One wall in my "studio" has large diamonds shapes painted on it. A perfect diamond pattern. Floor to ceiling. Wall to wall. Well, it really is more of an office (with paints and markers and paper and brushes and canvases and magazines and books) than it is a studio. Anyway, the diamonds. I didn't paint the diamonds. She did. She measured it perfectly so that the height and width of all the diamonds fill the wall in a perfect repeating diamond pattern. She is much better at that than I am. (Im envious of her abilities) Every day I sit at my desk right below the perfectly painted diamond wall and I am pretty sure I hear it laughing as it looks down at these paintings getting churned out day after day. Her work is always perfect. (Did I say that I am envious?) and well... you know my work... It is a little more flexible when it comes to staying within the lines. Everyday when I sit down and look up at that wall I am amazed and inspired. With that, Im sure that our relationship is summed up quite easily within this story. Her lines are clean and straight, my lines are sloppy and organic and together they coexist and inspire...Enjoy!

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This is the 11th in the "Paris Postcard" series. I was looking over my bookshelf and there was a bunch of papers shoved between a couple books. Among other things there were about 15 postcards that were of different photos taken in Paris during the 1920's. This one in particular is called "Gare De Lyon Trolley". All the postcards are very Paris and you can hear an accordian playing and it all makes Michigan seem all that much further away. With that.. Enjoy!

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I'm not sure how this came into my possession. An old cutting board. It doesn't look like it was really even used. One thing is for sure though...this thing was calling out to be painted. The shape and the bevel. Perfect. It should go without saying but I just want to be sure that you understand that this would no longer serve well as a cutting board. Unless of course you like acrylic paint in your chopped vegetables! It will however hang nicely on a wall or leaned up against something on an end table. You could put in your garden to scare away the critters from your strawberries. You could use it in a round of frisbee golf (if you are Anthony!) Maybe use it a flyswatter. Or any other creative way you can think to display it. Well, with that, here is to making old things new again and giving things a new meaning with a little color and a little imagination ...Enjoy!

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When I was preparing work for an Erotica show about 6 months ago I collected alot of imagery to use and also for inspiration. (Some of you may remember a few pieces that never ended up making it to the show.) Anyway, I had a bunch of old advertisements from the 50's that I thought were just great on their own. (Erotic or Not). Well, this is one of those. It is from 1957 and is for a now-defunct women's clothing store. Going through these old magazines and scraps, I can't help but think that the 50's ideal had to have been pretty hard to live up to. It all appears so prim and clean and proper and please and thank you's and shiney and correct and on and on and on. You know, I guess the same thing could be said about paging through a 2008 fashion magazine. That ideal is pretty hard to live up to as well. Well, anyway, here is to having your own ideal (and not one created by marketing people) and trying to live up that one instead...Enjoy!

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Three quotes from three different people on May 2, 2008. All three of these quotes are from conversations that took place throughout the day.

1.) "It is a 15 year loan at 5.5%. You should feel good about that. Most people do."
2.) "I wish I could record my dreams and watch them on T.V. when I wake up. That would be really fantastic."
3.) "If I had a nickle for everytime I... I would be rich and happy." (Two people went back and forth filling in the blank)   

You know, we all say things like this but when you take them out of context they take on a whole new wonderful and interesting meaning...Enjoy! 

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I have always enjoyed old photographs. The older the better. You know the saying, "They just don't make things like they used to"... well, I think "they just don't take pictures like the used to". I have always loved photography in general. I still miss the dark room that I had set up in the basement of my parents house when I was in high school. I remember listening to Robert Johnson while making prints under the red light. Ahhh, no matter how you look at it, Photoshop has nothing on the old darkroom. There are many things that I like about old photos... the tones, the history, the seriousness and stillness, the memories, the clothing, the faces that you swear you recognize for some reason and one other little thing: The Mustache. I'm not talking about your everyday Tom Selleck brand of mustache. I'm talking your old school Rollie Fingers kind of mustache. The vintage kind that only certain people can pull off. Those old photos are filled with them. So, with that I've decided that I am going to start a little reoccuring theme of "great mustaches that I have found in old photos". I'm not sure where this will lead but here is the first in many... Enjoy! (Good fun!)

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Mask #1

I have been wanting to do masks for quite a while but I guess I just haven't gotten around to it. I have always been intrigued by them. (who isnt?) Then my brother and sister-in-law (everyone should be so lucky to know these two people) mention that they have located some masks that would be perfect for painting. (The two of them are amazing at finding stuff). So, for this first mask, I guess there really is no great story other than this is Mask #1 and I have to thank the two of them for thinking of me... Enjoy! (Thanks B and J!)

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I remember being a kid, laying in my bed, it was summer, the window was open and I was staring at these two cermic Indian heads that were on the wall. They were the kind of faces where the eyes followed you no matter where you went in the room. I clearly remember daydreaming about what I was going to be when I got older. All the things that I was going to do. At the age 10 or so, I was pretty sure I was going to be a football player and motorcycle racer and artist and scientist, all rolled into one. Well, only one of those came true. (I'm sure there are critics out there who say none of those came true.) Either way, it doesn't matter. What does matter is that 25 years later there are still days that I lay in bed thinking about what I am going to be when I grow up. What am I going to do next and what am I to become. It's these thoughts about tomorrow that fuel today. With that, I think I am going to go lay down, open the window and see what is to come...Enjoy! (Story included on back of card)

 
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This is the 10th in the "Paris Postcard" series. I was looking over my bookshelf and there was a bunch of papers shoved between a couple books. Among other things there were about 15 postcards that were of different photos taken in Paris during the 1920's. This one in particular is called "Jardin Des Tuileries". All the postcards are very Paris and you can hear an accordian playing and it all makes the Michigan winter seem all that much colder. With that.. Enjoy!

 
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