Salty Hair and Sandy Toes

Just got back from a little camp out up the central Cali coast with Matlock. We Probably picked the best season for spring greens and the worst season for good waves but we had a great time anyways. My brain is on inspiration overload; the rocks, the aqua blue water, windblown trees, cliffhanging succulents. I think a lot of this is going to leak out into my next series for the Washington DC show. Simple and serene.

Nothing beats a campfire on the beach 20 feet from the ocean with salt in your hair, sand in your toes and a belly full of fresh fruit and cheap Mexican beer! Spring is here and life is good!

New Work @ J's Tapas, Ventura, CA. 5/1 - 8/1

I'll be having 13 new pieces up at J's Tapas in Ventura from May 1st through August 1st. This will be my first show at a restaurant, I've been exploring new avenues for exposure so we'll see how it goes.

I'm proud to announce that 10% of all sales will go straight to the Surfrider Foundation Ventura County Chapter to help protect our beaches. Lately I've been compelled to figure out how my art can help make a difference that actually counts so this is the first of many upcoming shows where I'll be raising awareness and funds for Surfrider.

The show is curated by Red Brick Gallery.

Come out, get some good grub and check out the new work!

Johnathan's / J's Tapas
204 E Main Street
Ventura, CA 93001
805.648.4853
www.jstapas.com

Words of Wisdom

Love this one, don't know who said it though...

“Be disciplined in your life so that you can be violent and original in your art!”

Inspiration

Art isn't easy sometimes. Actually, most of the time it's not easy. As I type this, I'm passing up a nice sunny day on the mountain with friends to try and finish up the pieces for my show at J's Tapas in Ventura, CA next month. Sometimes sacrifices must be made. But I've been staring at my blank wood panels for a few hours now and nothing has happened. Stupid.

Banging your head against the wall doesn't help more blood flow to the creative part of the brain as one might think. I've been rummaging through old sketch books, notes, random drawings stashed away in desk drawers, reading art books, and looking out my window. To many directions to go but at the same time nowhere to go.

Here's a list of "Things that inspire me" I found scribbled in a sketchbook from '06. Maybe this will help:

nature
plants
big color
organic shapes
ocean
space
ancient cultures
history
maps
charts
the seasons
construction
processes
blueprints
growth
evolution
politics
propaganda
secrets
mysteries
thoughts
technology
balance
harmony- yin/yang
cycles
systems
symbols
codes
puzzles
weather
---
Here's a sneak peak at some near finished pieces for the show that I'm actually semi-happy with...

Mr. Orwell...

"And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed—if all records told the same tale—then the lie passed into history and became truth. ‘Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past."
— George Orwell, 1984

I wonder how many details of our history we missed out on?

Good From Far, Far From Good

Snapped this shot last weekend while down at the Newport Seafood and Wine Festival, which is a whole other story, talk about out of control.. Maaaaaaan! Anywho... you might be able to see where some of my recent inspiration has been coming from. Gotta love the Oregon coast!

The Chair Affair 2008

Recently I was asked to participate in the 2nd Annual Community Warehouse Chair Affair here in Portland. Artists from all over were asked to come down to the warehouse, pick out a chair, take it home, do it up with some art and donate it to be auctioned off to raise money for the Community Warehouse which helps low income families get their homes furnished. I'm usually too selfish for this kind of stuff but I said what the heck.

Date: April 17, 2008

Place: Art Institute of Portland, 1122 NW Davis

Time: 6:00 - 9:00 pm

Tickets: $50.00 (Tickets can be purchased on the website)

Here's my chair to begin with, it's pretty gross, but we'll see what I can do...

***UPDATE*** :: Here's the finished chair. It's called, "Just Sittin' in the Rain" And a special "THANK YOU!" to my Mom for reupholstering the cushions. High five Mom!

Some new work in the works...

Here's a quick shot of some fresh paint from the studio. Will be doing a bunch of similar ones for the show in Ventura in April.
4' x 2' on 3 panels.