fancypants, errr, sorta

Thank ya kindly to the Source Weekly for the cover lovin.'  

also there is this.

I like to sing a bit, and I'm lucky these fellas let me.

early december at the Horned Hand

other things from the mad month of march

Intelligent Design

zen and the art of bicycle maintanence

spinning wheel

Adam Haynes

the latest interview for the source...

side-note: a review.

I (and) Love (and You) the new Avett Brothers.

Mean Mister Monson (just kidding, he's anything but mean)

Besides steadily covering large canvases with oranges and earthy greens, I've been conversing with my artist friend and studio neighbor, Tom.  I had initially done an interview with him in early February, but the profile just hit the stands this week... his work is rad.  And he's one of the nicest guys on the planet.

Tom grew up in Minnesota, but he also lived in East Tennessee for a short while.  We enjoy talking about Dollywood.  

One of my favorite of pieces of Mr. Monson's, and I hope I have a photo of it somewhere- is a self portrait.  It's tiny, and painted on a square plaque.  It is basically a bright aqua background surrounding a simply drawn octopus.  The quiet charecter wears a red scarf, grey baseball cap, and a bandage around one of it's eight arms.  It is covered in a layer of resin, so it has a shiny preciousness to it.  It's a comforting little piece, and it makes me smile.  

I really enjoy being surrounded by so many talented and giving souls.  I don't think I say that enough.

Good Winter

Been busy sourcin it up the last few days- working on artist profiles and interviews and cd reviews.

Here is the latest set of words... A review of the  new Bon Iver EP... 

Alex Reisfar...

About a week ago, I sat down with another one of Bend's Artists to talk art. We had tea...
Here's the result (sorry for the lame post, I am battling a wicked cold).

Bless this Tiny Alley

Rise Up's New Sign

It has been quiet the last few weeks over in Tin Pan Alley at the Rise Up office/studio... the RU gang has been busy doing "production," shipping out orders and the like, so it's mainly been me and Kelt holding down the fort.   

 

A week of stagnant creativity has lead to a flourish the last two days, however, mainly thanks to The Source.  They keep me busy. This morning I interviewed Maria Roberts (co-founder of Rise Up) for a Local Hero profile, and I am working on a peice about the artwork of Joe Kimmel who is having a show at the Evergreen in November.  These two people are inspiring to me, creatively and otherwise, so I am encouraged to get back to work on my collages.  Therefore-

There is debate going on about her face... hmmmm....

The Lion Tamer is getting closer and closer to completion.  Chicken Little just needs some final ink, and I am about to work on the Owl.  The narratives behind most of the pieces are feeling more resolved, and the craftsmanship, while slow going, is following suit.

Besides the art and the interviews, I am doing some serious yoga.  The Oregon Hatha Yoga Championships are November 23, and though I am not participating in the actual event  (I will be in Connecticut visiting the niece and nephew) I am pretending that I am competing to give myself a little focus and to hang out with pretzel-like people (also inspiring).  This means focusing on five of the twenty-six beginer poses from Bikram's Class, as well as two optional poses.  I am tackling Pigeon and Crow (birds, again, coincidence? perhaps) Practice is four times a week in addition to typical 90 minute classes that I attend five to six times a week in a 105 degree room.  It may sound like torture, but it provides a wonderful counter balance to thirty degree morning walks with the dogs... Namaste.

Miles and Miles

This morning I woke up sore but very happy.  I have had a wonderful week hanging out with Mr. and Mrs. Mullen (parents of  Gilliam Life author and bff Sarah), and this morning I brought them a yummy Ocean Roll from the Sparrow Bakery before waving bye to them.  They head back to Portland today and fly home to Tennessee early Saturday Morning.  Sadly, I have no pictures to share as of yet due to camera malfunctions.  Hopefully, next week!

The absolute highlight of the week had to be our hike yesterday at Tumalo Falls.  Now, Tumalo Falls is one of those touchstone places that you must see when you come to Bend, but due to snow pack, Al and I have never ventured more than a cou

ple miles up the trail.  We discovered yesterday why it is important to keep moving onward and upward when on this hike.  So many beautiful Falls!  And we just kept going. and going, and going.  The Mullens are wonderful hiking pals, and the miles flew by.  Six hours later, it seems we must have hiked at least ten miles- maybe twelve.  It was lovely.  End the day with a campfire, Mr. Rick and our good friend James strumming Doc Watson songs, and two very large pizzas: Bliss.

In artsy news- Owl and I will be attending a show of new work tonight at the PoetHouse by Cameron and Ben.  And look what was on the cover of The Source this week.

Also Included- My Official Review of Outside Lands....

Demolition Days

TutTut it looks like I need my down Vest.

I'm not getting any artwork done this weekend, because Demolition Days are happening in the Airstream. (Meaning we are gutting the silver bullet and living out of plastic storage bins. And did I mention winter has arrived in Central Oregon? Which makes for a chilly nights sleep in our home on wheels. )
However- Thought I would let you in on a what's happening around here.

Though it isn't up online yet, TutTut Looks Like Rain made an appearance on the cover of The Source Weekly this week. Many thousand thanks to Mom and Dad for getting it scanned for me! And for my sister in law Lori for letting them take the frame apart.

First Friday , September 5th, at PoetHouse Art holds the "Human Powered Transportation" show. I am still working on my painting for this (a painting- how old fashioned!)

September is also the month for the Art for India fundraiser- more on that soon.

Most excitingly though- is the promise of visitors! Next week some very special Tennesseans arrive in the great state of Oregon. I am so excited about this- though my pleas to bring several other Tennesseans in their luggage will probably fall on deaf ears- cause of the added cost for checked bags, you know.

When the Circus Comes to Town

This weeks adventures as a freelancer. Thanks to my editors (Rin, Sarah[though your edits didn't make the deadline- they still helped for sure]) for sharing their mad skills.

The Interview.

Chess Set by Gil Bruvel

Gil Bruvel has a French accent. Who is Gil Bruvel? He is a Texas based artist that I interviewed yesterday (over the phone) for a story for The Source. It was good, but the accent was automatically intimidating.
Now, I just have to write about it. Then maybe I will get to working on some artwork.

Cover Girl

Yep, you've seen her before- but not like this!

Owl and I moved our house last night, then headed to the grill to catch the end of the cubs game (they smoked the brewers by at least thirteen runs, go cubbies!) and low and behold- there she was on news stands all over town. I feel good- but not yet "too big for my britches."

my space

Well, Folks- there she is. I have recently become a freelance writer. On a whim, I wrote a two hundred word review of a record by Vampire Weekend and sent it in to Bend's Local Alt Weekly. The arts and culture editor liked it enough to print it, liked it enough to enlist me to write other stories, liked it enough to have the great idea of me writing a story about living in the airstream (al and I had met Mike at a concert in November, and he remembered me and the fact that we lived in what Al calls a silver twinkie).

I wrote the story, with some editing help from Al, and thought, that was cool... Suddenly, it became the cover story. (Unfortunately, The Source doesn't publish it's main course online- but I have several copies left for prosperity. If it weren't on newsprint and so apt to fade, I would do a collage. The aforementioned review is also not online for some odd reason, though I swear on a stack of Okkervil River Cd's that I am telling the truth. ) Kelty even has a cameo in one of the photographs depicting how funky and cool the inside is. The photographer and artist director, Elise, took several shots and Kelty posed for most of them. It was, for a self proclaimed hermit, an interesting and edge pushing experience. And to walk by newsstands and see my house- kinda trippy.

This one little review has lead to a 600 word cover story, a six hundred word story on Hooping that comes out this week, future CD reviews, and my collages being used as cover art this spring. Things are looking interesting for our little artist. Or, our little freelancer. No, artist.