Why...

...can't every morning start with a margarita?

Ferris Wheel

All Set

The newest addition to my travel...the train case. After many months
of searching for the right one on Ebay, I finally found it. I'm
pretty excited about trying it out for our overnight in Chicago.

Painting Number 51

They Exploded This Year!

New Side Project

I'm painting a skateboard for a fundraiser to build a skate park. The art show will be June 26th in the Southgate House Gallery. More details to come. This is the beginning.

Rubix Cube

Tonight I started the night trying to figure out what I wanted to draw so I started with this girl and I knew that I wanted her to be holding something but I couldn't figure out what. I've been thinking about a friend of mine today who has been trying to get pregnant for quite some time now and was today faced with another upsetting disappointment. As much as I want to know how to comfort her or relate I can't help but feel like any attempt that I make is silly and maybe insulting or something. I was playing with my Rubix cube that sits on my drafting table and I started thinking that maybe her problem does have a solution like the Rubix cube does but it's just taking a lot of trial and error to get there. Some people solve this problem easily and others spend a long time twisting the squares trying to figure it out. It doesn't seem fair.

The Stacks Are Growing

Top 25

I've been thinking about my top 25 musical artists and for the past week or so I've been thinking and listening and creating this list. I'm sure as soon as I commit it to print I'll realize I've missed one. Some of these people may be on the list for one song or one album. Some are on the list because the teenager inside said so even though I haven't taken it off of my shelf to listen to in years. So here's the list in alphabetical order because I couldn't possibly rank them.

Bob Dylan: The day I found out his name was Robert Zimmerman was like a child finding out there is no Santa. Even though this list is not in ranked order, I have to say this is probably my favorite. The songs never grow old. I remember being in high school and my mom said "how can you listen to his voice." My teenage mind didn't understand how you could not love it.
Bo Diddley: The first CD I ever bought was a Bo Diddley album because I thought the cover was cool so it had to be good. I was right. I got to see him a few years ago and I loved how he was still a dirty old man in his old age. The second CD I ever bought was 311...no one is perfect.
Bjork: I don't even know what to say about Bjork. I haven't really listened to her in years but through college she was in constant rotation. You should also see her movie Dancer in the Dark. Bring tissues.
Daniel Johnston: Best song lyrics. Best artist. See The Devil and Daniel Johnston
David Bowie: So this was before my time but I remember discovering David Bowie in college. So good. I love going to the eye doctor and getting my pupils dialated so I can look like him.
Delgados: I wish this band would reunite so I could see them.
Flaming Lips: If I had to pick one soundtrack to my life, most of their records would do. The best live show ever! I hope to be a dancing santa clause or elf on stage with them some day. I'm counting on Ben to make this happen.
Harry Nilsson: The Point. I'm not all that familiar with Harry Nilssons other work but I love this story. I have pictures in my mind of driving around in my future with my adorable child singing along to this album.
Hawksley Workman: I have to give Ben credit for this one. He is the only person that I've ever met that listens to this guy. Hawksley Workman is amazing and bizarre.
Hole: Angry, rebellious high schooler. I still put this one on and jump around my house from time to time and I never make a trip back home without it.
Led Zeppelin: I wish I were cool enough to have listened to this for years but Led Zeppelin has only entered my library in the last several years. So good. I can't believe the White Stripes have made a career out of ripping them off.
Leonard Cohen: I'm listening to this right now. So good.
Michael Jackson: I've loved Michael Jackson since I can remember. I used to watch The Making of Thriller doc at my aunts house. In middle school my best friend Sarah an I discovered the Jackson 5 and we would sing it at the top of our lungs all summer long.
Modest Mouse: Drunk 21 year old me listened to this too much for my own good. I'm not sure it should be on the list but at that age it was in the right place at the right time and every time I pull out Modest Mouse I feel like I'm time traveling.
M. Ward: I think his songs are going to be timeless.
Nina Simone: I have so many Nina Simone records. I love her voice.
Neutral Milk Hotel: Both of their records are brilliant. I remember listening to them in college walking around campus trying to keep from skipping and throwing my arms in the air.
Pavement: I've liked Pavement for a long time but you can't spend much time around Ben without LOVING Pavement the way he does. So many of their songs sound like summer to me.
Radiohead: I think Radiohead was perhaps one of my first band obsessions. I always grew up listening to music, mostly oldies and loving them. I think Radiohead was my gateway drug to rock n roll.
Ray Charles: Cosby Show, I have the Cosby Show to thank for many things.
Silver Jews: So good. Another timeless sound. When I listen to this music I feel like I've heard it before but in that really good way.
Sparklehorse: I always feel like I'm underwater in slow motion when I listen to Sparklehorse.
Stevie Wonder: Today we were at a wedding and Ben said that when he hears Stevie Wonder he can smell the vinyl in our house. It's true. There was a time when this record didn't leave our record player.
Television: For years I had bought records but had no working record player to go along with them. Ben bought me one when we first started being friends and he bought the reissue of Marquee Moon to go along with it. It's in every jukebox in our neighborhood but no matter how many times I hear it in a different environment I can close my eyes and be in that apartment again.
Weezer: They have made so many bad records since the Blue Album and Pinkerton but those two albums were in heavy rotation all through high school for me. My best friend Meri and I used to do some mean air guitar. Unfortunately their last album made me laugh out loud. Terrible.

Honorary #26: Everclear: Ok, ok so over the last several years I have become a music snob and realized that my high school obsession with Everclear is a little embarrassing to me but I loved them and I can't really deny it. They wouldn't even make the top 100 of my favorite artists now but they were my favorite in high school and I'd be fooling myself to skip over them. I still have their SIGNED CDs in a box hiding in my studio and every once in a while I bust them out and sing at the top of my lungs.

How I Feel

Oscar is doing interpretations of how I feel.

Ouch

Ben hit me in the head with a softball. Dumb name for a hard ball.

This Weather is Perfect!

Time

It's interesting to me how people wear time. I love looking at wrinkles and wondering about the stories that put them there. It sort of reminds me of laying in the grass when I was a kid watching planes fly over head. I would wonder who is on that plane, where they were going, and wondering if I would ever go anywhere. My world was so small then. It's pretty small now.

More Painting

I Did The Math...

...and I realized that I have to complete about eight 4x6 paintings/
drawings a week in order have 200 by October. Yikes! I may have to
start some lunch time drawing.

Nesting Dolls

43 down...157 or so to go.

Eulogies

Lounge act @ WOXY.

What!?!?!?

I got home from work today and saw a little Ikea box and as I began to
fuss at Ben for going to Ikea without me he led me into my studio to
see this. My jaw literally dropped. I've been wanting this self for
my room forever. He took out the old crappy shelves and did all of
this while I was at work. I haven't been painting much because my
studio has been so cluttered plus other distractions and now be says I
have no more excuses...except for arranging and rearranging the fun
squares. Also note the cat cube, bottom shelf second from the right. He even bought the bigger one because he knew I was underestimating how much stuff I have.

CORRECTION!!!

This is a follow up post to yesterday. Ben pointed out that I didn't
mention where I received my new "hoodie". He kindly purchased it for
me during his last trip to NYC from H&M...where my green hoodie was
born. He generally grumbles when I write about him here so I left
that out but apparently praise is okay. I also noticed today while
wearing it again that it indeed does not have a hood at all so it's
not really a hoodie (see picture below). What do I call it...a
neckie? It has a tall neck thing. I'm confused.

Posting Just To Post

I've been struggling to blog regularly since the self portrait series
ended. The warm weather has been drawing me outside and spring
cleaning is in full swing around here. It's a constant cat hair
tumble weed fight this time of year. I am scheduled to have an art
show in October so I have a lot of painting to do between now and
then. I've been figuring that if I can go to work and work 9-5 non
stop on projects that I can bring some of that discipline home with me
and apply it to my art. I just need to form better habits at night
and on the weekend. I need to paint even when I don't quite feel like
it. I need all of you to fuss at me when you don't see posts for days.
p.s. I think I have a second favorite hoodie.