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The $700 Billion Question
Posted by Michael Sloan at 10:18 am on September 24th |
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Leanne Shapton at The New York Times Op-Ed called with this Letters illustration on the bailout plan for rescuing America's financial institutions. It appeared in yesterday's paper. I don't often use scanned objects in my art, though when I do it tends to be currency. This was my first assignment with Leanne, and I enjoyed working with her very much.
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Above are my sketches, done in about two hours. Sketch #2 was used as it appears, slightly cropped and in black and white. In # 1 and 2 I'm using Greek myths in my concepts: Atlas with the weight of the world on his shoulders, and Sisyphus ceaselessly rolling a rock to the top of a mountain. I wanted to use an image of Prometheus chained to a rock with an eagle pecking his liver, but was unable to make it work.
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Here's a previous NY Times Op-Ed Letters illustration on tax reform, also using a scanned penny.
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My Hong Kong Sketchbook
Posted by Michael Sloan at 1:55 pm on July 24th |
Star Ferry Terminal, Kowloon. |
I spent the last two weeks in Hong Kong with my family. Here are some impressions from my sketchbook.
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Here are two views from our room at the YMCA. That's the Star Ferry Terminal in the foreground of the painting above. The ferry became an important part of our lives since my three children were thrilled by the ride across the harbor. Naturally the ferry and harbor became the focus of my sketches.
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Passengers on the Star Ferry. |
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Each day brought wonderful tropical storms with thunder unlike any I have heard before. Umbrellas are an important part of living in Hong Kong in the rainy season, and most stores and restaurants have a place to hang them up to dry by the front door.
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I've never seen so many different kinds of boats as in Hong Kong harbor, all going in different directions, day and night. Somehow all the boats seem to know where to go without bumping into each other.
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My 15-month old son liked to look out the window at the boats with his babysitter, Clarabel.
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Here are sketches of an old woman who swept a nearby beach to keep it clean. I loved the way she moved, and how her huge straw hat completely obscured her face.
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View from The Peak looking south. The weather was typical for a mid-afternoon in July: thunderstorms on the way, 95 degrees and near 100% humidity. |
One side of The Peak overlooks the city. The other side looks over a sparsely-populated mountainside sloping down to the sea. The port of Hong Kong is so busy that there are always many container ships at anchor waiting for their cargo to be unloaded.
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My only regret is that I was unable to sketch some of the incredible food we ate (southern China takes food as seriously as anywhere in Italy or France).
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Return to China
Posted by Michael Sloan at 11:10 am on June 26th |
Hong Kong harbor. |
I’m going back to China in a little over a week. I’ve been there once before with my wife, whose work takes her to southern China usually once a year. That first trip was an incredible experience for me, and I’ve been looking forward to returning ever since. I love to travel and I’m very lucky that my wife’s work makes this possible.
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I.M. Pei's Bank of China building in Hong Kong. |
I have many strong memories of my first trip to China. I remember the continuous drama of Hong Kong harbor, with the shipping traffic and the backdrop of ultra-modern skyscrapers marching up the side of a mountain that rises from the sea. I did several paintings of the towering tropical clouds that brought brief, torrential downpours and rainbows in the afternoons. Hong Kong and Guangzhou are cities where food is taken very seriously, and since I’m an adventurous food-lover, I was in my element. I also remember the contrast between the old and new China; traditional architecture and street markets dwarfed by large construction projects, and everyone talking on cell phones long before they became ubiquitous here in the States.
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Construction in Guangzhou; the scaffolding is made of bamboo. All the construction and industrial activity has had a devastating impact on the environment. Air pollution is a real problem. |
In the mainland city of Guangzhou there were construction projects on a vast scale - half-built skyscrapers wrapped with scaffolding made from bamboo, and elevated superhighways carved through the center of the city. These highways were so new that there weren’t enough cars to use them - they were empty except for an occasional bicyclist. It will be much different now, since the economic boom in China has made cars affordable for many people in the rich southern cities. Ten years ago, the level of human and industrial activity was astonishing, and made NYC feel calm by comparison. I expect this activity will be even greater today, and some of the city scenes that I painted on my first trip might be almost unrecognizable.
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The Courtesan's House, an historic site in Guangzhou. |
This is the first time in China for my three children, a real family adventure (they arrived yesterday, and I join them next week after I perform with the Half-Tones at the ICON opening reception). I’ll bring my sketchbook and watercolors, and hope that I find time to document this trip as I did before. I’ll look forward to posting some new paintings when I get back.
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Cathedral in Macao. Ten years ago Macao was still a Portuguese colony. Now it is the gambling center of China and a rival to Las Vegas. |
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The Further Travels of Professor Nimbus
Posted by Michael Sloan at 5:07 pm on June 16th |
Professor Nimbus at the recent Olympic ski jump trials in the Alps. |
As I continue this series of prints, I've been playing a game with myself: How much of Professor Nimbus's face needs to appear to show that it is clearly him? Can his face be hidden? Is it enough to show his trademark hair style?
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I've always loved these outdoor binoculars which are a permanent fixture at places like the observation deck of the Empire State Building. They have a face of their own. |
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