Fact or Fiction? Monkey Science

Small collage (3.5"x5") on some leftover MDF (medium density fiberboard) baseboard. Vintage 40's magazine illustration with some mad science monkey business going on! Note: I am doing a Free 3 hour Scratchboard demo this coming Saturday Sept. 5th at Jerry's Artarama on N. I35 here in Austin Texas. http://austin.jerrysartaramastores.com/ Ampersand Art company, who make the scratchboard I love, is located right here in Austin, and they make great products for artists. www.ampersandart.com Come on out anytime between noon and 3pm. I've got samples and tools...you don't have to be a fine artist to make scratches on a board. Anyone, any age can do this...dig it? Email or call Jerry's with questions, ok?
A friend and I were talking today and she suggested monkey cowboys...or maybe cowboy monkeys. Funny thought...we'll see how that cooks in my brain and what comes out of the oven.
I am also fixin' ta teach a class on scratchboard at Eye of the Dog Art Center in beautiful San Marcos Texas. Check out their website for details. www.eyeofthedogartcenter.com Sign up now, the class is Saturday Sept 26th and should be loads of fun. I absolutely love Billy Ray and Beverly who own/operate this art heaven! If you have never been there you need to make the journey.

Organ Grinder Monkey

The Daily Monkey continues...This is one of my favorite images just because it's so bizarre! I can't remember what vintage magazine I got it out of of...suffice to say it's probably from the 40's. I will do a scratchboard based on this someday I'm sure. For now, I will share this image with those of you who happen to drop by my daily blog.

I'm struggling a bit right now with direction. I've been scratching out monkeys, birds and dogs for quite a while, frankly I'm just a bit bored with all that, so I've started to do a few still life pieces. My schedule is full, with no time for boredom. I've got to get ready for the East side studio tour two weekends in November...and then Blue Genie Art Bazaar in December. Plus the group show at Dahlia Woods Gallery in December. Whew, I'm tired, but happy to have a lot going on.

Saint Monkey

This is one of the 5"x7" Scratchboards (from Ampersand Art right here in Austin!) (http://www.ampersandart.com/ )that I dropped off in Dallas yesterday. It will be part of a two person show at Dahlia Woods Gallery, http://www.dahliawoodsgallery.com/ opening Sept 11/12th. I'm pretty excited about the show, I'll scan and put up the invite here tomorrow. I'm also going to be doing a Free Scratchboard Demo at Jerry's Artarama store in Austin, Saturday Sept. 5th from 12-3pm. I'll have plenty of tools and sample boards to scratch on, it's always alot of fun for all.

More Monkey in the Garden

So I'm still working on this 8"x10" Ampersand Scratchboard http://www.ampersandart.com/ "Monkey in the Garden." Yesterday I drove to Dallas to drop off about 16 new pieces for a show at Dahlia Woods Gallery. http://www.dahliawoodsgallery.com/ It opens Sept. 11th/12th. I'll post some of those images tomorrow.

Monkey in the Garden

Well, I missed yesterdays 'Daily Monkey' due to the fact I was driving, driving, driving....13 hours behind the wheel. Home and back into my life now. Here is an 8"x10" Ampersand Art http://www.ampersandart.com/ Scratchboard in progress. All the scratching is done, I'll add some color later. Tomorrow I'm back in the truck driving up to Dallas to drop some artwork at Dahlia Woods Gallery. http://www.dahliawoodsgallery.com/ I am one tired woman. I'll catch up on my sleep this weekend, I hope. I've got a free Scratchboard Demo at Jerry's Artarama here in Austin next weekend (Sept. 5th) from 12-3pm. More on that later.

Huckleberry Monkey

Well I've been in the Ozarks long enough to turn country. Not like country music country but like back woods, outhouse kind of country. With just a smattering of 'deliverance' thrown in. (a smattering ok...no squealing). We spent the morning herding the cows back from the neighbor's pasture and now we are "fixin' ta" finish off the garden deer fencing. I built two fine gates for the garden yesterday using some rough sawn pine from the saw mill down the road. Green Acres is the place for me! It's Monday Aug 24th. I leave early tomorrow morn to go back to the city life.

Daily Monkey with Gorilla

Ok, I know this is a gorilla which is really an Ape and not a monkey. But kind of the same in my mind...(and it's a tangled web in there so just stay with me on this!) I took this photo at the zoo in Albq. New Mexico last year. Loved this big guy (at least I think it was a guy...) Looked like he was irritated with the stupid humans, but he reluctantly put up with all of us. Yesterday was full of friends and pulling cover onto greenhouse. Big watermelon and discovering that the 'gang of 4' free range chickens had finally started to lay eggs. Cindy and I both heard the unmistakable sound of laying at the same time...and then we looked for them! Had a few of them for breakfast this morning. And in spite of what it says up top...Today is Sunday August 23rd.

Monkey in Sunglasses

Saturday daily monkey... Lovely monkey lady with some attractive 1940's style sunglasses making eyes at her monkey man. What could be better than this?
Today I helped a crew put the cover on a huge (72'x26') hoop style green house. Kind of like a 'barn raising' only a really big tarp and lots of pulling and tugging. Last night we went to the 'Friday Night Jamboree' at Athel Jacksons. Great jam session out in the middle of the country. Food, cows, friendly folks and music. What more could you ask for.

Monkey in the Bedroom

This is a funny illustration that I did a monkey number to. This gentleman has removed his trousers and is in the bedroom looking to get lucky. The usual, vintage 1940's magazine with sharpie marker and white acrylic paint. Daily monkey continues in spite of me being in the middle of nowwhere with dial up internet. The show much go on! Despite the date up top it is Friday August 21st.

Monkeys in Cowboy Land

Howdy Pardners! I got this illustration from a vintage 1940's magazine... Could not resist putting the monkey on these folks (and a horse and chicken...why not?) Enjoy. I know I got a good laugh out of this one. Beautiful big thunderstorm last night, knocked out the phone line for dial up for a bit today. All is good now up here in the Ozarks.

Old Monkey

Today's daily monkey is a photo I took last year in New Mexico at the Zoo in Albq. Love this face. Great expression. I took alot of shots of this guy/gal. Day 2 in the wilds of the Ozarks. Yippie. Rain last night..cooler temps here than Austin. I'm working on a scratchboard of a 'Chicken on the house roof'. Will post it when I get back to TX. Dial up upload here would take wayyyy to long.

Hot Glamour Monkey

Whipped this out before leaving for Ozarky land. Hot Monkey! Vintage 1940's magazine illustration that I did the 'monkeyizing' to with white acrylic paint and sharpie marker. "Throw back that drink oh monkey mama, and get another". Whoo hoo. I now live vicariously through my monkey drawings. That's kind of sad, don't ya think? Oh well...I'm on the road and am pretty happy, so go figure!

Sleeping Monkey

Ok, I know this is a Gorilla...but still close enough to a monkey for me. It was taking a snooze at the zoo. Sweet face. I took this photo last year when I was visiting friends in New Mexico. I'm off to the Missouri Ozarks where dial up internet rules! Well, really, it's all you can get where I'm going...So I'll do my best to post the daily monkey. Technology is beyond my understanding sometimes. I'm hoping if I have the whole week worth uploaded to blogger before I leave so that I won't have to wait forever to post.

3 Swimming Monkeys

Vintage 1940's magazine ad with three bathing beauties....I monkeyized them with a sharpie and white acrylic paint. I'm going for a big adventure in the Ozarks this week...yah hoo! Getting out of the heat into the great wild north!

Blue Monkey Holding Earth

Here is my latest scratchboard in progress. Got alot more to do. This is a 16"x20" from Ampersand Art (www.ampersandart.com). All the orange 'blimps' around it have words glued in from a vintage Atlas...hard to read on this shot, but they are assorted words, like 'America' ,'Climate', 'Oceans' etc.. Not sure what this will be when it is finished. I'll let you know. And yes, it still looks like a monkey holding a basketball...

4 Monkeys

This is an inkjet multiple print of a 5"x7" scratchboard. I was trying to print these out to make magnets and it didn't print right...so I'm using it for my daily monkey. Did a little modification on these with with a white gel pen. All good here. Can't believe I'm happy it was only 98 degrees here today.

Oh Monkey Day!

This is a little monkey sketch on 3"x4" paper with a prismacolor 08 black pen. (Love these pens) All good here. Working like mad on framing, painting frames and finishing new scratchboards to take up to Dallas http://www.dahliawoodsgallery.com/ in a couple of weeks. Will post finished product here. Went to my favorite coffee shop today, Progress Coffee http://www.progresscoffee.com/ and had to shut down a malfunctioning urinal (lovely)...ugh, shades of my old life. Anyhow I got to see my favorite bud Joshua and his bro-in-law Maricio. Had a nice visit with a couple of really nice guys. Will go back Friday to do the repair, cause god knows ya gotta have a urinal!

Monkey Man

Ok, I'll admit, this sketch of a monkey man looks like he's pumped up and carrying a basketball. But oh no dear friends...this will eventually have some vintage paper collage in it with a globe instead of ball. And of course I will scratch the dickens out of this Ampersand Scratchboard http://www.ampersandart.com/ . It's a big'un...16"x20" so I've got alot of scratching to do. Finished up two white dog scratches to send up to Dahlia Woods Gallery in Dallas sold the original one the first night of the group show. http://www.dahliawoodsgallery.com/ I'll post those here later on today.

My Little Grumpy Monkey

Here's another black pen drawing on 3"x4" paper. I'm in the middle of framing a ga jillion large scratchboard drawings for Dahlia Woods Gallery in Dallas so my daily monkeys are suffering a bit. Not so inspired these days, once I get through this crunch I'll be back at it, finding monkeys everywhere and posting them here....promise.

Daily MOnkey

Today's monkey is a simple black pen line drawing on paper. Small, about 3"x4". Best I can do with a raging migraine. Damn headache, lost a day. All for now.

Ampersand Scratchboard Demo Houston

Had a fabulous time at Texas Art Supply on Montrose in Houston, TX! A great group of folks turned out for the Scratchboard demo, including a couple of young'ns who were a delight! Ok, really, all y'all were a delight to work with. I look forward to going back there again. Here are some not so well focused (I don't know how to work this camera...) photos of the day. Wow oh wow, what a great life I get to have!

Early Morning Monkey

I'm about to drive to Houston to do an Ampersand Art scratchboard demo at Texas Art Supply on Montrose. Not much time for monkeys this morning. This is a small 3"x4" black marker brush monkey. He's happy, I'm happy all us all are happy!

6 Monkeys Finished

I finished the 6 monkey sample board just in time for doing my demo at Texas Art Supply on Montrose in Houston tomorrow. I used every tool in the Ampersand Art scratchboard tool kit. Turned out great. Will post report on how it was tomorrow or Sunday.

2 Monkeys with a plan

Here's a little vintage magazine advertisement of a product we all could use! I used a little white acrylic paint and some black ink to monkey these girls up. I've lost count but I think I've been doing the daily monkey about 3 months now. Whoo hoo! What fun. I'm doing a free scratchboard demo for Ampersand Art this Friday (Aug 7th) from 1-3 at Texas Art Supply on Montrose in Houston, TX. It's all good.

6 Monkeys

I'm working on this 'sample' board for my scratchboard demos. Pretty excited about my demo coming up in Houston. Here's the lowdown, it's at Texas Art Suppy at 2001 Montrose (in Houston) this Friday Aug 7th 1-3pm. This piece is 8"x10". I'm using all the Ampersand Art tools and will also add color using different medium (ink, acrylic)

Monkey on a Tortilla

Ok, some folks find Jesus in their burnt toast, or the Virgin Mary in a paint blob on the wall. I've got a monkey on my tortilla. And no, I'm not going to eat it. Or sell it on ebay, although that is a good idea! I'm just going to post it here for my 'daily monkey' blog. Enjoy...

All is good, I'm fixin' ta go to Houston on Friday for a free demonstration of scratchboard at the Texas Art Supply store. Will post more about that tomorrow.

Daily Monkey-Monkey and Dog

This monkey is painted on the floor in my studio. I dripped a little paint on the floor while painting some frames and decided to connect the drips. Blackie the dog helped...

Started two new scratchboard still life boards today. Will post photos of the progress tomorrow.