Friday, October 31, 2008

Not Nearly Frightened Enough



Ode To Poe - oil on illustration board, 8" x 14". (Done for a McGraw-Hill elementary school-level  compendium of Poe works).

Being scared for the fun of it has never been my favorite past-time. I do understand that some people absolutely love it, and would probably give their left arm to be a real zombie (sorry, ha ha), but I've never equated such grimness with humor or lightheartedness. People such as Poe and Lovecraft were masters of the genre, and it's really hard to find any humor in their tales. That's the kind of scary that I appreciate more.

That said, I really feel like Halloween is for the kids. Costume parties for adults are fun and all, but leave this day for the little ones. They dress up all the time, and this is the one day where this creative impulse is rewarded - so let them get the glory... or sugar rush, as is the case.

3 comments :

martha miller said...

hey, rob

where've you been? hope you didn't get scared away!

happy new year!

Jenniferartist said...

Hi Rob,
I love Poe.. a fellow Piscean.. I too feel this way about scary. Poe's Scary, is perfection. The build up, the irony, the circumstance, everything the final blow.... The adults can go to the masquerade ball which might make for an unusual subject for a series of paintings.
One of my favorite Poe stories is the Gold Bug. I really like this painting. I have found that all of my painting outside has helped my photographic memory ability and I can incorporate landscapes and lighting into my figure pieces in satisfying outcomes. ~ Jennifer

Jenniferartist said...

Hi Rob,
I love Poe.. a fellow Piscean.. I too feel this way about scary. Poe's Scary, is perfection. The build up, the irony, the circumstance, everything the final blow.... The adults can go to the masquerade ball which might make for an unusual subject for a series of paintings.
One of my favorite Poe stories is the Gold Bug. I really like this painting. I have found that all of my painting outside has helped my photographic memory ability and I can incorporate landscapes and lighting into my figure pieces in satisfying outcomes.