Candy Cigs

Candy Cigs
Originally uploaded by k-dj

Wonder if El Charro would carry a pack ...

Diptych ATCs ...

I was reading the Spring issue of Artful Blogging recently and one of the blogs featured was Think Monday - Think ATCs, a blog featuring weekly ATC challenges. Here are the ATCs I made for this week's challenge: Diptych.


"Change is to give up what we are to become what we could be" ...

"It's the little things that matter" ...

The image is an old family photo ...

Garage Find ...

Some people plow through a box of cookies, a tub of ice cream, a bag of chips. Me? I occasionally go on CD shopping binges. Last big spend in a record store was at Waterloo in Austin in March. So, it was time.

After seeing 'Young @ Heart' on Saturday I was craving some new music. Luckily, Rasputin is just down the street from the theater. One hour and 15 CDs later, I was ready to start listening.
The first play from my new stash was a surprise find. I knew I wanted to pick up the Foxboro Hot Tubs release so Garage was on my mind. Flipping through the bins, I spotted 'You Got Yours!: East Bay Garage 1965 - 1967.' The parentals grew up in Albany (CA not NY) -- I was born in Berkeley -- a CD of East Bay garage bands was a must purchase.

I was not disappointed! The CD opens with 'Waiting For You' by The Baytovens (featured on the front cover and my favorite band name on the disc). A couple of the tracks would be great additions to a '60s for Kids compilation -- notably 'Humpty Dumpty' by The Epics and Dynosaur by The Flintrocks.

In addition to 24 tracks of East Bay rock, there are also detailed liner notes from Alec Palao, El Cerrito, CA. Definitely worth checking out.

Young @ Heart ...

Part of my plan to kick off the 3-day weekend was see "Young @ Heart" on Saturday but the show was SOLD OUT. So, today, I set the alarm, grabbed a Peet's double latte and headed to the theater early for the morning matinee. Fantastic!

It was a great experience even before the movie started.
The elderly lady sitting next to me had also tried to see Saturday's show (sold out) so we chatted a bit about how we really wanted to see "Yount @ Heart" on the big screen and that led to other movie talk - both of us loved "Iron Man" and thought Tony Stark was the role Robert Downey Jr. was meant to play. But back to "Young @ Heart" ...

As I sat in a theater full of people - most at least 60 and many probably 80 - all to see a film about octogenarians singing Sonic Youth, The Clash and others, I started to smile. Music is universal.

I'm no film critic so not going to attempt a review. Let's just say, you must see this movie.



Note: I did notice a few key differences with the audience: no text messaging during the movie, no talking during show and, following the film, the line for the restroom formed quickly. Ah, things to look forward to.

(post addition) I should also mention, during this movie was the first time I enjoyed a Cold Play song.

Like A Prayer ...

Catching up on some blog reading today and saw John Wesley Harding's post that there's now a video for his cover of Madonna's 'Like A Prayer.' (read Howie Klein's post about Seymour Stein, Wes and the song here) Imagine my surprise to see one of my photos in the video!

Here's my pic from The Freight & Salvage in 2004 ...


Watch for it in the video for 'Like A Prayer' ...



Nice to know in some way my photo's helpin' to spread the word.

John Wesley Harding, musician
Wesley Stace, author

The Art Journal Project Continues ...

The last few months have been stupidly busy. I wish I could say I've been busy with lots of fun and creative things and, while there has been some of that, there's also been a lot fo day-job hoo-haw gettin' in the way. But, that said, I finally managed to finish working in the 3rd journal I received as part of a rotating Art Journal project!

Each Journal was started by a different artist - they creat the cover & choose the theme - this journal was all about Travel. While most of my recent travel has been business trips (no, I am not going to create a journal page with that focus), I did have a wonderful trip to Oaxaca last October (and also in 1999) that I used for inspiration.


The bits of newspaper used throughout the journal are from the newspapers used to wrap items I bought in Oaxaca.


The inside started with very bright colors: hot pink of the papel picado, bright yellow paint, the original colors of the Catarina image and my photographs. But, while there is a lot of color in Mexico, most of it is knocked back a bit with layers of earth -- so I hit everything with washes to tone the color down. The handwritten text says "Celebración de la Vida en la Tierra de Tres Valles."


The metal objects in the journal all started as brightly painted or plain tin. Using techniques I learned from Michael deMeng during the Oaxaca trip, I altered each with layers of paint. (I also used Michael's painting techniques on the 'burned paper' edges.)



To give you an idea of where this journal started ...


So, that's the spread.


And now it's time for me to work on the next journal. It arrived in April but I held off opening the box until this one was completed. Hmmm ... maybe I'll get to use bones in the next book ...