Da Fu Wong

As my Chinese friends like to call me Da Fu Wong, which translates as Big Old Rich Guy, above is my name as written in Chinese.

Of the three characters, the left character means big (like a big man holding his arms out), the middle character is a large house sitting on a farm (you're rich), and the right character is, I think, a bunch of birds sitting around (wise old guy).

What a rich fascinating language!

Self Portrait

It's all in the point of view, in this case, on the street looking up at a cantilevered architectural overhang at the Seattle Public Library, a building like none other that I know.

Interplay

Variety, repetition, interplay of positive and negate space (notan). Yeah, that does it!

What Was,What Is

Sometimes I long for this place, but it doesn't even exist anymore.

Proximity

The visual interest inherent in the tasteful juxtaposition of contrasting materials.

Artist Unknown

The artistry of the stone wall.

Redux

The splendor of a dead tree on Mount Desert Island in Maine, redone, as a sepia tone. The tree is dead, but not lifeless, enduring in majesty.

Snapshot

The streets of Beijing. Notice the guide walk for the blind, center strip, a legacy from the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Abstract Notion, Part 2

Pastel image du jour. Yes, I am in it for the fun.

Point of View

A viewpoint on the Great Wall. Mostly, it must have been quite peaceful, unless of course, the invading hordes were at the door.

West Meets East

West meets east at this Austrian fashion show hosted in Shanghai, Peoples Republic of China.

It is a classic situation of life, imitating art, imitating life, where the model does an admirable job of doing her best mannequin impression of a live model. Very impressive!

DreamScape

The image that appeared to me in the intermittent phase of sleep and waking, recreated digitally.

Life After Life

The splendor of the dead tree.

Port in a Storm

After a photoshoot yesterday, I hurried back to the car amid a rainstorm and packed my camera away. I noticed this little marvel of nature, a poetic metaphor for all that is free and beautiful in this world, taking refuge on the road under my engine compartment. It must have been battered around by the raindrops and was lucky to find some shelter, even though it was still struggling a bit in the elements. I quickly unpacked the camera and took a few photos, admiring the design, color and magic of this little wonder. I was quick about capturing a few images, being concerned with the camera, digital cameras being more susceptible to mortal damage in wet conditions as opposed to the old film cameras, like my trusty Nikon FM2, a camera that could keep shooting even with a completely dead battery.

After capturing a few images, I decided that I couldn't just drive off and leave this little one to get pelted by raindrops, so I tried to see if it would accept a lift, which it did quite readily, getting comfortable in the palm of my hand. I brought him into the car so that I could drop off the camera, and then placed him under the shelter of a low, mushroom shaped light fixture. The whole experienced capped off a great day of digital photography.

Great Artists Steal

"Picasso Looks at Degas" is a wonderful exhibition at a wonderful museum, The Clark, in Williamstown, Massachusetts.

Yes, Picasso was a great artist, and yes, he stole. Here he stole from one of the best. Degas more than holds his own here, he shines. This exhibition is well worth the pilgrimage.

Fun With Closeup 05

Now that the paint has dried on this 12" x 48" oil painting, I think it's time to have some digital fun.
Yeah, that's satisfying.

In Step

Another blessed session in the studio, and I've been having tons of fun. I am really thinking that everyone should try this! If everyone could put all the destruction and mayhem on hold, and just give creativity a try, oh what a world we would live in!

In Process

I had the good fortune to spend most of another day in the studio today, with considerably less frustration than I experienced in my last session. In addition to tapping back in to the fun factor, which I consider to be critically important, I explored a host of unorthodox techniques, with, I believe, some success. I was able to get from stage to stage in the process with satisfaction.

Is the painting done? Probably not, but I feel that I am closing in on this one, and given that it has been some time since I completed an oil painting, that really feels good. Today, once again, I also recognized the value of the creative process, with respect to the logistics of crafting something, that is, in the moment to moment thought processes of evaluating proportions, light and dark, color applications etc., and then applying those thoughts into action. Yes, this is good for the soul.

I feel the excitement that comes with wondering how I will view this work in progress as the hours advance. Several days ago, I wondered if I would have to cut the canvas out of the frame, a rare but unfortunate necessity if a canvas reaches the point of no return on account of it being entirely over worked. This is a pleasant turn of events.

Process

Today was the first day back in the studio in quite some time. Well, it has been anything but some kind of normal year for me. I have had creative endeavors, but in recent months, those haven't been while standing in front of a canvas.

This morning I was primarily occupied with covering several unfinished canvases with a layer of gesso, followed by a rather long episode of creative frustration, which I wondered if I should learn to love, if not embrace, as part of the creative process. I finished the session with the above sketch, done in charcoal and gesso on canvas, with limited satisfaction.

Yes, I think I am still processing my recent trip of wonder to the Peoples Republic of China.

Look Now

As words cannot mean the same thing today, as they did yesterday, so too, images cannot evoke the same feeling today as in days past.

What do I see, when I look into this image from my sketchbook? I see both the splendor and the isolation of the road.

Yes, both are keenly felt.

Reflection

A garden, centuries old, complete with trees, pagodas, and excavated lake stones. A stunning architectural wonder. The perfect place for reflection, meditation and peace, and all in the center of Shanghai.

A carry over from a previous world, and a blessing in the modern world.

Art of the Sword

The elegant moves learned by this old master in his youth, still come naturally to him in his old age. His dance is in the gardens that lead to the Temple of Heaven, in Beijing, Peoples Republic of China.

Architectural Refresh, Beijing Style

A tower in Beijing, that, to me at least, appropriately says "Chinese design". The building displays playful design and visual interest, all with a little digital fun added on my part.

Truly Great

I have been away for a while. I appreciate your patience, and for checking in. Yes, I have been on hiatus, far away. Nearly 7,000 miles away to be precise. I have seen great things, among them, one of the design and engineering marvels of the world. Yes, I have walked on the Great Wall.

As the Chinese say, now I am a man.

Design and Utility, All Over Again

I was just notified that I received another patent, in this case, a United States utility patent. There is no remuneration involved, but it does feel oh so good. To view the entire patent, click here, and enter "US 7707711" in the form.

The Incarnation of Purpose, Part 2

A gathering place in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Was, many decades ago, a bank. Now, a coffee shop, a place to share a double espresso, or, a martini. Next, well, who is to say?

The Drill

In olden times, prior to all of the digital latitude that we now enjoy parked in front of computer screens clicking and dragging, we had a great deal of fun, that is, with pencils, ink, markers, pastels and straight edges, on, get this, colored paper. This type of commercial, industrial oriented art, had a fun and satisfaction all its own. We stood before drawing boards, sometimes in smoky rooms, held the media in our hands, and created, all without the benefit of the "undo" command.

The above sketch rendering, as it was referred to, was a regular in my portfolio, in the days when a portfolio was a narrow black leather bag with handles that you protected and hauled around like the family treasure. If you backed up your work, you shot slides (what's a scanner?). On seeing this drawing, an industrial designer who I greatly admired once remarked that he liked it very much. He said it appeared that "you got in there, you did your thing, and you got out." I took that as a compliment.

Form and Fit, Part 2

Here is another shining example of three dimensional product design, par excellence. I can guarantee you, if you are designing flatware, it is going to present a lot of challenges. Can you imagine what is involved in designing a high performance automobile?! But, it is oh so worth it. This new Porsche Boxster looks amazing whether it is sitting in the grass, or moving at 170 mph. What a feat. Yes, this is impressive design.

By the way, through the miracle of Photoshop, and digital manipulation, the casual observer would never suspect that there were three other cars parked in the background, right adjacent to the silver wonder above.

Form and Fit

Having worked in industrial design for the last two decades, and having worked prior to that in product engineering, can one help but appreciate the triumph that is excellent car design?! As a designer, I ought to be enthusiastic when I see good product design, knowing full well the difficult challenges of bringing a three dimensional object into the world via mass production. It's a bear. Few products can turn a head, or capture the imagination like good car design.

The form. The fit. The finish. The color. It's a wow, at any speed.

Hope

Welcome, Spring. Renew our hearts with hope.

Tracks, Rails and Otherwise

Train tracks. They always catch my eye. Well, why wouldn't they? They get you from here to there, and back again.

It's not just the visual allure. Having grown up in a railroad town, the sounds of the trains as they roll down the tracks, and the sound of the whistle are enough to stop me cold. It sounds like a lullaby to my soul. It is the aura of romance and nostalgia. The faintest sound can reach for miles. I hear the railroad moving through Hartford as I write this, and it soothes me.


With sepia simulation, an image taken today can speak something of yesterday. All this, and at the site of some boyhood memories, that is, at historic Philipse Manor station, in Sleepy Hollow, New York, on the shores of the magnificent Hudson River. Is this a place of some magic? Yes, I think so, and so did Washington Irving!

Rachmeal By Night

Read Joanna Wolff's unexpurgated interview of Rachmeal by clicking here.

Intermission

Here is a representative sample, taken from my old design school sketchbook, that demonstrates the quick sketch rendering style that I love so much. It really doesn't take much to indicate "human figure" to the casual observer.

Waiting for the Sun

Here is a painting taken from the stack of works, most of which have been stored shortly after drying. It is not quite the kind of work that I might cover with gesso and repaint, but it is not quite something that I would hang on the wall either. Yet, there is something here that speaks to me.

Somehow this work reminds me of design school, where I might have quickly sketched figures into an environment to indicate scale and mood. It has always amazed me how the human figure can be represented in a seemingly infinite number of ways, limited only by the hand and the imagination of one that seeks to render it.

Image Du Jour

On the beloved Magna Doodle.

While There Is Still Time

The Sol LeWitt retrospective at Mass MoCA will only be on display for another twenty four years. Don't miss your chance to see this wonderful exhibition!