Larry's Vault: Napkin Drawings

In the olden days (circa 1970’s-early ‘80’s) when I lived in San Francisco, I squandered a fair amount of time in coffeehouses and bars with fellow Bohemian types and invariably our napkins would quickly become covered in images.

Napkins make for great drawing surfaces; the paper allows for a certain amount of ink ‘bleed’ and provides a nice toothy texture—and they are free.

In any case we did a lot of them, just as I suspect many artists (when not on their laptops and smartphones) do today. I’ve managed to hang on to some of the oldies which is the focus of todays ‘Vault'.

I’m surprised how many of these highly fragile artifacts have survived.

Not all are signed and my memory banks aren’t always helpful in this matter.

In some cases I’m making educated guesses to the artist’s identity.

Some likely suspects include cartoonists Melinda Gebbie, Marc Miyashiro, J. Michael Leonard, Kevin East, Hal Robbins, Norman Quebedeau …

I’ve declined to post a few of the rudest and crudest of the lot. (As funny as they maybe I feel a little uncomfortable posting them).

Hugo Scornik

Dalison

Also by Dalison

Another by Hugo

Unknown sculptor

Drawing of me by painter, Ivan Kustura

Ana Becker

Another by Ana Becker

Nice one (by Norman Quebedeau? Marc Miyashiro?)

By my old chum Alan Cumings

Another by Dalison, obviously drawn in North Beach.

A nice one by a great unknown.

I believe this one is by cartoonist J. Michael Leonard.

I've not been able to positvely I.D. this one  (Hal Robbins?)

This is probably by my old pal, cartoonist/watecolorist Kevin Brady.

This is supposed to be me. I'm pretty sure this is by cartoonist Kevin East. It was probably done during a Bay Con which was held one year at the Jack Tar.

This is also a drawing of me done by Educomics founder Leonard Rifas (but this time with more hair).

(Not a clue)

Nice one (Maybe again by Marc Miyashiro?)

Nice horse by Dalison.

Another nice one by Dalison (note the use of coffeestain as a sepia wash).

More to come in the next post.

Box Show Art Reception

Our box--with the skeleton musicians-- is just behind us.

Sunday, August 3rd, was the reception for the 16th Annual Box Show at the Gallery Route One in Pt. Reyes Station, Califronia.  The reception was shoulder-to-shoulder crowded so we didn't see everything but here are just a few highlights from the exhibit.

"Blue Forest Geode" by Carla J.Patterson

John Lawson did the nice box on the left.

Kathleen Edwards

"As the World Turns" by Barry Willis

I really like this one. (I believe the 'box' remains only as charred coals under the globe).

Great one by Jaime Crespo

Mary Lou Shepas

Nick Corcoran

Dian Becker

Xander Weaver-Scull

Dianne Hull

"The Little Thinker" by Jack Champie

You can click on the images to make them larger.

16th Annual Box Show

Once again Gallery Route One in Pt. Reyes Station California is hosting its annual Box Show.

The way it works is the gallery provides plain pine boxes to as many as 150 artists to do creatively as they please with (as long is the box remains in the final piece in some form).

The show functions as a fundraiser for the Gallery.

This year we were given an unusually small box.   Molly and I always brainstorm and create the boxes together. 

I started out wondering if it was possible to do block printing directly on the wooden box. My experiments pretty much failed but lead to another approach. We played around with applying one of my older block prints directly to the box. I wasn’t sure how that would work either since it required adhering a rice paper print to wood using Molly’s gel medium.

Skeleton figures trimmed. 

I cut out and trimmed a “Jug Band” print. I also drew an additional figure in ink.

Original figure taped to box just to see what it would look like.
We decided to reverse the image.

Molly decided we needed to do a photocopy reversal of the additional drawing.

Original image and reversed' twin'. Copied and inked.

Adhered with gel medium

The trimmed artwork was positioned on the box.

 Molly applied layers of gel medium.  ( Molly painted the box as well).

We created another skull for the top of the box.

On past boxes we’ve often done a lot of painting, carving of Basle wood figure’s, attaching additional elements. Fancy stuff. This was probably one of the least labor-intensive boxes we’ve made for the show but I think it’s pretty effective.

The 16^th annual Box Show reception is Sunday, August 3^rd.

The show runs until September 14^th.

You can check out the details at: galleryrouteone.org/box-show         

You can check this blog’s archives (Aug. 26, 2011 and Aug. 26, 2012 
or July 24, 2013) for more info on our boxes.

Larry's latest block print

Here's another recent block print by me.

It's titled "Portrait of a Henry David Thoreau-back".

It's a linoleum block print treated with an India ink wash--which is why it's numbered 1/1.  This one is sold. I exhibited in the Spring Art Show last May.

Here are a few little sketchbook roughs that led to my "Thoreauback" print.

c Rippee 2014

Marin County Fair Art Show

Molly and I entered the Art Show at the 73rd Marin County Fair (which concludes today).

For me the saga continues with one image: A Mazed Minotaur.

Molly and I first used this drawing as part of our art box in last year's Gallery Route One Box show.

I recycled the image as a black and white block print which I exhibited in last fall's Pressing Matters Print Show.

I titled the print A Mazed Minotaur pt.1 because I felt it was unfinished. Since then I 've been messing around with adding a color plate to the print.

 That's what I submitted to this show. I'm still not sure I'm finished with it.

"Of Mice & Men" ( otherwise known as Larry and our pet mouse Violet)

Here I am with my unfinished painting of Larry, I used a photo of him which is one of my favorites, obviously from many years ago.  I had the choice of not submitting it or rushing it in as is, sooooooo that's what I did. I am pleased with my painting of Larry but my idea of his art work pouring out of the top of his head and surrounding him has not turned out the way I envisioned. I have an idea I am hoping will pull this together for me.......  When I walked by the painting I overheard two older woman walk up to it - the first one started laughing and said "That's awful" and the second laughed and said "Weird" - Definitely shows that I'm not painting flowers and pretty landscapes says Larry!!

"Auntie Haley" by Kaden!

Our grandson Kaden submitted his lino block of his Aunt Haley and won a 1st place ribbion - the only one of  us who won anything!!

The Mexican Arts Festival and the work of Corina del Carmel

Tomorrow, June 21st, the San Geronimo Valley Community Center is hosting the 4th Annual Mexican Arts Festival. There will be Norteno music of Los Tenientes del Norte, Aztec dancing and a lot of great food.

This year, in addition to the Latino Photo Project,  I've added a guest artist--Corina del Carmel.
I only recently met Corina but I thought her work was pretty remarkable.

Here are a few of her works:

Self-portrait

Cold Hands,Warm Heart

Dreamcatchers

Juliet de Mocco

Corina was born in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico and received her art degree from the University of Nuevo Leon with additional studies at the School of Fine Arts in Guanajuato. She's exhibited throughout the United States, Mexico, much of Europe and recently in Thailand. She stays on the move. Corina maintains a studio in Mexico and in the California Sierras.  She lived for sometime in Berlin.

Check out more of her work at: www.corinadelcarmel.com

-Larry

Molly's Turn: Remembering Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou

Remembering Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou is the one single person in my life who, with one conversation, has had the most significant and powerful effect on my life.

I was a child of about 12 when I met Maya Angelou.

She came to our home for dinner. My father and Maya were collaborating on a project for KQED, the San Francisco based PBS station for which my father, Robert Hagopian, worked for from the late 1950's until 1974.

I remember greeting this tall regal woman as she arrived at the top of our stairs, my mother introducing her to me. She looked down from her tall height and said to me in a deep voice – “You must call me Auntie Maya”.

I was very confused by this and followed my mother into her bedroom to ask why I had to call her Auntie Maya.  My mother explained that for some people this was a term of respect. 

I went into the living room and sat down on our couch to read. Being the only child of two artists I was used to being in a room where I was not seen. By this I mean I grew up around creative adults who were very expressive with their peers- but children didn’t really seem like people to them. At least this is the way it felt to me as a child. 

So you can imagine my surprise when “Auntie Maya” came over and sat down on the couch next to me.  She looked at me with her very penetrating gaze and asked what I was reading. I remember looking into her eyes as she asked me about myself, who I was, what I was interested in. I had never had an adult truly interested in me before. She listened with full attention as I answered her questions. She treated me with focused kindness and respect, something I became completely aware of as I talked with her. 

This conversation with Maya Angelou has made a life long impact on my life. I realized that I too wanted to treat everyone I met with respect, to listen to them and hear them, to treat every human being I meet with kindness.  I try to do this every day, I meet many wonderful people for whom I am grateful, and I also met many people whom I may not want to know, but I have learned from Maya Angelou to give them the kindness and respect that you give to any human being, and for the people you don’t want to know, just gracefully walk away.

Her impact on my life was very powerful.  As it seems it was on many, many, people. We were so very blessed to have had her in our lifetime.  

Quote by Maya Angelou