Sofa Safari

Exploring Furniture in the Wild

Over the last 18 months, as I walk around the neighborhood, I often see the furniture that has been abandoned or has escaped domestic confines and is now residing on the streets or in the fields.

Couch family
Couch family, digital photograph

In fact, all over Turkey, I see wild furniture. I’m searching for the most elusive varieties of furniture – the avian and the aquatic. Maybe one day I will be lucky enough to see some furniture flying or swimming or even just resting beside a waterway or in a tree or on a rooftop.

Join me on a Sofa Safari

Sofa Safari Poster, digital image
Sofa Safari Poster, digital image

View the whole series on Flickr

Street couch
Explore my series of photos of Wild Furniture sightings on Flickr

Duct tape banana

Duct tape banana, politape, 145x80mm
Duct tape banana, politape, 145x80mm

In response to media surrounding Maurizio Cattelan’s work, “Comedian”, I have created this expression of a banana. Some media reports are incorrectly labelling Maurizio’s work as a duct tape banana when, in fact, it should be labelled duct taped banana.

My work is fastened to the wall with “blu tack”, some of which is not blue.

Is it duct tape or duck tape? This yellow tape is similar in color to that of a yellow rubber duckie. The tape used in this sculpture is branded Politape was purchased from a “dollar” store.

The banana that served as the model was also purchased from a discount store. The banana used in the production of this sculpture was later unknowingly eaten by my son.

Making Movies

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of acting in a movie.

The Instagrim Generation

For several years, the Outcasts team has entered the 48 Hours film-making competition. I joined the team and at 7 pm on Friday, we were given our genre (Generation Gap) and elements that needed to be included in the movie (wind, overhead shot, double-take, and audible laughter). We then brainstormed the plot, wrote the script, gathered costumes and props, scouted the locations, set up lights and cameras, filmed. scored, edited with titles and special video effects and delivered the finished movie with 2 minutes to spare on Sunday evening.

The film made it through to the regional finals in Wellington and was nominated for Best Use Of Required Elements – Overhead Shot and Best Original Score/Song.

The whole experience was a lot of fun and I learned a lot about making movies. While those, who were more skilled than I, were finishing the movie, I made a behind the scenes short movie. It contains several in-jokes and almost all of the elements of the competition entry.

Behind the Scenes

Director’s cut

The Instagrim Generation Director’s Cut: The Reapers

Director, Derrick Sims, released a director’s cut of the movie as The Reapers and added it to the Internet Movie Database.

Derrick has directed and appeared in other short films and so I now have a loose connection the Kevin Bacon.

My current Bacon Number is 4!

Theo Heartist was in
The Reapers
with
Derrick Sims
who was in
Making the Film: Come Morning
with
Michael Ray Davis
who was in
Endure
with
Tom Arnold
who was in
We Married Margo
with
Kevin Bacon

Non-flat earth (unpainted)

There are some conspiracy theories floating around suggesting that the Earth is flat. I have traveled around the world and observed that it is in fact round. Well, roundish.

Hindu mythology has the earth supported by elephants or a tortoise/turtle or both or a snake. North America has a legend of a ‘Great Turtle’, which upholds the Earth.

Combining the facts with the legends, I have created this model of the Earth.

Front, non-flat earth (unpainted)
Front, non-flat earth (unpainted), mixed media
Back, non-flat earth (unpainted)
Back, non-flat earth (unpainted), mixed media
Face, non-flat earth (unpainted)
Face, non-flat earth (unpainted), mixed media
Back detail, non-flat earth (unpainted)
Back detail, non-flat earth (unpainted), mixed media

The book of Job in the Bible says the Earth is suspended over nothing.

He spreads out the northern skies over empty space;
    he suspends the earth over nothing.

Job 26:7. NIV

While this lines up with the science, getting my globe to suspend itself over nothing is rather challenging.

I’m currently reading a book called The World is Flat. [affiliate link]

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Rosist #4

Rosist #4
Rosist #4, Fineliner pen on paper

A few years ago I wrote this poem, to try to give other colors of roses a chance. Each Valentines Day I have produced a new variation of it.

Not all roses are red,
I prefer them blue.
Flowers discriminated
by colorism too?

Happy Valentines Day!

Flight to Egypt

I looked out the window and there were three types of light sources of increasing power. On the ground below were man-made city lights. On the horizon were flashes of lightning from a tropical storm. And above a myriad of stars.

Flight to Egypt #1
Flight to Egypt #1, White and Silver Pens
Flight to Egypt #2
Flight to Egypt #2, Oil Pastel
Flight to Egypt #3
Flight to Egypt #3, Colored pencils
Flight to Egypt #4
Flight to Egypt #4, Fineliner Pen
Flight to Egypt #5
Flight to Egypt #5, Gouache
Flight to Egypt #6
Flight to Egypt #6, Torn and Etched Aluminum Foil
Flight to Egypt #7
Flight to Egypt #7, Florescent Sharpie
Flight to Egypt #8
Flight to Egypt #8, Emirates Colour Pencil
Flight to Egypt #9
Flight to Egypt #9, Pointillism, White Pen
Flight to Egypt #10
Flight to Egypt #10, Graphite (4B) Pencil
Flight to Egypt #11
Flight to Egypt #11, Spray Paint
Flight to Egypt #12
Flight to Egypt #12, Spray Paint Stencil Print
Flight to Egypt #13
Flight to Egypt #13, Cut Paper Inverse (Stencil)
Flight to Egypt #14
Flight to Egypt #14, Cut Paper
Flight to Egypt #15
Flight to Egypt #15, Glitter
Flight to Egypt #16
Flight to Egypt #16, Torn Masking Tape
Flight to Egypt #17
Flight to Egypt #17, Acrylic Paint
Flight to Egypt #18
Flight to Egypt #18, Wax Crayon
Flight to Egypt #19
Flight to Egypt #19, Horizontal Lines, Yellow Colored Pencil
Flight to Egypt #20
Flight to Egypt #20, IKEA Pencil
Flight to Egypt #21
Flight to Egypt #21, White Colored Pencil

Psst wanna buy a poster of a poster of a poster of my art?

How deep will this go?

As predicted twice, the recursion continues deeper. The scammy website is now “selling” pirated posters of a screenshot of a pirated poster of a screenshot of a pirated poster of my work.

Psst wanna buy a poster #5
Psst wanna buy a poster #5, a screenshot of stolen art, digital image

Buy a genuine Theo Heartist print

If you do want to buy a print of my art, check out genuine items I have for sale on Society6 shopSociety6, Deviant Art, Redbubble, or ArtPal.

If you are procrastinating an art purchase, then buy my e-book How to Profit from Procrastination e-book on iBooks and get future editions for free.

Psst wanna buy a poster of some posters

As I predicted almost three months ago, a scammy website that is “selling” pirated posters of my work would have a recursive poster of my pirated posters for sale on their site.

Psst wanna buy a poster #3
Psst wanna buy a poster #3, a screenshot of stolen art, digital image

Now, the 11th item on the scammer’s list of Theo Heartist posters is “Psst wanna buy a #1 | Theo Heartist”. In future, I expect the above screenshot to appear as another recursive poster of posters for sale.   

The scammers capture images from websites and their goal is to phish photographers and artists when they try to take down their copyrighted images. They still have the same number of “happy buyers”, but look how nice this poster of posters of my art will look above your orange sofa.

Psst wanna buy a poster #4
Psst wanna buy a poster #4, a screenshot of stolen art, digital image

Please don’t buy from these scammers. I won’t reveal the name or address of the scam website because I doubt that they would actually send you a real poster.

Buy a genuine Theo Heartist print

If you do want to buy a print of my art, check out genuine items I have for sale on Society6 shopRedbubble, or ArtPal

Locked in Love

I took this photo at the Citadella in Budapest last week. It has beautiful views of the Danube and the city.

Like on the bridges in Paris, Budapest and other romantic cities, lovers have their names written on a lock, fasten the lock to the structure and throw away the key to symbolize their everlasting love for each other.

Notice how many of these locks are hanging off another. Why would you lock yourselves to another couple’s relationship?

Locked in Love
Locked in Love, digital photograph

Nearby was a lock engraved with Joanne and David. Close to that was another lock with a later date engraved with David and someone else. For Joanne’s sake, I hope it is not the same David.

Are your relationships locked onto something solid?

 

Rosist # 3

Rosist #2Rosist #3, digital imageA few years ago I wrote this poem, to try to give other colors of roses a chance. Each Valentines Day I have produced a new variation of it.

Not all roses are red,
I prefer them blue.
Flowers discriminated
by colorism too?

Happy Valentines Day!