Thursday, August 31, 2006
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Monday, August 28, 2006
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Friday, August 25, 2006
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Monday, August 21, 2006
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Friday, August 18, 2006
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Monday, August 14, 2006
The Great Escape

THE GREAT ESCAPE © Scott Monteith
18" x 23 1/2" Mixed Media
each year I stay up until daylight to watch the Perseid meteor showers. I have a telescope from the turn of the century (thats 1900s) and while telescopes from ages ago can be good or even great, this one was made for straining your eyes. so what I see it with is the naked eye. this year the waning of the Full Red Moon and some moisture made it hard to see anything but a few days prior I was able to see the best shooting star I have ever witnessed. it shot across the southeastern sky towards Eagle Mountain. the color was yellowish, it was big and it didnt fade out as it seemed to come down. I wish you could have been herre to see it with me. the sight was amazing.
Sunday, August 13, 2006
The Last Ember of Hope

THE LAST EMBER OF HOPE"/ © Scott Monteith
18" x 24" Color Pencil and India Ink
Open Studio Weekend
November 4th & 5th
Wonder Valley, CA
if you have ever wanted to visit the desert the winter months are the time to do it. I am located just 10 minutes from the entrance of the Joshua Tree National Park which is also a short cut to Palm Springs. there is camping, a swanky local RV park, several inns, hotels, motels and B&Bs to choose from. as the time gets closer I will even let you know where you can camp for free, free music events and some of my favorite places. or if you want to ask me you can leave a comment (it wont be published so you can leave an email addy and I will get back to you, unless you just want to say something nice about me and Ill publish that.) I will also be making some of my art available for purchase online again.
this year there will be 90 artists opening up their studios for tours over two weekends. the last weekend of October is for the west side (Morongo Valley, Pioneertown, Landers, Yucca Valley, and half of Joshua Tree) with 40 artists and two galleries. The first weekend of November will be the east side of the Morongo Basin (the other half of Joshua Tree, Twentynine Palms and Wonder Valley) with approximately 40 artists, and two galleries. there wont be any way to get to them all in one day so there are two days each weekend and definitely a lot to see.
unfortunately some studios and art were lost in the wild fires that took a lot of Pioneertown so a few have cancelled, however, they plan to begin rebuilding soon. while the fires burnt parts of Morongo Valley, Yucca Valley and Joshua Tree no artist studios were burnt. I plan to go out and take some pictures while the ashes are still visible and before things start growing back. all it takes is a little rain, which those parts have had, and the plant life comes right back. the ground and rocks may still be darkened but the plant life is lush and green as long as there is a little moisture. I plan to keep you informed.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Son Of Sam I Am

SON OF SAM I AM © Scott Monteith
18" x 24" Intaglio / Collagraph
I wish this were from a long lost episode of Daria and news from the Sick Sad World but it is not. the unabombers items are going up for sale to pay off the families of 3 people he killed via the mail and 28 others he injured. I think they should either lock it all away for the FBI students to look at or burn it. the man wanted his stuff back but a judge decided it should go towards paying off the people he hurt.
alright, my own title is sick. I did a Killer series of art. but these things are personal to me. I was adopted and my adoptive parents thought I was a satanist because I wore black one semester of college, despite going to church the previous 18 years, 4-5 times a week. yeah, imagine that, an art student who wears black clothes ... how original. never mind the shirts were the Altar Boys and Bloodgood and other alternative Christian bands.
my point is its sick and its sad. its been quite a while to be getting some money out of it ... I mean do the families really care? I think I would be more upset if I were them to think that these things are going to be bought by some sick people - not all but statistics would say there will be a few. hopefully the FBI or someone will have a clue phone to see who the new owners are since everyone else is a possible terrorists threat ... or satanist *grin*.
Friday, August 11, 2006
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Monday, August 07, 2006
Imaginary Boys No. I

IMAGINARY BOYS NO. I © Scott Monteith
8" x 11" Charcoal
the only times Ive ever used live models were in life drawing and sculpture classes. we had the same four or five models and I knew all but one of them prior to the classes. we were supposed to find people to draw outside of class. perhaps I should have done it but being 20 I opted to make up my own people rather than ask friends or strangers to get naked for me. it kinda defeats the purpose of seeing body structure and learning from the source but they all turned out fine and I got my A.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Study of Baby Head

STUDY OF BABY HEAD © Scott Monteith
11" x 12" Charcoal
Im at a point where I need to study my own head. Mel Gibson ... after graduating from college in a small, small, small town I moved to the entertainment mecca and hopped back and forth over the hill 4 times in 13 years. when I arrived I rented a room in the home of a child star for a year or so. On either side of me were the "boys" from Little House on the Prairie, a soapstar from the Bold and the Beautiful and a celebrity reporter with Entertainment Tonight. I worked next to the Face Place and Jonathans hair salon. there were celebrities all around but I never recognized any of them. I heard all the gossip but it wasnt my scene. Im a low key kinda guy that doesnt watch movies or tv unless its cartoons.
so Mel Gibson has said some stupid things in the past he was never held accountable for, like Eminemem and many others. recently Ive read about Gibsons father. while it does not excuse the behavior it does explain a lot to me. I myself, like way too many people, have an asshole for a father. while we arent genetically related I share some of the same asshole qualities when I am pissed off. when I was 15 I forgave all that happened to me until recently when the ugliness raised its head again. both my parents had issues at 40 with their parents and it was my goal to not be like that. Im not 40 yet but that goal seems to be getting further away during these Bush years. regardless, the one thing Ive taken away from the crucifixion of Mel Gibson is that I need to check myself and see where I am coming from. Id like for it to be a good place.
Friday, August 04, 2006
Weightless Tranquility

WEIGHTLESS TRANQUILITY © Scott Monteith
14" x 11" Charcoal and India Ink
I think Im gonna lay off the morning java and news for a while. like Ive said before what I have to say is all in my artwork. everyone should have an opinion but this is still relatively new to me and Im not sure I want it to be my soapbox. and the adage "garbage in, garbage out" is what I am feeling. (although its nice to say the plan B pill is headed back to over-the-counter and the estate tax is dead in the water). so Ill go light some sage my friend Jane left me and think some good thoughts today. maybe it will take me into a good, productive weekend. either way a little sage does kinda smell good.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Serenity

SERENITY © Scott Monteith
11" x 10.5" Charcoal and India Ink
last month a proposed minimum wage increase was shot down by Republicans only to reemerge this month. except this time there was a catch-22 attached. ten years ago the 18 richest families in the United States started lobbying Congress and setting up non-profit organizations to convince the public to to save them more than $71 billion by doing away with the estate tax. only the super wealthy end up paying this tax but of course they are the ones whos money keeps growing just because they have so much of it. if you put $100 in a savings account or into anything to increase your fortune it does not grow as quickly as a million. the 99.73% or the rest of us dont pay because the ceramic bird grandma left you isnt worth squat. but the fortunes Sam Walton left his family, well, they dont want to have to shell out anything this decent man left them. if he could see them now he would likely have gone the way of Gates and Buffet. Wal Mart is evil. CA pays most of the employees insurance in this state because Wal Mart is too cheap to.
the state of CA also has a higher minimum wage for waitresses and those who earn tips. with the proposed federal "increase" those people could lose more than $5 an hour in CA. one out of eight people live in CA. thats a lot of insurance, a lot of state paid medical, a lot of low income, and a lot of kids on free lunches. can America really afford to keep shopping at Wal Mart? can we really afford to let $71.6 billion go into the pockets of the most greedy people in the world who didnt even earn the money themselves. okay, so Paris Hilton has a song but she didnt make all the money herself. its only your future and your kids future.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Oblivion

OBLIVION © Scott Monteith
12" x 16" Oil Stick, Charcoal and India Ink
plan B, food for thought: diapproved by the
FOOD, DRUG & GOD ADMINISTRATION
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Hello: Welcome To LA

HELLO: WELCOME TO L.A. © Scott Monteith
12" x 16" Oil Stick and Charcoal
some things you have to see in person for yourself (of course I am from the Show-Me-State). for the piece L E N Beans my camera captured the subtly of the black on black but for this piece it did not show the "o" at the end of "hell" nor the "welcome to LA" under the cars on the freeway at the bottom of the canvas. what you see, much like life, depends on the light and where you are standing.
being raised a Southern Baptist and going to church 4 to 5 times a week it wasnt until I was a teen that I realized for myself it wasnt our duty to help God do his job by judging people. I asked too many questions at church. like why would Jesus turn water into wine at a wedding celebration if it was just like grape juice? for communion the church did get the best grape juice although I also questioned the public display of whos been bad or not saved (drinking and dancing, both mentioned in the Bible, are not allowed).
while it may not seem related my issue today is with off shore drilling. sometimes I think Im being judgmental but its just my opinion and there is a big difference. if all goes as expected the gulf states will soon be dotted with even more off shore oil rigs. that will in turn mean more refineries. the whole thing sucks ... actually it stinks, really bad. Im not sure how Manhattan Beach became an expensive place to live with all the refineries there but the beach area is ruined if you use your nose and eyes much. if you rely only on touch then its a nice place. for the love of money all the gulf states will no longer have nice coasts but they will be able to put lead paint in most of the kids classrooms for pimping the shores to Exxon and Chevron and the like. gee, isnt that nice.