Defense Mechanism a song by Shane Sells and artwork by me

I have not posted any artworks up on this blog for awhile as I have been working on "background art" for Shane.

Here is Shane singing...


Please go to video via youtube link...


http://youtu.be/IilerSacM6Q

Call from the Earth - we need to look after our planet

The Earth is the only planet we are currently living on...so we had better look after it.

Everyone on this planet needs to think a little about the fact that we live on a 'space ship', and we just cannot get off (as yet).  Maybe someday we can go to the stars...

The Gold Hunter

A gold seeker...looking to see that shine of gold at the bottom of his washing pan... will he find it?  Are we all looking for that gleam of gold at the end of the day?

Fighting Software - Arrgh sometimes they don't mix

There are times when software makes you want to pull your hair out!  I installed some software the other day that promptly made another program cease to work properly!

Here is my little sketch of how I was feeling at the end of the night.

To add insult to injury, my main software came up with an error message and it took a 40 minute phone call to a helpdesk to fix that problem!  (My computer was given over to the hands of the "help techo" and I watched him fix the problem... a rather strange feeling to watch someone remotely move about inside of your computer!)

Fat Santa - a tired Santa with his heavy load

 

Santa is a little tired, he carries a heavy load, making all the children of the world happy.

Cool Bird - the start of the Christmas Season

 

 

I thought I should get into the "snow" of the Christmas Season.  In Australia, where Christmas is a season of blazing hot summer, we send each other cards and pictures of "Northern Hemisphere" Santa and snow. 

In Australia, we stick fake snow on the windows and in shop displays and then head for the beach!

The Need - a poem about the earth

The Need      by Paul Howlett

 

The rap song in my head

Lots of words

Lots of dread

Banging on the drum

Banging at the door

Lots of ideas

Making me roar

Speaking out about the evil

Speaking out about the things

Making us all aware

Of inequalities of life

Looking at the love life

Of all the earth

Are we here for good?

Will we make the grade?

Never looking back

Will humanity totally fade?

Finding the balance

Between life and death

Need to balance need

Without recourse to greed!

Waterfalls - a lovely place to be...

When I see water, when I am near water, when I am in water, when I am underwater, were ever I go in, out or about water I am happy.

Blue Face - A Gothic Look?

Then there was a blue face in my drawing.  I started out just putting my pastel crayon to the paper and making a blue background. 

Who's face do you think it is?  It could be a history figure that has foreseen the future.  The face could be a long lost relative.

Who do you think this face resembles?

The Business Plan - a poem of wealth

The Business Plan by Paul Howlett
　
The business plan
The way to make money
The way to success
The way to succeed
In business, or not
Depending on luck
Depending on what
We ask ourselves
As we start anew
A venture to win
Without too much sin
Can we really make money
Inside of the rules
What about the billionaires
Are they all ok
Have they been lucky
Born into the home
Of rich parents and such
Or just struck it rich
On hardwork and grit
This thing I know
You can only succeed
Without thought for greed
To make heaps of money
Ok, but just not worry
Spread it around
Fertilize the ground
Then we will see
That both you and me
Can have all the wealth
And give the next guy
A go, mentor is the way
And at the end of the day
Everyone will have pay!

The Picket Fence - a poem about unfinished business

The Picket Fence       By Paul Howlett


I am a picket fence
Long neglected that’s a fact
I am snaggled toothed
And bent
Lots of missing palings
Lots of holes to fill
Then one day
Oh Joy
Oh Boy
The workmen came
And fixed me up
Replaced the holes
Replaced the parts
But wait, what happened here
They left me unpainted
Multicoloured and queer
They painted two panels
And left me alone
I am not complete
Multi shaded and all
I must call the owner
I must raise a stink
I look like a fence
That was never complete.
　
　
　
This poem reflects my view of a fence of a corner house that I pass everyday on the way to the shops. There are a set of traffic lights at this intersection, and if you have to stop for a red light, you get to look at this poor old fence. The house and fence were in a sad state for years, as the owners of the house, an old Queensland, were gradually renovating the building.
Then one day they replaced all the missing palings in the picket fence, and I thought “Yeah“, they are going to finally fix the fence. Then they painted two and a half panels of the fence with nice white paint. Then nothing…The fence looks ok, except that all the replacement palings were a lot of different shades of colour. I guess that the renovators used second hand palings. The whole place has never really been finished, there are people living in the house, whom I assume are renters, (otherwise they would paint the fence)!
I just wishfully hope that one day, they will fix the fence!

Fighting Xmas Trees

The Xmas Trees are fighting...which one is the best?  Which one is the biggest?...we all need to focus on the real meaning of Christmas and not focus on all the glitter and lights!

Wet NY

After watching all the troubles that the storm has caused to New York... I drew this little dark sketch, reflecting my mood and I pray that the people of New York and the whole of the Eastern Seaboard of the USA recover from this terrible storm.

Gotcha - Will the Black Hand get you?

The Black Hand reaches out... are you ready for the...

We have defences against the blackness of depression and the like...our friend in the corner does have a halo of resistance to the darkness!!!

My Computer is Back

The phone rang...the computer store informed me that my "old" laptop / notebook is now repaired and ready for me to collect.

That sent a jolt of joy through my body.  This week has been empty, without all my usual software to use in creating my blog and access to the Internet.

I am writing this blog on a "borrowed" laptop, with different software and different feel...it is like driving a different car.  The controls are slightly different and the feel of the machine is totally different.

I will be posting up some of my latest drawings - artworks up in the near future.  I am currently using some pastels, just to see what I can create with this medium.

I will be back soon!

Computer Crash

The joys of using computers...mine took a nosedive the other night.  As I went to shut my laptop down, I heard a low but strange noise coming from the guts of my computer.  It really sounded like a soft baby cry, and sure enough the following day the computer was "dead". 

The computer would not boot up, and now, of course my poor laptop or notebook is in the computer shop having it's guts repaired.

I have three days to wait till they know if the data from the hard drive can be recovered or not.  I have backed up my hard drive but not on a regular basis...

The moral of this story is the REGULARLY back up your hard drive - no matter whether you are using your computer for pleasure or business.  BACK UP EVERY DAY!!!!

Outer Space - are we alone?

This is a small art work that I have drawn in soft pastels...something new for me...

Are we alone?  This universe is way too big for us to be the only "pepple on the beach".

Next time you see a strange thing in the sky let me know!  I would be interested in your story.

Purple Nose - a fun sketch

Here is a little sketch I did some weeks ago, using up some purple and white leftover paints.

Love

Love is ... the greatest.

Love is... the highest.

Love is... the lowest.

Love is...eternal...forever!!!

Envy

Envy - makes you go a little green.

Anger

 

 

Anger...makes you red in the skull...

Sadness

 

Sadness...I am painting a little series of emotions...more to come.

Worry

 

 

Worry...my poor old skull is full of worry.

The Phone - a poem about noise

The Phone By Paul Howlett

 

 Alexander Graham Bell

Invented an instrument

That gives some folk hell

It rings and it dings

Makes many a sound

Through cable and air

Doesn’t matter who’s there

We hear it in the office

 We hear it at home

With cell phones galore

Or mobiles at large

Noise of their chatter

Leaves no one alone

We hear them on TV

And reach for the phone

No wait, that’s the actor

Who’s talking alone

Now with computers

Satellites and all

Phones now rule

The whole damn world!

Troubled Waters - an abstract

 

 

This abstract reflected how I felt at the time. 

 

Flood and water have changed our lives forever and that is  really sad!!

Fingers - somewhat bent

These fingers have moved through a different plane.

Is it water?  Is it another dimension?

Or just a bit of fun?

Shane in Winter - an abstract look

 

This absract painting of Shane shows him in his winter gear all rugged up nice and warm.

 

 

The winters in Wisconsin can really get cold, and snow can last well into spring, but thankfully not this year!

 

 



Adam and Eve - in the Light

 

 

 

This painting is all about Light!

 

The Light is dispelling the darkness and humanity is learning about Love and not rejection.

 

 

The End is Nigh - a short poem

 

The End is Nigh by Paul Howlett

 

The end is nigh

The end is on high

Floating up floating up

 Reaching the sky

 Away from the sweet bye and bye

 Let me live, let me lie

In her arms, intertwined.

Green Monsters of the Id

I took my paintbrush for a walk last night...

My result? 

Let me know what you see in this abstract!

Aussie Bush - a little bit of the outback!

I painted this bit of the Australian Bush last night. I am sure that many people on the North Side of the planet do not realise just how bright the Australian sun is...when I visited Britain in spring time, I found the sunlight in the mid to late afternoon so dim (to me), that I used to drive about with the car headlights on!!!

Sailing Boats

Just a little painting of some sailing boats. 

I painted this impressionistic work while talking  on the phone.

Martian Tracks

This art work came into being last night.  I looked at this abstract and thought about Curiosity, the latest robot to rumble about the Martian Landscape.  I am fascinated that the tracks left by the robot actually spell out some letters or meaning.

Will explorers on Mars in the decades ahead look back at the tracks as some sort of sign?  Will humanity make it to Mars and be able to live there?

I am sure that the future will be very interesting and I am so happy that NASA has made this happen!!

The Road Runner - artwork of the wheels

Here is a little painting that I have called the road runner.  I have been watching the London Olympics for the last couple of weeks so maybe visions of some of the evens are "running around" in my brain.

I enjoyed all the sports I watched. Cycling and kayaking were some of my favourites.

London 2012 - from down under

The 2012 Olympic Games are coming to an end as I upload this little tribute to the games.

The Olympic Flag is upside down but that is because we are looking at London from Down Under!! :)

The Games were great and we enjoyed every second...looking forward to watching the Games in Brazil!!

S's Fingers - an abstract carrys a tune

An abstract with many fingers.  Can it play a tune? Who "owns" these fingers? Can any body guess?

I like to have some fun with some of my abstracts. 

Yes...painting should be fun first...

Purple Abstract No 1

I started off last night letting my brush "go for a walk", and this is the final result - I hope you like it!

The Gate Keeper

Here is a little spooky artwork - my idea of a gate keeper, who keeps the cauldron hot and the greetings cool.

Will the gate keeper let the people through?  What's boiling in the pot?  Is the gate keeper from this world or the next?

Da Fish - abstract artwork

Here is a little abstract I worked on the other night.  Can you see fish in this abstract?  Or something else? Let me know.

Young Australian Woman

Here is my first attempt in ages of painting a "portrait".  I have changed the title from girl to woman, as she had just won a major international sports event (many years ago), and I think she was about twenty years of age.  Any guesses on who she might be?...my artwork in not yet accurate enough to make recognition of the person in the painting a sure thing.

Cosmic Egg

This little painting is a change...is the egg going from right to left or from left to right?

Abstract - Mud and Tears

Mud and Tears is another abstract of mine that reflects the mood of the local people here after the floods of 2011.  Many people still are feeling the effects of the flood and support for folks still struggling are very scarce.

The Road Ahead - Where are we all going?

Here is a little sketch - painting, of a traveller who is taking a rest before walking on down the road.

Where does the road lead to... do we know what is around the bend of the road (of life)?

The Genie - Surprise Artwork of the Lamp

I had a little fun with this artwork last night.  The figure looking at the lamp is rather surprised and the look of the Genie, as it forms in the smoke / mist that is pouring out of the lamp!

Purple Skull - a Gothic Artwork

This artwork is a little gothic.  I must be in this kinda mood, as I have had some illness of late that requires me to take very "heavy" antibiotics.  Hopefully when I see the doctor in a couple of weeks time I will have a clean bill of health.

Then there will be light at the end of the tunnel.

Free Your Mind - Today

This is a mix media artwork.  I painted some backgrounds for Shane's song, On The Ceiling, (see my blog) and this is one that has been pumped through one of my computer programs.  I hope you like the final outcome. 

Veteran Car - built in 1909

This veteran motorcar was on display in the local Ipswich Library. I think this car was built in 1909, and called a Kurmobile.

There seems to be a number of different makes of cars in those days that all looked the same!

The Green Man - a semi impressionistic study

The Green Man is my idea of a semi impressionistic painting - the man in the painting is looking into his computer while talking to me on the Internet.

Carpark Sunset - artwork with sunset and cars

I painted this sunset based somewhat loosely on a photo I took with my mobile camera (cell phone) some time ago.  I was standing in the carpark (parking lot) of our local liquor store when I just had to snap the beautiful sunset that presented itself.  We have had a lot of cloud and rain over the last couple of years - while the floods were not welcome, some of the sunsets were magnificent! 

The Dark Side - a poem about life

The Dark Side  by Paul Howlett

1   The dark side of life

2   A move to the left

3   Do we have the right

4   To be good and bad

5   Do people take a walk

6   A walk to the wild side

7   Do we need the fact

8   That life is not on tract

9   Finding things about ourselves

10   Darkside of our character

11   That scares the soul

12   Clinging to the truth

13   Finding the light

14   Shining so bright

15   Cleaning the spirit

16   Making us whole

17   Unity is the answer

18   Blending the good

19   Blending the bad

20   Forgetting the duality

21   Becoming whole, healthy

22   Loving life with a smile

23   Seeking the good

24   Making our way

25   And seeking to be

26   Happy, happy with life!!


The reason that I have gone back and numbered all the lines in this poem is that I received some (a lot) of interesting comments and feedback from an old friend of mine, (Rev. Rick Anderson).  He is not on the Internet so I have been printing out my poems and mailing them to him for time to time (together with other items). Here is some of the comments that Rick wrote:

"...it does fit into a (what I would call) "Concerto".  By this I mean, it starts on a gentle note (lines 1 -3) then progresses into a louder and louder movement (lines 4 - 11), evens out on a plateau (lines 12-15), then takes a louder, more profound, percussion type climax (lines 16-20).  Then, after all this dramatic and empathic music, concludes like a pastoral symphony or movement with a "Mantric" feel leaving the listener calm and hopeful and satisfied, after a dramatic /symphony that encapsulates the spectrum of emotion."

Man in White - artwork in black and white

This little painting was created late at night, after I had finished working on my 'regular artwork', with some left over paint.

I had a look at it the following morning and and added some more white paint to give the artwork a 'funky' look. Hope you enjoy.

On The Ceiling - Lyrics and Artwork

On The Ceiling – Music and Lyrics By Shane Sells

Artwork  by Paul Howlett  - 2012

Ate a mushroom now I’m no more

Floating to the ceiling staring at the floor

Penny Dreadful - a poem about books

Penny Dreadful by Paul Howlett

Reading penny dreadfuls

Reading all the day

Spending my hard earned money

On pulp fiction, cheap and dirty

When will I learn to be frugal

When will I stop reading the rot

Lots of sexy heroes and heroines

Dancing across the pages

Never to end the drama

Never to end the war

Never to stop the action

Book lovers for evermore.

Ipswich Park - artwork listing to the left

This artwork is at the top of the lookout over parkland and Ispwich in Queensland, Australia.  When I showed this painting to some relatives, one remarked that it made him feel seasick.  "What made you feel that way", I asked. The whole painting leans to the left, was what he told me.

This painting is at the top of the hill and the walkway in the front of this painting leads to a lookout platform.

E-vol-u-tion - artwork with change...

When I painted this artwork it looked a little faded so I cranked this artwork through my paint program...hence improving the colour and now making this artwork part paint part computer generated.  Hope you enjoy!

Spooky Graveyard - any vampires around?

I sketched this artwork after I had been watching a lot of vampire movies.  I tried to make the ambiance of this sketch a little spooky.

I have been a fan of vampire movies and books from the time I read Bram Stoker's original novel and used to watch old Dracula movies.