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.