cult

So thankful for this experience that I shared with my class today. For the last 3 spring semesters, I’ve had the opportunity to take my KCAI Cultural Safari senior sketchbook class to draw from donor cadavers. Every year I am reminded of how amazing and intricate the human body is. I am also humbled by the generosity of the donors giving their remains to train young physicians. The conversations that result from these encounters always prove to be enlightening and inspirational. These are a few of my drawings I made.

ink colors hand drawn owl, from my origin culture

The elegance of dancing poses are breathtaking and they are quite difficult to draw, but I had so much fun to draw this. I hope you guys like it!

The first stage of clay is slip. Slip is watery clay; it is most often used to "slip and score", which I used to attach the features of the mug to the mug itself. The second stage of clay is wet. Wet is moist, very plastic clay. Wet is the type of clay I love to use, just because it feels so fresh, and because it is moist enough that I don't have to soften it with water. The third stage of clay is leather hard. Leather hard is the stage my mug was in after being left on the shelf for twenty-four hours or so. It is easier to cut but very difficult to sculpt. The fourth stage of clay is greenware. Greenware is completely dry clay that is fragile and breakable. I would say that greenware is an overdose of leather hard for the clay. In other words, leaving clay out for a longer amount of time can turn leather hard clay into greenware. The fifth stage of clay is bisque. This is the clay after its first firing. If it was grey clay, it is now white in this stage. It is now completely hard and no longer soft in any way. Bisque, luckily, is only one stage away from glaze... The sixth stage of clay is glaze. This is the final firing and results in a smooth texture and a shiny look. I loved the way my glaze came out. While I was painting the mug, it was more of a ruddy red-brown but when it glazed, it turned out to be this beautiful spotted green.

My kids are fascinated with zombies, so I created this zombie alphabet for them since it is difficult to find kid-friendly zombies. The concept itself seems to be an oxymoron.

My kids are fascinated with zombies, so I created this zombie alphabet for them since it is difficult to find kid-friendly zombies. The concept itself seems to be an oxymoron.

My kids are fascinated with zombies, so I created this zombie alphabet for them since it is difficult to find kid-friendly zombies. The concept itself seems to be an oxymoron.

My kids are fascinated with zombies, so I created this zombie alphabet for them since it is difficult to find kid-friendly zombies. The concept itself seems to be an oxymoron.

My kids are fascinated with zombies, so I created this zombie alphabet for them since it is difficult to find kid-friendly zombies. The concept itself seems to be an oxymoron.

My kids are fascinated with zombies, so I created this zombie alphabet for them since it is difficult to find kid-friendly zombies. The concept itself seems to be an oxymoron.

Fed by a Miracle of Compassion Medium: Acrylic on canvas Size: 11”x14” Year: 2019 Artist: Stephen J. Vattimo Matthew 14:13-21 New American Standard Bible (NASB) Five Thousand Fed 13 Now when Jesus heard about John, He withdrew from there in a boat to a secluded place by Himself; and when the [a]people heard of this, they followed Him on foot from the cities. 14 When He went [b]ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick. 15 When it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, “This place is desolate and the hour is already [c]late; so send the crowds away, that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!” 17 They *said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.” 18 And He said, “Bring them here to Me.” 19 Ordering the [d]people to [e]sit down on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food, and breaking the loaves He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds, 20 and they all ate and were satisfied. They picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve full baskets. 21 There were about five thousand men who ate, besides women and children. This illustration is part of a mural about the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. The mural consists 9 images that depict the Miracles of Compassion Christ worked that are recorded in the Bible and He continues to perform in the world today. Understanding the symbolism in the painting. The basket of to fish and bread sits in the grass; Jesus had instructed His disciples to have the people sit down in the grass. Dead grass: the event took place in a desolate place. Historical and cultural illustration. Basket design: In the first century in the middle east people traveled on foot and when on a long journey they carried food with them. The common lunch pal during this time period was most likely a small wicker style basket with a removable lid, and a leather strap attached to it. So, a person can sling it across their shoulder for comfortable transportation. The basket would most likely be lined with a cloth wrap around the food to protect it from dust and bugs. The fish and bread: In John 6:1-15 which mentions the same event, tell us the 2 fish and five loaves of bread belong to boy, so most likely his meal was that of a poor person. The common fish that was eaten by the poor in this region and time period, were sardines. The five loaves of bread: Were most likely a type of flat bread which is commonly consumed by middle eastern people. The Bible verse that best communicates the message of this illustration is: Matthew 6:25-33 New American Standard Bible (NASB) The Cure for Anxiety 25 “For this reason I say to you, [n]do not be worried about your [o]life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the [p]air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 And who of you by being worried can add a single [q]hour to his [r]life? 28 And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31 Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But [s]seek first [t]His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be [u]added to you. Written by Stephen J. Vattimo 3/25/2019

The higher up you go in the mountains the larger the carvings become. No one knows why

Inktober drawing

2nd part of a series including reimagined gaming/pop culture favorites.In some darker Kirby universe, this is what my imagination figured a Waddle Dee would succumb to look like.

For Inktober, doing an occult theme this year.

Inktober day 3. a Banshee. I found it interesting that they are more often old women. Since pop culture usually shows them as young ones.

Facing difficulty is hard. However, once we do, we realize that we can triumph over any obstacle.

What was created? A concept exerciser (aka: homemade workout machine) made mostly out of wood components, that was a contraption full of hinges, pulleys, weights, and grips (see pin 1). With my system, a person could perform both the butterfly and lat pull down exercises and transition between them with minimal effort. The unit stood about 8 feet tall and was about 6 ft wide when the butterfly arms were connected to it. Why was it created? I have always been fascinated with weight training machine design. I had a bench press weight set at home that did not come with a butterfly attachment, so I decided to make one of my own. I was able to get a steady supply of material (scrap wood) from a local source and constructed a workout routine by stacking columns of weight (instead of accumulating weight plates) in a moving grid generating even or uneven resistance (see pin 3). I also consider what I made could be a benefit to others since it does: (1) represent an extension of DIY culture (i.e. advancing individual knowledge, learning new skills, and the feeling of satisfaction that comes from building from your own ideas), (2) how to apply simple machine principles (i.e. pulleys, leverage, changing the direction or amount of force, etc.) in making a project and, (3) promote woodworking (which allows a person to be creative and is a wonderful medium for artistic expression). What makes it special? What makes my work distinctive concerns the butterfly arms and the weight container. Butterfly Attachment The butterfly attachment arms can be quick disconnected and re-mounted easily. The jackknife motion that the butterfly arms travel in as they flex forward and return to their starting position is an original conception. Weight Grid (see pin 3) Unlike traditional stacked weight plate machines, a person is allowed to make a variety of pattern configurations on the grid (X,□, /,\, —, etc.) by using cup shaped ballast inserts (up to 24) that changes the amount of force a user exerts for each repetition (see figure 2). An individual can position the weights in organized horizontal/vertical patterns or treat them more as random objects in the load basket. In their current form my system’s weight supplements are ½ pound each (about 2 ¾ inches long and 1 14/16 inches in diameter): making them easy to manage. If solid roll stock were used in their construction, they would be estimated to weigh 2 ½ to 2 ¾ pounds (see pin 2). When not in use, weights can be placed in the grid case for compact storage. As a point of fact, the sight holes cut into the drop tubes were drilled by hand with a fixture and not with the use of a drill press. At one point, I contemplated that one could focus on certain muscle groups in the upper body by placing inserts on the weight grid in particular patterns (X,□, /,\, —, etc.). This may have been beneficial for those in need of rehabilitation (through segregation of muscle areas that needed treatment) in such disciplines as Kinesiology or Physical Therapy. What was learned creating it? I learned how much ideas on paper can change drastically when fabricated physically. I learned how challenging it was to develop removable butterfly arms that hang and pivot in mid air. The exerciser’s weight box glides up and down on a vertical guide. I researched various ways of how to make that move while keeping the friction between the connectors on the weight box and the track surface it to a minimum. This was in order to make the climb and drop motion as fluid and controlled as possible. I considered using various sprays, waxes, greases, lacquers, covers, wheels, and even ball bearings to accomplish that. I ended up sanding the inside of the track extensively and then mounted small furniture mover inserts to the weight box on its four corners for a successful connection. Therefore, I learned here how important considering a variety of ideas provides solution to a problem. If I were to start over and do things again? I probably would have done some more background research in the areas of Fluid Dynamics or Biomechanics. I figure, if I had consulted with people in those areas, the time it took to design and redesign the overall unit as well as the weight box might not have taken about 3 years to fully complete. Miscellaneous In the back the machine was a counterweight of tube sand (60 lbs.). Without that, the whole thing would have toppled forward when trying to use it. Thank you for your time. Best Regards. Matthew Link: https://www.pinterest.com/meb206/industrial-art-project/

French : Réalisation du portrait de @philippe-collignon dans le cadre de la préparation de l’exposition : « Les chroniqueurs de #Télématin sur #France 2 et la dissipation et vapeur de la mémoire télévisuelle. English : Realization of the portrait of @ philippe-collignon as part of the preparation of the exhibition: "The chroniclers of # Télématin on #France 2 and the dissipation and vapor of television memory.

English : Realization of the portrait of @Nathalie Schraen Guirma as part of the preparation of the exhibition: "The chroniclers of # Télématin on #France 2 and the dissipation and vapor of television memory. French :Réalisation du portrait de @Nathalie Schraen Guirma dans le cadre de la préparation de l’exposition : « Les chroniqueurs de #Télématin sur #France 2 et la dissipation et vapeur de la mémoire télévisuelle.

Ink and Graphite. HJ or BJ? Decisions Decisions. Even though life gets difficult at times, you still always have the power in your hands to make the right decisions for the circumstances that you CAN control...

Smooshy face. Squish squish. Illustration A0107, made with Procreate, iPad Pro, and Apple Pencil. Tracked time: 1 hour, 33 minutes.

This is a pencil sketch I did a while back around the time that I was fascinated by drawing tribal people. They have such an awesome culture which is reflected in how they dress. This image is of a woman which is part of an African culture that stretches their necks using rings.

You CAN judge a book by its cover---when the cover is done right. Here we have a novella about the difficulties one artist has to bring his avant-garde art to the public.

my new work! - Here he is, he comes! - Pepe Fajgl said, pointing at the top of the hill. The environment was typical for the territory of a mortician: valleys overgrown with low grass, and with some high ground. Pepe Fajgl and I left the corpse Henri de Functa at the foot of the hills and watched the Mortician as it approaches the dead body at a uniform speed, his beautiful eyes were fixed to the deceased. "It's wonderful," I said to Pepe, - it is certainly longer than 20 meters. - The Morticians are the beings that all the inhabitants of the World of Fantasies respect and love, since they have appeared, the precious earth is no longer polluting with graves and cemeteries, number of burning corpses and then a terrible smell almost came to zero, pollution of the lake and the sea throwing the dead into the water stopped. After Mrs. Death takes life and the soul went away in the wheel of the final verdict, it remains only material, dead, a bit valuable part once alive being, the meat that becomes a problem for family and community. Mortician comes to the dead body of the late Henri, its enormous mouth silently sucked corpse, he turned, and dignity went behind the elevation, the problem was solved forever. A 3 format

A viticulturist

The five part illustration series Don't Lose Yourself. You can lose yourself in many ways; Consumerism, Heartbreak, American Culture, Loneliness, Giving In, Giving Up, Settling. The five part illustration series, “Don’t Lose Yourself” highlights the chaos we don’t notice around or within ourselves when we’re disconnected away from reality. Sinking so deep, we forget our own values or who we are. The collection reminds us to stay within ourselves by showcasing the dangers of what happens when we don’t.

I took my Cultural Safari sketchbook class to the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art today. My sketch of The Virgin and Child, ca. 1350, France, Limestone Sculpture.