Art by Keemo

Daily Keemo. 11.3. My Words Are Not Like Poems.

2009-11-03T05:34:00.001-08:00

My Words Are Not Like Poems
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I suppose the painting says it all. My words are not like poems and this daydream about means so much more...Enjoy!

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Daily Keemo. 11.01. And All The Air Was Empty

2009-11-01T17:52:00.001-08:00

And All The Air Was Empty
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I worked late last night. This happens more often than not and at those hours of the morning you don't need the vodka to help your mind wander because it will do it just fine on its own. Did I say that I worked late last night? At those hours there is a thin line between dream and daydream and the lines and the colors seem to work no matter how you shake it. It must have been close to three this morning and this painting was on the desk right before I tip toed up the stairs and slid into a cold bed and found her warm hand and in the morning I was still wearing socks. Did I mention that this happens more often than not?... Enjoy!

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Daily Keemo. 10.29. Beauty On The Rocks. A Poem.

2009-10-29T19:41:00.001-07:00

Beauty On The Rocks. A Poem.
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It was a long conversation and there was adult beverages involved so needless to say there was alot of poetic waxing on both sides of the table. Her brain was working in high gear and under the dim light and across the white table cloth she looked as beautiful as ever. Her lips where painted red and as we talked I could see the words float right into her ears and sit there behind her eyes, circulate and then new words came out of those red lips and this happened over and over and over and there was also laughter and during pauses I could feel her hand and hear Jazz music playing over the speakers...Enjoy!

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Daily Keemo. 10.26. Daydream On US131 North

2009-10-26T05:25:00.001-07:00

Daydream On US131 North
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I was thinking of him while driving down the rainy highway this evening. I think of him often. I have not seen him in years. It has been about 15 years, I suppose. I remember when I was young and things weren't going well and life was much more complicated and I didn't have a place to sleep and eat and he let me in and there was a couch in his room and it was brown and there was heat and blankets and every day was about art and music and freedom and life had no boundries and and either did we and I look back and can't believe that most of us survived (r.i.p Brandon) and it seems like an eternity from this moment as I sit here at these keys but I know that if it wasn't for him and his kindness and his openess, that there is a good chance I wouldn't be here either. Well, with that, here is to him and his generosity and kindess and not forgetting those people in your life who help you grow to become something more than you are...Enjoy!

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Daily Keemo. 10.23. Three Days, Four Nights

2009-10-23T12:59:00.001-07:00

Three Days, Four Nights (a painting for The Castanets because that is what I am listening to)
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Well, I am afraid it is time for a storyless painting. Just art for art and color for color and line for line...Enjoy!

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Daily Keemo. 10.20. The Blue Hello On Wood

2009-10-20T05:40:00.001-07:00

The Blue Hello On Wood
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No story for today. Just art for a change. Just art.

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Daily Keemo. 10.15. No Words Are The Right Words

2009-10-15T16:49:00.001-07:00

No Words Are The Right Words
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This story is short because there are tears and there is sadness. Two things that go together but should never go at all. I hate to see her sad. It makes me sick. Tears have a way of making you stop everything and then look at everything again from another way as a way of understanding how you ended up like that. Well, this story is short because there is tears and there is sadness and no words are the right words in moments like these... Enjoy!

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Daily Keemo. 10.13. End of Something. Start of Something.

2009-10-13T05:49:00.001-07:00

End of Something. Start of Something.
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I was in line at the post office in Easttown and the line was long and people were getting impatient and it was Friday and it felt like everyone just was just ready to be done doing things that had to be done (like going to the post office) and maybe that was just me but I guess that is what Fridays are right? The end of something or the start of something and these were the things that I was thinking about when I heard, "Hey, I remember you" from behind me. Knocked out of my daydream I turn around to stare a really tall guy right in the chest and I look up see a big smile and a big bald head. "Well, I remember you too" and we shook hands. It was right around the time of the election and it was a Friday, just like this one and there was a long line and we started talking and we hit it off and standing there we made an unlikely pair but we hit it off again and we made small talk again and he brought up politics a bit and the economy a bit and the weather a bit and before I knew it I was getting called up to the desk. I hitched my thumb to the desk, "Well, it's my turn" and I turned and went to the desk. By the time I finished up, he was already at another teller and I walked back past the long line of people all staring straight ahead and not saying a word and afraid to make eye contact and as I walked to the car it started to rain and I kept my pace the same and let the raindrops fall as they may...Enjoy!

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Daily Keemo. 10.11. Memories Are Made Of This

2009-10-11T07:49:00.001-07:00

Memories Are Made Of This
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It is Saturday today and there is music as I write this and there are paints too. The green, red, white, blue and black that you see here and many other colors to my left that are laying and waiting and did I mention there is music? I have the music library on shuffle and up now is Dean Martin and he is singing how "Memories Are Made of This" and what a damn fine song that is to hear right now and I know in the back of my mind that this moment will probably be one of those that gets forgotten when I look back 10 years from now. I suppose that is exactly the reason that I write about these small moments that happen during a day that will be forgotten in between all the big moments and so maybe by writing all these down day after day that Dean Martin is hitting it on the head and memories are indeed made of this...Enjoy!

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Daily Keemo. 10.11. Memories Are Made Of This

2009-10-11T07:14:00.001-07:00

<CENTER> Memories Are Made Of This Click</CENTER>It is Saturday today and there is music as I write this and there are paints too. The green, red, white, blue and black that you see here and many other colors to my left that are laying and waiting and did I mention there is music? I have the music library on shuffle and up now is Dean Martin and he is singing how "Memories Are Made of This" and what a damn fine song that is to hear right now and I know in the back of my mind that this moment will probably be one of those that gets forgotten when I look back 10 years from now. I suppose that is exactly the reason that I write about these small moments that happen during a day that will be forgotten in between all the big moments and so maybe by writing all these down day after day that Dean Martin is hitting it on the head and memories are indeed made of this...Enjoy!   www.KeemoGallery.com Stay Updated! Get the Keemo Newsletter

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Daily Keemo. 10.9. 200 Paintings

2009-10-09T11:48:00.001-07:00

200 Paintings from 3.13.09-9.25.09
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I like artwork that creates itself. When the story of the piece actually IS the piece. Now at first glance, some of you may look at this and think, "oh this piece is not very original, that is very pollockesque." I think you might be wrong and let me explain. Since, I usually work small, I tend to run off the paper all the time. So, I always work on top of a heavy thick paper surface. (this way I don't get paint all over my desk, table, counter, etc...) This surface travels around with me so I can paint in hotel rooms and airplanes. Well this is that surface that has been used for the last 200 Keemo paintings. So, when I look at this piece I think of the last 200 pieces of artwork and I think of all the hours and days that have gone into this and all the people that have those 200 paintings and how they are spread all around the world from Norway to the UK to Romania to Hong Kong to Hawaii to Canada to Switzerland to Austria and I like to think that whoever has this piece has a little bit of every one of those paintings... Enjoy!

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Daily Keemo. 9.30. So Long And Thanks For All The Green

2009-09-30T05:32:00.001-07:00

So Long And Thanks For All The Green
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OK. I have to be honest on this one. Today is my wedding anniversary and there are other things I should be doing that sitting at these keys and screen. I am fairly certain there would be none of these paintings and writing and the hours and work if it wasn't for her and all the support through all those years of self doubt as painter. So, I am afraid that is all there is for the story. I am going to be keep it at that and save the rest of the words for a proper painting and the proper moment... Enjoy!

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Daily Keemo. 9.29. Portrait Of Guitar, Song and the Past

2009-09-29T05:45:00.001-07:00

Portrait Of Guitar, Song and the Past
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It was the lyrics that drew me to this old sheet music from 1935. They are simple. They are precise. And they say so much more than the few words on the page.

"A million stars shining bright
that glorify the sky
A million lovers out tonight
but here I am... Alone."

I think that is really enough for this one and I am going to leave it at that... Enjoy

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Daily Keemo. 9.23. Throw Open The Curtains And Let The World In

2009-09-23T05:21:00.001-07:00

Throw Open The Curtains And Let The World In
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I think it was about four years ago that we went to that city. I keep thinking that we need to make time to get back there. I suppose it is just about travel in general. You know, throwing your bag in the car and heading out leaving a locked up house behind you along with all the crap that goes with it like the alarm clock and the punch clock and the more miles you get between you and there and the less miles you get between you and here the world begins to shape up into something other than you are used to and you begin to see new things from new perspectives and new people and new everything and it is in that moment that you reach over and hold that familiar hand and look into those familiar eyes and you can briefly imagine never going back and running away, just the two of you and just leave that other stuff and run off into a world that is all new and everything seems possible and even if it for just a few days you keep remembering that everything is and it always will be as long as you let it...Enjoy!

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Daily Keemo. 9.21. Cypress Trees Draped With Spanish Moss At Lake Eloise

2009-09-21T06:09:00.001-07:00

Cypress Trees Draped With Spanish Moss At Lake Eloise
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I was invited by a gallery down in Houston to participate in a group show in which all the artists work is on postcards. So, I set out to work on some pieces that I would send down to Houston for the show. Well, after working on a few, I thought, I needed to be sure to do a couple extra that I can post here. I know this isn't much of a story tonight. More of a description of events but I thought I would share them and the postcards with you. So, with that, here is a to great vintage postcard by the well known Tichnor Brothers publishers from the 1950's at Cypress Gardens. Good vintage stuff. Good vintage stuff, indeed ... Enjoy!

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Daily Keemo. 9.17. Radio Free Keemo

2009-09-17T05:54:00.001-07:00

Radio Free Keemo
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The email read, "I feel like this is a call in radio show. I have seen your paintings where people have emailed you ideas and you did it. So, I thought I would give it a shot. I am sure you receive a bunch of email and probably won't do this, which is OK. But I thought I would try anyway. I have short black hair but since my favorite color is green can you make it green? I also like pink. I don't know what else to say. Is that enough? Let me know if there is anything else that I am supposed to do. Thanks for your time..." It goes on to say a few more things but I'll leave those things out because they don't have anything to do with the painting. Well, L, I hope this is OK with you and I wish this was a call in radio show because that would be a ton of fun. Although, it would pose some problems when it came to viewing the artwork. With that, ... Enjoy!

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Daily Keemo. 9.15. It is The End Of Summer And The Breeze Through The Window Is Calming

2009-09-15T10:10:00.001-07:00

It is The End Of Summer And The Breeze Through The Window Is Calming
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I am not even sure where I came across this old book. It is from 1870 and as it claims it is an illustrated religious magazine "for the family". For some reason I am drawn to this old religious stuff. Maybe it is the midwestern Catholic upbringing that didn't practice what it preached mixed with graphic arts mixed with the psych degree mixed with who knows what else. Either way, I suppose it works for me and who knows maybe it makes me revisit what is going on in my own belief system for a moment and in the end that is always a good thing to do...Enjoy!

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Daily Keemo. 9.14. 5 More Reminders That Creativity Is Not Linked To The Economy

2009-09-14T05:59:00.001-07:00

5 More Reminders That Creativity Is Not Linked To The Economy
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I almost feel that it isn't necessary to write a story for this one. I have this feeling that all of us, to different degree, all have our own ideas about money and the current state of it and heck you can't turn on the radio without hearing how people are or are not spending it or saving it or earning it or losing it and I swear that sometimes it appears that for most people, most of the time, it all boils down to it eventually. I am not naive enough to say that it does not matter and I assure you this is not a commentary on what should or shouldn't be done with it but maybe it is simply a proposal to think about it and how it connects who you are and what you have. So, with that, here are 5 more reminders that creativity is not linked to the economy... Enjoy!

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Daily Keemo. 9.9. Never Lift A Brush And Move Paint

2009-09-09T05:46:00.001-07:00

Never Lift A Brush And Move Paint
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Some of the best artists I know never lift a brush and move paints or use a camera or spin clay or know color theory but they do other things like engineering, historian, school teacher, prison guard, handyman and I could keep going on because they are all real people and are all sincere people who are nothing but themselves and give themselves to their craft and at the end of the day are the kind of people that you can sit across the table from and raise your glass to because you know their art is real art and that the friendship and kindness that goes with it can never be put down on canvas and that is why there are these words, I suppose, because my portraits never say what I mean but only pay homage to them and this portrait is the historian who sent me this book called Julian's Interest Book, printed in 1888, because he thought I would appreciate it or maybe use it before it got sent off to the eternal recycle bin of history and forgotten forever and with that a reminder that the art is almost always about how you get to the end of the painting and not where the painting ends up. With that,...Enjoy!

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Daily Keemo. 9.8. The Sun Will Soon Follow

2009-09-08T05:42:00.001-07:00

The Sun Will Soon Follow
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I have been having many days like this lately. The days when you have to stop and think about what the hell you are doing. I don't mean in the small "why-am-I-wearing-this-shirt" kind of way but in the "what-is-my-purpose-here-and-why-do-I-spend-my-energy-on-the-things-I-do-and-am-I-making-a-difference-in-anyone's-life-but-my-own" kind of way. You look at normal objects and can't help but reflect on those moments before and after the one that you are currently in. As I listen to it rain outside the window, I can't help but think that this can be a dangerous place to exist in for too long. That place where everything becomes only about the rain and is not about the sun that is soon to follow. So, with that, here is to taking stock in who you are and remembering that the sun will be here soon. ... Enjoy!

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Daily Keemo. 9.2. I Should Clarify, I Suppose

2009-09-02T05:42:00.001-07:00

I Should Clarify, I Suppose
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This is of nobody in particular. Well, I should clarify, I suppose. It started out to be somebody in particular but when it was done it was no longer that person at all. This is not uncommon for me. No big deal. Almost everything turns out different than you plan and that is just the way things are and I don't expect painting to be any different and once you get that it makes it much easier to walk through these days and end up in a different place than you set out for... Enjoy!

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Daily Keemo. 9.1. It Was Intentional And Necessary And It Wasn't Just The Paints That Needed A Rest.

2009-09-01T05:51:00.001-07:00

It Was Intentional And Necessary And It Wasn't Just The Paints That Needed A Rest
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I have been away from the brush and keyboard for 4 days. It was intentional and necessary and it wasn't just the paints that needed a rest. You have to step away sometimes to get close. I now sit here in front of my familiar keys, sipping on a bottle of Bitburger and to my right is an old copy of The Stanger that I found while going through some things last week. It is the exact copy that I first read when I was 15 years old and it is one of the few things that I own from that part of my life that seems so far away now. Somehow, this all ties back into this portrait and drawing a line to it is not so direct and it makes me think of the path that this copy of The Stanger has been on and followed me over the last twenty years and drawing a line there is not so direct either but somehow it all leads back to this desk and this moment and this painting... Enjoy!

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Daily Keemo. 8.27. These Are The Paintings That Make A Painter.

2009-08-27T07:08:00.001-07:00

These Are The Paintings That Make A Painter
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I really don't try to take myself too seriously. I think if I did I would have given up painting along time ago. I probably would have given up alot of other things as well over the years. Heck, maybe that's just a coping mechanism or something but either way it is what makes it possible to paint a duck that looks like this and feel just fine about it. Honestly, I think it is the first painting of a duck that made me smile. (except for Daffy Duck of couse). Anyway, not much of a story I know, but it's OK, it is not about the story, it's about the duck and not taking yourself and your art so seriously that you can't enjoy it... Enjoy!

PS. I just want to drop a quick hello to Marie who suggested the duck. She actually has pet Rouen ducks. (It is nice to live in a world where people can choose to have pet ducks, isnt it?) Sorry this doesn't have a green head like yours.

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Daily Keemo. 8.26. The Paint Speaks For The Words Tonight

2009-08-26T05:57:00.001-07:00

The Paint Speaks For The Words Tonight
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Sometimes it is just about the painting and not about these words. So, the fewer the words the better on this one... Enjoy!

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Daily Keemo. 8.24. This Day, Like Others, Is Unlike Any Day, Before

2009-08-24T06:27:00.001-07:00

This Day, Like Others, Is Unlike Any Day, Before
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I did a commission about a year ago that was a bunch of eyes. That's it. Eyes. They were all black and white. All different sizes. All different shapes. (Just like real eyes, I suppose) I have been meaning to do a color version ever since but I kept forgetting about it. Well, I didn't forget about it today. I'm not sure what made this day any different that I finally remembered. I suppose, I don't know what makes any day different for that matter. It just works out that way and I am glad that it does. So, that is that. 150 eyes... Enjoy!