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The NINTH ANNUAL BLAB! SHOW

SEPTEMBER 15, 2014
I had a chance to do a few new paintings for the up coming in September.  Such pressure, so many talented artist... But so much fun...even after Monte picked his four for the show I had another in my head just had to get down on paper. The series started off as a sort contrast between light and dark. Somehow it all went to the dark side. I had two dark images Mother Of Crows and Death Of Crows. Each representing a kind of nihilist view of crows. The Death of Crows I saw as a dark angel on the oil soaked beach with eggs that blend into the stones. I wanted the image charred and dark like coal. The Mother Of Crows I also saw as dark and hopeless.  When I got to the forth painting I think I was just tired of the "Birds" and wanted to try something different. I have this stuffed standing goat in my house that has a little stand that reads "Pull My Tail". Seemed like a natural subject. I played around with a more neutral palette that seemed to add to the moodiness of the piece. A last little thought was to put the crows coming out of his pipe. Like Swifts at dusk around a chimney." The Amphibious Ambition"  Seemed like a likely Cliche´. A variation on the frog prince. I hadn't cleaned my palette so grey and moody just like the Goat. I thought it would be funny to put him in kind of a variation on a French Soldiers uniform. One of my interns Denise Planche said she thought he had a "Tadpolian Complex".... Pretty funny.
 
Lots of great art in here! Check it out...
"Death of Crows" © BIll Mayer 2014
"Smoking Crows" © BIll Mayer 2014
"Mother of Crows" © BIll Mayer 2014
"Amphibious Ambition" © BIll Mayer 2014
"The White bird" Came from JM Berry's book The Little White Bird, a melancholy story about the loss of a child. It's the first place Peter Pan appears. Symbolism in the cross like composition, the stork, the Child's gown and the water. the dark cloudy sky. All to draw a subliminal feeling of sadness and accentuate the loss. This one was not chosen but was one of my favorites.
"The White Bird" © BIll Mayer 2014
This little gouache illustration I called "The Land O' Plenty"...." Night of the Lepus" was a quick little study I thought it would be funny to add huge carrots onto the mountains in the background. this time  more of a warm color tone to acetate the orange of the carrots.( not part of the BLAB!)
"Land O' Plenty" © Bill Mayer 2014

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