Osage... Purple?

If you ever wondered what a purple rubber osage orange would look like, well, here you go.

This is a purple rubber osage orange casting. First I made a plaster mold from an osage orange, then I cast a copy of it in purple rubber. Should we call it osage purple?

 Osage oranges have become a trendy table decoration in the last few years. Since I had one sitting around when I also had some plaster gauze and purple tin-cure silicone handy, this next logical step presented itself. We live in the future.

Quick Question

The color charts have been done for a minute now and are at Furthermore for digital reproduction. Look for updated photos on them and reproductions for sale soon!

The only question I have at the moment is:

What's the best thing to do with somewhere between three and five thousand colorful used cotton swabs?

At Play in the Fields of Constable

I don't know that the Romantic painter John Constable ever saw a whale. However, it is very likely that he saw clouds, given the number of oil sketches he did of them in the fields surrounding his home in Suffolk, England.

“John Constable Revisited”, 2017, Oil on Canvas, Bob Donahue

In an effort to learn something of the artist and his methods, I painted this landscape based on an amalgam of oil sketches he'd done throughout his career. Beyond the takeaways on gesture, light and composition, there was some ineffable absence in his work, something made almost palpable in it's consistent absence. 

For me, that negative space, that omission, it took the form of a dead whale needing to be placed in the middle ground of this painting, behind and amongst livestock and tall grass.

There was something profoundly strange about that man.

Bunnies in the Works

Easter is coming, and so are chocolate Easter Bunnies sculpted by yours truly.

A plaster test-cast from a custom chocolate Easter bunny mold. This design was inspired in-part by Donnie Darko.

Above is a plaster cast from my first mold. Some work needs to be done in order to get the ears and face to release cleanly from the silicone, but overall I'm pleased with the process thus far.

Creating a food-grade silicone custom Easter bunny mold.

Smooth-on makes a variety of food safe platinum-cure silicone products. The "Sorta-Clear" line is aptly named and makes for an interesting look when back-lit.

Making a silicone mold with a plasticine clay Easter bunny.

Ideally the silicone would be de-gassed in a vacuum chamber before pouring, but in an effort to avoid the perfect being the enemy of the good, I allowed myself this experiment in making a mold while skipping that step. The mold has a good inner surface in spite of the bubbles, and that's what counts.

Creepy Easter bunny models.

It may be silly, it may be strange, but there is a lot of joy to be had in sculpting rabbits for the Easter Bunny in Chief. Especially when combined with the rewards of eating lots of chocolate in the not too distant future.

Fast, Wild, and Gone for Good- the Flaming Stallions

The best venues in DC are often our homes in DC, and the best acts in DC are the ones we can share the backstage kitchenette with.

The one-night-only sole performance of this lightning fast punk/metal trio represents the best of what we have to offer each other in the DC area. 

Here today, gone tomorrow, the music of our friends and neighbors, co-workers and loose connections is just as fluid and transient as our communities in the metro area. 

Alonzo's Light in Santa Barbara

https://www.silo118.com/ 

A light for Alonzo Davis

Art & Time

I like to think that perhaps the art I left in this tiny time capsule will outweigh it's lack of mints, should it ever be found. 

Rothko Lessons

I was recently asked to give a few tutorials on how to Rothko like Rothko. Attached is a photo from said tutorial- it isn't perfect, but it isn't terrible either... 

New Makerspace Opens in The Overlook at Oxon Run...

Many thanks to Nehemiah Dixon for including me in the crack team he assembled with:

Amy Braden, painter, organizer, visionary.

Thomas Stanley, professor, ethnomusicologist, host of Bushmeat's Jam Session on WPFW.

Liz Lessner, artist, maker, wearable electrics wizard.

David Ibata, painter, gentleman, scholar.

Charlene Gaddy Wallace, artist, sewing extraordinaire, educator.

And many thanks to CPDC and Capital One for sponsoring this chance to make great things happen! I look forward to sharing my knowledge and skills and being inspired by the Overlook and Congress Heights community in SE Washington, DC. CPDC and Capital One have launched the makerspace to...

“Introduce the makerspace concept to the affordable housing community, demonstrate what is possible, and spur interest in replicating this model in other communities across the country””

— CPDC and Capital One, On Why They Launched a Makerspace in SE DC

Look for us at Capital One's new Makerspace in The Overlook at Oxon Run, 3700 9th St SE, Washington, DC 20032

 

Women's History Month at Red Dirt

Thanks JJ, for the awesome film screenings and talks at Red Dirt this past month!

Micromoments and Optimizations in Art and Online Presence

Many thanks to Red Dirt, Julia Walther, and Jon Fraser for the great Google analytics talk or the 24th! Jon and Julia really broke it down with their inside knowledge of both art and technology, making clear how best to reach, understand, and connect with modern audiences. Fascinating stuff, and great art as well!  

Happy Hour!

Congratulations to David Espinosa, formerly of CSI, on his new position with Lorton Stone: I'm looking forward to conserving art and carving bones with you in the near future!

Something happened on the hill:

Thanks go out to the Congressional Arts Caucus and Courtney Duffy of Public Knowledge for hosting an arts entrepreneurship panel discussion at the Cannon House office building on the 14th. A good conversation. Look for future events and check out their blog.

I'm a fool. Blogging rules.

Thanks VOID Academy, JJ McCracken, Margaret Boozer and the whole Red Dirt crew for the great workshop Wednesday evening. Speaking broadly, I was reminded that communication is key to connecting with people, which in turn is key to making art for people. More specifically, the VOID Academy workshop was an excellent insight into arts crowd-funding as part of an ongoing collaboration between artist and audience. Good times!

So, having learned what I learned, here is this, from me to you, whoever you are. I'm looking forward to getting to know you better.

Best wishes and happy Friday,

Bob

No blogging way.

The prospect of using this feature of my website disturbs me. I'm going to go exist offline now.