If you’ve read this previous post, then you’ll recognize the image above - it’s another version of my “Blood from a Stone” painting, sans the infamous real blood from a tragic accident with an evil razor blade. And yes, I’m only kidding - no garlic infusion. Just 7 essential vitamins and minerals. Uh-huh.
First, let’s be clear on this: I did NOT mutilate myself to harvest blood for paint. I’m neither psychotic nor so poor that I can’t buy art supplies. (So, do you know why starving artists are starving? Because art supplies are so frakking expensive.) A CSI ultraviolet light test will reveal that the painting contains trace amounts of blood from my horribly disfigured finger. I shall never play the piano ever again. Oh wait, I never played the piano. Damn, this entire paragraph was so hammy that a vegetarian would disapprove.
Of course, blood paintings are nothing new. Cavemen punks were doing wall graffiti with animal blood loooong before my finger accident. In fact, according to this article, “PREHISTORIC people in Australia and Tasmania used human blood as the red pigment in their rock paintings.” A Google search turned up more recent examples: Petra Paul’s menstrual blood art (WTF, ewww) and heroin-infused blood paintings by Pete Doherty (lead singer and songwriter for British band “Babyshambles” and ex-boyfriend of model Kate Moss, another heroin-addicted mess). Oh, those crazy kids.
The image to the left is one of Petra Paul’s strange oeuvre which showcased in the Museum of Menstruation and Women’s Health (MUM) in Maryland, U.S.A. (MUM officially closed in 1999). So, that blood spattering image contains… yup, her very own… menstrual blood. Lovely. 
MUM’s (not) the word. Gross is the word. Much.
Look closer and you’ll see the obvious Jackson Pollock influence. LOL. OK, sorry… lame joke.
Heck, why stop there? Imagine the possibilities of using menstrual blood in arts and craft projects. And why use blood when you’ve got other bodily fluids and matter? Oh, and just imagine - hair and toe nail clippings! Ewww. 
OK, enough of that nonsense… Let’s move on to my other version of “Blood from a Stone” - drawn with felt-tip pens on white paper. I like to use almost dried-up pens so that the drawing almost looks like it was done with thick pencils. Nicer, smudgy-looking shading. Fresh felt-tip pens would result in thick lines from the full-on ink bleed. Another example of using almost dried-up ink pens is this previous drawing of Billy Idol, except that one was a stipple drawing (dots, dots, dots). So, version 2 of “Blood from a Stone” ? I really like it a lot. One could even say I was applying the asymptotic concept of perfection through repetition and reduction. 
Wax on, wax off.
Adieu,
bloodless orange fruity
P.S. Thanks for all the comments on the last two previous posts. I’m working on trying to return your comments via your websites.
But yea, ’tis been so long since you last blogged. I miss you. 
@Argos: Oops, my mistake… rechecked my facts. It was located in New Carrollton, Maryland, U.SA. (in the basement of MUM founder Harry Finley) and officially closed in 1999.
MUM is not in Vienna… *g*
Looking at that bloody work of art and imagining what else you can use from your body to create an artwork just made me shiver…
Do they use blood mixed with something or does it have to be purely made of blood? Forget that stupid question.
Art is art. And it’s relative as well.
Nice work of art.
Aaahh… nnnneeeeeaaaaaatttttttt!
I really love it! You are so silly but full of interesting information. I always learn something new when visiting your site. The art is fascinating and so is the use of blood throughout history.
Oh, f.y.i.: some of the art in my gallery are paintings and drawings but some may look like graphics or manipulations. I started out drawing, sketching and painting in my early youth as well as writing poetry, but recently tried my hand at photo manipulation and web design and learned rather quickly over the last year. I suggest you try your hand at it as you already have the artist’s eye which is 80% of what you need!
I still do traditional art. I’m basically a creator of stuff, I sew, make handmade dolls and if I was stuck in the woods with no “material” or expensive supplies, I would create material with nature. I actually did a painting that I never shared online that includes flour, water, dried rose petals, leaves, feathers, and other miscellaneous items in it. People love it! Lol. I cannot be stopped!
Being creative is such a beautiful thing. Please continue to share your beautiful work and use whatever materials you can muster, but make sure you add signatures and/or something so people don’t take them with ease.
By the way, this is my last piece. It’s in my blog.
I noticed in an earlier post you mentioned Vincent Van Gogh. I thought it out of place at the time. Then I recalled Van Gogh started repeating and ‘perfecting’ stuff he did in the past. The astute reader will remember a colourless pen and paper version of Starry Night in 1889. Very clever, your cryptic references, albeit somewhat disturbingly weird.
In the B and W version, the stone base looks like a crumpled linen blanket, which incidently is entwined and covering the heads of two men. I can only imagine the horrific ‘Dutch Oven’ going on under the sheets to cause these suffering men to hug in utter despair.
Signed,
Apiarist Trismegistus
Hi there! OH MY, WOW! you are a GREAT painter! That painting is really wonderful. ^^
The other painting by Petra Paul is gross… but artistic and unique. But… does she really have to use her own menstrual blood to create such unique oeuvre? LOL.
Toodles,
Nika