Daily Keemo 06.30 - Flowers

I Meant To Pick Up Flowers On The Way Home From Work. 1938.

I meant to pick up flowers on the way home from work today. She loves flowers. (Who doesn't really?) The orchids that were on the kitchen table finally kicked the bucket. I tried to make time to stop on the way home today and pick up something to replace them. I was getting home earlier, so I thought it would be a nice suprise to have something in their place. Well, one thing lead to another, stuck in traffic, had to make last minute stop for something else and never made it to the flowershop. I'll try to do it tomorrow. Until then, here is some flowers for the ones I didn't get today. Shhhhhh... don't tell her though... it will still be suprise...Enjoy!

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Daily Keemo 06.26

The Devil Is In The Details. Part 2. 1958

Im fascinated by marketing. As much from the designer side of it as the consumer side of it. As I have mentioned many times before Im particularly fond of older commercial design. It's funny though how the message itself really hasn't changed that much over the years. The graphics got fancier but the underlying message is the same. I really can't find a better example than this advertisement from 1958. (This could probably apply to any of the weightloss products on the shelf right now.) One last thing, this is part 2 of 2. The devil shape in this one has been cut out of the advertisement that was used in Part 1. Well, with that...Enjoy!

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Daily Keemo 06.25

How Not To Draw A Person With One Breast.
(or) Dust Off Your Heart, Youre Not The Only One Here. 1938.

I got an email recently that asked why alot of my pictures have a person with one breast. I wasn't sure what she was referring to so I responded, "I'm not sure what you are referring to? Do you mean the heart?"... "Oooooooooh, that is a heart!" came the reply. Yes, that is a heart. Most of us have one and I like to think that most of us try to use it when we make some of our decisions. Alot more of us wear it on our sleeve than we think and if you look hard enough you can see it bubbling underneath most people when you are talking to them. I like to keep thinking that most of us strive to have a good one. I know I forget about it, in there beating away, and these little paintings and stories remind me to bring it out and dust it off. I was asked in an interview last year year what my work is about. I wish I wasn't so nervous or I would have said something like..." it is about reminding us all to bring out our hearts and dust them off a bit and maybe even share them with someone nearby." Well, with all that said, I'm off to draw a person with one breast!...Enjoy!

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Daily Keemo 06.23 - Guitar Player

The Guitar Player

I have been playing guitar for many years. Please note, this should not, in any way, suggest that I am a good guitar player. I can play along with most things and fake most everything else. This may help explain the numerous guitar references. (I also picked up the drums a couple years ago but they are just not as much fun to draw. Sorry to all the drummers who are reading.) One of these days I'll figure out how to do it. Anyway, it really is just about the music, regardless of what you play, how you play it, who you play it with or even who you play it for. I guess that it is it...Enjoy! (now where is that pick?)

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Daily Keemo 06.20 - Red King Button #10

The Red King. Button #10
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This is #10 in the limited edition button series. This is the limited edition button of a painting from 2007 called Red King. (or Those Stripes On Charlie Brown's shirt) - (ACEO/ATC #303)


Story: I received an email this week from someone who said they really liked the King and Queen portraits. I too enjoy them. I like the crown heads because they remind me of the pattern on Charlie Brown's shirt. (I think even mentioning Charlie Brown may warrant a call from their lawyer. Well, I guess I'm living on the edge) Well, as those of you who follow my work know, I always try to take time to do portraits for people who take the time out of their lives to drop me a message. So, here is to the person who took the time to drop an email and share there thoughts with me and here is to the pattern on Charlie Browns shirt! (My phone is ringing... I bet its their lawyer...)...Enjoy!

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Daily Keemo 06.18 - Hole In Heart

I Know We Have All Felt This Way

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I know we have all felt this way. Like this person. I was going to write about this person and what is going on inside the chest. One person thought it was a hole, empty. Another person thought it was filled with something. Maybe this one is best left for you to fill in what is going on. With that...Enjoy!

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Daily Keemo 06.17 - Thanks

Acknowledgment #1
or The One Page That Is Always Overlooked.

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There is one page in every book that is usually always overlooked and definitely always under appreciated. It is one of the most personal pages in an entire book. It is the "acknowledgments page". This is the page where the author usually puts a note acknowledging someone or something that made the book possible. I have always found this page interesting. It says so much usually without many words. (I like to think of many of these stories as serving the same purpose) Well, with that in mind, I decided to start a new series that is going to be the "acknowledgment page series". These are actual acknowledgment pages from actual books. Hopefully, at the very least, this reminds us to all to be thankful for everyone who supports us, puts up with us and helps us get along...Enjoy!

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Daily Keemo 06.13 - Sweeney Todd

How I Spent My Christmas Eve.
or The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street. 1938.
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"Have you thought about doing a religious painting?" her email asked. To which I replied, "Hell no!" Of course, I was kidding around. (The keywork being "hell". I thought it was funny at the time.) It really isn't very funny now that I write it again. Oh well... so, I set out to do a "religious painting". This could mean many things to many people but at this stage in my life I may be lacking a bit in the religious inspiration area. I guess I'm not even sure what it means anymore to do a "religious painting". Does it have to be Jesus, Buddha, John the Baptist, a dove with an olive branch flying over clouds with gates and there is a hostess table by the gates and the hostess tells you there will be about a 45 minute wait and they will call you when you when your table is ready. I'm a bit off track I suppose. Well, one sidenote about this painting, is if you look at the background of this 1938 movie advertisement, you will see the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Recently, remade and known as Sweeny Todd. (Yes, the one with Johnny "everyone-swoons-over-me" Depp) Well, on Christmas eve (one of the most religious of holidays) the three of us wanted to do something a little out of the ordinary for the Christmas holiday. So, one of the things we did is we went and saw Sweeny Todd on Christmas Eve. There was lots of blood and only two other people in the theater and throats were slit and there were meat pies and I cringed every single time someone fell head first through the floor and when we finally got out of the theater the snow was falling and it was dark and we were all laughing about how we were spending our Christmas Eve and we were smiling about all being together and in the end that is what matters. With all that said, there has to be a religious painting in here somewhere...Enjoy!

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Daily Keemo 06.12 - Psych

Did I Mention That I Pay My Taxes
(or) A Psychologist's Armchair
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I like to think that I have my stuff together. You know, I pay my taxes, I do my best to be kind to people, I open doors for people if the situation calls for it, I often say hi to someone standing in line next to me, I definitely smile more than I frown. I tend to crack a joke before I complain. Did I mention I pay my taxes? Oh I did, sorry about that. I guess the only reason I mention all these things is because none of that tends to balance out just a general sense of feeling like the person in this painting. I suppose it might be only natural to think that just when you think this crazy planet makes perfect sense something happens to remind you that it doesn't. (Maybe it is the act of trying to make sense of everything that doesn't make sense.) A friend once said I was an "armchair psychologist". I said, "more like a psychologist's armchair". We laughed. Anyway... I suppose that's it... I guess with this painting its little more like a psychologists armchair!...Enjoy! (sidenote: my apologies to any real psychologists who read this. Im sure that the proper diagnosis would probably be: "An armchair's armchair)

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Daily Keemo 06.11 - Facts

On a per ounce basis, a woman's swimsuit is the highest price of wearing apparel in the United States

or (Other Facts That Don't Seem Like Facts)

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It has been a while since I posted something from the "Book of Facts" series. This is the 11th in the "Book of Facts" series. (I was going through a bunch of books that were stored away in boxes. I ran across this old book of facts. It is just page after page of wierd facts. After about 2 pages, I thought, "this is perfect!") So, what can we all learn from this painting of facts? Well, how about this one: "On a per ounce basis, a woman's swimsuit is the highest price of wearing apparel in the United States" ...Or... "A whipping boy is a scapegoat, one punished for the comings of another" Or... "Spots and lines appearing on the fingernails indicate imperfections in the nails." Okay, that is like saying, "If there is a spot on your face then there is a spot on your face." A fact indeed but is it notable? These are great. Good fun!... Enjoy!

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Daily Keemo 06.05 - Paris

Portrait On A Paris Postcard #12
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This is the 12th in the "Paris Postcard" series. I was looking over my bookshelf and there was a bunch of papers shoved between a couple books. Among other things there were about 15 postcards that were of different photos taken in Paris during the 1920's. This one in particular is called "Gardens of the Palais Royal". All the postcards are very Paris and they make me want to travel and get out of the US for a while and see the other parts of the world where things are new and even simple things are filled with wonder. With that.. Enjoy!

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Daily Keemo 06.03

Without The Rainy Days
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I saw her a few days ago and she seemed just fine. Wonderful, as a matter of fact. Better than I have seen her in a many years. I won't go into who she is or what she has been through. (none of that matters here, I suppose) I will say that we all know someone who has been hurt like her and I hope that we all know someone who is a strong as her. Here is to all of us, who have been through something difficult and came out on the other side stronger and wiser and happier and with the realization that without the rainy days the sun wouldn't feel so wonderful... Enjoy!

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