Vampires 2

Though I really like the daytime, I enjoy the night even more.

I love the night. It's the only time I feel really alive.
- Helen Chandler in the film "Dracula" (1931)

It´s Friday night... a few minutes before sunset. I´m off!

Vampires?

After the last blog entry I had a discussion with Benjamin about vampires.

That reminded me of one Friday afternoon when I was late and had to hurry back home. A friend asked me whether I had to get back home quickly before sunset because I would turn into a vampire.
According to Wikipedia Saturday used to be the preferred day to hunt vampires as that was the day they had to remain in their coffins.

So now it´s up to you to find out why we rush home before the sun sets on Friday.



This wonderful pic (Philip Burne-Jones The Vampire, 1897) is from here.

We Have Moved Finally!

Most of my friends live too far away to pop over and I just have to show them the color of one of our rooms. I was sceptical at first to paint a complete room dark red, but I really do love it.
I took the pic yesterday - taking a 5 minutes break from assembling our furniture - and I was covered with fine dust, pale and dead tired from missing sleep. But still I like the pic.



All rooms are still stuffed with packing cases and I still have to assemble some furniture, but at least our beds and the sofa is set up. That´s all we need at the moment... a place to sleep.

She Devil (ATC)

... and here´s the female part to the last post.

Devil (ATC)

Another 6.5 hours of painting the walls on Friday, so just another black & white piece.

Dragon 1 (ATC)

I need some black and white pics now. I spent 7,5 hours today drawing the walls of the childrens´ room in our new apartment. So after all the pink (Hello Kitty on one side) and green (cars, houses and trees on the other side) shades I´ve got enough color for today. ;) Give me some simple black and white please... before I drag myself to bed.

My Kids´ Words 3

K: In welcher Sprache wollt Ihr den Film anschauen?
A: Ich verstehe nur Deutsch.
K: Ich kann auch English.
D: Ich verstehe alle Sprachen. Nur den Gott nicht.
K: Wieso nicht?
D: Der Gott redet zwar, aber ich höre ihn nicht.

K: In which language do you want to watch the movie?
A: I can understand only German.
K: I can understand English as well.
D: I can understand all languages, but I do not understand god.
K: Why not?
D: He does talk, but I can´t hear him.

I´m always amazed at the strong presence god has in our childrens´ lives (3 and 4 years old). I can´t imagine that he had the same importance for me at that age.



This is another atc I did for a friend. The original is "The Magician"
by Marie White.

Tiger and Dragon (ATC)

Here´s another Yin Yang related pic. I mentioned the concept before. For those who haven´t read that post, here you go:
The concepts of yin and yang originate in ancient Chinese philosophy and metaphysics, which describe two primal opposing but complementary principles said to be found in all objects and processes in the universe.

Yin (Chinese: 陰 or 阴) is the darker element; it is passive, dark, feminine, downward-seeking, and corresponds to the night.

Yang (陽 or 阳) is the brighter element; it is active, light, masculine, upward-seeking and corresponds to the day.



Yin is often symbolized by water or earth, while yang is symbolized by fire, or wind.
Yin and yang are descriptions of complementary opposites rather than absolutes. Any yin/yang dichotomy can be seen as its opposite when viewed from another perspective. The categorization is seen as one of convenience. Most forces in nature can be seen as having yin and yang states, and the two are usually in movement rather than held in absolute stasis.

Little Red Riding Hood (1997)

Little Red Riding Hood (1997)

By chance I found this short movie of my favorite actress. Christina Ricci plays Little Red Riding Hood in this offbeat version of the classic fairy tale. The movie is odd but wonderful.

Boris Vallejo (ATC)

A quick sketch of one of Boris Vallejo´s works. He works almost exclusively in the fantasy and erotica genres.

My Daughter´s Words 2

Here´s another talk with my kids (A is 4 and D is 3 years old):

A: "Warum sind wir nicht unsterblich?"
K: "Weil alles Lebendige auf der Erde mal stirbt."
A: "Das find ich nicht schön, dass wir nicht unsterblich sind."
K: "Warum?"
A: "Weiss nicht."
D: "Aber ich will lieber nicht tot sein, weil ich lieber bei Euch bleiben will."

A: "Why aren't we immortal?"
K: "Because all living beings on earth have to die one day."
A: "I don´t like it that we aren´t immortal."
K: "Why?"
A: "Don´t know."
D: "But I don´t want to be dead. I prefer staying with you."

PS: Für diese Worte zum Thema Kindheit muss der Turmsegler einen Schlüssel herausrücken! Ein Tipp zur Suche: Musik!

My Daughter´s Words 1

My kids always have phantastic words for me. I have started a small Moleskine sketch book for each of them. I´ll quote them and illustrate their ideas.
I´m sure one day it will be nice for them to read their precious words (and it´s a great way to practice simple drawings).



One morning our daughter slipped into our bed and after a few minutes she said:
"Mom, you are so wonderful fresh and warm."
That made me feel like a fresh bun from the bakery. And it made me feel good.



These illustrations have been inspired by . It´s always a pleasure reading about gwen´s working holiday in London.

Vladimir Gvozdev Rain Animation

I´m too tired to get any new drawings or paintings done. I´ve been packing and packing the past days but there´s still work to be done. Next week I´ll be painting our new flat, so I should better get on with work here.

So I´m feeling tired and moody again and I´m only posting the link of a phantastic Russian artist. The flash animation suits my mood very well.

Check out the great animation!

Georgia O´Keefe (ATC)

I´m not a fan of Georgia O´Keefe´s art - it´s way too flowery and pretty for me.
Here´s the original Red Canna by O´Keefe.

I really liked this flower painting though, so I changed the colors a bit. I like the warm, fiery and vibrant colors of my version:

Pan's Labyrinth - 2

This is how the movie Pan´s Labyrinth starts:

"A long time ago, in the underground realm, where there are no lies or pain, there lived a Princess who dreamed of the human world. She dreamed of blue skies, soft breeze, and sunshine. One day, eluding her keepers, the Princess escaped. Once outside, the brightness blinded her and erased every trace of the past from her memory. She forgot who she was and where she came from. Her body suffered cold, sickness, and pain. Eventually, she died. However, her father, the King, always knew that the Princess' soul would return, perhaps in another body, in another place, at another time. And he would wait for her, until he drew his last breath, until the world stopped turning... "



Did I mention that the movie is brutal but beautiful anyway? And you should listen to the soundtrack on the offical website. It is wonderful.

Pan's Labyrinth - 1

This week I watched El Laberinto Del Fauno with one of my best friends. The movie was written and directed by Guillermo del Toro.
It is one of the few movies where I had to look away for some seconds, due to its brutality. Nevertheless a great movie, which I can recommend watching.

"Innocence has a power evil cannot imagine."



I don´t know why, but somehow I´m fascinated by dark and mysterious creatures with horns. So there will be more to come.

Journal #1 - Moving Soon!

Can´t wait to move into the new apartment in 3 weeks!

EDM #7 - Bottle (of Whisky)

I received a new book Everyday Matters by Danny Gregory. I spent some time reading it and found it quite inspiring. I did some quick sketches after the reading.
This is the first sketch where I managed to draw simple, single lines (at least some of them), so I guess I´m improving. :D



This is a miniature bottle of Bruichladdich whisky. It´s a special bottle and I have been saving it for a special occasion. Tonight is Purim and you are supposed to get drunk. So maybe I´ll open it tonight! ;)

BTW: Anybody interested in whisky should subscribe to WHISKYCAST.