So much for regular updates. I have to say I have been completely distracted by the Presidential Election this year. Never in my life have I watched so much CNN. I just cant stop watching it. I have never cared so much...I am voting for Obama. This had lead me to other news outlets. The BBC in particular is really intersting to me. I am working on putting together some paintings. I would like to tackle a large "historical" painting. There is so much going on in the world that is over looked and forgotten. This seems more true in todays age as tv and the computer dominate so many lives and leave no trace for history. So that is what I am working on. I have also recently taken a class with Sean Cheetham. It was really helpfull to have that much time to paint from a live model. I need to do more of it.

Ah ha twice in a month. I have been putting a lot of serious effort into some sort of evolution. I would say I am still in my cocoon stage, perhaps even still building it. I've been reading a lot. The past few days I have been saturating myself at museums. Tuesday I went to LACMA, which I will be attending more now that the renovations are complete and yesterday I went to the Getty which is my favorite place in all of LA. I am figuring out what my new goals are going to be. First of all I can no longer wait I have to get back into figure drawing. Figure drawing was my life at school, if I had a focus that was it. I have been going though terrible withdrawal from it since the Assael class. I also need to find a source for good models. My shyness makes it difficult for me to get people to do what I want them to do and sit for as long as I would like them to sit so its time to get some professionals...or get better at manipulating my friends. I am working on really getting better at compositions and more importantly creating more contrast in my work which tends to be tonally pretty flat, despite my best efforts. These are my current goals...we will see how they play out in the next few months.

I don't mean to only write in here once a month but so far that is what seems to be happening...

On Saturday I had a painting in the Hive Gallery show in downtown Los Angeles. I have a lot of mixed feelings about it. This is my second show at a legit gallery here but I have been really unhappy with my paintings lately. Still exploring new ideas and ways to express things I have to say. That being said...

I also went to see my brother in the actors' gang production of "1984" at the Redcat theater downtown. Gore Vidal spoke after the show. "1984" is one of my favorite books of all time (as well as my brother's) and so seeing him get to be a part of this has been really great, it has toured all over the country. The Q and A with Mr. Vidal however was really irritating. I give the man his credit he knows his stuff and has had an amazing career but he left no room for hope, despite endorsing Obama, ironically. What made me mad though, was the self righteousness of the audience, many had tolerated having to see some artistic theater, for a chance to breath the same air as their hero, Gore Vidal. The murmurs of support and disdain for the world were audible. There was a sense that these people thought they were a part of some sort of movement although, I highly doubt any of them in their private lives does anything worthy of their cause. Listening the preacher speak to his choir and the choir in response attempt to impress their leader with uber-intellectual ramblings was laughable.

Gore Vidal speaking at the Redcat Theater, Los Angeles, CA

7-5-08

I don know why the blog below is spilling over to the one underneath it. Its got a mind of its own.

I haven't had time for painting the last few days I was ill and then lazy. I need to get someone to come an sit but I don't know where I want to go right now. I know I need to take my work someplace else but where, that I don't know exactly yet.

Just messing around with paints yesterday. Playing with new mediums which I have discovered are a bit too oil heavy as they are not drying at ALL.

this bottom painting has been an on going self portrait for about the last two years. I wasn't looking in a mirror for this last layer.

So far I haven't been blogging much anywhere. I have just been too busy. I have my new photo website up and running its www.zbimages.com and I am pretty happy with it. I took the Steve Assael painting class that was very cool. This is the result of about 6 hours on Sunday...

Its only 8x10 so it was a whole new experience working so small for such a long time. In other news I am going to have an ad in Direct Art magazine. Other than that I have been shooting a lot and thinking up new painting ideas. I hope to have some new work up soon.

I am trying to work out how my blog is going to work this is a first attempt at something. I am not sure what the best way to do this is. As usual I am learning as I go so bear with me....