Stuff I found n things I make

So of course after not writing anything for like 6 months my first gut reaction is to just try n delete this and try to start anew, like a fresh start is somehow going to miraculously change my attitude and make me a dedicated blogger. It doesn't work with ex-girlfriends, it sure as hell isn't going to work for a crappy blog. A crappy blog doesn't get you laid.

I've been keeping myself boarded up in my apartment, painting. I've been painting for ages n I don't have a single damned painting finished. How do I do this? How can one person have so many unfinished projects at any given time?
I have this thing about things ending. I used to make myself have really bad panic attacks. My 14 yr-old self would lay awake in bed and think about death until I'd get all sorts of worked up. Not about myself dying, but my friends n family. I thought it was something I'd never get over. I don't think I have, I think I've just sorta accepted it. Or maybe from having my heart broken a few times? Yeah...I'm gonna say having serious relationships at a young age probably helped with that. Get's you over the "I-can't-live-without-you" factor. Thank fucking God. I don't think I could deal with such jackassery from myself.
Anyway, I digress. What I was really trying to get into was that my family just finally got my Aunt Pearl's house all cleaned out, and we had that really weird time of going through a dead relative's things. Aunt Pearl died like 2 yrs ago, I think. But before that she had stayed in a retirement home, so my coming n going out of her dilapidated home was routine for 5+ years for lawn care and feeding the 2 feral cats that lived in there. Aunt Pearl was a crazy old cat lady... Crazy old Catholic cat lady. That means she decorated her house with all things Jesus. And if it wasn't Jesus, it was the Virgin. And if it wasn't Jesus or his mom, it was cat-related.
So, needless to say, going through Aunt Pearl's belongings....Catholic shit and cat shit. Oh and some really ridiculous costume jewelry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I made these necklaces out of things I found at my Aunt Pearl's house. I've actually had the seashells lying around for years, and somehow I never lost them despite moving so many times. I hadn't only connected with Aunt Pearl in a distant way. I remember getting bedsheets for Christmas from her and I was totally stoked. Who the fuck doesn't like flannel sheets? I didn't really connect with what Aunt Pearl was until going through her things, looking at the weird shit a cat-loving, senile spinster collected. 

And then I realized that this more likely than not that I'll become Aunt Pearl. Senile. Cat-crazy. The Catholic thing isn't going to happen, but it seems we both had the same tastes in fashion. Or maybe its because we were both really short. Whatever the case, I feel like I know Aunt Pearl a little better through making these necklaces.

Upcoming Events

This Saturday! From 10-6pm! I'll be here along with my fellow artists selling wares, drinkin beers, n listening to live music!

June 9th. In York, Pa at New Grounds Galley from 6-9pm. Again, peddling my wares.

I'm super excited about this event! In Baltimore at the American Visionary Art Museum. More artists than you can shake a stick at!

New block prints

Tomorrow in Baltimore

Paula Ibey, Eduardo Rodriguez and I will be on Charles St., downtown Baltimore from 12-5 peddling our wares. Be sure to stop by n say Yo!

Art Show 4/30 At G788

This weekend, after much foot-dragging, I'll be showing in Baltimore on Saturday at Gallery 788 at the Artists' Flea Market. Lots of live music. Lots of art. Lots of cheap beer. This will give me a chance to sell some crafty things I've had lying around the studio and get some badly needed spring cleaning done. The show runs from noon- 6pm.

Stash box

Just married!

Not me, obviously. But the greeting cards I've been churning out have "just married glitter" all over them. A couple yrs ago I had the good fortune of finding hundreds of photos while trash-picking on passyunk ave in south philly. Just across the street from the Melrose, in big cardboard trunk boxes, were thousands of wedding proofs, all dated from the late 60s to 1981. From what I  figured a photographer either retired or died n his studio was cleaned out. I stuffed a backpack w as much as it could hold and took my treasure home. I tried 2 make another trip but another trash-picker (no doubt equipped w a truck) had already taken the dozen boxes.

So what do u do w hundreds of photos of stranger's weddings? For a while I would mix them up n leave them on the coffee table 2 be found by unsuspecting friends n flatmates. The most common question being "do u kno these people?" To which I answered "no."
I threw around the idea of creating scrapbooks w them- an idea that may have merit yet- but then I would be stuck w large, expensive albums that would sit in my closet (as most my work does) and not shared w many ppl. This would also mean I would be thrown head-first in2 the dark evil  world of scrapbooking- a hobby I love 2 detest- and demon "crafty mommies."

So I decided 2 turn them in2 greeting cards, accentuated w scrapbooking  papers n stickers, 2 make them in2 tasty little condescending tidbits of south philly middle-class history. Once u add a sarcastic one-word phrase on the inside of the card a whole new dimension is put on the photo. Up until the receiver opens the card they r often confused by what they r looking at...and that's exactly what I'm going for.
I can't tell u if these ppl r divorced, still married, dead or homeless, but I can poke fun at what they're wearing.