by Charly Jupiter Hamilton

Thanksgiving; I’m at Kookee’s being thankful that my little travelling paint table is set up with the cans of colored paint and brushes in front of the HBO Macy Parade warm glo of a real house. Kookee’s been calling my totem “Doggess” instead of like a goddess. Her 7-year-old niece wants to paint the Doggess’ tongue pink (magenta, if you will). But I’ve created a monster and now she’s painting the torso ultramarine blue and everyone’s going “NO, NO, NO - Anna! Don’t do that.” But she paints on.

I have the vague feeling of a plague victim being catapulted over the walls of a beseiged city. But the blue looks… You know my ex-Japanese wife used to say, “Moderation kills.”

Amy’s show - I’m late and wake my eyes to walk around the small Covenant House gallery. I look at her dolls and sewed and sticked on eyes and faces. I feel like the rider of a beginning bus trip in India. My eyes happy and full. Amy’s art seems like they’re always at the edge of the ocean.

Amy’s note: In December, I coordinated a cooperative exhibit called “clotho” at Covenant House. I created 13 dolls of historic and contemporary women and invited 20 West Virginia artists to contribute and exhibit one piece each related to women. This is Charly’s creation story about his contribution to the show. Now and then, we are going to be using the LocalArt blog to document the process of creating artwork — our own and that of other artists from around the area and the state.

By Charly Jupiter Hamilton

It’s the day before Thanksgiving and I’m working on my wooden “famous woman” for Amy Williams’ show. My dogs, Reason and Lula, are barking their heads off at the garbage men and we’re all eating sugarless Trix with Silk Soy milk and I’m pondering. ‘Too cute,’ I’m thinking. I want a totem. Universal looking. What’s a totem anyway? A thousand images piss through my head.

I take my tools to my wooden famous woman and cut the head off! I’m feeling like a love advice columnist for the French Revolution. It’s cold outside, and I’m sanding, cutting, and carving a new head and parts. Reason’s on the porch chewing a bone (and I’m a vegetarian). And cold.

I’m listing to one-side: working, cutting. Going in and out of the studio making oatmeal cookies from the “Ecological Kitchen Cookbook” for Thanksgiving tomorrow and also hauling trash bags of broken shingles down to the road. Carving a little. Cutting. Adding an arm. Drilling holes. It’s cold and snowing.

I read a Billy Collins poem about “Why I Look at Girls.” It struggles, but ends well. I carve a devil on my famous woman’s stomach. Add a leg and a bigger nose. Almost burn the cookies. (That’s okay - I like them brown.) Haul more shingles down. Go to the city dump with Bill. Come back and carve the eyes out. Make a pie inside, then go out and sand the whole piece in the dark.

Now, at 11:30 p.m. (with Bob Dylan’s “Desolation Row” singing on my juke box speakers) the pie smells about cooked, and I’m finished making my 3-D, carved wooden dog head totem. A kinda Bitch in a Box …

Amy’ll kill me.

Charly and Amy’s Gift Ideas for Artists and Artist Wannabes

On Christmas day you can only try on a new sweater so many times. So what are great gifts to make such a special, and often stressful, day more peaceful and fun? We have just the list. Keep checking back for great gift ideas over the next few weeks. Here are a few to get you started with your shopping:

Charly’s Pick: Homemade Printmaking

1/2 inch soft linoleum blocks: $2-9
Cutter (Speedball has one with a handle and four blades): $10-11
Roller: ($8-13)
Water-based black ink
Index cards

Adolescents and even adults will enjoy creating and making their own prints. Or you can get these supplies to create and print your own holiday cards. It won’t cost much more than $20 for all the supplies. Check Pro-Art on 187 Summers St., and other local art stores for these and other supplies.

Amy’s Pick: Doodling

Prismacolor markers: ($3.59 each)
An interesting journal

With over 120 colors to choose from, Prismacolor markers are some of my favorite art accessories. And no matter your age, doodling can be fun and give you good distraction just when you need it. While Charly mentioned drawing erotic pictures of the choir director, I was thinking more along the lines of doodling scenes from your travels or daily life. You can get cheaper markers, but I vote for these. They can be replenished as little gifts all year long, and they make a great stocking stuffer.

Charly’s Pick: Sketching

A leatherbound or nice quality sketchbook

Even though we are both vegetarians, Charly says get a leatherbound journal. Can you believe him? Taylor Books has great Moleskin brand journals - at least I don’t think they are leather. Get a good quality mechanical pencil or pen as well. This can be used in the same way as gift idea No. 2.

Amy and Charly’s Pick: How-to books

Since we are both avid readers, we agree that it’s smart and cool to give books… whether a book on how to make puppets or an artist bio. We like to support local bookstores, but you can also find great resources on the web for just the right book.

If you have ideas for artistically inspired gifts, send them on. And keep reading for more holiday gift ideas for your favorite artist.