Cracked Open The Flash New Journal. (And Why I Don't Normally Buy Flash.)

I have a new Hahnemuhle Travel Journal.

For a month it's been sitting perfect, clean, un messed with.  I'm like that with pretty stuff I've dropped a few bucks on.

Yesterday I cracked that baby open.  I've done nothing for the last month and when you've got an art blog where you post weekly, that's problematic.

I want to tell you that these are warm ups and a real painting is underway.

Pbbbt!

If process was a person, it would be me.

Up to now I have only posted photos of work that I want you to see.  Finished work that fits with the way I am happy to present myself.

The following is what most of my journal pages look like and occasionally I make a proper picture.  

I wanted to go back to these before posting them, finish them, hide the nonsense before my friends said: Err what?

Francis Bacon said,  'The job of the artist is to always deepen the mystery'.  Ha. 


While I waited for our General Election to begin, here was my brain dump:

I don't normally buy flash because I just like playing.  I also like irreverent - even if it does take a month.

What about you?  How 'process' are you?  

Do you show others your brain dumps?

Make Art Not War (Or Just Not Slap Gang Patches On Your 8-Year Old)

I went on a roadie up the north island this week. It's good being on the road when everyone's at work.  No traffic.  Beautiful.

I was walking across this road to photograph some street art when I heard "F*ckup you c*nt!"

It was an 8-year old boy talking to his Dad.  They wore matching gang patches.  

Dad said something similar and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck.  It lifted him off the ground.  "You wanna go to school?" he growled.

It seemed school wasn't a first choice place to be on a weekday.

I told my 13-year old about it when I got home.  He had never heard of this well-known gang which I found interesting.  I guess we live in an unremarkable, everyman type of neighbourhood but still.

I kept putting my cards out.  

While the photo above isn't the best I like that you can see these guys lining up to hit golf balls into a 'Hole In One' island in the ocean.

Make art, not war.  

Simplistic and unrealistic.