“Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it." - Michelangelo
Indiana (acrylic and ink on cardboard)
So many pretty girls, so little time to draw them. Some of my best work seems to come out on cardboard. I never imagined an old file box top and a myspace pic would turn out so well.
City Crow (hair dye and acrylic on masonite)
A friend of mine once found a baby crow in his yard and took it in to care for it. The crow would not stop squawking and soon a murder of crows had gathered around his house attacking anyone who went in or out of the house. It wasn't until the baby crow had been returned to the yard that the angry mob dispersed. An entire community comes together to aid in the distress of one, we humans could stand to learn from our animal brothers.
Heron in Blue (acrylic on wood panel)
I don't always find deep meaning in my work, at least not in the subject mater. For me the passion to paint and draw is rooted in technique. The application of medium to a surface is just as important as the subject the piece contains.
Yellow (Sharpie pen, ink, and acrylic on paper)
This is an example of a study gone too far. I guess when you have 24 different colors of Sharpie it makes you think you're a Michelangelo. I tried to do a few more of these but they all lacked the confidence of the first. Sometimes it's good to know that you can make something worthwhile with substandard tools.
On the Scene 4
Elephant (acrylic on canvas)
As an artist it's good to have works on hand that you can use as currency. A cache of projects that hold no particular value to you but are suitable for trade or gift. It feels like a lot of my work falls into this category. Which isn't to say I don't value my work, I just feel I'm in the infancy of my artistic style.
Hookah Lounge (acrylic on masonite)
This was meant for an actual hookah bar in Burbank, CA. The guy tried to pull a fast one on me, so he lost out on a decent sign. I try not to negotiate with fast talking slicksters. It seems the general public has a poor sense of value for artwork. The end result is the only part they acknowledge; the process is dismissed almost entirely.
Love Hurts (acrylic on skateboard)
Love is just one degree away from hate. To truly hate something you must have loved it first. Why do we love when the stakes are so high, when there is so much to lose? We are blessed that some of us still do, and unconditionally at that. It is this love that drives the good in mankind. God's greatest gift to us is the capacity to love one another despite our shortcomings.
The Paper Wall
Pelican (acrylic on wood panel)
My roommate was watching a lot of Scarface at the time and Pacino's character calls the flamingos "pelicans". I still laugh at that scene.
Busted (acrylic on broken skateboard)
The first time I saw a big city it was New York and I was four. Since then I've always had a fascination with cities and large groups of people. When you're that small, being within something that vast has a big impact on your perception. Being in a large city always stirs up the same feelings of excited fear, of endless potential, and growing curiosity.
Son House (acrylic on canvas)
Blues music, man what a sound. I use the term loosely though; In this case it refers to the American music of the 20th century, but it means so much more and covers so many genres and generations. Wherever there is raw human emotion whether it's love, hate, sorrow or joy, the music it creates is Blues in nature. Son House is one of my personal favorites.
Comments
Hey Ben, awsome work, you're
Hey Ben, awsome work, you're very talented.
I wouldn't mind having one of
I wouldn't mind having one of them myself. Great work Ben.
Keep it coming man!
Keep it coming man!
Amazing Job! I am really glad
Amazing Job! I am really glad you got all of your work together and put it on display. Very well done, I am proud of you!
so sick he makes art
so sick he makes art everywhere
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