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Friday, April 15, 2011

"Journey"

Didn't I do a version of “journey” last week? It’s a frustrating word for me at the moment because I’ve been unsuccessfully pestering my brother to fix my car’s wheel bearings and I feel grounded. I’m also upset because a friend of mine is taking a job in Afghanistan, and his idea of “journey” makes me think about people getting blown up. I’d like to forget about journeys at the moment and rototill my garden, but my efforts are being thwarted by a rip cord. Can we send mechanical engineers to an island with an active volcano, cannibals, and poisonous wildlife? Let’s at least threaten to send them there until they learn to make engines start with an on/off switch! My arm hurts from trying to pull the stupid cord and the garden still isn’t tilled. I suspect rip cords are man’s last attempt to show women that men are necessary, but I already got that message when the wheel bearings started making noise.

This art is ancient history. I did it when I worked at a newspaper, fresh out of college. I try to post relevant things on this blog, but I felt a need to revisit this. I used to work in this style a lot. In some ways, it's similar to the butterfly tag I made in the last post, but the process of making was much different. The landscape background in the Frontier Days art is acrylics on tissue paper, messily glued to posterboard. The man is pen and ink on wet media acetate, with acrylic painted on the back. This technique is moot since computers. It’s much faster and easier to just “fill”, but I want to get back into my younger brain for a bit. I used to see things more graphically, and was often accused of black and white thinking. Lately it seems like I see too many shades of gray, not to mention shades of all those other colors.

I have to wonder what my pioneer ancestors were thinking when they started walking over mountains from Pennsylvania to Ohio, or for that matter when they got on a boat in Europe? Was life at home so bad, or was it the thrill of finding out what’s beyond the next tree? I also wonder how much of them is still alive in me. Is my current restlessness the same as they felt? Since I can’t take my car until the wheel bearings are fixed, maybe I should start walking?

“Frontier Days” is a local summer festival with carny rides and BBQ. It was a fun time when I was an unruly teenager, and is still fun for little kids and their families. The art was created for a special pull-out tabloid section with activities and local advertising.

I learned how to shoot with that Remington .22 rifle, and I’m an excellent shot. My pioneer ancestors passed down some useful talents. Don't mess with me when I'm cranky :)

23 comments:

  1. Linda, Linda Hensley. Queen of the wild frontier! OR is it Calamity Linda? lol

    Like the old art. Reminds me of hand tracing and back-painting oldstyle animation cells with opaque back in the day. If technology in landscaping today was as advanced as it is in art, there would be a rototiller that would just start itself up and do the garden on it's own when spring hits. Have a great weekend Linda! Hope you get your bearings soon (don't get lost in the meantime!)

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  2. Just like the old animation cells. I did get the rototiller started for a while. 3/4 of Garden A completed! There's also smaller gardens B and C to go, but I'm somewhat less cranky with engineers for now :) I hope you have a great weekend too!

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  3. I come in peace Linda ;0)...I'm amazed that rotovators (I think that's the Brit equiv) don't just have a start button, even some cars don't even have a key to turn to start!Fortunately there would not even be room in my tiny garden to start a rotovator up!Hope the car gets fixed soon and you can get your journeys done. Lovely to see some old art before technology took hold.Have a productive weekend,
    Jane x

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  4. I'll remember not to mess with you! Lol! I'm an amazing archer, but I never equated it with my ancestors! :) There were Carib Indians, so, you probably should watch out for me, we ate our enemies, so it's rumored...

    Anyhow wonderfully graphic work! :) :) and walking helps.

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  5. Heisann!
    Enjoy reading your text, and it is a wonderful poster made all by hand!!

    Happy Easter to you from me ;:OD)

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  6. Your ad would say...Cranky with gun. Will not travel.

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  7. LOL You're all funny! Indigene, I think I got the archery gene too, but my ancestors didn't eat anybody as far as I know. Maybe you should be the one to take care of the engineers? I might have to borrow your line Sharon, except I really would like to travel again sometime :) Happy Easter everyone!

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  8. Those mechanical engineers better watch out. They didn’t know that you knew your way around a Remington. The pen may be mightier than the sword, but the rifle is mightier than the rip cord. ;o) Great “old school” piece Linda. I don’t think.... let me rephrase that...I KNOW I wouldn’t have the patience for all that went into this wonderful piece. Thank God for computers ;o) Great post and terrific work for the theme.

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  9. Thanks Jack! I haven't had the patience to do this kind of thing lately either. I think it's part of the reason I felt like revisiting this.

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  10. The techniques as you mentioned might be "ancient," but your talent is definitely modern and relevant! And I'm staying out of range, for the time being...
    Hope the mechanical frustrations are few and far between this week! Have a relaxed and wonderful Easter! :o)

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  11. Hey Linda, so this it' be Davey Boone? What a great composition, you certainly knew what you were doing getting that type happening and that nice big gun pointing in the right direction, and I always admire something that breaks a frame like this - it's kind of self-reflexive as they say in cinematography

    "The man is pen and ink on wet media acetate, with acrylic painted on the back. :

    Would you mind giving me some lessons? :)Wet media acetate is like film that wet stuff sticks to - so not hydrophobic? Does it have longevity problems eg yellow or brittle - assuming you can still buy it?

    great story, you are an ace writer, there's not many people whose work I 'read" - I just like looking at pictures (I sometime's read ces's stuff :) )

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  12. This illustration is AWESOME! And I really mean that. I'm not saying it because you're and excellent shot with a .22.

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  13. I wonder if it's bad public relations to tell everyone I know how to shoot that gun? Really, I come in peace. There's actually a clue to my peaceful nature because the feathers are hanging down instead of sticking up :) I've been ignoring the rototiller because it's been raining every day. Thanks for the comments!

    Andrew, it's either Davy Crockett or Daniel Boone. Take your pick. (I'm feeling a little embarrassed you know more about American history than I do about Australia.) You can still buy wet media acetate, and from my experience, it doesn't discolor or get brittle with age. Link below. You can also back paint on glass, which is an interesting technique I've seen on Russian icons. The main thing about painting on the back of such a clear surface is that it makes the paint look absolutely flat from the front. If you use washy techniques, the effect is very cool too, but it takes some backwards thinking to plan it out because you have to paint the highlights and such first. Thanks for the compliment on my writing. I enjoy reading your posts too. Such an imagination!

    http://www.dickblick.com/products/grafix-clear-prepared-acetate-for-wet-media/

    Thanks for the follow Cristina!!!

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  14. I promise not to poke the bear! It was neat to read your post... the juxtaposition of cars and frontiersmen (and women) along with your own artistic development was a delight to read. Thank you for sharing! :)

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  15. You did this right out of college, and it still looks fresh today. Fantastic work! I love that it's like an animation cell. Very cool!

    I've always wanted to learn how to shoot a rifle. I can whack the living crap outta something with an old shoe. Impressive, no?

    Great springy butterflies down below. Hope you get your wheels back soon!

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  16. Thanks! And I'm so glad you have survival skills Bella! :D

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  17. Nice use of different medium. This effort makes the piece look as if it were part of the authentic primary sources used back then. Thanks for the background and we will try not to make you cranky. :)

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  18. Hey Linda! Thanks for that link I'll check it out. It's always good to learn a new technique - it helps me in my chosen sport of procrastination! (That's 'astination' not 'eation".)

    see you

    Oh I think I could take some writing lessons from yourself!

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  19. Thanks for the follow Brandon (or is it Bryan?)!!! These guys have a funny site for those of you interested in beer humor :)

    Thanks for the comments! I like sharing old techniques for people to try. I'm also a master at procrastination, but I don't think that's something I need to pass around.

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  20. Great illustration! Excellent graphic image and composition.

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  21. HA! Thanks for the warning.

    Great illustration and topic for the prompt! And I'm not just saying that because you can shoot.

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  22. LOL I have to admit I've been wondering if I'm contributing to Americans having a bad name in the world. Really, I come in peace! Thanks for the comments everyone :)

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