Quick Pics (04.05.21)

By on Apr 5, 2021

Art History: Banksy

By on Mar 26, 2021

I have a strange conflict when it comes to graffiti artists. I love graffiti but it belongs on the streets. I find the commodification of it problematic. Anytime I see a graffiti artist with a gallery show or a piece up for auction I can’t help but feel a little disappointed. Banksy is an artist that I often waffle on. He definitely has talent but there is so much hype around him. It is kind of like those bumper stickers you will occasionally see on minivans, “I used to be cool.” Graffiti is about being an outsider, a criminal, and once you are excepted into the fold it looses something. Twist (Barry McGee) has been accepted into the fold and I was always skeptical of him too. After reading an interview with him it turns out he struggled with the same issues. He said something along the lines of, for every gallery installation or piece he produces he feels like he has...

It’s all in my h e a d. . .

By on Mar 18, 2021

  I woke up a couple nights ago to a persistent, high-pitched ringing. My wife was asleep and the dog was motionless so I was confused as to what was happening. It was so loud but I couldn’t tell where it was coming from. I got out of bed and slammed into the dresser. The dog heard that and jumped out of bed. It took me a second to get my bearings. Actually, it took quite a few seconds. I slowly made my way to the bathroom and turned on the light. The ringing was coming from  i n s i d e  m Y  H E A D!!! Yeah, it’s that time of year, when all the snow starts melting and all the decayed leaves and whatnot that have been hidden all winter start wreaking havoc with my allergies. My ear was completely clogged leaving me nearly deaf and a little dizzy. I’m kind of used to it but this seemed worse than usual. I went to sleep on the couch, as to not disturb my wife, and...

Quick Pics (03.15.21)

By on Mar 15, 2021

On the Road…

By on Mar 12, 2021

  A few years ago my wife and I were driving to a relative’s house. We were chatting away when she noticed I had suddenly gotten really quiet. She looked at me and saw I was staring down the freeway looking very focused. She followed my gaze to see a random tire bouncing around the road ahead of us, flying about 4 feet in the air after each bounce. All those years of playing video games kicked in at that moment and after carefully observing the movement of the tire I swerved and slammed down the gas pedal hoping the tire would continue its current trajectory. We made it past without harm and continued on our way. After putting the incident behind us we struck back up our conversation and about 30 minutes later we started hearing a terrible sound. Driving an older car, we started worring that something was wrong with the car. We turned down the radio and listened to the...

Plinking Away

By on Mar 11, 2021

    So much work and so little progress. I keep pushing forward. Really focusing on these frames right now. I am actually making them as a present for my wife. I am working on 2 frames right now, which is really bugging me because I usually work in odd numbers. It might be why I’m struggling so much. I started with 4 but I didn’t have much room so I went with 3 and then one busted apart when I was sanding it. I just made up my mind to add another to the mix. Anyway, I am going to print my current drawing on some wood and put it in one frame and do a picture of our girls in another. Not sure what I’ll put in the third due to the fact that I just added it now…     The frame I made for this is tall and skinny. I might have to get my boogie on and finish this up and make another that looks visually similar. I keep waffling on this one. It’s...

Art History: Sophie Prestigiacomo

By on Mar 10, 2021

Imagine taking the family to a nature preserve to spend the day communing with nature. You decide to visit a marsh in the Gulf of Morbihan in the country of France. You are walking along the raised pathway when you see a figure in the distance. It looks human-like but something is just a little off…     Then you start noticing more of them. Strange distorted figures that seem part of the marsh. Like the marsh has swallowed them up and made them part of it.     These are the works of sculptor Sophie Prestigiacomo. She started with two mysterious figures but the collection has grown to eight.     I wish I could tell you more about the artist but, a few pictures aside, information about Sophie is rather limited. It makes the sculptures that much more intriguing.   Sources: Sophie Prestigiacomo’s ‘Homo Algus’ Invites Swamp Creatures Out of the Wild...

A New Journey Begins…

By on Mar 9, 2021

    Pretty gross right? I have started my quest for the perfect dumpling. Midwestern dumpling to be more accurate. And with that statement I just broke my mother’s heart. My wife is a midwestern girl through and through. She loves dumplings and I have failed at making them every time. Last week I ruined a perfectly good batch of chicken noodle soup by trying to make dumplings. I have attempted dumplings no less than 8 times in the past and the only thing I seem to accomplish is to make a mess. So after last week I have decided to perfect dumplings. I started researching and planning and last night I took my first step in the process. I am happy to report that it was a successful first step. For the first time I was able to make something edible. I figured out the correct size and cooking time. My wife practically danced around the kitchen table. I took notes and made...