It’s been a Long time- we shouldn’t'a left you

I’ve been pretty absent from wordpress.com as of late. But I’m back.

I’ll make my first return post brief, mostly life-y:

I have two jobs; Oregon Art Supply and Tsunami books. I like both places so far. In another week, I’m sure I’ll have a lot to say about it all.

I feel mostly like an artist these days, but I’ve said that in lots of posts. There’s just something about the whole selling of art thing that simultaneously changes a person and reveals a change that’s been going on for a while unnoticed. I sell more than I probably should- there are better artists than myself everywhere. Nontheless, I sell for one reason, the only thing that matters to me anymore and the one thing I feel I can base some kind of theory about art on right now: I am prolific. I cut new blocks daily, and the count of blocks I’ve cut rapidly approaches one hundred now. Most of them ok, some bad, a few that are pretty good.

SO, that’s pretty much all. I guess my current focus on prolificness over profoundness is nothing new anyways

Oh, but hey: Expect one of my very next posts to be a MEGA UPDATE of my visual art. Maybe some poetry will follow.

Just be simple

I listened to my iTunes library on shuffle yesterday afternoon while trying to mapout my last essays of my college career. I have a few more days to write them. One of my favourite songs came on, and it was everything that I needed, for the essays’ sake and my own- Songs: Ohia’s “Just Be Simple,” where he says “just be simple” over and over at the end. That utterance is no less powerful than somebody screaming drama over some over-orchestrated mayhem. Simplicity is the nearest to truth- for the most part. Truth is beautiful. I recognized that this is a time to be simple.
For simplicity’s sake, I’ll state what that “really” means for me. It means simply being good to people (you, the reader, included ). It means approaching the block/plexiglass/zinc plate with a singular vision unclouded by considerations of what would or should look good here or there. It means writing a poem and not feeling a need to add this or that device here, make such and such metaphor there. Maybe a singular metaphor in a whole poem is good, as long as it’s true. Simplicity is continuing to eat right, excercise, work, keep a clean house, create, and be happy. Happiness and contentment are simple, and what more could one want?

Perhaps this post concerns my art the most. I’ve worried at times as of late about over doing my art. I only do it when I get nervous about simply putting something out there- an idea, an image, whatever. Sometimes the impulse arises to clutter things so as not to over expose the honest truth of the mind. The impulse must be erased, and I’ve had some astounding success the last couple of weeks with some prose experiments, poems, my essays, and my new blocks/plates I’ve been cutting. It’s a new period in life with this principle.

So, if I could make any appeal to my dear reader here, it would be this: my friends, be simple. Love, create, act, and speak simply. Forgive those complexities that seem to drive away and apart, for they are only phantoms we summon to guard the essential truth. We forget that what is simply true can never be damaged. You’ll think it odd to read this coming from me- perhaps I have transgressed simplicity worse than any. I have concealed, hidden, denied, and attacked the honest. Still, we choose who we are everyday, and even I make this new choice.

Perhaps this was my own Sunday morning sermon- a prelude, if you will Given my new outlook, it would be dishonest to apologive for that

I’ll leave you with a final statement on this topic: everyone reading this, you have been good to me, and I love you for it. It’s been good times lately. It will be even better times- new adventures, new opportunities, new everything.

Keep it real

The New, already

To think, just the other day I was proclaiming the newness when the old hadn’t quite ended. It did. It’s done, and it’s ok. Without overly elegizing it, it was a good time. There was 2006. I will always remember it fondly. The following GBV lyric will always attach itself to the PHR days:

“Often times I’m reminded

of the sweet young days

when I poured punch for the franchize

and thus was knighted,

was so excited.”

That is the final word on it for my part. Good night PHR.

So, part II of this entry (and creative life in general) begins here.

Jesus said “let the dead bury themselves.” I have no intention of being so cynical. Nonetheless, there is work to be done. I’ve already begun the printing series that will be the begining of my as-yet-unnamed printing establishment. It was already in discussion as of Saturday.

There will be three categories to begin with: Still lifes, Stories, and Interpretations. Interpretations of poetry/music will begin with the GBV illustration project, first of which is “weed King.” Second will be “Game of Pricks,” with Max.

Also potentially included in this new project will be C.V.- that is, if Max is still interested. It is the story about a man on a journey. Look forward to pieces of it. That is all I’ll say for now.

Folks, that is all I have for now. It’s a lot. Perhaps more could be said, but we’re all better than what that could be.

Much love to everyone out there

Accomplishment

I haven’t been doing much on the creative edge of things lately. I have a little bit of writer’s block. I think it’s because I’ve been somewhat on the depressed side of things, and that doesn’t suit me at all. I don’t know why that should be, but it is.

Anyhow, I decided to “power” through it as they say. I started work on the most difficult design I’ve ever attempted. It’s an illustration for “The Death of Marat,” and I’ve already spent 7 hrs working on it. It’s about 20 % done as of now! Nonetheless, I figure that part of the problem is that I have been shying away from seriously challenging myself in poetry and in art. I have no idea what my boundaries are because I fear them so much. So, the illustration that I have been terrified of having to do is now well under way and going quite well. I’ll post it as soon as possible

It all comes down to what I realized yesterday morning: No matter what ppl think of my work, how much attention I get- if any!- for it, etc., it doesn’t matter one bit if I’m not just a kid with a pencil and a blank surface. When I started writing/visual arts, I had no intention of ever being published, seeing my illustrations anywhere, or even having anybody notice that I did anything at all. That is what has always given me my edge. So, I’m working on getting back to that place. Working on new material, starting to do some sketch work for new poetry, starting new linoleum blocks, etc.

There’s my update

Have a nice day

w00t!

Here’s the news part of this post: a poem that i submitted to a poetry journal got accepted! This is the second journal that’s published my poetry, so this is still very neww and exciting to me. i’m always surprised that someone who has no connection to me on personal terms would read my poetry and say that it’s better than someone else’s. So yeah, Dry Erase magazine is publishing my poem “Death of Marat.” I’m psyched. In their mail to me, they said it was the only poem they decided on so far after the first meeting/reading (which I find incredible), so I have no idea who else is going to be published in the thing.

Anybody who wants can come to the Campbell House on May 17th for the mag’s Spring issue release joint

Anyhow, I’m always fascinated by how excited I get about these things. The news couldn’t have come at an odder time, as the last few days I’ve been having more doubts than ever about my skill as an artist in poetry. I hate it when I do that, and really I think that feeling down on myself is frequently more narcissistic than feeling good about people reading and appreciating my poetry. So yeah, serendipity of a sort I guess

I haven’t written in a few weeks, but I guess I’ll bust out my brand new notebook and write up some new material now that I again feel that doing so would indeed be worthwhile- I always experience a lull in productivity when I but a brand new, completely empty notebook haha, something about fearing the tabula rasa, to borrow Odilon Redon’s impressions on the phenomenon.

Part of the problem has been that I have brand new poetic theories and projects to work on that are mere theories at this point. I have 0 subjects to apply these theories to, and that’s also a problem haha. But, subjects abound in Spring. In worst case, I’ll hit ye olde art books for some inspiration

That’s all for now

Update Update Update

I posted new art on the art page. So, if you like my art, or if you know nothing about my art, go check it out. There’s three new linoleum prints, so enjoy them

Side announcement: I realized something recently after a conversation with a dear friend of mine. He inquired very meekly: “I was wondering, if wouldn’t be too much trouble, and if you have any around, if I could, maybe, get a print of the lino cut with the garlics?” Of course! Everyone can have a print of any of my designs! (well, a few sad exceptions there- some blocks perish in printing ) Ask and you shall receive So yes, if you would like a print of anything you see, just let me know and if I don’t have one, I’ll make one for you. I even do special odd coloured editions for those who request them. Don’t be shy.

I’ll get some more up there soon enough. The new ones are indeed new ones, very few ppl have seen the real-live ones even. BUT, I intend to post some of the classics soon enough

Genesis

Hello

 

This is my blog. I have other blogs, but this shall be the master blog of my life- at least for a while. Whereas other blogs play up various facets of my life/psychological progression, this will be the place where I place my best thinking/creativity on a pedestal

What is the purpose of this? To project my poetic and artistic projects into the i-universe, primarily in hope to preserve something of myself/my mind for time beyond what is alotted to my physical being-in-this-world.

So yes, whoever is reading this, thank you for doing so. Tune in time to time if you’d like- I promise to try and keep you entertained. Don’t worry, I will keep this blog at the highest level of sophistication and intellect (that is, no whining about personal-life concerns, etc.).

Again, thank you for stopping by. I promise to keep this “up to di time” and interesting

_veezy