Memories Madness and Marvelous flavors

Where to start!

Lets start with memories. 

I have been reading about the artist Remedios Varo (wiki link here), a wonderful Spanish surrealist woman who lived in Mexico. Reading about the artist today reminded me that I would someday like to write a book about my own artist mother. I wanted to gather stories about her from other people, so I have put a call out to people who remember her to share their stories and memories - These stories can be recorded on a form I created on google docs.
If you have any memories you'd like to share about Catherine Burris, please feel free to do so!
{INSERT MEMORIES HERE} Refunds are not given on lost memories.

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FOOD...ISH.



Its here its here!! I found a company that sells Dutch candies in the USA. I ordered some Tyrkisk Peber in the hopes of making my own Salmiakki Koskenkorva (salty black licorice vodka) - According to my own authentic bottle of Koskenkorva, one can "Experience the Spirit of Finland and taste the Finnish Folklore"



(....Now, 2 bags plus shipping = about $25. Plus the vodka I need to buy. I still think I'm probably saving money seeing as how it would be quite pricy buying the alcohol from Finland, if its even POSSIBLE to send it officially. ) ...

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ALSO, we were recently given some awesome pickle seasoning by my friend Taylor, the Indy Magic Monthly producer. He makes great pickes. :)

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ARTI...ISH

Here are some recent things from my sketchbook.



FUN
I MADE a FUN video involving DOOM and a MAZE and SILLY.
{CLICK HERE for Doom and Maze and Silly}

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INSPIRATION

ITS HERE ITS HERE!!!
The DEVIL'S CARNIVAL Ringmaster Edition DVD!! 

Apparently the picture I painted is shown when they feature the fan arts.
I'm about to go find out!

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LO PAN STYLE
If you are a fan of LO PAN... you must watch this video. Love Love Love!!!
{See the awsome...}

The Beginning Ate the END

"Beginning Ate The End, Because Beginning Was The Trend.
The End Ran In Terror, Because The End Was An Error."
(The first words you see in my new sketchbook)

I've been in Connecticut the past 2 weeks visiting with Dave's family. We've also been to VT during this time to visit some of my family, and went to NY to visit with a friend and visit the Metropolitan Museum of ART. I am rejuvenated with inspiration!

sketchbooks! Art and books and STUFF!
Hallelujah! I have my SEAWHITE OF BRIGHTON Jumbo square sketchbooks of England again, thanks to my friend Erich who found some in Paris!! *JOY*
(10" x 10" nice smooth paper, sewn in, not merely glued) 
We met in NY where he gave me 3 books and I gave him a painting -
By the way, if you ever plan on visiting the Metropolitan museum of art, do not plan on carrying any art inside with you - they will not check paintings due to liability issues. Thankfully, he was staying at an apartment fairly close, so he could store the painting there. Here's a peek at the first bits of sketchbook joy. I'll show a more full pic once I get back to my scanner.


I was very AWE inspired by the oceanic and african art collection at the Met. This guy is a mental conglomeration of my own creation remembering bits and pieces from various works. 

I have never seen such large african/oceanic art of extreme SRANGENESS in person. I could have spent an hour in the main room just staring at and being in the presence of everything. There are some images I had never encountered before which made me VERY excited. Especially the Baining Night Dance Masks.


(google Baining Night Dance Masks for more fun)

Here is another Sketchbook image

I helped organize the basement while I was here - thus the LYDIA MOLE.

BOOKS
THE BOOK BARN!!
Hours of a beautiful book laden environment - gardens, cats, decorations, buildings of books, little alcoves, etc etc. Visit for yourself in Niantic, CT. 


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And now I must get ready to leave for home. Here's hoping for a good day of driving!!

quick commissions, wip, and filling the spaces

Pluggin along!
infrequent posts due to merely extreme busyness.
:D
I am currently on vacation in Connecticut - but still trying to work on projects while I'm here.
One of my better paying jobs in August didn't pan out due to low enrollment (teaching art appreciation at a tech college) - so, hopefully something else will come along to fill in the gaps. (especially if I want to attend the SPECTRUM LIVE convention that got announced recently! OMG) Thankfully, I now have my downtown studio in Indy, and it gives me something to look forward to coming home!
I need to take a picture of the 2 sweet studio gifts people have given me - a little work of assemblage art and an antique 'murcury' bottle. That can come later!

For now, Let me share some images from the Days of the Dead Convention
*Here is a small drawing in my brain candy book - a photographer wanted a monster portrait of his camera.


*Here is a convention commission- 9" x 12" color. I took it home that evening to finish it. watercolor and Ink. If I thought about it, I could've added white acrylic to highlight certain areas, but it came out pretty sweet I think.
 
... Some of my friends were debating what kind of salad dressing would go good with this conglomeration of organic plant matter. *chuckle*


*A sketchbook commission - someone wanted a hippo related work - so I of course drew a hippo-tree!


*The coolest t-shirt I saw at the Days of the Dead convention. 
It reminded me of Clive Barker's Nightbreed, thematically - all these monsters coming together with different backgrounds and lives and purposes. Easy to discriminate against, but all of them are precious in some way.


*I was able to finally present my Sammy Terry painting and print at Days of the Dead - my painting of him is on the back of the comic book. After acquiring the proper permissions, I now present the 11" x 17" limited first edition print. I have 15 of 30 (Sammy has the other 15)And they are all SIGNED!(They are selling at $50 each)


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And last, here is a sneak peek at part of one of my paintings for a movie project.




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Other News:

I am realizing how much I need to get more Ayreon music. :) I am very inspired by it. We listened to some on the way to Connecticut and I've spun into the beginnings of obsession - so I'm going to keep my eye open (or my ears open?) for opportunities to get some more of their music.
Thats all for now!

My blogging river has run dry, but here are some drawings.

Just like the pile of un-archived reciepts, my blog is waiting to be written, with things to say, and half formed images and ideas, and before I can write those things here, they become stagnant and old news, because by then, everyone on facebook already knows, and I don't feel like writing it again somewhere else online.

Also, I've been working on a lot of projects that are not my own projects, so I do not want to share
them, they are secret!

This was supposed to be a place to share my daily output of practice and art experiments.
A place for myself to improve and have fun.

So perhaps I won't wait for the big update. I won't show ALL my art happenings and special advertisements...I will again make a simple attempt to post experiments, sketches, and works I'm working on for myself.  For the big more occasional important updates, you'll have to sign up for my mailing list. (email lydiaburris@gmail.com and say 'YES' to be on the mailing list)

SO, without further delay, here are the most recent things I did that I felt I can share.
I did these drawings at the last convention I was at: Contamination in St. Louis.



This was a sketch done in a brain candy book - with Sharpies.




Dick Starr and Johnny Bopp drew in my 'book of monsters' and the 2 drawings on brown paper, I did as a thank you. (The book of monsters was originally a 60th birthday gift for mother, but one that I would keep to travel and gather more drawings for her. Something for both of us to share. Now that she is gone, I'm still carrying on the tradition)

This was a watercolor painting I had started before but didn't like. I added ink while sitting at the booth, and faded the background to my liking.


This was a quick 'sketch' I did in someone's sketchbook. I love drawing in sketchbooks. I love the quick braincandy sketches too. My mind works so much faster and I come up with great ideas when I am on a laid back but 'do it now' mindset.

If you stop by 'Days of the Dead' in Indianapolis this weekend, come by and get a sketch.

jellyfish and LOTS of sketches

Its been a while, and I have a build up of sketches to post.

First of all, I'm going to try getting back into the daily art thing - some unexpected things happen - such as last night I just decided to put marks down on paper and came up with this jellyfish drawing.


"Sleep, Dream, Death or Delirium, I don't know and we never can tell"
9" x 12" ink on sketch paper.


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And now for a ton of sketches


Reaching for art, and then finding love (right next to me)


Comfort from a strange roundman.


feeling lazy and too full. (of tacos)

(my Fave)

I stayed up too late one night, and got my THIRD wind. I felt like
I wanted to know the WORLD. I wanted to do RESEARCH. I wanted to read
and paint and know THINGS.
"At night-time my brain expands and I feel like I can ingest the WORLD!"
"The tip of my brain parts grows tastebuds at night, and reaches out to experience the noosphere"


A random sexy man. I think its a man.


Last but not least, some random sketches from my day yesterday.
My friend Steven is working on a special project involving collage and bodies. Some friends were visiting and I just hung out and drew people. It was refreshing to do some art around friends doing art. I need this more often. His progress and process can be seen at his DeviantArt page. Advisory: many of his photos include nudity.