Eatery of Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

This sobering news item gives new meaning to the phrase “eat your heart out” with a side of hand hewn, seasoned irony fries to boot.

Apparently, A regular patron and unofficial spokesman for the Heart Attack Grill has died of an apparent heart attack, the restaurant's owner said on Monday.



http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/heart-attack-grill-spokesman-dies-apparent-heart-attack-162858075.html

Art Flashback Wednesday–“Airwave”

Flashback Wednesday : I've decided that each Wednesday morning, I'll feature and earlier work of mine in a post along with a few lines about the artwork's back story.

First up - "Airwave"


“Airwave” circa 2000 - 2005. Acrylic On Canvas, 36" x 36", Private Collector. ©Michael Sprouse All Rights Reserved

I've always had a soft spot for this work because it marked the start of a point in my painting process where I began to incorporate the title of the work as important element of the work itself. Prior to this, I titled most works rather organically based on whatever popped into my head after the work was completed.

The face in this painting was loosely modeled after a still from a WWII era film staring Sylvia Sidney. I can't recall the film, but I was taken with her expression in the still. I recall pondering over what I thought her character may have been doing in the photo.

And that's when suddenly I had a mental image of this woman listening to a broadcast from some underground German resistance radio station.

Just like a scene from one of those great WWII era films about resistance groups, I envisioned her and her team standing in an old battle bruised shed, gathered around a glowing radio intently listening to the crackling broadcast for the latest information and instructions.

I wanted to create an expression on her face of excitement and expectation as if she were listening to the words she had been waiting for. I added the distressed elements of the work to emphasize the underground, clandestine aspects of it all.

And that's how "Airwave" came into being.

By the way, like my work? Then, please stop by and ‘like” my Facebook Fan page.

Thank You Tom Tomorrow

Thank you Tom Tomorrow for your truth, your wit and keen insight and your acid-dripping sarcasm.

15 Scientology Revelations from Lawrence Wright’s ‘Going Clear’ - The Daily Beast

While I find most organized religions of the world ultimately nothing more than a roller-coaster ride of ever changing myths and laws used to empower those who practice them over those who don't, I frankly can't comprehend why anyone with even just a whisper of common sense want to be part of something so clearly deranged and so easily debunkable as Scientology.

This article, which references the new book by Lawrence Wright titled Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief, is down-right shocking and almost too incredible to believe. In fact, I probabbly wouldn't believe the majority of it were it not for Scientology's completely loony history.

In the hard drive of my mind, it's going into the sub-directory labeled WTF.

15 Scientology Revelations from Lawrence Wright’s ‘Going Clear’ - The Daily Beast

The Work of Artist Carrie McGee

 
An extremely talented artist, a great friend, and fortunately for me – a fantastic sister-in-law – , Carrie McGee has made quite the mark on the contemporary art scene throughout the South, the Mid-Atlantic and New England.

Her compelling work – whether installed or suspended, upon first view, are elegant and deceivingly simple – yet don’t be fooled. A closer inspection of the panels reveal a visual realm of complexity and depth.

Like individual cells from film strip, each panel offers its own unique aspect of a story. When grouped together into one work however, a beginning, middle and end of a story is revealed. While it’s up to each viewer to determine the storyline based upon their own interpretation of the work, there’s a Zen quality about Carrie’s art that is undeniable.

For more information and to view other examples of McGee’s work, visit her website at www.carriemcgee.com

A National Moment of Silence

I, for one, am a true believer in the unmistakable power of a moment of silence. I'll never forget in DC, during the moment of silence for the victims of 9/11, when I stepped out of my art gallery onto 7th street NW with a lit candle, joining hundreds of others up and down the street doing the same thing in complete silence at the moment as bells all across the city rang for the victims.

The entire street, normally wildly busy, both traffic and pedestrians - came to a complete stop as we stood silently over our candles in a brief moment of shared humanity. It was one of the most moving moments of my life, and today, I can scarcely think of it without a wave of emotion drifting across my mind.



Today, at 9:30 AM, EST, there will be a nationwide moment of silence in memory of those killed at Sandy Hook. Out of the 28 states that have officially declared this moment of silence by the Governors, I am glad to say the the state in which I was born, the state in which I was raised and the state in which I now reside are all taking part.

I strongly urge you to do the same. Regardless of your stance on gun legislation, your religion or political mindset - or any of the other many differences that we are so quick to point out and wear on our sleeves in this day and age - come together for a moment at 9:30 AM EST in memory of these victims and in the celebration of your humanity - the one shared experience that we all do have.

Use the moment to reflect - yes, but also use it to release. Use it to release the sadness, the pain, the energy and - perhaps most importantly - the spirits of these victims back into the cosmos.
And do it with love.

The Brother’s Grimm

First - Visit www.google.com today to scroll through their entertaining and wonderfully illustrated visual presentation of the story of Little Red Riding Hood created in honor of the 200th anniversary of the first publishing of Grimm's Fairy Tales.


Then, click the link below to learn about the back story of the Brother's Grimm - The real Brothers Grimm were stranger than fiction - CSMonitor.com

Asking Questions : Learn from the pros how to do it right.

100 years ago when I first arrived in Washington, D.C., my first job was that of a field canvasser for the national office of a long standing environmental non-profit lobbying organization.

The office at that time was on Capitol Hill and every week day afternoon, and one Saturday a month, I and my fellow canvassers would load into a large van and then be driven to one of the many suburbs of Virginia and Maryland outside of DC. 

Once there, we would go from door to door soliciting donations, signatures on a petition and getting concerned folks to write letters to their elected officials.

I was in my early twenties then and it was a time in my life when I found the work rewarding. It was for a cause that I believed in (and still do), it was certainly challenging work and – at the end of the day – it was actually fun. 

I stayed with the job for a few years and I made some wonderful friends with whom I am still close to today some twenty plus years later. I also can honestly say that I spent several years of my younger days working for a great cause.

Today, when the conversation turns to “jobs I once had” and I mention my door to door experience, many simply can’t fathom going up to the front door of a total stranger, ringing the bell and asking whomever answers for a donation and a signature on a petition.

Despite their aghast expressions, I tell them that out of the many important things that I learned how to do - and how to do well - from that work experience was how to communicate.



Trust me when I tell you that you’ll have little success walking up to a complete stranger’s door and leaving with a donation check from that person unless you know how to engage them. That means learning how to ask the right questions in the right manner, how to listen to their response and how to recognize visual clues that will lead you to the results you seek.

To this day, whether I’m working with clients, brainstorming with other creative professionals or simply chatting with peers, the lessons that I learned from those years spent going door to door have a very present and positive influence upon the way I communicate.

I promise that I’ll expand upon those methods in a future post, but in the interim, a great start would be to read this well written article that I came across this morning via a tweet from Fast Company titled “The One Conversational Tool That Will Make You Better At Absolutely Everything”.

It contains some very good points about what to do and what not to do when asking questions. These pointers will serves you well no matter what kind of Q and A session in which you may find yourself engaged.

In fact, it was the reading of the article that sent me on my little trip down memory lane this morning when I recognized that I used to use some of the very same methods referenced within it when I was working as a canvasser.

And I still use them today.

If you have any upcoming situations where asking questions and listening to answers will become a major factor, do yourself a favor and read the article.

The wise words will serve you well.

Now That's A Swinging Tree...

Hey Folks - My tree wishes thee a Happy Holiday Season!

Created with cinemagr.am

Photo Restoration Joy

It will come as no surprise to those who know me and know my work that I have a definitive weakness for vintage and antique photography. In fact, I have several hundred in my personal collection that I have amassed over the years.

Some of these light captures of the past I have purchased, but most have either ben given to me or the photos have simply ended up in my collection by a chance find here or there.

What some of you may not know is that I have spent many years working as a specialist in photo restoration and colorization.

With the holiday season upon us, I thought now would be a good time to publicize the awareness of this skill and offer it as a service for those looking for a unique gift and/or the opportunity to restore, enhance and preserve the esthetic beauty and importance of treasured photographs of family and friends from days gone by.

Here are some examples of recent projects. The “Before” image is placed first followed by the “After” (or restored) version.


Portrait of Young Man circa 1899. Before.

I purchased this photo in a Curio Shop in the Shenandoah Valley several years ago. As you can see, the photo has faded and has several small tears as well as discoloration from a red fluid that had been spilled on the image at some point in the past.

Portrait of Young Man circa 1899. After.

This is the same image after I digitally repaired the tears and the stains. I have also added color and eliminated the fading.


Portrait of Young Man circa 1890 - 1899. Before

This is another image from my collection. Clearly, close to 125 years of time have taken quite a toll on the studio portrait.


Portrait of Young Man circa 1890. After.

This is the same image after the digital restoration job.


Two Sisters and a Dog circa 1890. Before.

Also from my collection, this is an early Kodak Brownie Camera photograph taken somewhere in Philadelphia between 1890 and 1900. This photo is just over the size of a postage stamp.  It has faded greatly and there is quite a bit of fading and discoloration.

Two Sisters and a Dog circa 1890. After.

Here is the image after the restoration. It’s has been enlarged, enhanced and colorized.


Two Sisters circa 1950 - 1960.  Before.

This is an image that I came across online. The condition of the original photograph is quite bad as it is faded, creased and torn in several places.

Two Sisters circa 1950 - 1960.  After.

Here, I have removed the creases and the tears, enhanced the contrast and levels, cropped and straightened the photo, removed components that threw off the balance and added color.

Q: Can you do this magic for me and save my old torn, faded forgotten photos that I would simply love to have for myself and to use as gifts and future heirlooms to ever-thankful family and friends?

A: Why yes I can.

Q: Is it expensive?

A: Goodness no. I charge $35 an hour and most jobs take about one to two hours – sometimes 3 for very damaged photos. I have a one hour minimum. It’s a small price to pay really to become the toast of your next holiday gift giving celebration and the honor of your family for having the insight and vision to rescue the imagery of your ancestors.

Q: How does it work?

A: You send me the original photo and I’ll make a scan of it. I’ll work from the scan so your original photograph will be mailed back to you after the job is completed unharmed. Once the job is complete, I will email you a link where you can access the digital file as well as one complimentary professionally printed 5” x 7” paper photograph of the restored image ready for you to frame.

For nominal additional costs, I can easily have other prints at a variety of sizes created. Matting and framing is also available or printing on canvas and much more – including books of photographs, or prints on tile and other interesting materials.

For more information – contact me at michael@sprouseart.com or via cell at 202-643-2278.

Recent Work

"Winter’s Onset"
Original Digital Photograph and Vintage Ephemera Collage
©2012 Michael Sprouse | All Rights Reserved

This is composed of an original digital photograph that I took in the Shenandoah Valley Halloween weekend in 2011. Though no comparison to Sandy, a super-storm had blanketed the area with several inches of snow.

The snow in the area only lasted a day but it presented some wonderful photography opportunities. I’ve collaged the photo with an image of a boy from a circa 1850’s daguerreotype and some dramatic sky from another one of my digital photographs.

Archival pigment prints of this image can be purchased in my imagekind.com gallery here.

Ye Olde Art Scam

It seems as long as there have been artists making art there have been those ready to rip them off in one way or another.

More likely than not, I bet the first prehistoric cave painters had shifty Neanderthal cave neighbors who offered them a cashier’s check with a sob story in exchange for their work.

Most artists that I know, myself included, work incredibly hard to make their art. Those who have dedicated their life and their careers to art have not done so easily and certainly not without sacrificing the perks of a traditional career (steady paycheck, health insurance, financial stability).

Please pardon the pun – but you get the picture. And because you are so bright,  I don’t have to spend anymore time documenting the “peaks and valleys” life of the artist. But if for some reason you feel the need for more documentation on that, just ask the next person you meet who makes their living as an artist and ask if their career choice has been a piece of cake.

So, imagine my disgust when I received an African Scam email just this morning in my inbox. It’s just one of many I’ve received over the years. Each time I read one, the feeling is akin to stepping in a freshly laid pile of dog filth.

Not a nice sensation eh?

The email had the same story about a young couple of art collectors and their move to Africa from the states, a love of my newly discovered work on my website and the offer to buy several pieces to be shipped to the new address overseas in exchange for a cashier’s check.

The scam really isn’t about getting the work for free. It’s the money. It’s always the money.

What usually happens is that the cashier’s check is purposefully made with an overpayment that the buyer claims is a mistake. They then ask you to deposit the check in your account and to simply wire them the difference.

The scam is in the timing. A kind hearted and gullible artist eager to please a new client and potential new collector will wire the money before it is revealed that the cashier’s check is bogus.

The only possible saving grace is that often the money scam happens before the work is shipped – in fact, the “buyer” often instructs them that a moving company will be in touch with them about shipping the art which never happens. So, usually - but not always - the work remains in the hands of the artists. You can see many examples of these scams on the blog http://stopartscams.blogspot.com/.



My response to “Amanda” was as follows -

Amanda -
Thank you for your email of interest in my work. My best advice on how to proceed would be for you to take your generous offer and go fuck yourself with it. In fact, fuck you and your scam you soulless cow. How dare you try to rip off hard working American artists in this manner? Why don't you go back to turning tricks in the streets of Africa for money since you are clearly one desperate and dirty fucking whore.
Thanks again!
Michael

Too harsh? No. And that’s how I deal with the African Art Scam. Well, usually I don’t respond at all – but this being Friday. So, artists – don’t allow these skanks to take advantage of you.

Be wise and beware the scam. And please – visit http://www.artscams.com/ for more information!

Recent Work - "The Depot : Arrival"

"The Depot : Arrival"
Original Digital Photograph and Vintage Ephemera Collage
©2012 Michael Sprouse | All Rights Reserved

During a recent visit to Philadelphia, I had the opportunity to catch an early Sunday morning train in order to celebrate the birthday of a close friend that resides in Merion Station.

While I was waiting for the train to arrive at Philadelphia’s Suburban Station, I managed to visually document a rather unusually quiet and somewhat eerie empty train depot with my camera.

I kept returning to one image from the series in particular in which a long empty hallway culminates into a colorless void.

In addition to an obvious sense of the mysterious that is created by the 1930’s era ceiling light fixtures and the stolid ionic columns that rhythmically line the path, their purposeful placement reflects a symbolic meaning as the potential milestones encountered in life’s journey.

And finally - the “great white light” at the end of the path in the photograph creates an unmistakable kinship to what is commonly referred to as a “near death experience”.
All of these enticing elements coming together were just too much for the figurative and narrative art lover in my psyche to resist. All at once, I knew that the work would be complete with the addition of a figure to the scene.

And via the joy of Photoshop, thus entered the enigmatic young woman from a vintage WWI era photograph. The longing expression in her eyes in combination to the paper flower bouquet that she so gently held in her hands was the perfect addition.

She waits for someone to arrive, but for whom she waits and for how long has lasted and may continue to last is unknown - perhaps a moment – perhaps for eternity.

Her figure softly fades into the scene as once again, the focus of her vigil neglects to materialize and the essence of her quest is relinquished to the shadows once again until the arrival of the next train is announced.

Recent Work | “Lydia by the Lake”

"Lydia by the Lake"
Original Digital Photograph and Vintage Ephemera Collage
©2012 Michael Sprouse | All Rights Reserved
(See Story Below)
____________________________

Part of the fantastic weekend that I spent in and just outside of Philadelphia catching up with incredibly special and well-loved friends, included a visit to the Brandywine Museum.

It was my first time visiting the museum and the experience was thoroughly enjoyable. Housed in a converted nineteenth century gristmill, the museum is certainly a must see for fans of the wildly talented and highly revered collection of artists that begin with N.C. Wyeth. Plus, the circular wings of the museum host an impressive collection of work by other notable North American illustrators, painters, sculptors and craftspeople.

But I’ll share more on the museum and the visual art treasures that it contains within in some other post in the not too distant future.

This post, in fact – while definitively arts related – isn’t so much focused on the museum as it is on my own recent work which came about because of it.

Well, perhaps not so much because of the museum itself, but more so because of its location on the lovely banks of the  historic Brandywine Creek.

While I was strolling about the old gristmill/museum, I found the allure of the banks of the Brandywine Creek on a crisp and pristine October afternoon simply too much to resist.

Soon after veering off the path and coming directly to the edge of the water itself, I came across a gorgeous scene at the base of an old railroad bridge that spanned the creek. Gathered en masse by the natural current at the base of the bridge support columns was a twisted and gnarled collection of felled tress and limbs.

As the late afternoon sun filtered an ocean of glowing rays through the intertwined branches of the many trees that bordered the opposite bank of the creek, it was impossible not to notice the rich waves of warm light shimmering off the autumn kissed leaves as they glowed in robust hues of amber, russet, and gold.

It was truly spectacular scene to behold and I felt compelled to take out my camera and document the beauty of it all. Even though the colors were spellbinding, I suddenly had an urge to capture the scene in black and white.  I was glad that I didn’t question my artistic instinct at that moment as I was very pleased with the results.

Though, after reviewing the image for a bit, I realized that there was something still not quite complete about the work.

And that’s when it hit me. It needed something in the foreground to not only ground the work, but to add a new dimension of the narrative and mystique.

I thumbed through my collection of vintage imagery and selected upon the haunting and lovely image of the young woman seen in the image above.

I’m quite pleased with the work. If you are as well, please feel free to inquire about hand embellished archival prints on gallery stretched canvas via email at michael@sprouseart.com.

A Penny For Your Thoughts...

This isn't ground breaking art by any means, but it certainly makes my list as unique - simply because of its presentation - art on a penny. Also, the work is quite well executed - in fact, I love the whole concept. May favorite may be the work/cent second from the top in the example below. It's titled "Kisses and Ghosts, 1951".

More can be found about the work and the artist - Jacqueline Lou Skaggs - at the following link.

Artist Jacqueline Lou Skaggs

The Most Expensive ‘Brown Paper Bag’ In The World? - DesignTAXI.com

And now the Emperor can finally have a lunch bag to match his new clothes...

Introducing the Jil Sander Brown Paper Bag - still a bargain at just under $300! Follow the link below to cast your eyes upon the marvel.

The Most Expensive ‘Brown Paper Bag’ In The World? - DesignTAXI.com

Butterfly Bingo

I’ve always been a fan of the butterfly and have always been perplexed by those who are not. Somewhere along the railroad journey of my mind, I recall reading that ancient peoples thought of them as fairies.

Or maybe it was the dragonfly. Or, perhaps they had just eaten one too many magical mushrooms from the forest.



In any case, much as I enjoy seeing them fluttter about, I’ve never really known much about them in general outside of that which is learned in school.

Caterpillar = Cocoon = Butterfly.

That’s why I was quite happy to digitally stumble across the “Butterflies and Moths of North America” website this morning. While the entire site seems quite wonderfully comprehensive (their sub-header reads “collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera”), I was particularly pleased with the “Regional Specific Checklist”.

The list/database allows you to select the region of North America in which you live (down to the county of the state even if you live in the United States) in order to discover a list of every butterfly and moth that can be found within that area. The list is complete with photographs of each species and very detailed information.

It seems to be a butterfly lovers fantasy dream. As the type of child who could become lost easily following a butterfly, had I had access to this database then, I’m certain that I would have been a binocular carrying butterfly geek in a very short amount of time.

So, the next time a particularly enchanting butterfly graces by your scope of vision, rather then just wonder what its backstory is, now you can have the answers at your fingertips – or wingtips.

Frankly, it’s quite fascinating. You can access the list here: http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/checklists 

Batman knows…

See, Batman knows that it really is possible to be smart and pretty. Or - for those who crave something a bit more macho – Batman knows that libraries rock and being well-read kicks ass.

Of course Robin agrees – though it’s not as if he had much of a choice. That’s because, frankly, Batman always knows what’s best for the Boy Wonder.

Happy Labor Day

I came across this graphic on line today and I thought it does a wonderful job of getting across an important message about Labor Day.

Not only is the graphic quite well designed and crafted, it succinctly references many important issues as seen on the signs being held by the figures. Those issues, some of which are taken for granted today, would not be in place had it not been for the past actions of the brave men and women of the American Labor Force.

The worker’s historic willingness to stand up for rights  should not be forgotten.

Sadly, today, some of the issues written on the signs in the graphic are still not in place or  - possibly worse - are currently being undermined by a new wave of corporate leaders inspired by greed and self-serving interests.

As this is an election year, it is vitally important that you not only vote but that you think well about the potential consequences of your vote.

On August 29th, Rolling Stone published a very well written article titled

Greed and Debt: The True Story of Mitt Romney and Bain Capital: How the GOP presidential candidate and his private equity firm staged an epic wealth grab, destroyed jobs – and stuck others with the bill.

You can read the article by clicking the link above. The article makes it crystal clear that the GOP, Romney and Ryan are most definitively not a friend of the working class of this great country. In fact, they happily fill their pockets with cash at the workers expense and Romney – in particular – has a long history of that anti-worker, pro-corporate greed behind him. 

I’m guessing that the GOP and Romney/Ryan decided that the best way to win the election is to bet that the working class would either be too blissfully unaware of the truth – which is wildly easy to find – or simply too disillusioned to care.

If you’re a member of the working class – whether it be white collar or blue – don’t prove the GOP right.

Be smart. Be strong. Vote Democratic.

Fun at Ivy's

A spur of the moment decision, more or less, took our path yesterday to Ivy in Dewey Beach (yesterday early evening) with a small group of friends in time to enjoy $2 martinis, some rather tasty tapas and a glorious sunset over the Rehoboth Bay. Again - $2 Martinis! Uh huh. I was able to snap a few quick, yet artsy pics.

"Portrait Of Kenny" ©2012 All Rights Reserved Michael Sprouse

"Sunset Over Rehoboth Bay" ©2012 All Rights Reserved Michael Sprouse

"Happy Hour" ©2012 All Rights Reserved Michael Sprouse

"Sunset. Sand. Gazebo." ©2012 All Rights Reserved Michael Sprouse

"Portrait Of Melissa" ©2012 All Rights Reserved Michael Sprouse