Poster

Again

Haven't written anything here in a while (do I say that every entry?) and even thogh it's friday I've been ill all day (hangover) and will just stay home tonight. I was at 798 the other day and did a bit of writing. I have been making a lot of art thse days, I have thrown up some tags in a few places and SHXC and I hit this wall in an empty lot. Unfortuneately I was off my game and what I put up was not so great. The is a wall just outside my door that I put a super fast tag on and I want to go bad and add a little bit more. I was also thinking Matt and I have to meet other street artists, particularly Chinese ones.

In a While

Just want to make a note here since it's been a while. Life was terribly stressful in the last two weeks. A lot to plan a lot to do. Saturday's gig went off well and I was even able to send myself home before I got too drunk. I should have tried to pick up on that girl who was smiling at me at the door, but at the time I didn't want any extra stimulus to my life. Yesterday I was at home all day long. Now is the time for me to move towards the next thing, finding work in Singapore or Hong Kong, studying, making art, perhaps enlightening the heathen for a bit. We'll see

Black Button

Haven't posted here in a bit because I was out of the country and roaming charges are made for data entry. I have been back about a week now, to quite, and although I know I have a lot to do, I am slow to go about getting it done. Well I suppose that isn't entirely true, I have been in the classroom twice this week already, I have payed some of the bills, cleaned p the house and got out tagging stuff last night. I think graffiti is like tattoos in a way. Once there is one, a person wants more and more. Even this morning I was thinking about somehow tagging stuff along my way. While I have beengood at brinstorming ym ideas for the change in classes I haven't done any work when it comes to writing out my plan. And I have a new grade level to teach this year which means I need to develop lessons from scratch. Basically it is a lot of sitting still sort of work, which I am fine with, especially in the evening, but the last few evenings I've had things to do and being that this is the last week before school starts (guaranteed we won't have any time to work on this stuff during the first week of school). So it is looking like while I will get some done here, I will still be playing catch up during the school year. The band had it's first gig last Saturday. I wasn't totally satisfied but I wasn't disappointed either. There were problems with it but I didn't take it at all so seriously. It's just a gig and it'll get better as tie goes on anyhow. I am more interested in our photographer Liang Du. She has been using Lomogrpahy cameras to make the photos (see link) and the opportunity to work with her has been really good. I am quite into this idea of imagery and while I am not a fashion photographer I like the idea of working with a brand or an image of a thing. The black and white photos she took are excellent (did I already say that?) and we are planning a photo shoot. I don't know how much the band is into it, but they are kind of grumbly anyway, they'll do as I ask I a sure. It's fun building something like this. I was in Hong Kong last week for a photography course. Fantastic, a lot of studio work and good people to work with. However, I think the best part was being in HK. I am growing more and more tired of Beijing and China in general these days and HK, while technically China, is not at all like China and pretty isolated anyway. Really, I feel strongly about making that my next move.

Angkor Wat

Update

This is a photo of another book that I have been working on. The actual book I've had in my possession for a very long time but I never touched it for fear of screwing it up, then I basically forgot about it and it wasn't until I bought a smaller one last fall and completed a rather pleasing little line that I went the big on (after I found it again). Actually the anxiety I had about making a mistake was pretty relevant at the time, but as my work has changed it has become easier. Even from that initial change about a year and half ago there has been a slight shift. I think this is common with all artists, at least ones that really painting for themselves, their work is always in evolution. I have been considering the idea of putting a book together that is charting the change in my painting over a year's time. Perhaps this blog could serve the same exact purpose.

My work now continues to be abstract, but at times less so and this is a result from my interest in graffiti and printmaking. The printmaking shift came as a result of me getting the materials to behave for me. Which really opes a lot fo doors. Also the amount of photographic work I've done, particularly with the Holga, Seagull and Fisheye. There is a strange sense of freedom working with these toy, print cameras. I don't worry about the composition of shots as much, I just point and click. Really I should be doing this with the digital as well as the phone.

There is a down side to my current working style, actually, it has been a down side to my work all my life. I don't have an intellectual theme, I just kind of go with what I like. Last Autumn when the Artists Who Teach was up, that was a big difference I noticed between myself and all the other artists, they all have themes, their work is about . . . (fill in the blank). Mine just comes from things I like to look at and make images about and it can vary quite greatly. Why is this? I kind of have an answer: It is because I don't care that much - ha ha. I was listening/watching The Story of India last week and in particular the section on the Buddha. He was far less of an righteous preacher than the religion leads us to believe. He basically just got along. Perhaps it is my detachment, which I didn't really learn fro Buddhism, it is just sort of my nature, I can be very detached, and I like it that way. And thereby my work is also detached, because I don't really care about anything enough to make art work about it. I like lines, I like patterns and designs and fashion magazine images and abstract expressionism and gold pens and books mad out of recycled art and still life drawing. And I like finding interesting things with my camera and taking photos of them, sometimes I want those photos to be well composed, sometimes I want to shoot them from the hip and appreciate the result. I also like Asthanga Yoga and Wing Chun. That is what my work is about.

Not Sure

Not sure what to write exactly, just thought I would put something in because I have the opportunity. Yesterday I worked on the big painting a bit as well as the long one, and glazed some ceramic ware and even a little printmaking work. It was quite a day for me and art making. Ad really, aside from my clumsiness at glazing thepots, things seemed to go very well. I will go in again today but I do not think I can work on the big painting at all, it'll be too wet. Yesterday I was starting to get into working on the book. I recall what Sun Lian Gang was talking about with letting things go and allowing the painting to just come out when I'm painting, and to an effect I can feel that. I am sure he still wouldn't like it, but that is because he is like that. Like a lot of Chinese people, always knows everything. Actually, I guess that is not a Chinese thing, a lot of people are like that. Maybe I should actually get some classroom work done. Actually, the main reason I want to go into school is to swim. I also read up on Angor Wat last night, another very pleasant evening of reading, drinking a White Russian and smoking a cigar. I tried to practice the bass last night but I just couldn't get quite on it. Here and there things were working but I was having a hard time keeping with the metronome and I kept running into problems with Fly Me to the Moon. My fingers and eyes couldn't keep up. Even my old standard Alright, Okay You Win was off. I gave up after about half an hour. I need to keep it up though. Contrary to what the guys in the band are doing I still want to do a lot more acid jazz stuff. Standards are fine to begin with but I want it funk and new, not just another jazz band. After this gig I will introduce some new tunes. Zhu Kun brought in All Blues which I think is a good start to something new. I was thinking about my personality the other day. I will never be that kind of person who makes a lot of money or is always in public eye or anything like that. I just don't possess the personality for it. When Helen and I were out at Migas the other night I could feel it. I got along well with Ursula but most everyone else I was pretty much a dud. Even the American/Canadian loser club. I just don't fit in to a lot fo groups fog people and as a result things in normal groups people never work out for. It is not that I am sad about that, I am just learning about myself more and more these days. A month ago when I finally broke out of the the depression I started to be more happy with myself and I am able to recognize these things. The last couple of days as well because, finally I get some rest and I have some energy. Well that's all I have to say for today.

Another Day of Musing What I should Do

Ok a lot to do and before I get distracted by actually doing stuff I need to take this time to get all my thoughts out so I can stay focused rather than waste time thinking I am accomplishing something. I would have liked to do this on the blog, but I need to be in a shield which isn’t conducive to listening to the radio at the same time.

So let’s see, I have to make arrangements for Cambodia, pay Seki and look into a visa, also I have to do some serious work on GtB. I had a good meeting with Vanessa last night, it left me inspired and ready to get some things done. I still have not looked for jobs elsewhere which is important as well as looking a graduate schools to make certain that I am at the top of my game when I apply. Absolutely none of my school work has been done which I need to do, specifically I need to adjust the units I am currently running and brainstorm some new ones. In relation to GtB I really want to look into my design gallery idea, really, find out what green means and where to find these things. I need Qiqi to look at my apartment contract, I have to retrieve money from both Elliot and Ruth (desperately needed). I am happy that the rent and the savings plan and the school fees are paid. speaking of school I have to check with SCAD about when there classes end, how to get from SZ to HK and back again and what kind of things I need to bring with me. Of course there are contact I have to get in touch with in HK like Julie, Sarah’s sister and Mari. I had a good start studying Chinese ad I have to keep it up, work on the basic lessons from the BLCU units rather than ust playing around with vocabulary. Also se t the band rehearsal schedule, and that is about all I am going to do for the band. There is a variety of shopping that needs to be done and I should get on a an exercise schedule again. There are the long term goals as far as finding out who I owe money to and getting tat paid and of course I need to visit with Wang Ting, Sun Liangang and while I am there Leng Yan. And I do not want to stop painting, really I want to make a book of my painting because that seems to be the method here. Should I look at web hosting as well - Devin Allen Art Music Education - ha ha sounds good. I should write a real blog, although I will most likely use this article and just paste it into my blog. I haven’t really know what to blog about, maybe I should talk about my trip to the Temple of Heaven, that would make a pretty good story. It’s good to write a lot, to get better at writing and language. Ok what else? I am not sure, actually I am fairly happy with this list of things. Oh yeah I have to adjust the finances spreadsheet. Ok that actually is it I believe. Normally I am not this satisfied with my lists, always feeling like there is something left out, but this time I think it’s good.

It's not that good but I'm still pretty pleased with my first foray into graffiti

Dig this old party spot

The Photo Below

I posted the photo below from my phone yesterday. I wanted to see if it could work and there you go. I was near Today Art Museum/Pingod Shi Qu making a little graffiti. Actually i made the graffiti because everyone seemed distracted by whatever was going on. After I finished my tag I moseyed over to see what everyone was looking at. It was these music video dressed women. I think that's what they were doing, or filming a television commercial or something. It didn't really look all that professional. But hey, it worked.

However this is not what I am here to write about. Mentally things have improved for me and I am becoming more and more optimistic by the day. Now i need to focus to make certain I get my thoughts down.

Exhibit. After reading through earlier blogs (glad I started using this to keep track of my thoughts) I realized that soe of the things I mentioned have come to light, and also I forgot about some other ideas that would have helped me shape my statement last week. First scanning the nagativea and making the screen did, eventially work out. I am ot one hundred percent satisfied with the result, however, it is pretty good and I can add to it after I run a few more prints. I should have mentioned this to Doug, but soon enough I will have an image to show him instead. Also I need to get back to Joel about this collage-image based stuff I was thinking about. Make it art and make it signatory.

Greening the Beigie: The CEO now wants to meet ith me and I ned to get my ideas better sorted out before I meet with her. Also it is important for her to tell me what he has in mind. My brainstorm if ideas is that we raise awareness of environmental issues by holding exhibits, fashion shows, particpating in events, blogs, social networking and I still think wearables is also a good route. Things like green t-shirts, bags etc. There are also some possibilities for actions, I keep thinking about the guy in SF who printed labels and cards using the runover from print shops. Things that can show the public how easy it is to conserve and how easy it can be not to waste. The other is education and the above mentioned action or something like that, as well as green drinks could happen especially if there are speakers every month. The student group at CAFA is good and perhaps there is opportunity to spread to other universities and using Roots and Shoots perhaps primary and secondary schools. Finally, fundraising, and I have no idea how to go about that.

The Band: That sounds so silly, but ok there is an interesting opportunity to make some art here so why not? Leng Du wants to make a photo essay out of us. Really, I am not going to worry about that. It is important here to take this easy and not throw too much unto it. Get some good songs, play when the feeling moves you and the others and don't sweat it after that. I have already talked about the tunes, we have about seven or eight and we should just work on those for now, not try to introduce anything new.

HK: So since I have cancelled my western trip and I am free to save some money and make a nice slow crawl to HK before my class. What that really means is planning. I have to make sure that everything good gets done before that and that I know where I want to go. In the guide book I have almost gotten through Shandong - a lone way to go still. Other places I'd like to be: Zhejiang, Suzhou, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Shaolin, Wuhan, Xiamen, Shenzhen.

Study: I am at last inspired to study again. I want to really turn HUX into something and also my Chinese needs work, maybe even add another language. Heh heh.

In follow up to some other posts, I did not delete Qiqi form my phone. She is still around and will be for a while. Helen is great. I can't remember anything else from before. Oh the Lomo guys did come and made light graffiti and I have seen very little of the results, but what I have seen is cool.

Getting There

So yet another bout with depression, I think it happens every time I meet with Qiqi. Actually last Monday I thought it would be strange but it went quite well, however on Thursday I was tired and it she got me talking about how unhappy I was and sure enough it got bad again. On the positive side things have been getting better since. I have not been sleeping well for the last month and as a result my body is falling apart. My lymph nodes are huge, my body aches all the time, I've got these sores on my tongue and one in my nose, yoga just about killed me last weekend - horrible. However, Saturday night when I lay down to sleep I sweat the sheets through which I think means that whatever funk I've got in me is is on its way out. I couldn't say I am 100 percent but I am a lot better than I was before the weekend began. My horoscope says to indulge a little to feel better, so I took a nap this morning, I hope that'll suffice.

SO anyway, my mood is taking a change for the better as I am getting more energized to do things that please me. I have also thought in my head about approaching my bosses and discussing ym situation and how I do not feel it is fair and it effects my ability to work knowing about my benefits package compared to everyone elses'. I think this has always been a big issue with me is that I lack self confidence and consequently do not do well. Having my wife constantly tell me I'm bad and then running off and cheating on was a pretty significant blow and really even though it's been a year now I have not completely recovered. But enough about her. I spoke to Helen last night, not about specifics but about how I want to make her a more integral part of my life, which means I may say things that frighten her but that's how she gets close to me. t's odd, when she is away I think of a lot of things I want to say to her but when she is near I feel at peace, like everything is alright and I feel like saying anything is unnecessary. Just be with her.

Right now is a pretty pivotal point. The reason I am writing this today is because I want to get myself on track to do some good work this summer. Last summer things got filled up pretty quick and with everything that was going on in my life as well as all the things I had to manage I never really got going before work started again. This year I hope not to make that same mistake. But to do this I have to now, the first day of the first week of vacation, I need to make it happen. Mind you I am going on a trip tomorrow, but that is how I make it happen. Something a couple of people have said to me over the past few days is that I want things that I am not capable of having. This has something to do with my career and vocation, right. Chen Ou said to me once "You are a paradox, you like teaching but you are not a teacher, you like art but you are not an artist, you want to love but your heart has been broken so you can't". I think this explains it in a big way. I can recall when I was in Korea that I had a very good understanding of myself. I recall commenting to Chuck that the older I get the less afraid of things I am and the less things bother me. He told me usually it is the opposite with people. I have become those people, I am now intimidated and not sure how to act, mostly because I am not sure who I am, which results in me goofing off a lot of the time. To make it worse I get depressed because nothing gets done and I have accomplished little in the last few years. So I have to remedy this by sorting myself out and being that person. It make take me a bit but at least I can see the path I need to take, no matter how late it is. Ok well I hope this provides sufficient start. Now it is time to get to work/.

The Ride

Ok so I was going through the magazine Milk this morning and it inspired me. Also I was thinking about a meeting I had with Carissa and I feel like there is another possible direction. I got a response from a gallery in Shanghai and I think there is an option - I got really apathetic at school today, I should be working now, but I am not, I am planning. I need to write this so I have a clear head. Qiqi continues to make me sad and unhappy, the couple of days I didn't speak with her I was much better. Last evening Elliot and Zhu Kun came over and we smoked some grass and played some blues, it was quite nice, I wish we were in Jiang Hu or another small, wooden club. There are some important things to get done this weekend - some of it playing. I wish Helen were back, I am going to eliminate Qiqi from my phone again. Up next, the To Do list:

• Tidy up classroom
• Get triangles made for bedroom scene
• Get money transferred to China Merchants
• Correct reports
• Pick up HSK Score
• Respond to m97 and see about how to get an interview there
• Keep looking for jobs in Shanghai - start with galleries
• Study more Chinese
• Meet with Joel, Leng Du and Charlie tonight and tomorrow
• Show Leng Du what you are interested in as far as 'fashion' photography
  
• Brainstorm GTB - "Home is where the art is."
• Collect photos of cafe racers
• Print Moob and Negative
  

Getting it Together

I am just finishing checking the email for today and I have, at last sat down to do some work although I am kind of at a loss as to what I need to do(it's because there is too much). I about crashed emotionally, physically and mentally last week and as a result I said I need to relx in the next week, which I have been doing. Anyway I said I would use my blog really for myself, keeping track of the things I need to do and things I have done. It's looking like this: Stay on the Tibet trip, contijue writing reports, for now I am not going to do anything about the band, let it take care of itself. I also have to be looking for other work, this middle school teaching thing is getting to be a drag. Although last Friday was fun, we had some guys fro Lomo come over and make light graffiti with the students, the photo above in one example.



Making art should be very important for me right now. I was visiting with Sun Lian Gang last week because Charlie is in town. It made me realize how much I can love/hate/enjoying being in the art community. Leng Du and I talked about making photos together, I just have to pin her down on a time. Ok well there you go I guess I know where I have to get to work.

pieces

I have had this obsession with collage images recently. My own of course. I started making these books about a year or so ago, using recycled materials in the classrooms and the books just became works of art in themselves. I say it's an obsession because I can hardly keep my hands off of them. Whenever I done with a magazine I peruse through it looking for images I like, usually it's fashion but also there is a lot of finding an image and adding either meaning or adding an aspect to change the image in one way or another. Most of the time, after I manufacture a book I begin by putting some images into the book in a regular, but not thought out order. Then I just vamp off of that. Adding drawings, other images or just doodles and let the book take shape itself. At times I will even allow my students to add to it (sometimes they do this without asking but I just let it go there is a nice natural growth to the whole process).

I like to turn these into money in one form or another. The natural inclination is to make these works of art that can be sold, but really I don't have enough of a reputation for that. really like I would like to develop these into a graphic design language of my own. Have people who want these sort of rough pasted and drawn things to be used in advertisements, posters, whatever. I am meeting with my friend Joel sometime int he near future to talk about this (although he doesn't know this yet, but I did say I wanted to bounce some creative ideas off of him). I want to be a creative consultant of sorts. When I was writing my paper this past spring I thought "Yes I will become a master of images" We live in a an image based society these days, with apps and the internet and I have even taken a liking to photography again, so why not push it, make it something more than just a lark, which is what is now.

One of the reasons I really stick with it is because I am compelled to do it and that is in effect the way that points to good art making. I am not patient enough to study anything deeply. I have a lot of good ideas but not enough time to work on them all, so things I am compelled to do, I stick with. Enjoy the image above.

Job

So I decided to brainstorm what I want from a new job here, instead of in my book. I am really tired of teaching, at least at this school. I have talked to another teacher or two and they say BCIS is a bit over the top. Anyway, it has inspired the desire to teach right out of me. Especially as they give me a less than fair dal - providing other teachers an apartment and travel allowance but not I - because I am local. It really makes me depressed honestly and I'd like to just fuck 'em

So what do I want to do. I want to work with the arts, I want to have a design gallery or art gallery or work for an arts foundation. I want to make art and design, I want to write about it, talk about it, attend events to look at it. But I also want it to be pragmatic, I want to accomplish things that people use, enjoy, not just art for art's sake. I want to make money. Maybe a cultural foundation. National Endowment for the Humanities. I want to live in a place I like I do not want to live in Ohio ever again - sorry friends in Ohio - I just can't do it. I have looked at Singapore but sadly all I have done is look, I haven't really had the chance to do anything about it. I need to make more connections and think my ideas and thoughts out better. One of things that drives me nuts about this job is that I never get to work on anything for longer than an hour, I am always switching duties and that is just not good for my personality. I need and like focus I want to make more money - did I say that?

Week in Preview

I am just going to write my week in preview - like I do most Mondays - but instead of my book this time I am going to use my blog. Let's see - last week I got a bit done with the scanning slides and I have even started to get them into digital format so I can transfer them to screens - it would be nice to have a quicker pace but I have been so busy these days that I rarely get a longer than an hour or so to work on something. The photography/lomo article is still in its outline stage and I really do need to pay a little attention to that before it falls by the wayside and the Tibet trip needs finalizing. Rehearsal went well and I must check with the rest of the group to see where we are practicing. Don't forget that there is the event at Landgent tonight and make arrangements to repair the motorcycle and go see Charlie on Wednesday. Get the Lomo guys in here and maybe Leng Du for a photography workshop with the students - light graffiti! There is assessment that needs to be done, I want to retake the HSK (check on your results of the last test, and while you're at it check the grade you recieved from HUX). Which leads me to the next point, what classes are available this summer and next fall. Get yourself a credit card and pay down you bills. Units need reflecting on and start designing that free for all t shirt - in fact buy more blank t shirts.

Ok well that's the list, I would like to come back to my blog to check on my list and leave my book for drawing this week. BTW - if you are actually reading this, then check out my Lomo Home - it's fun!

Whao

Again, quite some time since I have been up here. 2010 was an absolute shit year and probably it was best for me not to post anything, it would have been depressing anyway. 2011 is turning out to be a bit better, trianign Wing Chun, studying and finally seem to be getting involved in a stable relationship (albeit slow, but that's good for me). I have been reading a lot about stylistic analysis recently, what has stuck with me is an article about the psychoanalytical aspects of Jackson Pollack paintings. Recently I have begun to look at my art in the same way. Unlike Pollack, I am not looking to figure stuff out, rather I a looking to express the way things are. Similar to a Ravi Shankar concert I attended years ago. Anyway, have a look.