Interacting with the community online while working on a piece has been interesting. A Facebook share, or an Instagram comment can make an immediate change in how or what I am decorating. When I pick up a tumbler and pause just before putting brush to surface, not much if anything is planned out. Sometimes I just start with the leading edge of the robot’s head. What that robot is doing can be influenced right up until I get to its hands.
The visual language I was using unconsciously was flushed out while trying to explain The Buckethead Story in a Facebook thread. “Why is the robot shoving the bunny into an oil drum?” That question set off a whole series of illustrations with Bunny Foo Foo and a good robot as the leads.
Jack, the cigar-smoking dragonfly, became the answer to a question from a student about whether I ever used dragonflies in my work. Now, not wanting to use the stereotypical depiction of a dragonfly, I made this one with a bit more edge. His job in the world is to recycle unnecessary robots like the bunny bots. After disassembly the parts are sorted and ready for more useful endeavors.
Even writing this blog post probably will affect the next chapters in the world of Bucketheads.