coed dryer
the barcode label on one of the wooden drying racks gave up the ghost this afternoon. “coed”…huh?
went back to the source after deciding to hang on to the label – wanted to see if there were any others.
lucky me, there were two:
nice nice lettering.
i just like it.
4Runner traced sketch pieces. reached a threshold with graphite on trace – needed fixative.
layer by layer it goes: primary outlines, window and interior shading, decals, highlight identification… ? no idea what i’m doing, but i’m enjoying myself.
french curves
‘Complete Stretching’ - Maxine Tobias & John Patrick Sullivan (1992/Knopf)
picked this up in the ballet days, trying to achieve better flexibility and turnout.
slightly different goals nowadays. glad to have held on to this.
came across ‘Bob and Brad’ today. super helpful, given the current circumstances.
“Skeleton Sam” with shoulder-saddled Gumby were eerily on the nose… !
visualizing auto encounters. just getting started, trying some things out. here’s where i’m at:
‘Courtesy Van’
Toyota Warhawk… ?
using french curves for the first time – in earnest. it’s interesting. gonna take some getting used to.
Pearl’s Shapes
“A Single Pale Rose” - ‘Steven Universe’; Season 5, Episode 18 (2018)
pain in the neck
tweaked something…
rolling out using the golfball Sam brought home from a free pile we passed on our walk Friday evening. it’s just the right size – score.
learning to slow down, take my time, breathe… finding relief in the process, too.
call your mother
i know… i will!
first, there are some things on my mind i need to process
“ARE YOU WITH THAT?” - Vince Staples (2021/UMG) directed by Jack Begert
Vincent… !
for those jaunts through Justice:
“Randy” - Justice (2016 / Ed Banger Records/Because Music) an installation by Thomas Jumin
“Love S.O.S.” - Justice (2018/ Ed Banger Records/Because Music) directed by Edouard Salier, creative direction by Pascal Teixeira
“Heavy Metal” - Justice (2016 / Ed Banger Records/Because Music) directed by Filip Nilsson, featuring the Norfolk State University Spartan “Legion” Marching Band
enjoyed the behind the scenes footage, too.
“New Lands” - Justice (2016 / Ed Banger Records/Because Music)
“On’n’On” - Justice (2011 / EdBanger Records/Because Music)
very similar to The Maccabees “Pelican” music video. a friend pointed that out – glad they did.
“Stop” - Justice (2016 / Ed Banger Records/Because Music)
“Fire” - Justice (2016 / Ed Banger Records/Because Music)
“Audio, Video, Disco” - Justice (2011 / Ed Banger Records/Because Music)
“Civilization” - Justice (2011 / Ed Banger Records/Because Music)
“DVNO” - Justice (2007 / Ed Banger Records/Because Music)
“Stress” - Justice (2007 / Ed Banger Records/Because Music)
indeed.
“Kill Me” - Indigo De Souza (2021/Saddle Creek) directed by Jordan Alexander
this track closed out the set i listened to on the drive out yesterday (notes in little notebook) – felt pretty epic.
“Nova Anthem” - Lower Dens (2012/Ribbon Music) unofficial video, edited by David Dean Burkhart using footage from the Apollo 11 launch.
listened to Nootropics on the drive home. thought of this video and that i’d reflected on it back in May, 2013, too. boomerang, baby.
leaving breadcrumbs to Apollo 11 Saturn V Launch Camera E-8 footage – so awesome – and DDB's video for Bear in Heaven’s “Cool Light”.
‘Adult Themes’ - El Michels Affair (2020/Big Crown Records)
started listening to the larger list of tracks again tonight, this time opening with El Michels Affair’s “Enfant”, an instant ear-worm since hearing via DJ Pili Pili on KALX a week-or-so ago. followed by Sparks' “Sextown USA”, which i picked up from qb(X)’s set leading into Pili Pili that same night (and maybe in that order… !), then “Much Obliged” by the Allman Betts Band.
yeah, ok, alright. that’s one way to start… !
![“Electric Feel [MGMT Cover]” - Still Woozy (2020/SME)thought of Woozy’s cover, and this video, earlier. feeling the feels – makes me smile.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe3879c1b0fe27a93b68856/1626400059400-RAORPIRU6UOIJ4JX9M74/Screen+Shot+2021-07-15+at+6.46.33+PM.png)
“Electric Feel [MGMT Cover]” - Still Woozy (2020/SME)
thought of Woozy’s cover, and this video, earlier. feeling the feels – makes me smile.
![“Creep (feat. Radiohead) [Very 2021 rmx]” - Thom Yorke (2021/Beggars) artwork by Jun Takahashi/UNDERCOVERsome just want to see the world burn… ( •̀ᴗ•́ )و ̑̑](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe3879c1b0fe27a93b68856/1626364143968-WB99FAYBJMBZR9TY4IKM/Screen+Shot+2021-07-15+at+8.45.57+AM.png)
“Creep (feat. Radiohead) [Very 2021 rmx]” - Thom Yorke (2021/Beggars) artwork by Jun Takahashi/UNDERCOVER
some just want to see the world burn… ( •̀ᴗ•́ )و ̑̑
“Change (In the House of Flies)” - Deftones (2000/WMG) directed by Liz Friedlander
although… mentions of Deftones in the “Creep” remix comments brought me back to this iconic music video - noice.
bedtime – have an early call with the Lady tomorrow morning.
ok, bye bye!
channel surfing
‘WandaVision’ - (2021/Marvel Studios) directed by Matt Shakman, created by Jac Schaeffer
started this a few weeks ago and got back into episodes this week.
ooowee!!! even Wanda has a “Wanda”… !
‘Maps of Home - ACTION EDIT’ - John John Florence (2021)
watched after ‘GQ Sports Breakdown’ videos featuring John John and Kolohe Andino.
watching more surfing vids – super badass… !
‘Rawhide Braiding’ - Essential Craftsman (2021)
Youtube suggestion, likely due to the increased volume of farrier videos… i watched it, of course – very cool.
Essential Craftsman has a lot of construction content, watched another video on using a tape measure – learned some neat things!
another GQ Breakdown video, this time with hunter Steven Rinella – super interesting!
gotta loop back around and watch Part 1.
“help yourself, fresh lemon”
spotted yesterday on the walk to dinner.
made a sign for some glass jars we offered curbside.
sketched out ideas and lettering. kept it simple.
bottom right sketch was the last – then tracing, and inking.
scanned the inked version before launch this afternoon. here it is with an after-the-fact digital adjustment: bigger jar.
worried no one would want our jars, but that box got scooped pretty quick. guess it had curb appeal… ha!
happy of myself and this process – yay!
everyday shapes
‘My Favorite Shapes by Julio Torres’ - (2019/HBO) directed by Dave McCary
watched ‘My Favorite Shapes…’ a few weeks ago – inspired.
lost one of my favorite shapes not long ago (so long sweet hand fan…) and worried i lost another on Tuesday.
keeping record of my shapes more explicitly now, starting with my everyday shapes:
bright, orange, and reminds me of a friend – makes me happy ;)
keys: essential. Alaska keychain is a recent addition – an indirect souvenir.
DIY leather notebook cover carrying two (sometimes three) pocket Moleskines.
multi-pen, currently inked with two black Monteverde refills and two Pilot refills: one green, one red.
Monteverde > Pilot
yellow leather wallet, yellow leather wallet, yellow leather wallet
upgrade – birthday gift to myself.
“incognito mode” sunnies. longest lasting pair, nearly a decade now… ?
tea tree toothpicks – nice alternative to chewing gum.
impulse buy with pharmacy training memory attached. liking this “flavor”, too.
this just in: new hand fan. from the Portland Japanese Garden, same as last; but also different. still getting acquainted, and will not be carried in my back pocket…
view from the desk yesterday. clouds looked real high – probably cirrus? want to remember this.
and this, a little later on, too.
had a difficult time writing yesterday – going back and forth and feeling stuck between. thought i’d be able to tie things off, but ended up needing more time. that’s ok, there are no deadlines here. need to remember that.
slow down – there’s no rush. take the time you need.
common assets, vol. 4
it’s that time again. this year marks the 10th trip ‘round since moving out here; though, i haven’t spent nearly as much time calling this place home. it’s been… a journey. still is, too. and with reflection on the menu tonight, thought i’d go over some of the specials.
here goes…
‘SOUR’ - Olivia Rodrigo (2021/Geffen Records)
“LAW OF AVERAGES” - Vince Staples (2021/UMG) directed by Kid Studio
dig this.
‘Call Me If You Get Lost’ - Tyler, The Creator (2021/Columbia Records)
SWEET / I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO DANCE … sheeesh!
“Corso” - Tyler, The Creator (2021/Columbia Records) directed by Wolf Haley, aka Tyler Baudelaire, aka Bunny Hop, aka The Creator; cinematography/DP by Luis Perez
favorite video from the rollout.
experiencing a streak of luck with neighborhood “free stuff” offerings. some finds from yesterday, and this afternoon:
‘Five Hundred Self-Portraits’ - Julian Bell (2004/Phaidon Press)
‘Over and Over: A Catalog of Hand-Drawn Patterns’ - Michael Perry (2008/Princeton Architectural Press)
‘The Art Quilt’ - Robert Shaw (1997/Beaux Arts Editions)
trio of KOH-I-NOOR stencils from a free pile i passed on my walk home today.
“landscape template”
“isometric ellipse template”
“architectural symbol template”
Youtube started suggesting these S&S Horseshoeing videos and, long story short, i’m hooked. well timed too, following a farrier focused crossword clue from a week or so ago.
anyhow, i really like Sheldon’s videos and learning what farriers do.
some lick-em horseshoe stamps a pen friend included in a recent letter. i mean, c’mon… !
Valida’s 06/27 KCRW set (thanks for the intro, Sam!)
some of the stickier tracks i heard:
‘Program Tvog Kompjutera” - Denis & Denis (2019/Croatia Records)
“Will You Be?” - Baltra (2021/Local Action Records)
“Ani Kuni” - Polo & Pan (2021/Hamburger Records)
and remember…
it’s OK to feel good.
hall monitor
rounding up some stragglers… like the stop sign patches.
kept it simple, but had some challenges with design transfer. given the circumstances, using stencils worked really well.
picked up some red velveteen fabric from “the depot” (aka “garbage arts”) and added fusible stabilizer for structure.
transferring the design to the velveteen pile was a no-go (tried it… was a mess). instead, traced the reversed design onto the stabilizer. stitched outlines in stem stitch from the wrong side, which gave me outlines in back stitch from the right side – bingo.
4-way stop pooty-hoop
revisiting process photos reminded me that i watched all of ‘BoJack Horseman’ while working on these earlier this year – woof…
i also spy my hand fan, which i lost somewhere along my walk to work last Saturday. bummed. it was one of my most favorite shapes.
the webby bits leading back to anchor knots look neat. those knots are temporary though and get cut away in the end.
one, two, three, and four. farthest right is the prototype. lives on my jacket now – left shoulder.
so happy with the velveteen. it does shed, though.
lint rolling the edges before adding the border cut down on fluff everywhere, gunking up the stitches. ended up with a little sticker monster at the end, too.
edges all finished. backside view, before getting tagged.
hand-sewn polyester ribbon tags. fussy, sure – but i enjoy it.
thread glyphs on the backside – an unexpected delight.
“hall monitor” lookin’ ass…
nice, nice, nice
finished these in May. sorta feel like i’ve neglected processing them – didn’t mean to.
feel that way about a few things in the queue and i’m doing my best to maintain, and sometimes regain, momentum.
i don’t have a segue, but this and this are mixes that came together last week. leaving some evidence of them somewhere instead of waiting for… i don’t know! so, there they are!
ok, bye bye!
status update
status update on "762" (aka kitchen door curtain panel): finished blanket stitch along the vertical edges.
used DMC size 8 pearl cotton in topaz with Tulip big eye straight thin size Sashiko needle for these Sashiko-inspired stitches.
sketching to document and ideate – no set orientation yet. originally imagined the vertical yellow stitches as an edge-to-edge field, but that may be relentless… got seven vertical lines of topaz stitches in so far. leaving that area as is, for now.
picked plum and antique blue pearl cotton from my stash to start stitching with next. they compliment the topaz stitches and silver-gray fabric pretty well. yeah, i like that. onward!
DMC size 8 pearl cotton in plum (718) and topaz (725), and smaller size 12 pearl cotton in medium antique blue (931)
listened to the back half of this for the first time this morning. woof… thought i oughta save it here.
swapped the order of two songs on DO NOT ENTER, too. listened to it during my shift today – feels better…
ok, bye bye!
stardust
“Music Sounds Better with You” - Stardust (1998/Roulé) directed by Michel Gondry
landed here yesterday after watching Gaspard Augé’s ‘Captain’ video on Youtube – such a delight.
tektite
Tibetan Indochinite – a birthday gift from my close friend.
as i’ve come to understand, tektite is a result of interstellar objects like meteors, asteroids, and comets colliding with Earth millions of years ago. the impacts ejected superheated terrestrial material which quickly cooled into glassy tektite as it returned to Earth’s surface. so f--king cool!
tek•tite \ˈtek-ˌtīt\ n [ISV, fr. Gk tēktos molten, fr. tēkein to melt – more at THAW] (1909) : a glassy body of probably meteoritic origin and of rounded but indefinite shape – tek•tit•ic \tek-ˈti-tik\ adj
Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition
762
58” wide tweed from Joann Fabrics – i like the silvery color and larger weave.
wanted the stitch detailing to fade away and picked a few colors i thought might do the trick: ecru, 762 “very light pale gray”, and white DMC stranded embroidery floss.
(from left using 3 strands of floss in white, ecru, and 726)
using blanket stitch at the vertical edges of the panel to prevent fraying and reduce bulk. 726 blended the best in different light conditions.
(top “right side”, “wrong side” below)
continued with 762 to test stitch detailing ideas. tried options that show only on one side, and a traditional blanket stitch that shows on both. i like the “both sides” approach best. keeping even tension is easier, and it’s nice to have the stitch detail face inside and out.
fabric is trimmed down and thread color selected. wish i could have kept the selvedge with its lovely tufts, but i’m holding on to some for test strips and maybe something fun later? who knows.
slow down
mini warning sign pin process images, clockwise from upper left. started with scrap piece of yellow linen with stabilizer, stiffened black felt, and butterfly clutch pin-back. used silk to embroider a single interior line and border. glued the warning sign top to the felt back concealing pin hardware between and held in place with wonder clips while glue set. once the glue dried, it was on the jacket and out on the town.
little warning sign pin – a reminder to slow down. have had this one in the wings for a little while. taking time to reflect on the spirit of ongoing projects, and remembering that slowing down is ok – another part of the process.
violation
“What we got here, is a failure to communicate!”
- Luke Jackson, ‘Cool Hand Luke’
that about sums up the last few weeks. f-ck, man…
‘Cool Hand Luke’ - (1967/Warner Brothers) directed by Stuart Rosenberg, screenplay by Donn Pearce and Frank R. Pierson, cinematography by Conrad Hall, music by Lalo Schifrin
based on ‘Cool Hand Luke’ by Donn Pearce
getting back to watching movies – feel like i’ve got the headroom for it these days. feels good. i’ve missed this – steadies and first dates alike.
watched ‘Cool Hand Luke’ for the first time last night, and re-watched ‘Jackie Brown’ a few nights back. before that, had my first go with ‘Revolutionary Road’ and ‘Brokeback Mountain’.
‘Jackie Brown’ - (1997/Miramax Films) directed by Quentin Tarantino, screenplay by Quentin Tarantino, cinematography by Guillermo Navarro
based on ‘Rum Punch’ by Elmore Leonard
“I can’t blame anybody for anything I do.”
- Max Cherry, ‘Jackie Brown’
i mean, where’s the lie?!
‘…Luke’ and ‘Jackie…’ and those before reflected several uncanny parallels to the current state of things. kinda spooky how that works out sometimes.
separate from the movies but riding the same line of thought, gonna keep this mixtape here – only seems right. otherwise it may get lost in the shuffle (no pun intended…).
trusting the process, trusting myself – i’ve got good guts – and making every effort to be here in this moment, and then the next, and whatever may come after.
‘heaven & earth’ mixtape cover
day one
‘Back to Black’ - Amy Winehouse (2006/Island Records) design by Alex Hutchinson, photography by Mischa Richter
trying to reflect on recent experiences and feeling rusty. it’s been a while and the words aren’t coming out right, but i need to process things in order to move forward. making peace with a sh-tshow of a week closing out May, and welcoming in something new. today was the first day at a new job – day one. in the lead up i’ve felt excited (and nervous!), which was nearly toppled by an unexpected cascade of emotion and conflict. it’s been a doozy… (note to future-self: more nuanced reflections have been recorded elsewhere)
project progress over the last month has come in starts and fits. put together a couple mixtapes earlier on that gave me some confidence, and then hit a wall. it was a bummer. felt like i’d been in the pocket, music-listening wise, and then i wasn’t. on top of previous feelings of being sidelined, i was f--king frustrated.
took a break and got back on the horse arranging songs that’d come over the alarm clock radio first thing in the morning. some played as the radio faded on at 7:30 am; others followed in the moments after while i debated whether to get up or stay in bed a little longer. only condition was the tracks be played via alarm activation. did’t take long for them to gel, but they weren’t quite right over several iterations. felt like i was hitting a wall again until deciding to just flip the whole thing and play the sequence in reverse. ta-da.
called this one ‘snoozy’ on behalf of the material and as a cheeky reminder that the “snooze” button on our alarm clock doesn’t actually work…!
sunrise inspired gradient iterations scattered about the Illustrator workspace. been using a heavy magenta boundary to indicate which iteration i like.
the stuff to the far right was fun – maybe it’ll come back later.
had ideas for the cover inspired by themes of morning and sunrise and started iterating in Illustrator. i like the way the sky is represented in Steven Universe – wanted to use those environments as reference, but quickly ditched the idea of illustrating clouds (or, rather, saved for a later date) and focused on a simple color gradient.
listened to the mix while working on the design and took a moment to investigate a sample used in Vince Staples’ ‘Alyssa Interlude’. learning it was Amy Winehouse catapulted me back to her album ‘Back to Black’, and what an experience that trip was given yesterday’s emotional environment and what lead to it. afterward, i knew i had to leave breadcrumbs back. couldn’t allow myself sleep on Amy’s work again.
fussed with gradients a little more when i felt the tension of frustration creeping in. after pivoting in a completely different direction in a desperate search for something (see lower right of Illustrator workspace), decided to apply the same approach i’d used when feeling frustrated with the sequencing: flip it around. bingo.
‘On Sunset’ - Paul Weller (2020/Polydor) design by Alex Hutchinson
blend modes and overlay experiments in Photoshop – lots more options than Illustrator.
efforts to memorialize my experience listening to Amy’s music began by doing the rounds on Discogs and the like for album liner notes and creative credits. found the designer and the photographer – bing, bang, boom. on my way through graphic designer Alex Hutchinson’s portfolio i saw the cover he designed for Paul Weller’s ‘On Sunset’ and thought, “you’ve gotta be f--king kidding me… come through tangential turbo boost!”
up to that point i’d been hung up on the cover design and where to take the graphics. seeing some of my ideas reflected in Hutchinson’s work was really helpful to get me back into the swing of things. brought the Illustrator gradient background into Photoshop and applied gaussian blur to soften the gradient banding. added a noise filter too, like ‘On Sunset’, to evoke fuzzy, groggy feelings sometimes associated with waking up in the morning.
after considering about a dozen font options from the endless offerings in Adobe, i narrowed it down to LoRes 9 Minus OT and LoRes 28 OT designed by Zuzana Licko at Emigre Fonts. although Illustrator is typically my preference for type design, i used Photoshop this time to take advantage of more versatile color blend modes and overlays applied to the overlapping text of the cover and track list.
‘snoozy’ mixtape cover – front & rear
not sure whether this would have come together without going down a rabbit hole – tangentiafying. and perhaps this wasn’t so far a leap, but i’m still glad i made the jump.
critter keeper
‘The Sibley Guide to Birds, Second Edition’ - David Allen Sibley (2014/Knopf)
spending more time observing the neighborhood ecosystem. Sam gifted this reference guide to help put names to the things we see.
“Wild Bird Ultra” seed mix we keep on deck. it’s got good variety and brings a regular cast of characters to the yard.
Junie likes the dried papaya. i offer almonds, but Junie knows what Junie likes.
Junie appears to be an American Crow.
Stu is a stud, though his advances are often rebuffed by the lunch crowd. the pigeons eat everything except for the papaya, which works for Junie just fine.
Stu appears to be a Pied Rock Pigeon.
Squirrel comes to eat the larger seeds, harass the pigeons, and somehow always has unshelled peanuts? a scavenger and survivor, through and through.
i believe Squirrel here is a Fox Squirrel.
and there it is, a trip on the tangent highway (which would probably just be off-ramps?). been calling these jaunts tangentiafying – start off in one spot, end up somewhere else. i often feel pulled in a tangential direction and peel away telling myself it’s silly or a waste of time to pursue. not this go-round – i’m rolling with it, baby. seeing where things go…
started on this yesterday and hit a critical point of travel after which abandonment really would mean wasted time. not so! learned the patience of pigeons, used a new typeface – “Barricada Pro” by Elí Castellanos – and enjoyed myself. radical.
i will admit to procrastinating a bit. stalling for time before putting together bigger projects – productively procrastinating. honestly, this feels good. the handkerchief was a bit of the same; providing a gentle re-entry to creative spaces after a couple weeks of going through sh-t – necessary sh-t, but difficult all the same.
feeling better on the other side, free from some hang-ups. getting my feet wet again and dipping my toes into something new, too. tangentiafying.
let’s see where this goes…
a retrospective
visited BAMPFA this past Sunday for Rosie Lee Tompkins: A Retrospective. keeping my photos from the exhibit here for reference and inspiration.
quilts were bequeathed from the estate of collector Eli Leon. i’ve crossed paths with Mr. Leon’s legacy several times in the years before i started earnestly quilting myself and many times since.
endless gratitude to Effie Mae Howard and Eli Leon; and quilters Irene Bankhead, Willia Ette Graham, and Johnnie Wade – thank you.