An Early Summer Update

I won’t lie to you. It has been awhile. Sorry about it.

More and more it occurs to me that this blog is turning into a live/work function. I mean that it’s my news ticker when something personally cool dislodges, rumbles around and finally occurs. Like bringing home a shiny new puppy to love and love and love. Or, winning a beauty pageant. (I have nothing to link to. That one hasn’t happened yet.)

In any event, I’ve been letting my daily crazies and finds and inspirations freakishly fly at my Tumblr blog and long-time followers (if any remain) and new supporters (if any exist) are more than welcome to visit me there. That would be aces.

Now for the news-y stuff!

Those that have made that Tumblr trek already may be familiar, but those that have stayed loyal to this hub, or those that have stumbled across me here only now may not know: I have written a collection of illustrated short stories. Above, as well as throughout this site, you’ll see some of the illustrations that may or may not be included in the book! Ooh, it’s a like a total mystery.

What is not a mystery, though, is that the artwork is all done, fantastically so, by the very large hand of Ian Dingman. He has a gift, and he’s allowed me to mooch off of it and write short stories inspired by his illustrations. You’ll find a few examples, which—again—may or may not be included in the final book, of this charming idea via the glamorous stories section on this here website of the Internet.

The stories have taken on a variety of shapes and sizes and lengths, as well as explored different themes and tones and styles in the telling. But it’s always been about making something inspired, something beautiful and unique.  The writing process started a little over a year ago and picked up decidedly more steam just in the last four months. It’s been a labor and a massive confidence game to sit alone and tell myself that I was a worthy enough creator to debut a polished story collection. I still falter.

I set June 1 as my deadline to have the vast majority of writing done. I’m quite proud that next week I will be able to say that I am a very good boy in having done so. There will be bits and bobs that remain, as you shouldn’t really rush creativity, but the building blocks will be set into the ground. June will be a month of editing and tweaking and polishing as you would a pair of old shoes or something impossibly scuffed. Out the other side, blazing into July, the idea is to hold a sharpened stack of paper which can then be transformed just a bit more, morphed if you will, until it’s a stack of paper that you—yes, you!—can hold in your very hands. It’s a lot like magic, and I’m almost there. Ta-dah!

I believe this is the first official announcement here that a book is coming. We don’t have a title yet because we plan to arm wrestle over it later. I did want to announce it though. The quiet and the sound of crickets around here is not for lack of hard work or interest. I’m at this desk almost every day, very much like today, smelling like lemons:

Thanks for stopping by! Thanks, perhaps, also for the support and encouragement and personal interest in my work, or Ian’s work or the mating habits of mammals. And thanks for not sending me hate mail or telling me that I suck. Yeah. Most importantly, thanks for that.

Later on.

Sing Statistics Secrets

That vibrant blue could only mean one thing: SING STATISTICS. The venture between my favorite UK lit-art duo Jez Burrows and Lizzy Stewart revealed yesterday that there were a mere 30 copies left of their fantastic book We Are The Friction. Today, I see there are now less than 20. That’s after being whittled down from 1000. Once they are gone, they are gone. (If you missed my brief write-up on the book, wherein I urge you to get a copy of your very own, you may visit it here.)

Congratulations! That’s a super accomplishment for these guys. But it ain’t all. Some new and, uh, er, um, spectacular releases are coming in the next few months. I’m not saying I’m involved BUT I’M NOT SAYING I’M NOT INVOLVED EITHER. I’m just saying: Perhaps you want to sign up for their mailing list? I mean, that way you’d be the first to know when their next project, which I may or may not be involved with (AHEM!), is up for grabs. Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge.

Zack Bent’s Answers To The Universe

Another recent find while (body)surfing the ‘net is Seattle visual artist Zack Bent. His work most commonly marries objects with people or dynamic space; he once went so far as to spend a week living with his wife and two children within a frontier installation.

With Answers To The Universe, Bent’s 2007 series, he photographed stacks of vintage library books and left one tome with a given message. The inscriptions are unexpected, or maybe just introspective, but poignant all the same. Talk amongst yourselves, but the selections pictured above are my favorites.

Ilana Kohn

Color bomb!

Ilana Kohn is a Brooklyn-based artist who has provided illustrations for a variety of clients, including The New York Times and The Stranger. It’s no secret that I’m inspired by color—lots of it—and Ilana is not one to skimp. She mixes acrylic and collage techniques to bright, eye-catching results. I love the handmade feel to these pieces, too, the hyper-detailed facial features surrounded by rich splotches of blue, red, yellow and green. Win.

The Beholder has several of Ilana’s originals up for grabs. Or, visit her own shop to see a selection of affordable prints.

Coastal Brake by Tycho + ISO50

It’s the dead of winter, y’all, but you’d never know it while listening to the latest release from Tycho. I’m not a big fan of Christmas music, so I always try to discover instrumental alternatives around the holidays, pleasing background music for wrapping gifts or having drinks. That said, “Coastal Brake” is not holiday music by any expected stretch (unless, maybe, that holiday is the Fourth of July). It’s a foamy visit to the seashore, a saltwater splash for the headphones complete with drippy bleeps, bloops and sighs. I’m having a SoCal Christmas this year; the temperature has dropped some, but there’s still plenty of sun and that’s reason enough for this.

Tycho is Scott Hansen, a San Francisco artist and musician. What’s especially pleasing about his music is that it is always accompanied by stellar visuals. He designs all the posters and packaging to support his releases—with everything damn fit for framed display. There’s clothing, prints, music and lots of other design-y goodness over at the site he runs, ISO50.