I'm not a gamer myself... by the time it really became a powerhouse I was already having to adult full time. I mostly missed that boat. But I know some of you out there are. Since I like to support Artists and creativity, and since bugs are amazing, I wanted to share this pupating creepy-crawly!

These imaginary beetles from 'Sylvan Song' were intended to have different abilities & functions. You may be able to see some of it in their details. Some carry eggs on their backs, some have ways to collect moisture from above, some are fuzzy, some are armored, some are semi-aquatic, & so on.

A friend is having her first little one so I made her a diaper cake & a simple painting for her nursery. The painting is called 'Confetti'. From what I understand, infants start out only seeing black, white, & grey. Slowly they gain the color red & then all of the colors at around 6 months. (1 of 2)

More images from 'Sylvan Song'' as I describe my process and thoughts. Most of the beetles are mingling in groups along the edges waiting their turn, the beetles in the open center space - the dance floor - are swirling and twirling in circles with each other.

Evocative and intense... You should check out the body of work this Artist shares here...

Just reminded of a game in a movie that I think I watched when I was 23 or so. I'll have to watch the film again tonight. It really stuck with me. Even though it's pretty obscure, apparently folks play a version of it in real life now (they're calling it Juggers).

'Horseshoe Hornblower', Frilled Boba, and 'Flox'. Because I was grateful that followers played the naming game with me for 'Sylvan Song', I made three special miniature pieces as giveaways. At the end, I drew three winners out of a hat that included everyone who had submitted a beetle name.

Continuing with images to show more beetle details on 'Sylvan Song'. It wasn't interesting to me to look up real life beetles & sculpt them. I enjoy making elements up from scratch. Then it was amusing to invite people to look at each beetle & name them something based on their imagined behavior.

I can't express how thoroughly chuffed I've been watching clips of THE HAIRPIN BANDIT! Need the laughs these days and this is a good way to find them. Huzzah!

More images of the 'Sylvan Song' beetles after they were attached/painted. They are on what started as an ordinary canvas, but with layers of material & a variety of tools, I added texture. Just as beetles are often found under or around stones, I tried to recreate that surface as their dance floor.

The next round of closeups for 'Sylvan Song'. Some of my thinking in creating clay beetles (though these are completely imaginary) is that they are safe to experience. They will never skitter, fly, or bite... so that those who are afraid of "bugs" can potentially calm down long enough to "see" them.

I've had a literal epiphany just in the last five minutes. I have an appreciation for the film 'Pontypool' which isn't easy to understand. My epiphany isn't likely anything intended by the writer. But in my own mind, it brings new meaning to the mysterious events in the film.

Going to be posting a series of random close up pics from 'Sylvan Song' for the next while... each beetle does have a name (I posted the chart earlier). Some are really tiny and might be hard to see - and some of the ones on the sides can't be seen in the main photos.

Next in the deep dive of 'Sylvan Song' is the creation the beetles. I use Paperclay in a lot of my pieces, a material I discovered in my 20s. It's very light when it dries. My beetles are stream-of-consciousness. I start with a rough oval blank and just keep adding bits and bobs until I'm satisfied.

Continuing from yesterday's post: Though a midnight bug ball is what I picture the beetles are having, this is the music I hear in my head. 'Sylvan Song' by Heart. It's also the reason for the title of the Art. I listened to this music repeatedly when I was young while examining the album design.

Continuing the deep dive into 'Sylvan Song': My Mom, who grew up during the Great Depression, mostly harvested crops & rarely experienced school. Reading was difficult for her, but she fell in love with movies after marrying out of poverty at 16. It was magic to her. Disney was a favorite. (1 of 2)

I did a WIP series on 'The King in Yellow' recently. I thought I'd do a deep dive on 'Sylvan Song' (2020) next. The first image here is a pro beauty shot that I paid a local Artist to take. The final image is from the National Art Center, Tokyo. There are 74 unique beetles, each named by followers.

Ahh, yes! What I tried to post earlier but it wouldn't link up... the best news for Browncoats in a long, long time... Big Damn Heroes...

Everything's shiny! Not to fret!

My hair is shaped from the webs of spiders now; I know it mostly by a tickle on my brow. Once forged from sanguine wine glazed in copper, it is now more often the tones of lavender glass. A single strand coiled against the skin of my palm I cannot see. Only feel.

I have my ship, And all her flags are a-flyin'...

A reboot of Firefly? Animated! Yes! Serenity, my favorite boat in the sky...midbulk transport, standard radion-accelerator core, classcode 03-K64, Firefly... *hugs Serenity plushie* Can't post the direct link here, but look for OnceWeWereSpacemen on Insta. It was a travesty, what the corpos did.

I guess this is the last thing I'll bring up about the subject I've discussed for the last day or so, as it doesn't seem there's that much interest. But here's an example of operatic sounds finding a way into film, and then circling back to a mix of musical disciplines in a traditional setting.

The general public is exposed to the sounds of opera (and sights of ballet) in their regular consumption of film media, advertisements, background music, etc. so much so that they don't even realize it is opera. This is 'Dôme Épais le Jasmin' (commonly known as 'The Flower Duet') from 'Lakmé'.

Another opera that should be entertaining to everyone, even those who assume that opera is a stuffy art form that they would never find interesting. 'Les Oiseaux dans la Charmille' (often just called 'The Doll's Song') is brilliant!

Most people who remember the "Diva's Song" from 'The Fifth Element' probably don't realize that it's partially an aria taken from the "Mad Scene" in the opera 'Lucia di Lammermoor' ('Il Dolce Suono' - 'The Sweet Sound').

Another staging that is among my favorites. And an example of a language translation from the original classic versions.

Of course, ballets and operas don't always have to be the classical versions. Many are modern and quite amusing... (1 of 2)

Continuing on with my thoughts on ballet and opera (as I may for a while in hopes of encouraging others to develop the fondness I have for these Arts) - this is my favorite staging, especially the costumes, for the Queen of the Night... such a delight to experience this...

Following the subject of my last post, this is my favorite part (and music) of 'Swan Lake'. I was a stage techie when I was young for over a decade, and worked many ballets.

I've heard it said that no one cares about opera or ballet (among the rest of the arts, I suppose) anymore. And yet, this brings me to tears every time I hear it... the yearning, the trembling hope, & the loss. I hear it as often as I desire, because I have my own personal copy (as should you).

I'm biased, but please support your local theatre, and for that matter, please support your local café, bookstore, bakery, and library. We need you all.😊

Apparently I can see colors. Art skills? What's My JND? 0.0025 Can you beat it? www.keithcirkel.co.uk/whats-my-jnd...

'Garden Conversation' (2005) Found and cleaned up another of my 'Dark Whimsy' series drawings. I often say (and said again recently, concerning artistic influences) that these drawings of mine have a lineage of Gorey, Tenniel, Addams and Coombs in their DNA.

Like striations of minerals in the deep earth, my homemade drop cloth has over 3 decades of textures and colors soaked into the fibers that are beautiful to my eye. Normally rolled up into a tube when not in use, the act of unrolling it has become almost reverential in my process as an Artist.

Part 10 of 'The King in Yellow' WIPs. The final piece as it was first publicly displayed in an art show in 2021. It won a Merit Award. Also, some excerpts from the Chambers book that are part of the inspiration.

Let it be known that pop up ads that attempt to lock me into a loop that I cannot escape without closing and rebooting, will never get an ounce of support from me in any form.

Part 9 of 'The King in Yellow' WIPs. Some images of the completed piece. The viewer can decide whether the spheres in front are being consumed, or deposited, & what that means. There's also an Easter Egg on this piece, though it needs to be seen in person to locate. "Have you seen the Yellow Sign?"

Part 8 of 'The King in Yellow' WIPs. The sculpting of the tattered wings that are eventually gilded in gold. The wings represent the tattered robes of the Yellow King as described in Chambers' novel. I imagine them flowing and swirling around the beetle as he moves across the ocean seabed.

Part 7 of 'The King in Yellow' WIPs. The underside of the beetle. You can see how the tentacles are squared off into a triangular form. In the second image you can see how those tentacles help hold the beetle tight against the canvas on which it will be eventually attached.

Part 6 of 'The King in Yellow' WIPs. Dry brushed final color on the main body. More tentacles were added over time around the canvas so that they would mold around that shape. The rounded cavities near the main body are to hold the tattered "wings" later.

Part 5 of 'The King in Yellow' WIPs. Slowly building the sea beetle in layers, painting each with the blue undercoat as I go. The flat platform will be for the False Face. The tentacles represent the third influence along with the Yellow King and Angler Fish - Cthulhu.

Part 4 of 'The King in Yellow' WIPs. I didn't take nearly enough pics at the time but this was building the largest of my beetles so far. I used a sealed canvas to mold since that would be the final mount. Painted blue for the under color.

Part 3 of 'The King in Yellow' WIPs. The gilded False Face. Part of the inspiration for this cosmic sea beetle is the Angler Fish. Instead of a bioluminescent lure, there is a roughly humanoid exoskeleton "face". Look in its eyes & it looks back into you, while the true face below prepares to devour

Part 2 of sharing the WIP process of creating 'The King in Yellow' (2021). TKIY was created to enter a show (it won a Merit). This is the beginning of gilding the surface texture (the surface represents an ancient seabed).

Thought I'd share some old WIP images of 'The King in Yellow' while I was creating it about 5 yrs ago. I'll add more images in later posts, but this is the first stage of setting broken mirror pieces into the canvas & layering on texture.

Something unfinished from way back. I was just getting the first layers of color in but something must have gotten in the way timewise. I remember really enjoying working out the details of the jewelry. I believe I was having trouble with my pens as well...

Things I learned from my conservation book repair years... Watching a professional Artist prepare a painting to turn over to a client & was surprised by a couple of things. He used ordinary string tied with a bow to hang it with & double-sided tape to attach a certificate of authenticity. (p 1 of 2)

At the moment, I'm regrettably not exploring a quaint bookstore on a cobblestone street in Vienna during a raging thunderstorm, so no, I'm afraid your email did not "find me well.”