Edward James Olmos Saves Christmas

What a fantastic guy!

It's a Wonderful Life Radio Show

The Snowline Players are hosting a 'radio theater' production of "It's a Wonderful Life" in December, and after a nail-biting audition I got the spot of George!  Woot!  I really was counting on being the announcer because of my voice, and didn't think that I'd be able to pull off the Jimmy Stewart role but the director has confidence in me and I'm all set to go!
The show is going to be different than theater events that I've been in before.  We have a script that we read from the stage.  We're going to be clustered around a microphone like radio serials from the 40s were originally taped, but we're also going to be in costume because this takes place in front of an audience.  It sounds odd, but it also sounds like lots of fun.  The audience is going to be served a fantastic dinner and the cast is the entertainment for the evening.  I've watched dinner theater before and loved it, so this is a new twist that promises to be memorable. There are only two shows, and for one I get the announcer and the second I get George.  I'm hoping I'll be able to make off with a dinner under my belt by the time this is over!

Only Four to Go!

Cards Of Loss

  As I'm looking over my blog I'm realizing that it's been a shade over a month since my last post.  The most noteworthy thing is that the Dark Deck is almost complete.  How on earth did that happen so quickly?  I just finished the Loteria deck and am thrilled that it is now for sale and looks fantastic.  But before I knew it, the second deck is out of the gates and heading quickly towards the finish line.
This image is the Nine of Spades, and looks awesome.
Now one thing to keep in mind is that the Dark Deck (Or Cards of Loss and Regret, I'm still tossing around the names) are going to be offered for sale from the same store as before.  But in addition to that method of getting a deck, I'll also have them on supply at Eclipse Art Gallery in Apple Valley.  The gallery is finally opening up a gift shop, and I'm going to help give them some inventory to move.  So if you can't wait to get your hands on the Loteria deck, check out the show and buy a set on your way out.  It's worth it, I promise!

Ted Puffer Business Card

To order your deck of fortune telling Loteria Cards, click here.

To determine the meaning behind found Loteria Cards, click here.

Flashman on Nationality

"I don't think that of all the beastly things that man ever did, or all the terror he caused me, that there was anything as loathsome as that casual marking of my skin for de Gautet to cut at.  There is only one word for it - it was German.  And if you don't understand that I mean, thank God for it."  -Flashman

Flashman on Soldiers

"It was a common custom at that time, in the more romantic females, to see their soldier husbands and sweethearts as Greek heroes, instead of the whore-mongering, drunken clowns most of them were.  However, the Greek heroes were probably no better, so it was not so far off the mark."  -Flashman

Save those Box Tops

An update on the project so far.

Right now I am three cards away from completing the loteria deck.  This is amazing because I never really thought too much about the END of the project.  I was concentrating on the card I was working on, and mildly thinking about what I'd do for the next card in the series.  Suddenly, I'm almost out of cards and the next step in the process will be sending the graphics off to a publisher.  How on earth did this happen?

There is a large template that the publisher gives out to clients to help them format graphics for the box design.  For reasons that I won't go into here, the box needed to be made using original art.  I was tempted to just pick one of the cards that I liked best and make that the graphic for the box.  That isn't going to work.  Artwork going through the publication process needs to have different borders than what I've been using, so a new approach was called for.

If you've checked out the "Dark Deck" on the atalentforraw.com page, you'll know what I mean when I say that I was thinking of using a block cut design.  This would work well and be striking.  The more I thought about it the more it seemed like a cop-out thought.  The block cut designs are great looking, but not particularly as a centerpiece.  The artwork on the box has to capture the feel of every card in the deck, and nothing that I was coming up with fulfilled that requirement.  So I grabbed the largest piece of canvas that I had in the studio and set to work. 

I'll post the results soon, but let me say right now that I'm thrilled with what I came up with.  This is going to be something extra special that will capture everyone's eye.

Fisher King Loteria

"The Fish" Loteria Card

The Fish

There is no question that the Fisher King is a powerful figure in most European history.  The influence of the king in disguise is also present in contemporary images and philosophy.  For this reason, the card dedicated to the Fisher King is not the obvious value in the suit (King), but instead appears in the Pope's Loteria Deck as a Nine.  This is not by chance.  The card is the most important and powerful card in the suit.  The flavor of the text in the descriptions makes this clear.

"The Palm" Loteria Card

The Palm

Most movies and cartoons which feature palm trees usually show the Caribbean variety which is smooth and banded with thin ridges up the length of the trunk.  For those of use who have decided to make their homes in Southern California, we're award that palm trees have different categories.
The most attractive to my mind is the shorter and more interestingly textured variety which can produce dates.  The trunk is stippled with stubby thick branches which are trimmed.  If the tree is left unattended after trumming, these end pieces can grow out and make the tree look rough and hairy.  It might be tempting to climb one of these things just to have the ability to say the feat has been accomplished.

Gotta Love Loteria Horizons

"The Flowerpot" Loteria Card

 The Flowerpot

At first it might look like the focus of this card is on the explosive growth which is rising in a column from this flowerpot.  However the research that I've done for this card makes it clear that the flowerpot is the subject being highlighted.  On one hand the flowerpot is the enclave where the vines are given a place to thrive.  How this relates to a personal reading when this card appears in fortune telling is dependant on how it appears with the surrounding cards.

This isn't unusual.  Most loteria fortune telling readings involve drawing three cards and having them read as a story from the fortune teller.  One card does have meaning for the subject, but it is the combination of the three cards together which provide the context of the images and produce the most detailed insight.

The vines don't show any leaves or flowers sprouting from them, but it is my understanding that this is just because of the way the image was imagined by the monks who designed the deck.  I don't believe they had a particular plant in mind, but just wanted to show the results of a nurturing environment.

"The Rose" Loteria Card

"The Rose"

It is surprising to look at the stack of canvas pieces that I assembled for this project and realize that there are only five more left before the deck is complete and I can move on to publishing.  Wow!  There were some cards which had me stymied for weeks, but others which almost lept from the brush to the canvas.

QR Code Coasters

Ceramic Tiles which become a QR Code when pieced together?  You bet!  This was the first project that I completed at the Burning House Art Studio, and I think it went very well!

I am very happy with how this project came out.  There are two types of glaze on these tiles.  A gloss black and a crackle gloss cote for white.  Because I haven't done anything with clay for years, I really wasn't sure how the white would look when it came out of the kiln.  I didn't think it needed to be 'white white' to be read by a QR scanner, but figured it had to be bright enough to contrast with the black squares.  It couldn't have come out better.  The tiles are scannable and usable as coasters.  Nice!

Scorpion and the Frog

"The Scorpion" Loteria Card

"The Scorpion"
The scorpion on this card is taken from the lesson of the scorpion and the frog crossing the river together.  Although in that fable the focus tends to be on the scorpion, both characters are involved and deserve scrutiny.  There is much to be gained by examining both types of identities and determining where the fault for the catastrophe lies, if anywhere or on anyone.

Farewell to Shannon

Goodbye Shannon!  We'll miss you!

This is a painting that I created for Fr. Shannon when I heard that she will be leaving the area to lead a church in El Paso.  I am really going to miss her and I know that the church she is going to will be clicking their heels when the realize what an amazing spiritual leader they've got.

This shows what me and my babe would look like as Eldrich Horrors.  Look!  We're even wearing our choir robes!

Paint Corona, Drink Corona

"The Crown" Loteria Card

"The Crown"
I think that I'll go back to the books and find the quote about a crown from "The King in Yellow".  The story itself is fantastic and worth re-reading multiple times.  In that story there is a special crown which is described in some detail, and when I look at this painting I can't help but think of the parallels between the two.

Can't See the Forest for the Loteria

"The Pine" Loteria Card

"The Pine"
I have a hit and miss relationship with pine trees.  That may sound like an odd thing to say, but it's true.  Trees are great, everyone will attest to that.  They help the planet, provide air for us to breathe and in general are selfless givers of life.  But think about the location for a moment.  Pine trees are deceptive.  They are the liars of the forest.  From a distance they look green and lush, like the ground in teeming with life.  But all the pine forests that I've hiked through, and suddenly there have been many, are in the desert.  They are hot and not refreshing to walk through.  The ground is hard, the air hot and dusty and there is scant food or game to be found.  Forests in Washington are full of berries, birds and critters.  In pine forests you're lucky if you see a squirrel and even then it's a rangy one which has seen better days.
They do smell nice.  Count one for pine trees.
But if given the choice, I'd go for other kinds of forests.  As a side note I had a professor who did his thesis paper on squirrels and pine trees.  The hypothesis he had was that squirrels were able to tell sick trees from healthy ones.  After watching squirrels and pine trees for months, it turned out that squirrels are pretty dumb little guys.  They like sick trees as well as healthy ones.  I suppose to be generous you could say that squirrels abound with love unconditionally.  But still, to a squirrel, a tree is a tree.

The Cactus Eclipse

"The Cactus" Loteria Card

"The Cactus"

  This painting was created for the "Baraja del Papa", or The Pope's Deck" of loteria cards.

  Loteria is a game popular in the SouthWest and Mexico.  It consists of a deck of 54 cards emblazoned with images both mundane and fanstastic.

  This deck is based on the original deck comissioned by Fr's Ludigo and Anthony and blessed by Pope Pius VI in 1785 for use in the New World.  Of the decks created for use by the missionaries for divination, only four complete decks are known to have survived.

  The images I am painting are based on journal notations made by the Fathers as they were commissioning the creation of the "Baraja del Papa".  The entire series of cards is scheduled to be finished in September with a print run starting immediately on completion.  This page will be updated with information on how you can order your deck of cards once they become available.

Cave Paintings and Loteria

"The Deer" Loteria Card

"The Deer"
The deer for this image is most likely taken from reports of cave paintings which would have been available to the two monks as well as Pope Pius IV himself.  This would have been at odds with most orthodoxy at the time.  It isn't clear whether the monks or the Pope were aware of the age of the paintings, but it would have been likely they were aware of speculation that they predated biblical history.  In either event, the images for fertility and sexuality would have been popular in other areas of rural spiritual beliefs.  This card would have found no home in Western practices, but would point to the potent New World forces which missionaries were encountering abroad.

The Sun Never Sets on the Loteria Empire

"The Sun" Loteria Card

"The Sun"
This loteria card shows an arctic sun shining on an ice cliff.  Encased in the walls of the ice a shadowy figure can be seen.  The colors of the sky indicate that while the sun is shining, it is bitterly cold and the figure is in no danger of being freed from the icy prison.
One of the things I noticed while studying icebergs for this image was how stark the shadows were.  Inky shadows cling to every rock and crevasse giving even the most mundane vista an otherworldly view.

For Whom the Bell Tolls Loteria

"The Bell" Loteria Card

"The Bell"
This painting really pushed the boundaries of what I can do with acrylics.  I'm sure there are plenty of painters out there who can make the colors whirl and dance to their brushes like a conductor before a colorful symphony orchestra.  But that's a bit beyond my abilities for now.
The description of this card made it clear that a bronze bell (with verdigris) is shown before rolling storm clouds which are pierced by shafts of sunlight.  Not an easy feat to be sure.  Storm clouds are pretty straight forward to make and actually are one of my favorite things to paint.  But these needed to be almost purple in color.  The shafts of sunlight needed to glow before a dark background which needed some preparation before I was able to come up with an effect which I'm satisified with.
But all in all, the devil was needed to be painted to look like the 'red pajama wearing" imp from countless Sunday school lectures.  It works... but if I were going to come up with my own design (and not a design based on Franciscan monks of a few hundred years ago), I'd concentrate more on bandy muscled demons.

Hop, Skip and Jump to Loteria

"The Frog" Loteria Card

"The Frog"

When I was looking through the original descriptions of the "La Rana" cards based on the transcripts from the two monks I've been studying, a passage caught my eye.  The monks made it clear that the frog is swimming in water.  They added as a way of clarification that the frog is not actually submerged in water, but is instead skimming along the surface at a leisurely pace.  This description gives me much to go on when putting the layout of the card into place.  "Along the surface" tells me right away that highlights and reflected colors are going to be figuring into the work in a great amount before I'm done.

But in this case, the paint was working against me.  When acrylics are properly applied in semi-transparent layers, they give the light a scattering effect which makes figures more lifelike and details the appearance of glowing.  Water should be a natural for this effect.  But the canvas that I was working with was much rougher than most and had more "tooth" than I expected.  Long story short, there is about 100 layers of paint on this painting.  But that is some water that you can dive right into!

Spilled Milk Loteria

"The Water Pitcher" Loteria Card

"The Water Pitcher"

This is a very fitting card for me to have finished painting today because yet another heat wave is rolling through the High Desert and making life difficult and uncomfortable for everyone around here.  It reached 109 today and as luck would have it, I needed to make a trip to the DMV.  When I got there the line of people stretched out into the parking lot.  The cause was revealed to be a statewide computer system going down.  I think it was just because I'd failed to do my morning loteria divination readings.

Loteria Hat Trick!

"The Cactus" Loteria Card

 "The Cactus"

I'm not sure what stars were arranged in which patterns, but for some reason I actually found some time today to do some painting and I managed to knock out three difficult cards for the upcoming loteria deck.  Now there are those who will say that any art project has it's equal share of ups and downs. To these people, there aren't any 'hard' projects or 'fun' projects, just projects that have their difficulties and fun in different areas.
I don't believe it.  These last three cards were hard.  In fact, I'm intentionally skipping over "The Apache" and "The Musician" because I don't feel like putting my face through canvas in frustration.  But "The Cactus" came together in a way that I'm very pleased with and I don't think that I could have done anything to improve it.  It's perfect exactly how it is.
Funny, when I look at this painting I can't help but think that it's some sort of Green Man for the High Desert.  We don't really go for ivys and vines in Victorville.  If there were a reason that would inspire us to dance around a symbol of growth and fertility, it would have thorns like this green guy.  It isn't that we don't like growing and flourishing fauna.  But when you live in a place that regularly goes over 110 degrees and only has about 20 percent humidity, you take what you get.

"The Soldier" Loteria Card

"The Soldier"

I've been going around town posting fliers for the upcoming "Hot August Nights" and I am seeing a measure of support for this event.  The event will be at the church and will host a variety of local artists and entertainers.  I'm hoping that artists will be able to not only show and sell their creations, but use the opportunity to network and meet others with similar interests.  We have painters, sculptures and ceramic oriented artists around here.  Now is there time to shine!

I'll be setting up the sound equipment, but for the life of me I just can't make myself bring my guitar to this event.  I'm sure that wouldn't be a problem, but my fingers are soft and I'm out of practice with the guitar.  Not good!  The music is there, but finding an evening free to practice on a regular basis is harder than I'd have thought. Because I'm really trying to improve my guitar playing, I picked up a copy of the X360 "Rocksmith" which should give me the incentive to practice more.  I've checked it out quickly and it seems to be in working order.  I was even able to hook up my handwired chrome guitar tri-cone resonator to the machine, and it recognized it!  That shouldn't be possible, but I can't argue with success.  It plugs in and can tell when the guitar is in tune.  That's more than I can do most of the time!

"The Ladle" Loteria Card

"The Ladle"

Thank you Kirstie for all your wonderful support and guidance on this loteria project.  I'd be lost without you!

"The World" Loteria Card

"The World"
I really had to do some stretching of the original work to make this fit on the card in a pleasing manner, but when all is said and done it looks fantastic.  This is the way the card should look!  I tried not to overdo the living creatures appearing in this landscape work because the focus of the card is on the World (with a capital "W") and not the creatures that inhabit it.  What that means from a practical viewpoint is that all the breathing critters we have around us are getting the short shrift.  But I didn't invent the cards, I'm just following the deck designs as they are outlined.

I really should be posting these on the comprehensive loteria site first.  If I put them up here, I have to come back and edit the post to add the link. Ah well, too late now.  I'll be back with a link.

UPDATE:  Do your loteria readings with accuracy and style.

Guiding Star to Loteria

"The Star" Loteria Card

"The Star"

One of the best things I could have done when starting this project was to make a simple and foolproof method by which I could change the card's suits if necessary.  The icon in the upper left corner of the card is painted, as is the symbols for each suit.  The only thing that isn't paint is the number of the card.
However, when I started this project I treated the corner graphic and suits like a computer generated graphic.  The means that by choosing which layers of the Photoshop image to make visible, I can give any value to the card I want.  It's simple and elegant and a dang lifesaver by this point.
Somewhere along the way I knew that the card value for "The Spider" had been made the six of spades.  It should have been the six of hearts.  I've corrected that error so even though the image you see on this blog still lists the card as being a member of the Spades group, the printed and official deck will have it correctly appearing as a Heart.

Update:  Further explanations of the symbolism in this card has now been posted on the loteria divination site.

Queen of Spades : Cards of Loss

This is one of the most attractive queens in the deck for the "Cards of Loss".  I was thinking of having a more sinister woman to grace this card but when I looked at the other queens, it just made more sense to have someone pleasant and warm.  The deck needed balance.  The other queens are hard and waspish, so a softer side was called for.
I did check out the possibility of getting blocks to carve for block printing.  To my surprise, it is a cheap and seemingly simple process to turn a block of rubber into a working stamp for inking.  But still, I really do like Photoshop and even though it might be a crutch for my artwork, it works for this project.  The colors are clear and bold.  I'm able to weather the paper and give it a realistically worn look that is scalable.  There are lots of benefits to running the art through a computer first.
So block printing is going to have to wait until I've got another project on my plate, or until I decide to ruin my wardrobe with ink.

Five of Diamonds : Cards of Loss

The Five of Diamonds came out better than I could have hoped for and really raises my spirits when I think about how many more cards I have to do before I've got a working deck in my possession.  If they all look this sharp, creating unique images for each card will be a pleasure.

Time Flies with Loteria

"The Arrows" Loteria Card

The Arrows

I'm noticing a trend with my blog posts where I mention the cool things that are hidden by the banner on the template.  I'm going to stop doing that.  For one thing, the main image should be the focus of the card and that is something that should NEVER be covered.  But secondly, its way too easy to be overly critical of my own work.  I should just lean back and be happy with a job well done.

But indulge me for just a moment here.  Beneath the banner on this loteria card are four leaves that range from spring green to autumn gold.  It illustrates the passage of time just as effectively as the face of the clock.  However I refuse to end this post with a self criticism of the painting.  So how about that moon, eh?  It totally rocks!

Update: The Arrows are pointing to fortune telling now on the main loteria site.

Cards of Loss Showcase

Kings and Queens of Loss

To make up for a more concise blog post than my norm, I'm including a showcase of the Kings and Queens of Loss.  I experimented with different brushes than the ones I'd been using previously and so far the effects are suitable (if you'll pardon the pun) with the other cards in this deck.
But I swear I'm not slowing down on Loteria.  I swear!  New loteria card post soon!

Within Each Heart, Beats a Drum

The Drum Loteria Card

The Drum

This is the first time that the template that I established at the start of this project has come around to bite me in the hindquarters.  Considering that I'm a hair over the halfway mark, I really should be counting myself lucky.  I really thought that if there were going to be major design issues they'd have shown themselves before now.
The scroll looks fantastic, but is hiding the fact this the drum for "El Tambor" is enclosed in a ribcage and has blood vessels snaking out and entwining themselves in the structure of the drum.  This is a card that came out much better than I thought possible, but most of the nice detail and great composition is hidden and there's not too much I can do about it.  I'll post a template-free picture of this painting later.

Update:  Until the template-free image is posted, I've updated the loteria site to include this fortune telling card.

Hat Trick! Cards of Loss

Three of Diamonds : Cards of Loss

Two of Spades : Cards of Loss

Three of Hearts : Cards of Loss

A Call For Art : August Art Event

 

Click to View and Print!

St. Hilary's Episcopal Church is sponsoring an evening of Fine Arts and Entertainment on Saturday, August 25, 2012.  "Hot August Nights" will be a showcase of local talent from the High Desert and is an opportunity for artists to meet and mingle as they show and sell their artwork.  The event is open to all visual medium , vocal or ceramic artists in the High Desert.  Click on the above image to view the signup information.  If you have any questions about this event, please let me know.

Lost Mile Marker

Two of Hearts : Deck of Loss

This stone cross is being used as a mile marker on the Kings "Good Roads"  The figures are stone monks which are on a wheel which has been mounted to the cross.  This mile marker would be a common sight along the highway.
I've been working on the Deck of Loss all day and ignoring the loteria cards which is a horrible habit to get into.  So for tomorrow, I'm devoting myself to doing another loteria card.  The Deck of Loss is a neat project and I'm impressed with the effects that the woodcut like images are able to create, but I really don't want to slow down on the loteria deck.  I've been making good progress on that project and want to keep the momentum going.

Pajama Game Reviews are In!

Pajama Game Review

Well it's good to know that at least someone saw us perform on stage!  I didn't mention it earlier, but the audience for this play was extremely small.  The people who did show up for the performance were treated to an evening of fantastic entertainment by an energetic cast, but far too many people stayed away.  I think it was either because of the timing (summer break) or finances (the economy sucks).  One way or another we're going to have to make some money soon or this will be the last play the community theater company does for awhile.  That would be a shame because I loved acting in this play.  Look!  Ted Puffer is right there in the cast notes!

Hanging Deck of Loss

Four of Clubs

I think this proves that the Deck of Loss is a viable project.  The striking silhouette for the Four of Clubs looks fantastic and is improved with the weathering of the parchment paper and woodblock engraving.  Now the only question is to find the time!  I'm a little over halfway through the loteria deck and I want to keep painting full speed so I can get it published.  However, there is something so rewarding about making these cards.

Yes, I realize that I'm saying that now but after a good 30 cards I'll be grinding my teeth!

The Deck of Loss

Three of Clubs

Two of Diamonds

I'm not sure what to say about this deck yet.  This is mostly a "proof of concept" so far.  The images on these cards are influenced from "The Face in the Frost".  Should I decide to continue with this theme, other influences will make themselves known.

The Parrot of the Loteria Deck

"The Parrot" Loteria Card

"The Parrot"

There is no doubt that this is one colorful and garish bird, but good grief it's hard to paint!  I've got countless tubes of color in my paint box, but that doesn't mean it was easy to do justice to this guy.  Just look at him!  I had no idea the different shades of blue on your standard parrot.  Some are flat, others iridescent, and all of them are combined into ways that made my head spin.
But all in all, I think I got it about right.
This was the final card that I needed to complete for the Diamond suit.  I'd made The Rooster card months ago and had forgotten that it had a value of the King of Diamonds.  So suddenly I realized that one more suit on the loteria deck is now complete.  Half way there!

Update: For details on what this card means for fortune telling, I've updated the main site.

The Heart of the Loteria Deck

"The Heart" Loteria Card

The Heart Loteria Card

I'm going to have to repost this painting without the banner on the front to make the subject more clear.  This is a metal heart cast from copper and arranged to serve as an aeolipile.  The vessel is filled with water and suspended on an axle over a fire.  When the water inside turns to steam it escapes through two tubes bent at 90 degree angles.  This causes the whole 'heart' to rotate.
Due to the placement of the banner on this image, this isn't immediately clear.  The steam escaping out of the artery is visible but the lower tube is hidden.
Although the numerical value of the card is exactly like what should appear in the Pope's Deck, I am using some license as far as determining what the suit value of the card should be.  In this case, the card should be either the king or queen of diamonds.  But c'mon, it's a Heart!  So I bumped it's value to the Ace.
What this means is that I'm not quite done with the diamond suit.  I'd planned to be finished today, but that's not going to happen.  It will happen soon, but not just yet!

Update:  For tarot readings that include this loteria card, more information is available on the main site.

Watermelon Loteria, the Card of Summer

"The Watermelon" Loteria Card

The Watermelon

This loteria card features a design carved into the rind of a summer watermelon.  This actually isn't a new thing at all limited just to buffet tables on cruises.  Although most people in North America are familiar with the classic Jack-o-lantern face carved into pumpkins, the watermelon has a rind which is more suited to the purpose.
Designs like this one have many meanings for farmers and others who depend on crops and a full harvest for their livelihood.

I'm including a more detailed analysis of the meaning of this card on the main Loteria site.  Updates coming shortly!

It really was cruel to paint something so refreshing during a heatwave that is ravaging the High Desert.  I think my Id was longing for something to escape the 110 degree temperatures!

Update:  Loteria divination takes this card seriously, as is explained on the fortune telling site.

What is Behind Loteria?

Back of Loteria Card

This tessellation pattern was created for the back of the Loteria cards.  I wanted to do something that would capture the intricate nature of an M.C. Escher print.  Actually, when designing the cards I was originally thinking of having lots more Escher-like patterns, but there is a catch that wasn't obvious at first.  Patterns that repeat themselves make for great card backs, but hard to format as acard FRONT!  For the face cards, a single, large image is preferable.
But the back of the cards are a different story.
This figure in this painting was based off of Shimbo of Darktree Tower, the avatar of Francis Sandow.  The painting is different only in the fact that it doesn't include the greenish cast to the skin which is a staple of temple images of Shimbo.

The Heron in the Bog

"The Heron" Loteria Card

La Garza or "The Heron"
This image really fought me when I tried to format it in the loteria template.  The image is very exacting.  The Heron is pictured coming out of a bog.  Swamp plants and slime are covering the bird's legs and dripping from the bird's body.  Higher up on the figure, the bird is clean and noble.
The meaning behind this card is clear when viewed in this context.  The bird is somehow able to exist in the bog without being corrupted by it.  I worked like crazy to see if I could find a happy medium where the bird would no be blocked by the scroll.  I should have saved my energy.  No matter how I put it, the scroll blocks a significant part of the bird.
Still, it does work out well the way it looks now.  As a last ditch effort, I flipped the image so that the bird was facing to the left.  The only thing that did was make it so the bird's large beak impaled the card number and suit overlay hovering in the top left corner.  Grrrr.
Even so.  I think this came out well and adhered closely with the original design.

The Drunk Loteria

"The Drunkard" Loteria Card

The Drunkard

This loteria card features the image of a drunkard staggering while holding a bottle.  There are many small but significant features to this painting which reveal the designers intent.  Instead of just showing a drunk in shabby clothes, the legs of the figure are bent almost into "S" shapes.  This makes sense because the to missionaries who designed the "Pope's Deck" were showing a man transforming into Pan.
The legs of the figure are turning into the cloven hooves of a Bacchian reveler.  The hair of the figure is mussed until the disordered curls start to resemble horns.  The face is turned away but appears to be almost featureless.  This has led to some speculation that the image is a representation of a golem. 
This is unlikely because the golem has its origin in Jewish folklore and wouldn't be a subject that Catholic missionaries would choose to focus on for their loteria deck.

Hard Eight Loteria Card

"The Hand" Loteria Card

"The Hand" loteria card is one of the most enticing to do because of the subject matter.  The image itself is simple, a hand.  But when considering that the hand is a favorite subject of artists and is used for building technique, than suddenly this card becomes a real joy to do.
There are many different styles of "La Mano" from various decks, but the ones that I was most drawn to feature a simple hand in all its intricate detail.
I've posted this card graphic here and will also include it on the in depth loteria site later.

Although it may not be obvious due to the small size of this image, I've found a solution to a problem I was having with Photoshop.  When the image is flattened to appear as a .jpg, the layer effects of the number in the upper left corner were removed.  This made the number to appear more simple and less clearly defined than I wanted.  I was convinced that it was a problem in the way I was applying layer effects but the fix was more simple than I could have imagined.  I  just needed to view the image full sized before flattening.  This allowed the layers to be rasterized without losing any detail.  I spent an embarrassing amount of time trying to find away around this before finding the solution online.

Bad Moon Rising Loteria

"The Moon" Loteria Card

On first glance it appears that some images which appear in the standard deck of Tarot cards are repeated in loteria.  The Moon, or "La Luna" is one of them.  Since this is a universal image, it really shouldn't come as too much of a surprise to see it here.  However there are enough differences between the forces and readings behind the images to stress that these cards have almost nothing in common.
The Moon in the loteria deck shows a round face radiating malice while human figures are falling below.

For the somewhat grim warnings which can be taken from this card in fortune telling spreads, please check A Talent For Raw's main site.

The Boot Loteria Card

"The Boot" Loteria Card

"The Boot"

This loteria card shows the humble boot as the subject and namesake.  I approached this project with the same spirit I did for the earlier Melon loteria card.  This card has a subject which doesn't appear to lend itself to creative outlooks at first.  But after playing around with possibilities, I decided to highlight the travel aspect of hearty footwear.  By showing a traveling boot stepping across a map, it should be very clear to the subject of the card reading what is in store for them!

If you are having any questions about interpreting the meaning of this card when it comes up in your tarot readings, there are resources online that I encourage you to study.

The Praying Violoncello

"The Cello" Loteria Card

The "El Violoncello" card features a praying mantis playing a cello, indicating great skill and ability at a complex task.  If this card appears in a loteria fortune reading there is a good chance that the subject will be facing a situation which requires all their innate abilities.
For some reason, this painting came together very quickly.  I barely turned my back and it was done.  However, there was a problem that I had with the figure's elbow which required me to do some PhotoShop fixing.  I really am not sure how I feel about leaning on a digital tool to tweak a painting, but there's no denying that the results are satisfactory.

To understand how The Cello card applies to fortune telling, I've included some pages of instruction on the main site.

A Shingle For Raw

The Episcopalian Church in Victorville will be hosting an art gathering to showcase local talent and allow local artists to network and sell their creations in a fun environment.  The show is called "Hot August Nights", and I'm on the panel to put this together.  Not only is this a very worth cause, but it also gives me the opportunity to put together some paintings for display and possible sale.

The first order of business.  Get a shingle.

About two or three weeks ago I ran across the coolest thing at Hobby Lobby.  It is a small plastic sign that lights up.  I think that it was intended for decoration for someones outdoor bar.  It was dark green, and the light up front of the sign said something like "Crab House, the Clam Bucket"  In a smaller plastic window at the bottom of the sign, the legend "welcome" was written.  The whole unit lights up with a string of Christmas tree lights placed around the back.  I bought it and immediately wished I'd cleaned out their stock.  I should have listened to that little voice.  I can't find the signs anywhere any more.  They don't show them online and Hobby Lobby has stopped carrying the item.  From what I can tell, it was specially made for the Spring Shop.  GRRR!  This thing is priceless!  Not because I like seafood or anything like that, but because of the potential this little gem offers.  After some paint, guilders paste, spraypaint and patience, observe the result:

Pretty slick, eh?  The plastic graphic on the front of the unit has been removed and a sheet of clear plastic put in it's place.  I freehanded the lettering which explains some of the wonky fonts, but it was good enough for my purposes.  I covered the clear window with masking tape, used an X-acto knife to cut out the letters and then went wild with spray paint.  When the fumes finally cleared, I had the sign I wanted.

When it is plugged in, it looks like this.

















Some of the effect is lost because of the always fun challenge of getting a backlit item to appear correctly when using a digital camera.  So if you ignore the flash, this is actually what it looks like in full daylight.

 A Talent For Raw is now a going concern!