Untitled.. | In progress | Images © Copyright 2012 Mel LV Ruiz
Repainting the concept of a carving I recently had to butcher. This is gonna be a good one guys…
Sturnus Rigor Mortis | New works on paper by LV Ruiz
I will be unveiling 4 new mixed media drawings (re: previous blog post) based on a study of a dead Starling. Check out the online show November 18th, 2011 at SWOON Gallery
La Caridad De Ochun | before and after | Image Copyright © 2011 Mel LV Ruiz & Ineffable3.com
I finished & framed this piece a few hours before my friend’s drumming for Ochun. Of course, that afternoon was cloudy as all hell and I couldnt take proper pics. I shot regardless tho. I had to wait a few months (Iyawo no contact orders) before I could get the painting back in my hands again, and when I did, I shot it with my Nikkon D5100. Unfortunately I still couldn’t get the color quality I wanted (ugh!). Digital cameras tend to overcompensate for light, and my images looked too vibrant. What you see here above is the result of a damn good scanning!
The image on the right has almost the precise coloring of the original. Now you can see how way off I was when I retouched the shitty pictures I took that day.
I’m going to run prints soon. Who want’s one?
And then THIS happened. Wood putty, here I come…sigh.
Untitled “Semi Relief” | In progress | Images Copyright © 2011 Mel LV Ruiz ♥Ineffable3
Upside down…and still not giving away any surprise endings. I’ll eventually stop posting these progress shots altogether. I’m going to wait until the piece is near completion to do a mass picture post.
Untitled “Semi Relief” | In progress | Images Copyright © 2011 Mel LV Ruiz ♥Ineffable3
After almost 2 weeks away, I’ve finally come back to my little Saint and her 2 birds. I’ve made alot of mistakes with this layout - mainly because it’s turning into an full relief as opposed to a semi which was my initial intention. I was recently told, “There are no mistakes in carving, just design changes.” It’s true, wood has a mind of it’s own. As do the Saints. As far as they’re concerned, if you’ve decided to devote your time to them, you better devote your entire time…otherwise you’re hands won’t work for anything else. Case in point - our beloved Khaleesi *siigh* It’s not like I don’t know this rule, I’ve experienced repercussions for attempting to break that very rule several times this past year. So yea, that’s the story. More progress pics coming soon!
My sketchbooks…in order.
Dos Elenas | The Stoic Scarecrow & The Absent Minded Birdfeeder | Image Copyright © 2009 Mel LV Ruiz ♥Ineffable3
My friend Tim got me thinking about Unas Elenas yesterday…so I put these skate decks back up on the site for viewing. Now the painted woodblock & print of Unas Elenas won’t look so random, lol. Check out the Woodwork section!
A Warbler. Getting ‘out of my head” is causing me to go further into my head…still no solution for my current carving issue.
Untitled “Semi Relief” | In progress | Images Copyright © 2011 Mel LV Ruiz ♥Ineffable3
This is what she’s looking like so far. Slow progress and rough looking progress, but progress nonetheless. I’ve taken to carving a little here and there in the wee hours of the morning before the little one wakes up to begin his day. Other than the birds chirping, it’s super quiet at 6am, which is nice. Just me, a cup of coffee, and a kitchen table full of wood shavings :)
Untitled “Semi Relief” | In progress | Images Copyright © 2011 LV Ruiz ♥Ineffable3
Doing some feathering. I hadn’t planned on doing any…but it’s happening. Carvings tend to take on a life of their own, and with that life comes personality…and opinions. So yea, my Hawk wanted defined feathers, so I was more than kind enough to oblige him.
More progress shots coming sooooooon.
Hawking. Yes friends, new madness has begun.
My mother kept every little scrap of paper I ever drew on. I found this gem the other day while rummaging through the pages of one of her many Bibles. Apparently when I was three years old I dictated a card to her. From the looks of the handwriting, I dictated it to her directly and she wrote it, lol. Randomly finding things like this makes me happy. Little hellos from the other side :)
3 bits of concept sketches for next painting. There will be a few really cool focal points in this one, so I’m pretty amped to get started. Once the idea is finalized (yea, fat chance) and all the images are layed out properly, I can then begin the transfer to wood. There will also be a nice little story to tell about this piece upon it’s completion. You shall enjoy :)
On another note - I’m SO happy to be out of the Ochun haze. I think my eyes were bleeding yellow and gold for a solid 2 months. I mean, Jeez Louise! Getting back to the gloomier side of life makes me feel alot more comfortable.
