Daily Keemo. 12.25. It Probably Doesn't Matter Anyway

It Probably Doesn't Matter Anyway
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The Story

You never know what people are going to like or dislike with a painting and one of the first lessons you learn is to just not think about it. It doesn't matter anyway. Most of us know that is true with just about everything. You do what you do and that is what you do and you never know people are going to like or dislike about it. It doesn't matter anyway.

What does all that have to do with this painting? Not much really. It was just what I was daydreaming about while painting it. That's all.

And to be honest, it probably doesn't matter anyway.

... Enjoy!

Daily Keemo. 12.22. The Dissection Of A Portrait

The Dissection Of A Portrait
(and other reasons to think about the sum)
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The Story

This is probably as close to a self portrait as I have done. Even though, after a couple of drinks I might argue that all of these are self-portraits to some degree. The strange thing is I am not wearing a green shirt, my skin is not a bright yellow (it's usually a shade of pink) and my eyes are not a firery red. The part that is the most accurate is the top of the head being wide open so that we can all peer down into it and yes, most of the time it is just plain darkness and when you reach down in there it will be a mystery what you might pull out. With all these differences though, it is the sum of these parts that make the portrait. Similar to pointillism, it's when you step back and take in the whole that it reveals itself. Also, after the above mentioned couple of drinks, I would argue that is the same for each one of us. Under a microscope our individual pieces don't reveal the secret of us. It is only the sum of the parts that reveal our mystery and display our being.

... Enjoy!

Daily Keemo. 12.20.10 Shadows On Faces On The Walls Of Memory

Shadows On Faces On The Walls Of Memory

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We were talking and we got on the subject of childhood and he mentioned that when he was a kid he had a favorite white bear that he dragged around everywhere. He slept with it and watched TV with it and ate breakfast cereal with it while reading the back of the box.

All I could remember was that on the wall in my room where two big carved wooden indian heads that eyes stared down at my all night long. I remember asking my mother to leave the door open a bit to let the light in. However, the little bit of light coming in would make the sharp features on the face cast ominous shadows and look even more menacing.

I am fairly certain that at the time I would have happily traded the Indian heads for a soft white teddy bear. However, these days, I am not so sure.

... Enjoy!

Daily Keemo. 12.19. Signs All Over The Place

Signs All Over The Place
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The Story

I look around this room and there are signs all over the place of the people who move about this house. There are hats and there are earphones and two watches and a phone and business cards and an empty water bottle and a box of tissues and a checkbook and handwritten notes in her handwriting and mine and there is a lamp that is on and lamp that is off and

there are signs of people everywhere and it is strange that I most often I find myself alone in here with these things and did I mention there are pictures on the walls of dead people who still hold a place in my heart and

there are signs of people everywhere and that is how I know I am home.

... Enjoy!

Daily Keemo. 12.14. Have Art, Will Travel

Have Art, Will Travel
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The Story

When I travel I carry a little pocket (big pocket) sized drawing notebook, so I can doodle and scribble and write and jot down notes and ideas and words and poems and more sketches and most of these items find there way one way or another into other paintings or stories and I was flipping through my current sketchbook I thought, "Why note post one of the original pieces right from the book?". Well, I couldn't think of any reason why not to so here is one of the pages from when I was out in Seattle this past summer. (Can't you tell from those mountains in the background?)

... Enjoy!

Daily Keemo. 12.13. I Have Never Forgotten These Words

I Have Never Forgotten These Words

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I remember we were walking
down the sidewalk and
it was sunny and
he was telling me
that his heart was broken and
it had never been as broken
as it was at that moment and
he said it hurt so bad
that tears were falling
from his
heart.

Daily Keemo. 12.11.10. The Devils Blue

The Devils Blue
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The Story

These are the next two paintings in the devil series. That's right, this auction is for both of the paintings that you see here. There is no big back story on these two. Just that I was working away on the series and these two were sitting next to each other on the table drying and they looked like the belong together. So, you could say they were born this way. Anyway, here are The Devils Blue.

... Enjoy!

Daily Keemo. 12.7. Better Than Ending Up In A Trash Pile Somewhere

Better Than Ending Up In A Trash Pile Somewhere

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The paper in this painting is from a book that was given to me a present. A school was closing up North in Marquette, MI and all these books were going to the trash heap and would be gone forever. Someone was nice enough to save one of them and we can now do something with it that will hopefully last forever. (Well, I won't be that presumptuous saying it will last forever, so I will just say it will last "a while longer".) Either way, it is better than ending up in a trash pile somewhere under other books and garbage and plastic and diapers and banana peels and old socks and everything else we throw away because our time with it has come to an end. Well, hopefully, the ending of this school results in a beginning for the rest of us to enjoy for a long time to come.

... Enjoy!    

Daily Keemo. 12.2. Portrait Of A Man Who

Portrait Of A Man Who

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This is a portrait of a man who
sometimes forgets about the path
that he took to where he is.

This is a portrait of a man who
remembers small details about
moments that no longer mean
anything to anyone.

This is a portrait of a man who
just wants time to slow down
so that he may enjoy every moment
of it just a little bit more.

This is a portrait of a man who
paints a portrait of man who
is not so different than
himself.

Enjoy!

Daily Keemo. 11.26. Bend And Sway As They Move Around Your Head

Bend And Sway As They Move Around Your Head
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The Story

My head has been in the cloud of HTML and PHP and CSS for the last few weeks while I straighten out the website and in between those acronymns there has been little time for art and color and words and thoughts that bend and sway as they move around your head. The language of acronymns cannot do that as the rules are strict and when you break them, they are indeed, broken. Well, the site is done or at least done enough to get back to the paints and the words and the color and the thoughts th that bend and sway while painting pictures of people who are like kings and kings who are like people.
…Enjoy!

Daily Keemo. 11.23. No. 2 in G Sharp Minor (the purple paint is still drying)

No. 2 in G Sharp Minor (the purple paint is still drying)
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The Story

The purple paint is still drying and the Austrian composer, Johann Hummel, is in the air and it is No 5. in F sharp and before that is was Tchaikovski and before that it was Chopin and before that the paper was white and there was nothing.

The purple paint is still drying and I am thinking about how I might answer questions for the upcoming interview that is supposed to be centered around the business of art or the current state of the art business or something like that and to be honest I think it is much easier to talk about all that stuff than it is to try and explain everything behind all the color and line and words and why it all comes together like it does.

The purple paint is still drying and I am alone in this room like I am every night at 2:00 AM and I catch myself staring at the wall in front of the desk and am thousands of miles away from the black chair I am sitting in and Hummel has been replaced by Alexander Scriabin (no. 2 in G sharp minor) and I slide off the chair and lay out on the wood floor and just listen with my eyes closed.

…Enjoy!

Daily Keemo. 11.23. Portrait Of The Devil In Blue

Portrait Of The Devil In Blue
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The next painting from the devil series. Simply titled, Portrait Of The Devil in Blue... Enjoy!

... Enjoy!

Daily Keemo. 11.17. In Our Hands We Hold More Than Our Own Existence

In Our Hands We Hold More Than Our Own Existence
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This is one of those paintings that I think doesn't need writing to go along with it.

Just two lovers and two lovers is enough.

... Enjoy!

Daily Keemo. 11.13. The Actress In The Movie Collecting Dust

The Actress In The Movie Collecting Dust
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I have been watching a lot of old movies recently. Films from the 30's, 40's, 50's and I guess I'll even thrown those from the 60's in there as well. (well, at least the early 60's). When I watch these old films I have a completely different experience than watching, say, a film like Inception (or insert any modern blockbuster here). There is something more honest in the old films. I don't mean that they are any more truthful as much as it feels like there isn't as much distance between you and the actors. There are not layers of digital audio blown at you and even more layers of software that modified what you are looking at. For example, Dracula (1931) doesn't really have any soundtrack to speak of, which leads to long moments of silence. Anyway, I don't know what I am really driving at other than, I love the movies and I love the old movies and here is a small homage to the old movies. Now go and rent one and see what all the new movies are missing! ... Enjoy!

Daily Keemo. 11.6. All The Good Dead Composers

All The Good Dead Composers
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All the good
dead composers
could read this and
all the good
dead composers
could craft beauty
to this but
all the good
dead composers
don't have anything
on
the living

no matter
how good
their notes are
arranged
in history.

... Enjoy!