Why are you so paranoid?

Hello Loyal Readers!

I feel a bit of explanation should accompany this this post, so bear with me. I spent this weekend hanging out with very close friends, drinking Colt 45, listening to music, reading a whole bunch of new material and eating copious amounts of food with my family. Needless to say these activities have had a peyote and Perrier style effect on me, in other words, I feel refreshingly altered.

Now, I would like patently and unapologetically declare my love for Kanye West's new album. Kanye delivers a dynamite pop music experience and does it without sounding like a spoiled four year old throughout. He recently did an interview with the folks at The FADER and if what he says is legit he seems like he's attempting to turn over a new leaf, a leaf that apparently doesn't come from the hissy fit tree. He also keeps a blog that astounded me with it's 'freshness'. Thank-you Mike and Rob for playing Paranoid and changing my opion on the young Mr. West's ability to write quality music. Songs of note on this album: Love Lockdown, Robocop, Paranoid and Coldest Winter.

Last one!

Hi Friends,

I've been on a Nintendo kick lately. This is my last Smash Brothers related painting...for a while.


Quickpost this image to Myspace, Digg, Facebook, and others!
About 80% of the way through this one I completely lost interest and found myself just putting down more and more color and not improving the painting. So this is a MOSTLY finished sketch that I probably won't ever get around to finalizing.
Next week I'll switch to figures or something more realistic/classical in nature. If anyone has suggestions for what I should do let me know.

On completely separate and unrelated tangent, everyone is always making a big deal about Hokusai's Great Wave and frankly, I'm unimpressed. Japanese Woodblock Printing can be extremely subtle and sophisticated. Look, for example at the work of Hiroshi Yoshida. The composition and the nearly photographic attention to value mixed with organic colors makes his prints some of absolute favorite images.

Solemnly Swearing not to paint more Nintendo Creatures,
Phill

Yoshi!

Dear DefunctProduct,

Last week you requested that I "DO YOSHI!". Though I'm not sure who you are, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of your manners. Even though we're on the internets, a please and thank-you are still appropriate when a special request is made. Additionally, the use of all caps denotes YELLING and I'm sure that isn't necessary. That said, I was happy to oblige the request.



Quickpost this image to Myspace, Digg, Facebook, and others!

This took me about 3 hours today and 45 minutes the other day to learn how to draw Yoshi and come up with a pose. I hope everyone feels free to make requests for drawings and such, it gives me a reason to get busy on the Wacom.

Check out Defunct Product's blog here: The Shortcomings of Sebastian M. Elias

With Holiday Cheer,
Phill

Dear Friends,

I love Pikachu. This took me about four hours today.


Quickpost this image to Myspace, Digg, Facebook, and others!

Excuse me while I catch 'em all,
Phill

Economic Darwinism

Dear Friends,

Imagine for a moment that you are a baker. You run a nice bakery and you specialize in cakes...delicious cakes. For the last three or four years you've noticed that things in your neighborhood are changing. People don't want as much cake as they used to. They want different flavors and fat free icings and fillings. But you decide, "Fuck them, I'm the fuckin' baker." and continue to make the same huge, fattening, boring, ugly cakes that you've always made. Now imagine that your sales crumble and you are going to have to close the bakery if things don't drastically pick up. So you spend the remainder of your budget on ridiculous Rube Goldberg style commercials and moderately famous spokesmen to rescue you from oblivion... BUT YOU CONTINUE TO MAKE THE SAME SHIT CAKES!

Now, do you think that your bakery should be saved with a huge amount of money from the people who don't want your stupid cake?

If you answered "Yes." that question you are either, (a) an idiot or (b) an executive from Ford, GM or Chrysler. Thank God we're on the verge getting a government with a functioning ability to use logic.

Astounded,
Phill

Of Rabbits.

Hello Friends,

For the last six months or so my Mom has been feeding a wild rabbit that hangs out in the front yard. She gives it scraps of carrot or celery that are left over from making dinner. She makes sure our dogs don't bark at it while it chills in the shade under the big maple tree. Apparently the little lagomorph even ate right from her hand a few times.
She never brings it into the house or tries to capture in a cage. Pets are denied their freedom in exchange for a lifestyle that by animal standards is nothing short of decadent. This rabbit may get cold and lonely sometimes, but it remains free. My mother maintains this distant harmony with the rabbit and thus I think she considers it a friend, whom she'll care for and pay attention to but will never try to disrespect by wrangling too close a hold on.
Mom told me she found her little friend dead on the side of the road the other day after not seeing him in the yard for a week so. She's a tough woman, but I heard her voice crack and I felt her pain. Whether the bunny fell victim to a neighborhood cat or a careless driver, I'll never know but I sure wish it was still around, the whole situation just seems terribly...unfair.

Phill

Carl.

Dear Friends,

Spare four minutes from your undoubtedly busy day and give Dr. Sagan the time he deserves.



Thank-you Carl,
Phill