Thursday, March 30, 2006

Heave! ho.


Dangle Sheep
Originally uploaded by Wilson Swain.
I'm designing postcards for a mailing and I needed an image for the backside of the earlier 'Sheep in the Jungle'. I'd wondered how the Mrs. was going to climb that mountain to her husband. Her casual attitude in the first image made me think she'd be difficult to faze. I gave her a sandwich 'cause I figured--being hoisted is as good a time as any to eat.

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Space Monkeys


Space Monkey
Originally uploaded by Wilson Swain.
This is vaguely Flash Gordon meets Planet of the Apes. The little martians started out as simple green bugs, but I decided they worked better as the more complex green *monkey* bugs. This piece was produced to go on auction. I often get attached to my work and have a difficult time letting go. The monkey at the far left is either booster rocketing to save the tiny little monkey in the upper right or saying goodbye after the cord snapped.
I may yet explore more with the phases of the moon. Somebody's moon. And the colors of the space scene were inspired by Fozzie's newly painted Studebaker in the Muppet Movie. Yeesh.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Old Pease Porridge.


lions
Originally uploaded by Wilson Swain.
Nine days old Pease Porridge, in fact. I don't think I'm getting the rhyme quite right. They're lions in the kitchen.

My dad used to make us toast and rolled oats growing up ('porridge' in laymen's terms). I think I used to believe that was about all he knew how to make. But these days, since retiring, he shares cooking duties with my mom and likes to get experimental. I, on the other hand, am a master at putting things in the toaster. Toaster pastries = dinner in my world. Feel free to join me but bring a bag lunch.

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Unicorn


unicorn
Originally uploaded by Wilson Swain.
I'm not a huge fan of the unicorn, but I'm in a themed show at Nucleus Gallery this month. I started out with an impulse to paint a 'Mom, can we keep him' moment, but somehow the story changed to a variation on 'What the Butler Saw'. I think of all of those movies where the mythical beast comes and rescues the beautiful children from the clutches of evil. I also think about all the little girls that idolize horses and what it is they could possibly want to escape from. I guess I'm imagining the world where the beast could save the child, but maybe won't.