Clown #4 - July - The Arteest

I had only just finished C#3 in time for the beginning of June when I was setting up to doodle from Aaron Shiflet, founder of The Fulton Street Arts Cooperative, who was one of two models for our Figure Study day. I found my moleskine was hungry for attention, started taking down marks, and realized I was drawing the fourth Clown, unintentionally.

I've changed the face, so it is not Aaron, and I've altered some of the garb he was wearing, lending a neglectful, shabby, arguably 'starving artist's' disarray to the more classical, academic robe-jacket and scarf attire.
As an artist, it amuses me that he might paint on his clown white in an eye-mask shape, like a hero...or villain; we all have been known to indulgently label our skills as 'powers', admit it...
And he stands in a kind of inward-gazing daze, focused and committed to his craft, or tired and directionless, or tripping on an induced high, eccentric to the last brush stroke...The Arteest. I feel, in my lifestyle and experiences, I have the wiggle room to simultaneously poke fun at and soberly nod my head towards those sorts of fellow artists, students and masters, all.

Oh, the arteests!

Grant us all strength, and good luck to all of us. We need it.

Clown #3 - June - Killjoy

I heard 'killjoy' in a conversation, and my mind jumped. Mind you, it was one of those conversations with myself, but...so these things go.

I am alluding to the ever-popular Grim Reaper association of 'cutting down' the life force, upward-lifting things...The 'party' for all intents and purposes.A synonymous term here that I am acting on is 'party-pooper'...Hence the little hat. Non-committal grays, the shearing abuse of the scythe, and a frank stare of what I consider to be a killjoy attitude looks out at the wrap up of May and the beginning of June.

Here's to a more 'heartening' next month installment.

Clown #2 - May - Romeo

I had so much fun conceptualizing, roughing in, and painting this chap, I can't even describe it sufficiently. And it was fast. Mind, there was some of the usual annoyance in arranging the in-progress documentation and scanning process, but that is essentially of no importance here.

Suffice it to say, this love-struck, doomed fellow was out of nowhere, and - on a thoroughly uncreative late night, near the end of April - I got my Clown II.

For those who are centuries behind the times, Romeo drinks poison and dies at the end of his brief but torrid romance with the infamous Juliet...So here you go: Romeo

And almost fittingly for the romantic holiday, happy May 1st!
C3 - June 1st!

Mairin-Taj