The Human Canvas - Lil' Dave in Wonderland

Meet Lil' Dave. We were both at KVCR at the same point, so I was Dave - or David - and he was Lil' Dave. Every Thursday, between roller derby matches - and the subsequent healing of fractures, he goes to a San Bernardino bar with some friends. It's a Thursday tradition. One night...he wanted to show off just a bit.

So this allowed ME to show off just a bit.

One of Dave's next tats may be an Alice in Wonderland design - wrapping around his leg.

This was to be shown off at a bar that night...so we stuck with making a shoulder-piece.

I was having major camera difficulties that day...but you get the idea.

In retrospect, I really meant to have the "hole into Wonderland" just in front of Alice. Also - the Cheshire Cat doesn't show up 'til later. I always mess this up. I need to work on remembering that rabbit.

Other problem was...after finishing his left shoulder, the REAL tattoo on his right shoulder looked a bit washed out.

So...I added a border...

A really quick "framing job" - just to make both shoulders look just as fresh.

The folks at the bar were happy - as was Dave. The next step will be to get all of his friends at the bar inked up, then LINED up for a photo. We'll see. 

Lynyrd Skynyrd, Sweet Home Alabama, & Racism...and Fried Chicken!

Several jazz interviews to get to...several Human Canvas adventures to post as well...but for just a few minutes...let's talk about Skynyrd.

Yeah...Skynyrd...Lynyrd Skynyrd.

I was surfing the web a day or two ago when I found an op/ed piece from the Bloomberg Businessweek, written by David Kiley. (click HERE to read it)  He had a rather strong, to say the least, reaction to the use of Lynyrd Skynyrd's Sweet Home Alabama being used for a recent (all things relative) Kentucky Fried Chicken commercial. Remember this?  Ya, when hearing it...it DID seeem a bit odd. Kentucky...Alabama. Okay. Sure.


But...what-e-ver.


When I saw that someone had devoted so much time to his reaction to music choice in a commercial, I thought, "This guy has too much time on his hands. Wish I got paid for that."

Unfortunately though, Kiley took it further. He said KFC was  "...using a song that has long been an anthem for defending the Confederacy to sell fried chicken? Am I the only one squirming and laughing at the same time?" He later ranted, "...using it to sell fried chicken nationally, and ignoring the meaning and intent of the song." This is when I started squirming.

He was attempting to turn this reaction to song choice into a refresher on why this song is so racist.  The problem...the major problem...is that his "knowledge" of the subject comes from suggested - not researched - ideas. Postulations based on skimming the surface...and latching onto the controversial. Ideas which can be easily dismissed...IF you dig just a bit. And really, you don't have to dig too far.

Here. Here's step one.

The rumors of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "racism", in all actuality, come from only a few sources; a few of the lines from Sweet Home Alabama, and the use of the rebel flag.  Regarding the suspect lines in the song, a google search will take care of that for you. The racism claims are also disputed (quite well) in the comments following the post. Again, HERE'S a link.

Regarding the use of the "stars and bars"? Quite frankly, it was the idea of the record company. They (MCA) were trying to promote Skynyrd with a Southern Rock, Rebel kinda image. Now, the guys that became Lynyrd Skynyrd grew up in the ghetto area of Jacksonville, Florida.  This was, according to Ronnie Van Zandt (lead singer and predominate songwriter), one of the few parts of the town that wasn't segregated. They didn't have a problem with anyone's race! They were more likely to fight you if you gave them grief over the length of their hair.

It's been asked, "Then why couldn't they have done away with the flag - knowing what a controversial image it can be"?  I found out only recently (I have to admit) that they did stop using the flag as a backdrop, except overseas, where it was a symbol for a rebellious Yankee (American - not Southern American) attitude. Van Zandt, actually, has said that while it (the rebel flag) was handy as a marketing gimmick at first - after a while, it just became an embarassment. They didn't want to be lumped in to the same ol' dumb, redneck, racist, stereo-type. 

Add to this that, well - the plane went down VERY shortly into their career. They didn't have much TIME to do do anything about it.  That is - to get everybody to stop the association that had been built up so strongly. 

 My feeling was that David Kiley didn't actually have all that strong of a reaction to the song, or the commercial. Maybe he thought he was informing the public. Maybe he was hoping for some debate amongst his readers - jumping onto the bandwagon of an uber-obviously controversial subect. There wasn't any debate, really. Kiley simply got slammed. Over and over. And deservedly so. One of the most astoundiong things I've found, by the way, is that Kiley hasn't responded (that I can find) to the multitudes of those who corrected him and his lack of research. I welcome his comments (and yours).

So...too much has been said about this. Too much has been read into this. Although with some of the mis-reading still out there, and people hanging onto notions heard of - not investigated - it seems that not enough people have read about it. 

But now, you have.

Again - I welcome yopur comments. And Kiley's. Had YOU ever thought of Skynyrd as racist? Or ever heard of racist elements? There's more evidence to the contrary...and there ARE of few of the originals still alive. Talk to them.

The Human Canvas - The Butterfly and the Big Bruise!

So...

Court.

Remember her? Really, REALLY into butterflies?

Court. She was the last posted "canvas".

If you missed that one - "The Human Canvas - The Butterly Effect" - a click HERE will getcha there. Or if you catch this post anytime soon, you can just scroll down.

She was with us for several days...

 ...So I sketched out several ideas. At some point, we will do the rest of them. This visit got the wrap-around leg-piece.

Done. Check.

Beyond what's on the sketch, we've also talked about re-visiting...and actually FINISHING "The Human Canvas - The Bra Strap". If you haven't seen this one, or wanna get there again without a search, a click HERE will do it.


On the "idea sketch", there's an arrow pointing to her shoulder, with a note that says, "Goth (or tribal, maybe) Butterfly". The other shoulder has a reminder for me to put Rosie the Riveter on her...or somebody.

I thought the butterfly turned out fine. (I'd had LOTS of practice by that point) But when I attempted to add a "tribal" look...

...and then when I added color...

Yuck! Blech! Ack!



Okay, maybe not that bad, but still...I didn't like it. The color and extra lines simply detracted from what was otherwise a decent piece.


So I erased. Well, I tried to erase. Here's the first scrub with rubbing alcohol...

...And here's the second.

Great, Dave. Ya promised her cool art...and gave her what looks like a big bruise.

So scrub it some more...and draw something in to disuise the discolored arm-thing you just presented. Butterflies, by now, have become kind of quick.

And these little whatsits of color...a quick and easy frame.

There. Not the best cover-up out there. Not entirely disguised, but...

...Good. Still smiling. We like it when that happens.

The Human Canvas part 5 - The Butterfly Effect

So this friend of mine...she's really (REALLY) into butterflies.

The adventure continues. Back in California, mid to late January, this was perhaps a week and a half or two after doing the large, back-piece on Marci.

                                         

I worked out some ideas..she was game for any of it.

                                                        

The culprits...the chosen ones...laid out on velvet. 

Well, a velour bed spread, anyway..

So like I said...butterflies.

By the way...these Human Canvas pieces have been done in a variety of settings - in the middle of parties or faculty mixers, at someone's house - as they're getting ready to go out for the evening...even at a Dr. Who convention disco.

Court was typing...

...at her doctoral dissertation...

Seriously.

_________________________________________________________________________________

BUY MAC!!! Here's just one of our clients!!!

(((Nether Mac nor Sharpie actually endorses what I do...yet)))

__________________________________________________________________________________

Okay...back to the drawing...

Not happy with that blue one, but...it's ink. It's there. Later, we'll show you what it looks like when you try to erase. This'll be in a future blog entitled, "The Butterfly and the Big Bruise".

 Trudging on then with a fourth...

...and fifth. This blue one I did like. The pink one also turned out well.

She's smiling. She liked them too...them TWO...THEM two...whatever.

On the photo below, the brown marks represent something that was her idea. She said, "You've done a shoulder piece...a back piece...how about a leg piece?"

"And have it wrap around to the other leg?" Ya. Definitely. Though truth be told, she had me at "leg piece".

                                                    

Add the next layer of color...

Now lay in some black...and wrap around once more.

                                                 

Viola!

Thank - you - Court. The adventures will continue.

And to see the beginning of these adventures, click HERE or go to the tab for The Human Canvas, near the top of the page. This page will continually be updated, so please...come back...make some popcorn...have some friends over...and try to figure out when I can draw on you.