Enjoy! New Art from Otto

"Disfruta!"  Pencil on paper, 2025 by Otto Von Miller. 
If time and circumstance allowed, at this juncture, Otto would likely spend most or all of his time doing art.  Click to enlarge.

Let's be absolutely clear.

The social contract was shredded by the ruling elites, not in 2008, or 2010, but in the 1990s.  It fact, it probably started back in 1981, or even earlier.

It took a while for everyone to catch on, but I suspect most of us have by now.

There is no meritocracy.  It's a lie.

There is no social contract.  You don't owe them anything, least of all your allegiance.  

"Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law."

Thee Optimist, in the guise of his alter ego, the genius Otto Von Miller, will do some art.

He is saturated with other responsibilities at the moment, but a time is coming, perhaps at the end of this calendar year, when that will no longer be true.   

In the meantime, the sketch above is meant as an homage to Havana nightlife in the 1950s.  Specifically, the woman is supposed to be a showgirl at the Tropicana.

Otto has been a denizen of Havana at numerous points in his long life (although well after the 1950s - he's not that old), and he enjoys Cuban culture a great deal.

The Spanish word "disfruta," means "enjoy" in English, and is a command, as in "enjoy yourself," "party," or "celebrate."

As mentioned elsewhere, Otto is an admirer of the female form.  He did some of the shadow work here by simply smudging the pencil with his finger. 

"You Are Here," acrylic on canvas, 2025 by Otto Von Miller.

Remain in Light

Otto has spent much of his life living near (or on) the water.  That's very nice.  It's not because of anything special about Otto Von Miller.

Maybe it's just the luck of the draw.

The painting above is of a spot between two palm trees near where Otto lives, on the Gulf of Mexico.  It's a sunset, and you are watching it.

Otto first took a photo of the sunset, then painted a sort of idealized version of it.  

The painting is a little splotchy and unrefined - it suggests the situation rather than showing it in detail.  Otto was trying to capture the sense of light more than anything.  

Otto believes that light evokes memory and emotion, so he is trying to become proficient at painting it.

"Lite Haus," acrylic on canvas, 2025 by Otto Von Miller. 

Run to the Lite

This is a painting Otto did for one of his many sisters.  

She also lives near the sea (albeit a different sea entirely), and she enjoys lighthouse images.

There isn't much to say about this one.  It is an entirely made-up, imaginary lighthouse.  

To me, the sky and the yellow/brown grass indicate New England in the autumn.  

In terms of brushstrokes, everything is moving up and to the right (suggesting time flying, or a fleeting moment, or winter coming). 

The lighthouse itself stands firm against that.  It's been here a long while, and will remain.

Words of Wisdom

“Do not worry if all the candles in the world flicker and die.  We have the spark that starts the fire.” 

– Rumi