Giving Thanks on Thanksgiving (belated)

Thank You

I feel so very grateful for all of your of support this past year for my project, Thailand Burma Flora Fauna. It has been an intense, focused, and fulfilling year full of challenging work!

As I am entering the final stage of production, I thought I would share a handful of images of students working during some of the TBFF drawing and design workshops that I held in Mae Sot, Thailand. 

This is but a small fragment of what your contribution to this project has helped to create. 

You were a part of this! Thank you!

A young student working.

Teaching art to children can be really rewarding– and I was fortunate to be able to do so with Mae Sot NGO Kick Start Art. Even more fulfilling for me was connecting with the young teachers in that same organization.

For all of the time and energy that I directed towards these young folks, I was met with matched enthusiasm to learn and to be challenged during the teacher-trainings. I believe that in assisting them to hone their skills as working artists and instructors, we are contributing to a greater good and a larger picture, as they are sure to share their knowledge and pass on their skill set with their current and future students.

For the young adults and working artists among them, continued art training can help to provide a livelihood that is a positive alternative to the type of exploitative labor that is often the only available option to migrant workers.

For many of the younger migrant children, art classes in a clean, safe environment can be a much needed rest from their lives– ones that are often filled with adversity, anxiety, and under-stimulation. It is an incredible thing to witness a group of excited, distracted kids suddenly fall silent in quiet concentration, enveloped in the peaceful, engaging, and simple act of making a picture.

Thank you again for your contribution to this project! You help and support made this happen!

Student K.K. and his red panda drawing during a teacher-training and design workshop.

Heads down, pencils moving! Mostly quiet with some occasional a capella singing of Burmese radio pop songs.

Student S.K.P. drawing a garden snail from life which she later used to make a flora fauna ink drawing of the same subject. Hold still!

Students showing off their work after a flora fauna design workshop.

Working on preliminary drawings at Kick Start Art.

This little lady shows off a fun drawing of an elephant-mermaid-eagle made during an animal hybrid workshop. Drawing can help children to develop different modes of thinking! 

Students investigating animal subject matter and drawing thumbnails from references at the Puzzlebox Art Studio.

A younger student making a preliminary drawing of a pig during a TBFF workshop.

Teacher training workshops with the Kick Start Art crew and staff were the best!

Teachers J.K. and K.K. drawing away at the Puzzlebox Art Studio.

Little dudes checking out their work during the animal hybrid workshop!

A student working on an intricate flora fauna design during a teacher-training workshop.

A student draws leaves from life in the garden at the Puzzlebox Art Studio.

A large group of younger students quietly working.

Making thumbnail drawings.

Teacher J.K. and his awesome bamboo and red panda design!

The Kick Start Art crew and one of the groups they had during summer school. I was happy to be able to contribute and teach with them!

S.K.P. holding a card that says THANK YOU in Burmese!

Thank you all for your continued support!

Linocut Prototypes + Bagan Drawing Giveaway!

Linocut prototypes featuring the Camellia Kissii drying on my studio wall.

The Thailand Burma Flora Fauna project is taking shape! These past few weeks have been packed with carving print blocks, printing and testing prototypes, planning and ordering supplies, and networking. THANK YOU for all of your patience and continued support while I work to get you the best prints possible!

Drawing Giveaway + Connecting on Instagram

This week I am giving away an original drawing to one of my followers on Instagram as a thank-you for reaching more than 1K followers! If you are an instagram user, please feel free to follow my feed and enter for the giveaway. (My username is mike_schultz_paintings). 

I am also selling two variations of the same drawing on my Etsy shop— first come, first serve!  

The Bagan drawings are directly related to the Thailand Burma Flora Fauna series as they are preliminary illustrations for the additional print I am designing which depicts the moon rising over the Bagan Plain in Bagan, Burma– something I was very fortunate to witness with my own eyes!

Drawing giveaway on instagram depicting the Bagan Plain featured in an upcoming print for the TBFF series.

Sneak Peek! This is a print design (work in progress) that will feature a landscape based on Bagan, Burma.

Detail from my Burma travel sketchbook with notes and thumbnail drawings of things I wanted to remember.

Prototypes + Hare Stamp Variations

The initial round of prototypes for the first of two postcard-sized prints is under way. The drawing is first transferred to a linoleum block plate, in reverse, so that when it is carved and printed, the design will be facing the correct direction.

Transferring an ink and gouache drawing of the Camellia Kissii flower to a lino block (in reverse) before carving.

Carefully carving the linoleum block late into the night.  (No mistakes, please! There is no undoing a carved line).

Prototypes! Working out the lines and stamp designs for the first of the smaller prints to go out. This one is so close!

Documenting my Burma travel sketchbook drawings with help from studio assistant and constant shadow, Gus!

Thank you again for your continued support!

Portland: Drawing, Books, and Printmaking!

Portland – In early June I returned to Portland, Oregon where I’ve been busy balancing various projects, steadily working on print designs, and reading up on Burma.

Earlier this week, I met with some extraordinary local printmakers to discuss printing methods, the finer points of paper varieties, and a production timeline. It’s really exciting that the Thailand Burma Flora Fauna project has entered this stage of production. 

Thank you all for your continued interest and support with this endeavor!

Supermoon rising over Portland, Oregon – June 2014.

Works in Progress

Asian Elephant – After struggling with a design which first featured an extinct variety of rhinoceros and then later the Asian Elephant, I finally abandoned it and went back to the drawing board (quite literally) to rework the picture. Finally, the newer image feels like it’s on the right track! 

Sketchbook drawing of an Asian Elephant carrying a branch – getting closer!

Drawing the muscle movement of elephants + thumbnail compositions in my sketchbook.

Work in Progress (WIP) – an older version of the print featuring an Asian Elephant.

Sun Bear – The design for a print featuring the elusive Sun Bear is nearly complete! For now, here are some detail images.

WIP – The sloping head of the elusive Sun Bear with a Burmese landscape.

Preliminary sketchbook drawing for the Sun Bear print.

WIP – This print features a hilltop monastery based on Mt. Popa, a favorite place we visited in Upper Burma.

Additional Print – I’ve also been making drawings of Bagan, Burma in blue colored pencil. This will potentially be the additional print design that some Kickstarter supporters will receive for increasing their pledge during the funding campaign. (It would be printed in black, as a linocut or letterpress.)

Working on imagery for the additional print for those who increased their pledge.

Garden Drawings –This summer so far, I have been spending my off-time gardening and growing vegetables. It’s been enjoyable to draw from the garden as well.  If you can’t tell, I’m really into sketching with a cheerful blue color these days.

Sketching basil, chard, and carrot tops in my garden. July, 2014.

Reverse Culture Shock + the Big Burma Book Report 

Reading – Part of the way I’ve been processing my reverse culture shock (it’s a thing!) and reflecting on this recent time spent in SE Asia has been by avidly reading about Burma and its history.

Curiously, it seems that the more I seek to understand about Burma, the less that I actually know. While the history of any single subject is bound to be complex, for me the shaping of present day Myanmar, seemingly the result of an endlessly labyrinthine trajectory of events, is particularly captivating.

Books – For those of you who would like to broaden your understanding of Burma, I highly recommend reading the two books, in particular. This spring and summer I read Finding George Orwell in Burma and No Bad News for the King— both fascinating and well written documents.

No Bad News For the King details the affects of Cyclone Nargis, which claimed 138,000 lives.

Upon returning to Portland, I reread Burma Chronicles, by Guy Delisle and Quartered Safe Out Here, a WW2 memoir by a Scottish solider named George MacDonald Fraser. Reading Quartered Safe Out Here was a bit too much like eating lunch at the local V.F.W. with my grandfather in the early 1980’s. I also attempted to read some much hyped fiction, The Piano Tuner, but it just wasn’t for me.  

Currently, I’m reading 30 Heritage Buildings of Yangon. What I love about this book is that it is a positive and crystal-clear presentation of the current state of heritage architecture in Burma’s former capital city of Yagon.

It offers not only a concise history 30 unique buildings, but also details the potential of these structures available for restoration and renovation. Any one of them could join the ranks of the Strand Hotel, a Yangon landmark– that is, if they are not torn down to make way for newer construction. Follow this link to watch a video of The Strand Hotel.

30 Heritage Buildings of Yangon is a great read so far!

Also, I am currently reading two 100+ year old books authored by V.C. Scott O’Conner. Those books are The Silken East (1904) and another called Mandalay, and Other Cities of the Past in Burma (1908).

I was lucky to find an original 1908 copy of Mandalay, and Other Cities of the Past in Burma (1908), which boasts beautiful photos like this one taken by the author.

The lens through which V.C. Scott O’Conner wrote is now outdated, but none-the-less his books are filled with his fascinating photographs and oral histories that he learned while holding government appointments in Burma in the 1890s.

V.C. Scott O’Conner’s The Silken East (1904 – reprinted 1993) with paintings by J.R. Middleton.

On deck, I just found a nice hardcover of From the Land of Green Ghosts by Pascal Khoo Thwe, and am searching for a used copy of No Time for Dreams by San San Tin, which is proving a little more difficult to locate for a good price.

Thank you

Thank you all for your continued support of this project! I’m excited to have entered this next stage of production and will keep you updated on the progress as it unfolds.

What’s a Few Earthquakes and a Coup d’etat?

A tuk tuk near the Grand Palace in Bangkok.

Thank you to everyone who reached out to me this past week after the Thai military ousted the government in a surprise coup d’etat. For now, all television and radio stations are down (excepting military run channels), there is a nighttime curfew from 10pm-5am, and small street scuffles continue in Bangkok. We shall see what unfolds, but whatever happens next, I hope it is what is best for Thailand.

The lush gardens at the Jim Thompson House. He was Thailand’s silk baron who mysteriously disappeared into the Malaysian jungle in 1967.

Family Visit + Chiang Mai

Prints – It’s been a busy few weeks! Recently, I moved to Chiang Mai, the second largest city in Thailand, to hunker down and focus on the final print designs for the Flora Fauna project. The work is going really well, and I am currently figuring my way through a particularly tricky drawing depicting the Asian Elephant. Once it is resolved, I’ll be sure to share that image with you!

Family – My parents came for a visit and we had a great time touring the country together. It was an important trip so that they will have an understanding of where I have been. Someday we’ll laugh about when they forgot their passports in Mae Sot, and we only realized it on a bus stopped at a military checkpoint leaving town. It is possible they did this just for a little excitement.

Flora – During our travels, we got to see an array of fascinating plants and animals. As usual, I took a lot of photographs- some of which have already proven to be important visual aides for the remaining print designs. 

My parents in Yaowarat, Bangkok’s Chinatown.

The countryside outside of Chiang Mai.

What Comes Next 

In one week I’m headed to Bangkok to fly out to Portland, OR. I cannot believe how fast my time here has gone! So far, this has been a fulfilling and fruitful experience, and I am excited about the next stage of the project.

Back in Portland, I’ll be finishing up the final designs, and preparing the images for the next step. I’ve already been in talks with some dynamic, professional printmakers about the best way to see this project to completion.

THANK YOU again for your continued support with my project! Here are a few photographs from recent travels with my family.

Early flora fauna painting in the extensive murals at Wat Phra Kaew, the temple located at the Grand Palace in Bangkok.

Bananas and flowers in Mae Sa National park, outside of Chiang Mai.

Expansive greenhouses at the Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden, outside of Chiang Mai.

Palms and wires at near Wat Phra Singh in Chiang Mai.

Farmland outside of Chiang Mai, Thailand.

The massive Golden Buddha at Wat Traimit.

The Golden Buddha at Wat Traimit (aka The Temple of the Golden Buddha) in Bangkok, is said to be the largest solid gold statue in the world (3.9 meters tall, and weighs 5.5 tons). It boasts a fascinating history, and was believed to have been made during the 13-14 century in Sukhothai, the ancient capital of Siam.

At some point before the Burmese armies invaded and destroyed the Kingdom of Ayutthaya in 1767*, the golden Buddha was covered in a thick layer of plaster and mosaic glass and therefore hidden in plain sight from the invading army. Thought to be a large statue of little value, it was left untouched in the ruins of Ayutthaya and remained lost for nearly 200 years until it was being moved to a new temple in Bangkok in 1954. While it was being moved the deceptively heavy statue broke the ropes that were being used to hoist it, revealing its true nature underneath the plaster.  

*An interesting side note that I learned is that much of northern Thailand, including the city of Chiang Mai, once belonged to Burma. Also, during the invading Burmese army’s retreat in 1767 they marched through the previous incarnation Mae Sot, now located on the Thai-Burma border. The question remains: did they stop at Canadian Dave’s restaurant?

Also, I was told by a Thai friend that ancient Thailand used to boast an abundance of gold, much of which was looted by the invading Burmese Army. The gold cache was then taken back to Burma only to be liberated by the Colonial British while Burma was part of the British Raj or British India.

This photo of the backside of the Golden Buddha illustrates the seams where the nine perfectly interlocking pieces that make the statue fit together.

Flowers in Mae Sa National park, outside of Chiang Mai.

During a brief, final workshop student SKP drew a cute “lady lion”. The assignment was to focus on mammals in movement, and I loved this drawing in particular.

Thailand is known for many things, but not for the removal of defunct wires.

Flowering trees in Mae Sa National Forest.

Student PD working on his piece during a flora fauna workshop at Kick-Start ART.

One of the groups I taught drawing workshops with in Mae Sot is Kick-Start ART. I was  happy to see they are closing in on their recent fundraising endeavors. The people who run Kick-Start ART are incredible, enthusiastic, and motivated group. They did everything they could to make my involvement as a volunteer teacher a positive experience.

Check out their fantastic video to get a glimpse of what they provide and the situation that many of the migrant Burmese students are coming from. The teachers in the video were some of my favorite students, and were such a joy to work with!

A rare glimpse of parents in the wild.

Thank you for your support!

Burma Banteng – Cattle and Aloe in Bagan

The second contender for the Thailand Burma Flora Fauna print series is complete! Today, I’d like to share some thoughts about that image, and also say thank you to everyone who has been reaching out to me after I post these updates. I appreciate all of your support and kind feedback with this project!

Burma Banteng, Cattle and Aloe in Bagan, 2014

This image is a night scene illustrating the Burma Banteng, a species of wild cattle found across Southeast Asia. One of my goals for this project was to allow first hand experience to inform this body of work, which I feel it already has, tenfold.

Included in this image are a number of specific plants and trees, human-made structures, and other visuals I witnessed during my travels. Talk about “refilling the wellspring”, so to speak…

Travel sketchbook page from Bagan, Burma.

Bagan sketchbook detail of a banteng calf and an ancient pagoda.

Working out variations of the composition using thumbnail drawings.

Why choose something as mundane as cattle? 

One – As part of my rubric for the series, I determined that it would be too predictable to only represent animals that were exotic or endangered species. I wanted some animals that were thriving, and at least one type that lived among human beings. Like the elephant, cattle have had a complex role in the development of civilization over several millennia, and I wanted to honor that role.

A thin banteng, Bagan.

Two – Banteng, or tembadau, are one of the animals that really stood out to me while I was in Burma. We saw so many different breeds being herded among the ruins in Bagan. Some were wilder looking varieties– buff colored oxen with wavy viking-like horns. But I found that the Bali cattle (domesticated banteng) were the most visually striking with their humps, floppy ears, and large, peaceful doe eyes. 

Here’s looking at you, cow.

Bagan was easily one of the most incredible places I have ever been, and I was surprised at how arid upper Burma is. Think: dusty red earth, dry stream beds, and a thriving variety of plants and trees acclimated to a desert climate. In the image, I included toddy palms, eucalyptus, and acacia trees, as well as cactus and aloe vera plants among the ruins of the temples.

Also, while we were in Bagan the Orion constellation was prominent in the night time sky, and the crescent moon would lay flat on its back in a way that appeared unusual to me. I wanted to remember these details so I included them in the print design.

A temple in Bagan, early sunset hours.

Bagan – Bagan was the ancient capital city of what would later become Burma. Between the 11th and 13th century thousands of temples, monasteries and stupas were constructed there, of which there are still over 2,200 pagodas left today.

Sunset over Bagan. The Bagan plain spans an area of approximately 40 square miles!

A couple of weeks ago I participated in local Mae Sot NGO Kick-Start Art’s annual auction. It raises funds for the organization by asking local artists to make pieces inspired by an artwork made by one of the school children attending its art programs.

I chose two kids’ pieces that humored me– one depicting a joyful banana and another of a sad mosquito. For which to accompany them (and to keep within the logic of the original artwork) I made images of a morose banana and a happy mosquito. It was a lot of fun, and both sold for a good cause.

One of my works for a charity auction depicting a morose banana. We have fun…

Currently, I’m busy at work on the fourth and fifth Flora Fauna images. The third image design is complete, but I am giving it a few days for touching up before I share it.

Thank you for reading and for your support!

Flora Fauna Design Workshop!

Apprentice with her piece featuring a swallow and a flower native to Burma, the Gangaw.

The first drawing / design workshop related to the Thailand Burma Flora Fauna series went really well! Today, I’d like to share some photos and stories from that workshop, as well as some more visuals from my life here in Mae Sot.

As a reminder, the artwork shown in this post is all student work– the images for the final print series will be designed and drawn by my hand alone.

Student drawing with a brush and sumi ink.

Working on thumbnail sketches (small scale, preparatory drawings).

Sharing sumi ink.

Workshop – With the translation help of my talented artist friend Sein Sein Lin, I was able to conduct my first workshop with the apprentices at the Puzzlebox Art Studio. Sein Sein Lin is a teacher who has an incredible gift for language, a sunny disposition, and a great sense of humor.

Burmese artist Sein Sein Lin gives guidance with a design composition.

As a starting point, I asked the students to base their compositions off of the prints of the Japanese artist Hokusai. As they worked, SSL and I gave them individual guidance as each student is at a different skill level.

Who’s ready for some constructive feedback?

Overall the workshop was positive and fun! It was a challenging exercise for the students– and for myself it was a good re-introduction to teaching. Later in the week we worked on individual training, and enjoyed a day of epic deep cleaning and organizing at the Puzzlebox.

A student with his finished ink drawing from the workshop.

Lost in Translation – Below is a short excerpt from a group discussion from the workshop. This passage illustrates how meaning can get lost in translation (with a bit of cultural comedy).

Me: What are Burma’s most iconic animals?

Student 1: Cat. 

Me: Hmmm, yes, but what I mean is- what are the the most iconic, meaning: famous, popular, or cherished animals? 

Student 1: …

Sein Sein Lin (SSL): She likes cats. 

Me: Ok. What other animals are cherished in Burma? 

Student 2: Water Buffalo.

Me: Yes! Good one. What else?

Student 3: …

SSL: Lions.

Me: There are lions in Burma?

SSL: Yes, lions are very famous animals in Burma– we have them in the zoo.

Me: Oh, haha, yes. I mean: famous animals native to Burma, like the tiger. What about turtles? Turtles are cool. Do you like turtles?

SSL: Oh, yes, we love turtles! 

Me: Nice.

SSL: We love to eat them.

Me: Oh… right.

So, people everywhere like cats, and turtles make for good soup. It’s good to be reminded that different cultures value different things.

Also, interesting, Sein Sein Lin said that Burma had nothing like a National Geographic magazine. So, it wasn’t until foreigners starting visiting Burma and then later publishing their photographs from the mountains and jungles that people really knew what kind of wildlife was inside its borders.

These plants boast leaves as long as my torso.

Thailand – This past week I had a mysterious fever that came and went, and found a dead, venomous snake in our yard.

I’ve begun my drawing and concepting process for the Flora Fauna print series and am truly excited about where it’s headed. I’ll have some images from that process to share with you soon! Thank you all for your continued support!

A beautiful little moth with a false eye marking on its wing to fool predators.

I’ve been steadily collecting beautiful objects and artifacts to paint as still lives in my on-going oil series, Objects and Oddities from the Thai-Burma Border.

A friendly mechanic helped me with some bicycle trouble.

The tops of many walls here are adorned with D.I.Y. (Do It Yourself) spikes made of broken glass bottles, cemented into the wall sharp side up. Ouch! No climbing!

The sun sinks behind the mountains in Burma across the border.

Back in the Land of Smiles

Here! – It’s wonderful to be back in sunny Thailand! This past week has been a whirlwind of getting my feet on the ground here in Mae Sot, while my mind and body readjust to the Thai culture, language, time change, and the climate of Southeast Asia.

Spices for sale in the Sunday walking street market, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Early morning view over my neighborhood in Mae Sot, Thailand.

Project – Last week I began working with the apprentices at the Puzzlebox Art Studio, and have conducted the first drawing / design workshop related to the Thailand Burma Flora Fauna series. The workshop was productive and challenging, and a great beginning to the project.

Sneak Peak! Apprentice Saw Sahn Ley inks in his design.

An apprentice painting in her design using sumi ink and brush.

For the first workshop, I had the apprentices use the woodblock prints of renowned Japanese artist Hokusai as a reference for their design compositions.

More Soon! – The next update will include a detailed description and photos of the finished work from that first workshop, but today I wanted to set the scene of what the world looks like where I am currently located.

Mae Sot at night from my guesthouse – 30 second exposure photograph.

A typical view of a street in Mae Sot, decorated with a ceiling of yellow flags celebrating the Chinese New Year.

The evening light illuminates the smog over Chiang Mai. This photo was taken from a small propeller plane. The air quality here can be poor at times. No filter on this photo!

Thai Culture – The very briefest note on Thai culture: Thailand is known as The Land of Smiles. It is a devout and predominantly Buddhist nation (about 95% Buddhist). Depending on your location and the season the climate can be very hot, and either very wet or dry.  The mosquitos here are a plenty, and the food is amazing and spicy.

Double dragons guard the entrance to Wat Phra Singh (Buddhist temple) in Chiang Mai.

Thailand boasts some of the tastiest food on earth. Spicy noodle soup and soda water!

Interesting times: Street scene showing Thai protesters waving flags during a parade before the February 2nd election, and migrant Burmese workers in trucks.

Challenges So Far

1) Language – Burmese batik artist Sein Sein Lin and I have begun work on The Rosetta Stone of Art Vocabulary. We made a list of 250 important art related vocabulary words including techniques, tools, styles, media and art movements. (Think of terms like: drawing, charcoal, palette knife, monochromatic, kiln, etc.)

The objective is to have a complete vocabulary list of terms translated into English, Burmese, and Thai. This will enable artists from each culture to more easily communicate whenever there is a language barrier.

2) Assessment – The Puzzlebox Art Studio is in a place of transition. For varying personal reasons many of the Burmese apprentices have had to leave their positions there. I have made an initial assessment of the studio production line as one way I can be of use to the Puzzlebox is to organize the space and to give suggestions on how to streamline the workflow.

3) Personal Studio – Currently, I’m searching for the right workspace in which to set up my art studio here. I am flush with ideas for the Thailand Burma Flora Fauna project and now just need a space so I can get to work!

Detail of a mural I designed in 2011 that was executed after I last left Mae Sot. It was painted by my former Puzzlebox apprentice Jaw Saye. So enjoyable seeing this for the first time!

Thank you – Thank you all for your continued support! Please feel free to comment and dialog. I will do my best to answer any questions you might have about the Thailand Burma Flora Fauna project as it unfolds.

My Kickstarter – Thailand Burma Flora Fauna: A Handmade Print Series

I’ve launched my first Kickstarter project! Watch the video to learn more.

As you may know, Kickstarter projects only raise their funding if they meet their minimum pledged goal by the deadline. I have until December 6th (16 days from today) to raise my funding goal of $4,000. Any help spreading the word will directly support handmade art!

For a pledge of only $25 you can choose your favorite print from the Thailand Burma Flora Fauna series, once complete. That’s a great price for handmade art.

This is an example from a previous body of work about California.

Pictured above is an example from my previous series about the flora and fauna of California. It is a print of a hare native to California paired with the California poppy, the Christmas beetle, and the silhouette of Mt. Shasta (all things found in the state California).

The Thailand Burma Flora Fauna series will be similar to this print, but the themes will reflect both the iconic and the little known natural treasures of Thailand and Burma.

Teaching drawing / design at the Puzzlebox Art Studio in Mae Sot, Thailand.

I will be giving intensive drawing / design workshops with the apprentices at the Puzzlebox Art Studio in Mae Sot, Thailand. These workshops will help to determine which plants, animals, landscapes, and monuments will make the best designs for new artwork. This process will also help to create new images and designs to be made into products for the Puzzlebox to use to sustain itself.

When I return to Portland after five months of volunteering, I will choose the eight most dynamic images that I come up with to make into this new series of prints. What is unique about this project is that you can be a part of the process and watch the series unfold through email updates and blog posts, before choosing your favorite print! Sounds fun, right?

Thank you all for your support!

-Mike

August

Cicada, Graphite on Paper, 5 x 8.25″ (12.7 x 30 cm), 2013

Earlier this month I enjoyed a packed trip home to Ithaca, New York where I attended three weddings in a single week, two of which were same-sex marriages– hurrah for New York!

I spent full days drawing on the banks of Cayuga Lake as well as in the gardens and pastures of friends. The east coast summer nights were great– garden salads for dinner, humidity, cicadas, and I even watched the Perseid meteor shower from a dock on the lake.

Back in Portland, Oregon, I am busy working in my studio on several pieces simultaneously, including the sixth still life painting of objects from the Thai-Burma border. The painting features a 1920’s passport photograph of a young George Orwell from his time serving with the British Imperial Police in Burma.

Thanks for reading!  <<<>>>

Drawing dead cicadas from life.

Steve’s Garden, Sumi Ink on Paper, 11 x 14″ (28 x 35.5 cm), 2013

Burma map painting in progress on the easel in my studio.

Work in progress of a stage and a painted backdrop.  Earlier version.

Preliminary pencil drawing for a painting of a young George Orwell and a monkey skull.

Sunset on Cayuga Lake.  Ithaca, New York, August 2013.

Thai Ceramic Baby Tiger – Still Life Painting!

Thai Ceramic Baby Tiger on my easel.

Recently, I’ve been focusing on a series of still lives based on objects and oddities I brought back from the Thai-Burma border. I’m currently beginning work on the sixth painting, and wanted to pause and share some images of the first piece in the series.

It depicts a small ceramic statue of a baby tiger made by a Thai ceramicist that I found in the northern city of Chiang Mai, Thailand. It was painted over a couple of weeks in mostly soft evening light.

Thai Ceramic Baby Tiger, Oil on Paper, 5.5 x 7″ (14 x 17.75 cm), 2013

My priority with this work was practicing a traditional oil glazing technique to create soft shifts in light and tones. What made this particular work especially challenging was depicting a high fire ceramic glaze. (I love painting.)

Thai Ceramic Baby Tiger (Detail), Oil on Paper, 5.5 x 7″ (14 x 17.75 cm), 2013

It is my intention to show these paintings and to use the sale of which to partially supplement my return to Thailand in early 2014 to resume my work with migrant youth from Burma at the Puzzlebox Art Studio.

Guy Delisle’s Jerusalem (2012)

Currently on my nightstand is Guy Delisle’s Jerusalem which I am enjoying quite a bit. I recently finished George Orwell’s Burmese Days and I highly recommend it.

Thanks for reading!  <<<>>>

Nature Drawing – Coastal Redwood

Coastal Redwood Trunk, Mt. Tabor, Graphite on Paper, 5 x 8.25″ (12.7 x 30 cm), 2013

This week: nature drawing, Mt. Tabor, and garden love.

The more beautiful the weather gets the harder it is for me to stay indoors to paint. After another dark wet Portland winter I am happy to take a break and trade out painting for drawing in the sun and the fresh air.

Pictured above is a drawing of a Coastal Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) that I drew in my Moleskine sketchbook up at Portland’s Mt. Tabor park this past Sunday. These are the tallest trees on earth and can reach up to 379 feet (115.5 m)!

Out the window to the east you can see Mt. Tabor beckoning me to abandon my studio.

Facing westward from Mt. Tabor towards my studio. (It’s the house with the garden.)

My garden plot is coming along nicely. So far I have planted Roma tomatoes, aroma basil, grey lavender, chives, snap peas and was gifted some tenacious potatoes which were already growing in the bed. I’ve been enjoying digging in the dirt with my hands and nurturing this small piece of earth. There is something very meditative and calming about working out there, and I’m looking forward to making drawings of these plants as they grow!

Also, I recently ran across this old photograph of myself as a young child in my pop’s garden. At this age I was known for (and actually remember quite clearly) raiding the garden of any and all snap peas.

Aroma basil starts in the garden.

Snap pea thief: my three year old self in the garden squinting in the sun, circa 1980.

Thanks for reading and feel free to comment!  <<<>>>

Sneak Peek! + Summery Spring

Currently I am focusing on a series of still lives featuring my collection of keepsakes from the Thai-Burma border. Pictured below is (a detail of) a painting of a ceramic hare and an antique statuette of a red swallow. I found the ceramic hare at an artist’s shop in the northern city of Chiang Mai, Thailand. (Just a peek until the series is further along!)

Ceramic Hare and Red Swallow (Detail), Oil on Paper, 5.5 x 7″ (14 x 17.75 cm), 2013

Blue and red spectrum on my palette.

This weekend I rode my bike up to Mt. Tabor to draw in my Moleskine sketchbook. Mt.Tabor is a park on an inactive volcano cinder cone within Portland city limits– basically it’s an enormous hill spanning 1.60 sq mi (4.14 km²) which is covered in majestic trees, winding pathways and vistas of the city.

My trusty steed among the great trees of Mt. Tabor, Portland, OR, April, 2013.

Vista of Portland from Mt. Tabor, Graphite on Paper, 5 x 8.25″ (12.7 x 30 cm), 2013

We are experiencing another week of freak summer weather in April– very unusual for Portland, OR. At great odds with my painting time I have been spending as many sunlight hours as possible out of doors walking, biking, seeing friends, and breathing in the Spring air. Pictured below is my adorable artist / seamstress friend Loni. She made everything she’s wearing in that photo! Check out her Etsy shop- LoveToLoveYou.

Loni among the luscious smelling lilacs.

Thanks for reading and feel free to comment!   <<<>>>

Painting Studio and Flower Blossoms!

The loose underpainting of a still life featuring a ceramic hare and red swallow.

Over the past several weeks I’ve been focusing on a series of still lives depicting mementos, oddities, and knickknack from the Thai-Burma border. Later this year I’d like to show this body of work– hopefully the sale of which will help to finance my return to Thailand to continue working with migrant youth from Burma.

I would again be teaching art as an artist/mentor to young and talented Burmese folks at the Puzzlebox Art Studio in Mae Sot, Thailand. Potential energy is my favorite kind of energy– and they’ve got it!)

Painting still lives of mementos from the Thai-Burma border in my studio.

Pictured above is a shot of my studio near the completion of the third painting in the series. Recently I have been trying to be more deliberate about mixing my palette of colors before I begin painting for the day. It’s said that Pablo Picasso structured his painting days like this: In the mornings he mixed his palette. He’d then eat lunch, take a siesta, and do the actual painting all afternoon and into the evening.

Mixing a spectrum of golds, greens, and grays on my palette.

While I usually demonstrate ample patience with my artwork I have realized that I can be impatient when it comes to finding the right color during the actual act of painting. So, lately before I paint I have been placing my palette between myself and the easel. This has proven to be a good way of structuring in slowness and deliberateness when mixing all of the colors that the painting requires.

Cherry blossoms at Portland’s waterfront on the Willamette River.

Spring continues to bloom here in Portland, OR!  This is one of my favorite times of year here as the streets smell like flowers everywhere you go . . .

Friends enjoying a cherry blossom petal shower. Yay, spring!

Next week I’d like to share some of my sketchbooks from Thailand!

Feel free to comment and thanks for reading!  <<<>>>

Illustrations for Molly Drake Album – Part 2

Drawing the teacup for the Molly Drake album.

Last week I posted my illustrations for the Molly Drake album recently released by Squirrel Thing Recordings. This week I’d like to share my process and the preliminary work involved in this project.

Molly Drake (1915-1993) was the mother of the late singer Nick Drake. Her music is beautiful and somber and you can listen to / buy it here.

Two images for Molly Drake printed with letterpress on the inside of the album jacket.

All told I made three drawings for this album featuring a teacup, a weaver bird, and a portrait of Molly Drake. The portrait of Molly was not included, but the other two are printed with letterpress on the inside of the album jacket.

Portrait of Molly Drake, Sumi Ink on Paper, 6 x 6″, 2012

When making a piece I first concept and design the image with thumbnail drawings.

Thumbnail drawing for the Molly Drake album.

After I have a solid visual I then make quick mock up drawings using photoshop. This way I can immediately cut, chop, and paste the image together to capture the correct ratio, size, and shape of the forms.

Often I use the original thumbnail as a guide during this process so as to keep the essence of the form from getting lost in translation. As seen below I ended up reversing the composition of the original thumbnail as I felt it had a better flow considering that there would be the weaver bird facing it on the opposite page.

Odd ghost image from blocking in the essential bits of the story I wanted to tell.

Digital sketch for the Molly Drake tea cup.

When I am satisfied with a digital sketch I then place a grid over it and redraw it on paper by hand. Once the image is sketched in I ignore the digital mock up and let myself just draw and feel out the forms.

From a gridded digital sketch to the penciled in final image for the Molly Drake album.

Using sumi ink and brush to ink in the final image for the Molly drake album.

Both sumi ink drawings for the Molly Drake album.

About concepting the teacup– I wanted a simple image that held a lot of information. I chose to draw a teacup in part to reference the artwork on the cover of her son Nick Drake’s album Pink Moon (1972).

It is also a reference to Molly’s song Breakfast at Bradenham Woods and as a symbol for British colonialism– as I learned that both Molly and Nick Drake were born in Yangon, Burma. Coincidentally, I recently spent 15 months (2010-2011) living on the Thai-Burma border working with migrant youth from Burma— and had spent a lot of time contemplating the history of Thailand and Burma and how they became what they are today.

The landscape on the cup is of a famous lake in Yangon, Burma called Kandawgyi (The Royal Lake) with a view of the Shwedagon Pagoda– two visuals Molly Drake would surely have seen often while living there. Pictured below is one of the photos I used as a reference. I replaced the tree with a willow and gnats alluding to Molly’s song I Remember.

A fisherman and colonial architecture at Kandawgyi (The Royal Lake) in Yangon, Burma.

The rest of the imagery on the teacup are all nods to Molly’s beautiful songs. The moon and stars reflected in the tea relate to Night is My Friend (my current favorite song of hers . . . *sigh*) as well as a line about the moon chained to the tides and “if you can see the strong and wearied starlight” from Ballad. The swallow and cuckoo are from Cuckoo Time.

Molly Drake set poetry to piano chords– I love her music and feel so fortunate to have been able to work on this project! I listened exclusively to her songs while working on this artwork hoping they would influence what I drew and help me to honor her music.

<<<>>>  Thanks for reading and feel free to comment!  <<<>>>

Illustrations for Molly Drake Album – Part 1

Yes!  I am so happy to report that the Molly Drake album is finally available!

The Molly Drake album with an old photo made beautiful by my friend Sarah Wilmer.

As many of you may know Molly Drake (1915-1993) was the mother of the late great songwriter Nick Drake (1948-1974). This past year Squirrel Thing Recordings remastered a collection of her beautiful songs and I had the great honor of making two illustrations for the inside album jacket.

Here are my two illustrations for the Molly Drake album– a weaver bird in its nest and a teacup paired with a pretty poem written by Molly quite late in her life.

Drawing the teacup illustration for the inside of the Molly Drake album. Sumi ink!

Honestly, I’m not sure if I’ve ever worked on a project that was more near and dear to my heart as this one– Nick Drake’s music had a profound affect on me in my youth. If you don’t already know his songs do yourself a favor and find a copy of the album Pink Moon (1972). Here’s one of my favorite tracks from that album called From the Morning.

This newly released album of his mother’s music connects the dots and clearly shows where Nick Drake learned how to turn poetry into songs. As Nick’s producer Joe Boyd wrote Molly Drake is “the missing link in the Nick Drake story – there, in the piano chords, are the roots of Nick’s harmonies”.

Thank you to David Herman and Dan Dzula of Squirrel Thing Recordings in Brooklyn, NY for remastering this fantastic music! You can listen to and purchase Molly’s songs here. Please support this endeavor and buy the actual disc!

Feel free to comment– I like the dialog.  <<<>>>  Thanks for reading!  <<<>>>

Detail of the weaver bird illustration for the Molly Drake album at my drawing table.

The album booklet is complete with a biography written by Molly’s daughter– the actress Gabrielle Drake. Whose mysterious pair of paws are entering this scene?

 

Still Lives and Sunshine – Spring Descends Upon Portland, OR!

It’s true.  First there was endless grey and rain and everything felt all Mordor and Voldemort forever, and now– Spring flowers!

Spring blooms in Portland!

Panorama: My trusty steel steed against a pretty willow tree.

We just enjoyed three days of Spring bliss here in Portland which I took advantage of by biking and walking all day long soaking up some much needed vitamin D.  Sun starved, bleary eyed Portlanders stumbled out into the sunshine to work in their gardens and breathe in the sweet smell of Spring mud.

Lately I have been enjoying painting directly from life concentrating on color theory and more specifically color mixing and painting with a muted palette.  So far, so fun!  I’ll share some of the still lives I’ve been working on once they are completed and varnished. <<<>>>

Here are some photos from my wanderings plus a couple of studio shots.

Feel free to comment and thanks for reading!  <<<>>>

The Crow’s Nest with my painting set up.

Secret elixir – a mixture of turpentine and stand oil for painting with glazes.

Currently, I’m painting a still life of a ceramic tiger that I found in Thailand.

Sunny street with Portland Craftsman bungalows.

Portland is known for its Arts and Crafts style bungalows. Here’s a nice symmetrical one with an outstanding sunrise pattern.

Sunrise out studio window facing Mt. Hood with a wispy dragon cloud catching the light.

The Botanical Wedding of Sunflowers and Black Eyed Susans

Wedding Invitation with Sunflowers and Black-Eyed Susans, Digital, 2013

Today I wanted to share with you a botanical illustration (in progress) for a wedding invitation featuring Black-eyed Susans and a sunflower– some of the local flora in upstate New York where my friends will be married later this summer.

Side note: Thanks to Wikipedia I learned that Rudbeckia hirta (Black-eyed Susan) has some other great names including Brown-eyed Susan, Brown Betty, Brown Daisy, Yellow Daisy, Gloriosa Daisy, Poorland Daisy, Yellow Ox-eye Daisy, and Golden Jerusalem.

Also, here is a 5th story view of the prettiest city I know during the gloomiest time of year. My daily bicycle commute has been gray and wet which I am ready to trade in for some Spring and sun. That said however– tulips are beginning to pop up out of the earth all over the city!

Thanks for reading and please feel free to comment.  <<<>>>

 Beautiful Gloomy Portland, OR, February, 2013

Renovate, Revamp, Renew – Painting Over the Past

This weekend after organizing my painting archives I thought it might be interesting to breath new life into some older artwork.  I chose to rework a simple painting from 2008 from a series I made of theater stages. This particular piece had a straightforward composition of two red curtains framing a theater stage with a backdrop of red Italian hills.

Theater Stage with Tuscany Backdrop, 5 x 7″ (12.7 x 17.8 cm), Oil on Panel, 2008-2013

Once dried it will be touched up, signed, varnished and available on my Etsy site.

Painting rework on the easel in my studio.

A palette including Burnt Sienna, Earth Green, Yellow Ocher, Naples Yellow…

Repainting a piece that you are not attached to can feel fresh and invigorating– as long as it doesn’t turn out like this.

Also, for the sky I enjoyed using impasto– a painting technique using thick layers of paint to reveal brushwork and texture.

Italian landscapes demand impasto– and possibly pesto. Mmmm, pesto…

I used a large brush for the impasto (ample amounts of thick paint) on the sky.

The reworked painting pre-re-work.  Zzz…

Back by popular demand– my studio pal relaxes on a ceramic tile. Looks comfy, Scratch!

Thank you for reading!  Feel free to comment.  <<<>>>

Preliminary Pencil Drawing – Exodus

Exodus (detail), Graphite on Paper, 10.5 x 12″ (26.5 x 30.5 cm), 2013

Ahhhh, we had one day of blissful sunny weather with blue skies and Spring air– followed by another usual overcast day with a sky that looks like a flat florescent light bulb. Damn you, Portland, Oregon. The winter here is the trade for living in such a beautiful and bike friendly city.  For anyone who needs a winter lift I recommend this: Brooklyn, NY PS22 children’s chorus singing Lisztomania by Phoenix.

This week I’d like to share a preliminary pencil drawing that I have been working on for a double painting called Exodus. Double painting meaning I plan on painting two works at once back and forth so I can try out different techniques and colors on each canvas.  This is a narrative theme, image, and character that I have been making variations of for years.

Exodus, Graphite on Paper, 10.5 x 12″ (26.5 x 30.5 cm), 2013

Above is the full drawing.  I used Photohsop along with my actual drawing to reassess the composition.  Photoshop is a great way to try out radically different things to get a sense of what will and will not work.  Pictured below, you can see me  re-designing the clouds before drawing them into the final composition.  This also led to me adding a strip of paper to the top of the image to give the figure more breathing room.

Using Photoshop and a Wacom drawing tablet to experiment with the composition.

Lately I have also been playing around with different chops (a traditional artist stamp/seal that signs a work).  Eventually I would love to carve one out of jade or soapstone. Below is the first draft of the chop on my recent work.  I liked it, but it was too visually distracting for this particular drawing and so I reduced it to just the hare.

Duck and hare chop pre-edit. Fun? Sure, but too busy for this one.

The final hare chop (sans duck and vines) used for the Exodus drawing.

Sun starved artist lays on floor to soak up vitamin D while drawing.

Local cat Scratch chilling in the window enjoying freak February Spring weather.

Thank you for reading!  Please feel welcome to comment.  <<<>>>

Artist Interview – Vladimir Zimakov

Vladimir Zimakov in his Los Angeles studio, 2013.

Vladimir Zimakov is an artist living and working in Los Angeles, California.  He is a printmaker, an illustrator, a designer and a drawer who holds a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute and an MFA from the Central St. Martins College of Art and Design in London.  He also teaches art and design and frequently conducts artist talks and workshops.  You can see more of his work here on his website and on his art process blog.

Vladimir and I corresponded in 2012 for this interview.

Vladimir Zimakov, Illustration for Nikolai Gogol’s The Diary of a Madman, 2005

Mike Schultz: Where do you come from, and has this place had an affect on your work?

Vladimir Zimakov: I’m from Moscow, which continues to have a tremendous effect on my work. When my family and I came to the US 20 years ago I started drawing Soviet style buildings that I grew up around, perhaps as a way to keep the connection. This is when art really started to have a lot of meaning for me. I think that switching countries at the age of 12 had a huge effect on me. I came right into Junior High, which is a tough time for anyone. For someone who hardly knows the language and culture it’s even worse. Then we also moved from Michigan to Texas, from one neighborhood to another. At some point I’ve realized that instead of constantly adopting and trying to fit in, I will be much better off as an observer and all of a sudden things fell into place. I’ve started to become very conscious of my surroundings: people, architecture, nature, environment, and how all of it interacts with one another, with past and present. This is still one of the main themes in my work.

Vladimir Zimakov, Prague Streetscape, 2007

MS: How do the past and present play a role in your work?

VZ: I am always searching for references of things that I have experienced or simply the things that resonate with me. For example, I have just spent hours on the web looking for archives of soviet magazines that I have grown up with. In addition to having a nostalgic or sentimental value, the images in those magazines are capable of triggering new ideas for drawings. After all, at some point, those images played a role in shaping my visual aesthetics and are now part of my vocabulary along with images that were done way before I was born and the ones that I am exposed to now. In combination, those symbols of past and present can be used to express specific concepts.

The Master and Apprentice is a drawing in which I wanted to visually express the process of teaching and learning and what happens as a result. I wanted the harp players (in this case serving as both a symbol of an initial idea or the Muse and the finished result) to reference images from Victorian romanticism. The mechanical apparatus was inspired by Renaissance drawings. The rats are taken from my daily observations of the two pet rats that I had at the time. One was much younger then the other and the latter was constantly trying to share her wisdom.

Vladimir Zimakov, The Master and Apprentice, 2006

MS: Do you use any kind of technology, ancient or new, in the process of making your work? (For example: the Internet, photoshop, silk screens, printing press…)

VZ: Ancient and new alike, preferably in combination. Of course everything starts with a quick sketch. While developing a mock up it’s a constant back and forth from the drawing table to the scanner to Photoshop to the printer. The final result is almost always done by hand in form of a drawing, linocut or a silkscreen. It’s great to combine techniques.

This illustration for Edgar Alan Poe’s The Pit and the Pendulum is a silkscreen print, but it went through quite a few stages. First, I printed a bunch of letters using wooden type on a Vandercook letterpress. I’ve later scanned the prints and arranged the text in Photoshop so that it would fit the intention (I wanted to start with the crisp impressions, then have them more and more beat up as it got closer to the rats). I carved the rats from a linoleum block; the print was also scanned and digitized. The final poster was hand printed using three screens that were made from digital files: one with white type, the other with black line work and the third with the brown color for the rats.

Vladimir Zimakov, Illustration for Edgar Allen Poe’s The Pit and the Pendulum, 2010

MS: Which artist from the past had the most influence on your work?

VZ: Pieter Brueghel the Elder. Without any doubt! As far as I can remember I was always fascinated by the narrative and symbolism in his work. When I was a kid I spent hours looking at books of his painting and I still can’t just walk past a Brueghel book. I am not trying to imitate his work, which would be quite hard in the first place, but I find the overall theme and aesthetic to be of a constant inspiration.

Vladimir Zimakov, The Ostrich Concerto, 2005

MS: What is your ideal studio setting, and how do you find your rhythm?  (Time of day or night, quiet or not, with or without company, use of external substances, like coffee?)

VZ: I spend a lot of time organizing and reorganizing my working space so that it feels right. I guess I am very particular about having all the pencils, paper, erasers, inks in their right place. This obsessiveness lead me to making most of the studio furniture myself, so that it fits just right. There are lots of pictures on the walls and art books all around. Ideally, the music is always on, whatever I stumble upon that night, mostly jazz and underground Russian rock with some Tom Waits or Nick Cave thrown in. One thing that I’ve discovered is that it’s quite hard for me to work in short bursts. I also never got comfortable drawing in public. Managing work, family and studio time can be a little challenging, there is a focus shift that needs to happen every day. On days when I teach or freelance, after work there is a short nap time, then family time, and after the baby goes to bed is the studio time which lasts well into the night.

Vladimir Zimakov, Illustration for Gustav Meyrink’s The Golem, 2010

MS: What work of yours are you most excited about right now and why?  (Or: What are you currently working on?)

VZ: I am shifting gears a bit now and trying new techniques. After doing linocuts and gouache/ink paintings for a while, I am going back to charcoal and pen and ink drawings. So now, as to be expected, I am going through some frustration stages when things don’t work out and I have to rework drawings over and over until they feel right, but at the end of the day there is that satisfaction of being one step closer to understanding something new. The other exciting part is discovering new inspirations. When I did a linocut series, I looked at a lot of German Expressionists, now with the charcoal pieces I am rediscovering and absorbing turn of the 20th century photography.

Vladimir Zimakov, Illustration for a short story by Alexander Chayanov, 2012

Vladimir Zimakov, Cover artwork for You Must Go and Win, published by FSG, 2010

Vladimir Zimakov, Cover artwork for The Call of Cthulhu, published by Vintage, 2010

MS: Would you talk about your use of black?

VZ: I was always drawn to very bold, graphic work, where the drama was created by the contrast of darks and lights. In a lot of cases using black and white is all that is needed to create the desired effect; everything else starts to be a distraction. However, there are some problems with black, it’s easy to overdo it and when it’s an ink drawing, quite impossible to erase.

Vladimir Zimakov, Illustration for Gustav Meyrink’s Walpurgisnacht, 2009

MS: Who is your favorite contemporary artist?

VZ: I have a lot of respect and admiration for Mihail Chemiakin, an artist that I had the opportunity to study and work with after graduating from KCAI. Besides the overwhelming amount of paintings, drawings, illustrations and sculptures that Mihail has done and continues to do, he has a very unique approach to art making. He is also constantly researching and analyzing everything what’s happening in the art world and around us. As a result he creates some of the most interesting and amazing work.

Vladimir Zimakov, Trout Heart Replica, 2012

MS: How important is narrative to your work?

VZ: I think that it’s present in everything I do. Sometimes it’s very open-ended, sometimes very specific and direct, but it’s there in some form.

Vladimir Zimakov, Illustration for H.C. Andersen’s The Nightingale, 2010

MS: Do you use a sketchbook?

VZ: I have a pile of blank paper sitting around that I use for sketching. After I have a drawer full of sketches, doodles and drafts I compile them into something bound. I always had a lot of admiration for someone who can start a sketchbook and fill it from start to finish without tearing any pages out…

Vladimir Zimakov, Possession, 2009

<<<>>>  Thank you to Vladimir for the interview!  You can see more of his work here on his website and on his art process blog.

And thanks as always to you for reading!  Thoughts?  Questions?  Feel free to leave a comment!  <<<>>>