Category Archives: Uncategorized

What’s Next?

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I’ve been offered a show at the Asheville Arboretum, where I have previously shown successfully. They plan their shows two years in advance so my show will, “hopefully”, be in summer 2018.

“Hopefully” is the word; I will be 85 years old.

I have made a list of over 30 subjects for still life paper sculptures such as: kitchens, flowers, decoys, art stuff, etc. etc. etc.

I want to complete another series or two during this fabled two years. I know what I want to do, and I’m fast because of 50 years as an illustrator in my technique, always on deadline. However, that’s a lot of work, but what the hell, I’ll work as if I actually have those productive two years in my future.

I want to complete at least ten paper fishing flies.

Last Cast

Last Cast

My tattoo series still interests me, so I’ll try to tattoo some subjects that get drunk and tattooed.

Samurai Crab

Samurai Crab

I’ve written several children’s books that never got finished. One of them is about cats from different cultures as carousel animals, written in Limericks. I can’t imagine finishing, but I’ll think about it.

Samurai Carousel Cat

Samurai Carousel Cat


This carousel cat is so Japanese
Samurai kimono catches a breeze
Mount Fuji and tea
Rising sun on the sea
Haiku blossoms on Cherry trees

I just turned 83, just another birthday. Most of my friends have gone somewhere, or are gone for good, so I’m not sure who my audience is anymore. Someone is going to have to get rid of a lot of paper in shadow box frames in the future.

The Samurai Crab can be viewed at the Grovewood Gallery in Asheville, NC.

Happy New Year, onward and upward!

Thanks for visiting me.

leo

Five Golden Rings

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The Twelve Days of Christmas are from Christmas day to January 5th, or Epiphany. 10 years ago, when I was still in the illustration game, I got the job to produce paper sculpture illustrations for a book on the “Twelve Days of Christmas.” I had recently moved to North Carolina, the publisher was in Santa Monica, CA, so it was a cross-country project on a tight deadline.

Once the layouts had been approved, I cut, painted, and assembled the illustrations three at a time. Then they were shipped to be photographed by Blue Trimarchi in Pasadena, CA, because at that time I didn’t have a relationship with a photographer in Asheville, NC.

Paper sculpture is basically a decorative medium, and my versions of the 12 days of Christmas are “over the top” decorative illustrations. The 12 backgrounds were painted from yellow through a 12 step color wheel. I had been teaching Bauhaus based color theory on and off for 50 years, so it was a logical solution.
1st Group2nd Group3rd Group

I had to make sure of the character count, for example 12 drummers drumming, by making small silhouettes, because I was told that the children were darn sure going to count them.

I have exhibited them during Christmas seasons past in the Asheville Community Theatre, the Grovewood Gallery, an artists co-op gallery, the Care Partners Solace Center, and now they are on display at Mission Hospital, a major medical center. Heaven forbid you have to go to Mission Hospital during the holidays but if you visit someone, go to the Cafeteria and see the illustrations hanging in the hallway…

Early Morning Cheer

Early Morning Cheer

Thank you to everyone at Arts for Life for helping make this possible, along with all the wonderful folks in the Child Life Unit at Mission, and the Facilities folks who approved and hung the display.

Panorama of the Twelve Days Display at Mission

Enjoy this fun rendition of the song itself.

Read more about the song to help get it out of your head.

Thanks for visiting me …

leo