randoms.

attended the boise weekly cover auction last week and it was a great experience. i tend to shy away from public events where my art is up for display in general. i think most artists do. with my little sister in tow- her wearing my name tag 'cause i'm shy, right- we sat and watched the bidding process and boozing of locals and art patrons. i loved the energy. i love this community. and seeing my fellow artist friend's work being sold is always inspiring.

for those who don't know, i'm one of the artists participating in the trey mcintyre project's 9+1 show. it opens first thursday in december. i saw some of the arts turned in the other day and was blown away. there's some amazing stuff worthy of checking out. plus, you're supporting a great local dance group. they do pretty amazing stuff, those guys.

i'm still working on collecting a bunch of my art for selling. there's a lot of small stuff like sketches that i never did anything with and random boise weekly illustrations that i'll probably sell for very cheap just to get rid of them. i hate seeing art in drawers when someone would rather hang it up. anyway, i'll have those posted and for sale at some point in the near future.

what else? oh. one of my favorite british tv shows has made it across the pond to the states. i was skeptical at first, but it's looking to be pretty promising. i feel about 13 years old when i say i'm excited about it:

Skins - MTV Shows

boise weekly cover auction

hey guys. the boise weekly cover art auction is happening tonight at the historical museum, so be sure not to miss it. i've got a cover in the auction this year, so i'll be in attendance as well. details on the photo below.

i'm finishing up a few pieces for the trey mcintyre project. they have a group of artists involved in what is called 9+1. there are nine dancers in the company and one trey mcintyre, hence the name. artists were encouraged to attend rehearsals and watch the performance and follow their inspiration to creating art centering around the dance company. i just wrapped a video interview for the trey mcintyre project this morning. on account of my backpacking trip, i am the last artist participating in the TMP 9+1 show to shoot a video and i've been told they're posting them up on Trey McIntyre Project's facebook page if you're curious. my interview promises to be the most awkward one.. meh. one can hope.

i had a meeting yesterday for a project i'm pretty excited about contributing to. i'll post more about that when i've got something concrete in the works for it. annnd. i'm still going through my art stash and will post more art up for sale later this week.

up for this.

i've finally returned from my backpacking trip around europe and the uk. it was an awesome time with ups and downs and beautiful moments. i'm working on finishing up my trip journal since returning. finding time on the road to keep up with writing each day became a struggle. there was too much input and not enough downtime to record it all. while the memory is fresh, i'm going to finish it. i have to.
i feel like so many people talk about doing things and never do them. seeing the world and putting all your belongings into a pack strapped to your back? seems to be one of the things that everyone dreams about doing, but never quite comes to being. i won't lie. it was a hardship. it was expensive, even living as cheaply as possible. finding time off work was near impossible-- finding the time, in general, where you didn't have responsibilities barking up every avenue wasn't an option. the only thing i knew was that my time was short. responsibilities only grow over the years. i had some money saved up, i quit my job, booked the tickets with my friend and we didn't look back.
if you want to do something, do it. quit talking about it. you'll find that if you say "yes," the world opens itself to you and you have everything to gain from it.
remember that your time will run out and you have the rest of your life to make money. a pal i met while staying in zurich, switzerland said something that stayed with me during my travels: you follow your dreams. even if it keeps you poor in money, you'll always be rich in life.

also. i'm going through my stash of art. i need to make room for new stuff. every single wall in my house is covered with it-- not that this is a bad thing-- but i need the space, so i'm going to be selling a bunch of stuff cheap just to get it out of drawers, cupboards, and off the floor. stay posted over the coming weeks. i'll be digging out everything i've got around this place.

Brett Domino: Justin Timberlake Medley

hahaha.

skipping school.

it's friday, you guys..
and all i want to do is skip work.

flashback cafe.

closer than anything..

admittedly, i've got this curious obsession with twins, conjoined or not. this Evelyn Evelyn project of jason webley and amanda palmer's intrigues me-- and yeah i know it's not real, but i'll play along. this tune off my summer playlist is haunting. probably more suited for fall or winter with its cinema-worthy string orchestra swells and eerie circus toy glockenspiel tune, but it's included nevertheless.

there's an "Illustration Showdown" group art show coming up for August's 1st thursday. an homage to schlock illustration like dogs playing poker, participants- 'sides myself- include: Bricolage, Erin Cunningham, Julia Green, Alexa Howell, Kelly Knopp, Ben Minter, John Padlo, Tony Rios, Jason Sievers, April VanDeGrift, Rick Walter. (gallery alexa rose, august 5, @5pm.)
last, some of my summer playlist:

suspicious for the winter - empty streets
cocorosie - lemonade
bloc party - kreuzberg
edward sharpe & the magnetic zeros - desert song
rogue wave - lake michigan
malajube - montréal -40°c
foals - spanish sahara
the virgins - rich girls
van she - changes
the lovely feathers - lowiza
evelyn evelyn - evelyn evelyn
beth orton - stolen car
nneka - heartbeat

and the malajube video for montréal is genius. i've no idea what they're singing about but the illustrations made this video:

food coma.

finish on the in-progress work:


i've had a ridiculously hard time coming up with ideas for this show theme "wild times." i cannot get past stupid things like spring break girls gone wild or boozy bashes, skinny dipping.
so instead, i'm starting to gather ideas for things that are quite the opposite. like, buying cat food on friday nights and like, computer games.. book clubs.. ha. i don't know.. what else is unarguably not wild?

lovely.

^a song from my summer playlist from Montreal band The Lovely Feathers. i really like how this video was executed and adoringly admired the band's acting chops. "lowiza" is also available for free download off their site. go here.
summer playlist to be posted soon.

working on art stuffs still... forever and ever, amen. here's some photos of my latest in-progress, shot for some technique tips:

sums it up.

m.i.a.

i'd heard some of england's current musical darling ellie goulding's music before- even had a few songs of hers on my itunes- but after seeing this vid of her performance at radio 1's big weekend, i was swayed into her favor like so many others. i appreciate any female who doesn't shy away from the drums.
her album Lights is out and if it sounds like your bag, check it out.

art-wise? i spent the last five days house and dog sitting. at some point yesterday, my sketchbook i've had since 2006 turns up missing. i retraced my steps, tore apart two houses, and drove to three different towns recovering my entire day of events in search of my pocket life. after a near breakdown and a text to my mom that "no i don't want to talk about it and no i don't want witnesses to my breakdown," i decided on a long shot and checked the garage of my host home. there, in the middle of the floor, gently chewed and cast aside, was my sketchbook.
i wanted to cut that dog.

but i didn't.


if i had lost my book, this would have been among the casualties:


and my twins cover comes out today on the boise weekly. check it!

transient.

my roomies moved out at the end of may.

it's only been a week or so, and i'm finding i miss those small things: trips to Wendy's for foodstuffs and inebriated Ramen-making, drinking large quantities of wine while playing Candyland, laughing about Hayley's leaked topless photo (i can't seem to wash my brain of this one, unfortunately, and how i've tried), starting fights in clubs with random backwards cap-wearing hoochies. and while i'm excited to visit them in their new place in a new time zone out east in the future, i will always miss this immediacy of friendship.

my mother sold our childhood home around the same time, so many of my weeks were spent packing and unpacking. always in this transient state and refusing to come to terms with the fact that the place i called Home was no longer going to be mine. my sister and i ate one last sad meal in our backyard garden while my mother steam cleaned carpets inside. void of furniture, the house hadn't been that vacant in 18 years, it brought back memories of moving into the place in my younger days. it was a big move for us. after my parents' divorce, we packed up and started fresh in a new town. it was the first time in my entire ten years of life that i got to see my mom happy.
she lived in a trailer in my driveway with her husband for a weekend while i helped my roommates pack up and leave. one evening, i watched "the time traveler's wife" with her on her laptop on the small trailer couch. i'm not ashamed to admit i nearly wept like a baby.
this life i know is changing, and i'm doing my best to roll with it.

-in art news, i'm busy working on a small show for up north.

-i've also got those Built to Spill and some old Josh Ritter/Andrew Bird posters i did available at the Basement Gallery and The Visual Arts Collective for purchase.

-my pal Rick Walter has a show that just opened up this last weekend at the Visual Arts Collective that is nothing short of awesome. it'll be up for two months, so go check it if you haven't seen it.

there's other stuff in the works, but to be honest, i'm wiped at the moment. somewhere there's a Red Bull singing my name in sweet, saccharin tones.

pairs.

most things are better in pairs.

finished this up last night. i abandoned the drawing for now and decided to paint it up instead. turned the painting into the Boise Weekly for a cover but will keep the drawing for a show set..

in progress.

started on a series of drawings last week for a possible show. this is just the first and it's near-finish but still in progress. hoping to do around ten or so.. we'll see.

sigh.

three.

the pups turned three years old today. i'll admit i felt a bit sheepish about hitting up the Petsmart and actually buying them "gifts" for an occasion that neither of them could care less about. jackson got a replacement harness for the one he chewed off his body last week. andie got a new dress. but her hairy arms just make her look like a drag queen. albeit, a very cute drag queen.

we're like twins.

vestiges.

i just finished this poster for Built to Spill last night.. if you're around about town, you should consider going. it's worth your dollars.

ETA: i've got some of these posters available at both the Basement Gallery and The Visual Arts Collective.

i've still got this lingering cough- merely a small, annoying reminder of my plague days. i finally gave up on "taking it easy" since no amount of soup, meds, or orange juice seemed to kill it. if i was going to be taken down, it was going to be miserably drinking beer from the confines of my bed. and i'll be damned, armed with six mexican beers, i began to kill the mighty plague.
Dos Equis, you saved my life. you can be my wingman anytime.
whilst on the ill, i admit i watched many a questionable quality entertainments. you tube vids that my pal nikki shared with me about drunk people retelling events in history as it is re-enacted by famous actors like Crispin Glover and Jack Black was memorably among the top. it's juvenile, yes. random video-vomiting aside, there were gems that reminded me of my college days, history major pals, and a bottle of Wild Turkey. i'm going to grace you with one Drunk History below, but for the faint of gut, i warn you there is vomiting shown. and probably some swearing. it's integral to the story though, promise.




(don't be fooled by the drunk history imitators. their vids are considerably lamer.)


last: my spring playlist. enjoy!

miami horror - sometimes

the sounds - beatbox

two door cinema club - something good...(t+f remix)

beach house - take care

decemberists - los angeles, i'm yours

modest mouse - florida

built to spill - car

the wombats - moving to new york

the sounds - no one sleeps

(you can download this song free off their website, which i highly suggest you do. now.)

sickness.

i emerged from easter weekend with a family feud and a near-black eye (unrelated to family feud). then i was mightily stricken down with a case of The Plague. i blame the biological warfare of cousins and nieces under the age of 8.
the bruise has since healed, while The Plague remains. I have infected all but one in the household. we mainly lay in bed all day and either moan or groan about it, shuffling in slippers to the kitchen in search of either various cold medications or orange juice. there was a minor scare when i hit an orange juice drought yesterday morning, but a call was made and foreign aid arrived in a grocery sack toted by my mother.
i've lost some good days of productive art-making, so i'm pulling a brave move and going off the meds. i should bypass the comas they seduce me into and actually get some work done with the rest of my day.

take two.

just wrapped on some poster work for the Record Exchange and Josh Ritter's gig coming up on Record Store Day (apr. 17th). (his new album So Runs the World Away will have a vinyl release for record store day(select shops), and is slated for a may release US-wide.)
big thanks to Joy at the RX for patiently letting me run wild with ideas.

on it.

at this particular bar above, the bartender waxed poetic with an air of self-importance about attending Burning Man while mixing some concoction for my posse that he referred to as "Skittles," which reached the rank of "Worst Shot of the Night" after downing it and gagging that it "tasted like the 80s." (by the way, if anyone has seen my M.I.A. brown sweater from that night, you should kindly return it. i have spent far too many a chilled evening lamenting its absence. that, and it will forever serve as a reminder that alcohol is a demon.)
after sufficiently recovering from last week's wedding festivities and tending to our battle wounds, unexpected maid of honor duties which included the returning of the tux the next afternoon while Roomie 1 spent the day in the ER as a byproduct of said Demon, i'm back to work and on the ball. i've been meaning to post photos of my DBA traffic box work, but a dead camera battery did me no favors in this area. it's since been charged and i'm gracing you with very low res, shitty photos because:
1. i don't actually own a nice digital camera, or even a digital camera. i've bought many a dig (read slang: "didge") for other people but never one for myself. ironic. i'm an amateur professional.
2. these panels, being 30" tall, are far too large for any scanner near or in my possession. again, amateur professional.

i believe the ACHD has installed the vinyl wrap already, or will be doing so this week. my box location is supposedly at 6th and Main downtown, and will be "unveiled" for April's first thursday. (in the round, the panels should connect and be viewed as both a ship departing and simultanelously arriving.)
ETA: box location is at 8th & Bannock St. downtown.







flashback toonage: pixies - here comes your man

changes.

^this photo about sums up the night.
my best friend gets married today. i've been sitting here into the morning hours, mentally composing my maid of honor speech. going through photos of last night's drunken debauchery with a chuckle and a smile on my face, realizing how lucky i am. i'm down a sweater that was lost to a dark bar, there's glow-in-the-dark hot pink paint on my knickers and shoes, and i may have woken up at 6:30 this morning dehydrated and very much still drunk, but i'm carrying a load of memories and laughs.
i'm feeling sentimental as i think on my pals and the vows they will exchange with and for each other and my heart swells. i'm so happy that they both found someone that doesn't mind the run to the store for cold medicine in the middle of the night, or having dinner ready when one gets home just because they work late, or is willing to try ethnic and spicy foods despite an ulcer.
we should all be lucky enough to be able to find a devotion and cheeseball love like that in this lifetime.
^me and my bestest mid-pub golf.



more on the rest later.

early morning sounds.

i've been a big fan of The Sounds for some time. "no one sleeps when i'm awake" is from their album Crossing the Rubicon, released last summer. and it's good, especially if you're often awake at 3 a.m. and trolling for music to not sleep to. the vid itself is a semi-romantic view of the urban nighttime. my fascination with the magic of the night aside, i think one of the reasons i dig this band is that they're what Blondie would be today. and man, who doesn't love Debbie Harry?
this is one band i'm making a vow to see live. even if i have to fly to sweden, i'm gonna do it.

working for the weekend.

^i will cut you.

in yet another stunning "incident" involving the roommates' black canine beasts, i am sporting one chipped lateral incisor. first the broken backyard fence, now, my face. jumping up to meet my head unexpectedly, nearly knocking me over, London's teeth met my own in a powerful click. it took me a minute to notice as i rubbed at my teeth and stumbled to the bathroom mirror, bemoaning that their dogs were really too large to be jumping on someone of my size and stature.
when i discovered my loss, i shouted that their dog was gonna pay for me to get it fixed, to which Roommate 2 said that "it's really not that noticable," --(that's because it's not in your mouth)-- which i took to mean:
1. it's not worth fixing because, to her, it looked rather minor.
2. no one but me is going to pay for this.

when i saw my sister later, she immediately gawped at my dental hideousness and shrank away from my broken visage. we may or may not be acting over dramatic about this, regardless, puppy heads will roll. (my first eating experience since has thrown my mouth into upheaval in a confused struggle to deal with The Change, reminiscent of the time i was affixed with braces and had a near-death experience involving spaghetti noodles. it was all scratchy and jagged and this "minor" chip be damned- it shall be fixed if i have to pay for it in puppy blood.)

i'm immersed in the traffic box project for the DBA currently, so i haven't had any time to work on new art but there's an interesting article over on ISO50 on how creative types deal with the creative rut. it includes the advice of two of my favorite artists: Audrey Kawasaki & Deth P. Sun.
says deth:
"I don’t really get into ruts that often. When I do I just take a break from drawing and do whatever I feel like until I feel like drawing again. I try not getting into ruts by keeping my mind active with new interest or subjects, reading, watching DVDs, finding interesting podcasts. It’s also nice to hang out with friends who have other interests. I think the well of stuff I’m into is pretty low, so a lot of the things I draw about is stuff my friends talk about and the things they are interested in. Like I’m not drawn into Native Americanism, horror films, talking to the undead, or the magical healing powers of crystals, but I end up drawing that stuff cause my friends talk about it so much. But yeah, I don’t know. It's different for everyone, but this is the way I do it."

magical healing powers of crystals *mocks*.
humorous that the general consensus on avoiding The Place Where Creativity Goes To Die is to simply do something else. watch movies, drink beer, go for a run- though, not necessarily in that order.

it's early morning on a friday. thank you, weekend, for being ever so punctual. i'm including a bunch of songs you wouldn't think i liked. it's good weekend music. some're off my art-making playlist. some are off a playlist my roommates refer to as the "Pre Funk."
enjoy your weekend, kids.

Baby When the Virgins- David Guetta vs. Madonna
Superstar- PopCop
The Test- Chemical Brothers
Of Moons Birds & Monsters(holy ghost remix)- MGMT
Mindcircus- Way Out West
I Feel It in My Bones- Tiesto w/ Tegan & Sara
Sometimes(hook & sling remix)- Miami Horror
The Girl & the Robot(kris menace remix)- Röyksopp
All Nite(Don't Stop)- Janet Jackson
Throw Some Tik on that Tok- White Panda (w/ Rich Boy/Ke$ha)

BoiseHeartsHaiti.

just a heads up, i've got two artworks in the BoiseHeartsHaiti shindig tomorrow. if you're looking to bid on some good art for a good cause, some of my favorite peeps also have art available: ben wilson, erin cunningham, and sue latta. be there! (magic word: please!) see full press release below for info, and full props to lauren and jesse for organizing this.

Musicians, artists come together for BOISEheartsHAITI fundraiser Feb. 6

Steve Fulton, Matt Hopper, ReVoLtReVoLt, Bank to perform

Silent auction features original work from a dozen artists

Proceeds benefit Food for the Poor, Doctors Without Borders

Local musicians and artists will come together to raise money for Haiti disaster relief during BOISEheartsHAITI at 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6, at the Linen Building, 1402 W. Grove St. in Downtown Boise’s Linen District. Admission is a suggested donation of $5 at the door. All ages, full bar (ID required).

Musicians scheduled to perform are Steve Fulton, Matt Hopper, ReVoLtReVoLt and Bank.

The fundraising event also includes a silent auction featuring original art and other items, plus a raffle with prizes donated by local businesses. Featured artists are Erin Ruiz, Ben Wilson, Allison Halligan, Jonathan Benton, Erin Cunningham, Sue Latta, James Calentino, Jeff Baker, Grant Olsen, Tim Andreae, Shasta Nash and Jenny Burdin.

All proceeds from the event will benefit two charities working on Haiti’s biggest issues: food and clean water (Food for the Poor) and medical needs (Doctors Without Borders).

For more information on BOISEheartsHAITI, contact Jesse Larsen, 208.863.5326 or fabujes@yahoo.com, or LaurenTweedy, 208.340.2583 or laurentweedy@yahoo.com.
For more information on the Linen Building, contact David Hale at 208.385.0111 or info@thelinenbuilding.com. Visitthelinenbuilding.com and interact with the Linen Building on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace.

free stuff!

okay kids! free art edition. i've got four of these little mexican wrestlers up for grabs. painted in acrylic, and ballpoint pen.(the penny is for size. like i said, they're small. and pocket-sized. and free.) first four comments or emails to erin@erinruiz.com to win one. (if you win, you can also specify which guys you'd like most in your comment or email and i'll try to fill your request.)
have fun, and good luck!

ETA: all wrestlers have been claimed! i'll contact you winners tomorrow. and thanks for playing.

3 dollar wine.

eternal sunshine theme - jon brion
kettering - the antlers
frank ab - the rural alberta advantage
the sea is a good place... - los campesinos!
love dog - tv on the radio
black river killer - blitzen trapper
cascades - richmond fontaine
shiny - the decemberists
tales of las negras - mice parade
the death of us - the new amsterdams
the temptation of adam - josh ritter
signs(sayCet remix)- bloc party
ghosts - thomas newman
cymbal rush(live on kcrw)- thom yorke
atrophy - the antlers

i've been posting songs from my winter playlist for the last month, and i've just now gotten around to shortening it down for a decent list to share. typically, my winter tunes are like a warm musical blanket of depression.
however, do not fret. i counter it with a list of songs peppered with 80s and 90s pop sensation. (seriously, what ever happened to c+c music factory? i thought those guys were destined for longevity..) it keeps me humble.
i've been dealing with a maniacal pup who was gifted a paper-thin rawhide from Roommate 2 earlier, and she flies into a pupils-dilated puppy rage when anyone dares near it. after chewing off a small corner of rawhide with her tiny, razor sharp teeth, she promptly passed out at 3 AM and hasn't stirred since. i think the proper term in this instance would be "coma."
the roommates made pizza for dinner, then forced me to drink off the rest of their $3 wine because Roommate 1 was tanked and Roommate 2 feared 1 would not make it to see 11 o'clock. we popped "earth girls are easy" into the dvd player while Roommate 2 frantically searched the house for a small tube of vaginal tightener(do not ask). by the time jeff goldblum and geena davis have golden showery alien sex, Roommate 1 had passed out and i was the last one standing.

i'm planning on the free art for sometime monday. good idea? i'll post it 'round abouts my internet spaces, so if you want your shot, keep a sharp eye out. i promise, it'll be worth it.

blud.

^from the savannah archives, my roomie shawna.
i made an appointment to give blood next monday. the funny part about it was my hesitancy to do it when i've never had a problem with either needles or the drawing of my own blood before. i chalk this up to my last, horrid, blood-giving experience in savannah years ago. i haven't been able to give blood since.
it started innocently enough. naomi, shawna and i were traipsing about the town and we saw that there was a blood drive so we decided, "fuck it. let's do this." it had been a year or so since my last donation back in idaho, so i figured it was nigh time to drop another bag of blood for a good cause. as we three sat there filling out our medical history, the nurse informed us that we would be the last donors since it was "nearing 4pm." it seemed to me to be a bit early to close down shop, seeing as there were people waiting in line to give blood and don't they, like, need all the blood they can get?
whatever.
shawna went first, myself directly after, and we giggled at each other from our respective chairs as her already pale complexion turned a surprising two shades whiter. she stubbornly persisted with the squeezing of the stress ball though and powered through. my nurse had trouble finding my vein, stabbing me twice. (which was a bag of lies. every time i've had to give blood, barring this particular Incident, i've gotten compliments on my vein prominence. 'a beginning nurses dream,' they called them. i beamed with pride. i have awesome veins, lady.) once the tube was connected, my blood being drawn from my body, naomi sauntered over to tell me she was "a reject" because she was iron-deficient. she looked like a kicked puppy. later, she would be thankful she didn't partake in the madness that was The Disasterous Savannah Blood Drive of 2003.
my bag is halfway full of the most precious commodity next to money when the nurse decides i'm "taking too long." it's four o' clock and they want to shut down. she disconnects me from my bag and quickly applies a cotton ball and some tape and ushers my posse out the door.
i was pissed. i felt robbed.. cheated of my own blood, and for nothing but a Solo cup shot full of electrolytes, a free cotton swab, and a scarred stab wound on my right arm. the situation soured my outlook on giving blood for a long time, and only recently have i started the recovery process.

what else? oh. the basement gallery has "Noise in the Basement" up on a slide show. you can see some pieces of mine that aren't on my flickr page here.

and!
i'll be running another little competition for some free art in the coming week, so keep posted. i'll have more than two this time, so more of you should have a shot at winning something.

the status of my fingernails is more interesting than your conversation.

anglophilia.

my adoration for all things british has hit a high this month with the imminent return of Skins fourth season approaching debut on january 28th (for uk viewers). for those who know me, know it's rare that i gush with excitement for anything-- especially any tv program-- but Skins is my exception. it's well-written, honest, and makes no apologies. i've tired of the american reality tvs, or win-a-date-with-another-rich-loser, or hospital/crime scene investigative dramas. it's fresh, and the adorable accents don't hurt.

see what i mean?

annnnd. tickets for the Burning Man Festival also went on sale today. if you're itching to go, and i recommend it, hurry and buy yours as the two lowest price levels have already sold out. then, you should leave your ticket at Will Call so you can come and say hi to me at the box office this summer. word? in honor of this year's BM theme of "Metropolis," i will build for you a city full of industrial revolutions.

those of us who did not.

oh if i had a dime for every time i've had to mention tha "Noise in the Basement" group show.. actually, no. make that a dollar. then i'd have enough for, like, a tank of gas or something delicious.. like one roll of sushi.
the show opens this evening, by the way. (the above image will be in the show, titled "the ones who made it, and ones who did not." it's done in acrylic house paints, copper spray paint, and red Sharpie.)
ben wilson, fellow artist and friend, was kind enough to send this out:
"If you are heading out to First Thursday this week, I feel there are many reasons to make a stop at The Basement Gallery. Whether you want to bid farewell to the man who created the gallery, meet the new owners, or see/purchase amazing art, I feel it will be an enjoyable experience for all. We will certainly miss Perry Allen, he has brought attention to amazing local artists for years at his fine establishment. He gave me one of my first gallery shows and has been extremely supportive to me ever since. He has meant a lot to me, my family, and my career. You will be missed my friend.
There is certainly excitement surrounding the "changing of the guard". Jane and Mike Brumfield have proven to be delightful people from the brief time I have spent with them already. I'm excited for the plans they have for the future of the gallery. There will be more great things to come as they carry on Perry's tradition of exhibiting and highlighting fantastic art.
Everybody has put a lot of time and work into this show and we're looking forward to presenting it to the public. I'm also highly anticipating seeing Julia Green's show at the Flying M opening the same evening, check it out. Anyway, happy 2010 and we'll see you soon!"
dudes, i'm nervous. i haven't seen any of the art from the other peeps in the show, but i know it's gonna be good. ben never lets me down, and april and john are always pulling something awesome out of their sleeves. (also, remember april had a show opening at the VaC last month and the last time we spoke in early december, neither of us had started on our Basement Gallery work. talk about working under pressure.) i'll be down there sometime after 5, so if you're out and about, come by and say hi.

in other news, i'll be updating my website with new arts and links, etc, in the coming weeks. i'm still working on re-building Milquetoast's site, as well. not many of you know, but our partner came down with cancer and is unable to continue participating. we're in the middle of transferring power back into my hands but it will take some time, so apologies all around and thank yous for being patient. when we re-open the store in the spring, there will be new designs as well. be worth the wait, it will.

i'm also working on a project for the Downtown Boise Association involving a traffic box on 8th. first round of rough sketches have been presented and gotten the go-ahead, and come april, you'll be able to see my art on the traffic box across from Thomas Hammer. the idea behind these artist vinyl-wraps being installed around the boxes is to curb senseless graffiti and tagging as i understand it. so far, it's been a nice way to add art downtown while helping cut down on vandalism.
my views on graffiti are very.. complex. it's hard to find the fine line between vandalism and graffiti art sometimes. i love the idea of free art or art that is accessible to everyone. i like that some seemingly insignificant graff can make someone think, or chuckle, or brighten your day passing it on the street. it can be a hidden surprise within a bleak urban landscape. it can also be disrespectful and damaging. the graffiti artists i know respect the difference, but it doesn't stop the war on graffiti from existing. oftentimes, it's a case-by-case basis for me. my roots lie in graffiti and i will always defend it. after all, how can something like this not cheer you up?

i killed my dinner with karate.

dropped off all my work down at the Basement Gallery yesterday. the gallery smells like fresh paint and i was greeted with a grand smile from the new owner who, taking on the re-painting of the space completely solo, was covered in droplets of white paint. i was unsure what to expect on our first encounter, to be honest, as i find most british ladies can be one of two sorts: staunchly proper, or (my favorite) a bit unpredictable, likable and sometimes kooky. (is kooky even a word? because that word sums it up perfectly.) she was well likable.
i read the news of the sale of the gallery in the Boise Weekly back in november and thought the article too worried.. in my opinion and experience thus far, it's gone smoothly and i'm excited for the changes. i have no doubt that the new owners will keep up the standard of The Basement Gallery as ace and we'll continue to see cutting-edge art and pop surrealism seep from its walls.
the show opens for First Thursday this week (january 7th) and i hope to see you all down there.
on my way home from the downtown, i stopped for a taco because i haven't purchased any groceries that didn't consist of either energy drinks, frozen chicken nuggets, or ramen since who knows how long. (the chick who delivered this tasty meal to my carside looked like meg prescott +50 lbs with glasses and i sooo wanted to take a photo with my phone to show my sister-- who would get a righteous kick out of that-- but had a feeling i would look and feel like a Creeper, so i refrained.) then i took a mini-coma. after which, i was woken up by The Roomies' two black devils barreling excitedly down the hallway to go to bed and the sound of whining from my chihuahua who sat bedside and stared at me with a look of mild concern.

i know it's a few days late, but i'm ready for the new year. i've given my top 10 songs of the last decade great thought.... before deciding that was impossible and had to make it a top 19. bite me, it was hard, yo!
the criteria for my list was simple: songs either had to be off an album that i enjoyed at least 90% of or could listen to straight through, after the first time i'd heard the song i was turned onto the band because of it, cared enough to see the band live, and/or it just plain rocked my ipod probably way too often. oh and release date within the 00's.

1. The Acorn - Crooked Legs
i love a band that has so many instruments it should seem chaotic, but just builds until you see the necessity of every single noise. the album and songs are inspired and culled from stories from the lead singer's mother. because the song is personal, it resonates with more authenticity, i think. there's a horn section and the percussion is brilliant here, with use of (what sounds like) a marimba, a shaker, and claves.

2. Sufjan Stevens - Come On! Feel the Illinoise! The World's Columbian Exposition...
this guy and his band will blow your socks off if you see them live. this one's from his Illinois-tributed album. it changes seamlessly around the 2:20 mark then again at 2:50 into what could be completely different songs. amazing composition and instrumentation. plus, it has a tambourine, and you know they don't get enough love.

3. The Decemberists - The Legionnaire's Lament
fell in love with this band after hearing "lesley anne levine." they bring back the element of storytelling within music. this song perfectly encapsulates and best demonstrates their style. and, accordion love. i still laugh when i think about the concert where they played "The Mariner's Revenge," pulled out a giant cardboard whale and accidentally smacked some kid up in the front on the head with a resounding thud and an apology.

4. The Get Up Kids - Forgive & Forget
god, i miss this band. i have many fond memories tied to this band since discovering them early on in college. i mostly turn to their earlier punk-influenced albums, but i'm hard pressed to find an album of theirs i don't like. this song is probably my favorite. on a whim, i once drove with a dude i barely knew for 5 hours both ways just to see these guys in atlanta, joorjah.

5. Hood - L. Fading Hills
a mellow tune with droning complexities you have to absorb. this is, by far, my favorite song to listen to while driving through the nevada desert at night. life never feels more beautiful than at that moment. (this was tied with Royksopp's "In Space" for exactly the same reason. probably shoulda won on account of Melody A.M. being a top album for me.. but it didn't. don't judge.)

6. Florence & the Machine - Cosmic Love
though "You've got the Love" was the first song of hers i heard and liked, this one is my pick off her album Lungs. but it was hard to choose as i like, well, at least 90% of that album.

7. Tokyo Police Club - Citizens of Tomorrow
their song "Nature of the Experiment" was enough to peak my interest in TPC. later, among their oeuvre, i discovered the tune "Citizens of Tomorrow." it would inspire many thoughts and artworks of futuristic robot rebellion within me. plus, there's hand-clapping. always a bonus, if you ask me.

8. Death Cab For Cutie - Title and Registration
first song of theirs i heard, couldn't stop listening to them after. i love that the drumming in this band is never predictable. their earlier stuff is less produced, but you can still find a few gems among their later work like "Brothers on a Hotel Bed." (great drumming in that one too.)

9. Frightened Rabbit - Poke
when i first heard this one, sent to me by an old friend, i didn't give it the attention it deserved. the more i listen to it, the sadness radiating from it becomes harder to ignore. no doubt the dissolution of my friendship with said friend this year plays a large factor in my heartache over this song. but, regardless, it's beautiful. with warm, melancholic tones it may just soak into your skin as well.

10. Radiohead - Idioteque
my pick off, probably, my favorite album of the decade. i remember some car speeding by me on a warm, savannah afternoon blasting this whilst i walked home from the library. it filled the air and the neighborhood with a dancey passion that made me chuckle.

11. The Sounds - Song With a Mission
the song i listen to most when i need to get up and moving in the morning earlier than i want to. which is often.

12. A Perfect Circle - Judith
josh freese is one of my favorite drummers and this is one of the first songs i learned on the drums. it's still my first pick to play when i get agitated. Mer de Noms is also one of my favorite albums. i wish these guys would make more music. 'cause they're kinda good at it.

13. Modest Mouse - Dashboard
i listen to this song a lot on the drive to work. (i also sing along to it really loudly while in the car. people look at me funny but i think they're not grasping the idea of really living.) great drumming here, a rolling bassline and well-written lyrics, as usual, keep modest mouse always somewhere in my top ten.

14. Bloc Party - Pioneers
okay so, it's gotta be obvious at this point on the list that the drumming in a song dictates whether or not a song is a good one for me. this one is not only fun to play on the set, but it's fast and it builds. it's got an energy, as most their songs do, that i find inescapable.

15. Final Fantasy - This Lamb Sells Condos
though Owen Pallett's cover of joanna newsom's "peach plumb pear" was the first song of his i heard and liked, this one is my pick. apparently, it's an attack on the toronto realtor brad j. lamb and his "ostentatious lifestyle," but i just like the build of frustration and anger that eventually takes over near the end.

16. The Good Life - Album of the Year
excellent lyrics in this one. about the start and eventual disintegration of a relationship, the topic is far from original. what makes it stand out is the moment the first line of "the first time that i met her, i was throwing up in the ladies room stall" is uttered. it's a sad tale delivered in an uncharacteristically matter-of-fact manner. though i'm sure the break-up was a tough one and it doesn't end happy, it never sounds sad.

17. The Rural Alberta Advantage - Frank, AB
i already posted this one a few entries back as it's included in my winter playlist, but i have a feeling this song will be one that i'll play a lot of now and in the future.

18. The Album Leaf - Always For You
has anyone seen the video for this song? i think i get it, but sometimes i wonder. the song's got electronic influence and quirks, but the drums and keyboard drive it. the lyrics are simple, but the singer's voice really makes this into something.

19. Ani DiFranco - Garden of Simple
this is, easily, my top pick of hers. i listened to this a lot during my time in savannah and have very fond memories of my roomie shawna and i driving to jacksonville to see her in concert. we drove back to savannah that night after and i just remember looking up through the sun roof of the car into the night feeling so content and happy.

new skin.

i finished framing all the work for "Noise in the Basement" today and it only took me four hours of fractions and heavy machinery. (if you'll kindly look out to your right, you'll see another piece for the show and... that love hurts.)
also? made me realize it's going to be a bitch going into work that first day back after vacation.

here's a song for the new year and your new skin:

los campesinos - the sea is a good place to think about the future.

word!

WTF?

what. the. eff is covering my blueberries??
i find a surprising amount of entertainment in watching these monkeys pawing perplexed and frantic at their Jello-covered blueberries.
here's to new discoveries.