It is all for the Art

You'll have to pardon me if I take a Fan Mail page and devote it entirely to my art, but I have done things other than pissin' all over the Holy Bible. So if you please, listen to the pretty girls, read their reviews, and then see for yourself. I welcome your input no matter what you think.

Send in your mail,
include a picture, and if it's interesting enough, I'll post it.

The lovely Allison returns. Another certified/ satisfied Truth Adventurer™!

I paid my usual visit to my favorite site this morning, and found out I am a Truth Adventurer! VERY exciting. I would like to be informed of any secret decoder ring/ autographed panties offers that come with this coveted position. The Jessica Files was also a hilarious read over my morning bagel, since I was avoiding the newspaper to stay away from George Bush's face.

I was thinking that Chicago and the surrounding hick suburbs has not had nearly enough disturbing art shows recently. An exhibition of your female body builders and a little Jesus would go over well, I think. The fact that you're linked on my website could have something to do with your recent influx of young hatemailers, by the way.

Enough drivel. I'm serious about those panties, too.
Allison

Hi bob my name is Larry and I must say you have the best site on the web.

But anyways I'm at the mere age of 15 and and I consider myself an atheist. Why do you ask I do it just so I can piss off ppl , but seriously I don't like the idea that we were just put on this earth to work for 65 years and then die. There isn't any point. But I have a question to ask you I have been getting a lot of criticism because ppl think that it is weird not to believe in god but they only believe in him because they fear the fact that if there is a god that they will go to hell if they have faith. And it just pisses me off, but what would you have done. For me I can always give them a good challenge in the arguments and trap them into corners but even one of my Mormon friends doesn't want to be my friend anymore cuz I don't have faith or have " Lost sight of the light" or one of those other lame excuses.

Even my friend Bruce's mom who is Mormon don't want me hanging out with her son becuz I have lost my faith. I try to tell them that it is my choice and all but they don't agree with me and my choices. What do I do I am running out of answers to give ppl and they are starting to lose respect. Even my parents who are catholic grounded me the first time I said I was an atheist and hey don't even go to church they just go to AA and Al-Anon and I can debate it with them and still win. I win these debates all the time but ppl are either afraid of what they don't understand or they just don't like the idea that I can make my own choices and decide to be this way.

I know this is a choppy email but any response would help me a lot.

Sincerly,
Larry "lawson" Kraft

Unfortunately Larry, being only 15 leaves you vulnerable to many other people's decisions. You must still do what your parents and teachers say, and I'm sure that NOT conforming for your friends seems unthinkable. I must say that it does sound to me like your atheism is for the wrong reasons. If you're wanting a religion that avoids working until you die, try Zendik.

But, if your reasons for being an atheist go beyond my cool web site and a loathing for work, you must start by figuring out why. And if you're being confronted and you don't have answers, admit that you're still searching yourself... as you should be. Tell them you're not simply going to believe what some person or book tells you is true.

If I could got back to 15, Jesus Christ, I'd do more questioning and less believing. The stuff that I already believed in I'd question the most (I mean, what do I know, I'm only 15!). Larry, tell me in your own words why you're so sure that there is no God. Honestly, I don't think you should be worrying about it at all right now.

You know, if I could REALLY be 15 again, I'd shave my head, except for my bangs which I'd dye apple green. I'd spend my whole allowance on a huge pair of platform shoes and I'd savor the rejection from society knowing that I was right and cool. Then I'd draw (poorly) an ongoing comic about having green bangs and platform shoes and the rejection from a society that I was cooler than. Oh, and I'd find myself one of those hot teacher's assistant college girls who likes to have sex with 15 year old boys... and I'd promise that I'd never tell on her. That's what I'd REALLY do if I were you.

Thanks for your letter Larry. I'd be happy to mail you the hair dye if you can't find it near you.

Bob

I have a few questions for you that I'm interested in. Who are your influences, inspirations, and motivations? What is it about women body builders that you like so much or what about them give you the passion to wanna draw them? (Myself, I have a watercolor painting of a muscular backside of a man. I have my feeling on the human body, so that is why I asked this question.) What people in your life help support you in your art? And last but by no means least...Do you think that the gummie worms and the marshmallow chicks can live in harmony?

Sincerely, Natashia

My biggest influences/ motivators have always been my 2 older brothers. They are both approx. a decade older than me and I have always looked up to them. Each for very different reasons.

The oldest brother (Chris) is the artist. He has always excelled in everything that he's tried (cartooning, painting, sculpting, puppeteering, it starts getting a little more pathetic from here, banjo, unicycle, juggling... oh nevermind). He is the one who I could never outdo, and that has always pushed me to do better. And it was Chris who introduced me to the Mac and the Internet.

My other brother (Rick) showed me what was cool and the importance of being original (introducing me to bands, style and the alternative scene as it was once known). Ever since my high school years I have always gotten along with Rick best... out of anyone I know.

In high school I drew because that was all that I was good at. I didn't care about any illustrating artists. The artists that I cared about were Crispin Glover, David Lynch, Andy Kaufman, Tom Waits, Emo Phillips, maybe Warhol and other "weirdoes" without a scene. I have always been taken by their type of originality and striking awkwardness'. And I appreciated their ability to fool.

I have purposely avoided artists who work on paper or canvas. The most important thing to me is being original. I have been referred to many other artists, but in all honesty, I don't care about them. I'm very self-centered that way. I don't want to know who my stuff looks like, and I don't want to see their stuff.

I relate a lot to Robert Crumb. I have always been attracted to strong women. When I was younger I would secretly draw pictures of superhero girls (capes, super powers, tights with slight muscular build). I have always been fascinated by women with muscles and it's what I owe a lot of my skills to. The muscular body lends itself so well to art, as I'm sure you relate with those butt-pics you paint.

I dated a female bodybuilder for over a year (who had a very nice butt indeed). It was a very educational experience. I saw the reality of the sport and my lusts were definitely tempered. Many of the portraits you've seen were done for girls that I'd met or befriended, and I still think that they are some of my best work.

Thank you once again for your letter. You can be sure I will be posting it, and my response to it.

Bob.

I absolutely LOVE the "Floating Bob" series. I was very much drawn to those most of all because I have had an "out of body" experience. The four drawings together have quiet tone about them. Very calm and relaxing. I have a thing for trees, so naturally I love where "Floating Bob" picked the leaf out of the tree...*sigh* I like the feeling of being free and carefree in these pieces.
In your oddities ink pieces I am diggin' the little oddball caption. "He'd tell you that the name was not referring to what was between his ears. Then he'd laugh, drool and wipe it off on his arm." Now that is badass. That right there...those little sweet nothings about the piece, they tickled my fancy.

Reading some of the explanation of your pieces seem like your were complied against your will to explain some of your work. I hope that I didn't come across as you had to explain ALL of them. But myself I like what about the work has inspired YOU. Your emotions, your reasoning, etc. To me, it opens a door to show a little soul. Not saying that the work itself doesn't have that already, but its nice to see what the artist was feeling....ya get what I mean.

I adore the Mr. X piece of his shadow of death. Your did a wonderful job on the story line, but then again I'm really into comics. I was cracking up to the cat strip only because I have been threw something similar. My grandmother had this cat from hell. If you looked at it wrong it would shiss at you. Well, one day my grandmother had a wild hair up her ass and wanted to bathe the cat. I was the lucky candidate.

The cat had me for LUNCH. He loved to bite and bit the skin between my thumb and index finger. A hole straight threw. I don't have it in me to hurt animals...but I gave the cat a few good dunks. I am thankful that my two cats Merlin and Goldberg enjoy bath time...hehehehe yes I do get the wild hair up my ass. I hate people that have animals and you can smell that they do...its just nasty.
I'm very impressed with your digital artwork. I'm jealous if anything. I have a younger brother that is into the computer animation. I myself am still old fashion. lol I still work with clay. I haven't wanted to take the time for computer art until a few months ago when I started to have ideas for CD labels. I'm sure that working with the PC is fairly easy for art, but I don't feel the connection. I like to be dirty in art, get my hands into it...ya know?



I love your crosshatching, specially in your Lewis Corrol and the Skeleton. It's a very time consuming technique, you did a very good job on those. I'm intrigued by your backgrounds in some of your pencil pieces. "The Dream" background I join more then the self portrait. It's busy down below but lonely up in your balcony. The detail on the stage, the peoples shadows is what grabbed me at first. The light and the heavy shading of your pencil is very smooth and relaxing. I enjoy going to plays and seeing stage performance...it looks as if you where there drawing the audience.
You have very good control over the shading and lighting in this piece. Just like in the drawing "Nine more days" again your control over the shading and light is badass. I would have been a mess after drawing either of those. There would be pencil all over my fingers, face, and forehead. The messier you are the better the picture turns out...at least in my eyes.

In your piece "Oh God, my God! Why hast thow forsaken me?" I absolutely love this piece. It reminds me of the "Clown's Prayer." My mother is a huge clown lover and has this painting of a clown smoking a joint, the smoke turns into clouds, and the clouds into clowns. I'm going to have to make a print out of your drawing to show her. She will love this piece!!! I will have to get her to e-mail you or have some type of reply for you from her.

"Monster Dream Brain" is fantasic. You said in one of your other pieces that you just filled paper with doodles and that you felt like it was a waste of time. In reality it worked for you in this piece. Not everyone can fill in negative space. There is something to find or look at in this piece. It's not boring or over done...as Goldilocks would say "It's just right." Again you have the heavy pencil and light of the dream bubble. You must have fine penmanship for all the little tiny things that you draw.

I can't help but to be inspired to pick up where I left off and draw after typing to you about your art. I have always had an eye for what is artist and poetic. Thank you so much for letting me speak freely about your work. Not many care to know what others think because they are so dead set in their way or it's no way. Sometimes just sometimes, if you can touch a person in a way without words, you are truly the artist that you have been striving to be.

Your Friend, Natashia

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