Adventures In and Out of Boxes: HOD. Page Eight.

 

INDIVIDUATION

Individuation is a process of transformation whereby the personal and collective unconscious are brought into consciousness (e.g., by means of dreams, active imagination, or free association) to be assimilated into the whole personality. It is a completely natural process necessary for the integration of the psyche. Individuation has a holistic healing effect on the person, both mentally and physically

-from: Jung, C.G. (1962). Symbols of Transformation: An Analysis of the Prelude to a Case of Schizophrenia (vol. 2). New York: Harper & Brothers.

 

 

How the harmonizing of conscious and unconscious data is to be undertaken cannot be indicated in the form of a recipe.

 

-from: Jung, C.G. (1959) The Archetypes and the Collective Unconsciousness. Chapter VI: Conscious, Unconscious, and Individuation.  Princeton University Press.

 

 

      I found Jung through storytelling and mythology.  My psychology leanings are apparent as well.  But his work was about getting healthy.  Getting over it.  After reading Possessing the Secret of Joy by Alice Walker he became even more important to my journey.  Symbols become bookmarks from larger more important ideas.  A way to represent them without making there mysteries too concrete or literal.  That is why I make sequential art.  To get healthy and maintain the mystery. 

   These pages for Hod came almost straight from the sketchbook.  Copied then inked so they are a more organic and fluid than the Who am I? pages. 


Reading List:       The Archetypes and the Collective Consciousness.  C.G. Jung
                             Valis. Phillip K. Dick.
                             The LeRoi Jones/Amiri Baraka Reader. Amiri Baraka. edited by William
                             J. Harris.
                            

Listening List:     Studio 360 Podcast: Leonardo DiCaprio & Ben Stiller.
                            

Watching List:     Army Wives.  Season Four.
                             Battle Beyond the Planets.
                             DeathRace 2000.
                             12 Monkeys. 
        

In and Out of Boxes: HOD. Page Seven.

 

     I wanted to destroy my EGO.  In all my pseudo-intellectual philosophizing, I did not know how much it hurt.  I did not know how attached I had become to my life as it was...

I did not know until I watched it unravel with an audience of my family, friends and associates.  I was so consumed by embarrassment I did not realize what was happening:

CHANGE.

NECESSARY CHANGE.

 When you build something its hard to accept its flaws.  Investing your success and worth with the success of this "THING", well its disintegration becomes confusing.  I thought the death of my "CREATION" was the death of me.  But in the wake of this Apocalypse I opened my eyes to the wasteland and found that

LIFE

GOES

ON.

So slowly, surely I continued living.

Like John Carter said, " I still live."

So I decided to LIVE.

 

  

Reading List:             Unity (the original by Valiant comics) Collected trades I II &IV.(can't 

                                   find book III...somewhere in my boxes.)

                                   V for Vendetta.  Moore and Lloyd.  Time and maturity have improved my

                                    understanding and enjoyment of it.

                                   Lamentations. Old Testament

Listening List:           Podcast On Being Unedited - Walter Brueggemann with Krista Tippett

                                  Kind of Blue. Miles Davis.

                                  Time will tell. Bob Marley.

                                  Forest. George Winston

                                  Royal. Lorde

                                   

Watching List:         Star Trek Enterprise. Season Three.

                                 Anna Lucasta.

                                 Speed Racer.

                                 Ken Burns JAZZ. Episode 8 Risk.



Adventures In & Out of Boxes: HOD. Page Six.

from: http://www.inner.org/sefirot/sefhod.htm

 

Hod is the eighth of the ten sefirot, and the fifth of the emotive attributes within Creation.

 

Hod is associated in the soul with the power to continually advance, with the determination and perseverance born of deep inner commitment, toward the realization of one's life goals. The acknowledgment of a supreme purpose in life, and the total submission of self which it inspires, serve to endow the source of one's inspiration with an aura of splendor and majesty. Hence the word hod connotes both "acknowledgment" (hoda'ah) and "splendor," in the sense of an aura-like "reverberation" (hed) of light.

 

 

 

        This part is about recovery.  What 2011-2012 was all about. The act of waking up by day.

The acceptance of what is outside of you affects but does not define what is inside of you.  The rediscovery of Self and what is important:

 

TELLIN' STORIES!

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR.  MAKE EACH DAY YOURS!

 

 

 Reading List:          The Gospel of Thomas from the Nag Hammadi Library.

                                 Flex Mentallo: Man of Muscle Mystery by Grant Morrison & Frank Quitley.

                        

 

Music List:               Bob Marley

                                 James Taylor

                                 Allure by Jay-Z.

 

TV& Movie List:     Star Trek Enterprise. Season Three.

                                 Coffy.

                                 Truck Turner

                                     

Adventures In & Out of Boxes: TRANSITION.

You let me violate you
You let me desecrate you
You let me penetrate you
You let me complicate you
Help me
I broke apart my insides
Help me
I've got no soul to sell
Help me
The only thing that works for me
Help me get away from myself...

 

You bring me closer to God- Nine Inch Nails

 

 

Reflecting on Pain, Regret, and Escape.

Looking for an exit from Chaos and Disrespect.

There is none.

There is no Escape-

only Completion.

 

 

      I tried to complete this story to separate and lay to rest what is Past.  To take advantage of NOW.  I embraced and exhausted the Physical, until all that was not Divine would fall away.

      Striding through a world of panels; jumping in and out of boxes, on the carnal Altar I discovered the power within.  When there is nothing else to fill you appetites you find the vast potential of NO-thing.  Past drunken Bacchanalia and misty smoke outs there occurred an awakening.  There is joy in the Party and pleasure in the afterParty but the awakening is transformative and redemptive. 

 

 

 



Down here on the ground

ain't no place for living

Down here on the ground

Watching the sparrows fly

I watch the birds

As they make their wings

Flying solid free

How I wish it were me

But I'm down here on the ground

And I'm wanting something better

I'm down here on the ground

Wanting something more

One morning soon

You will find

Some wings on my mind

To take me high

So if you hear a sound

From down here on the ground

Don't you know?

It's only me trying to fly- George Benson

 

 

      Down here on the ground there is nowhere to go but up.  The fair forms that offer distraction and release fall away leading to a higher Adoration.  But first the right Companion must be found.  It takes stumbles and hard lessons to realize: to learn from being wrong you have to accept Responsibility for the Wrong...

 

 

Reading List:  AvsX.  Bendis-Brewbaker-Fraction & various artist.

                       Avengers Forever.  Busiek-Pacheco-Merino

                       Bridgeman's Complete Guide to Drawing from Life. George B. Bridgeman

 

Music List:  Bob Marley Radio on Pandora.com

                     Drops of Jupiter- Train

                     

 

Movie/Television List:  Thor: the Dark World

                                       The Directors: Spike Lee

                                       The Seven Samurai- Kurosawa

                                        Star Trek Voyager. Season One  

Adventures In & Out of Boxes: Who Am I? Page Five.

There is magic in the carnal world.

 

The freeing of pent up physical energies can open the doors of perception. 

Or maybe that's my liberal arts education talking. 

To quote an old pimp the only thing better than old ----- is new -----. 

Fill that in with whatever you want.

 

 

 

 

This story was always intended to have a soundtrack. 

This page is inspired by

Gut Bucket Blues,

 Southern Hood hip-hop,

Violin Adagios,

 Pink Floyd Animals

 and

Vintage Al Green.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adventures In & Out of Boxes: Who am I? Page Four.

    Art is doing. 

Looking. Thinking. Planning. Doing.

 

Being a professor forced me to constantly reflect on basic skills, structure, and observation.  Every artist needs a PROCESS.  Every artist has to trust the discovery and application of a Process.  Every artist must be prepared, once a process is not enough, to ChANGe.  And start all over again. 

 

  Reading List:  New Teen Titans Vol. 2 Issue 10-16, & Annual #1  Marv Wolfman & George Perez. 

                               Titans of myth, Doom Patrol, Omega Men.  The stuff that made me check who

                                the creative team was for the first time in comics. 

                           Legion of Superheroes Annual  #1. Paul Levitz & Keith Giffen.

                               The story that introduced Invisible Kid II, holographic D&D, and the prelude to

                                the Great Darkness saga. 

Music List:   My Being Petty playlist on iTunes.  Created for my ex-wife...

                                 Songs like:  Funny How time Slips Away- Al Green.

                                                     Hello Like Before- Bill Withers

                                                     Say Hello Wave Goodbye- David Gray

                                                     Blame Game- Kanye West

                                                     All in love is Fair- Stevie Wonder

                                                     Anna's Song- Marvin Gaye

                                                     Theme from Mahogany- Diana Ross

                                                      Papers- Usher

Movie/TV List:  Star Trek Enterprise Season 2.

                           The Hobbit.

                            The Dunwich Horror.

 

 

 

Adventures In and Out of Boxes: Who am I. Page Three.

      Out of the Abyss.  This page creating it, reflecting on it,  and the time it represents was an exercise in ego destruction.   Every acceptance of change in life is about destroying who you were to accept who you are as circumstances and intention demands.  Rough collage is represented by the badly photographed and copied paintings down the center tier of the page.  Large paintings (4'x2') I made while in the relationship relating to the object of my love, the maturation of passion from lust to love, and the acceptance of death/change. 

 

http://irfuel.blogspot.com/2006/06/sorceror-series-long-walk-cross-my.html  

 

http://irfuel.blogspot.com/2006/05/sorceror-series-slowly-surely.html

 

  

 

 

 http://irfuel.blogspot.com/2006/05/sorceror-series-with-death-on-your.html

 

 

 The Links above connect to an old blog I had with a group of friends: Intellectual Rocket Fuel we used to inspire each other to create. 

 

 

 

Reading List: Bhagavad-Gita translated by Barbara Stoler Miller.
                      

Music List:  Next Lifetime, Didn't Cha Know. Erykah Badu
                    
Movie/TV list:  Miami Vice Season One.
                          Parks and Recreation.
                          Star Trek: Enterprise Season One.

Shit I dig! ComicsI read this week 11/20/2013

 

 

I came to Sandman late.  Picked up the final arc Kindly Ones because Marc Hempel was drawing it.  Hempel caught my eye in college when My roommate Bill collected a coulpe of graphic novels about a simple man in an asylum named Gregory.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hilarious and touching stuff.  I had no interest in Neil Gaiman though I quickly became a fan. Luckily a gaming buddy of mine Eric, had all the trades in his collection and I caught up.  Now my Vertigo title was the Invisibles and I was deep into that journey, but Sandman mixed all the magical story sources I enjoyed.  I was in. I was affected by its ending and never found another Gaiman joint that held my attention like he did on Sandman.  Imagine my excitement when it was announced that Gaiman was returning to Dream and the art was being helmed by one of my favorite current comic artists, J H Williams III.  I missed the first issue when it came out two weeks ago.  So I held my reviews until I read it.  I am also finishing up a big move, so time has been a tight commodity.  Anyway I finally got it so let the show go on...

Adventures In and Out of Boxs: Who am I. Page Two.

    Busy week.  Moving to be with my lady. Anyway here is page two.  I call it heartbreak in the Gump. 

Adventures In and Out of Boxes:Who Am I. Page One.

This is how CHANGE occurs. 

 

Through ACTION purpose is met.  I am leaving the Bunker.  The Studio.  Continuing forward on this Sorceror’s journey.  I am  actualizing the Turtle Triumphant.

                This is how the story begins.  This is how I enter a new state of being.

 

Being a Father. 

            It begins with a packing box of my favorite books from my special bookcase.

 

Shit I dig! Comics i read this week 10/28/2013

 

The New52 catches my attention....

 

 

         Not a bad comic week and a little different.  Only one Avengers book and no X-books.  And more DC books then Marvel. 

 

 

 

Shit i dig! Comics I read this week 10/25/2013

 

7.  Fantomax MAX #1

What!? Me name drop?!

 

            Okay so I know the artist that drew this comic.  Shawn Crystal was in the Sequential Art MFA program at SCAD Savannah with me, and is currently a Professor of SA at SCAD ATL. Good memories.  Good artist.  That said I have to admit Fantomex is one of my least favorite Grant Morrison creations.  I also have not followed his activities in the Marvel world up until his current antics in Uncanny X-Force, I like the movement of his characters in this but the use of zip tones distracts from the art.  And the women are drawn very gratuitously… but it is a MAX book.  The story didn’t hold me.  Lot of unnecessary cursing and EVA is out of control.  I’m lost with what is going on as there is really no setup for the violence that occurs by Agent Fleming’s fellow agents.  I’ll check out issue two at BAM but, it is nice to see folks from SCAD making good. 

 

Of Mythic Proportions: Extinction. Character Sketches

 

 

         It took me years to begin to appreciate how useful sketchbooks are.  Here are four characters of OMP: Extinction. 

 

 

 

Lord Lizard

 

Lord Lyonmane

 

 

Lord Tapestry with his whips

 

 

Escora of the Northern

Oh How Brechtian. Of Mythic Proportions:Extinction. Book One. Part One. Page Ten.

"Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are."

 

Bertolt Brecht

 One of the greatest and most difficult lessons I took from SCAD and storytelling was to start small.  Often new sequential artist want their first story to be an epic saga.  When the daunting task of drawing one good comic page is really before you, you learn.  I realize I have the attention span to work on five to ten page stories.  This is the end of part one of the story. 

            For a week or so I’m gonna drop some sketches and drawings connected to OMP but I have another story I’ll be presenting here in two weeks.  I’m working on the next ten pages of OMP now… we’ll see when I finish. And as soon as I do it’ll be here. 

Reading List: The Book of Daniel: A Novel.

Music List: E.S.P. Miles Davis
                    Ne me Quitte Pas. Nina Simone

Movie/TV List: Fringe Season Five
                          Breaking Bad Season Two.

Shit I Dig! Comics I read this week 10/09/2013.

            ITS AN AVENGER WORLD!!

 

 

 

 

 

Shit I dig! Comics I read this week 10/8/2013

It’s like they let loose a Virus.  Like a strain of that virus that first ran through the X-men around the mid-nineties, spreading the concept beyond the limitations of one or two monthly titles.  The Avengers have really caught on!  I blame Brian Bendis, or maybe the editor, Tom Brevoort is the culprit.  Since Bendis’ departure from the Avengers, the brand has exploded.

            So I ended up with almost all Marvel books and an Image title and a final issue of a DC title... for me (that’s been happening a lot lately).

 

 

 

The Walking Man Walks.Of Mythic Proportions: Extinction. Book One. Part One. Page Nine.

 

 

 

     So a story can be incredibly personal without giving the real names of anyone involved.  You can take jabs at a person from your past who broke your heart are secretly thank an old flame for changing your life for the better without ever leaving yourself vulnerable.  That's what made me appreciate story.  Lyonmane is the unrestrained libido.  His passion is his greatest distraction.  He is the Hunter.


Reading List:  The Bible- Old Testament
                        Mask of God vol. 1: Primitive Mythology.


Music List:   Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell radio on Pandora.com.

Movie/TV  List:  Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
                             Bob's Burgers   

The Primal Reptile Brain. Of Mythic Proprotion: Extinction. Book One. Part One. Page Eight.

         One of the other inspirations for this story are backyard lizards.  I spent afternoons and evenings meditating on my parents back porch.  I would watch ants, birds, lizards, and all type of natural phenomena, while contemplating storytelling.  One day I watched a small lizard wreak havoc on the small insects skittering across the cement porch.  Stalking and gulping done all kinds of little insects.  Oddly enough it reminded me of a comic book run.  Silver Surfer Vol.3 as drawn by Ron Lim and written by Steve Engelhardt.  I remember part of the story arc involved Silver Surfer traveling with a vicious reptilian alien.  If memory serves the subtext of the story talked about the oldest part of the brain, the reptilian brain.  I gotta find those issues. 
The Reptile brain deals with necessity. Survival.

Lord Lizard is all about survival. 

Reading List: Comic Book Events: Trinity War, Infinity, Forever Evil, and Battle of the Atom. 


Music List: Nina Simone Ne Me Quitte Pas & Don't let me be misunderstood

Movie List: Life of Pi.  What a revelation.  Ang Lee gets me again.

Sowing the Seeds of Derision. Of Mythic Proportions Book One. Part One. Page Seven.

    Thinking a lot about layers.  Layers of space, layers of perception, and layers of meaning.  I have done a lot of editing of my original script.  Paring down to necessary text for available space and design.
    Lizard, Lyonmane, and Tapestry are brothers who care deeply for each other.  For these long lived comrades the expanse of time will test their ties and the Greenheart of Behemoth has sown its poison seed.
       But who are these young heroes....


Reading List: A New Earth: Awakening to your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle.
                      The Invisibles Omnibus by Grant Morrison and Various phenomenal artists!
                    
Music List:  Miles Davis.  Nefertiti
                    New Edition. Everything on Youtube.
                    80's R&B.

Movie List: The Lone Wolf and Cub Boxed Set.  Six movies based on my favorite Manga
                    series:Lone Wolf &cub by Kazou Koike and Goseki Kojime. INCREDIBLE!

It takes a village OR On the Souls of Clan Folk. Of Mythic Proportions:Extinction.Book One.Part One.Page Six.

  When the idea for this first part of a much larger story was forming I was teaching art at a University.  I came into contact with a lot of young men(and women) who had issues with male authority figures as a result of the absence of fathers or strong male figures in their lives.  Consequently I thought hard on these young men and their lack of an accessible role model to allow a maturity from adolescence.  The absence of Lord Lizards father and the fate of his mother, the leader of the combined clans, is a central aspect of his character arc and the overall story.  I think if I painted this page it would have the power I want to express.  We'll see.


Reading List: Heretic: Betrayers of Kamigawa. Kamigawa Cycle Book II by Scott McGough.
                       The Path. Issues 1-12. CrossGen Comics.  Ron Marz & Bart Sears

Music List:  Jay-Z. The Blueprint.
                    Street Faerie. Cree Summer

Stepping Out of the Abyss.

Self-Absorbed: The Fool on the Hill.

2013. Acrylic on Canvas Paper.

 

 

But the fool on the hill

Sees the sun going down

And the eyes in his head

See the world spinning round.

                                     Lennon/McCartney

 

 

This painting is a product of Education First Tours (EFTours),                                             Rembrandt, Impressionism,Van Gogh: A Retrospective, Divorce, The Magical Mystery Tour, and Narcissism. 

So let the first, be last.

            I have drawn and painted myself numerous times in my life.  Each self portrait records a Time or an Attitude or perhaps a Thought. A Reminder of how the interior is expressed through the exterior.

            The intentions of an armchair psychologist.

            During its execution, I was determined to recover my Bliss, as defined by Joseph Campbell. The activities and proclivities that make this experience a joy



Like Painting.

Summer Plans 2012

2012.Watercolor and ink on watercolor paper 

 

 

The Magical Mystery Tour

 

            The Beatles album.  One of many great ones.  An incredible highway album.  Nice for long rides.  The journey is about what you see and what you do.  The song came on my ITunes playlist after I finished the painting.  I was looking at the painting at the moment.

 “and the eyes in his head…”





 

DIVORCE

 

            My divorce was final Dec. 21, 2011.  I am mostly done processing.  After a time I decided to I was still an okay dude.  I opened back up and met a real nice lady.  Like a lotus flowering…

 

… And it changed me. 

            So my Lady digs Thrift stores, Goodwill, and Flea Markets.  Now I find treasures at these places.  The best are books.   I found a gem at the Goodwill in Macon, Georgia (incredible café and book section if you are ever in the area.) 

 
 
 

 

Van Gogh

A Retrospective

Edited by Susan Alyson Stein

 

            I already liked Vincent.  His tragic story, the intensity of his vision, and the beauty of his use of color made Vincent an integral tool for Art Education.  Years ago (nearly a decade now…) I saw his work in person in Amsterdam.  At the time I was not a competent enough student of painting to appreciate the technique or his execution.  Two years ago I saw his work repeatedly while journeying through the U.K. to Paris.  Courtesy of Education First Tours. 

 

 

        

Van Gogh, A Retrospective contains a painting in particular that exploded from the page with energy and light. 



Pink peach trees (Souvenir de mauve)

1888

 

            BRUSHTROKES!! 

Brushstrokes became important. 

LEARNING TO PAINT

So I am looking  forward and moving forward.  Learning to layer the paint and swirl the brush.  Stepping out of the Abyss. The Fool on the hill.