.

New Painting: Benton Street

I just finished a new painting, a 30x30” work called Benton Street.

This work is both a continuation of my previous work and something new. It is definitely a continuation of the ground explored in my previous painting Cul-de-Sac. Judging from the response to that work, there’s something about prone bodies lying in suburbs that resonant with today’s mood. The death of the American middle class? The corona virus? Climate apocalypse? I’ll let the critics figure it out.

My previous paintings have all found their inspiration in vintage photographs. Yes, even the paintings of awkward naked people. You’d be amazed what you can find on Ebay. This painting came from the view outside my bedroom window (sans corpse). As I refine my style, I’m finding it harder and harder to find snapshots that I want to paint. Taking my own photos seems a logical next step.

My Painting Cul de Sac is on the Cover of an Album

So my painting from last year, Cul de Sac, is now gracing the cover of JChan ‘s latest album, Breakaway. If you dig chill grooves and phat beats, check it out.

First painting of 2020

I started this painting back in December, thinking that I would be able to knock it out before Christmas break. It didn’t work out that way, as it took me almost two months. A painting will take as long as it needs to take, I’m learning, and you can’t really force it. Of course, I was also sidelined by general holiday craziness and a really awesome trip abroad. (More on that in a later post)

The inspiration of this painting was the same as a lot of my recent work: a vintage photograph. I was drawn to this particular photo because it felt cinematic. It felt like a still from some forgotten classic. Of course, that doesn’t always translate into an interesting painting. It took a really long time to find that thing that makes the painting gel. In this case, it was the curtains. Once I saw that how the vertical lines of the curtains contrasted with the horizontal lines of the landscape, I knew that this painting was not destined for the failure bin.

The Veeptopus Etsy site is closing Oct. 1

Five years ago to the month, I opened my Veeptopus Etsy site. Since that time, I have been amazed how much people have connected with my insane project of putting octopuses with vice presidents. I loved reading emails I got from people saying that their son or aunt or girlfriend really liked my work. But I have been evolving away from cephalopod-themed work for a while now and it's time to move on. 

So if you have been thinking about getting that portrait of Harry S Truman with an octopus on his head or a picture of Alexander Hamilton facing down Aaron Burr, now is the time to do it. The Veeptopus Etsy shop will close on October 1. 

My Paintings! On Sale! This Weekend! At THE VERY VERY RARE AFFORDABLE ART FAIR!

Some of my paintings are going to be on sale JCo’s ArtHaus’s THE VERY VERY RARE AFFORDABLE ART FAIR in Los Gatos. As I wrote last time, I am genuinely impressed with the work on sale at the fair. If you’re in the area and have a couple empty walls to fill, you should check it out.

JCO’s Art Haus is at 805 University Avenue, #E Los Gatos, CA 95032.

My New Oil Painting Series Will Be For Sale at JCO Art Haus's Art Fair

Since publishing the Veeptopus book a couple of years ago, I’ve been trying to figure what to do next . I probably could have spent a lifetime putting octopuses on top of things (authors, popes, vintage cars, the nation of Greenland) but creatively that felt like a dead end.

Instead, I’ve spent the past couple of years improving my technique skills while trying out media other than Veeptopus’s ink and watercolor. Lately, I’ve started working seriously in oil producing a series called BURNING.

Though my muse has been pulling me in a very different aesthetic direction from my past cephalopod-themed work, I feel like there’s an underlining connection between the two about the gap between the promise of America and its actual realities.

Inspired by vintage snapshots, these works all harken back to America’s “golden” age of the mid 20th century but seem to hint a catastrophe that lurks just beyond the frame.

On the Beach 24x18

At the end of this month, the work above along with a number of other paintings will be for sale at the JCO Art Haus’s The Very Very Rare Affordable Art Fair in Los Gatos. I am sincerely impressed with much of the work for sale at this event. If you find yourself in the Bay Area that weekend, please check it out.

And I still have a few Veeptopus books lying around, if you need an unusual Mother’s Day gift.

Veeptopus is in the Motherf***ing New York Times!

Yes. Veeptopus was mentioned in this article about political art on Etsy today. This largely came out of the blue and I’m completely stoked. By the way, if you’re interested in getting a Tim Kaine print, you can do so here.

Note: I’m not actually a programmer.

Veeptopus at Politicon '18: Post Mortem - A Morally Dubious Freak Show That Killed a Bit of My Soul

This past weekend, I packed a pile of books, T-shirts, prints, and posters into my aging Honda Fit and made the long trip from scenic Silicon Valley down to the Los Angeles Convention Center for Politicon – a convention where news junkies can gaze upon the waxen visages of cable news pundits and attention-seeking politicians. I made the same journey back in 2016, back when Trump merely seemed like a sick joke and America didn't seem like it was careening towards a police state. Then, I wrote:

In spite of sharp, intolerant divisions we can see on cable news and social media, Politicon left me with a sense that we aren’t quite so divided after all and that there is still general faith in the American idea.

After this year's Politicon, I'm far less certain in that general faith. 

At the Veeptopus table. Photo: Ted Mills

This year, there was less art, fewer vendors and generally less fun. There were more 'roided out Trump bros sporting red MAGA hats, more T-shirts emblazoned horrific messages ("Mohammed is for Homos" and "Socialism is for Fags" were two standouts) and more booths that were obvious fronts for dark money organizations. Across from me was the Turning Point booth, Karl Rove's PAC, which was a gathering spot for a lot of those 'roided out bros with offensive shirts. 

My view during Politicon 2018

The vibe at Politicon felt like walking into a household where the spouses have long since stopped talking to one another but haven't quite called the divorce lawyers. Chilly, uneasy and defensive. A couple of the Trumpsters were just nasty. One hatchet-faced old lady took one look at my Veeptopus poster and snarled, "I think it's abhorrent what you're doing to this country and these fine leaders. Anything to make a buck. But then that's the great thing about Capitalism, right?" She seems nice. I'll bet she likes calling 911 on black people barbequing at the park just for fun. 

Others were nice up to a point. A couple other Trump bros (easily identifiable by their ubiquitous red hats) came over to my table, telling me my stuff was awesome. But when they saw my portrait of Pence, they grew quiet and awkward. Some slinked off. One guy recoiled but then bought the first print he could grab, Thomas Jefferson. 

Standing awkwardly, together. Photo: Ted Mills

The gaggles of Hillary-supporters that were around last time (and who were among my most reliable customers) were far fewer. It was almost as if Democrats had decided after a year and a half under Trump that politics wasn't fun anymore; that the tired Right vs. Left equivalence repeated ad nauseam by cable news channels doesn't really hold water when one side is openly cuddling up with Nazis, condone right-wing terror and building prison camps for children. 

Of course, not everyone there was a member of der Trumpengruppen. I met one guy who was an unabashed Stalin enthusiast, for instance. He had an Uncle Joe sweatshirt and the twitchy demeanor of someone who knows that he is probably going to get punched in the near future. 

Nixon Library Curator, Veeptopus Fan.

I also met a number of actual fans. A couple staff members of Politicon are Veeptopus enthusiasts apparently as are several employees of the Nixon Library which had a large presence at the convention, including a vintage Nixon-era presidential limo. And one young woman who does a presidential magic show (which sounds awesome) who seemed downright giddy upon meeting me. I so rarely make people giddy. It was nice. 

At one point, a woman from China came up to my table. She asked me the usual questions that I've grown used to answering since starting Veeptopus (they tend to be variations of "...why?") and we started talking about Politicon in general. She said she came to the event because she wanted to understand more about America but she came away more confused than ever. "Could you explain to me what's going on?" she asked. I thought for a minute and and said, "I really don't understand what's going on either."

Me and Tricky Dick. Photo: Ted Mills

Veeptopus Is Going to Be at Politicon!

That’s right! Veeptopus is going to be at this year’s Politicon in downtown Los Angeles selling books, prints, posters, and T-shirts.

What’s Politicon, you might ask? It’s basically Comic Con for news junkies - definitely the sort of place for people who might want what to buy cephalopod-bedecked portraits of vice presidents. I sold my wares there back in the summer of 2016. Here were my impressions then:

I had no idea what to expect what it would be like. I feared that I would be crammed in the corner, next to the anti-circumcision stall, getting snarled at by stark raving Trump supporters. But I was pleasantly surprised.

[…]

The crowd was generally speaking open and good-humored, filled with socially-minded college kids, aging hippies, Bernie Bros, and one sweaty guy in a cowboy who tried to sell me the bumper stickers he had balled up in his fist. But hands down my favorite person I saw there was a budding politician – maybe fifteen, accompanied by his mother – who was dressed in a brown suit, a bowtie and a bouquet of Ted Cruz buttons on his lapel. With the same of studied polish of a pro, he shook my hand and called my art “positively joy sparking.” I wish I caught his name. I’ll probably be voting against him in a couple decades. In spite of sharp, intolerant divisions we can see on cable news and social media, Politicon left me with a sense that we aren’t quite so divided after all and that there is still general faith in the American idea.

Obviously, the political landscape now is much different than those innocent days before the 2016 election. I am very curious if the mood of the event will be as convivial as it was previously. This year they have a wide selection of speakers from Alyssa Milano to Parkland survivor Cameron Kasky to Michael Avenatti to (ugh) Tucker Carlson. Dennis Rodman is even going to be there for some reason. You can buy tickets here.

And be sure and stop by and say hi.

Psychedelic Ozu

So I've long been a fan of the Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu. He makes these elegant, emotionally restrained movies that pack a surprisingly potent emotional punch. He was at the very center of the Japanese film industry - he was the head of the director's guild for years - yet he dispensed with Hollywood film language to create an idiosyncratic film grammar of his own. He was a quiet radical. He populated with his movies with "pillow shots" - empty shots of hallways, streets or the like. They did nothing to further the plot but gave the movie a moment to stop and rest. They gave his movies his trademark contemplative tone. 

So I've long been fascinated with these pillow shots - especially from his most famous movie Tokyo Story. I've long wanted to do some kind of artistic series based on them. I've also lately been exploring more in color. Specifically acrylic paints. So I decided to paint these pillow shots using some very un-Ozu color schemes. 

All of these are on 9x12 watercolor paper, using acrylic paint markers.