The Monster Mask

We folks all around the world are wearing masks to stave off the invading plague. Even I have some to wear, made by a friend out of colorful fabric. I think I look like an idiot wearing a mask, but if it does something helpful, all right I'll wear it. I struggle with putting it on, but eventually I stuff my face into it and hope for the best. This seaborne crustacean creature is wearing one of our stylish masks complete with seaweed and ocean berries. The empty part is for journal text.

Black tech pen and Photoshop "inking," 6 1/2" x 4", May 13, 2020.

Portrait of William Kyle 1997

This is, or was, a portrait of William Kyle, who bought many small artworks from me in those fantasyland days of Darkover. Vietnam veteran, re-enactor, collector, fantasy writer, steady frequenter of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) and fantasy conventions, I thought of him as kind of a fantasy character of his own. Doesn't he look like Hagrid the half-Giant from the Harry Potter books? In 1997 they were already starting to be published and he might have already read the first one. 

Unlike the Hagrid character, William Kyle had a daughter. We saw them at DarkoverCon over the years, and by the time I drew this portrait, she was at least six years old. She looked enchanted, in a pale dress with long, strawberry blonde hair, occasionally climbing up on her dad's lap or snuggling against him, a "fannish" family member raised in the community. 

As DarkoverCon grew older, we fans didn't see Kyle any more and he was not there to buy my art or anyone else's. It turned out that Kyle had been convicted of molesting his daughter and had been sentenced to a long time. I believe he died in prison, and no one in our community missed him.

Drawing of Kyle is black tech pen on sketchbook page, 5 1/2" x 8", November 28, 1997.

Dancing Comets

I will let no day unblogged go (as long as I can manage it that is). How about some color rather than the usual Black Square. I like the blue background for the orangey curves. I could have put more elements in but I decided to quit while I was ahead so here's your Photoshop Square Doodle for today. Vintage sketch art with sad story coming tomorrow.  

Photoshop, 5" x 5", May 12, 2020.

Amethysts

This Photoshop abstract study is reminiscent of work I did many years ago using "mid-century modern" styles. The square format was a try at an album or CD cover. I would have liked more wide large curved lines but it is hard to make them in Photoshop. The title "Amethysts" refers to the purple colors used in the design.

Photoshop, 5" x 5", May 11, 2020.

Avestacon ends

Scholarly conferences can be a tough job. As Avestacon came to a close I sketched another two dignitaries. Both of them were active in the Zoroastrian community as teachers and organizers. After Avestacon I continued to visit with Zoroastrians and I wrote a lot of articles for "Westerners" about aspects of Z. faith and culture. I had it in mind that at some point I would draw back from my connection with the Zoroastrians once they had their own organization and public infrastructure, and by Year 2000 I was ready to move on to something else.

Black tech pen ink on sketchbook page, 4 1/2" x 3 3/4", November 17, 1997.

Zoroastrian Priests November 1997

Here are some more portraits of participants at Avestacon 1997. Most of them are Zoroastrian  priests, both from Iran and India. On formal and ceremonial occasions they dress all in white, the symbol of purity. There are both young and older men at the priestly meeting. In the Zoroastrian faith, the priesthood is inherited from father to son and is only for males. Not every priestly son wants to join the family obligation so the religion, rather like other ancient religions, needs to cultivate a new generation of priests.

Black tech pen on sketchbook pages, 10" x 8", November 1997.

Colors of Spring 2020

I do an entry like this more or less every year, celebrating (well, a rather mild celebration) the colors of Spring and the lemon-lime shades of early May, with clear intense blue sky. The warblers have arrived in the area, elusive to birdwatchers as always. The brilliant yellow-green is quickly maturing to the emerald green of later spring. And the allergy, well that's always the same, sniffle and itch. This image isn't so realistic, I paid attention to colors rather than parking lots.

Photoshop, 5" x 7", May 7, 2020.