A little about me, and where I came from art-wise.....

Well, if I am an artist and I want to get my name out, where is some of my grand masterpieces? Or, where is the "piece of resistance" so to speak. Well, to be very honest, I don't have much art to show. I am a restless spirit. When I have drawn anything in the past, I often had to let my creative juices flow down other avenues besides just art. This has often made me take a break between projects to pursue something to learn about. Art, Sciences, and often through learning experiments. For some reason, it is my opinion, that these categories are a form of artistic expression. To me, art is an arm of science, and I love when the two run together. I also call this part of the symptoms of a curious  mind. It's how I learn to see the world around me. Perhaps, in another post, I'll go more into detail of the other things I did in life so far. But for now, and for the sake of the topic, here is some art I have done below. Most of my work has been just with pencil and paper. Below is some artwork of things that are things done in other mediums other than just with a graphite pencil. This was when I was beginning my own self discovery of what I really could do. Only recently have I felt the opportunity to be able to put more time into some art. Now we'll see where it will take me and I hope you wish me luck.

This is the first colored pencil drawing that I did. It was from a photograph I took when I went to southern Utah. I remember this experience well. It was in the Escalante Canyons. During one night there was a jet flyby that broke the sound barrier. I didn't know there was any Air force base near by, and so when this happened, the sonic boom really was amplified by the canyon walls. It also was at night and really dark, and because of that, it literally.... and I mean literally almost scared me to death. My imagination got the best of me and I thought rocks above had broken off the cliff and was about to come down upon me to my appointed doom. Luckily, this was not the case, but I could not stop my hyperventilating afterwards and had to turn my flashlight on to calm myself down. Who cared if the batteries died. I reverted back to a little scared school boy mind set again and needed my night light. And I needed it to stay on the rest of that night. Funnier still, I wasn't the only one. Their was also a dad with his boys throwing his boy out of his tent because he thought a flash flood was coming that was about to end their lives. I remember him saying as he was kicking them out and them tripping everywhere , "run for your lives". I now think that funny because there was no where to run to safety at a canyon base with cliff walls 200 feet high on both sides. I took this picture the next day and decided I needed to get those beautiful colors down on paper. I added the leaves in front with the lady bug to add perspective, but all in all, it was my first colored pencil drawing done to see if I could do it. I did this after high school.

This is chalk done on black paper.  I did this in 9th grade.

 I had too still share this one even though it is still in pencil. This was just one of the few that I did after I served in a service mission over seas. When I did this drawing during this time, I started to go to college in the Graphic Arts and Printing department.  I would have pursued more of schooling in just arts later on if I was able, but I started to get health problems during this time and could not continue my schooling. But, life is an adventure, and we gain experiences from such things and then continued on. Perhaps, this is why there is a hidden message hidden in this picture. If you cover half of his face, up and down wise, half of his face you'll see happiness. Then when you cover the other side, you see the expression of sadness.

Some of my other things I did that  were art-ish

Before cameras became really digital, I built a camera myself out of wood, leather, and wire.  Not quite the same as the one to the left, but similar.  I drew this picture during this time quickly to help envision what I was seeing in my mind at the time. When I built that camera, it could mechanically zoom in on what I was photographing with the twist of a knob. It was awesome and fun to build. It was also a way I learned things.  If I didn't quite understand something, I learned by getting involved in it. I had to become, in a way, a part of it. I studied it from those that invented it and then built it from scratch, and of course, modified it with my own imagination.  I guess this was artsy.  I still am like this and have done many other things too, but here is some of what I did when I was learning about this subject.

Here is a photograph of a stone brick wall with someone's modern art in the distance during winter.  I took this picture with that camera I made and then developed the film in a black room for extra credit while going to collage. 

Here is a picture of a fire hydrant.

Here is a picture I had fun with.  I stood in the image for a few seconds and then walked away as the camera still was taking the picture to create a ghost image. It was fun.

Here is an image of bark on a tree limb. I was testing to see if my camera could pick up on more detail.

Sculpting, an accidental discovery

 

Sculpting, how did it happen? I never really sculpted before in life. I didn't know I could. One day, when I was going to school in the graphic arts and printing department, a man came in and asked if someone could help him create a project that he was envisioning.  He had a drawing of a kangaroo holding cleaning supplies and called it a Wall-a-Roo.  His name was Don Aslett.  I was just walking by when he was talking to a bunch of students at the time and saw the picture he was showing of a drawing he had somebody else done.  I muttered under my breath, "I can do that," without really thinking.  Well, it so happened that I was close enough that he heard me and turned around and said, "You got the job."  I was shocked of what just happened and that I said it.  But, regardless, I for some reason noticed that if I focused hard enough, I could feel the object in my hands before it was even made and I decided to take him up on the challenge and do it.

Here was the Wall-a-Roo when done. When done, it could hold a paper towel between the legs, cleaning  bottles in both arms, a dust bunny with a handle which would stick in his tail, and a micro fiber cloth in the cavity of the chest held by his hands.

After I was done, he had me sculpt it again and again close to 4 or 5 times.  He said I could not leave my name in the creation. But for some reason, I felt like it was not right and so I snuck my name in, in the wrinkles of the bow tie around the Wall-a-Roo's neck.  I hope that wasn't bad, but regardless, that was what I did.  He then said, Joshua, I am so happy with your work, I am going to create a museum soon and have you do some work for me.  When he said that, it astounded me even further. I remember thinking, what in the world have I gotten myself into?  After thinking for a bit, I decided to see how well I could really sculpt and decided to really challenge myself.  I decided that I needed to pick the hardest thing I could and see if I could really sculpt it. So then I decided to sculpt a person's head. This was the head of Otto von Guericke. I picked him because he invited vacuums and this concept eventually led to the invention of the vacuum cleaner. I thought, I couldn't pick a better person to do because Mr. Aslett business was mainly over cleaning supplies.

There you go, my first bust of a person's head. I was teaching myself where the muscles and tendons were at this point before I decided to add some hair and clothes that looked like the person I was trying to sculpt.

And this was when I finished. It was really neat.  I then tried to teach myself how to cast it, but before I could get there, he split in two during the night and fell on the floor.  That's what you get, I guess, when he was supported by basically a wooden handle of a shovel.  It didn't give much support to the weight of the head of clay. But, in all honesty, it was worth it, especially when it scared my wife during the night when she saw a silhouette of a man in the dark one night and thought someone had broken into our house.

After I learned and gained confidence that I could sculpt. Nothing really happened to go into it further for that man.  He did have me sculpt a large baby banana tooth brush for a friend in the business world, from California, for a display sign, but that was all that happened further form him.  I tried to find more dependable work from him. But because it was very sporadic, I had to look for work in a regular job somewhere other than there for more stable pay.

Here is the banana. There is another long life story behind this sculpture that would have to be told another time. But, the sculpture had to be light weight and it was made in the end, out of marine foam.  Light enough that a child could lift it, but strong enough that it would not dent or get destroyed.  The person that Don Aslett helped me do this for got in the newspaper, but never mentioned me.  It eluded, in the paper, that her son sculpted it because he did a little art. Because of that, and for a small moment, I felt like I was taken advantage of. Then again, thinking things through like I do, I told myself that I really had no idea if that was her words or just journalism distorting life.

 

Here was the picture that was put into the newspaper. I cannot remember her name, but she used this banana as a display to advertise the product she made.  Some have asked if I was upset that my name did not get out, but in reality, I gained experience that was more valuable than money could ever buy and wisdom to be learned in such an experience. I wish her the best and her family in their pursuits.  I've now learned that holding grudges of any kind only hurts me and no one else. I also believe that she is doing her best to help those around her after a bad experience with a toothbrush when her grandchild fell. Her grandchild almost lost his or her life and this baby banana toothbrush is inspired for use for little children.  If I did hold bitter thoughts in my heart, the question would be, why? We all live a life that goes in many directions and we may not know where it may take us. To be offended at someone, would only give a just reason for someone else to one day be offended with me. Since I would not like that, I choose to not do that to somebody else around me. One thing we do have power to control is a positive attitude and a glad heart.  With that attitude, you can go much more farther than any bitterness can take you. Also,in all honesty, I am happy that I was able to contribute in any small way to help. And also, the thought comes, yes, I did that, I helped and my sculpture got out there from her concept she envisioned. And the best part was I was an amateur and nobody knew it because I pretended in the end that I knew what I was doing. I wouldn't recommend a person to do that though. I guess it was because I followed the instincts that came naturally in my heart.  

If you want a baby banana toothbrush for just kicks and giggles, here's a link below to click on.  No, I don't get anything from it other than the pleasure that I contributed in helping it come about. 

Baby Banana Toothbrush

 

This is just a small example of some of the things that I have done. I'll share other things later on in it own do time when time permits.

Daniel in the Lion's Den

First words, first impression. Everyday we are judged by the little things we do or say. For as long as this earth has been, it has ever been so since man has walked upon her face. What moments in life would you like to be known for while you roam this little Island in space you may wonder? I don't know and I don't think anyone of us can fully say unless we have vision. But what little life I have, I will do my best I perceive that I can, and leave the best of me behind. It will be my children and legacy. It will be the love I bury in the life of my children and friends like seeds in their hearts that may sprout and grow into fruit that may sweeten the life's of future generations. It will also be the foot prints left behind in the sand.

Well, here it is, my first blog post, my first impression. I wanted to be somebody important when I was younger because I was impressed by people that did a little good in their lives. We all have struggles in life unique to our own, that nobody can fully understand unless they have experienced it themselves. Those that don't understand, I have come to realize, not to worry yourself about them too long or you will be like water that breaks itself against rock. You will not leave an impression upon it's hard surface as quickly as you would really like. Yes it is possible after many years, but you don't have many years in your life to wait for it to happen, but a life to live to give to those that truly need it.

In life I could be considered many things, but for the sake of the topic, I am a artist growing in experience. Below is my second painting that I have recently done. I did not go into school for it. I wanted to, but health at the time got in the way. In this painting I wanted things in it that I could relate to. Darkness verses light, if you can see it. Peace that comes when light or enlightenment comes upon things. It is a painting of Daniel in the Lion's Den.

 First the lion in the background looking up at something. I wanted the lion to look at light that symbolizes help from above IF we look for it.

Then Daniel sitting in front of that lion and a very dark background to symbolize how dark trials really can feel when we, ourselves experience the darkness of trials in our own lives. Our vision becomes limited and we can not see a far off in our life and understanding. Also, some bones near the feet of the lion and Daniel to remind me that trails in its worst form represents death to us or others when they come. Also darkness, spiritually, brings death to us too.

Then a pretty lion in front. I wanted it to look peaceful, because light, or true understanding of things as they really are, brings a type of peace when hope and faith dwell. We feel comfortable enough to endure. Our trials may not necessarily always be taken away, but are made to be endured enough for us to live.

Finished painting of Daniel in the Lion's Den. If you would like to order a picture for yourself, click on the link below.  Thanks

 http://fineartamerica.com/featured/daniel-in-lions-den-joshua-lind.html?viewall=true