Merry Christmas

Painted Nativity
Originally uploaded by Wilson Swain.

Dears friends and family,

It's a little strange to get a Christmas card in the post with a url link, but if you followed it, let me just say that, to me, it makes far more sense to send you someplace that gets updated regularly throughout the year. So bookmark this page, and check back in a month or two and then send me an email. The address is on my website--linked to the right.

It's been an eventful year. The highlights have had me completing two books--an early reader in comic book style for Innovative Kids, and interior illustrations for 'Why I Hate Other People's Kids' due out by Simon and Schuester. I can't post images from either till they're published, but stay tuned.

I'm starting to show up in galleries. You'll notice a few paintings on the site painted for specific shows. Last October I visited the University of Indianapolis for a week as a guest artist which coincided with a gallery showing. Soon I'll have three prints of my work hung permanently in the U of Indy Admissions office.

About the painting. I remember riding in the back of our station wagon on the road to see family on Christmas when I was about 7. I was thinking, 'with enough time and drive, a person could probably do just about anything'. And by that, my idea of 'anything' was to draw or paint something really well. An image of a flimsy little nativity puzzle I still own came to mind as my ideal 'good'.

Now that I do draw and paint well, I felt as tho a good image was due. It may not be my best or last nativity, but it is my first, which is always a nice place to start.

No matter your beliefs this season, or any, thanks for being a friend. And I hope to see you in the new year.

David W Swain

Pink Elephant

pinkelephant
Originally uploaded by Wilson Swain.

I'm in a group show later this month up in Oregon.

I wanted to do something in the same vein as my Four and Twenty piece, and I like the imagery in Opera, even though I've never developed a taste for the music. I look at it and think of the few bars I know of a score 'Hannibal Comes'. I believe that the prince is returning to the woman in blue, but will end up with the lady in the green window. I'm not sure who is commenting from above.

Check out www.Lunarboygallery.com

Murder

murder
Originally uploaded by Wilson Swain.

I've had this around for a while. Actually, I painted on top of it, but I never cared too much for the full color. I was watching Gosford Park when I drew it. The women look a little like drag queens to me.

Poor butterfly.

Dinner & Dancing

dinner&dancing
Originally uploaded by Wilson Swain.

This probably looks really small on your screen. It's 20 inches long in life. There's a monster show at Nucleus this month and this is my entry. I drive around parts of LA and the stacks of houses on hills thrill me. I'll probably play some more with hills of houses

Watertank

watertank
Originally uploaded by Wilson Swain.

It's been a while since I posted anything new. I've been finishing up a book, and starting up a new one. This is a quick sketch I'm not sure I'll ever paint. But I do love the idea of illustrating one of Houdini's underwater tricks. When I first started sketching, I intended to draw the outline of the key to the padlocks in the assistant's apron. I think it's still visible if you click to enlarge.

Ye Olde Sawmille

perils
Originally uploaded by Wilson Swain.

'The Perils of Pauline' is an old silent serial in which Pauline finds herself stuck in varied precarious situations--always to be rescued just in the nick of time. My favorite is when she's tied to a log in a sawmill. The hero is in the bottom corner, striking a pose with his scarf flapping in the wind.

Cole Porter's song 'Friendship' has the line, 'If you're ever in a mill and get sawed in half; I won't laugh'---great inspiration for a drawing. Another one to paint...soon.

Trollpig

pigtroll
Originally uploaded by Wilson Swain.

I've been listening to Candide lately, so I've got lederhosen on the brain. I went to draw in the park today and they have this little stone bridge there. I tried to cross it, but a little kid wouldn't let me because he was pretending to be a troll. Once he'd handed me an invisible map, it was okay to go ahead. I left it on the edge of the bridge for him.

Geronim-ohhhhhhhh!!!!!

Geronimo
Originally uploaded by Wilson Swain.

I wanted to have fun today, but I couldn't think of what I wanted to draw. Then a finger slipped as I typed a message to Mari, and out came the word 'pigture'. Combine that with a random memory of Laverne and Shirley skydiving, and Voila!

Simple Simon

Pieman
Originally uploaded by Wilson Swain.

This may well be the stupidest image I've ever done. But it makes me laugh, so up it goes. The pie's carrying a bucket of forks, spoons and knives to sell for a penny

Simple Simon met a pieman,_Going to the fair._Said Simple Simon to the pieman,_"Let me taste your ware."
Said the pieman unto Simon,_"Show me first your penny."_Said Simple Simon to the pieman,_"Indeed I have not any."

Fishscape

fish2
Originally uploaded by Wilson Swain.

A man in the wilderness
Asked this of me,
"How many strawberries
Grow in the sea?"
I answered him
As I thought good,
"As many red herrings
As swim in the wood."

I want to do this as a painting eventually, time permitting.

painting2 copy

painting2 copy
Originally uploaded by Wilson Swain.

This is this week's painting from the model. I was completely frustrated painting it, so I reworked it once I got home. I can't explain the hat. From the neck down, she was dressed as a harlequin. The woman was actually very pretty, which made her harder to paint.

Model

painting copy
Originally uploaded by Wilson Swain.

On Saturday nights Art Center has a model session with a long pose open to current students and alum. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. This was the first week's painting. The one I did the other night was more of a struggle.

There are still people in this world sporting handle bar mustaches. I wish I'd given this guy a sea captain's hat and a telescope.