silver spoons

silver spoons, 2007

6" x 6", oil on gessoed panel

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Bing and Bob

I worked on Der Bingle a little more ( this was supposedly what the Germans called him during WWII, but I think they would have actually just called him by his NAME. There is no German translation for "Der Bingle"). I also finished Bob. I loved doing it.

FUN FACTS:


-"Thanks for the Memories" ( what became his theme song) was actually a B-side to "Penthouse Serenade" ( which isn't really very good). These songs were duets with Shirley Ross ( not Dorothy Lamour as most people think). Lamour sang the studio version of "My Favorite Brunette" ( one of his absolute best!!).

-Bob was the first to sing the Christmas song "Silver Bells" on screen in "The Lemon Drop Kid".

-There was talk in the late 40's and through the 50's of Bob running for President of the United States due to his immense popularity. He totally would have won, but he was born in England and was not eligible to run. There was also talk of attempting to change this law strictly for Bob to get in, but it was too soon after WWII and never pursued.

Bing, 2007

6" x 6", oil on gessoed panel

Bob, 2007

6" x 6", oil on gessoed panel

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bing

Bing is the real "King". Okay, here's the quick history of popular music as I've learned it through my "learnin's":

-Bing

-Dean Martin ( often quoted as having the strong desire to mimic Crosby's style, and indeed did. Look for it in his manner and singing style. It's pure Bing!))

-Elvis Presley ( often quoted as wanting to mimic Dean Martin's style of singing. No real evidence of this ambition, but remember...It's still Bing)

-Everyone from the Beatles to the Rolling Stones. All of the British invasion and American Rock comes from Elvis and Blues. The Jazz ( primarily Dixieland, but also "experimental" as well) influence was brought into American households ( and parts of Europe) by, you guessed it, Bing! I know I'm over-simplifying, but the musicologists know the score.

Hey, it's important.

I made a movie showing the making of this painting ( I'm working on Bob Hope to go with Bing). I used all M.Graham products for this painting. The walnut oil in the paint and the medium are a super safe alternative to linseed oil/ turp methods. They also make a walnut oil for cleaning. You can eliminate petroleum from the oil painting process ( Leonardo didn't have them either). Walnut oil also doesn't yellow over time like linseed oil.

I also mixed the neutral grey ( gray?) from color. Using a black/white ( or worse, straight out of the tube Payne's grey) mixture doesn't have the same "vibrato" as a neutral mixed from complementary colors. You can play against your backround color that way.

Oh, incidentally, I took this from a "head shot" studio pic from 1942. This is my favorite period for Crosby's music, but he made some fantastic recordings up until the late 50's. My interest in his material ends in the 60's ( and don't get me started on that David Bowie "song").

Here's my new movie:

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granny lady

What's the one variety of insect that I won't break a $500.00 lamp to kill? The ladybug! I make every attempt to make the house and yard a bug-free zone, but the ladybug seems to slip through my net of Malathyon ( a super nasty neuro-toxin that works REALLY well! Oddly, we have no cats or birds around the house either...).

I was painting the other night and had a 45 minute "departure" just watching one moving around my palette. These little guys are all over the house, and I have absolutely no fear/gross-response at all. Is it because they're cute and they move in a neat little meandering way ( kind of like Groucho negotiating an office...)? Is this why Jessica Simpson ( or any one of "those"...) makes zillions of dollars to contribute basically nothing to the world of "entertainment"? Whatever happened to the triple-threat ( singer, dancer, actor...and you had to do them ALL well)? Now you can just be kind of generic and cute!

Hey, at least the ladybugs don't sing off-key!



granny lady, 2007

6" x 6", oil on gessoed panel

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Strawberry Pop Tarts

Pop Tarts ( and ONLY Kelloggs...you know what I'm talking about when I say the store brands need to stay in the store) were one of the first foods that I can remember making by myself. I'm sure my parents were so proud ( "that's our little prodigy!"). The few hours after school consisted of SpaghettiO's ( for my sister) and Pop Tarts for me. We would watch "The Adventures of Superman" followed by "The Brady Bunch" on WTBS ( this was before Ted Turner's "Superstation" had taken over cable and it was an Atlanta channel...channel 17, actually).

Oh, and I hate the term "latch-key kid". It implies that leaving your kid at home after school for a couple of hours is some horrible form of neglect. I mean if the kid doesn't see the parents for a week and is subsisting on Snicker's and Captain Crunch, then there might be a problem. On the other hand, a few hours alone at home isn't really anything worth crying on Dr. Phil's shoulder.

Strawberry Pop Tarts, 2007

8" x 8", oil on gessoed panel

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don't cry over spilled Chicklets

Here's something funny. The ad for Chicklets in 1919 said that in a child's dreamland that "Chicklets hold the throne of glory!", and that they were "the crowning delight of childhood joy". Who were they marketing this to?





don't cry over spilled Chicklets, 2007

6" x 6", oil on gessoed panel

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pink wind-up car

Along with all the things that I loved growing up, I've also been instilled with a love for all of the things my Dad loved. I grew up with Mego action figures, Paul McCartney & Wings, and the Super Friends. My Dad gave me a love for Hope and Crosby ( radio and movies), The Marx Bros., and Buck Rogers ( I remember watching those as kid on the Betamax!), and lots of cool tin toys. Incidentally, I remember being at Perimeter Mall in Atlanta watching my Dad trying to convince my Mom that a $2500.00 Betamax was a "good investment".

I keep wondering when I'm going to become a "grown-up"! I still love all the stuff that I always did. I do also remember as little kid thinking that you were "grown-up" when you owned a briefcase. You know like Oscar Goldman from the Six Million Dollar Man.

I've been asked to list some larger pieces for auction, so we'll see. I'm finishing up some "big pieces" for shows in the upcoming year that I'll post soon.

pink wind-up car, 2007

12" x 12", oil on gessoed panel

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ring pops

My wife hipped me to one of the most disturbing things that has been brought to my attention in a while. They actually make a deep-fried macaroni and cheese nugget! Here's a sample description from the Sonic website:

"Today I'd like to introduce the term "unrestricted eating." It refers to eating whatever you want, whenever you want it. Like macaroni & cheese, for example. Typically, you'd need a bowl, spoon and both hands to enjoy this quintessentially American dish. Lucky for you, SONIC® invented Mac & Cheese Snacks—a cheesy favorite packed into crunchy bite-size morsels. It's portable and pop-able. Which means you can now have Mac & Cheese anytime, anywhere. So like I said, it's "unrestricted eating." Got it?"

Could this be why the rest of the world hates us?


ring pops, 2007

6" x 6", oil on gessoed panel

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honey

I have two "honey" stories:

First, my wife and I were eating at a Waffle House one time ( incidentally, I saw my sixth grade science teacher working there a few years back...turns out she didn't have a teaching degree. This is why I now cannot get a job at NASA!). The waitress kept calling me "Hoh-neh" in a passive-aggressive manner which I determined to be her version of "Honey". This is a sample:

Me: "Can I get some more coffee?"

Waffle House waitress: "Sure, Hoh-neh!"

Me: "Well...thank you...Hoh-neh!" ( with a lot of extra HOH-NEEHH ).

Waffle House waitress: "Be right back...Hoh-heh"

She never got it. Kept right on calling me and everyone else in the place "hoh-neh". The interesting thing was that she spoke very plainly for every word except "honey". I still call people "Hoh-neh!", but nobody really knows why.

The other story is when I was about 13 years old, my Uncle and his girlfriend and I stopped by his house on the way to the movies. He was checking his mailbox and and had received a giant container of honey from a friend with a note that said " You two ENJOY!". My uncle and his girlfriend exchanged some sort of giggly look, and I can remeber saying "Wow, you guys must really like honey!". At the age of 13, let's just say I was a little slow on the uptake.

honey, 2007
6" x 6", oil on gessoed panel

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oh pear

Have you seen Supernanny? I'm pretty sure that my parents would have been too embarassed to display their ignorance about parenting on national television ( had that been the case...). I love the scenes where the kids on the show run around and scream and say " I HATE you Mom and DAD!". The parents say "here's some toys and candy...we love you Throckmorton", and then they look around with some confused expression as to WHY the kids are bad.

I'm also pretty sure that if my parents had brought in some hot British nanny to "discipline" me...I would have "straightened" up pretty quick ( the accent goes a long way).

Why does everything I say come out sounding adolescent and dirty?

oh pear, 2007
6" x 6", oil on gessoed panel

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magic no.2: hold your fire

Steve Martin is another hero of mine in many respects. His comedy albums shaped my "sense of funny" early in my childhood ( my Dad was pretty cool about that stuff, OR...he didn't care enough to screen what his children were exposed to...Either way, I win!). He's a great writer. Steve ( I call him Steve...) has one of the most important art collections in the world. And..., most importantly, Steve Martin is a great juggler! A true "Renaissance Man"!

-magic no.2: hold your fire, 2007

8" x 8", oil on gessoed panel

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Diptych : Lifesavers

I've been noodling around with this for a month or so. I'm working on some "long" works ( "Lange" in German is "long"! Don't think I haven't used that line a few times... ).

I went through a few rolls of these to get the composition I wanted. I ate all except that weird yellowish one...

FUN FACT: If you leave a roll of Lifesaver's candies out on a surface in a semi-connected row for a month, the humidity will cause the candies to bond into a sort of multi-colored gooey stick. This requires a chisel to remove from your table.


-Diptych : Lifesavers, 2007

two 8" x 8" ( or... 8" x 16") , oil on gessoed panel

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Magic No.1: Songbird

I've been meaning to talk about one of my heroes...Ricky Jay. He is a brilliant writer, actor ( He was born to do David Mamet), poker player, and master magician. He's the king of "slight of hand" which means...he's THE KING OF HANDS! He has an absolute mastery of getting his hands to do what he wants them to do ( a constant battle for me...). I really encourage everyone to go to Ricky Jay's website and explore. You should also listen to his radio show about "Hands".

I thought I would channel a little Caravaggio into my series of "magic hands".

-magic no.1: songbird, 2007

8" x 8", oil on gessoed panel

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Apple Pi

This is the second of my "Pi paintings". I'm working on a larger version and a little movie of my next one right now. I actually used ALL of the colors on my palette for this painting.

I actually use Pi pretty regularly. Perhaps I put a little too much energy into making a newspaper crown for my dog, but...

if you're gonna do something, you should really give it your all!


-apple pi, 2007

8" x 8", oil on gessoed panel

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lolli, lolli, lolli...

Who doesn't like candy on a stick? Caramel apples, corn ( at any good state fair), cotton candy ( stick is paper, but it still counts), kabobs of any variety, and of course popcicles and ice cream ( yum a dum dum!). This leads me to this equation:

Good thing + stick = REALLY good thing!


-lolli, lolli, lolli, 2007

8" x 8", oil on gessoed panel

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My new name is...

There was a nice little article about Aron Packer in NewCity Chicago profiling him and talking about his current show. Here's a little excerpt from it:

"The anniversary show, which runs through October 13, also includes single works by many of the twenty or so core artists Packer represents—some emerging, others now mid-career. There’s a hilarious big pastel self-portrait by Otto Lange South as Flash Gordon brandishing a Wonder Bread instead of a ray gun. Renee McGinnis surreally places a London power plant amid luscious topiary. The sculpture "Shark Girl" by Casey Reardon Millard, which reared her ludicrous head at Art Chicago, is back, along with a smattering of folk pieces reminiscent of Packer’s beginnings twenty years ago."

From now on, I will only answer to...

Otto Lange South ( when I'm in the South)

When in Canada, I will only answer to...

Otto Lange North

When in London or France, I will be called...

Otto Lange Europe

I hope that this new plan will go smoothly for everyone and not cause too much confusion.

Thanks,

Otto Lange South - Midwestern ( I'm on the phone with my Uncle in Ohio...) Pin It Now!

banana

FUN FACT: Did you know that after you've peeled a banana, if you push your finger into the very tip of the end...it will split into three identical slices.

-banana, 2007

6" x 6", oil on gessoed panel

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batman '66

See? Even as a child I knew that if you had a bunch of money and were super smart...it could totally happen!



-batman '66, 2007

8" x 8", oil on gessoed panel

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Also, check out my little movie of this painting.

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acorn & b-corn

I have a wonderfully wicked little niece named Lilli. She has spent the weekend with us every week since she has been born ( my sister and I live within 4 miles of each other). To be honest, I can relate to her better than just about anyone. The immediate needs and the unwillingness to let a joke DIE!

Lilli: "Hey, what are these?"

Me: "they're acorns."

Lilli: "Why are they green?"

Me: : "Well, those are different. They're B-corns"

Lilli: "Hey, I'm seven...not stupid!"

Awesome! However, I do miss the ability to "engage in mis-information" with her.

-conjunction junction, 2007

6" x 6", oil on gessoed panel

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self-portrait with Mickey & cherries

I paint with the Mickey Mouse shirt a lot. I think I consider it a "painting shirt". the funny this is that I NEVER get any paint on it. The other funny thing is that I ALWAYS get paint on my clothes when I don't put on my "painting shirt". I went to bed the other night, and when I went to brush my teeth I realized that I had Mars Black all over my face. I looked like Dick Van Dyke. Well, I suppose there are worse "looks" ( Gavin McLeod, Marvin Hamlish...)

-self-portrait with Mickey & cherries, 2007

8" x 8", oil on gessoed panel

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