Sweet Welds

This is a sketch for my latest commission. It's kind of hard to visualize maybe, but basically will be a semi-circular envelope vessel with trees rising out of it and a moon in the branches. The client also wants a lake suggested somehow. I'm thinking some kind of stained glass element. It's going to be on a two-pronged stand installed in the ground. Below is another sketch of a bird bath i did a while back.


Yesterday, weirdly, all the welding stars aligned for me. Everything just went perfectly. I drew out my first semi circle and cut it exactly on the lines, no blown cutter tips, no waver. Then I cut the second piece, matched perfectly. I had to bend each one by hand. This takes some strength and very often one is bent differently, warped more one direction or the other, bent more severely, etc. Nope. They matched up exactly. Not only that, but once I looked more closely, there is a rusted image of a bird on one of the sections. I draw on the steel with chalk and months ago had just put this piece aside while working on a bird bath. When the chalk washed off in the weather my sketch lines rusted. Cool huh?


Also, I have to say, these are some sweet welds. It just hardly ever happens that every single thing goes perfectly. Usually things take a hundred times longer than you expect, equipment fails, or you do; your hand shakes or your arm moves or you breath wrong. Yesterday was just a really great welding day.

And I'm very grateful because the day before I was having one of those crisis's of confidence we artist types suffer from occasionally. I did work on my revision of Dirt Nap and got some good stuff down, but was just hearing that voice saying, "Who do you think you are? you'll never get anywhere with this -- you suck!" Well, "Shut up little voice -- you suck." Not one of my snappier come backs but for now it'll do.

This was more of a technical than creative victory, but I did bring what had only existed in my head into physical form pretty much unaltered, and, as I worked with my tools and enjoyed my proficiency with them, my characters began speaking to me again too. Thanks universe!

Play "Little Room" by The White Stripes in the player for Jack White's take on this process -- getting your creative mojo restored.

Self-Inflicted Haircut Wound, To The Head

It really didn't turn out all that bad, considering.

Something weird always happens when I have a cleaning day. I can't explain it. This time no disturbing math piles were unearthed, and there were no unidentifiable blobs of goo. It was more or less uneventful. I guess I'll do just about anything to further procrastinate cleaning the bathroom.

This morning I need me some head-whipping rock.
---I had to clean most of the day yesterday.
---I whacked off a good deal of my own hair.
---Although not fully awake, I feel the need to go running and--
---the tax man is coming today to inspect my home to see if there's any way the town can possibly charge me more for living here.
(picture Maggie Gyllenhaal in "Stranger Than Fiction" slamming her dough on the counter and yelling, "Whatever -- TAX MAN!" -- If you haven seen this movie, you need to.)

Do check out "Screwdriver" By The White Stripes in the player for some awesome head whip-age. This live version isn't as good as the recorded version, but still, it's Jack flippin' White! Rock out!

One advantage of cleaning today was gathering my extensive "files" from all over the house and organizing "my desk". (click for closer view of my confidential "work papers") Today will be spent welding and rocking out. Shake it people, you know you want to.

Makin' It The Hard Way

Went to the Uptown Artfair Saturday. It had been about 5 years since I'd last gone, and it didn't take me long to remember why -- lot's of people, lot's and lot's. Whenever I am tempted to check out a music festival or something similar, I have to remind myself how much I adore being surrounded by fleshy, sweaty, people, many wearing shorts who should not be, and waiting in line to use disgusting porto potties.


I really can't talk about outfits. I took this opportunity to bust out my funky-ass sarong and one of my arty-er graphic T's. If you can't rock the hippy chick look at an artfair, where can you?


Anyway, Uptown was still uptown, the scene was still the scene, and there were still lot's of twenty somethings all over absolutely convinced they were the first ever to discover the coolage.

What I was really struck by, or reminded of though, was how hard professional artists really work. There was lot's of amazing work there (mixed in with some crap too). The amount of work these artists have to come up with for a show like this is mind boggling. Many of these guys (& gals) travel the artshow circuit all summer too, going to shows every couple weeks. Then there is the hauling, loading, unloading, set-up, take-down, and sitting there all day or all weekend long sweating their asses off making nice to the crowd.

I think people have a tendency to think of artists as somewhat shiftless types that have it easy. That is an unfair generalization in most cases.

This is the one artist's booth I shot before my camera battery died. It's Lee and Dan Ross's. Lee has been doing this show for 35 years. This year she took the spot her mother used to occupy, right outside the Uptown Theater. Her and Dan do these amazing sculptures, have just finished a new series in limestone, and will be at 50 on 5oth in Nov with me and 48 other artists. I feel very proud to get to mingle with the artists I show with, proud to be part of this tribe.

This isn't going to replace caffeine for you this morning but check out "The story of an artist" by Daniel Johnston in the player for a reflective, mellow, and typically quirky Daniel take on the subject.

Feathering Thier Nest

This is Ashle and Curtis right after the big "I now pronounce you" moment last summer as they got married down by the river that runs by the little patch of woods we share with our next door neighbors (Ashle's folks).


This is about a minute later. They are the coolest couple. He is funny and self-possessed, she's beautiful and smart, and they just ooze love. The real deal, as in picturing them as little cute old people tottering along holding hands one day.


This is them in their cool uptown pad (dig it man) being forced by me to pose beneath the "raven's nest" it took me all this time to get to them as a wedding gift. The idea is that over time they'll be able to add little bits from their lives / travels to the nest. They're into collecting driftwood, rocks, beach glass etc. already, so now will have somewhere to stash it all.

Awwwe. Such a great couple. In their honor play "Trees" in the player by Marty Casey and the Lovehammers. It's become one of me and Dan's songs since moving to paradise...

Orb-tacular !

More orb-tastic photos from my friend down the river. Both she and I have consulted our more cosmic friends about this phenomenon, and received matching information.

Apparently orbs are showing up more and more in photos lately all over the world. They show up best in flash photography, but no fancy equipment is needed. They are supposedly just balls of energy. Some of it is "collective", some is "individual". These aren't ghosts, (aka "stuck energy" from a deceased person that hasn't gone into the light), but other forms of energy referred to variously as "angels", "fairies", "elementals", or just "energy orbs." They are perceived as being, if not actually helpful, benign, but senchant.

What do you think? Ever have anything show up in any of your photos? Interesting at any rate.

Another Amusing Blog...

This is pretty cool, and funny, and strange. How can you miss?

Still Wondering What A Slaghammer Is??

For extra added coolage play "I turn my camera on" by Spoon (on SNL this week by the way) in the player.

These are some possible pics for the "Moo cards" I'll be ordering for my Nov show. If you click to see larger views you may get why I'm so enamored with steel / rust. You like?