Bugs

Living where we do there are always lots of bugs and creatures to look at and catch. Here's what we found today: On the trellis next to our front door we found this Monarch butterfly. We currently have about 5 caterpillars in various stages in the house as an "experiment".

I saw this on the tire swing tree. I think it's a Robber fly sexing up another Robber fly. Or maybe it's lunch. Or both.

We have a ton of Cicadas around here. We even caught one as it came out of the ground and Alexander got to watch it transform that evening in his room. I collected a bunch of these shells for a macro photo idea and had the poor judgment of putting them in a tupperwear and leaving them on the counter...sorry Candace.

Top Ten Albums (in order)
Selections are based on sheer music awsomeness, effect music had on me personally and standing the test of time.

1. Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon
2. Bob Dylan: Blood on the Tracks
3. The Stone Roses: The Stone Roses
4. Clash: London Calling
5. Velvet Underground: Velvet Underground
6. Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin
7. Jimi Hendrix: Electric Ladyland
8. Beatles: Sgt Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band
9. The Fixx: Reach the Beach
10. INXS: Kick

Honorable Mentions for bands that I love but couldn’t decide on a definitive album:
The Cure
The Grateful Dead
The Rolling Stones
U2
Nick Drake
Van Morrison
Rilo Kiley (Should be on top ten but they're too new)
REM
Smiths
Johnny Cash

Moving!
If all goes well, we will be closing on a house tomorrow. We've been packing all the good stuff and throwing away all the crap. I'm a little bummed that I can't use my photo stuff. It sits forlorn in the corner...waiting for me to build a darkroom in the new house. The basement of the house will heretofor be officially called "ManWorld".

This pile looks too small. I should get more gear...

New Camera: Old looking photo
I got a new-ish camera to replace the ancient one I had been using. This one was actually made this decade or so. It has a lot more movements and makes some things much easier to do. I like the idea of thinking less about the tools and more about the image.

Here's the first shot. Made with a wide angle lens from the turn of last century. Coney Island, NY. I over did the rise and front tilt to frame the shape of the Cyclone with the edge of the lens coverage.


This is Nathan. He was kind enough to sit for a portrait or two.


This may be my most recent favorite. Made on the last evening at the family reunion at Bethany beach, Delaware. Five minutes later we were driving home to New Jersey.

Just a little something for the holidays...

New Paintings-Finally!

I've been really busy lately with work and freelance and haven't had the time or energy to post these most recent of painting. I think they were finished in mid/late summer.


Okay, these first two aren't new. I made them for the kids birthdays the year we moved to NJ and never posted Hadley's. I figured I'd repost Alexander's to put them both in context. Hadley calls hers "my robot girl". Any time I paint a robot girl she tells me that it's hers. I've managed to only give her one more. It's hard being a daddy to such a cute little girl.....I am so screwed.

I might be channeling Tara McPherson a little too much here. That third eye isn't fooling anyone I suspect. Sorry Tara, you're awesome and I love your work so please don't hurt me.



Two of my favorite things. Film cameras and pink butterflies.



The following paintings were something I've always wanted to try. I've seen a couple other people paint on records and thought it would be pretty fun. It was.

I'm showing the album covers that go along with the paintings because if someone buys one it gets shipped in the cover.

Stolen from Candace who stole it from Lindsey: turn on your ipod (or itunes)...hit shuffle. list the songs in order of the following descriptions. kinda fun and interesting.

Opening Credits: To Have And Not To Hold - Madonna
I am soooooo embarassed.

Waking Up: Chrome Plated Suicide - The Flaming Lips
Now we're cooking with gas!

First Day of School: Devil - Drugstore
None of you will know this band. Just like no one at my high school knew the music I was into.

Falling in Love: Not the One - The Donnas
This is NOT a song about Candace. It must be about one of my hussies.

Fight Song: Troubadours - Rilo Kiley
Huh?

Breaking Up: Clonie - Nellie McKay
It's about having a clone as a best freind...uh...cause all you really need is yourself?

Prom: Live as You Dream - Beth Orton
Sentimental prom fodder for sure.

Life: Halloween On The Barbary Coast - The Flaming Lips
This song has style. Like me :)

Mental Breakdown: Countenance - Beth Orton
Beth actually keeps me from having a mental breakdown. Thanks Beth.

Driving: Vapor Trail - The Crystal Method
Hmmmm...this song starts with what sounds like a bong hit. I don't drive like that anymore, I swear.

Flashback: Black Peter - The Grateful Dead
Sweet!

Getting Back Together: Someone's Daughter - Beth Orton
WTH? I really don't have the official iPod Lillith Fair edition. Really.

Wedding: Back to Black - Amy Winehouse
HaHaHaHaHa!

Birth of a Child: Shadow of a Doubt - Beth Orton
A song full of promise.
Seriously, I have a 40gb iPod and only three Beth Orton albums. What's up with that?

Final Battle: Let the Cool Goddess Rust Away - Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah
If you even know who this band is you're cool. If you own it, you're invited to my house.
Not really a final battle kind of song though.

End Credits: Walking with a Ghost - Tegan & Sara
I can dig it.

Photos

This is my favorite photo of Candace (that I've taken). I don't think she likes it but it's my blog dammit and I'll post whatever the hell I want :)

This is why we have seperate blogs. My cursing and posting of photos Candace hates. Oh, and the weiners. Don't forget the weiners.




My sweet sweet babies...I've been without them for 4 weeks while they are in Utah on vacation. They have a low tolerance for dad taking thier picture. I usually only get one chance then they're gone. This one was just before going out the door to church on Easter Sunday.



We spent a wondeful 4 or 5 days with the Bingham cousins at Bethany Beach, Deleware. Deleware is the first state. It also has the nicest toll booth people I've ever met. Loads nicer than the grouchy ones in New Jersey.

There's an awful lot of Binghams isn't there? And it all started with the two front and center.

Fun fact: I went to high school with two of the Bingham kids who in turn married another one I went to school with plus one that lived in the same small town as me. Then I married Candace and she's thier cousin.
Perhaps the strangest fact of all is that I now live in New Jersey. Still scratching my head on that one.

July

Finally caught up with the sketchbook. Of course there's several photos I'm wondering if I'm happy enough with to post and the pile of mostly finished paintings.

I've noticed that once I start working on a bunch of paintings my sketching drops way off. I wonder if it's because I only have so much energy to put into being creative or that my mind is just focused on one thing at at time.

Probably the one thing at time. I'm not much of a multi-tasker but when I focus I'm like the human laser beam. But in a cool way.

Hey look, no weiners!

Sorry Matt :)

June

The pattern I see here is I'm drawing less and less on the train. Maybe it's because I'm so tired that I have to listen to music while I sleep/zone out for 35 minutes twice a day just to keep myself level.

May

I hardly remember May...So much for drawing every day :)