BE Like Me


Strangely Familiar

About weird art cards that mean something in your hand.

Sometimes a voice in my head says “the tyranny of words.” I want to make art that stands alone as a symbol, independent of words. Then there’s this. Text fought its way into the composition. With arresting eyes, the youth insisted on the verb. “BE” carved in his head like an annunciation. “Like” wavers against the agitated woods. “Me” labels the shirt.

Featured Art Card

BE Like Me

The arm is frail, forming barely a fist.

Art Process

uni-ball Signo

An excellent white ink pen.

Next Week

NO TALKING.

Thanks, Doug

Weekly Quote

“Reason and nature are the enemy of the artist.”

~ James Ensor

Doug Mandt

I make strange little paintings. If that interests you, they'll visit every Thursday.

Read more from Doug Mandt

Strangely Familiar About weird art cards that mean something in your hand. The bald head’s border is a pile of umber residue from the scrubbing. Three regions of color define the head’s form. Soft, creamy forehead, rose oxygenated cheeks and a greenish jaw offsetting a heavy mouth. The fat lips cradle the tongue. Jutting ears reveal the orange under painting. Large swirling brushwork guides the green cloth, more figure-frame than realistic garment. Featured Art Card Elf Wide-set eyes glow...

Strangely Familiar About weird art cards that mean something in your hand. A ball shaped creature named Ornoz stands convincingly cute. Tiny frail arms and small cloven feet sprout from a bulbous core. He plumps. Yet his teeth clench in a grimace. His arm and hand at left coil up in a twitch. Jittery brush strokes at his feet. Smearing clouds arc in the distance. The blow hole atop his head is cranked to the right. Featured Art Card Ornoz His orifice releases three illuminated bubbles. View...

Strangely Familiar About weird art cards that mean something in your hand. I mixed up some rich reds and greens to start. I hate pure Christmas red and kelly-green, too festive. But I wanted the raw complement of fire and meadow to enliven the geometric puzzle of circle and square. Instead of staying flat, the fleshy torus is squished between two frames. The color intensity was managed through instinct. Shifting sap-yellow with olive-veridian and rust-orange with maroon-wine. Featured Art...