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Sometimes You Win, Sometimes . . .

4/26/2018

18 Comments

 
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I'm currently painting a mural at an absolutely marvelous school.  Sometimes, you just win and find yourself in an amazing situation.  This is the first time I've ever worked on a project when every student in the school - all 650 of them - participated with a mural.  And, each time a group of students comes out to paint, I'm introduced as the "world renowned muralist who has painted all over the planet, not just in the United States".  I guess the introduction could go to my head, except I know the truth.  And, truth is, I'm the most "non-famous world-famous artist" anyone has ever met.  Yes, my art is used by teachers all over the planet.  Yes, my 55 murals are in 25 countries (so far).  My art has been spotted on T-shirts in a mall in the Philippines.  Other people I know have seen it used at an orphanage in Cambodia.  An artist I met in Moldova told me he learned English in school from books with my illustrations.  I even found my drawings used in an archaeological museum in Belize.  And, my images are all over the Internet if you've ever done a Google Image search.  Yes, my work is known around the world.  And, no, nobody knows my name.

I guess there is a chance, if I really believed the introduction and heard it enough times, it could possibly go to my head.  Possibly.  But, I don't usually have art diva moments.  I don't think I could create community murals and be an art diva.  There's just too much sharing and caring in a community project.  And, if kids splattering paint, accidental spills (major and minor), and painting outside of the lines bother an art diva like I think they would, it just really would be the wrong career choice. 

I'm fairly sure that all artists have moments when someone criticizes their work.  It's never fun.  I certainly don't like it.  Fortunately, it hasn't happened to me very often.  I remember long ago, in another life at a publishing house, my boss described my cartoons as "grotesque".  I never forgot or forgave that.  And more recently, at what was supposed to be my next mural, the powers that be didn't like my art at all.  Their suggestion for my mural design was to remove all of my cartoon characters and try adding flowers and mountains.  Okay, I confess, in the privacy of my office, I had an art diva moment over that.  Then, I politely replied to the email and suggested they find another artist.

Sometimes you lose.

But, sometimes you win.  And, sometimes, it's a big win.  Most people who follow my blog and clip art on Facebook are familiar with the PromoWest and Columbus Makes Art 2018 Exhibition and my portrait entitled "Aztec Sun".  You had to be judged on talent to make it into the top ten.  But, to make the final four, it was by community voting.  In my mind, that really means the final four came down to a popularity contest.  It's not that huge of a contest in Columbus.  It doesn't really have that much publicity.  So, those with the most connections were most likely to have the most friends go to the website to vote. 

Okay, I'm the first to admit I'm not all that connected in Ohio.  But, if any of the other nine entries were well connected, it was news to me.  I never heard of any of them and didn't find all that much when I searched for them online.  So, we were all in the same boat.  Well, honestly, nine of them were in the same boat and then there was me.  I networked a little in Ohio.  But, my network is much more global than normal.  I only wish the people at PromoWest and Columbus Makes Art could see where my votes came from.  I had huge support from Africa and Latin America, especially Brasil.  But, my network stretched across the United States to Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. 

I said that I was the most "non-famous world-famous artist" that any of you will ever know.    Maybe there is just a little bit of truth to that "world" part.  My support came from all over.  I don't think anyone else in this particular competition had that same claim.  And so, yes, I'm so very happy to tell you that my art was voted into the top four in this 2018 competition.  Thank you all for your support.  It is so very appreciated.

Who knows?  Maybe as a result of this a few people in Ohio will actually learn my name?

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It's not going to be just my imagination. The illustration will go up along Huntington Park sometime next month.
18 Comments

Three's a Charm

4/9/2018

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Who hasn't heard that good things come in threes?  The Wise Men, French Hens, Musketeers, Blind Mice, Little Pigs, Billy Goats Gruff and any circus with rings know all about that.  So did all of Charles Dickens' ghosts, but perhaps Ebenezer wouldn't agree they were good? Nobody quotes "life and liberty" from the Declaration of Independence without also mentioning "the pursuit of happiness".  And, nobody - absolutely nobody - only plays "Rock, Paper".  I guess sometimes you hear about disasters, bad luck and celebrity deaths happening in threes as well.  But, seriously, who wants to focus on the negative when you already know what to accentuate?

I've had a very good 24 hours, and it's as simple as one, two, three.

One Good Thing - I've been in contact with a local school for mural 55.  For several months, we talked about beginning in April.  I always assumed it would be the first of the month.  Who ever expected the April we've had in Ohio with rain, cold, snow, tornadoes, flooding, more rain and certainly more snow?  But, plans for the project continue and it could not possibly be at a better school.  And, whenever Spring eventually arrives, the work will begin.

This will be a mural first for me.  The plan is to have every student in the school participate in the painting.  It's going to take a lot of help from volunteer mothers.  Not a problem at this school.  I sat down to brainstorm with the principal and three art teachers about the mural's theme.  They wanted student input, and I had a great suggestion.  Sometimes, that happens.  I suggested the students list events that happened in each grade level that they remembered most.  That kind of coaching prompted excellent suggestions I could use.  The mural will be divided into sections for each grade.  It's a perfect fit.  And, when I finally presented my vision of the mural, the principal said support for my design was off the charts.  Do you know how hard it is for a committee to agree on anything?  Yep, I'm very happy with "off the charts".  And, if the snow ever stops, it's going to be an amazing experience.
 
There was almost a bad thing to tell you about when a mural project unexpectedly collapsed, but  . . .

Two Good Things -  It took less than twenty-four hours for the universe to correct the situation.  Yep.  All it took was one little e-mail.  I have to admit I'm kind of addicted to e-mail.   I'm one of those people who turns on the computer almost as soon as my feet touch the floor in the morning.  And, my morning started when a local art teacher contacted me to see if I might be interested in painting with her students.  Could I supply more information? 

You know I did.

I'm very pleased when I hear from art teachers.  The last person with toes that I don't want to step on is the local art teacher.  I know they are talented, but usually too busy to do what I do.  I want to support them every way I can.  This art teacher wrote back before the day was over.  She said, "I know things need to move fairly quickly to make this work before school is out . . . So I need to ask, do you even have availability to work with us the week of May 7th?

Um, that would be a big yes!  And, I just couldn't be happier to paint in the location where the universe knew all along I was supposed to be.  Sometimes, it just all works out right.

Three Good Things - And, the day got better.  

It had been almost two years since I had any embassy project for my murals.  Just like everyone else pretty much everywhere, budgets have been tight.  Nobody seemed to have funding for a very amazing community experience with murals.  So, I sat in Ohio, networking among Buckeyes, painting murals in Columbus, drawing nearly thirty portraits from my travels, blogging, writing books about my travels in Liberia and Brasil, illustrating a folktale collection of Liberian stories and not using my passport.  But, all of that is about to change thanks to a late afternoon e-mail message.  I may not see their bobsledding team or meet Usain Bolt, but I'm guaranteed a good dose of Reggae music, a taste of Ting (not Tang) and maybe a sip of a Bob Marley Shot this summer in Jamaica thanks to an invitation by the US Embassy.  Hallelujah, man!

Now, as long as I'm looking for groups of three to write about, there is another absolutely warm and tropical group of threes that I'd really like to come my way.  I have already contacted two other embassies in the Caribbean who have expressed an interest in my muraling.  As long as I'm in the "neighborhood", perhaps they'll want to bring me on over to Barbados and Haiti?  If I must, I'm willing to stay longer in the Caribbean.  And, I could live with murals on THREE Caribbean islands if I just have to.

For sure, I don't want to get into a series of bad luck three situations that lead to things like prison or celebrity deaths.  My clip art might be all over the world, and students in every continent except Antarctica recognize my cartoons, but nobody knows my name.  I remain the most non-famous world-famous artist on the planet.  I don't think I have to worry about anything celebrity.  Just to be safe, I'll say a prayer that my guardian angel will protect me from malaria, pickpockets, bus wrecks, earthquakes, typhoons, rogues with knives, prison in Haiti and taxis without breaks.  It should be no problem since he's already done that for each of these in the past.   Why worry about threes when I appear to have nine lives?

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Not April Fools

4/1/2018

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No, not April Fools' Day, but an extraordinary artistic journey across Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras
PictureJavier, the Aztec warrior, in Mexico
I know it's April Fools' Day and many people like to trick other people.  I'm more of the opinion that friends don't let friends pull April Fools' jokes on their friends.  I'm still in Ohio.  No joke.  And, this story is no lie.  Really!  I don't think I'd be clever enough to come up with this tale if I wanted to.  It honestly may be difficult to believe anyway.  Fortunately, I have photographs to back me up.  But, in these days of PhotoShop, on April Fools' Day, who knows what you can believe?

Most people who know my art only know about my cartooning.  Those child-friendly faces are all over the world and used by teachers everywhere.  I know this because I hear from people every week, from the most unusual places, who use my art.  But, if you faithfully read my blog, you also know that I like to draw portraits of interesting faces that cross my path as I travel.   I know, when you look at the art, it doesn’t look like the same artist could possibly do both, but that’s just the way it works.  I’m not sure what that says about me.


My portraits come from all kinds of sources.  Some of the faces belong to friends.  Some of the faces belong to people I’ve had a brief encounter with along the way.  And, some of those faces are of people who didn’t even know they were photographed.  Each portrait has a unique story and I’ve gotten into the habit of drawing them every time I travel.  It’s a very personal documentation of my journey in life.  But, whenever I finish a portrait, I stuff it in a portfolio and go on to the next one.  Nobody else has ever seen all of them.  And, certainly, none of the strangers have ever seen my work.

Some of my most recent journeys have taken me to Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras on multiple occasions. On one of my treks, I thought there was a chance that I might be able to locate three men I photographed and drew the previous year.  I had never been able to do this before, but I was so hopeful.  Three times hopeful.  The first young man worked on the streets of Playa del Carmen, my favorite tourist trap in the world.  He roamed around dressed as a Maya king.  He knew I took his photo.  I had to pay for it.  This was his job.  Sometimes, it is just worth it to get the right photo.  The second man, a tour guide in Tikal, Guatemala, had no idea he was photographed.  Finally, the third man, a charming old Honduran cowboy, readily agreed to pose when I asked.  He was adorable, wearing a United States Postal Service jacket.  I had to take his photo!

Since I had to pay for the photo in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, I had the opportunity to speak to the Mayan king.  Javier was a lot friendlier than his stern warrior pose indicated.  On my return to Mexico, I knew where to look for him.  There is only one main tourist drag in Playa, Fifth Avenue.  You can see mariachi bands, Aztec dance troupes, the high flying Voladores swinging upside down from poles and, of course, a Maya king or two.  If I was going to find Javier, there was only one place to look.

It only took me an hour upon arrival.  What were the odds?

Actually, I found another Maya king and asked if he knew Javier.  As it turned out, these two kings were good friends.  However, Javier had since given up his feathered head gear for a new job.  But as soon as I pulled out the portrait, king number two personally brought me to the new job location.  We were less than a block away.

Javier was even more delightful than I remembered.  The portrait took him completely by surprise and he was thrilled.  So thrilled, I got a hug.  On this second visit, I had the chance to ask a burning question.  He was not a Maya king, even though he was in the heart of Maya country.  Nope, he was an Aztec.


One down, two more portraits to go.

The second place I revisited was Tikal in Guatemala.  The Mayan ruins were simply majestic.  I had one eye admiring history while the other was on the lookout for a curious looking guide wearing a crazy hat stuffed full of multi-colored feathers.  Neither history nor the man could have been missed.  I took in all the history.  But, alas, the Tikal tour guide was a no-show.

Very fortunately for me, one of the guides spoke excellent English when I stopped to buy a cold drink.  (So necessary under the tropical sun!)  I asked if he know all of the guides at Tikal.  He thought he knew most, but wasn’t sure why I asked such a strange question.  Then, I explained the photo and my portrait.  He was willing to look, but he made no promises.

A smile crossed his face when I pulled out my work.  Everyone knew Santiago.  He gave French tours and was called, “the man with the feathers”.  Now, sometimes I capture a good likeness of the intended person.  Sometimes I create a good drawing, but it does not look like the person at all.  I don’t know why.  That’s just how it works.  But, I really captured Santiago.  The English speaking guide showed the portrait to six friends standing nearby.  There was a lot of very rapid conversation, but none of it was in English.  The only word I understood was “feo” -- and I knew that meant “ugly”.  Fortunately, they weren't talking about my art.  One of the other men said that Santiago was an ugly man, but I did a wonderful job to make him look good.

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Okay, I didn't see the feathered man, but I saw amazing things in Tikal, Guatemala.
The guides promised to give the portrait to my feathered friend.  I thought I did the best I could do under the circumstances.   I left Guatemala and was off to Honduras.

Copán Ruinas was a sleepy little town.  It was that charm that brought me back to Honduras.  On my last visit, I stayed less than twenty-four hours.  I needed more time there and I wanted to paint a mural on this visit.  For so many reasons, Hotel Lastenia was the right location for me.  Neither Humberto nor Gilma remembered me, but they both recognized my old cowboy.  Copán Ruinas was small enough for everyone to at least recognize each other.  They didn’t know his name for sure, but Humberto thought it was Juan.  I just loved the sound of Don Juan de Copán as the name of the portrait.  It wasn’t meant to be.  His name was Don Pedro.  And, in case you don’t know, “Don” is a respectful title like “Mr.” is in English.


Humberto brought me to Casitas Copán, a local orphanage, to discuss a possible mural.  While I spoke to the director, who should pass by the place but my eighty-year-old cowboy!  Humberto ran after the poor little man.  I don’t think my cowboy fully understood why a gringo wanted to see him.  However, we set up an appointment to meet in the town square that afternoon.

Don Pedro showed up and I presented him two copies of my portrait.  Again, I really captured his likeness.  But, I didn’t get much of a reaction.  I don't speak Spanish all that well and dear old Don Pedro wasn’t speaking any.  There was a long silence and a lot of awkward waiting.  I really didn’t know what to do.  Finally, fortunately, a man on the other side of the park bench decided that he had to intervene.  Someone had to rescue the situation and this stranger rose to the occasion.  He explained, in Spanish way better than mine, that I visited Copán Ruinas last year and drew the portrait of him.  There was conversation.  There were smiles.  The situation was rescued.  And, I appreciated the kindness of a stranger more than I could express in Spanish.

I saw Don Pedro several more times while in Copán Ruinas.  It really wasn’t a very big place.  It would have been hard to not cross paths.  I wondered if he thought a gringo was stalking him.  However, the last time I saw him, he spotted me first and called out.  So, I was very pleased.
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Don Pedro, the Copán Cowboy, in Honduras
Two outta three was very good odds for locating strangers in my opinion.

Life sometimes gives me surprises that I just never could imagine.  I love it when it happens, but I never dream big enough for some of the things that come my way.  I was in Copán Ruinas for nine days.  Cloudy weather, mural scheduling and life just got in the way.  I didn’t make it to Copán, the archaeological site outside of town, until my last day in Honduras.  It was the last day of my entire trip as a tourist.  I had two very long days of travel ahead of me to cross Guatemala, Belize and head north to Cancún for a flight home. And, I wasn’t visiting the village of Copán Ruinas without a trip to their archaeological treasure.

I entered the gate to the site and headed to the ticket office.  When what to my wondering eyes should appear but a strange little man with some feathered headgear!  Santiago!  Yep, my little tour guide from northern Guatemala was in Honduras with a herd of fourteen French tourists.  I approached him, called him by name, and asked if he spoke English.  He said if I wanted to talk in English, I needed to talk to the woman to my right. 

I smiled and said I had to talk to him.  

I didn’t communicate well in Spanish.  I don’t think he understood me.  However, when I pulled out one of my drawings, he knew exactly who I was.  AND, HE HAD MY PORTRAIT OF HIM IN HIS VAN!  So, I got a photo of him holding the portrait.  I have never been good in math.  I accept the fact that I’m an artist and I’m happy with that.  But, I would love to know the odds that I would come face to face with Santiago in Honduras.  I’m guessing those odds are pretty high. 
I think that the odds on locating three outta three strangers in three countries is a traveling miracle.
Picture
Santiago, the feathered man and a traveling miracle, in Honduras instead of Guatemala
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    Wander My World With Me 
    by Phillip Martin

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