12.30.2011

Review of my visit to the museum today. 

*Update - In the past I have dismissed Kaws artwork as bad mixes of Warhol and graffiti but after seeing the black canvases and the two fiberglass sculptures at the museum today, I have a new appreciation of his work.

Soundtrack for week 11.28 - 12.02

"Green Naugahyde" - Primus

"Sailing the Seas of Cheese" - Primus

"Ego Tripping At The Gates Of Hell" - Flaming Lips

"Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots" - Flaming Lips

"Noche del Chupacabra" - Wo Fat

"Tala Matrix" - Tabla Beat Science

"Finally Confident" - ~topic

New illustration for upcoming Hentai Improvising Orchestra show.

Soundtrack for week of 10.31.2011 - 11.04.2011

"music to jog to" - the owl and the octopus 

"Love In the Age of Circuitry" - Andy Spain 

"Digital Music Landscape for drum and computer" - Herve Provini

"Lost Brother" - Assif Tsahar, Cooper-Moore & Hamid Drake

"Awash In Feedback" - Stone Machine Electric

"Shobaleader One: d'Demonstrator" - Squarepusher

"Sustrepo" - Hentai Improvising Orchestra

Almost midweek

Almost midweek.  Grades are due.  1st project, Grid project, on the way and is due this week.  Parent teacher night on it's way this Thursday.  Decorating the 1st floor in KSU colors and with a football theme.

                                                  the goal post constructed but unpainted.

I have two new songs about ready to go.  Both, "09.06.2011" and "09.11.2011", sound very electronic.  Instruments used:

1.  old broken Casiotone
2.  Ibanez Soundgear 6 string
3.  Garageband loops
4.  Numark portable turntable

New image for Stone Machine Electric t-shirt design.  A combination of a human skull and foo dog.

                                                          foo dog/human skull design

Soundtrack for week of 09.12 - 09.16.2011

1. "Disintegration Loops I" - William Basinski
2.  "Disintegration Loops II" - William Basinski
3.  "Disintegration Loops III" - William Basinski
4.  "Disintegration Loops IV" - William Basinski
5. "Wake Up!" - John Legend/The Roots
6. "The Message" - Dem Southernfolkz.

09.03.2011; Works in Progress

Some "works in progress":















"ZAP" #1















"ZAP" #2

"ZAP", is two canvases in one.



















"FEAR or PHOBiA"



















Yet another "Untitled" piece.

Lately, I've really gotten back into painting. Photography and video has kind of taken a back seat to painting.

Need to start thinking about instruments to build or find for an upcoming project with our wonderful dancer friends/collaborators with the Home Made Dance Project. With electricity issues we may find ourselves playing acoustic a lot.

Current list of instruments:
1. Cymbals
2. Pot lid percussions
3. drum kit parts
4. battery powered toothbrushes
5. combs
6. cabinet doors
7. things to hit other things with

08.06.2011; An early morning

I suppose the pain meds have worn off from my recent surgery. It's early and I can't sleep. All I can think about is cats with human bodies, a man made of concrete wandering the streets, men with bizarre beards, a film I'm working on called "Exile on Montgomery Street", the music of Phill Niblock, and coffee.

CHINA '88 Excerpt from Phill Niblock on Vimeo.

Brasil '84 Excerpt from Phill Niblock on Vimeo.

New and Improved "exile on montgomery street" excerpt

Roadside memorials

A new series of photographs of roadside memorials. This is the first two...

"Shaver; .25 miles east of Eastchase exit, Fort Worth, TX"

"B. Minyard; .25 miles east of Eastchase exit, Fort Worth, TX"

Fun with Voice to Text

1.

-Email to mother:

"Mom can I get Betty Brown's, Betty Morgan's, Michael's and Sister's phone numbers?".

-What Voice to Text created:

"Mom kanye gay betty brown bedding orange michaels and sisters phone number.".

2.

-Video idea spoken to Voice to Text program:

"Video idea for training birds

Number 1 toy monkey wind up banging symbols.

Number to banging wind up monkey catches on fire.

Number 3 hold me out of stuffed animal carcass outside.

Number for birds fly down and eat car games. "

-What the video idea was supposed to say:

"Video idea for reigning birds

Number 1, toy monkey wind up banging cymbals.

Number 2, banging wind up monkey catches on fire.

Number 3, pull meat out of stuffed animal, hang carcass outside.

Number 4, birds fly down and eat carcass. "

06.22.2011; sketchbook pages

05.30.2011; a life simply

i've been thinking a lot lately about how to simplify my life without losing the things that I feel like I need in my life to be enjoyable. This is not some new agey idea or anything like that but I'm striving for a life that is a little more free, where I have time to finish work and do some other things that I enjoy like running more, gardening, and meditating.

There are a lot of books, blogs, and tv shows out there that are supposed to help one with this but they don't take certain things in account like people with ADD, differing lifestyles, etc... Also, these things are a "demotivator" to me because it almost seems like simplifying your life is a fad and I have this mentality that if something is "popular" my attention for it won't sustain itself throughout.

My challenge to myself and hopefully with my blog and my journals/sketchbooks is to document my steps to simplifying my life.

A list of things to do:

1) throw away all unwanted items and items that have not been used or looked at for the past 6 months.

2) determine what things are important in my life and what I want to accomplish day to day, year to year.

3) take time to read more:
a) "The Happiness Project"

4) reduce my web presence.

5) run more/bike more

6) eat better.

This sounds like a New Years Resolution list but it has taken this long for me to get it in my mind that I want to do this.

This site will be dedicated to this....

improvfriday 05.26 - 05.28

05.18.2011

Page from a current sketchbook.

Soundtrack for the week of 05.16.2011

1. "Original Gangster" - Ice T
2. "Sang" - Tim Hodgkinson
3. "Pragma" - Tim Hodgkinson
4. "05.14.2011" - Hentai Improvising Orchestra

Weekend

Even though the Horn COO was out of town it was a very enjoyable weekend.

Saturday, 04.23.2011:
Jo left town to enjoy some time with her sis and kids. Spent most of the day trying to get ready for the HIO recording later in the evening. 2/3 of HIO arrived around 5:30. Sparky greeted them as they entered making sure everything was alright. After his approval, dinner was started and Hickey and Ken kept dinner lively with some guitar antics and a rousing guitar and balloon duet. The duet was approved by Timmy as he layed under the table as the noise went on.

After dinner we decided to add a soundtrack to the movie "Restrepo", which only Ken watched as he played. It took roughly 52 minutes to draw the music to a conclusion, after which we moved the festivities into the living room to reminisce about the music and to watch the remaining moments of "Restrepo" with sound. After "Restrepo" we watched a bit of various B movies and the majority of Dario Argento's masterpiece, "Suspiria". I think I'm the only one who appreciated the bizarreness and campiness of the movie. Burned some copies of an Apollo 18 cd and this nights HIO music.

Stayed up watching more Argento movies and listening to the thunder outside.

More about the HIO tomfoolery:
Stash Dauber
The Grubbermeister


Sunday, 04.23.2011:
Did nothing today but watch movies, worked on various HIO things, and played with the dogs. I sat around waiting for the rain to come but never did. Jo returned around 7:00'ish, well but tired.

Movies watched:
"Black Sunday" - Dario Argento
"Black Sabbath" - Dario Argento
"Pelts" - Dario Argento
"Shock" - Mario Bava

Oh, for the love of people

Life would be so boring if it weren't for people.

1. Yesterday, grumpy man was walking down the parking lane in front of Walmart going toward his vehicle. He was inbetween the back end of the cars and the middle of the lane, pushing me either right near the bumpers or the center of the parking lane, which is the part I chose to walk down. As I passed by him, we made eye contact, so I figured he was move over a tad bit so I didn't have to remain in the middle of the lane. He did not. Instead he chose to ram my shoulder with his shoulder and decided that a small "growl" and the evil eye would be a better response than an "excuse me" or "sorry". I could've been the bigger man too but as my grandmother use to tell me, "If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all.".

2. The same situation as above occurred in the afternoon except both we we're both in our cars. The other car was in the middle of the lane and the person was on the phone. As I drove up the lane, I chose to not move since I was on the correct side and at the last moment the other gentleman decided to move. His response was a smile and a small wave. I'm just glad he decided to keep his one hand on the steering wheel while he decided to wave to me.

3. I watched people take things out of the shopping cart of others so they didn't have to go to the aisle that had the same product. I watched as someone cut in line at the restroom in order to go to the restroom first.

Many other situations such as these occurred throughout the past few days.

Funny how things happen

First, Hentai Improvising Orchestra was sitting outside Hooligans in Denton this past Saturday night when we noticed a crazy group of people who we originally thought were cheerleaders but turned out to be dancers. Ken and I were frightened by said group as they ran towards us at one point only to stop to "pose" for a moment. We called them, "The Cult of Pastel People". The rest of the evening I thought of how we should have an improvising dance troupe join HIO for a show. I reached out via Facebook looking for a dance group to join us for Art Goggle and someone reached out to us. Turns out this someone may or may not be affiliated with the group of "Pastel People" that attacked us last Saturday night.

Second, and I hesitate to write about this, but after work me and a coworker went out for a cool beverage and a game of billiards. We wanted to try a new neighborhood watering hole. As we started playing pool a group of leather clad bikers entered and made their way to our table. We mentioned this to them and they made a few jokes about us wearing "TECH" and "KSU" shirts, but they seemed cool. Later in the evening the gentleman came up to me and mentioned that they had a daughter that attended our school, I asked their daughters name, and was amazed that I knew their daughter. We ended up talking to them for several hours after our introductions.

I mention this because it proves how small this world is. A lot of people told me not to take a job in the same area where I live and when I asked why, their response was that I needed separation from students after school. I have learned that this is not a reason. I love moments like these.

04.02.2011

New track for an upcoming release of bass improvisations:



Will be participating in a recording session with HIO at:

Violitionist Sessions

a couple new portraits

A couple new portraits I took, with some masks that I'm currently working on:

Fort Pierce

So many windows boarded,
with no vacancy sign around.
A white bird skips.

03.14.2011; Fort Pierce, Florida

6:31:27 AM

Day 1 down.  

2:30:53 PM

Left Fort Worth around 6:30am made it to Jim's hotel, outside of New Orleans, around 4pm.
Went to Bourben Street to get some grub and daiquiris.  Had a snack at Storyville.  By snack I mean heavy appetizer like étouffée egg rolls and nachos.  Washed those down with an Abita Strawberry beer.  Later we walked around the French Quarter taking photos and people watching.  Saw a homeless woman with "shopping center" feet, plenty of interesting street performers, and architecture.  Made our way to the French Quarter Restaurant for more étouffée and "fried funness", which means fried oysters.  Jim had a brisket po-boy at a seafood restaurant.  Made our way to a daiquiri stand aft which we went back home to relax before we continue the drive. 

2:45:59 PM

8:48:13 PM

Long day driving.  New Orleans to Fort Pierce, FL + 4 stops = 12.5 hours.  Lovely drive with nothing much to see except water, flatlands, and "Anti-Abortion" signs followed by Disney World signs.  We're staying at a Sleep Inn in Fort Pierce, the a 5 star hotel, but a place to lay our heads without being in the car.  Wandered up to a local Wendy's where we continued the trend of having a mediocre meal.  Earlier in the day we had lunch at a place called Beef O' Brady's, where I had their soup of the day, Chicken and Dumplings.  Not a meal to write home to mom about.  Our hotel is surrounded by gas stations, adult stores, closed down and boarded up buildings, and fast food restaurants.

As we arrived we were greeted by a tan stray dog bounding over a small ridge from a small ditch behind the hotel.  Preceding the small predator was a small brown rabbit.  They each darted into and out of some small bushes, zigzagging around the black pavement of the hotels parking lot, only to head east across a small field disappearing into Florida's dark night.

03.12.2011

Sanj made it in last night as Spring Break has officially begun. had a little dinner at Fuzzys and came home to relax. Today we wandered around Fort Worth, beginning on 6th Ave. @ Fort Worth Camera and walking all the way to Montgomery Street Cafe and back. After that we rode out to the TCU campus to walk around and to find a deli for lunch. We had a rather delicious lunch @ a place called Carshons Deli on Cleburne Street right off Berry Street.

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The Codex of Haikus

I have been looking for something that can combine all my artistic expressions in one thing. I love and find inspiration in such endeavors, i.e. Kurt Schwitters “Merzbau”. While flipping through “Twilight”, not the vampire books, but the collection of photos by Gregory Crewdson, the other night it dawned on me to do something like this. Some of the past thoughts for photos, paintings, or video pieces started coming back to me but this time they seemed to fit together as a sort of a collection.

People without faces but who carry masks in a backpack in order to show emotions, architecture with no real utilitarian purposes, words that just sit in random locations, and more.

Working title for the project, “The Codex of Haikus” or “The Codex of Babel”.

Soundtrack for 03.07.2011

1) Beans - "End It All"

2) Spheruleus - "Forgotten Outland"

3) Spheruleus - "Driftwood/Seafoam"

4) Spheruleus - "Rust"

Ukulele Rendered

New track:

Ukulele Rendered

02.23.2011

Revamped my electric cigar box ukulele to be an acoustic cigar box ukulele. Major improvement in sound. Still has a contact mic in it so it's still amplified.

Did some "Exquisite Corpse" exercises with some elementary students last night at East Handley Elementary School. Was quite fun to share some art and music with young students, hopefully, one will go on to become an artist.

Soundtrack for another sleepy day, 02.23.2011:

1) Herve Provini "Digital Music Landscape for Drum and Computer"
2) Arturas Bumsteinas "Eterniday News Vol. 1"

Yet another home...

Alonetone (music)

http://alonetone.com/theowlandtheoctopus

Dreams

Have you ever sat back and thought about the reoccurring images, themes, and sounds that happen in your dreams? For some reason early this morning after I let my dogs out to do their "business" I did and here is what I came up with:

1) there is always some king, ruler, leader. For example, last night the ruler was John Fahey. How I knew this was because he had the crown over his head.

2) animals leading a revolution.

3) Phoenix. The mythological creature not the place.

4) Always silent except for background music.

5) Ants.

6) Usually there is either a person or animal wandering around reciting poetry, which I can only tell because there are speech bubbles over their heads.

7) Most times the locations have very few people. Even if it's in a location like a city I usually only notice one or two people.

02.14.2011

Last week was lovely, aside from one day off due to ice. Got some interesting photos:





Went out and supported our tennis team and on Saturday went out to watch our baseball teams play during a scrimmage with Poly.

Sunday was quite peaceful. In the lower 70's, my wife, the "beasties", and myself spent the day outside. Read a lot in "The Tao of Wu" by RZA and watched several inspiring artsy movies like "The Cats of Mirikitani".

Got some work done in two altered books, on two paintings, and an orchestrated piece of music.

02.12.2011

Soundtrack for 02.11.2011

Angel Faraldo "Scelsi Remix: 7 Mantras"
Cello + Laptop "Live at El Niu, Barcelona"
Mat U Stone "Creak vs. Beat2"

02.09.2011

prickly sounds of ice
against the metal screens outside
here's to the crew.

02.01.2011; RPM Challenge, Day 1

RPM Challenge, Day 1:

1. Drum tracks almost completed.

2. Album cover started.

3. Working title, "4 Cantos"

01.31.2011

I just couldn't do it. I tried switching over to a different blog/website provider that charges but I just couldn't justify that $99 a year.

Weekend was awesome. Saturday, 01.29.2011, I auditioned for Stone Machine Electric, a rock/doom band. I fooled them enough to let me join them.

Sunday, 01.30.2011, allergies kept me indoors instead of outside in the beautiful weather but I didn't let that ruin my day. Got me a new used bass, Ibanez Soundgear 4 string, it's not fancy but it's wonderful to play. Got some work done on a new video piece and some new music, that hopefully will be posted soon. Also, watched some good Kurosawa flicks.

Amping up for 02.01.2011, the RPM Challenge.