Screen Printing: DEMYSTIFIED!

"You screen print? Like....T-shirts and stuff?"

People are always confused when I tell them I screen print. They can't quite wrap their heads around the process.

And it is certainly a process-heavy medium. This video is for all'a them.

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Everyone loves a collab drawing project.

If you've ever participated in a game of exquisite corpse, you'll know how much fun collaborative drawing can be.

SharkEyeJones has begun a project to incorporate collaborative drawing with all the different social-media websites he uses. I just yesterday realized what was going on and decided to participate. You totally can too.

Start here: http://dailybooth.com/SharkeyeJones/2380852
Be sure to look at all the comments each day, because they inform the next drawing. He only started this at the beginning of the new year, so if you're reading this not long after I post it, you won't have much catching up to do.

On twitter, he started asking for words:

ok, time for a test, friends. this might not be exactly what you think it is. anyone like to supply me with a noun?
5:23 PM Jan 7th from web

(to which I replied: @sharkeyejones tripod
5:27 PM Jan 7th from web in reply to sharkeyejones)

ok. let's try a place now. who's got a place in mind?
5:41 PM Jan 7th from web

(to which I replied: @sharkeyejones Lon Gisland
5:54 PM Jan 7th from web in reply to sharkeyejones)

animal? my selection process is random by the way. in case you were wondering. animal now?
5:58 PM Jan 7th from web

just three of these left. if you're feeling generous hit me with an adverb
6:18 PM Jan 7th from web

(to which I replied: @sharkeyejones are you playing madlibs?
6:19 PM Jan 7th from web in reply to sharkeyejones)

@ChateauOfADoubt sort of.
6:54 PM Jan 7th from web in reply to ChateauOfADoubt

am i wearing out my welcome? it's for a video. you like videos, right? can i get an adjective?
7:08 PM Jan 7th from web

So the video is sort of a prequel to the DailyBooth drawing thing, and it gets even more interactive than the twitter thing:



Needless to say, you need to comment on the video on YouTube.

I've started participating on DailyBooth also. You can check out my comments @ChateauOfADoubt. But you knew that.

What is art? A video essay in two parts.

You down with OPC? Thoughts on babysitting as a twenty something

is for Children.

I've agreed to babysit for several days. This isn't much different from my usual position, babysitting a teacher's class, except that it occurs within a home, is less structured, and affords me no breaks.

Unlike when I was 12 and babysitting, now watching someone else's kids makes me a little bit sad. I look at their beautiful life and their beautiful children, and read their children an Henri Matisse story book which I begin to think might be boring separated from an art lesson, and I just die a little inside when a very cute insightful little boy makes precocious observations.

For example: comparing a more classical Matisse painting with a more Matisse-like Matisse painting, he identifies that the more classical one seems more realistic because of the texture. Texture! I would be excited if I heard an 8th grade make that comment! This is what my kid will be like....if I ever do have kids.

Also things that make me sad are other people's home ownerships.

.....I would really like to own a home.

So I am babysitting for a group of kids, only one of which lives in the house where this is taking place. One mom dropped off her little boy, who I noticed had a wet spot on the crotch of his pants. The spot was about the size of a quarter, and seemed pretty high. I give him the benefit of the doubt and think...oh that is too high to be pee. Pee happens a little lower in boys.

But then I remember that he is 4 and maybe pee doesn't happen so low for him.

This notion was confirmed later in the day when he asked me to turn the sink water on for him so he could wash his hands post peeing. He is quite short.

He was already in the process of peeing when I answered his call, door wide open. When he was done peeing, and he had certainly peed all over his...self, I asked him if he was going to wipe (because it appeared that this wasn't in his plans).

"No, I...I, My mom, my mommy says, I, when I pee, my mommy says when I pee I don't have to wipe."

Wet spot mystery: solved.

Discussions on a Fort from Me on Vimeo.

Shannon Gerard

You should check out Shannon Gerard. She illustrates and crochets, and I love her work.

Mmm...Stop Motion Animation.

Firekites - AUTUMN STORY - chalk animation from Lucinda Schreiber on Vimeo.

Sort of.

R.I.P. Merce Cunningham

You lived a good life.

Richard McGuire

I first experienced (that I am aware of) Richard McGuire's work in McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, a literary journal of the comic persuasion. I really with I could share with you the comic of McGuire's included in #13, as it is brilliant. His clean, stylized narratives only contain type in order to describe sound. His use of scale adds dimension, as well as visual interest and movement.

His website is pretty skeletal, so perhaps you should try to get your hands on a copy of this 2004 journal, which at this point is owned by the library and is selling from $4 on Amazon. That it was edited by Chris Ware will come as a surprise to no one.

Richard McGuire also works in animation. Never before have I felt so inspired.


Peur du Noir from Richard McGuire on Vimeo.

"Do *you* have any crystals?"

Whilst subbing today I got into a conversation with a rather heavy-set and socially awkward boy. The conversation began with the boy complimenting my ring. What kind of stone is it? he asks. I told him that it was sea glass, and he began to describe to me all of the crystals that he owns. He held his hand about shoulder height. "And one this big..."

I asked him if he just liked collecting them, knowing that this wasn't the case. He told me that crystals have a spiritual significance to him.

I asked him if he had ever heard of Devendra Banhart. He said he thought so. I told him about the crystal budget.

Not surprisingly, this boy is big into fantasy, 'dragons and all that.' He told me that he is currently in the process of writing ten books. He told me that his mother got him into all of it, that she is also a writer, but she likes fantasy that includes vampires. This apparently is too much for him. When asked about Twilight (which I have not seen the end of), he made a disgusted face, told me that he had seen it, and that his mother watches it "forty times a day."

Totally possible.

This boy tells me that he bakes bread, crochets, works on cars....he goes on and on about all of the things I could wish a person would do.

I should mention that he asked me what I do for a pastime, and I told him I like to make things.

This whole exchange was starting to have the awkward-first-date vibe, you know, the date I would totally go on with an unattractive socially awkward boy 7 years my junior. Then came the clincher.
He started telling me about all of the things he has learned from his mother, skills mostly. Then, he started mentioning the activities he does with his father, skills he learns from his father. It was starting to seem that he had great respect for the man. He started rattling off the hats that his father wears: "...yea, he's a plumber, a mechanic, an all around handyman, an adulterer..."

I beg your pardon?


In other news, I accidentally shot a roll of slide film. This isn't really a big deal, but it freaked out the CVS photolab attendant after the film was processed. Until this point, neither he nor I realized that the film wasn't standard C-41. Woops.

While I was waiting for this to happen, I sat in a chair near the doorway reading a book. I believe these chairs are for people waiting for their prescriptions. A man in his late fifties with a hard face, no eyebrows, and a winter (hobo?) hat came in, hit me on the knee and said (in a thick accent): "I hope you no read dirty books!"
I beg your pardon?
"I hope you no read dirty books, I say"

I screwed my face up into the best disgusted look I could muster. He started stammering about being "only kidding."

So I did what any self respecting person would do. I scolded him as though he were a middle school student who honestly didn't know any better.

...."That's really inappropriate. You don't even know me. You should not joke with strangers that way."

Kids always love to say that they are kidding when they get in trouble for something that they do. You can't be retroactively kidding. It doesn't work that way.

Also not possible: to be kidding about a physical action.


Don't you wish you had an extra $150 dollars lying around? I know I do.

Hahaha

Don't tell me you don't know about Marcel Duchamp.

Young Life

I'm planning my camp schedule for a private school I used to teach Spanish at. They've asked me to lead their April break camp, which I really appreciate, because at this point, trying to pay my bills and save for my road trip, I can't afford to take another non-paid (forced) vacation.

When I asked what sort of structure or schedule I should have for the day, the director mentioned 1 cooking and two arts/crafts activities a day. She gave me a rundown of a typical schedule from the time they arrive (7:30) until the time everyone goes home (5:45), and in it were two different sections of recess. Feeling that some of this time should probably be more structured, I started trying to remember all of the mixers and skits we used to do in Young Life, both when I attended as a high school student, and when I served as a leader. I found this website, along with a document filled with great things. Reading through, I really started to miss it. Just the little things, and then on to the bigger picture.

I should go back and be a leader again. Someday. Not necessarily someday soon.

A few random thoughts.

I have at least one friend who is on his way to becoming a movie star. I'm excited for him and the little Granny-Smith-Fourth-Grade-Play part of me is a bit jealous and a bit kicking myself for not attempting to be an extra. It could have been fun.

I've finally got my house to the point where I could have guests. So you are invited over. I don't know what came over me. Perhaps it was the longer daylight hours, maybe it had something to do with not being behind on my grad school work. Either way, I cleaned places that have been cluttered since I moved in. And it feels good.

I have shared my working spaces in other places, but incase you are interested, both small rooms of my apartment are dedicated to making art or working, studios if you will. Since they are once again work-in-able, I've taken some shots. Here is where I make my arts at:



Sewing / Drawing / Cutting / Computing Room




Print Room.

I love letterpress

I am currently bidding on some type on ebay. Perhaps it is time to finish my table-top press.

Ralph Gregory

Dearest Sign Painting,

I shall conquer thee yet!

Love with all my heart,

Emily

Douglas Wilson

I don't know much about Douglas Wilson, other than that he has good taste, and also seems to be interested in hand painted signs, letterpress, and vintage design.

His blog is full of gems.

Nina Katchadourian

Nina Katchadourian spoke at the College of St. Rose last night. Be sorry that you missed it.

Katchadourian is an interdisciplinary artist dealing mostly with conceptual and many times humorous subject matter. Her work involves collaborations with nature, exploitations of misunderstandings, organization and appreciation of the disarray that comes from perceived failures in her work. Katchadourian was articulate and personable, slightly resembling Rachel Griffiths, both in looks and mannerisms, and I overheard the terms "cute" and "adorable" more than several times from the people around me.

Some of my favorite pieces of hers included her Mended Spiderwebs, Renovated Mushroom, Artificial Insemination, Animal Crossdressing, and CARPARK, where she organized cars at a college campus by color.

If you live where I live, you may have seen some of her work recently at Mass MoCA (Falls Colors) or a few years ago at the Tang at Skidmore, such as Accent Elimination and Talking Popcorn.

In Talking Popcorn, Katchadourian translated Popcorn popping noises using Morse Code and a computer program. A carnival style popcorn machine with a microphone inside is hard to miss in a gallery. She even had bronzed a few kernels "Talking Popcorn's First Words". You may be saddened to know that Katchadourian received a phone call from a gallery curator, letter her know that Talking Popcorn had, in effect, committed suicide. Luckily (perhaps in a silver lining sense) for Katchadourian, the computer housed within the base of the popcorn machine was not badly damaged by the flame, and she was able to have Talking Popcorn's Last Words.

Tang Maohong

If you google Tang Maohong, you probably won't find his website. He is a Chinese artist working out of Shanghai. His work consists of illustrative imagery with a perverse twist. Much of this seems to be incased in circles (for Caroline), which I suppose helps create a distinction from the rectangle of the TV screen, at least in regards to his digital animations. Try to check his stuff out, but if you are for some reason offended, don't blame me. You were warned, and I'm rather fond of it.

Another Plug for With Hands

I set up a blog for my project. You should look at it. And then come back later and look at it again. I will be updating it as I am able. Right now, there is an illustrated pamphlet scanned for your viewing pleasure. You just might learn something. About vinegar.

Renegade Craft Fair

I would really like to apply to the Renegade Craft Fair, Which is taking place in Brooklyn On June 6 and 7 from 11am - 7pm. I went last year and it was bustling and awesome. It is free to get in (which means one wants to spend more money) but to get a booth the fee is $300. The space is 10'x10' and I've got a craft fair tent and some tables. I'm looking for 1-3 people who would like to split the fee and the space with me. Of the craft fairs I did in Troy this past winter, I made $100 a day. And that's in TROY. (Think of the money to be made in Brooklyn!)
Who's with me?

The Armory Show - Christine Hill & Volksboutique

Woman after my own heart. I did not quite need to mention this other thing I am drawn to to my friend, who had heard me yak about hand painted signs for at least a year. This is one of the things I hope to learn to do within the next few years, and perhaps there are a few old timers around willing to have me on as an apprentice.

I'm not sure if apprenticeship is still looked upon fondly by people with such a business, but I'm always scheming ways to become someone's apprentice to learn a skill or trade.

The hand-painted signs of Volksboutique's Armory Apothecary screamed to me from across the fair. While I never quite fully digested what it was Hill was doing and selling, I was inspired by the kinship.

Perhaps Hill was selling inspiration in the form of prescriptions and peppermint candies.

I like that she describes her work as projects. This is most likely the label I will adopt for what I'm beginning to do.