I’m writing from the coast of North Carolina as tropical rain and winds lash the house and the lights flicker inside. My extended family is gathered for a reunion here. There is something comforting about working while the winds rage and the lights flicker and the family sleeps peacefully around me.
Trying to juggle the needs and demands of family, work and travel I keep dropping the weekly image prompts I have been putting up here on Thursdays for the last nine months. So rather than letting the adventure sputter out I’m either taking a break or calling it quits, time will tell which. Although turning the blog over to the next artist or artists is an idea I have toyed with, and I am open to suggestions.
In any case I can’t keep it up in a way I feel good about so here is one last prompt for all who are interested. In a post to follow I’ll put up the recent collaborations. I will also try to look back over the time spent doing this and the collaborations that have resulted and try to make some sense of it all and thank you properly for your months of interest, your amazing collaborations and your support.
ybonsey asked me recently about this image, which I used to illustrate a post about war and pacifism.
The painting is in oils on canvas and is maybe 3.5 feet tall. It began as a study for a class in figure painting in oils. I considered it a failed painting and abandoned it until Dan Brawley, Director of the Cucaloris Film Festival, and founder of the Independent Art Company, of Wilmington, NC, invited me to submit a piece for a show he was curating on the subject of the Male Nude.
As it was a failed piece I flipped it upside down to see what I could make of it, thought about male aggression, noticed the penis was the pivot point and worked from there. Now, if you find a story there I would love to hear it.
mine enemy grows older 
Well I already told you I think you’re right to concentrate on your own art and writing. You’ve been a huge inspiration to so many and so very generous. You’re a good friend and a hell of an artist, in every sense of the word. Happy thanksgiving to you, N, B and A.
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Hello.
I really like this painting and the conceptualization of male aggression as you put it. Not a failed painting in my opinion and glad you stuck with it. Have to say I have no story to tell on how I interpret the flipping of the painting and the pivot but I do appreciate the style and symbolism 🙂
Maybe you should revisit any other paintings you may have abandoned
BobbyM
http://bobbywashere.wordpress.com
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Very beautiful and informative blog, is more than such!
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well rick as far as i am concerned,, just the fact that you have openly allowed us to gain inspiration from your work is such a breath of fresh air for the blogging/artist community… i am hoping that your example will inspire others to open up the repertoire of their works for fictional and or poetic inspiration….
thank you for all your hard work,, and for allowing us to incorporate our little bit of introspection into your work…..
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Though I don’t do a lot of writing, I have extremely enjoyed my peek into your artistic world each week. Now go enjoy your adventurous, creative life. Thanks for it all.
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With so much going on in your life I´m not surprised by this decision – though it´s sad to see the (potential) end of such an inspiring chapter! Thanks so much for sharing your artwork and all the best for all your future endeavours.
And of course, if you should ever find yourself staring at a picture and wondering what the story is, the great thing about blogfeeds is that we´ll still only be a post away….
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Exeat.
Roma locuta est. Causa finita est.
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amuirin, the coolest note ever, thanks.
lirone, you’re right, only a post away… and you keep singing. i’ll be recharged soon. this is too great a community to walk away from.
bo, thank you. I feel like I’ll have more time for enjoying everyone’s work now, more time for visiting, reading, looking, sitting with your words and images.
paisley, you have all been such lifelines for me.
доставка, i don’t know what to say. i wish i did.
bobbywashere, i returned your visit and i like your work.
jo, i’ll be over to visit. i need to catch up with you.
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Your blog, prompts, paintings and writings have been a wind of needed fresh air for me. Proves what generous spirit of collaboration exists out in the world, all around us.
Your “Darfur Fridge” has powerfully hooked me and has seeped into my bones, i gotta say.
From time to time will you please post your latest doings? I’ll miss you, but do understand how a busy and engaged life takes precedence over’cyber-life’. G
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Thanks for sharing so much of yourself with us, and allowing us to share in return. It has been a great experience, and, if you choose not to come back, I will miss you!
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PS And, how the hell could I have totally MISSED all those penis’s (peni?)? Thanks for the “head’s up.” LOL
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For the last nine months since I discovered your blog site, my days and weeks have been charged with your paintings, your personality, and all the fellowship of we collaborative poets who have rallied to your challenges and prompts. But even without image prompts being a weekly thing, I would bet that as your new art blossoms you will share it, and many of us will be thrilled to use it as a prompt for another poem. Thanks to you, I have had the most prolific period of writing my poetry than I can remember. Beyond your art, though Rick, most of us are just happy to blog with you, and feel privledged to have shared a bit of time with you and N &B&A. I hope your announcement does not mean you are shutting down the site completely, just suspending the weekly image prompts, right? I echo the thanks and sentiments of so many others.
Glenn
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I must say that when I look at your paintings —I don’t think of of what they mean or necessarily what you think they mean (besides wow or this is awesome dude or holly mac and cheese).
I think about their layers and blending and skill and detail and beauty. Your work is so powerful that often times I am left speechless and coming from me, a writer who has a hard time stopping to do the daily tasks of living, that is a compliment. Rarely do I just shut up and look at a painting from some blog….
Your paintings remind me what love and hard work can produce and that great art is being made right now in this world by the future’s masters…. Not all is lost…
So go ahead and spend your time creating and loving. That is what you should do
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rick, thanks for sharing your paintings with us. i hope you don’t take down this blog, because there are still so many paintings here that i want to write a poem on ( i have only done 3 so far ) 🙂
take care, and best wishes!
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Hi Rick, love the painting! There’s a lot of scope here for the poet, thanks for posting this.
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Well, I will miss the image prompts. But real life always has to come first 🙂 Hope you’ll continue to post here from time to time.
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Rick,
I know how life overwhelms sometimes, but you mustn’t quit! I’m sure this means that you will be devoting more time to family and art and that, of course must be a priority.
The image you have posted here is Wonderful. I agree with Anniepoetry that, in viewing this image, it just hits me as a whole. I was not too concerned with the intent nor the phallic imagery. In fact, knowing that it is there, it’s still not the predominant factor, though you know that it was your inspiration for the war/aggression theme.
I’ll keep popping by your web site and blog from time to time to see if you have posted in your spare time, if not regularly for the Thursday thing,
K
artiseternal.wordpress.com
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Hi Rick, I wrote a poem for your ‘war’ image. I couldn’t find any place to post the permalink, so I’m putting it here. You can always delete it if you don’t like it.
http://sewina.blogspot.com/2008/10/rick-mobbs-last-image-prompt.html
Thanks again for the prompt!
Andy
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Wow, Rick I’m going to truely miss your prompts. . . . Perhaps you will drop one on us every so often or find guest artists. . . to fill in the time . . . but for now. . . I do understand and appreciate that you shared so freely . . . The below poem is written especially for you and goes with the painting. . . at least to me it does. . . Blessings to you and yours. . .
CordieB.
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Do what you need to keep your balance and creative energy flowing. With thanks for what you’ve put out there, and with appreciation and accolades for what the echoes have called back to these shores…
I agree with others that if you can, at least leave up the site as a signpost, so others can respond to the prompts already posted, and to do occasional updates.
Best to you and the fab fam!
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Rick, I had envisioned this piece being large, and so to hear that it is 3-1/2 foot tall, well, wow. It must be spectacular in person because it is so on the internet.
You know, given that you have been doing so many things with your blog—writing, giving inspiration through painting prompts, and then painting—it’s not surprising that it has taken up so much of the time you need to produce. Maybe you could evolve it into more of a place for personal expression. Or, well, that might not satisfy what you want to do with the blog, but at least we’d still get to hear from you and be connected. Selfish of me, eh?
The whipping wind and rain and your writing inside a calm house—sounds comforting somehow. Enjoy your reunion.
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well, I wouldn’t want to miss out on the last one being I have missed so many it seems. it is a beautiful thing you have propogated here. I certainly hope you return to it but I do understand the pull of the RL.
I know you will continue to do great things as I see it in your works.
anyhow
I Am the Gun
Sweaty palms and desire
Look now what I have become
The flesh and bone conspire
And my humanity undone
No longer have I choice
I have chosen to choose no more
Bang and smoke now my voice
I have become the whore
The pounding in my chest
The sounds of new machine
The smile that was in jest
Has turned to grimacing
I have become the gun
Cocked and loaded in my hand
Firing rounds just for fun
Caring not where they may land
peace
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I also see a flexed arm in this painting.
I agree with Jo, you are so talented as a writer and a painter, you could focus on putting a book together. Hopefully you will still post your work. It doesn’t have to be as a prompt, because all the gathering and linking is a full-time job for one blogger. Hope to continue reading your poems and seeing your artwork. I’d visit your site no matter what.
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Happy Halloween to you and your beautiful family, Rick!!
Be safe.
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Hey Rick. Your work has been an incredible inspiration to me and will continue to inspire me in any event. Wishing you and your family all the best and hope to see you around here and there in one form or another.
Cheers,
Brad
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More than likely, fellow bloggers, all those overwhelming ardor from us, this affection and emotion will embaress Rick a bit. But it is cool that with this outpouring of love and heartfelt responses, he can get a glimpse of the real impact his artwork and words have made out here in the vacuum of cyberland. When you return to to NM, and get a chance to share some of your latest feelings, we will have a touchstone, and know what the next move will be. You have torn through our skies like a new comet, Mobbs, and the brightness of your presence will be missed as the starlight in your great tail fades from our view.
Glenn
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