Tuesday, July 31, 2007

concentrating

The idea is gone. Having a hard time navigating thoughts through the television drone and Jf's (changed his nickname from jmk to Jf) conversation schedule, which is start whenever and become intense about any subject quickly and for a long time. I am used to long hours alone in the studio. I wish I could get the television down to a drone level in my mind. Television news, Jf's latest choice for background drone, a curious choice knowing Jf, the sound of it snaps my mind to a sort of everyman grid. The sound of it blocks me from getting deep in there where I need to be while painting. I am stuck to a grid of thoughts suitable for pleasant conversation in line at the DMV. I may as well copy the side of a tissue box and try to sell it to large hospitals for their waiting rooms.

That was just a paragraph of the thoughts I have when the tv goes on. The same thoughts so many times i have them in picture form, and no, they would not make a good painting.

Monday, July 30, 2007

Virgin Mobile in Australia is using flickr images in their ads, supposedly ones liscenced for public use in advertising. Here is the flickr group debating the ads, and here is the ad site. Some of them have not so kind captions like this one.


Thursday, July 26, 2007




I like the interior of this bar/restaurant. It is darker than pictured, so the visually prodominant elements are the darkness, the backs of the tall benches, and the neon sign. I did not at all convey the charm of this interior with my photos. I needed a wider angle lense, or maybe to pay better attention to photogrtaphing. I was pretty lack luster, as you can see they are out of focus.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Location: failed painting.

For a painter, at least this painter, looking at a painting that does not work, for whatever reason, is like staring at some creeping abyss of failure. As a teacher at the design school where Jmk once worked said, "there is only one student film, and you only get to see parts of it here and there". Failed painting is a place, one I don't like to visit in my own studio, let alone some gallery or cafe or dentist's walls.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Artists are easy targets, fine, but I get tired of hearing about it. Art is that strange territory between reality and any number of things: that that transcends into the subconscious, the perfect analogy both emotional and cerebral, a clearer explanation, a way in general society uses to work things out, the list goes on. A side effect of getting to this place is a number of behaviors that are not the easiest for society to handle. While living cerebraly in the perspective it takes to make art, we artists do things that may appear to be odd to the rest of society. That said, if you are going to make most of your friends and acquaintances artists, you may consider the constant complaining about overall horrid traits of artists quickly becomes tiresome. The actor who uses the method of living as his character, which then becomes your all time favorite, follows a pattern that is easily observed. Hey pal, we're soaking in it.

No one wants to hear "Stop calling it a fake project, when is the last time anyone paid you thousands of dollars for your 'real' art?". Hearing about how we are such criminals and frauds gets old after a while. I appreciate your opinion that we/I may be of more use to society flipping burgers, but for me to get any work done here, kindly just tell me once and step away.



Thursday, July 5, 2007

Oh, so hung over. Big party involving bbq, watching the neighborhood fireworks on a friend's roof as a steady stream of people stopped in from various parties. Low key relaxation, dancing on the roof and talked art with a few people. Talked with the latest excommunicatee from Pod land whom I had not seen in a while and a non artist who likes artists. I need to talk to more non-artists who love artists, of course also those who put money behind this, partons of the arts. I never really needed this kind of encouragement before, for whatever reason I now find that it is nice.

Someone broke the side window out of our Volvo waggon. I am of course convinced I saw the bozos who did it from the roof. A row of clowns walking along in a straight line with pillow cases and bags filled with what could have been fireworks, but one of them purposefully veered off through an alley, without saying anything to the others. Usually if someone from a group leaves, people say see ya, goodbye. He wasn't going to pee because they did not wait for him. So there. I assumed they were not going to break into our car, as there are more swanky cars parked in front of the bar. That is a hunch, but I am sure they mistook his swag Siemens briefcase for a laptop bag . Jmk agrees.

Tuesday, July 3, 2007


I sent a URL for this video with my email invite to karaoke. Its Nina Hagen presenting the song "New York New York"

Wasting time on the net, then not.

Looking at Japanese Color Lesson on you tube, and playing "Match up" and "Slither Link Puzzle", addons to my iGoogle page. "Match up" is just matching up two rows of five dollar words definition wise. I am doing well with this little game, but now am starting to suspect five is some magic number that makes guesses the most educated by process of elimination. "Slither Link Puzzle" is sort of a minimal sedoku (is that even spelled right?) mind sweeper mix.

In the mornings, I have much needed practice conversations with Japanese people on skype who, of course, are about to go to bed. I usually chicken out for speaking Japanese, and one of them often plays keyboard and sings John Denver songs.

In unrelated matters, here is a photo of some Ramen I made and ate.
Pea sprouts, imitation crab, bbq pork, and white onion with beef broth. Pea sprouts are most excellent in soup. All stuff purchased a minute away by car from my house.



Monday, July 2, 2007

Whiskey Tango double Fox-freaking trot

Bush commutes Scooter Libby's prison sentence. I had a knot in my stomach for a minute there. I'm sure much of America felt the same way. The knot is made worse by the queasiness from the constant moving footage loop on MSNBC of Libby getting out of a car and walking into a building. Humans were not built to watch so much camera panning. Putting the loop, then, on half the damn screen and providing me with an expert on the other I have to pay attention to is even worse. Jmk was yelling at them directly through the television screen, featuring a nasty guttural tone, and brief lord of the flies phase. I don't blame him.

Marshall Fields photo by Flickr user palmea


, originally uploaded by palmea.

Television

I'm loving Flight of the Conchords on HBO. An acoustic guitar duo from New Zealand and their manager have adventures in New York best told through goofy and extremely well crafted songs. This show works because the guys are charming with an understated demeanor, great comedic timing, and the right amount of cheesy goodness it takes to deliver songs intermittently in a modern television show. They fully embrace the awkwardness of presenting sincere songs while reminding us that sincere songs about life can be quite good.




Whisky Tango Foxtrot???!!!

Christians gave me pie this weekend. Jmk was out fixing the turning-stuff near-the-engine belt on the waldo (Volvo waggon) and found a family of West Virginians stranded on our side street complete with acoustic guitar playing young man, family camper trailer with attached boat, three generations of men named bill, other children and a mother and grandmother armed with little digital cameras. They spent the night right here in the art ghetto waiting for an axle thingie. The grandfather told stories about flying around on leave hooking up with stewardesses coming through Chicago last in the 50s. He and two stewardesses were flying around having a good time and his money ran out, and one of them said, don't worry, continue your vacation, I'll pay. He was too much a gentleman to oblige, too christian I also remember him saying. Months later he found himself back studying in a room of men in whatever field he had chosen, all 20 years his senior, really driving home how young he was at the the time and hes thinking, well, basically, what was I thinking??? I enjoyed this story, and that they referred to the obligatory front stoop sitting as "visiting", oh, and the pie, glorious pie (pumpkin).