Q The other day — in fact, this week, you said that we, the United States, is in Afghanistan and Iraq by invitation. Would you like to correct that incredible distortion of American history –

MR. McCLELLAN: No, we are — that’s where we currently –

Q — in view of your credibility is already mired? How can you say that?

MR. McCLELLAN: Helen, I think everyone in this room knows that you’re taking that comment out of context. There are two democratically-elected governments in Iraq and –

Q We’re we invited into Iraq?

MR. McCLELLAN: There are two democratically-elected governments now in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we are there at their invitation. They are sovereign governments, and we are there today –

Q You mean if they had asked us out, that we would have left?

MR. McCLELLAN: No, Helen, I’m talking about today. We are there at their invitation. They are sovereign governments –

Q I’m talking about today, too.

MR. McCLELLAN: — and we are doing all we can to train and equip their security forces so that they can provide for their own security as they move forward on a free and democratic future.

Q Did we invade those countries?

MR. McCLELLAN: Go ahead, Steve.

My wonderful little grey kitty Fafnir was struck by a car and killed in front of my house at 9pm last night. We took him shortly thereafter to be burried at Wally’s house beneath a big fig tree.

Here is Faff on the left curled up with Puddle.

He was my favorite cat, and he will be missed very much. Here’s to my little Faff…

DRINK

-werdskull

Save The Green Planet

If Yogi Berra were alive today, he’d be spinning in his grave.

Here’s the hermes painting in in warm light. Mind the glare.

Here’s the same minus the glare.

Detail of the left.

A detail of the righthand side.

Here is the full painting in a cool light.

I have started a new painting. It is very large. I have not yet completed gus’ painting but it is very close. I am trying to roll some of the stuff I have learned in the gus painting in to a new and much more quickly realized painting. First in what I hope will be a somewhat lucrative series. The series will consist of four maybe five paintings six foot by four foot. They will each have a somewhat didactive/symbolic theme and will vary greatly in their color palete.

I was given Bill Garnets oil paints. A fine gift, and an excellent way to remember an outstanding friend. I now have serveral pounds of paint and the idea of diving in these new paintings is very exciting for me.

more soon plus pics of the new painting, perhaps tomorrow.

cheerio,
wordskill

An interesting fellow I met in a summer class I took last year approached me about doing some illustrations for him. He is trying to pull together a submission to Dark Horse Comics. The submissions usually consist of a ten page summary of the plot for the concept you’re proposing. I convinced him, perhaps erringly to treat the submission more like a trailer or a teaser than a general pitch. The following imagines have been created based on a loose script that plays out like a recombined distillation of his intended story arc. These images are roughs of the ten page submission. Many of the figures and backgrounds are still in a placeholder stage and there is no dialog laid in as yet.

View first page.

Note: you have to close the previous popup before you can open the next one. Sorry, I’m not an html wiz, nor do I long to be.

View the splash over the second and third pages.

View fourth page.

View fifth page.

View sixth page.

View page seven.

View page eight.

View page nine.

View tenth page.

Lets all lock hands and turn our circle slowly to the right. Our shadows dance lead by the fire which quivers at our heart. I am not gripped with fear but I know someone holds a knife. Outside the ring the sole blade gleams a sliver in the dark. Our heels turn up like wild teams harnessed behind their carts. In we sweep and kissing cheeks we spiral back apart.

It occurs to me that I have serious abandonment issues.

Or are they the “adventures of the optic nerve” as Bonnard himself said?

problems of perception?

peripheral vision?

scanning rhythms?

Just what exactly is Pierre Bonnard trying to do in those vibrant painterly works? John Elderfield seems to know, or thinks he knows, or at least can go on about it somewhat convincingly…
(more…)

I have been doing a weekly collage in concert with Michael Shuster. Hope I spelled his name right…

this weeks collage looks so good I’ve decided to post it to the blog. =)