Welcome to KOS Art Expo! Your talented Kossack friends created this Museum of the Beautiful and Curious!
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Preparatory Images and Links to Pages from My Book by MT Spaces
These are images of subjects that are part of Amsterdam’s Compleat Fools — Full Colour Programs from All of Amsterdam’s Festival of Fools between 1975 and 1984 plus MORE.
In most cases, I used other drawings in the book, besides these items that I’m showing in our Expo this year, but I’ve supplied links to PDFs of the various pages, featuring the context of my de facto art models in the book itself. These pages came into being because my co-author, Johnny Melville, wanted me to illustrate my own point-of-view of the artistic scenes in various places that I lived, which were mostly 6000 miles away from Europe -- where many of the festivals happened during those 50 years of history which are covered in our book.
I chose to use my drawings rather than my photos for the Expo, because there are dozens of photos in the book by myself, and hundreds by others -- all processed for clarity and printability by my own hands. Books are a form of art in themselves, and I hope you enjoy these samples from that tome of mine -- and the artwork which was inspired by the performers that are included in its pages.
Model: Wanda Day of 004 (Double-Oh Four)
LINK -- Elsewhere in the 1980’s
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Model: Amber Merriwhether of Street Legal Theater
Link -- Further Afield: Seattle, Washington, Montana and the 1990’s (second page)
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Model: Deanne (De De) Mollner, dancer on the syndicated Hollywood A Go Go TV show.
Link -- Further Along into the Millennium (third page)
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Check out my comments during the Expo for more sketches and links.
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Images by A Pagan in Arizona.
All sorts of things have been going on in my life over the past six or seven months, and I confess I haven't had much energy to spend on creative activities. I'm doing everything I can to change that.
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Comic Book Pages by Matt Z
Gilda And Meek And The Universe is my webcomic on BlogSpot where you can view every issue (59 so far and counting out of a planned 90).
I created a new cover page of Gilda, Meek, Bernadette, and the Piranha.
I’m sort of inclined to show a couple of covers from my comic “Lace Doilies”. Lace Doilies is a superhero title set ten years after the events of “Gilda And Meek” starring Otterman and Bernadette. Events run concurrently with its sister title, the science fiction title “F.I.S.H.”. I usually come up with interesting stuff for the covers of that sequel / spin-off. Here’s the one for Lace Doilies #3 "Silent, But Deadly" (Un-Iverse #53). As the title implies it deal with killer alien Mimes.
And here’s the cover for Lace Doilies #5 "Open Season" (Un-Iverse #57):
Why is a superhero team named the Lace Doilies? Because Marvel and DC trademarked all the good names.
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Cornucopia By Gwennedd:
Acrylic inks are far more intense in colour and clarity than regular watercolours and I’m in love with them!! I saw a sketch of this peacock head and decided it was going to be my first real test of a proper application of my new inks. I’ve messed around with then a bit before this...just dripping and wide brush strokes to see how to use them and the effects they can provide. They are now my new fave toy!!
Just a fun piece of fluff!
I was intrigued by capturing the light on the water and the leaves. It kind of reminds my of that old story of the Lady of Shalott a bit...the waiting boat that would carry her body down to Camelot...I should have painted her name on it!
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Poem by Angmar
(Reaction to the now frequently predicted decline in worldwide human population... concerned about the huge environmental impacts a growing human population continues to have on the planet.....Rates are dropping like a stone-and on present trends expect the worldwide fertility rate to reach 0 by 2045.) From:resilience.org
'Elegy, for the Crickets'
Symbolic of the shortness of summers-
As used to be.
Small lives quickly gone...
Time-
which is "Out of joint"
That nostalgia, for all our lost futures
Now, In another lifetime.
Haunted by this, their endings-
And what will become, then
of US?
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Landscape Paintings by Ralphdog
I continue to paint landscapes mostly based on sketches and photos from the western Finger Lakes and Genesee Valley region of rural NY State.
This one is a 12 x 16” oil on panel, from a bright morning a few years back. The vista is from the hill overlooking the valley at the south end of Canandaigua Lake. I started as usual with a monochrome underpainting, then added color.
The next painting is an 11 x 14” from photos and a thumbnail sketch I made of a nearby rural road on a perfect summer day. I never tire of the quiet beauty of the local farm landscapes. I again started with a monochrome underpainting. I completed the painting while waiting for news from my youngest and his wife as she was laboring to deliver their first child two months ago. The painting now hangs in their home.
The last is another 11 x 14” painting from photos and thumbnails I made on a hike in the Genesee River gorge at Letchworth State Park last summer. The light down at the river’s edge was pretty drab initially, but morning fog was just starting to burn off as I reached this overlook. I tried to capture the dense humid atmosphere in the gorge. I’ve been hiking the river here for fifty years now, and there’s always something new to see.
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Jackie and Shadow by bernice85
Jackie and Shadow are a resident pair of bonded bald eagles who share a nest in Big Bear Valley, California. They have been together for about 5 years and have successfully hatched and fledged 2 chicks in their time together. Their nest is situated in a 145 ft. Jeffrey Pine near Big Bear Lake. Their nest is monitored by a web cam. I started watching them 3 years ago at the beginning of the pandemic. I also started painting at that time. The paintings were from screen shot images from the web cam. They are acrylic on canvas.
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A painting by boran2
Seen here is a painting that I’ve recently completed. It is the view from our corner hotel room in The Inn of Cape May in Cape May, New Jersey. Construction of the Inn began in 1894. The architecture is nothing if not very dramatic. This piece is acrylic paint on a 5x7 canvas board.
This view was from a particulary foggy and gray day. I thought that it might make for an interesting painting.
I’m happy with this piece. To me that’s no small thing. I had been stuck in the house for a 3 year period (first for the covid pandemic followed by my temporary loss of driving privileges due to epilepsy) During that time I had lots of time to paint (and think). Unfortunately, during that time I tossed probably 15 paintings that just plain sucked. Hopefully I have now moved on to a fresh path forward.
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A FEW LANDSCAPE PAINTINGS AND A COLOR PENCIL BIRD DRAWING BY DESERT SCIENTIST
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Paintings By Jisdu
I am a Cherokee Nation citizen and contemporary native artisan. My art examines my native heritage in the historical and contemporary perspectives.
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Ceramic Arts by MEL in PGH
The 50 Plate Project has been completed!
Some of you have already seen some glimpses of the plates that have gone into this project in previous expos. Now the full array of plates along with the story behind it can now be revealed.
On March 31st, I officially retired from my position in a fairly well-known Molecular Pathology laboratory here in Pittsburgh. As my parting gift for my co-workers, I spent approximately 2 years making individual small plates for all of them. This was meant to be a surprise and, since I’m not completely certain that none of my co-workers are Kossacks, I needed to keep the project a tight secret when posting some of the photos here. The plates are approximately 4 inches across and each one has unique decoration. I originally thought that I would need 50 plates (hence the project name) but in the end I actually made 80 plates and gave 60 of them away. Not all of the plates made the quality cut.
This image shows all of the plates that I gave to my co-workers. I had a 30” x 40” version of this image printed onto foamcore. Once each person picked the plate that they wanted (they were all set out onto a table), they signed their name underneath their chosen plate with a silver pen. That poster is my keepsake from Retirement Day.
Unfortunately, none of these individual plates are available but you should consider the poster a “sampler” of decoration techniques that I can/will use on new pieces. I now have more time to devote to creating unique pieces so producing a custom piece is certainly possible. If you have questions or would like to discuss, please do so in the comments below and/or send a KosMail.
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Paintings by Nolana
A few years ago I did a little watercolor (4”x6”) of a cluster of apple blossoms. I think it turned out pretty well.
Earlier this spring the notification for the submission deadline at the local arts center went to my spam folder, and I learned of the deadline with only 10 days to spare. After a short panic, I settled on recreating the apple blossom painting, but in acrylics and a larger scale. Below is the result of a frantic 9 days of painting, interspersed with work, sleep, meals, appointments, etc.
It’s wonderful how a fast-approaching deadline can fire up the muse!
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Painting by Cmae
This is a painting that started out as a regular portrait. However, it started getting kind of fantastical, so, as I usually do, I just went with whatever happened. It is a little bit out there, but it was fun and Interesting to do. I hope you all enjoy it.
Close up of 'Mermaid'
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PAINTINGS BY bumpa
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Objects found by hay seed
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Ink Wash Drawings by Marko the Werelynx
I've shared my walnut ink making process a couple of times on this site. This Spring I made a new batch. I've been holding onto a couple of my drawings to share in the Expo.
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Photos by gizmo59
Most of these photos were taken during the intensely rainy and lush winter and spring in southern California.
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SKETCHES BY LAUREL IN CA
The Davis, California, Farmers’ Market, voted best in the country a few years ago and still amazing. This sketch was around Halloween.
The pedal-powered carousel in the park near the Farmers’ Market. A favorite for kids and parents - and artists!
A vineyard nearby in Capay Valley. The Yoche Dehe Wintun nation runs an olive mill there that supports local farmers and sustainable agriculture; we use a lot of their award-winning EVOO and elderberry balsamic vinegar in our kitchen!
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Art by PrivateIce
"She Holds Up the Sky"
In chocolate brown clay with white inlay, unglazed, midfire ~11" tall. Handbuilt.
Demitasse "Flower Trumpet" cup - 2.5 oz, in Navy and Hydrangea
Currently owned by my 87-yr-old mother who refuses to use it, but loves showing it off to her friends. You are never too old for that to feel good.
UPPER LEFT: 8" bowl, mid-fire. Hand-built, relief carved and pierced, in chocolate brown clay and cream slip. Displayed here upside down with friends. UPPER RIGHT: "Accidentally Sweet" Chocolate brown and cream clay with rustic inverse inlay. Sugar bowl and creamer contrasting set. Approx 3" tall. LOWER LEFT: "It's Only Dirt" hanging sign As someone who spent a career in tech, it's often necessary to remind myself to be fearless as an artist. LOWER RIGHT: "Whence I Learned the Importance of Keeping a Potters Notebook" Small saki pitcher (thrown) cups (pinched) and covered bowl (pinched). Midfire. No, I have no idea what the glazes on the pitcher are.
About the Artist
PrivateIce lives in an "empty nest" in Hampton Roads, VA with her old dog Dolly. She enjoys sculpture, carving, and making tableware. She particularly likes the contrast of unglazed light/dark clay in the same piece and deep, complex glazes using vibrant colors.
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PAINTINGS BY RIVEROFTHEWEST
Marki Portrait, pastel
By P. Kuttner. 2023
This first one is a portrait of my young Torti cat, Marki. Nickname for "Marakatti" which is Finnish for a type of monkey. She was a very young cat when I took the photo I used.
RiveroftheWest, watercolor
by P. Kuttner, 2023
This is inspired by a poem our friend and fellow Kossack, Angmar, wrote because he liked the poetic quality of my user name. Thank you, Angmar! (I will post the poem in the comments.
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PAINTING BY TROT
“Moments Before Dusk”
8x10 oil on canvas panel
For this small painting I used as reference a photo that I took of my husband, John, on one of our more recent camping trips in the Francis Marion National Forest.
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IMAGES BY 2THANKS
Three Ephemeral Mysteries
Today I hang three images on our Expo wall, and I hope you enjoy them here. In addition, I invite members of Daily Kos to play a game of “What is this?” with me. If you choose to play, your task will be to guess what these images are in the comments. I plan to identify the images, materials, and methods this evening. ~2thanks