Open For Change

            What is better than a chair? Why it's a table. What's better than a table? Why it's a table with a head.  It kind of looks like a pizza box with a person growing out of it.

Firm Foundation

          I finished the "skeleton" of the chair and it is solid like a rock. Well kinda, okay I really don't know. We'll see how it holds up when the glue is dry.

Head and Shoulders

           So I have decided to change direction with this project and make a funky chair. My wife has her doubts but I think it will turn out very...interesting. Well, at least it will make a good conversation piece. You know, the kind where family visits and says, "What the crap is that?????"

Dragon Puppet

          Paper sack puppet = good times.

Headcase!

          That is one huge noggin. He is going to need a strong set of shoulders and a python neck to hold that sucker up.

Chinny Chin Chin

          I have to admit I had my doubts earlier today on how this face was turning out. Were the eyes way too big? How about that nose? Well, I think the chin and jaw line really pulled everything together nicely. I'm excited again about where this project is heading.

Those Lips Are Made For Kissing!

        Whoa! Did somebody get stung by a bee??? Those are some swollen lips. This is my first time making lips and they sure did come out pouty. However, things seem to be progressing well. Pretty soon he will be getting a nice chin and jaw line.

New Beginning

          Time to move on and make something new. I thought about making this one more playful and I have a very fun idea for the eyes. This one will also be considerably bigger than any I have done before. Time to get started and see what happens.

Evil Beware!

          Ahhh yeah! The time has come for the first project of 2013 to come to an end. A new cardboard character is ready to be released into the world and you know what that means. Photo shoot time!

Best Friends Forever

         Looks like the big guy stopped by to make a new friend.

          Don't pick! It will only make it worse.

Applying The Color

Here we go! Completed the face and started on the armor. This little guy is almost ready for war.

Look Into My Eyes

          It's amazing what a little eye ball paint can do to a sculpture with a base coat.

Bummer...I'm Going To Need More Paint

        Looks like I need to make a run to the store and pick up some more spray paint. All I had left in the garage was a teensy bit of black and gray. Quick, to the Batmobile...uh...I mean Hyundai Santa Fe!

I'm Ready For My Head Shot

          Now he's rockin' some serious helmet. He's ready to smash his head threw a brick wall! Get ready, all that is missing is paint.

He Is One Intense Happy Guy

          Dual personality anyone? I drew this in the Marine Corps when I was stationed in Washington, D.C. I remember I had just watched the movie Taxi Driver and the VHS case had this half picture of Robert De Niro's face on it. I thought it looked interesting, so I added a smiley face to it and took off his mohawk. The end result reminds me of what the Marine Corps wanted us to be: Devil Dogs one moment and good citizens the next.

Don't Go Into The Woods!!!

          Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the woods. Something creepy was waiting for you in the dark. Was it Big Foot? A crazed maniac with a hatchet? Nope, it's a floating thingy that has candles, faces, and some other stuff attached to it. I know, pretty bizarre. Welcome to my high school art class.  
         This little drawing was something I did for a class project and I think it turned out pretty well. Let's see...we got some trees, got some pipes, and oh look...what appears to be rotting meat. What more can one ask for in a picture?

Big Helmet. Little Brain.

          I decided to add a helmet to our little friend so he can protect his little brain from injury. Concussions are making big news lately and he decided he needed some extra protection. He wanted to be ready if he takes a slip in the shower. Yeah, that's right. He showers with his helmet on. 

Peek-A-Boo!

          Looks like somebody got some eyeballs and the start to a fabulous nose. Constructing faces is always a fun task because I get to learn more about my own facial features. Having a small mirror at the ready is a great way to study your own face and apply what you have learned to your sculpture. I think it's a necessary tool and something I remember using in an art class for self portraits. I find that using references is a great way to bring realism and detail to a work of art. I have realized over the years that completely going by memory is not always the best policy. 

Hey! Where's My Head????

          Here's a look at my latest cardboard sculpture. He's not quite finished yet because he's missing his noggin. Poor guy. I guess he will also need some colorful paint to make him more interesting. He resembles a toy because well...I just love toys. I always enjoyed playing with toys as a child so I decided my art would represent toy-like characters. He even has some fun articulation at the shoulders and elbows.
          You will find that a lot of my adult art is character focused. I have always wanted to create my own toy line so I decided to do it one character at a time. In the past, I was intimidated by drawing faces so I always avoided them. All of my earlier art that contained people contained no faces. I think that practice was alright for then but now I am having fun playing with facial expressions. I find that good facial expressions bring out a lot of personality and who doesn't like personality. Am I right ladies?

Ugliest Deer Ever!

           What's this? I thought this blog was about cardboard art? Well it is, but I thought it would be appropriate to see what has inspired me over the years. Meet Bambi Alien by H. R. Giger. This little fella was the star of the film Alien 3 and caused a lot of problems for a few prisoners. I don't know about you, but I loved Aliens and Alien 3. Aliens was especially good because we got to see a ton of creatures go crazy on some unlucky space marines. One could say the film was even a factor in my decision to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps.
          I was fortunate enough to see Aliens at a young age so the alien design really captured my imagination. I loved the exoskeleton and the inner jaw that was always used to finish off its prey. I thought to myself these would be the coolest toys ever...and do you know what happened a few years later? Kenner produced some Aliens toys! Oh yeah, did my GI Joes get it then. They were no match for all those crazy colored aliens. The red crab one was especially unique.
          I eventually drew a picture of the deadly Alien after seeing a picture of H.R. Giger's sculpture. This is an old picture of mine but it means a lot to me. I thought I was "all grown up" as an artist because I decided to do the whole thing in pen. Many years have passed since then and the passion for making art is coming back. I have started playing around with cardboard recently and I look forward to sharing some interesting characters with you.