No Maps

Moving across the country has been an experience I would not readily repeat for a very long time. The logistics of moving one's home, business, children, pets, licenses, bank accounts... [the list goes on forever], are incredibly overwhelming with or without proper medication. Moving does not come with an instruction manual, and as such, it has been a learning experience. The good news is that the piles of boxes have almost disappeared, and my studio is mostly workable. Of course, life in a seriously suburban setting is giving me plenty to think and write about. I'll explore that another day. * http://www.cafepress.com/ottoblotto?pid=8246890

Illustration Friday: Skyline

I rarely paint anymore, as my family frequently disrupts my work time, so I am forced to stick with drawing these days. However, I enjoyed painting, and thought I'd pull out an old one for this week's Illustration Friday. It is a rooftop view of part of Pittsburgh, during the winter. I painted from a photo I took on a typically bleak day in January. Thankfully, those days are behind me now as I pack for the desert, which is stark, but never bleak. At least I hope. * http://www.cafepress.com/ottoblotto?pid=8246890

Home Improvement Hell

Somewhere along in April we decided the thing to do was to sell our house and move to the desert before the next hurricane takes it all away. It was a deceptively easy plan, just fix up the house and list it. How hard could that be? Since that time, with the exception of some sick leave, I have lived in Home Improvement Hell. What were we thinking? Just to get the house ready for the market required a serious look, and suddenly all those things I'd meant to do someday reared their slimey little heads and hollered, "We'll make your life miserable to the end!" They are doing a fine job of it, I must say. Of course, I expect to triumph in the end, which is nowhere in sight, or did I mention that? But I must say that the purge of excess stuff has been exceptionally gratifying, albeit a bit frightful at first. I can envision myself basking in the warmth of the Phoenix sun, sipping from a tall, fruity drink with a parasol in it, by a crystal blue pool. After I get it all unpacked again. http://www.cafepress.com/ottoblotto?pid=8246890

Illustration Friday: Portrait

At last, a topic I really enjoy. I could draw faces all day, and happily so. I am amazed at the uniqueness of each soul. A couple of my favorites. http://www.cafepress.com/ottoblotto?pid=8246890

Greetings to all

Hello everyone. I have been extraordinarily sick and therefore absent for awhile. I hope to be back here soon. Thanks to all who have sent your good wishes.

Illustration Friday: Under the sea

Evolution. I just don't think so. This is a drawing I did that is part of a series of pieces on the absurdity of the evolutionary idea. The idea that we are all made from pond scum, and to pond scum we shall return, it just makes no sense. If evolution were true, then surely we would have figured out a way by now to make the video recorder programmable by someone of mere average intelligence. Or is that just a case of knowledge-is-power? Yes, that's probably it. * http://www.cafepress.com/ottoblotto?pid=8246890

Meditation on the Essential Nature of Toast

I was away last week to attend the funeral for my uncle. Tucked away in a small town in the mountains, I visited the church where a number of my family members are now buried. It was a time to visit with family, and the long drive gave me time to reflect upon a lot of things. It is interesting how parts go together toward a whole, and yet most of us are not whole in either body or spirit, and yet we continue to function and to believe that we are somehow complete. Why should I be concerned for the parts of me that are no longer there? Will I be reunited with them when I reach heaven? Maybe it is good to be only a part. * http://www.cafepress.com/ottoblotto?pid=8246890

Illustration Friday: Spotted

I have very mysterious and unusual neighbors, and since I rarely see any of them, I find myself making up stories about them. There is a house just around the turn where a couple lives. They are probably mid 40's, no kids, lots of toys. Best I can tell, they have 4 vehicles, 2 boats, and a pair of Harleys that I occasionally see them riding. All of which is not very strange, except for their nightly visitors. Two to four additional cars are there overnight, virtually every night, and they are never the same ones, which is most curious. I think they are swingers. OK, you're right, they could be entertaining for business, but let's face it, this is Castle Hayne, NC. Not exactly the heart of big business, but close to heavy tourist areas which would make this possible. I would never have thought of this as a Fantasy Island kind of place, but who knows? Boss! De plane! De plane! http://www.cafepress.com/ottoblotto?pid=8246890

Illustration Friday: Speed

I have been absent for a couple of weeks from IF due to travel and a round of jury duty. [see following post] This week's word is Speed. I glanced about the studio for a picture that might represent speed, and came up with this one. This is an overpass I drew some years ago. I liked the arrangement of the levels and lights, sort of like a giant still life, which could, arguably, be the antithesis of speed, but that is OK since this is Illustration Friday. I hope you enjoy it. Post something so I can follow back and see your work. Have a great weekend. http://www.cafepress.com/ottoblotto?pid=8246890

Crimes and Misdemeanors

I have spent most of my week on jury duty; which while being a major inconvenience in my life, was also a fascinating experience. I was seated as a juror on a criminal trial. Now, why anyone would want me as a juror, I can not fathom, but there I was. It was quite intriguing in all its subtleties and nuances, the questioning of jurors and witnesses, the posturing of the lawyers, and the remarkable lapse in memory of the law enforcement officers. Don't they review their notes? And then there are the actual players, whose futures ride on the decision of twelve people who want to go home. I sketched out people between sessions, although not the people envolved in the case. It was an amazing week. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7404640440&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1 I would do it again in a heartbeat. http://www.cafepress.com/ottoblotto?pid=8246890

Illustration Friday: Feet

As always, I gave a considerable moment's thought to this week's theme before diving in. This week's models are my children, one of whom is black, and the other white. While I think diversity is a great thing in families, pets, and your choice of mustard, I know not everyone feels that way. You may make any kind of comment you like. But just for fun, when you post your comments, be sure to include your favorite mustard. This piece is on auction on eBay at http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7400704650 should you be inclined to give it a good home. Boar's Head All Natural Honey Mustard with Pure Golden Honey. http://www.cafepress.com/ottoblotto?pid=8246890

Illustration Friday: Tattoo

The choice of themes this week is particularly unfortunate, as no one in my immediate family has a tattoo. Not that I have anything against them, but they were never really my thing. I have this horrible notion that many years from now, when I am in the nursing home, there will be all these people with totally unrecognizable blobs that were previously rather nice tattoos. I might be wrong. Still, I somehow don't think that giant mermaid will look so cool when I'm 85. That I should live so long. The model is, again, my long-suffering husband, with the amputated pinkie and the tape with "temporary tattoo" written by my son. I skipped the string this time to avoid the "tie-me-up" comments. Not that I mind them. And the piece is on auction at eBay at http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7398599497 should you feel so inclined as to purchase it. http://www.cafepress.com/ottoblotto?pid=8246890

Ornamental Cabbages

Old King Cole was a merry old soul, and a merry old soul was he. I was looking through some old pictures, and I found this picture I had taken of a man in a sort of king's outfit, sitting on the side of a raised bed of ornamental cabbages. He was waiting for his place in a parade or something, I can't quite remember. Anyway, I saw some ornamental cabbages the other day at a shopping mall, and it reminded me of a piece I had done of Old King Cole about a year ago, which is all very confusing, I'm sure. So why do people plant ornamental cabbages, anyway? Can you eat them? If not, who had the brilliant idea that cabbages alongside your bed of pansies would make for great landscaping? Cabbages must have one heck of a PR department.

Illustration Friday: Insect

Well, it's time for a new Illustration Friday. Today's offering is a piece called Beetlemania 2, companion piece to Beetlemania 1. [See January archives] This is a piece in acrylic and ink, surrounded by vintage flocked metallic wallpaper, something only someone truly mod can understand. I hope you, too, are truly mod. It is available on eBay at http://cgi.ebay.com/BEETLEMANIA-2-a-FABulous-fantasy-painting_W0QQitemZ7346421616QQcategoryZ20158QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem Coo coo cachoo.

Illustration Friday: Tea

This is my husband. He fetches me tea. He treats me like a queen. Isn't he a good sport? Being raised in the south, I grew up believing tea and coffee were merely vehicles for delivering milk and Dixie Crystals to my system. I still pretty much believe that. I tried to get into the whole herbal tea thing, but it just never worked for me. I still enjoy very sweet tea, though. And I hope you enjoy my interpretation this week. Come back next week to see which family member I exploit in the name of art.

Rainy Days and Thursdays...

It is raining today, just like yesterday and the day before that, and probably tomorrow. Usually I like the rain, but here in February, when things are at their bleakest foliage-wise, it is especially dreary. When I remember the extreme dullness of the long winters I endured up north, however, it doesn't seem so bad. And the rain does have a wonderful ability to wash things clean [shades of Travis Bickel] so that is a plus. I did this linoleum print/collage/painting of a car lot in the nearby "metropolis" of Wilmington. Not terribly scenic, but I do like the rain effect. I look forward to spring.

Illustration Friday: Song, Part 2

Well, it takes a little more time to come up with some stuff. This is a linoleum block print I did specifically for the Illustration Friday "song" theme. It is a print, with collage and acrylic added. I used my son to pose playing his guitar on the front porch steps for this piece. I am fortunate to have such good-natured children who will model for me on a regular basis. They are a blessing in my life. You can catch the eBay auction on this piece here. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7392998172 The auction doesn't start until 8:45 pm tonight [Wednesday], so before that time you won't be able to click through. Thanks for stopping by, and comments are always appreciated. *

Illustration Friday: Song, Part I

I did some drawings awhile back based on various musical forms, using people and fruits or vegetables to express something about the particular musical form I was illustrating. So, I got a lot of blank stares, but am finally finding some people who understand them, which is as fantastic as it is scary. This piece is called Dirge, which is a sort of funeral march. It contains a fairly grumpy woman and a slice of a blood orange. I felt in my mind that she was rather ticked off that her husband of 52 years had left at a most inopportune time, as he often did, although this time permanently. I believe she was still berating him on the way home from the graveside. To all things there is a limit.

Business Reply Mail - Part 2

Well, today I finished "Give", the companion piece to "Take", which I published in the previous post. They are inspired by old photos from my parents, who belonged to a civic group in which they were very active. It was always very mysterious to me as a child, because they would hire a babysitter for us while they went out to their meetings. They were always giving and getting awards, too. They have tons of pictures from those days showing women in heavy glasses and polyester dresses, and men with bad hairpieces and polyester suits. Polyester seems to be the common thread, which in some strange way brings me back to the business reply mail stuff. It is odd that the two are somehow connected in my mind. Or not.

Business Reply Mail

I don't know about you, but I open ALL my mail, even the stuff I know is junk, because you never know what kind of hidden treasures are lurking inside. I have stacks and stacks of fake credit cards just waiting for an artistic inspiration that will make them into something wonderful. I rarely have to print out return address stickers because I get them free, and I never have to buy a new calendar. My refrigerator is covered in meaningless magnets that are sent to me by credit card companies and realtors, should I ever get the urge to list my house. Having read about my neighborhood, you can probably understand why I wouldn't want to leave. I love a good mystery. Then there is the ubiquitous Business Reply Envelope. They come in everything. I figured there must be some use for these, too, so I did some funny little collages with them, added a little gesso, and used them for drawing backgrounds. This is one I did this evening called Take. I'll do it's counterpart, Give, maybe tomorrow. Recycling is a good thing.

Evolutionary Misgivings

I find illuminated manuscripts, stained glass, and pretty much anything Gothic to be really cool. I like the rhythm of repetitive images, even if they only make sense to me, which is usually the case. This piece is part of a series I started called Evolutionary Misgivings. It is meant to question how it could possibly occur to anyone that we evolved from some sort of sea creatures. Or apes. Or whatever; I prefer the Genesis account. But anyway, I meant it merely to be a question-your-faith issue, but it was perhaps not so well received, which is probably why I am storing it in my friend Bill's office. It is the only place on earth more heaped with stuff than my own house. The piece is an unlikely conglomeration of stainless steel, drypoints, and antique wallpaper. I like it, and Bill seems to tolerate it well, and I imagine God will have a thing or two to say about it one day. I hope He likes it.

Illustration Friday: Simple

I am submitting a piece for Illustration Friday tonight for the first time. This week's theme is "Simple". I thought about how I would illustrate this theme for a long time. OK, well, it was only for a couple of hours, actually, but that's a long time for me. I hope you enjoy my drawing.

Nuke Thy Neighbor

We moved from Los Angeles to Castle Hayne, North Carolina in 1994. It was a big improvement, since there was a meth lab next door to us in LA, and the neighbors shot at us, whereas here everyone in our neighborhood appears to be in the Witness Protection Program, and they only shoot the deer and squirrels. I honestly have neighbors that I have not seen in all those years since we moved here. The cars occasionally park slightly differently, but you NEVER see any people. There's something very odd about that. However, that doesn't keep them from shooting at something, and gunshots are not uncommon. Castle Hayne has a Piggly Wiggly, a post office, and a bank in a double wide trailer. It's a far cry from the traffic on the 405. It's a nice quiet place to raise kids, and I know that if we are ever attacked, my neighbors will have the weapons to defend us. And know how to use them. I did this piece called Nuke Thy Neighbor. It's what I suspect my neighbors might look like, should I ever catch a glimpse of them.

Bird of Paradise

OK, so I love old wallpapers, and I've garnered quite a collection of them over the years. One roll just happened to be this wonderful metallic silver vinyl with yellow and strawberry fluff stripes, and bright orange flocking. It takes me back to my childhood in a way that only an avocado green stove and matching refrigerator can do. Anyway, I knew it was made for some sort of campy art moment. How that evolved into this woman bird, I'm not quite sure. You can see her, and others like her here. http://stores.ebay.com/Natalie-Schorr_Paintings_W0QQcolZ2QQdirZQ2d1QQftidZ2QQtZkm It reminds me of the days of astronauts and tang and deviled eggs. I had a poncho with Spanish ball fringe on it. Really.

Aura of the Perfect Hostess

I love bouncing between collage, drawing, and printmaking, which is either evidence of my versatility, or my inability to concentrate on one thing; probably the latter. Anyway, I use a lot of old magazines for my collages, most from the 50's and 60's. In going through these aging volumes, it occurs to me that what we eat has changed quite a lot. I see more advertisements for peas and peaches than just about any other food. Why was that? Were the pea and peach lobbies so strong back then that it was all anyone knew to eat? I tried to remember when was the last time I ate canned peas or peach halves, and I couldn't, so I had peas for dinner tonight. No one else would touch them. Figures.

Parallel journeys

I went to my 25th high school reunion a couple of years ago. Few things in my life have been more surreal than seeing all my high school compatriots again. While it was very interesting to catch up to some of the people, it was also weird and disconcerting, like the feeling you get when you eat too much chicken vindaloo. I was glad to go home. How much peace, love, and disco music must one person endure? I did this drawing awhile back. It is of an area of Pittsburgh near where I used to live. I have not been there in many years, and I suspect I would no longer know it now. Would the city remember me? Probably not. And in a strange way, that's good.

Linoleum revisited

So I'm back here, destroying the purity of the print world much more. This is the linoleum block print I was working on a few days ago, although it is almost unrecognizable as a lino print because of all I've done to it. I collaged and painted into it a whole lot, which I think and hope improved it a bit from the stark B&W I started with. It was fun, so I don't care. It is a street scene in Pittsburgh, in a rather notorious area called the Hill District, an area for which the series Hill Street Blues was named, but that is a different story. I lived in Pittsburgh for 9 years; three years getting an MFA at Carnegie-Mellon, and 6 more years because I was too stupid to realize that it was too cold and grey for me to survive. But at some point, my mind thawed, and I retreated to points south, never to shovel out my car again. All in all, Pittsburgh is a lovely city in its own way, and I'm glad for the years there. Go Steelers!

On the merits of letting go

Like a lot of people my age, I have a couple hundred record albums dating from the mid 60's to the mid 80's. Somewhere there, I stopped buying records, or they stopped making them; I can't remember which. Anyway, I was at the Goodwill the other day looking for books to destroy for my Dreams Project, when I spied it. Crates and crates of old record albums. What could you do with these things? I don't even own a record player anymore. I flipped through a few, looking at their artistic merit, or lack thereof, and then it hit me. I bet you could spiff up these things and they'd be a great wealth of cheap ideas. So I went home and found my album collection, and decided that yes, it was time to let go. Here is my first altered album cover, Steppenwolf's At Your Birthday Party. I suspect there are several more of these to come. I am already ruminating on Breakfast in America. That woman needs some tattoos...

Printmaking

I love printmaking, although I am sure I would be classified as the lousiest printmaker on the planet. I took a printmaking class once at our local art museum. The teacher was a VERY SERIOUS maker of etchings. She made sure her editions were complete, perfect, and properly numbered and signed. OK, very nice, but where's the spontaneity in that, I wondered? I tried to conform to her rules, but in the end went my own way. I enjoy etchings, drypoints, and especially linoleum. It's fun to print on all kinds of things, smear colors on afterward, and in general use the print as merely a starting point for a piece. I'm sure the print police are shaking their heads and saying "Oooh, that's baaaaad!" I only decided to go off on this tangent because I had carved a street scene yesterday, and was printing it tonight, and plotting what I would do with it tomorrow. Of course, I can't show it to you now because it's wet, but I will show you other linoleum prints I did recently. They are printed on old book pages, collaged, painted, and so forth. I enjoyed doing them. Just don't tell the print police where I blog. *

Still Life With Armadillo

I used to work in motion pictures and television as an art director back before I became a mom, and my husband still works in motion pictures. As such, we've attended a lot of prop sales over the years, and acquired some unusual things. One of those things was a stuffed armadillo. Now, armadillos aren't native to North Carolina where we now live, but I understand they are quite the road kill specimen in parts west of here. Still life pieces are not my forte. As a matter of fact, I hate them. I always set them up and think, "Man, that looks contrived." Maybe I just need to do something a little quirkier in order to make it interesting. So I decided one day that the stuffed armadillo had found its calling, and I set up various poses with the poor guy. I meant to do several, but that's how it is with good intentions; however, I did manage this one. I sold it a few years ago, so if you happen to own this piece and see this blog, I hope you will drop in and tell me where you hung the piece. I hope you didn't put it in the guest bath.

Hair Color Bingo

Tonight I wanted to feature a non-drawn piece, so I thought I'd share a little collage I just finished called Hair Color Bingo. What was I thinking?, my mother would ask if she saw it. I don't know, actually. I find the hair color process of that time so much more, genteel perhaps? Nowadays, there are highlights and lowlights and midtones and Turkish delights... wait, that's something else. Back then, there was just a color, applied to all hair equally. I was a dyed haired woman for a time, but now I let God do my highlighting, and I must say he is having a very good time of it. Any lighter, and I would be entirely white. Prematurely, of course, but we won't talk about that. Anyway, this odd little piece is currently on auction on eBay, along with my more serious art. Yeah, right. *

Journeys

Lots going on today. My daughter continues to improve, thankfully, and she enjoyed everyone's comments and well wishes on yesterday's blog entry. This afternoon was taken up with a sketch [and believe me, it was only a sketch] of the hands of God holding the world for the cover of an invitation to something at the church. Many thanks to my neighbor, Wayne, who posed for the hands of God. Other art was persued, and taxes get wrapped up in the morning and sent away. I chose this piece to feature tonight as a tribute to my friend Toni's mom, who passed recently. It is called Diverge. Do check out my store at http://stores.ebay.com/Natalie-Schorr_W0QQsspagenameZMEQ3aFQ3aSTQQtZkm. You can find there many of the pieces featured in this blog, including a now completed Dream 17, which is currently on auction. Comments. Y'all know I love comments.

Girl in a Beaded Hat

Tonight I want to feature a drawing I did of my daughter, called Girl in a Beaded Hat. She is sick with an ear infection, and is vastly flattered to be featured in Mom's new blog. You can post get well wishes at the end of this post. Anyway, this is one of those drawings that took weeks to accomplish.[I will never draw her in that hat again.] Of course, it isn't an oil painting, but remember that graphite never cracks or fades. And rust never sleeps.

Beetlemania

Remember flocked wallpaper? I found all this wonderful vintage metallic flocked wallpaper awhile back. It reminded me of these neighbors of ours who were oh so mod. They had metallic flocked wallpaper in the bathrooms, and a huge, funky flower mural type wallpaper in the living room. I thought it was spectacular compared to the dark paneled walls in our house, and I longed for such excitement. So when I found this, I just had to have it. I decided to use it as a mat around some equally mod beetles. They are acrylic and ink, and are dedicated to Darryl and Linda, the ever-so-cool couple next door.

the gods of middle management

Yet another day of tax prep, interspersed with sick children and chicken soup. I know it seems like I am making slow progress, but I am actually getting there fairly quickly considering all the interruptions. So I decided to feature for you today one of my charming men from a series called the gods of middle management. It is a drawing [not a pencil sketch] of a more than familiar guy from that purgatory known as middle management. He is #5 in a series of 7, and is framed out in Braille on tin. Of course, I can't read Braille, so for all I know it could say something really racy, but probably not. Anyway, you can see the whole series at my eBay store at http://stores.ebay.com/Natalie-Schorr_Mixed-Media-Other_W0QQcolZ2QQdirZQ2d1QQftidZ2QQtZkm. I'm sure the taxes are making me feverish. Don't forget to comment.

Bad Dreams and Complaints

Well, today is my second day of tax prep hell, so I thought that featuring something like Bad Dreams and Complaints would be only too appropriate. This is a collage I did awhile back. The heads are drawn, but the rest is collaged from old magazine ads mostly from Playboy and True, back when they had lots of cigarette and liquor ads along with 8 tracks and reel to reels. Anyway, I hope you'll find it amusing. It reminds me of the parents of my friends growing up, whose houses always smelled like ash trays, and nobody thought to care. And shag carpet. We all had shag carpet.

Art for tonight - Overture

It's only a pencil sketch. How many times have I heard that? Well, maybe we can agree that it is a drawing. Anyway, this is a drawing called Overture. It's part of a series I started awhile back wherein I was doing drawings based on musical forms and such. No one got it, as evidenced by the fact that they are all still lining my walls here. You can see them at my eBay store. http://stores.ebay.com/Natalie-Schorr_W0QQsspagenameZMEQ3aFQ3aSTQQtZkm And yes, I was referring to the William Tell Overture when I drew this. It's graphite with colored pencil, and it's actually a fairly large piece, compared to most of my little people on the library books. Maybe I'll feature some of the others on another night.

Dream 17 in progress

Here is the front page of Dream 17. It is drawn on the inside cover of a discarded library book, Word List of Gregg Shorthand Simplified. Multiple hand written entries and stamps from the 1950's through 1968 on the date due card. Portrait of a woman. Dream yet to be determined.

Art of the Evening

Thanks for visiting, and I hope you enjoy the art of the evening. Today I am featuring a page from a series I have been doing called The Dreams Project. This is Dream 16. It is a graphite drawing of a man on the inside cover of a library book. [discarded, no hate mail from librarians, please] The back side contains the person's hope, wish, or dream expressed in a mixed media collage. Dream 16 I wish I could get out of this dead end job. All the pages in this series can be bound together via the nice eyelets on the side. This piece is currently on auction on eBay; http://stores.ebay.com/Natalie-Schorr_W0QQsspagenameZMEQ3aFQ3aSTQQtZkm Let me know what you think.

Welcome to my blog!

Thanks to my lovely friends at ATC2 for getting me over my bloglessness. I will post more as I figure out what I'm doing. Please, always feel free to comment on the art as it arrives.