living texture

the Chalet's hatchet is back in action.

2012-01-13T19:19:00.000-08:00

Gave a little love to the Chalet hatchet!

photo story: east asia 11.2011

2012-01-11T20:20:00.000-08:00

incheon

incheon - seoul

hong kong - kowloon

hong kong island

sushi talley

traditional korean lunch

fruit truck

korean bbq

incheon - seoul

studies

2011-12-19T20:20:00.000-08:00

a moral compass-ion

2011-10-27T21:25:00.000-07:00

I took this photo about a month ago now, it is one of the small groupings of collected objects I have in my studio. Within this collection of random odds and ends all picked for very distinct aesthetic points, are photographs, art prints, old packaging, tools, bird houses, antlers, statues and a mailbox or two. There is no real rhyme or reason to the collection just objects that spark and inspire a particular awareness I enjoy, while creating an environment I feel connected to.

The photo has been sticking strong in my mind, a completely random composition yet a cohesive group of objects that portray a particular sensibility. One regarding the journey we all take on daily, our journey to find meaning and a belief in something bigger than we can ever imagine.

I often find myself reflecting on what I could do to be more compassionate and morally engaged, almost daily as of late. With a rise in people's awareness of the struggles of their fellow man being overwritten so strongly by corruption, I find inspiration in people of all colors and genders with mixed beliefs standing and growing together to support each other for a greater common good. I can only hope that more and more people will take time to dust off their moral compass and engage.

objects in the photo:
a. the mona lisa - the Leonardo Da Vinci painting labored on for years and set aside unfinished, until he revisited the painting later in life to finish it. It is now considered one of the greatest masterpieces.
b. two books of matches - used for lighting fire, creating new energy.
c. metal vessel of cobalt - an essential trace element that aids in proper growth in all animals.
d. compass - navigational instrument
e. el corazon card - La Loteria (arrow and heart = pain)
f. cupid playing guitar - Roman God of love (rocking out)
g. bishop statue - holds the position of authority and oversight in christian religion.
h. flashlight - lights the way.

photo series: "the cabin" ride to devils lake

2011-10-10T06:52:00.001-07:00

turner hall - monroe, wi

2011-08-22T11:54:00.000-07:00

For our anniversary in June, Nina and I went hung out in Monroe Wisconsin. We Enjoyed squeezebox night and some traditional Swiss cuisine at their historic Turner Hall, which was a treat to say the least. Squeezebox night is an open mic of sorts when some excellent musicians come together and light up Turner Hall. We were lucky to have planned out night out the same night. For more info on Turner Hall: http://www.turnerhallofmonroe.org/

Turner Hall

Squeezebox group

Turner Hall Interior

Turner Hall Shadowbox

icon: target

2011-07-06T23:40:00.001-07:00

icon: arrow

2011-06-10T13:55:00.000-07:00

icon: lightning bolt

2011-05-24T12:15:00.000-07:00

mercury head dime

2011-05-19T12:35:00.000-07:00

I just found a mercury head dime in the yard while digging an herb bed. They stopped making these in large part to the advent of World War II. The one I found is a 1942, non double strike.

standoff in the chalet studio

2011-05-15T08:37:00.001-07:00

while printing yesterday I walked in on this scene in the office... oh boy.

icon: feather

2011-05-11T07:22:00.000-07:00

the chalet gets a greenhouse

2011-04-28T21:21:00.000-07:00

Over the past couple of weeks we have added a greenhouse to the Chalet. It is made of probably what amounts to 95% reclaimed materials from garbage picking. We have been collecting windows for about 3 years now and finally get to see the benefit of lugging all those windows around for so long.

Setting corner posts and laying down weed blocker.

Framing the exterior wall.

Adding the roof.

Filling in the side walls.

Caulking.

The finished greenhouse.

Now for the vegetation.

a cause to get behind

2011-02-18T07:03:00.000-08:00

photo: eric baillies

photo: eric baillies

a sweet video
video: eric baillies

things that are happening at the chalet

2010-07-25T18:36:00.001-07:00

ebike ride... from lake mills to milwaukee

2010-07-25T16:06:00.000-07:00

Nina and I took opportunity to ride to Milwaukee from lake mills while testing out some electric assist bikes. It was hot and electric assist bikes are heavy, which is a little nerve racking when your battery starts to get low. we made it all the way after pilfering electricity along the way to keep our weaker pony juiced.

resting ponies

stretching i think?

recharging

recharging... notice how the power chord is hiding behind helmets. stealthy.

body builders fountain

2010-05-29T00:56:00.001-07:00

For the last couple of days I have been staying in romania in a hotel next to one of the most bizzare fountains in front of the IFBB International Federation of Body Building and Fitness. In the fountain are famous body builders including the father of body building eugene sandow, frank zane, lenda murray, serge nubret and arnold schwarzenegger.

eugen sandow the father of bodybuilding.

""Bodybuilders Fountain" is a complexity of statues that rotate with water and light. Statues rotate to best embody the bodybuilders who are on the scene when the contests are examined by all parties to decide who is the winner. It is said that these statues are life size statues of the bodybuilders true muscle tones."

some things from romania in bad driving in a car photo format

2010-05-27T13:36:00.001-07:00

arnold is on the left... I will get a better picture of this tomorrow for those interested, but it you should know this fountain statue pulses blue and red lights onto the statues at night...

some cool facade work downtown.

apparently in romania weiner dogs are used to represent long or vehicles?

lilac season has come and gone

2010-05-20T18:30:00.000-07:00

It was our first year at the Chalet with the lilac bloom in full force. We enjoyed it to say the least. Hosting the first Chalet Lilac festival was a success and we were so delighted to have so many wonderful friends out for what was a great bbq.

santa on cue to be put into the bonfire...

I am unfortunately unable to take credit for all the amazing lilac bouquets... even though it looks like it.

one harvest from the yard.

the handy work of nina

party time

working on grill skills.

garden enhancements and coop restoration

2010-04-21T17:17:00.000-07:00

With plans to drop our veggie csa and grow our own veggies, herbs and some fruit this summer we have been working on our garden infrastructure. We have acquired through trade a new rain barrel from Sustain Jefferson, which after one weekend of rain is full.

With the excellent weather this spring we were able to get a great start on getting the foundation for the garden in place as well as do some repairs on the buildings near the garden. The chicken coop was in pretty rough shape, however we shored up the worst parts with some bits and pieces we had laying around. With a little pressure washing is should be ready for some new paint and some new shingles.

We are splitting the garden about half and half in regards to working with raised beds, we will see how that goes for us. So far in the ground are potatoes, peas, beans, radishes, beets, carrots, Swiss chard and a couple different varieties of lettuce. Most have sprouted and are surviving the cold nights with the help of makeshift cold frames, otherwise known as windows I found in the neighbors trash.

symbolisms

2010-02-20T19:28:00.000-08:00

When we living on Sidney St. in Madison a couple years back a form of the circle of life took hold in our back yard. One of our cats captured and killed a dove who had a partner.

When we first moved in the two of them would always be around the house enjoying the massive pine tree out back, I remember always feeling somewhat hopeful when I saw the two of them together. When we discovered the death it changed how I thought about the doves, I always saw loss and pain for the lone dove. I never investigated too far but I was always unsure if doves would pair up to mate with a second partner or not, I just kept wondering what the dove would do next. I still don't know if it is common for doves to pair up twice, but I do know shortly before we moved off of Sidney St. this one found a new mate (pictured above) and started a new path that brought back my hopeful feelings.

Here's to fresh starts and growing older.

memories lane

2010-02-18T15:18:00.000-08:00

Digging today I was reminded of this project that I did as part of a "BLINK" grant. BLINK is one of Madisons arts programs. A grant was given to paint the bus stop terminals around the capital.

If I find more pictures I will add them. I painted the whole stop inside and out in 1 day with very few, but amazing helpers to look like a grotto or sorts. Totally love this project. I'm fairly sure I gave Karin Wolf (city arts administrator) a heart attack but I have a feeling she is over it since we are now friends.

kowloon markets

2010-02-05T20:41:00.000-08:00

Traveling in China I was able to spend a couple of hours wandering the markets, which was quite the treat. Among the markets wandered were the bird market, flower market, fish market and the ladies market. Here are some photos from this time.

The Bird Market

The Flower Market

The Fish Market

Randoms
Packaged dragon toys

Someone has a really amazing balcony garden. The colors and distress of the buildings made this street with elaborate balcony gardens quite inspiring.

Shitty Barn Party Mural Installation

2009-10-08T17:42:00.000-07:00

A little more barn party imagery.

the art department at the shitty barn party

2009-10-05T09:47:00.000-07:00

Nina and I revved up the art department where we were part of Furthermore Beers "Shitty Barn Party" this year. It was a truly great time, enjoying wonderful beer, local food, music and outstanding company.

Here is a great write up on the event from heavy table: click here

Gastro Non Grata of Minneapolis came to help pull it all together and host a meat raffle.
Underground Food Collective worked out some amazing pork.
Furthermore had the release of fallen apple for the season.

along with great music, we could not have asked for a better weekend installing the huge mural and printing t's at the party.

zoobomber "pyle"

2009-03-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

If I understand this correctly, the "pyle" (“The People’s Bicycle Library of Greater Portland”) is the riding group "zoobombers" storage tactic that has become recognized as an art installation. On sunday evenings the bikes get unlocked and raced down the windy west hills from the zoo.

A full detailed artitcle by bike portland seems to have more info than I do. READ
Wikepedia on "Zoobombers"

I found out about this too late... I did do my own zoobomb ride on my loaner fx after leaveing the japanese garden.

maximon | Brother Saint Simon Peter

2009-02-13T19:24:00.000-08:00

ph. maximon and his keepers

While strolling the streets in Santiago, Guatemala we were informed by one of the kids that Maximon the "party god" was staying in the city. He told us if we wanted to see him he would guide us to him ( for a small fee of course ). The interesting detail we were unaware of is that Maximon was staying in someones house. So for one year he is staying in the house where we went visit him, which was a bit unsettling discovering this upon our arrival to his location having to enter a busted wooden gate, leading through the alley to the entryway.

about Maximon:
"Maximon (pronounced "Mashimon"), is a central american deity also know as Hermano San Simon, "Brother Saint Simon Peter." Maximon is a pre-Columbian Mayan god of the underworld formerly known as Maam ("grandfather"); his modern name is a conflation of Maam and Simon. Contemporary images do not depict the deity himself, but rather a life-sized carved wooden statue of the god dressed in 20th century clothing.

Maximon symbolizes chthonic male sexual power. As an "opener of the way," his feast day falls at the onset of the fertile rainy season, but except for that day, his darker aspect leads his devotees to carefully guard his visage from public view, for fear that his sexuality may run rampant. Primarily a bringer of rain and fertility, he is sometimes also called "the saint of gamblers and drunkards." He brings wealth and worldly success to those who venerate him.

Despite the hostility of the Catholic church, which has tried to identify him with Judas Iscariot, in many Guatemalan villages Maximon is worshipped with offerings of tobacco, alcohol, Coca Cola, and a tropical plant with orange-red berries. Incense and perfume dedicated to him is scented with the orange blossoms or blended citrus odors of lemongrass, citronella, and sweet orange. On his feast day, he is carried through the streets on the shoulders of his human "horse," and his statue is given cigarettes or cigars to smoke. In some villages he may be hung from the sacred Mayan world-tree-cross at the end of his ceremony."

ph. moximons posse

ph. partying with moximon

In the 10 minutes we hung out with Maximon he smoked two cigarettes and had a shot of tequila! party animal, that guy.

finally a reason for revival

2009-02-01T13:02:00.000-08:00

Just back from exploring Guatemala, I am feeling a bit uneasy at home. It was a truly amazing, inspiring and enlightening trip. I feel like there are endless experiences I want to share; for now I will share a tuk tuk ride we had in Santiago as well as a couple other fun photos.

mov. tuk tuk ride into Santiago.

ph. fisherman on Lake Atitlan

ph. felix our local volcano tour guide preparing to roast 7 marshmallows at once over the lava.

In the coming days I will share more stories from our trip.

a michael quinn christmas

2008-12-31T16:30:00.000-08:00

the master himself.

So this year Nina and I were able to visit our friend Michael for his more than fabulous christmas party. The anticipation for this party was quite great... we planned to attend in July thus had to wait over 5 months for the fun.

Upon party time we were more that thrilled with what we encountered at the party, amazing snacks, tree trimming and christmas carols sung to the elegant organ playing of master Quinn. Oh what fun it was to party and sing at Michael's place.

the penguins were chillin' in the fridge hoping they soon would be eaten.

crazy animal plates enter the party.

the party family in artificial height organization.

the master once more... workin'.

thank you Michael!

eye right

2008-12-07T13:52:00.000-08:00

Since traveling to Europe to research styles and trends for 2009, I have been so busy putting all the ideas into action I have had no time to do a recap of the great things I saw while blitzing through 4 countries in less than a week. Now is the time for catch up work.

So the main reason for the trip as well as the first stop on the trip was Euro bike. This was my first time to the massive bike expo, which turned out to be quite interesting. Upon arriving to Euro bike not knowing really what to expect I was immediately overwhelmed in the thousands of vendor booths to be looked at in a short two day period. There is so much I could discuss so we'll keep this somewhat simple and highlight based. Once I was in the hall with convention brochure in hand knowing I was supposed to be working and collecting as much data as possible about the competing apparel designers, I found the obvious good start the fashion show.

The fashion show was nothing short of hilarious, in fact I was tearing up in laughter for a good portion of it. The show displayed if I remember correctly 6 apparel companies newest designs for 08. The garments were modeled by a crew of about 15 dancer/model mix people who I was pretty sure were unfamiliar with a bicycle and what it does. I would like to share this video to hopefully help display the sweet mixes and super sweet dance moves. (video technical difficulty, coming soon)

So once the fashion show was over I grabbed a giant pretzel from one of the vendor booths and attempted to formulate a plan to attack and conquer the ocean of spandex and bikes. I could go on about the rest of Euro bike however I think the fashion show was the most entertaining aspect, and recalling the rest of the convention is less than exciting.

european adventure

2008-09-07T16:10:00.000-07:00

I am traveling europe researching trends for upcoming apparel lines. Here are a couple of random images from the trip so far. I'm still traveling so more will be coming in the near future with editorial additions. These photo's are some hat have nothing to do with the research trip.

projecting movies is awesome...

2008-08-29T11:17:00.000-07:00

This was awesome!!! We projected the film in our little backyard which was jammed with about 20-25 of our friends. I don't think there are any pictures of the event other than the flyer which sums up how it felt to be there.

state of the state fair address

2008-08-06T19:23:00.000-07:00

ok this is going to be a heavy entry. we have many categories to cover including cream puffs, wisconsin's movement for a fashion forward everything and some of this years bests.

I think it best if we start off with fashion as to get the best grip on it's affect on the fair. While weaving through the crowds one point was driven home sheep don't just make wool, they are the most fashionable fancy dancers at the fair.

( two of the contestants preparing for the competition )

I have broken the sheep leotard judging results down for you

blue ribbon winner: ( comments: amazing!! )

red ribbon winner: ( comments: red just made sense )

yellow ribbon winner: ( comments: perfect natural combo look, very retro )

best duo at the fair: ( comments: brilliant!! )

onto a pit stop in the cream puff building for cream puffs...

why am I making this face... it is because cream puffs taste like nothing.

getting back to business, lets discuss some of this years best produce

blue ribbon raspberries: ( comments: you did it! )

blue ribbon leeks: ( comments: triplets omg! )

blue ribbon basket arrangement: ( comments: love the wonderful napkin pattern! so unique. )

in the cake category we have one we would love to share with you

blue ribbon cake: ( i just love a good cheeseburger cake )

we'll wrap this up with a few highlights we would like to share with you as well

in conclusion to this entry I would like to say that the state fair may be in trouble. despite the rise in fashion... the cream puffs have really gone down the tubes.

It is truly a sad day for the fair.

about pattern and being cool in a cautionary way

2008-08-06T19:19:00.000-07:00

We found this cool warning area while riding around milwaukee last weekend. We took opportunity to have a photoshoot.

yipes!!!

2008-07-24T14:49:00.000-07:00

this alien crash was spotted by nina near spring green...

phillips concrete park

2008-07-14T14:09:00.000-07:00

On a recent trip to northern wisconsin, we passed through Phillips to check out the concrete park created by Fred Smith. Fred was a son of German immigrants, born in 1886 he spent his working life as a north woodsman. With two other men, he built the Rock Garden Tavern in 1936, which he ultimately managed after his retirement from lumberjacking in 1949. In 1950 this self-taught sculptor began crafting his unique entourage of cowboys, miners, Indians, and soldiers.

pic pic pic picnic table

2008-06-15T18:19:00.000-07:00

I recently constructed a new picnic table for our garden. The table is made completely of re-purposed materials, well if the 2x4's I picked from a neighbors trash and cut to size count as re-purpose in your book. Other than the claimed 2x4's the top is a piece from a large photo exposure sink which I use for screen print clean up. The stainless steel table top was half of the tray in the bottom of the sink used to lift the prints out of the chemicals. So it is pretty simple some old 2x4's and a steel top. It was finished of with a splash of oops paint from home depot.

Inspiration for the project:

Growing up I spent many meals at picnic tables mostly variations of these 2x4 picnic tables.

bench side

end side

So for this project like many other projects I take up, I was taking inventory of my re-claimed stockpile and realized I had gained the perfect materials to make a version of this picnic table I grew up with while adding a touch of style with the steel top.

We love it completely... the steel top has proven itself a great feature allowing for a top that is:
1. easy to dry completely when wet.
2. super strong and functions well for a gardening table as the durability is outstanding and the cleanup is once again quick and easy.
3. a wonderful contrast to all the vegetation we have going on.

oh and the topper, thanks to cutting the 2x4 down I think the table weights only about 20 lbs which is far from the weight of the tables I grew up with.

top view

side view

underneath view

getting ready to do more work...

2008-06-12T18:58:00.000-07:00

In november I have a show at Hue Gallery space... otherwise known as Macha now. With what is in my mind the most build up time wise for a show I have ever had, I began researching some subject matter that matches to the direction I am headed with this. I am going to take the works from my last show and expand them more.

talley | 2008

rain delay | 2008

golddigger | 2008

In the next show I am going to expand on the idea of an exploration into society as we used to know it and its reality in the future. I have drawings of some sculptural pieces as well as some new collage prints in the works. The mass of preparation time has me pretty excited about the work, cant' wait to show it.

research images

We were in milwaukee recently checking out the foto exhibit which was also great. For now we will concentrate on these paintings that caught my eye. These paintings brought for the emotion that I have been having recently in my attempts to reduce my impact on an economy and lifestyle that is growing in a way I feel less and less attatched too. In recent months I have been reducing the amount of dependencies and consumption in my daily routine, which has been coming forth more and more in my art. Instead of trying to separate the two ideas I have come to a meeting ground between the two fronts which is exactly what these paintings remind me of: " The unexamined life is not worth living," Socrates

I have a motto that comes to mind lately, It goes something to the effect of: nothing great is ever easy. Try plopping that in when something goes wrong, it's fits most of the time.

onto the inspiring works.

I just really love the feeling from this one.

come to the show. If your dissapointed you can at least tip for a free glass of wine.

two other quick quotes I have found interesting in relation to this idea:

"Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants." Epicurus

"All existing things are really one. We regard those that are beautiful and rare as valuable, and those that are ugly as foul and rotten The foul and rotten may come to be transformed into what is rare and valuable, and the rare and valuable into what is foul and rotten. Therefore it is said that one vital energy pervades the world."
Chuang Tzu

combing the streets for details

2008-06-03T19:59:00.000-07:00

I spent the day today riding around collecting textures from the city, the fine details that are often overlooked. Focusing on industrial structures in attempt to capture some of the intentional details that are products of a design process as well as some of the details that come as a second layer. By "second layer" I am talking about the touch up's, paint jobs, scratches, dents and any other unique qualities these structures have taken on over time. I will be pulling from these images and ideas for production of trims in the new cycling apparel I am currently working on.

Some of the specimens:

the crosswalk

water drain

lamp post base

rail tie number tag

traffic signal box

manhole cover

welcome to the nakoma neighborhood... we skin live buffalos?

2008-05-27T07:08:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to explore what has always been a bit of a mystery to me. The paint job of the nakoma neighborhood buffalo statues. They are now a bit beaten up, claiming apparent touch up work to the paint job. The question comes in when looking at the pink area on the left front of the smaller of the two concrete statues. Either someone was unable to match paint correctly or this buffalo has a chunk of it's hide removed... If removal is the case here, I thought I would be able to find some sort of evidence in the form of a inscription or small display of text explaining why this buffalo is wounded and who is responsible.

As far as I can remember this has been in this condition for at least one year if not more, leaving me wondering. As far as I can tell the internet has no idea of these two buffalos and their existence. If you have any tips on who is harming these buffalos... call crime stoppers please.

a little taste of spring

2008-05-21T08:41:00.000-07:00

So last friday afternoon nina and I took off promptly after work on our bicycles for an adventure. We headed for a dock located in the arboretum to enjoy the warm spring day and the seclusion that the arboretum can offer when leaves are present.

We then proceeded on to bump into the bike to work week celebration at Vilas Park. After a short stop for snacks and chatter we moved on to Pasquals to fuel up for the second half of the trip to Pleasantville (near picnic point) to visit a friend of ours. On the final loop home through the university we passed some of the greenhouses which as usual were quite amazing with their orange glow... see pics.

To round off our friday evening of cycling and spirits we toppled into our garden to enjoy the petals that are falling from the fruit trees.

A pleasant friday was had.

reggae poster

2008-05-07T17:55:00.000-07:00

I am really excited about this one.

art dept - 3 dreams

2008-04-01T15:26:00.001-07:00

hee-ya! So the 3rd Art Department show came and went without a snag. The opening reception pulled some of the usual gang as well as some new and exciting people. I would say everyone had a great time! Hans Viets was in town working on some prints in the studio and was also in attendance and looking fabulous as usual. Saturday brought my our first attempt at a screen printing party working with 4 limited edition prints that we printed live and in person.

Friday - party down

nina and myself with the gold digger in the background. photo by : olive talique

the crowd looking in control for the most part. photo by: olive talique

dusqweeze in the house.

an example of mr viets lookin' all park slope slick.

mr davey noble in attendance, styling his frizz hat and promoting the "super noble brothers" film showing at the wisconsin film fest this weekend.

the trailer...

Saturday - Coffee Aftermath - slaughter

me printing with only part of the mob shown waiting patiently in line. thanks for being a happy mob. photo by: rebecca peebles

ben and mr oliver matching in their new 3 horses of the apocalypse t's.

sometimes after you've been moving non-stop for 4 hours you get caught making not happy faces; even if you had a great time.

done.

posters is great | installment #1

2008-03-18T21:00:00.000-07:00

So I keep a random assortment of posters laying around that I like of other artists as well as of my posters from runs I have done. Here are a couple that I have enjoyed more.

the jay ryan print for the decemberists. yeah!

and then this one:

from aesthetic apparatus in minneapolis.. both great posters for the Decemberists.

squirmy squirrel

2008-03-18T20:27:00.000-07:00

On my wooden robot this week. Check out the little write up.

seek the master-list2000

2008-03-17T09:03:00.001-07:00

This image forced me to relay a message to you. Check out the work of mr. a. bill miller and the master-list2000.

schwaklakk

2008-03-11T19:37:00.000-07:00

So the 13th annual Schwaklakk has come and gone. This was my 3rd year involved making posters for the event and the first year I actually showed up to carve my own bar of ivory soap.

You see Schwaklakk is a soap carving party that happens once a year. The name Schwaklakk is something I believe was shaken loose from the brain of Andrew Shell.

Here is what I came up with for my first year.

As you can see by the photo of Becky Peebles co-carver for the event and myself it is quite relaxing to carve soap while drinking your favorite drink.

the hits around here!!

2008-03-11T18:51:00.000-07:00

So when nina went to Seattle for a work trip a couple months ago she brought me back a treat. It was a pack of candies, that seemed so precious I had not opened them until yesterday. What is so special about them you may be wondering, well the package is covered in a foreign language first of all. But most importantly the imagery is what makes it special. The characters on the pack seem to be two friends who make each other costumes to wear.

So as of yesterday once opened, I found that the interior packages were just as exciting and I had been missing out on them for two months because of my haste.

Inside the main package we have:

Friends sharing a candy , I think?

Mohawk/weird mustache and beard costumes.

And an apparent rough slumber party?

I love these candies, and I love china-town. There are only about 10 candies left... quick i need a china town.

too good

2008-03-06T14:43:00.001-08:00

preview to the saul bass short film, why man creates.

something new

2008-03-03T19:33:00.000-08:00

I have been busily preparing for the "3 Dreams" artshow with Becky, Nina and myself. Mixing screen print with a gwash painting method that is so unconventional that if it ever catches on and turns to some trend method, I'd be ashamed to say I started it.

I have begun to work with new subject matter. I am working on developing a society made up of child like characters in situations of survival. Several of the scenes portray characters in rain showers speaking to a cleansing or purifying of their beings.

print love...

2008-03-01T21:07:00.000-08:00

Today while working in the studio I realized I have been neglecting my love of printing. I have been working with different painting techniques as of late while creating. Well today as I was printing the schwaklakk posters for this year I kept finding happiness in the tools I was using. I found myself inspired by the wiffs of spring air flowing through the prematurely opened studio window and mixing with the fumes from the drying ink... oh so wonderful a smell.

In my realization of how much I miss my tools of trade, I began to take these romantic photos of these very friends of mine.

Squeegee

Ink and Spatula

Transparencies on an already exposed screen/on the exposure table... geek love.

sNOw more SNOW

2008-02-15T22:12:00.001-08:00

I think that this is the most snow I have ever encountered in one winter... and to add to that the coldest as well. It is miserable in Wisconsin this year, don't come here if you don't have to.

i've got a lo-fi high... please leave a message

2008-02-15T21:28:00.000-08:00

This is my newest communication system... please leave a message.

So it has been over a year since I released my cell phone plan to the dislikes of my overbearing provider us cellular. Upon the cancellation of my mobile headache, I put my life in danger by cutting my 24/7 ability to call/text someone the moment my addiction kicks in and i feel lonely.

As a businessman it was a necessity to have a phone right; so I switched to the land line service I was already paying for as part of internet service, following another of my motivations... cutting waste.

I think it was only about one week that I was in a bit of shock, not being able to call for help the second I turned right instead of left on the way to a meeting, restaraunt, club. Now over a year later when dealing with cell phone-drone syndrome, I am quick to remind people of the 80's, which for me is the most memorable time without cell phones. A time when if you were meeting someone or going somewhere you were responsible enough to make plans before you were 15 minutes in route in the general direction of where you were going... and then picking up your phone to make a call while driving to locate the closest parking ramp. Once parked if you've gotten off your phone between driving and parking you make another quick call to verify that your friend(s) are at the location you are to meet... this baffles me, is it that people have forgotten all ability to be alone and comfortable... spending time with their own thoughts.

Another interesting thing to note in this ramble... cell phone companies recycle numbers after so many months. We'll my old number was re-issued to someone else, this someone else has reportedly come off as a creep harassing my clients and family when they make the mistake of calling my old number. Well I tell you this; the creep has gotten what he asked for. I am well aware of how that business line would ring 24 hours a day non-stop, which is one of the reasons I removed it from my life. I don't need to be contactable 24 hours a day, I like my freedom and I also like to to pay attention to people who are around me when we are together. Not taking phone call and text messages all night long...

This move has made my life much better in my mind... my eyes and EARS are open.

DOOR OPEN

2008-02-15T21:12:00.001-08:00

So as of a couple weeks ago, I have been employed as full time, everyday, 40 plus hours a week member of the workforce. I accepted a position with Trek Bicycles as an apparel graphic designer. This is great! In my time freelancing; which in Madison is another way of saying slow death, I have had many great memories however. I have meet many wonderful people running their own small business and working hard to keep a local economy the most important economy. Even though I am busy enough with my new position, I will continue to work on projects with my favorites of the group.

Something strange has happened. When discussing having a full time position, most people's reaction is to the sort of "so your not going to be an artist anymore?" Which immediately I don't understand why someone would think such a thing. The way I see it is I get to be creative for 8 hours a day... work with other creative people and at the end of the day let it all sit at my desk and come home to relax, paint, scribble, ride bikes or hang out with nina and the 3 monsters. This is quite a change in the positive from being in charge of every aspect of projects which became quite depressing. I felt like I was spending much more time doing administration than focusing on my design... being a designer/artist at heart the administration was killing me.

To round up this into conclusion, the door I had been looking for opened up and I jumped in. I now find myself more content than I've been in quite sometime.

this land: visual pollution

2008-01-01T16:10:00.000-08:00

A little something to watch from Scenic America. This was up in the New York Times today.

This Land: Visual Pollution

winter blasts

2007-12-28T17:05:00.001-08:00

Today we spent the day walking around Madison exploring during the blizzard. The stops included:
1. the Chazen Museum to check out the Japanese print exhibition.
2. the Mediteranian Cafe
3. one of those bars downtown to play bubble hockey.
4. mr. adam greene's house for chatter.
5. back to headquarters for some R-n-R.

living in an ice house

2007-12-28T16:22:00.000-08:00

The great thing about ice caves is you can bake really good cookies, like these spritzer cookies nina made with our new spritz smash machine.

It's our first year in this house we are finding that in the winter it turns into an ice castle. We're just waiting for the morning we wake up to find the whole thing has turned into an ice cave with us frozen inside.

public art journal coverage

2007-12-19T20:25:00.000-08:00

The Bus shelter art project funded by a blink grant, which I was part of last summer and has since been written up in Public Art Review, which one of the world's major art journals critically exploring contemporary public art. The project was also written up by Aesthetic Grounds.

Screen Printing For The Kids

2007-12-19T20:04:00.000-08:00

This is what boys like to do I guess. Put strange looking safety gear from the 70's on and pressure wash stuff. This was a fun class, teaching kids patience in process while they created their artwork from scratch in class. Once they had their artwork created we proceeded to create the stencils in their screens and print the shirts all in the same day... We had Fun. Check out more pics.

new potholders and t's for sale now

2007-12-10T13:14:00.000-08:00

I decided for one reason or another to begin making a line of t'shirts under the idea of a "Create and Release Program." I have developed 5 animals that have one main goal to look cute. Here you can see Consuela who is the poster chicken of Madison's favorite pet store Nutzy Mutz and Crazy Catz. Consuela is a the survivor of a critical system of factory egg layers. Consuela was rescued from a dump, which she was left in for dead once she was unable to produce enough eggs to make profit. Liz Perry the owner of Nutzy Mutz and Crazy Catz is the saving grace for this blessed hen. Liz ran into Consuela upon her arrival to the dump and felt compelled to catch and rescue her. Consuela now lives in Madison enjoying her days laying eggs at a comfortable pace. To see the rest of the gang from the catch and release program, check out my shopping mall on etsy.

brooklyn | p.s.1

2007-10-08T20:46:00.000-07:00

We visited the p.s.1 moma gallery in long island city. Not a lot going on while we were visiting but the outer courtyard was pretty cool.

nyc | union square

2007-10-08T20:28:00.000-07:00

Nina's favorite spot in new york to meet up with friends, union square near ghandi.

brooklyn | rockaway beach

2007-10-08T17:53:00.000-07:00

A stop in the Rockaways to visit Nina's friend and painter Lynn Jadamec was a good time. We had a chance to enjoy some time on the beach watching the sandpipers snatch up snacks. A stop by Mr. Softee and the sneak peaks at some of Lynn's paintings were other great points of this stop.

Mr. Softee

Beach Bird

the surreal deal | back log

2007-08-28T07:45:00.000-07:00

March 22 was the second installment from The Art Department. Hosting "The Surreal Deal," featuring the work of Kelli Hoppmann, Irene Ferguson, Meyoung-Sook Lim, Nina Bednarski, A. Bill Miller and Craig Grabhorn. The can was a success, with the ability to claim the exposure of many great paintings as well as the amazing digital sketch rendition of the old man and the sea from A. Bill.

A. Bill Miller

Kelli Hoppmann

Craig Grabhorn

Irene Ferguson

old towne hall gallery campout

2007-08-27T18:50:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we went to visit our friends Mark and Kath up in Blaine, where they purchased the town hall. They have begun their remodeling efforts, transforming the old hall into what will be quite the amazing gallery space. Containing within the whole upper level the salon style gallery, which will be above the first floor pottery studio housing the wonderful ceramic creations from Mark.