My most authentic work

I don't know how it is for you.  Here's how it is for me.

I try to do my style and sometimes it doesn't work.


Turn it up - the music is grand.

I was inspired by Jennibellie:

And Craig Atkinson's collages:

As  Ricky Gervais said:

"Writing and directing The Office was the first thing I ever tried my hardest at. The reward was revelatory.

At 40. I was addicted. Not to success. I was addicted to trying my hardest. That's the reward in itself. It's what life's about. The struggle. It's the only way you can be proud. You can't be proud of luck."  

Have you ever made something brave and authentic?

About to make a thing from the rubbish I collected at the beach today

See the grapes?  People gave me these to eat when they saw me picking up rubbish. They gave me a bag too which I was hoping like a crazy thing to find :-D

"I really feel sorry for people who think things like soap dishes or mirrors or Coke bottles are ugly because they're surrounded by things like that all day long, and it must make them miserable."

Robert Rauschenberg - (One of my favourite artists check out this quick read)

Found these treasures at the beach today. 

I hope to get everything you see there glued onto the hubcap or whatever can hold it all safely.  

I will paint it and call it 'Painted Sculpture Thing.'

Also dropped more of my guerilla art cards around  Wellington.  

Here were my cards, in trees/fence posts/parking machines/poster boards/seats etc in glorious Oriental Bay today.  On the back is an easy peasy art suggestion for the finder to make or do :P

Already I am wondering what the 'hero of the dish' will be.

Have you ever made a Painted Sculpture Thing from rubbish or other art supplies?

How did it go?  

Tips for strategy, how to get going etc?

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.

I Wish I Didn't Want Hair Like ScarJo But I Do And Other Procrastinations.

I've been stuck lately.

Blogging is like that; full of yourself one day, chicken-shit the next.

Time for a haircut.  

I found a picture of some great hair.

"Is this great hair???" I beamed at the lady. 

"I thought I would bring a photo..."

I wish I didn't want hair like ScarJo but I do.

I also joined the gym which was going great till someone turned the music up at five-freaking-thirty a.m. one day.

I left a message in the book:

Oh. Well.  

So hey, I cobbled some new guerilla cards together, and will be putting them around Wellingtron this week.  

If you find one - stop by and say hi - you in the black with the inside out umbrella . . . 

When Creativity Gets Creepy

The week started well.  

I wasn't creeped out.

I was doing homework for y'all - reading how "9/10ths of our tools for life lie dormant in our brain's toolbox..."

I was trying to access the other 9/10ths of my brain ... eke out life-changing, catch your breath when you hear it, gems that will help you next time you're at Quiz Nite or ... Speed-Dating.

Then I read the evening paper:

Which creeped me out.

What a crock.

Just when I was getting scientifical - much like my Post How To Be A Creative Bastard When Work Is Sucking Your All - the "science" let's us down.  

Have you ever been let down like this?

What was it and how did you get over it?

More Newspaper Blackout. (Sorry, Dilbert...)