Karl Denton

An evening with Wade Imre Morissette

2012-02-28T10:13:00.001-08:00

A short video I just finished editing Wade The link will take you to my YouTube channel.

An update on Building the Perfect Woman

2012-02-25T15:11:00.001-08:00

I finished casting the last model for my new piece "Building the Perfect Woman". Here are some images of the model I cast today. The area(s) I was most concerned with were her left shoulder, collar bone and breast. As an after thought I cast her vagina as well to add to my continuing collection.

Yoga with Wade Imre Morissette

2012-02-24T20:09:00.000-08:00

One of our local yoga studios sponsored an event with Wade Imre Morissette a highly respected yoga master, musician and performer. Here are some images of the first night of the event. I consider myself lucky to have been involved in this event, I photographed and filmed it. I wish I could the remaining days but had other obligations to tend to. Here is a link to Wades website: http://www.wadeimremorissette.com/ and to the yoga studio Body language who sponsored the event: http://www.bodylanguagefy.com/.

The perfect woman~

2012-02-22T22:23:00.000-08:00

I woke up with another sore throat, to much smoking, to much drinking, not enough drinking.

Who knows maybe it was the rush of escaping the style police. They had been cracking down on free-thinkers, those that wanted just to be who they were, shock sticks, brass knuckles they did not care what they used they just wanted to conform you, make you think like them.

I barely remember last-night, we had just enough energy to escape, to escape and look back at the city lights, we had been labeled outcasts! Once labeled outcasts of Conservatopia it was a life of running, hiding from those who would force there frame of mind on you…

Damn this throat! I can barely choke down the whiskey she handed me… but the next one will be smoother, at least she said it would.

What a woman, stood right there with me during the roughest part of the night. Even had the guts to take the style cops neck tie… what a woman!

We stood looking out over Conservatopia together… angry in knowing we would never return, at least without going in expecting a fight on our hands. These conservatives hating just because your art your mind was different then there’s…

They took over without a whimper from the public, that is when they started the out-castings, we survived longer then most but they either conform you or they make you leave!

We will return to Conservatopia, we will return and make sure every mind is free to think, feel, live without fear, fear of shock sticks and brass knuckles… we will return!

Damn whiskey!

Just as hard the second time down as the first,

Damn whiskey!

But what a woman, standing by my side during the roughest times…

Where all the magic shit happens...

2012-02-22T12:13:00.000-08:00

Here is a short tour of my workshop with is just off my main studio here at the house.

The shop is where I do all of my non-painting work, electronics, prop making, cleaning up sculptures, wax and low temp metal castings and more.

I have come to realize that creativity takes on many forms!

2012-02-21T00:05:00.000-08:00

I wrote this to a friend on Facebook who claimed her spark went out years ago...

I have come to realize that creativity takes on many forms!

Art, life, survival... this past year has been such a strain on me I have considered giving up art... in reality I have considered giving up everything! This is the first time I have actually typed it out, said it to another. But it's true!

I've lost my full time job, lost my house, lost my self confidence, divorced, spent 72 days in jail (nearly destroyed me), had permanent hearing loss and vision loss because of worsening MS and continue to swap the bills I can't pay this month but will in place of some other next.

And yet my mind generates ideas, thoughts throughout the year that I know I will either write about or create one day.

Of course when going through such events creativity gets diverted on how to survive, and surviving, what we do, means our creativity has survived because we us it to be sure!

My written response to Congressman Thaddeus G. McCotter

2012-02-20T14:00:00.001-08:00

Date: February 20, 2012

Thaddeus G. McCotter
Congressman

2243 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Congressman McCotter:

I received your letter in reply to my concerns over H.R. 3261 and S. 968 (copy enclosed) in both email and written form. First I want to thank you for taking the time to reply, many in the government do not. Second I wanted to reply because the last line of your letter states: “I work for you.” I have trouble believing this considering how fast and how extensive Americans are losing freedoms every day! While I believe in our country, I am having a hard time believing that our government “works” for the citizens any longer!

Before I voice my opinion on several issues regarding my statements above I want to say something about these bills and others like them. As stated above I am a working artist and photographer and have had my work stolen from online sources many times, I do the work and get those issues resolved I consider it a part of doing business. My concern with the above two bills is the following: I have created many things including photos, art that is famous worldwide and videos that I used to post on YouTube, I say used to because despite creating the video, creating the music in the video every time I posted a new video I would receive a notice from that website that the video was blocked in various countries because “some company was claiming it was there’s”, I got tired of writing YouTube demanding that those restrictions be lifted considering I was the creator of the audio and indeed the entire video. Those complaints by me fell on deaf ears! Let’s pretend the bills pass and a large corporation goes further and files a complaint regarding something that I’ve created, I become the immediate test case for these laws and they do not protect me, my property they give a large corporation the opportunity to steal it from me! I don’t make a lot of money so what chance do I have in protecting my rights, my property in a court of law before I go bankrupt in trying to protect them? Absolutely NONE! My websites and blog are now the only place I post my work because I can defend those sites from potential theft of my own property.

Now regarding other issues here in the US. I wonder just how far removed the US government has become from it’s own people? You see saying (or typing) the words “I work for you.” is an easy thing to do when your embroiled in the daily activities of debate within the walls of congress, but in reality the American public is on the very edge of revolt. The Occupy Wall Street protests should be a wake up call but instead laws are being passed that allow our local law enforcement agencies to claim these folks as terrorists and American citizens now stand the very real chance of losing their constitutional rights? Tell me please how this makes sense? Tell me please how or what measures are put in place to ensure this does not go unchecked? We are at the very beginning of our next 200 years of existence as a country and given the average life of any one government has been around 200 years do we assume we are moving toward a police state, a dictatorship? My thoughts on these topics are not indicative to just me, there are major movements within every online community talking about such things. The real question is at what point to we transition from the greatest country in the world to one of the most oppressive, one that takes freedoms away faster then they were conceived by our founding fathers.

In the past 2 years I lost my engineering job making over $90,000 per year to making art and collecting $24,832 per year on disability (I have MS with no medical insurance) and whatever I can collect making art. Despite following the rules and spending over 2 years trying to save my home I was helpless while Chase Bank literally let someone steel the home that my wife and I built, the bank bail-out did nothing for us, in fact it empowered the banks and they refused to work with us until we drained my 401K trying to pay our mortgage payments, our home was eventually sold on a short sale while my family tried desperately to provide whatever we could to Chase Bank to save it. Next, despite having a lifetime of records I was informed earlier this year that the IRS was auditing my 2009, 2010 taxes in an effort to re-classify me as a hobbyist and not as a working artist and photographer, this despite showing income, expenses and following the rules. The outcome of that audit is being protested as they expect me to pay back over $11,000 this amount by the way is twice as much as the refunds I had gotten for both of those years combined!

I no longer believe words like “I work for you” from those in government and law enforcement! I am in the process of writing a book about my experience with the Oakland County Criminal Justice System called “Whatever right is it’s not right in here”. In doing the research for this book I have discovered that there is no justice, no honor no truth in the system. Sitting judges who make up nonsense and lies in order to get there point across, judges or family members who own institutions/businesses those judges are sentencing citizens to and reaping the monetary benefits of those judgments. All claiming it is “legal” yet refusing to comment when asked “Is it ethical?”. No, I have lost what little bit of respect I had for our government after the past 2 years and given how law enforcement has been treating those who have a voice I am losing what little pride in our country I have left!

I don’t expect anything to change; we are a runaway train on tracks that end on the edge of a cliff with no chance of the breaks working to save us!

Sincerely,

Karl Denton
Artist and Photographer

Serious things going on in the US

2012-02-19T22:27:00.000-08:00

As can be seen here in my blog my writings, images or even videos are about love, art, lust, more art and a few other things...

So it saddens me to think about what the potential is for things like H.R. 3261 and S.968 is! I wrote my congressman and received the letter below. I am formulating a response to it. One of my biggest concerns is that every time I upload one of my videos to YouTube that was edited in Final Cut and the music was conceived and created by me I have had those videos restricted in various countries because foreign companies were claiming copyrights! I stopped using YouTube because despite several complaints made by me each time this took place nothing was done!

These bills will do nothing to protect my (your) media and will do everything to hand them over to anyone claiming the right is theirs!

We are creating one really fucked up country if we start letting these things continue!

A few from the Detroit Dirty Show

2012-02-18T21:56:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day

2012-02-13T21:54:00.000-08:00

Here is a piece I did a couple years ago called "A Valentine for the rest of us". It is 16x20 and oil on canvas. $250 USD

The fossil

2012-02-13T21:46:00.000-08:00

I had no idea until this very night why it was so important to you...

After a week in Morocco we had seen many things, tasted many things~ The most important of them was each other, in my mind we were as strong as ever, my only problem was this really bad breathing and cough that had developed just prior to flying out to see you.

Sure we had a few problems, for one this trip was on a budget and it was clear that some things would stress us out more then normal, and then those damned texts on my phone! While in my mind innocent flirtations they meant something to you, my usual was to just make lite of what ever it was that I felt uncomfortable about and this time was no different. All of that said we had a great trip, we ventured out to explore a country neither of us had been to and to explore the only way we knew, see how the locals ate, lived, see the marvels of a new place as though we were lost in it's charm and innocence.

We had some very special times, making love after a days adventure, the most memorable in my mind was the night we returned from Fes. Tired beyond belief and desperate to get to the hotel for "refreshing" and possibly a nights exploration in the souks before we retired after an 8 hour train ride. Deciding on a stroll through the souks and wandering back into our favorite restaurant for a late night snack. Later in life we would discover that very restaurant would be subject to a terrorist bombing just weeks after we left Morocco.

We drifted up to our hotel room and fell onto one of the beds... I had fought this damn cough for the entire time we were there and was desperate to be rid of it. It was the thing that came between our intimacy on more then one occasion and it was getting to me! This night how ever I was NOT going to let it get in my way of us. That night we spent hours refreshing our memories of how each other felt, tasted, we spent hours making love. You once commented on how vivid my memory was regarding the times we shared each other, today is no different, and these vivid memories only exist in my mind regarding you!

We were lucky enough to had bumped into the cab driver we hired to drive us for a day and who upon receiving a good tip wanted us to know that he would be at our call for the remainder of our stay in Marrakesh.

We had gotten many things on our trip, many memories were purchased and you knowing I wanted a Moroccan fossil were determined to find one for me... We asked about them and were told of a place near a site we would be visiting. Our cab driver told us he knew just where we should go and off we went.

We wandered though an ancient castle explored many new shops we had not previously discovered, found a wonderful little lantern shoppe that had just the right things. And while wandering through the streets we found two men with many fossils spread out on a blanket in one of the market areas. This must be the place our cab driver talked about, not exactly a fossil shop but I was just excited to see a few fossils and was happy to had gotten two of them for my growing collection. We found a wonderful place to eat that allowed us to photograph the locals from high above. I remember the call to prayer starting as we finished dinner and as the streets got quiet we both noticed a school across the street almost level with us, through the window we watched as children commenced there prayers. Just as quickly as it got quiet the hustle of the locals came back.

Content with another lunch and ready for more exploration we ventured back out exploring various things around us and by chance stumbled upon a small shop that I could not resist going into. The store was a mere 10 foot square at best but it was filled wall to wall with the most extraordinary fossils I had ever seen! The owner was very nice and it was clear that he was very knowledgeable about the items he had in his store. He unwrapped many treasures for me to look at and then he handed me one that was just the coolest thing I had seen. It looked like a simple piece of mud but then he separated the two halves to display three trilobites that had been frozen in time. I remember you trying to negotiate with him as we did with everything else we had purchased but he knew his product.

Finally settling on a price to your horror we used the last of our cash on the lanterns and lunch and despite me telling you it was ok, the fossils that we found earlier were fine it was clear you were a woman on a mission, we set out to find an atm... you ventured our with the determination of the likes I had not seen. I followed as you frantically searched and after an hour or so finally finding one that actually had cash in it we waled back to find the shop. Thank God for iPhone and GPS! To the sop owners surprise we returned and purchased that fossil. I had no idea why it was so important to you until holding it my hand and re-walking that entire tip through my mind... You were desperate to get me something that I would be sure to pick up and remember from that time, something to remember from our trip to Morocco. Desperate to ensure that I had something to keep with me from you because little did I know at the time your thoughts were that I was unhappy with you, unhappy with us.

The thing is that was the farthest thing from the truth, despite being sick, despite nearly dying of double pneumonia on returning home, that was an adventure that will be with me forever. We had issues, we discovered things about Morocco, about each other and I would do it all the exact same way!

We have both moved on but I think it is important that we remember how incredibly cool a time we had...

If you need a refresher on what that fossil was here you go:

The Birth of Man

2012-02-06T18:15:00.000-08:00

The Birth of Man will be showing at the

International Erotic Art Exhibition: Dirty Show 13

Here in Detroit, MI February 10-18th (additional days may be added).

Here is just a bit of what is being said about "The Birth of Man"

"Ground Breaking",

"Never had I seen this done!",

"Could not be more right on"

and

"Hey that's me!"

Come see for your self!

These picture are good but they don't show this piece off the way seeing it in real life does!

Visit www.dirtyshow.org for tickets, days and times!

The completed piece is 12" tall, 48" wide and 7" deep and is a combination of sculpture, life casting and oil paint. The price for this piece is set at $4,800 USD. During the production process 3 female models were used and one male model (me). There were 18 rubber molds made and about 2 dozen plaster castings made before I was satisfied that I captured the very essence of

The Birth of Man~

Building the perfect woman

2012-02-04T19:47:00.000-08:00

Another casting done for "Building the perfect woman". Here I am casting the models hand as it will be positioned on the canvas. Using alginate I coated the inside of her hand and placed it. Then quickly covered the area that I was concerned about. Once solid I covered the outside of her hand with plaster casting bandages and let everything set for a bit. Then the entire piece was removed from the master sculpture visible in the top two images. The split line was coated in Vaseline and the other side of the mold was also covered in plaster bandages. And of course Shelby had to get a funny image somewhere in there. Once that was hard the plaster halves were separated the model was cut from the alginate and then then entire assembly was put back together. Tape was used to hold the halves together and then Vatican casting stone was mixed and poured to make the hand in the last image. Once the cast hand is cleaned and sculpted the way I need I will make a rubber mold of it and then use that mold to make the canvas version of it. Keep checking back I will be casting the final model next week.

Another new project...

2012-02-03T23:57:00.000-08:00

I have wanted to do an art project that dictated I use the curly cue from those new screw in florescent bulbs that save us lots of money. I had to spend a lot of time thinking how I was going to make a mold of one of the bulbs, realized I had to take one apart (I don't recommend you do this at all) and see what was what. Here is the beginning of the process after the glass bulb has been removed.

A little bit more about me...

2012-02-02T20:05:00.000-08:00

Back in the early 90's I went to and graduated from the police academy at Schoolcraft College in Livonia Michigan. I then went on to become a Dearborn Heights Police Reserve Officer and spent 5 years as one. And yes I was a great deal skinnier back then, I had trouble keeping all that hardware on my duty belt up. It was a very cool time!

Here are the only remaining images of me in uniform:

Chase bank being investigated for improper procedures in foreclosing homes!

2012-02-02T18:56:00.000-08:00

The mountain of paperwork that Chase Bank created in trying to avoid helping us save the house on Greenview Ct. I got word to save every document because they are now being investigated for VERY improper things regarding there lack of help!

For two years we tried to enlist there help only to find out that the money given to banks to bail them out was misused that they were NOT being paid to help homeowners but were being paid to short sale and foreclose.

The bank bailout was in my opinion the worst attack on the American public by it's own government in the history of the the country and of course since then it has not stopped getting worse!

Old technology new uses~

2012-02-01T21:03:00.000-08:00

One of my latest creations.

Modifying 1940/50 vintage navy microphones so they can be used with today's music technology. They look great and feel great in your hand (though in real life they were hung around your neck while on board a naval vessel) and the sound is vintage as well. I've developed a circuit that delivers a big sound from the carbon mic that was used in these cool relics.

These pieces are truly a work of art both visually and with the sound they create, they are made to order and prices start at $2,200 each.

It must have been you keeping me down

2012-01-30T10:14:00.000-08:00

I've spent endless days wondering why,
thinking that I was some odd dysfunctional guy,
but then interactions with others,
made me realize,
that it must have been you keeping me down!

I've spent endless days in private reassurance,
only to read an ironic email disturbance,
the frustration in me grows,
but then others make me realize,
it must have been you keeping me down!

Now creativity flows free from me,
the seed of inspiration is given to many,
others who know and desire,
the things I have to offer,
while standing nude in the shower.

Friends and lovers who have no doubt,
about who I am and my desire to never be without,
these are the people who made me realize,
it must have been you keeping me down!

Life's much to short to be abused and hurt,
so I've wiped you clean from my life,
like a child wiping his hands on his shirt,
as my friends and lovers make me realize,
it must have been you keeping me down!

Characters in a play...

2012-01-29T21:38:00.000-08:00

I create these characters in my mind to help get me through life, some I have written about and once I do that, they become something real in my life.

So it only seems natural to me to continue what ever story I may have written.

I figure that way the "character" remains a part of my life and I get to write another really great story of what may have been,

or was,

or should I say,

could have been.

The "Return of the French Waitress" is dying to get out... check back soon!

Update on "Building the Perfect Woman"

2012-01-26T18:10:00.000-08:00

Well the canvas has been stretched and is dry, I have 2 of the 7 3D canvas done and today finally molded Shelby's left foot for the piece. Here are some images from today's activities. Keep in mind that despite having the plaster casting in my hand I will have to clean that casting, re-sculpt in clay the area that need work then make a new rubber mold of that. Using the rubber mold I will then press fit the canvas and gesso to make it right for adding to the canvas.

Writers block!

2012-01-23T22:12:00.000-08:00

I apologize to my many fans out there waiting for my next written piece. I am in the midst of some serious writers block. You see this past year much of my inspiration came from with-in a relationship I was in, but that is over now.

I try and write, the words and stories are in my head, they want to come out, excite you, bring you to the brink of...

And when I write the words, spend time thinking of them, I always end up deleting the post before it goes public!

Partly because I don't want her to think is is about her and partly because I do!

I promise I will get over this writing slump soon, in the mean time please enjoy the art I am creating because in it there is more meaning then in all other work I have created!

New studio layout.

2012-01-22T20:56:00.000-08:00

I just finished moving things around in my studio so I can get more work done:

Why Lie?

2012-01-21T22:58:00.000-08:00

Human beings are wonderful things, we have the capacity to create, love, wonder at questions like "Why lie?" and statements like "Seriously that pisses me off." despite all of the negative things that hurt us throughout life. We are resilient, resistant, trusting despite lies, caring despite being strangers... we are human and we are full of wonder! We lie to protect our selves, to protect the ones we love, to free ourselves from embarrassment, we lie because we are human! It is never the right thing to do but we can't help it we are human, full of wonder, full of lies~

My response to a friends posting on Facebook: "Why lie? Seriously that pisses me off."

And I have never met anyone who did not lie about something, ever!

Two of the worst things to come out in 2011!

2012-01-21T21:38:00.000-08:00

Two things that need to go away and soon:

Auto-tuning in the music industry, it's waaay over done and if you can't sing you don't sound any better using it,

2nd: Photoshop filters, removing every blemish a person has, again waaay over done! People need to look like people not some plasticized version of a person. If you can't photograph a person looking good the way they are then you should stop calling yourself a photographer!

A lot going on here in the studio...

2012-01-20T21:20:00.000-08:00

Been very crazy busy here in my studio! I have several very complicated pieces in process, "Building the perfect woman", "Time" and 5 or 6 wax sculptures that will eventually be cast in bronze.

Here are some images of things in process or completed and eaten:

I always have to make time for food :~)

This is another thing I love to do, cook!

Here is my latest recipe for pizza, all homemade including the dough,

oh yeah I can cook!

Spent all day Friday working on the "Time" piece,

lots of work in this complicated piece.

When complete it will contain miles of wire,

over 4,800 solder connections,

include 50 Nixie tubes displays and run on 170 volts of power!

And if all goes well, you, yes you fans out there will control it from your computer :~)

For fans of my erotic work ( yeah you all know who you are),

this is a wax sculpture that will be cast in bronze.

This is one of many new pieces that I will enter into next years "Dirty Show".

The other 5 wax sculptures are a reflection of my time in jail as well as a reflection of the very scary times here in the US. I will post them here under there own entry. And check back soon for an update on "Building the perfect woman". I will be casting two more models for the piece over the next several days.

To my friends in Russia

2012-01-18T19:37:00.000-08:00

I am working hard on a new piece called "Time" and need your help!

I purchased a case of vacuum tubes required for the piece from Russia and while I can make a best guess at the technical data I would really like to get the data sheet translated.

So here is the deal: If you translate the data sheet for me I will send you one of my original oil paintings (one of my choice). Below you will find an image of the data sheet, give it your best shot. The first one to email me the English translation (and I know my way around electronics) that is correct send me your address and I will ship the painting to you.

The catch is I want the translation to be done by someone in Russia so the ship to address you send me must be to an address in your country.

My email address is: karl@karldenton.com

A lost soul

2012-01-16T18:17:00.000-08:00

Feeling lost and alone,
hiding in the darkness when the light is on,
remembering the soft touch of skin,
the feeling of being loved within,
it's gone!

Feeling lost and alone,
wandering alone with no help,
feeling the days slip past,
wondering about the last.

Feeling lost and alone,
spending days and nights
working in my studio,
wondering why!

Feeling lost and alone!

Update on "Building the perfect woman"

2012-01-16T10:08:00.000-08:00

As promised here is an update on "Building the perfect woman". The video pretty much says it all. The "Memory Streams" project video (life casting) can be found here www.karldenton.com

In my next update I hope to show a video of at least one of the models being molded. In the Memory Streams project I used Smooth-On's rubber to make the life casting. For this piece I am using there alginate to accomplish the same thing. When using the rubber it is a two part mix that solidifies to form the shape and once formed can be used over and over again. I chose to use alginate for these last few pieces because it is much less expensive, you mix the product with cold water it then gels to for the shape. I can only get one casting from the product but once I have that casting I can of course make duplicates if required.

Hyper-realism ≠ My-realism

2012-01-15T23:14:00.000-08:00

My reality is so far distant then the equation:

Hyper-realism (rh) +realism (r) / insanity (i) = reality
or

rh+r
_____ = reality

i

Little did I know it should have been:

rh+r
_____ = reality (ra)
i
_________________________________
ra*i
_________________ + 3 = True reality (rt)
ra * rh^6

or:

(rh+r/i)/(ra*i/ra*rh^6)+3=True reality or rt

It's the +3 that really gets me!

2012 Project - Berlin

2012-01-11T10:03:00.000-08:00

I was invited to enter a few of my pieces into at new show that will be held at the gallery "Factory-Art" in Berlin between February 16th and March 16th.

They have a gallery in both London as well as Berlin. Information on them can be found at Factory-Art

Below are my three entries:

Trapped in Paradise

16" x 20"

Multi-media

$2,900

You and I over turquoise

24" x 36"

Oil on canvas

$1,800

Woman a flower of a different kind

8" x 10"

ink and pastel on canvas

$2,400

To a good home - love

2012-01-11T09:04:00.000-08:00

Love

24" x 36"

Oil on canvas

I am proud to say this uplifting painting went to a good home today, I just dropped it off as a gift to my long time doctor, Dr. Anthony Munaco at Farmington Family Physicians. I have known Dr. Munaco for well over 25 years now and as most of you know this past year has been a terrible one for my daughter and myself. As most of you also know my health has been somewhat awful this past year as well, the stresses of everything else plays havoc with my immune system and directly affects and makes worse this monster inside my called M.S. Were it not for people like Dr. Munaco things would be very much worse, so as a thank you this warming and uplifting painting has been given him. Weather it's hung in the waiting room or in one of the exam rooms the bright colors and message can only bring a smile to someone that may not otherwise be inspired to do so. Thanks to Dr. Munaco and everyone at Farmington Family Physicians.

Box Lunch

2012-01-10T18:04:00.000-08:00

Box Lunch 24" x 36"

Mulit-media

$3,200

This piece was a part of the background I constructed for a self portrait series for a project called "The White Room". The images (low resolution) and writing can be found by clicking the above. While I never want to portray the female form in any light other then an extraordinarily beautiful gift from god the title of this, the only surviving piece from the series other then "Woman a flower of a different kind", was conceived only because there is quite literally a box drawn on the canvas after removing the above noted painting. This piece raises eyebrows and causes people to talk which is why I had kept it all these years.

Building the perfect woman

2012-01-09T08:22:00.000-08:00

Here are the very beginnings of one of my newest projects. I've already made the life castings and made a canvas positive of two of the pieces for this project. I have three more life castings to create yet, the right hand and arm, the face and a small portion of the left hand and possibly the bottom of a left foot (not sure about this last one yet).

The project will measure 70" x 36" when complete. The stretchers for this piece are on the way and once the base canvas is stretch and primed I will place the "pieces of woman" and apply a second sheet of heavy canvas. The hollow spaces under the bottom, breasts and other life cast parts will be filled with a foaming polyurethane. Then the entire project will get many (a minimum of 3 but may be as many as 6 or 8) coast of acrylic gesso.

Once all that has dried (a month or two) I will start the painting process, I will be using oil paints on this piece. When complete the entire piece could weigh as much as 50 lbs or more.

The green substance you see on the two first two pieces in the first video is a very light weight auto body filler that is sand-able and sticks to the canvas life replicas. It is used to achieve the final shape and fill in molding imperfections. The white plaster castings in the second video were used as the molds for making the canvas life castings and as a template for cutting out the top piece of canvas. They together weigh over 40lbs which is why I made the canvas versions, light weight!

Updates soon :~)

My daughter is an Asian slave child

2012-01-08T12:41:00.000-08:00

My daughter is an Asian slave child

Ink and oil on canvas

24" x 30"

$2,500

This piece was created several years ago and while the underlying thought behind it began because of a conversation between my daughter and I, the true impact of it became clear when I created it. At the time she was conversing with a boy on the internet and noted that he wanted to travel across the US to visit. At one point during the conversation it came up that they "knew" each other and I could not help but make the comment "For all that boy knows you are an Asian slave child!". They never did meet but the painting idea was now lodged in my head, the above is the result.

One question that I get asked often is what do you think about when creating are and I can tell you the entire time I worked on this I could only see things through the eyes of a desperate father trying to make a sign that would attract attention, save her at all costs...

The Chinese literally says "My daughter is an Asian slave child" many thanks to the folks at the China Town Restaurant in Walled Lake for the translation.

The coffee table in my studio

2012-01-02T00:46:00.000-08:00

I had never thought of this table as a piece of art until one of Shelby's (my daughter) friends commented on it. I had made this out of necessity thinking it was simple and a functioning table for me. And was recently informed that it to is a piece of art.

The table is made of acrylic and aluminum, as pictured, there is an aluminum bar across the table top to tilt books for better enjoyment. The round tube's mounting points are under the aluminum bar. The feet are 4 inch aluminum blocks tied together with a steel rod forming what looks like square barbells. The table measures: 36" x 24" (table top) and 17.5" tall. The figure in the tube as shown is a leftover from one of my sculpting classes.

The table is not for sale and remains in my private collection. Send me an email if you would like something designed for your space and I will send you a quote.

Life's Adventure

2012-01-01T09:36:00.000-08:00

I've finally figured out that life is telling stories about the things we've experienced and seen.

Some of us chose to be creative in our life long quest to experience the things we do so that when we tell others about them we get the ooh factor. But in reality telling these stories is how we will be remembered throughout time.

At 52 I can safely say I have more then my share of stories to tell. But then again with at least 52 more years to go life's adventure is just beginning :~)

Great news

2011-12-27T11:45:00.000-08:00

My piece "The Birth of Man" has been accepted into the Dirty Show in Detroit Mi. The show opens on February 10th and runs through the 18th 2012.

For detailed information about the show visit: http://dirtyshow.org

I hope to see you there :~)

Thinking of a new series..

2011-12-23T20:19:00.000-08:00

Started a new portrait of one of my facebook friends today, the thought crossed my mind that it may be a cool series.

Facebook portraits...hmmm

Images of friends selected at random that I turn into an oil painted portrait, this could be fun~ I know it will do a world of good for me :~)

My Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/karldenton

The way you taste

2011-12-22T22:07:00.001-08:00

I miss the way you taste!

The way you miss my voice, my words,

I miss the way you smile,

The way you miss my hair,

I miss the way you feel under my fingers,

The way you miss my eyes.

We are two of the same person, the way we desire, crave each other,

I miss the way you taste the morning after,

I miss the goose bumps rise and fall!

I miss the way you taste!

Anti-time

2011-12-21T10:05:00.000-08:00

Made "Brownies" yesterday for the first time, most of you know I don't like chocolate, they were ok.

An hour after eating one (for medicinal purposes only) this thought came to mind:

14,000,000,000 Years ago the universe came to be,
4,500,000,000 Years ago the earth came to be,
         2,500,000 Years ago humans started walking the earth,
                1,000 Years ago the concept of electricity was known,
                     60 Years ago the first computers were built!

What happens when this goes to zero?
Do we enter "anti-time"?,
does anti-time exist?

My guess is that it does, that when our technological advancements get to a point our consciousness with become free flowing electrons traveling through the universe, no ending, no aging, in other-words time will no longer exist as we had come to know it.

Then the effects of the "chocolate" wore off and several hours had passed...

If I go silent...

2011-12-17T12:46:00.000-08:00

Well it's been quite the day here regarding bad news via the mail!

The IRS as I suspected tells me that I am not a business and wants repayment of 2009 refunds, as usual the small guy gets fucked by our government and then I received a letter from Oakland County's Restitution department letting me know I am in violation of my probation because I've not made "their" minimum payments per month which are $100 a month less then what I earn in a month! They don't care that you have to live, they don't care about any other bills, they don't care if you have to live on the street as long as they get what think they are owed. After paying bills and restitution we have about $15 left each month!

So if I go silent anytime in the near future you will know where I am...

Setting things straight!

2011-12-12T11:29:00.000-08:00

With the case against me now in the restitution hearing phase I really need to comment on a few things. It has come to my attention that my former employer or employees that still work there are having fun with spreading rumors and untruths about me and my family over the past year so this is to correct the false information that keeps getting back to me!

Regarding my divorce:

My wife and I decided a while ago that we were no longer compatible and that it would be best to divorce and look for the things we were missing in our own marriage. My divorce had nothing to to with the case or my finical placement at the time. We were told if we could to hold off until our daughter was 18 or older to make things better for all and that is what happened. The week after Shelby turned 18 I filed for the divorce and it was completed on April 8th 2011.

Regarding the loss of my home:

The loss of my home was NOT because of the divorce nor was it because of the case regarding my former employer. My wife and I fought with J.P. Morgan Chase Bank for over 2 years trying to save our home. If you read this http://karlrdenton.blogspot.com/2011/04/open-letter-to-president-of-united.html you will gain an understanding of how frustrating it was and how dissapointed we both were on losing the house and how little help there was. Again we fought to save our home! The house went into a short sale because a couple of greedy realtors convinced my then wife that it was the best way to go about things, not telling her that we would still be in the house if we had continued to fight. They came across as caring about our credit rating when in reality it had already been destroyed because the bank would not help us. The realtor had nothing in mind but reaping the profits from the closing when talking to my wife! As it stands now the new owners pay as much per-month as I do in renting my current home! Our house was stolen from us, it was not lost because of the case, the divorce or any other factor!

Regarding my right to a restitution hearing:

During the initial hearing the Prosecutor commented several times that "the defendant had already plead "not-contest" and could not see why I was being allowed to bring up or subpena those whom I worked with including the owner of the company! Then in the same breath would try and assert that this was tantamount to harassment by me against my former employer. The fact is I have a right to this restitution hearing because it is part of the law! I've taken responsibility for many things they claim but I will NOT take responsibility for items used at and for work. The Prosecutor also made many comments pertaining to my legal counsel such as "the defendant has gone through 3 or 4 lawyers, what do you expect?" The fact is I have had 2 lawyers, the original one whom in my opinion provided me with no counsel whatsoever and whom I fired when he asked me to pay $5,000 in addition to the $20,000 I had already paid him. Then I have my current lawyer! No others! So the prosecutor would rather infringe on my rights to have this hearing and immediately started making comments such as above! I subpenaed only those whom I worked with on various projects, those whom I took orders from including the owner because as it is my right to have this hearing it is also my right to call on anyone who can provide insight into this case, good, bad or ugly! I have no interest in interacting with anyone from my former employer other then ending this nightmare!

I find it interesting that regardless of the restrictions I have had imposed on me in this case that my former employer or at least select people that are still employed by my former employer are free and able to say whatever comes to mind regarding me or my family though I find it just as interesting that the prosecutor does the same thing but in her case she makes the comments in court, just loud enough to be heard by the judge, my former employer and the court room. Dirty tricks to continuously smear my name in the midst of this case. I will not stand for it! Nor will I take responsibility for the things I used in the line of work!

Regarding the IRS audit I am in the middle of regarding the years 2009 and 2010:

I have been down this path with the IRS before! During the congressional investigation regarding abuse on the part of the IRS. This is no different! The moment I got into the office for the initial meeting it was obvious that they were going reclassify my work in art and photography as a hobby. This meant that I would have to repay thousands of dollars in back taxes and penalties! While in the initial interview I secretly recorded the entire thing for my own protection as resolving the first audit got VERY intense until I sought and received help for the special congressional committee investigating the IRS. I will fight this audit with as much vigor as the last one! One interesting note is that while being interviewed I overheard the IRS investigator telling a small businessman the EXACT same thing during his interview. You can even hear her telling him it on the recording I made. What the IRS is doing is targeting small home based businesses and denying them the same rights and do course as they give large companies whom write off more in losses per year then all the small home based business combined!

I will NOT stop fighting this!

I really hope this helps set things straight but to recap:

*My divorce was planned and was mutual between my ex-wife and I (I should point out she is upstairs wrapping gifts for our daughter as I write this!) We get a long we were just not meant for marriage despite being so for 30 years!

*My home was stolen from us! We fought with the banks hoping the bailout would have helped, it did not, the bailout was designed to shit on home owners and help the banks, simple as that!

*It is my right to have the restitution hearing! It is my right and obligation to make the most of my life, pay restitution and get this thing behind me, the endless rumors, insulting innuendo being dished out by both my former employer and the prosecutor do nothing but show how flawed our legal system is!

*The IRS has a new directive and that is to "stop" small business by hiding behind obscure laws that are changed by our own government to further the agenda of large companies and the IRS itself, lets remember the government is the largest corporation in the US! I will NOT stop fighting the findings regarding my own taxes!

I hate that you..

2011-12-05T23:38:00.000-08:00

Still influence my art.
are still the first thing,
I think of when I start my day,
that I am reminded of you,
because of some object in my sight.

I hate that you,
were able to get this deep,
I hate that I was unable to keep,
the way we were before this time,
when we laughed about the effects
of red wine.

I hat that you got so deep!

To my fans in Russia

2011-12-05T23:22:00.000-08:00

Thank you for the visits (you kids are the 3rd highest visitors), more specifically thank you for the return visits.

I want all of you to know that one of my next pieces is going to be dedicated to you. The components I purchased for the next piece would not be available were it not for you.

The piece is called "Time" and has been rattling around in my head for a long time. Not really sure what the piece would be about I instinctively purchased the vacuum tubes and "IC" drivers nearly a year ago.

Now I finally realize what the piece represents. "TIME"

Images soon!

Thanks again to my fans from Russia...

As an artist...

2011-12-05T22:23:00.000-08:00

... it is our responsibility to portray and capture what the real world is like, not just to re-create it by duplication of other art!

Right now we live in an era that will define the entire world for the next thousand years. So the way I see it our descendents can either "see" the truth in what we create or they can read the lies that are told to the masses by the government(s) and press!

And when I say "we" I mean the entire world the things happening now are not only happening to the US but the entire world!

Trapped in paradise

2011-12-04T22:24:00.000-08:00

Here is the final piece and detail:

Mixed media/oil on canvas

21.5" x 25.5"

$2,900

Everyone creates what we perceive to be paradise, we work hard to get there in some cases. For some it is simply a matter of opening their eyes and discovering what was perceived is really nothing more then an illusion of paradise. Once there it is hard to break out because we are the only ones who are capable of breaking out, yet our lives are spent building the glue that keeps us trapped in our paradise.

...............

This is a rather extensive multimedia project, the concept was born while I spent a short time in the Oakland County Jail. The only reading material was supplied via the library cart once a month. I found an art history book which helped me keep my sanity. In it I found an image of "The Scream" by Edvard Munch and based this piece on that.

The piece is made of of a 16" x 20" oil painting, permanently fixed to the frame. The frame is also painted extending the art closer to the viewer, removing the boundaries that frames tend to create. The aluminum wire was then inserted into pre-drilled holes, the figure which is a sculpture made of both clay and plaster was then placed. One of the final steps is to create the look that the figure is bleeding onto the wire as he/she passes through it, in an effort to escape, yet creating the very glue that will entrap him/her for ever! The foamed glue will be painted (in process in this image) and then the remaining aluminum wire will be painted with the colors that lie beneath it also to remove the boundaries between the art and viewer.

Do you miss me?

2011-12-02T19:27:00.000-08:00

Do you miss me,
the way we touched,
do you miss the laughter,
or do you miss the morning after?

Do you miss me,
the way we kissed,
the our lips fit together,
do you miss the attention,
walking down the street,
do you miss the love so sweet?

Do you miss me,
and the adventure,
do you miss the tenderness,
or the smell of us in the air,
do you miss the passion,
the intensity like no other?

Do you miss me,
do you miss the long talks,
or the long walks,
along rivers of color,
deep reds and blues,
do you miss the things
I loved about you?

Do you miss me?

Creative Collaboration

2011-11-30T17:31:00.000-08:00

We have an artistic collaboration that encompasses:

sexuality,
eroticism,
love,
passion
desire,
art,
photography,
and each other...

in other words it's the perfect art collaboration!

..............................

Just found the recording of this on my iPhone from 11/27/10, must have made sense to me then because I took the time to record it.

2011 Christmas Ornaments

2011-11-28T12:49:00.000-08:00

Shelby and I made several ornaments and hand painted them. They can be purchased at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/karldenton?ref=pr_shop_more

The Scarab Artists Annual

2011-11-20T13:58:00.000-08:00

The 3rd Scarab Club Artists Annual will be published very soon. This year two of my works have been selected to be in the annual. For more information on obtaining a copy of the Scarab Club Artist Annual please visit www.scarabclub.org.

Love - Oil on canvas

48" x 36"

$250

Self Love - Life Casting/Digital image

$250 per 16" x 20" Print

Signed and numbered

Limited to 100 Prints

The shape underneath still shows through!

2011-11-05T23:07:00.000-07:00

Oil on canvas 24"x18

$1,200

Moments of artistic insanity,

amongst the light and inspiration,

forgiveness and love,

extraordinary times together,

anything but ordinary,

as the cracks begin to form,

the shape underneath begins to show,

the fragile life we call ours,

in times of disparate moments,

we commit the worst of sins.

Amongst the cracks in the black,

the shape underneath begins to show,

desperate to hide the ugly truth,

we turn inward to see no more,

and all the while,

amongst the cracks in the black,

the shape underneath still shows through!

I love you!

2011-11-02T22:41:00.000-07:00

I love you because you are young,
because you fill me with inspiration,
because you are beautiful.

I love you because you are the future,
of everything,
the world,
humans,
everything!

I love you because it is the right thing,
it is the only thing to do.

I love you because when I need you,
you are there,
you never left,
nor did I.

I love you because you are you!

Other then hope,
love is really all we have,
so I love you and I know you love me too.

We have been dancing like this for some time,
but in reality we both know,
the other is never far,
from our hearts or our minds,
because as I love you,
you love me too!

It is who we are,
a fit,
a match,
our minds,
bodies,
and hearts,
we feel the other,
thousands of miles a part,
or standing in front of each other,
I know it's true,
because I love you!

For Linda

2011-10-24T21:46:00.000-07:00

I grew up in what they called the “projects” in Detroit, MI during the race riots of the 1960’s We had little money, mom had rheumatic fever just after birth and dad was in mental institutions for most of his life. We did not know any better then what we had.

We saved our pennies, us kids, for the one day that was special… the day we would all walk to the “penny candy” store, named that way because when you walked inside… there it was every kids dream, a wall of candy as far as you could reach up and in each bin was a mountain of individually wrapped pieces of candy. Each piece costing only a penny.

We were never afraid in and around where we live, tanks would roll by and we would sit on the curb watching… it was all normal to us. We would walk every the four oldest kids. My older brother 11, me at 10, my younger sister at 9 and the youngest sister at around 7 or 8…

It was a hot June day… we each had 12 cents we had saved for this particular day… 12 pennies for 12 pieces of candy each. We walked to the store taking care to watch the road for cars as we crossed. Inside the store we took our time picking and choosing the right set of candy each would get. The owner of the store would always toss in an extra piece for each of us… give us our separate little brown bags.

We walked out of the store pausing just outside of the entrance to peer into our goodie bags and creep up to the edge of the sidewalk. I looked both ways to my right then my left and I started running across the street. I turned around after hearing the sound of a car slamming on its brakes to see this tiny little body flipping through the air like a discarded rag doll. My youngest sister Linda had run into the street chasing after me. A car traveling 50 or so miles an hour crushed every bone in her body, in an instant she was gone… the moment I had seen her flipping in the air she had already died, second before.

For years, many years I had nightmares about a helpless girl standing on a dock as I watched over the railing of a large passenger boat crushing the dock she was on, me leaning over stretching my arm out as far as I could to help, but every night it was the same, her face looking up at me in horror as she was crushed and sucked under the side of this large boat. If I had taken her hand, if I had just waited for all of us to cross at the same time… if…

I had that nightmare every night until my early twenties. It took playing in a band at bars every night for 7 years while holding down a full time job to erase the nightmare from my head. Last year I drew out 3 panels to paint depicting this and after a neighbor saw the drawings and started to cry I removed the canvas and put them in storage. I could not go back there again.

May is Linda’s birthday month and as with all of my family members (there are only two left now, myself and a younger brother) I wanted to write something.

Happy birthday Linda and I am sorry for not taking that tiny little hand of yours in mine as I ran across the street.

Whatever right is, it's not right in here!

2011-10-22T12:02:00.000-07:00

It has been several months since I was released from Oakland County Jail. My time there was most eye opening on many levels and during my 72 days I took notes and wrote hundreds of pages documenting everything I could hear, see and experience. It was the only thing I could do to keep from going insane in that hell.

I learned a lot about myself, the people around me and the system and how abusive all of it can be. I learned that despite words of devotion and love the simple act of being locked up instills doubt which breads and becomes anger and hatred. I discovered who my true friends are and who would run from me the farthest and the fastest.

In the 72 days I was incarcerated I experienced two separate MS exacerbations which left me with permanent vision and hearing loss on the left side of my body. I discovered that the medical facilities at O.C.J. are sub welfare at best and the thing that struck me most was that in place of the mental health institutions that were all shut down over the past 30 years, that O.C.J. has become the place where our mentally impaired are housed.

I have now come far enough along that I was finally able to start writing the story of my journey through this system from the day I was placed under arrest to my now post release and probation period. In this story I will discuss the incarceration only and will not talk about the case that brought me to this point, in this those facts are irrelevant. Whatever right is, it's not right in here is simply my journey through a world I thought I would never see or be apart of. It has changed who I am and will forever change my view of the American Government and criminal justice system.

It has taught me many things I should never know:

That innocent until proven guilty is the biggest lie told to the American people,
Justice is blind, the second biggest lie,
The public defender system is a scam,
Abusive powers by Judges is real and relevant,
Abusive powers by guards/deputies is real and relevant,
How disgusting the human being can be on so many levels
That the criminal justice system is specifically designed for the continued failure of those trying to complete probation and return to society.
That most of all love does not conquer all, it simply gets distracted and turns to hate and anger.

I am not sure how long it will take to write the manuscript for this story, I hope to have it to the publisher within six or seven months. It is something every American should read, those who never end up in jail need to understand what it is really like and those who have the potential it provides a glimpse of what to expect.

It saddens me to relive this time while writing about it, mostly because it reminds me of what could have been, those who hurt me, those who abandoned me. I will continue to survive this only because my daughter stood by me and those friends who are my closest have never once considered leaving me behind.

Whatever right is, it's not right in here - hoping for a 2012 release.

KarlDenton.com

2011-10-18T14:33:00.000-07:00

I have finally updated my website to include my portfolio, videos that I have produced or created and much more. Please have a look :~)

www.karldenton.com

A good portion of the images are for sale on several artist websites (there is a link on the site to all of them), at any one of these sites you can purchase posters, cards, canvas reprints of my oils or framed prints of the photographic images I have taken over the years.

If you are interested in any of my original oil paintings please email me at: karl@karldenton.com

And please feel free to contact me if you would like to commission any type of work at the above email address.

What if?

2011-10-12T09:43:00.001-07:00

If we keep saying "what if?" instead of doing it in the first place,

when we get old will our last words be,

"What if I never lived?"

Conservatopia.com

2011-10-06T13:43:00.000-07:00

I just finished getting the website up and running:

www.conservatopia.com

The story is just beginning so check for updates as time goes. If you have a story you would like to share regarding the complete disregard for reality and people the Conservative movement has please pass it along. We will "word-smith" it to fit with the feel of the site and post it.

You can send it to: mystory@karldenton.com

Rest in Peace Mr. Jobs

2011-10-05T21:44:00.000-07:00

You were a true innovator as evident by this commercial:

Detroit Dirty Show Art Submissions

2011-10-02T23:11:00.000-07:00

Well I finally got them in. For my first time in this show I submitted the following pieces:

The above piece is called "The Birth of Man" it is 12"h x 48"w and 7"d.

The piece was made from both life castings and sculpture.

The final "parts" are cast in a substance called "Vatican Stone" which is a heavy stone that has the look and feel of marble.
$4,800

The above piece in an ink and pastel rendering and called "Woman a Flower of a Different Kind". This is an 8" x 10" canvas and as you can see it is framed.
$2,400

Self Love
Digital Image/life casting
16" x 20" Framed Print
$250

The above piece is called "You and I Over Turquoise" and is my rendition of Picasso's
Man and woman with a cat.
24" x 36" oil on canvas
$1,800

Clicking on the images above gets you a larger view of the art.

Hope

2011-09-29T23:06:00.000-07:00

Is hope a wish or an emotion?

I know that hope is the thing that gets every single person through to the next day:

I hope tomorrow will be better,
I hope I will get that job,
I hope I will get that promotion,
I hope that lottery ticket is a winner,
I hope she will love me,
I hope she will know me,
I hope there is food for tomorrow,
I hope we all are kept safe,
I hope it wont rain,
I hope it will rain,
I hope my favorite band makes a come back,
I hope my team wins in sports,
I hope my next work of art is the one,
I hope I am remembered for who I really am,
I hope you are happy,
I hope you are safe,
I hope tomorrow all of my hopes come true,
I hope...

"Hope springs eternal"

Above all other feelings or emotions, hope is the thing that brings every day to a close,
and it is the only thing that brings the new day in.

Regardless of age, status, sex, wealth, religious belief, political affiliation we hope,
we hope for all the things in our dreams to come true,
we trust that they will,
we have faith that they will,
and even when they don't,
the very next day we think to ourselves...

I hope!

Working on my latest photo book...

2011-09-28T16:34:00.000-07:00

I am finishing up my latest photo book called "Erotic".

Thus far I am looking at it being a hardcover high quality acid free paper filled with high resolution images and expect to have it ready for the publisher in a months time. It is a compilation of some of my best in erotic photography, paintings and sculpture.

As soon as I get the ISBN and release date I will post it here.

On a note on the subject of books my book "The Ramblings of a Mad Man Called Creativity" has been proof read, then proof read again and is now at the publisher being formatted. As soon as I hear when the publication date is I will post it here.

Come what may...

2011-09-25T22:53:00.000-07:00

I'm a mess, I confess that I'm nothing without you

And there is nothing I can do to prove to you I'm being honest

Now I see, everything; and yes I've known it all along

I was so lost, but I'm back and I finally know now where my heart belongs

With that

I will love you till my dying day...

Words from two different songs and they fit my life perfectly!

Thank you for the visits...

2011-09-23T08:20:00.000-07:00

I see you still can't help yourself,
you need to check-in once and while.

I see you vist a several times a day,
knowing when you do you smile.

It's hard to let go,
when such passion flowed between us.

So as I write these words,
I do so with a deep sigh,
because every time I see,
you've been back to visit,
memories flood in,
and missing you,
becomes an all time high.

I see you visit a several times a day,
you knowing that when you do I smile,
all the day.

The times we shared so intense,
and full of love and passion!

Each knowing regardless of who we are with,
it is the other we desire.

So thank you for the visits,
I think of you and miss you too...

My First Bronze Sculpture

2011-09-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

This bronze was sculpted in wax from a live model that was photographed for a figure studies product I produce. I had never sculpted a human figure in wax prior to this and once I started I could not stop the creative process. The wax was sculpted in roughly 6 hours and then sent to a foundry in California for investment casting in Bronze.

The base is oak with an inlay of pewter. This piece was created for a school project required for my spring 09 figure modeling class at the Art Academy University which I attend online using my studio as my own class room.

The bronze sculpture measures 7” deep x 4.5” wide x 5.5” tall. The base it sits on measures 5.5” x 8.5”

The patina used was my own recipe using a white vinegar and olive oil mixture and successive dipping’s after heating the bronze to 660 degrees F. Once several dipping’s were complete areas of the base were polished and will color with time.

Woman wringing her hair

2011-09-20T16:02:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite paintings, she went to a great home last year and based on my Zazzle.com sales of her others like her as well. I see my friends in Europe like the card version. It's funny how you become attached to your own art, remembering every brush stroke as you created it. Then once it's gone your left with nothing but memories, memories of the piece and everything else connected to the piece. I really miss this piece of art and everything surrounding it! But just as my "Roof Tops in Paris" I know she is in a great home and I will never see her again.

outcasts of Conservatopia

2011-09-20T10:18:00.000-07:00

I woke up with another sore throat,

to much smoking,

to much drinking,

not enough drinking…

Who knows maybe it was the rush of escaping the style police. They had been cracking down on free-thinkers, those that wanted just to be who they were, shock sticks, brass knuckles they did not care what they used they just wanted to conform you, make you think like them.

Damn this throat! I can barely choke down the whiskey she handed me… but the next one will be smoother, at least she said it would.

What a woman, stood right there with me during the roughest part of the night. Even had the guts to take the style cops neck tie… what a woman!

They took over without a whimper from the public, that is when they started the out-castings, we survived longer then most but they either conform you or they make you leave!

We will return to Conservatopia, we will return and make sure every mind is free to think, feel, live without fear, fear of shock sticks and brass knuckles… we will return!

Damn whiskey!

Just as hard the second time down as the first, damn whiskey!

But what a woman, standing by my side during the roughest times…

------------------------------------------

This piece was created in 2008 and was inspired by the image above. It was created by my beautiful friend Karen who took the image of me, her and a few others to make this composite.

Too Bad (You're married)

2011-09-20T09:06:00.001-07:00

Written in 2007

I drive by your restaurant twice every day
and wish I had the courage to stop in and say
The things that needed to be,
my hope that you would see
The torment I spend everyday and how much I
I want you to know, but…

Then your sister said too bad, too bad your married.
She would be great for you!
Too bad because you seem sad and blue
You’re married too bad for you…

Finally getting brave enough to enter,
Telling a bad joke as I get near the counter
I saw your smiling face, I saw that curly hair
I’ve got to slow down, man, don’t show despair!
I want you to know, be open and straight but…

Then your sister said too bad, too bad you’re married.
She would be great for you!
Too bad because you seem sad and blue
You’re married too bad for you…

Seeing you in that white dress
Made my mind feel a little stressed
Trust me when I say that
your family was a bit distressed
You really should know that I see
A work of art, like when you’re smiling at me…

Then your sister said too bad, too bad you’re married.
She would be great for you!
Too bad because you seem sad and blue
You’re married too bad for you…

Realizing the way things are,
Kind of like being put in a jar
Giving you those photos that day
The thing you don’t know,
You make my knees wobble and sway.

That is when I thought to say…

Too bad I‘m married because I would be great for you,

Your sister said too bad, too bad your married
She would be great for you!

I say too bad because I am sad and blue

She said you’re married to bad for you…

Art in a martini

2011-09-19T19:48:00.000-07:00

The glass, the drink, the olives, the mood of the photograph... art in a martini!

Not sure what to do...

2011-09-19T07:52:00.000-07:00

The photograph of a painting I did last summer after spending a night in the Oakland County Jail is below. It is a view from the cell I was in through another cell to the booking area. I had never experienced such a disparate desire to be free (except now being on probation, every knock on the door is a panic moment). I am pretty sure I captured the feeling of the place but to be honest my gut instinct is to rip the canvas off the stretchers through it away and put a new clean surface so I can paint something else. Then looking at this the other day I started to wonder if I should keep it, not sure what to do!

So I thought I would leave it in the hands of those who follow my work. Send a yes or no to: karl@karldenton.com

To a good home it goes...

2011-09-13T07:39:00.000-07:00

Many of you have seen my oil painting "Roof Tops in Paris" and know that it took me nearly a year and a half to complete given the endless spasms in my arms given the MS that continues to frustrate me. So any time I would show the piece I would price it much higher so it would not sell. It was just to hard to get over the emotional attachment of it. This year was different for some reason. For the second year in a row I attended the Freeland, MI Arts in the Park in which select artists are invited to show and sell their work, local restaurants and food vendors are invited to offer tastes of their specialties and musicians come and play during the entire event.

This years event was fantastic weather wise compared to last year when it rained the entire day. We still had fun mind you and in fact sales were better during the rainy year then this and I assume it was because the rain kept everyone in the tents where the art was. Regardless this years event was fantastic, clear blue sky, music and on the way up I told my daughter that this years auction piece was going to be Roof Tops in Paris. At first she protested, even getting a bit teary eyed at the thought of it no longer hanging in our living room.

While at the event Lynn Roberts the local radio celebrity who was the announcer at the event as well asked if it would be OK to interview me during one of the music breaks. Of course I told her yes and in that interview it was mentioned about Roof Tops, how hard it was to give up and so on. As people walked through the booth one couple took a keen interest in my work and as I looked up at them I recognized them from last year. They had purchased two of my abstracts and were happy to see me and let me know the two pieces had been hung and were on display in there home. They had mentioned that they were bidding on a piece in the silent auction and as the husband leafed through my portfolio he pointed to one image and very excited exclaimed "that's it, that's what we are bidding on!" He said he had no idea it was mine they just loved the painting but now were determined to make it theirs.

To make a long story short they did win the painting, below is a photograph of the three of us and below that are images that she had sent me of it hanging in there home along with images of the two they had purchased last year. As the day came to a close and I said good bye to Roof Tops in Paris Kelly looked at me and shouted "don't worry, it's going to a good home". With that the day came to a close.

Kelly and her husband and I with Roof Tops in Paris

Hanging in its new home

One of the abstracts from last year

Another purchase from last year

The Proposal

2011-09-08T13:04:00.000-07:00

Our adventure that day had begun in a frantic moment of trying to find the right bus to take us to Pont du Gard, the largest remaining Roman Aqueduct. Trying to figure out the complicated bus schedule was frustrating at best until Jamie asked a bus driver if he was going in that direction. His response seemed cryptic based on the puzzled look on Jamie's face. Though her French was extraordinary he seemed to have a dialect that left her just a bit puzzled. She motioned me to sit down and proceeded to pay for our tickets. As the buss pulled out of the station we passed several key locations that every artist knew, the mental institution that Van Gogh had been in was there right in front of us. We both sat in silence for a few moments pondering the great artist, the area, and the things we were seeing.

It was not long before we were out in the French countryside looking at the endless fields of grapes passing us by. I have to admit I was surprised at how mountainous it was. We traveled for what seemed to be about 40 or 50 minutes when we pulled onto a round-a-bout and stopped. The bus door flung open and the driver pointed out the door down a seemingly endless street and muttered the words "Pont du Gard". Jamie and I looked out the window, back at each other, then at buss driver who nodded his head and repeated the words "Pont du Gard". Never shying way from an adventure we picked up what few things we had, my camera bag and exited the buss! Our destination it seemed rested about two miles down the road so off we headed. Our walk took us down a road with homes built on the side of a mountain on one side and vast grape fields as far as the eye could see on the other, it seemed as if we were walking in the foot steps of Van Gouh himself. Despite days of rain early in the week today the sky was clear and as blue as I have ever seen, the colors of the fields, the trees the sky above us we could see how this beautiful place enchanted Van Gogh we could see the colors of life before our eyes!

We eventually found our destination and spent the day exploring every bit of it as we could, it seemed the park was actually closed so the number of people there was much less then on a busy day. It was truly a sight to see, roman workers scribing there names in stones as big as a car, the engineering that went into this incredible stretch of aqueduct was just astounding. We explored the monument for hours taking time to ensure that we would also explore each other, a kiss, and a hug as we stood swaying in the breeze small gentile things to let each other know how we felt. Children playing around us, other couples having pick-nicks and the many other photographers meant that we would have to behave.

As our time here came to a close we both realized we had spent most of the day without food, we took water on all of our adventures but relied on finding local food, as our adventures would unfold. We began walking back the way we had come in hopes of finding two things, a place to eat and some sort of buss stop to let us know how to get back to Nimes. One restaurant was all we passed along the two-mile stretch of road and though it slips my memory as to why we cold not eat there. Our walk back continued until we got to the round-a-bout and stood puzzled for a bit as to where to go.   The round about had three entry ways, the way we came in, the walk to Pont du Gard and the third went over a bridge that lead to a small town, if we could not find the buss stop there we would be spending the night! Just over the bridge was the very thing we hunted for, and once again trying to decipher the cryptic schedule lead both of us to a brief moment of panic as we either had just missed the last buss or it was about to come. Several old men sitting on a bench watched us as we looked frantically up and down the street, then with out notice one of them pointed and said something in French at which time Jamie smiled and breathed a sigh of relief, the very last bus back to Niems that day was pulling up behind us!

Even though our day was coming to a close as we caught the last bus back to Nimes our adventure for that day had just begun. Tired from our days activities and walking we both fell into our seats for the ride back to Nimes discussing what we might want for dinner and our nights activities. Anytime we traveled we both had the opinion of walking the streets and eating at restaurants that not only appealed in taste but in decor and the people working or owning them. We looked for restaurants that were different, usually off the beaten path and to this day had never had nothing but fantastic meals. I guess our reasoning was that if we go off the beaten path we would find restaurants where the owners prepared meals because they loved to cook, not to feed the tourists and simply make a living.

Our return to Nimes was welcome and the sun was just starting to set as we got back to our hotel. Our room was on the second floor and through our window you could see across the street the last working Roman Coliseum in existence! The view was extraordinary! Just below the window was a restaurant that (as most in France do) had plenty of space for an out door cafe. We would hear patrons at eating and drinking, as we got ready for whatever adventure was next.

The emotions of the day from seeing such beauty had caught up with us, all of our pent up desires while at Pont du Gard were now bursting to be let out, we still had an hour or two before we would head out to dinner, the window was open and a cool breeze would waft through the air once and a while. Standing in front of the window gazing out at the sun setting over this fantastic city was over whelming. I held her in my arms and began to caress her face from behind; as we stood there holding each other she could sense my excitement at the simple touch of her. She turned to me looking up with her endlessly deep eyes and began to kiss me.   The taste of her lips on mine as we stood in that window is with me to this day. I guided her over to our bed, which it turns out was two twin beds pushed together, which we discovered during our time the night before and ended up on the floor. Ensuring that kind of moment would not happen again I laid her down and began to slowly remove her clothing. She trembled slightly as the cool air would rush in through the open window, "can you just close the curtain, leave the window open but just close the curtain" she asked. Of course I said getting up and walking over to the window. As I looked back she had already remover her remaining clothing and I stood there gazing at her beauty, I could not look away! She was stunning; her face was flush with not only the excitement of the moment and filled with desire but flush from our wonderful day walking in the South of France. What clothes I had on I started to remove and she stopped me abruptly, saying, "No, I want to do that". My desire was always to please her and I could not help but follow her instructions, she was in control of this adventure!

She motioned me to sit on the bed as she got up and stood in front of me nude, any attempt at touching her was refuted though she smiled at every attempt. As she slowly unbuttoned my shirt she would use her hands and gently touch my shoulders, face, her bare breasts would brush against me causing my skin to react with excitement. With my shirt now off she sat behind me with her breasts pushing into my back, her hands rubbing my chest, playing with my nipple piercings I could hear her breathing change, I could feel her body heat increasing with every passing second. She motioned me to lay on my back all the while never stopping her gentle caress. She quickly removed my pants exposing all of me to her, she spent a great deal of time exploring my body with a soft touch as if to imprint on her mind every goose bump, every hair that she caused to rise and fall. She was doing to me what I had do to her many times, I knew that her desire was to know my body, to taste it with her fingers. I laid there letting her touch, feel, the desire to touch her was over whelming I could not stand it any longer! "Look if you are going to do that I NEED to feel you, I need to touch you!" I thought to myself "don't deny me the pleasure of sensing and touching your body, you can have mine but I need yours!" My hands instinctively moved to hold her hips, they held there for a moment, and then moved to cup her face as she looked into my eyes, staring into me as if to be looking into my mind. I pulled her face closer to mine, gently feeling her lips against mine, refraining from any intense kissing, I simply wanted to use my lips to feel her face, chin, her nose, letting her twist her head so I cold feel the nape of her neck and her ears.

Neither of us could feel the breeze any longer and we both were now intensely hot, our act of exploration had caused our bodies to rise in temperature such that as she sat up I could see small beads of sweat rolling down her bare breasts collecting at her beautiful nipples. I pulled her onto me in such a way that I could use my tongue to collect the sweet taste of her and drink her in. Pulling her even closer to me I no was able to take all of her breasts into my mouth and as I did so she would moan with pleasure, from this point on any touch, any kiss any form of moment between our bodies, we would both moan with pleasure. There was no longer a reason to speak, we used our hands, eyes and bodies to communicate with the only sounds being uttered were tones that had the soul purpose of letting each other know the lever of pleasure we felt. As we continued to explore each other the lighting in the room took on a surreal mood, I was aware of it but it was as if the only light that mattered was the light that reflected off our bodies, the rest of the room became nonexistent, the open window became nonexistent.

The room filled with the scent of her as we explored each other, her excitement was such that my body was drenched in her, she was drenched in me. We fulfilled many desires, tasting, touching, kissing, our night of fulfillment continued for an hour until I laid on my back and motioned her to move on top of me, I could not stand it any longer I had to be one with her. She moves such that I entered her and as she slid down on top of me she let out a moan that I had not heard with such intensity before. She trembled as I progressed deeper into her, until she rested on top of me, she leaned over to lay on top of me kissing me sucking and pulling on my lips with hers. Our bodies were so tight to the others there was a vacuum between us and when she went to sit back up the reaction pulled her back down on top of me with force. Our bodies truly had become one in that moment. We proceeded to make love, me thrusting deep inside her and with every stroke her moans had gotten louder, looking up at her I see her back arch and a pleasant scream escapes her mouth and pulses through the air. We had completely disregarded the open window, the busy cafe down stairs and the level of exquisite noise she and I had been making.

As we continued to make love, continued to explore each other, continued to bring each other to the very brink of sexual madness we both exploded, passionately and intensely satisfying, the desire to continue to please the other was never ending, our night was an explosion of pent up desires that would not end! As we both began to come back to reality and the room once again appeared I looked up at her smiling a very big smile, she looked at me puzzled and said "what?” "Nothing" I replied, "just enjoying the moment." She looked toward the window hearing a noise and having gotten a bit closer to reality asked, "what are they clapping about?” "You" I replied, "they are applauding our love making, I guess we had gotten louder then we thought we could” Her moans of pleasure had become a permanent part of the city of Nimes. There was no doubt whether she had been satisfied, the patrons of the restaurant below our window knew she had been, they knew I had been.

Now embarrassed (a bit) at our show she asked that I close the window while we readied our selves for the night, laughing at our show, relishing in the intensity of it, we once again got dressed and despite having a plan to find a restaurant online wandered out into the city to find a place to nourish our now spent bodies. Though our day had the perfect weather as we made love in our hotel room the rain once again began to fall, not enough to prevent us from wandering out but just enough to give the night view of Nimes a wonderful glow. We found our selves walking through the city in search of a restaurant, we had no idea what it would be or what kind of food they would serve that would come when we found it. Stumbling over the cobblestone streets we found our selves in front of a very small African restaurant that looked quite interesting, through the window we could see an eclectic collection of items that were clearly from Africa. As Jamie read the menu posted outside we were greeted by an African woman who came out of the restaurant at seeing us linger just outside. She was pleasant and very out going, Jamie and she talked about the menu and it was decided we would have our dinner there.

Walking into the small structure it was set up so that at best 12 to 16 people could eat at the same time and that would have been a tight fit. The restaurant was charming, and we quickly knew we had made the correct choice. Once inside we were introduced to an African male who was just as excited as the female, it seemed that they were the owners and the only two working in the restaurant that night. We discovered that the female was as artist as well and that some of the items hanging on the wall was by her. We were asked what our wine choice would be and though they only had a few varieties to choose from they were all from Africa, I suggested we let them decide as they knew the food and what wine would be well suited to bring out the flavor. Our meal was absolutely fantastic, we sampled various dishes recommended by the owners and each dish was better then the one before. As we approached our second bottle of wine, the meal, the night and the wine started to catch up with us as we laughed and reminisced about the days adventures, all of them. After paying the bill and leaving a well deserved tip for these folks we started our journey back to the hotel though having not paid much attention the way we got there getting home it would seem to be an adventure as well.

We wandered through the streets of Niems laughing and stopping frequently to soak in the crisp night air and each other and it was apparent that the wine had gone to Jamie's head as we both stumbled over the cobblestone streets and each other. At one point I stopped, turned around to blurted the following: "Ok mam I am sorry but we are going to have to give you a sobriety test here, it seems you may have had a bit to much to drink the way you are walking." I continued with "can you please walk a straight line, here follow this line for me” laughing as the words exited my mouth. She tried her best to walk the line I had shown her, tipping one way then the other when in an instant she ended up on her bottom looking up at me laughing at her inability to walk. "Wait that was not fair" she blurted as I picked her up from the ground. "Its wet and I slipped” let me have a do over officer" she stated. After a moment of sitting and snuggling in the now very chilly air I said, "ok once again but you must pass this time or punishment will be swift” She laughed at my comment and proceeded to make another attempt at walking a straight line. Though she was able to walk, it was far from straight though at least this time she maintained an upright stance. We laughed at our game and continued our walk back to the hotel. We found our selves walking next to the coliseum, which meant our hotel was just around the corner.

Without warning and with all the force she could muster she pushed me in a dark corner next to one of the pillars of this magnificent structure. We stood for several moments embracing each other kissing with all the passion we could under a now clear night sky. We laughed as a group of young girls passed us, looking intently as we kissed and gazed into each other’s eyes. Then she stepped back from me, a long stare into my eyes and proceeded to kneel there in front of me. Holding my hands for stability her eyes lit by the night moon of Nimes, they were glowing with an inner beauty rarely seen in anyone. The noise that surrounded us was gone, people walking in the streets were gone, the same feeling I had in our hotel room had returned, the world no longer existed just she kneeling in front of me and me looking down at her beautiful face.   "Will you marry me?" she said, as I helped her back to her feet I held her close and said "Any second of any day I would marry you!” we held each other in a tight embrace as we made our way back to our hotel room, feeling even more passion and desire for each other then ever. Our day’s adventures ended in a loving tight embrace and the echoes of applause played our heads as we drifted to sleep in each other’s arms.

Thank you for the encouragement :~)

2011-09-07T09:47:00.000-07:00

I would like to thank all my visitors, my blog has hit a milestone!

I now receive over 2,000 page views daily from the 70 countries listed below. It is encouraging to see that my writings and art are pleasing others.

I have a LOT more planned so please keep checking back often and look for two new writings in the next week or so.

Once again thank you!

United States
France
Australia
Russia
United Kingdom
Turkey
Canada
Germany
India
Italy
Czech Republic
Germany
Netherlands
United Kingdom
Spain
Romania
Slovenia
Malaysia
Estonia
South Africa
Denmark
Thailand
Brazil
Georgia
Switzerland
Poland
Sweden
Saudi Arabia
Belgium
Yemen
United Arab Emirates
Thailand
Bulgaria
Hungary
Greece
New Zealand

Hong Kong

Trinidad and Tobago
Peru
Finland
Philippines
Puerto Rico
Kuwait
Taiwan
Vietnam
Nigeria
Mexico
Libya
Ireland
Afghanistan
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China
South Korea
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Malaysia
Venezuela
Latvia
Egypt
Israel
Nepal
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Finland
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Latvia
Qatar
Nepal
Belarus

Croatia

Zambia
Norway

Would you let me?

2011-09-02T12:22:00.000-07:00

Would you let me take you out to the desert and make love to you under the milky way?

Would you lay with me in full view of the universe and god to see?

Would you let me please you as the stars drifted overhead on a lazy path to tomorrow?

Would you let me?

The train ride

2011-09-01T10:39:00.000-07:00

There we were running frantically through the streets of Toulouse, we had scheduled our train ride to Nimes late but had forgotten about the metro! If we did not hurry we would miss the last metro to the train station and possibly missing our train to Nimes. A 45 lb back pack filled with camera equipment on my back and my suit case dragging along the cobblestone streets as we dogged cars and people in an effort to get to the metro station in time. She was running just a head of me darting around people and as best I could I kept up. Then without notice I saw her disappear almost instantly, it seemed she found the underground entry way to the metro-station and made a dash to obtain our tickets. I wrestled my suitcase down the steps apologizing to folks as I bumped them with my back pack now weighing about 500 lbs.

I caught up with her and she guided me to our terminal where the metro had just pulled in! We made it!

A very short time later we were sitting on our train waiting to depart on our adventure to Nimes, France where we would discover many things. I stored our bags, put my camera bag on the rack above us and landed in the seat next to her breathing heavy and a sigh of relief. Those sitting around us noticed our affectionate demeanor, no comments but many stares. Having a last check on my iPhone for email and such we started to get silly, after all it had a pretty good camera built in to it. Our train ride photo fun began. As the ride settled in and our hearts slowed down and our photo fun had finally come to a close we could not help our selves, we sat for hours exploring each other. The station in Nimes was barely a few blocks from the hotel we had reserved and on entering our room and falling to the bed for a long nights sleep we both uttered "That had to be the best train ride ever!"

We woke the next day to start our exploration of this fantastic French city with the only coliseum still in use today right outside our hotel room window, what a view!

Our iPhone fun is below, despite the fact we no longer communicate it is still the best train ride I have ever been on. And Nimes will forever stay with me because of it's charm, an African restaurant, sobriety tests and proposals.

On a cool morning...

2011-08-29T17:14:00.000-07:00

The air is cool this morning, the kind of cool where the bodies of two loving and passionate souls hold each other for comfort and warmth.

Where under the sheets they explore each other and delight at the sensation of goose bumps rising and falling.

I want you,

I desire you,

I desire to satisfy you in every way.

Give yourself to me...

2011-08-29T16:48:00.000-07:00

Someday our hands will meet, our bodies will be entwined, we will taste each other.

I am grateful that we now spend our days with passionate distractions of the incredible possibility of the two of us.

I desire you!

Give yourself to me so that I can please you in ways you have yet to discover, in ways you should have been all of this time!

Progress on "The Birth of Man"

2011-08-29T11:24:00.000-07:00

Here is the project with the sculptures mounted, the finish on them resembles fired ceramic, and the baroque board freshly painted in a skin tone and textured. The interface between the board and each sculpture was washed with a paint/linseed mix and this next drying process will take weeks if not months to dry. Once that is complete the entire piece will be coated in the same matte medium as each sculpture was.

Clicking on the image will zoom in for a look at detail, enjoy!

Update on the erotic couple series...

2011-08-28T22:09:00.000-07:00

Here are the three latest in the erotic couple series... 8 done 4 more to go :~)

Erotic couple #5
Oil on canvas 24" x 36"
$1,800

Erotic couple #6
Oil on canvas 24" x 36"
$1,800

Erotic couple #7
Oil on canvas 24" x 36"
$1,800

Someday

2011-08-27T12:54:00.000-07:00

Someday you will realize,
That I love you.

Someday you will understand,
How deep my love for you goes,
Until then you will hate me,
You will hate who I am,
You will hate my creativity,
You will hate my art and writings.

But someday you will come to realize,
That I love you,
That regardless what you think,
I have been devoted to you,
That I love you!

Someday you will wake up and realize that you are loved,
That you are loved by me!

It really does not matter what you say...

2011-08-24T15:25:00.000-07:00

I will never be far from your thoughts,
regardless of who you are with,
you will compare them to me,
regardless what you say,
you will always think of me,
regardless of who you are with,
you will remember the time we had.

It does not matter what you say,
time and time again,
you will know,
that when you look back,
you will have realized that
you may have lost,
the very person who knew you,
who has seen who you really are,
and who loved you because of it.

Regardless of the insults,
the mean words,
I know the truth behind your eyes,
more then anyone, I know the truth,
that regardless of what you say,
your thoughts will be of me!

It really does not matter what you say,
when you think you feel for someone,
it does not matter anymore,
because we both know,
that everyday I will be in your thoughts,
we both know that you will wake one day,
and wonder if you have made a mistake,
that I will be the one you think of,
that in your heart you will never be able to let me go...

So it really does not matter what you say!

Why do you keep looking?

2011-08-24T14:52:00.001-07:00

Why do you keep looking?
when you have no reason,
why do you keep looking,
with the change of seasons.

Time has gone by us,
time has seen our end,
but you keep looking,
I'm wondering if you want to send.

I look and see that you've been back,
time and time again,
I've given you endless notes and hints,
hoping they make a difference,
hoping you would finally see,
they go un-returned, day after day.

So I ask you once again,
why do you keep looking?

Update on the "Birth of Man"

2011-08-22T20:36:00.000-07:00

Here all of the Vatican stone castings are now mounted to the Baroque board. After several days of drying I will apply the flesh tone oil paint to complete this piece. In all 8 molds of 4 different models and several dozen castings went into fabricating this piece.

The white room

2011-08-21T13:30:00.000-07:00

I’ve created this place inside of my head
It’s the place I go to worship the dead
The white room is a safe comfortable bed
A place full of gloom and dread.

My white room does exist
The images and desires in my head persist
The white room is a real place
In the white room you can be without saving grace.

The white room is where your fears come true
It is also the place where others see the real you
Being in the white room can rip you apart
Or others seeing you in there will break hearts.

So as you look at the white room in my head
You should choose any other color maybe blue or red
The way you see me in my white room open and real
Will give you a very small glimpse of how life makes me feel…

Working on the back ground

Sunday worship in the white room

Sex in the white room

No peeking in the white room

Everlasting atonement in the white room

Grim realities in the white room

The white room takes you in...

The original high resolution images from this project were lost during one of my routine back-up sessions when two hard drives failed. After many attempts to recover the images from the hard drives failed I found these low resolution images. In all I lost over 60,000 images that day, a loss that I still have not recovered from...

I just found out I am talentless!

2011-08-21T10:22:00.000-07:00

So I've just gotten an eye opening email in it I was told:

"You have already lost your credibility as a person, now you've lost it as an artist. Oh wait, you were never an artist, i forgot."

Damn, and I had just finished up some very cool pieces!

To those who like my work I apologize! I had no idea that I did not know what I was doing in this art world, looks like I will have to toss all that I have created over the past several years and start over!

I promise someday I will get it right, or not, but I will keep trying despite rude obnoxious people that send things like this, all I can say is karma is a bitch!

Then with out warning I received this in my email inbox:

"You are by far the worst painter i gave ever met. My 8 year old students last year had more talent than you, and they didnt cheat by tracing projected images. They also knew that stealing is wrong, which you somehow neglected to learn. I could care less what a loser like you thinks about me!"

I could only reply "Karma will find you!"

These are extraordinary words!

2011-08-20T22:37:00.000-07:00

Rufus Wainwright - Hallelujah

I heard there was a secret chord
That David played and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth, the minor fall, the major lift, the baffled king composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelu----jah

Your faith was strong but you needed proof, you saw her bathing on the roof, her beauty in the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you to a kitchen chair, she broke your throne, she cut your hair, and from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelu----jah

Maybe I have been here before, I know this room; I have walked this floor, I used to live alone before I knew you
I've seen your flag on the marble arch, love is not a victory march, it's a cold and its a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelu----jah

There was a time you let me know whats really going on below, but now you never show it to me, do you? (and)
Remember when I moved in you; the holy dark was moving too, and every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelu----jah

Maybe there's a God above, and all I ever learned from love was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you
And its not a cry you can hear at night, its not somebody who's seen the light, its a cold and its a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelu--jah

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelu---u---jah

Reflection

2011-08-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

Been working on this oil painting for a while and just completed it.

The painting is 24" w by 30" h and is oil on canvas.

Progress on "The Birth of Man"

2011-08-18T16:12:00.000-07:00

In these images each of the six Vatican Stone castings have been cleaned, holes filled and coated with about 15 coats of Liquitex Matte Medium to obtain the color and shade I wanted. The Baroque board that these will be mounted to will be painted flesh tone and given the texture of skin. The final castings will then be mounted to the Baroque board using Vatican Stone and two small wood dowel pins that will be inserted in each casting to ensure that they do not separate from the board. A small piece of wood will be glued behind each casting to help strengthen the mounting point as well. The board itself has been coated 10 times using gesso to ensure that it is sealed and the flesh color oil paint will adhere to it for generations to come. More updates soon :~)

Inspired by someone I knew in Nimes

2011-08-16T18:30:00.000-07:00

Attraction - Oil on canvas

Despair - Oil on canvas

Climax - Oil on canvas

Desire - Oil on canvas

Hope - Oil on canvas

Love - Oil on canvas

Feeling you inside me

2011-08-15T22:30:00.000-07:00

As we sit on my bed, your breasts pushing up against my back, I can feel your heartbeat pounding. My hands running over your skin as they run from your knees to your beautiful hips, my hands trembling at the touch of you.

I feel you inside me.

I feel your heart pounding next to mine!

My hands reaching behind you feeling those hips of yours, wanting more but enjoying what they have. Your skin getting tighter as they run along the surface of your body, feeling the reaction that you can no longer control. We are locked in a position of restricted movement, but an entirely beautiful position to be in, your body pressed tightly against mine, your beautiful breasts pressed hard into my back.

Your heart pounding next to mine I can feel you inside me.

Your breath a warm flush against my neck as you kiss me, the cool air blowing through the window gives a hint of the pending fall weather, your nipples pressing even deeper into me.

Our bodies are entwined as one in our contorted effort to explore each other.

I dare not change or move for fear of disturbing the dream of you inside me, our hearts now beating as one. The heat from our bodies now causing steam to rise from the seam that once separated us but now seals us. Your hands wrapped around my chest, your fingers moving to feel my piercings as mine give you a gentile massage.

I can feel the excitement in you as we sit in a contorted embrace while I feel you inside me.

You kissing... the touch of your lips on my neck and back, feeling you pressing tight up against me, your nipples erect from both excitement and the chill in the air. We sit in this embrace never once speaking.

Just closed eyes as we explore the concept of you inside me!

The sad truth

2011-08-15T16:51:00.000-07:00

The sad truth is it will be a while before we are "over" this,
we shared things most will never realize,
most will never realize in ten lifetimes,
despite our words of anger, despite our hurt,
we will care for years to come.

I've spent the last many months drunk trying to forget,
but it does not matter,
the hurt never goes away,
I try and keep my mind occupied,
busy,
but the hurt never goes away,
when two people share as we have,
most would envy it,
most would not survive it.

We say things out of hurt,
We say things out of feeling the loss,
without each other in our lives,
we had the most creative,
loveing,
adventurous time,
and I will miss it,
because in our good times,
we both had the most,
beautiful times,
our most creative times,
our most loving times.

I will miss you in my life!

My last thoughts of you...

2011-08-13T14:47:00.001-07:00

I hope that in my pain and discomfort you find some enjoyment.

That in the end you find someone who will abandon you as you have me,

I hope that who ever you are with or end up with,

Treats you the same way you have me,

With little or no regard, no compassion no love or thought,

I hope they lie to you as deeply as you have me,

Though I truly hope they discover who you are,

Who you really are before they to get hurt!

My last thoughts of you are not the good times,

Not one single loving time,

Not one smile, not one touch,

My last thoughts of you are hurt, anger and spite,

My last thoughts of you are hoping who ever you end up with,

Causes you as much pain, doubt and discomfort as you have me,

I hope they leave you crippled with sadness,

Depression and loneliness as you have me!

I hope you end up with someone as self centered,

Self absorbed and as selfish as you are,

I hope they tell you mountains of lies about,

Love, devotion, admiration, and I hope you listen,

Then I hope they do the exact same thing to you as you did to me~

Though in my heart I am lying, I wish for you the best in life!

Love conquers all

2011-08-11T18:09:00.000-07:00

I just heard this quote on TV,

Love conquers all...

It's a lie!

Love conquers nothing,
love only breaks hearts!

Love only leaves you empty,
love only leaves you alone!

Progress on "The Birth of Man"

2011-08-06T21:36:00.000-07:00

Here is the initial layout concept for the piece I am working on called "The Birth of Man".

The castings here are plaster of Paris and are very rough first casting from the molds. The actual castings will be in a product called "Vatican Stone" which is a very hard marble like material. These first castings give me the opportunity to lay everything out fast and cheap as well as showing me areas of the molds that may need work.

My studio

2011-08-06T21:00:00.000-07:00

While this is nothing like being downtown at the scarab club this is a panoramic view of my studio here at the townhouse. As you can see there is enough room to do what I love best... well ok to do many of the things I love to do best!

Click on the image for the best view...

What would a man do?

2011-08-05T20:16:00.000-07:00

I had some time today to go through some of my old note books and found this writing...

I've been asking myself "What would a man do?"

What would a man do given an obsession that has lasted over a year?

The smell of her scent in the air so close, would he reach into her slender neck and breathe her in as if she were a drug?

Wanting to reach up and touch her... feel the softness of her skin under his finger tips. An obsession lasting so long, so many paintings, solvents, dry chapped fingers does it's damage, would he be able to feel her? Would she cringe at the touch of a finger such as these?

Would a man beg for the affections of such an obsession?

Would a man go to the lengths I have to feel her body in mine?

Her eyes have spoken volumes in paintings, now she comes here for a different purpose, she stands in front of him and her scent fills him as he slowly moves around her, getting close enough to feel the nape of her neck, what would a man do, breathe her in like a drug?

Progress on "The Birth of Man"

2011-08-05T19:11:00.000-07:00

I have finally completed all of the life castings for my piece called "The Birth of Man". Here is one of the six casting used for the main artwork, prior to casting, cast and the resultant plaster piece that will be used for the completed project. The final piece should be ready (along with the piece described below) for the "Dirty" show here in Detroit early in 2012.

Because I have been living this song for the past 5 months!

2011-08-05T16:04:00.000-07:00

Queen - Under Pressure

Mm ba ba de
Um bum ba de
Um bu bu bum da de
Pressure pushing down on me
Pressing down on you no man ask for
Under pressure - that burns a building down
Splits a family in two
Puts people on streets
Um ba ba be
Um ba ba be
De day da
Ee day da - that's o.k.
It's the terror of knowing
What the world is about
Watching some good friends
Screaming 'Let me out'
Pray tomorrow - gets me higher
Pressure on people - people on streets
Day day de mm hm
Da da da ba ba
O.k.
Chippin' around - kick my brains around the floor
These are the days it never rains but it pours
Ee do ba be
Ee da ba ba ba
Um bo bo
Be lap
People on streets - ee da de da de
People on streets - ee da de da de da de da
It's the terror of knowing
What this world is about
Watching some good friends
Screaming 'Let me out'
Pray tomorrow - gets me higher high high
Pressure on people - people on streets
Turned away from it all like a blind man
Sat on a fence but it don't work
Keep coming up with love
but it's so slashed and torn
Why - why - why ?
Love love love love love
Insanity laughs under pressure we're cracking
Can't we give ourselves one more chance
Why can't we give love that one more chance
Why can't we give love give love give love give love
give love give love give love give love give love
'Cause love's such an old fashioned word
And love dares you to care for
The people on the edge of the night
And loves dares you to change our way of
Caring about ourselves
This is our last dance
This is our last dance
This is ourselves
Under pressure
Under pressure

Pressure

The funny thing is...

2011-08-05T13:29:00.001-07:00

The funny thing is we had a short but very intense relationship, both very passionate, and I mean passionate about everything we were involved with.

Travel, food, wine, laughter… each other!

I’ve been working on many new projects and these random visions or memories keep flashing in my mind, kind of distracting in the midst of a paint stroke, but I enjoy them.

Flashes of eating lunch with a friend while getting the most distracting texts of a girl dancing around in her apartment with pink underwear on…

Flashes of the exact thing I was doing when I texted to just answer the phone and listen to my voice, as I told you some very intense things, laughing as I heard you frantically search for your wallet, just to discover it in your hand.

Flashes of things exchanged between us, things only you and I will know of.

Flashes of every image I have ever taken of anyone and realizing they just don’t compare to those I have taken of you.

Our very short and intense relationship was the most desirable thing I had ever been in, the most fun I had ever had, the most creative I had been to this point.

The funny thing is that I cherish that time more intensely then with anyone else and yet we are so angry and hurt at and by each other that despite the mot incredible time in both our lives our stubbornness will keep us this way for sometime to come.

The funny thing is my words are filled with errors, but I don’t care, my words are who I am, open and honest about what I feel.

The funny things is I want it back, I want it to never end, I want it regardless of what anyone else thinks! I found you in the horrid maze we call life, despite everything I have done, been through or thought you have done, I want the one true thing that I knew was true… US!

The most erotic piece of art...

2011-07-31T15:23:00.000-07:00

The most erotic and beautiful piece of art that God has ever created is the female form! I have been working on a sculpture that started out as life casting of the female in a particular pose, for the piece I wanted to create, I needed only to make a casting of the ass and a small portion of the legs, hips and genital area. The life casting process went as planned with the exception of a few issues, the first being that in the pose I needed the model in it was impossible to cast her genital area as required for the final sculpture, the second was that I did not have enough Smooth-on rubber to cast the amount of legs that I wanted and the third was that I removed the rubber mold and supporting plaster bandages to soon and as a result the the life casting had lumps and flat spots all over it.

The images below are a nearly finished sculpture and below those are videos that describe a bit about some of the detail and how it was formed then had to be recreated. I've now spent 4 full days working on this sculpture and must say getting lost in it's curves, the details, discovering how perfect the model was for this piece has been quite erotic, just as the piece its self is.

My hope is to have the final sculpture (which includes a male casting with hands) completed, in its final abstract form and cast in it's final material (yet to be determined) so it can be seen at the Dirty Show here in Detroit before it gets shipped off to a gallery in Beijing China early in 2012.

I will miss

2011-07-19T09:18:00.001-07:00

The little things,
the way you called me dork,
the look in your eyes after a red wine,
the way you slept,
the way you looked after waking up,

I will miss the little things,
like beets for dinner,
or wondering if you are a saint or a sinner.

I will miss the little things,
panic phone calls,
stolen cameras,
or a buss ride to unknown places.

I will miss the little things,
that carried us through,
times of pain,
times of self doubt,
times of panic,
times of resolve.

I will miss the little things~