All Monster

The Oregon Country Fair

2011-07-24T13:32:00.000-07:00

OK, so I'm finally posting something for the Oregon Country Fair that took place near Eugene during the second weekend of July. This is Sue and I in Dress-Up mode on Saturday at my booth. Photo taken by a guy named Ace, with his old 35mm point and shoot.

Furthest right is Donovan, the guy I shared my booth with. His art is making very cool leather masks. (Sue is wearing one in the previous photo.) The three on the left are Emily, Micheal, and Anita. We had incredible amounts of too much fun together during the six days and five nights we stayed in the woods. I had gone to the fair for years but this was the first time as a vendor and being able to camp there. The nights were magical and super fun being with all those artists.

Monsters in the sun. The fair was very good to me. I sold great and the weather was PERFECT.

Thank you Sue for being the bestest booth helper a guy could have.

Back to Portland and GET BUSY with the Monsters!

2011-07-16T18:15:00.000-07:00

This is Stuart and the junk piles he took me to just North of Bend. Anything you can forage. 30 cents a pound. 4 hours later, you had to chase us away with a stick. Who needs Disneyland?

My collection of quality aged future monster parafanalia. Go get your own. Don't touch my rusty stash!

Driving NorthWest accross central Oregon. Hey Tanz, what kind of cloud is that? My whole trip was remarkable. I was happy and all things seemed to just fall in place. I learned a lot about those "places" on the map, and I'm discovering a different me. Thank you great friends and family for believing it so.
Went right to the studio and unwrapped all the "Tennessee Monsters" and got busy glazing them to be ready for the sale at The Country Fair near Eugene, OR.

Even got my friend Kirk to come by and help me price monsters after they came out of the kiln. Must also thank my friends Sue and Kate for their precise artist skills in glazing tiny eyeballs and horns, and helping me make deadline, and working for food & beers.

Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon

2011-06-28T11:42:00.000-07:00

View out the window going along the highway in Wyoming.

Perfect driving weather and great sights of Americana.

More Wyoming rock-scapes. Got into that driving mode and just put miles of road under me.

After a long time of flat straight driving, This mountain range comes up in front of me looking like white giants.

Caught the North corner of Utah before entering Idaho. Mountains in every direction.

Drove into Twin Falls Idaho at noon and it was 85 deg. Stopped at the Snake River and Lui and I ran along a 3 mile trail and then jumped in the river. Neither of us really wanted to get back in the van and drive.

Probably my last "Motel Night" in the van on this trip... Parked off a long gravel road beside a farmer's field in Eastern Oregon. Huge sky of stars that night and perfect still quiet morning.

Sign on the side of a building where I got gas.

Arrived in Bend, OR to stay with friends and of course went right out for a hike/walk.

Stuart in the back yard of his and Mai's home, getting wood chopped for the fire and BBQ we had that night. Perfect beautiful evening that ended with a lightning show and thunder and rain.

West to Colorado...

2011-06-24T10:17:00.000-07:00

Strange huge Indian statue at a gas station in Illinois.

The exciting highway through Kansas.

Coming into Colorado. Look!... Mountains! ...and the wind stop blowing.

Drove North through Colorado Springs, then Denver, then to friend's house in Boulder. This is their back yard.

Second day there, they take me rock climbing. Very fun. Very beautiful. A little scary.

Dan and Kate at the base of the climb we were doing in the mountains of Boulder.

Crossing a "creek" to get from the climb site back to the car. It's perfect weather here. The city is very progressive and there are a million fun things to go do. It's hard to think about leaving in a day.

Race Day!

2011-06-19T13:18:00.000-07:00

Triathlon Day. On my way to check in at a place called "Lock Four" in Gallatin, just 20 min. from Hartsville.

Just before the swim start, a major thunderstorm moves in. (We have to be out of the water before the lightning comes or they cancel the swim, so they rushed the start time.)

Just heading out on the bike leg after the swim.

Now the run leg. I'm so muddy because the off-road bike course had been rained on for 2 days and was pure gunk coated over rocks and roots. I've never road such a technically challenging course. 4 wipe-outs including one where I went over the handlebars and flipped in the air then landed in the bushes. Under that coating of mud, I have cuts, gouges and bruises everywhere. I'm taking a week off from working out.

At the end of the race. Bike and I getting washes off in the river. Took me 2 hours, 30 min to finnish.

Hardware Baby! Third place in my division. Also awarded farthest traveler to the race.

Stormy weather...

2011-06-19T12:51:00.000-07:00

The Cumberland River as a Thunderstorm moves over it. ( the reflection of clouds on the glass-like water) Two solid days of thunderstorms with booming lightning and heavy down-pours. 80 deg. instead of 90.

OK Kim, your shoes made it to Portland TN. And it was raining too.

Playing on the Cumberland River

2011-06-19T12:46:00.000-07:00

Tanzabel's House. There is a caboose behind the house but there's no seeing it because the shrubs over-took it.

Tanz out in his canoe.

James in the canoe. The same river I've been doing my swimming work-outs is also really beautiful to go canoeing along.

Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg

2011-06-14T16:50:00.000-07:00

I decided to take a side-trip to the Eastern part of Tennessee to go see DollyWood and the Smokey Mountains. (Seems like an appropriate place to leave the Venus statue from Jason & Vida)

I didn't know what I was in for coming to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg...

DollyWood is just outside of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg which are these two towns that have built themselves up to capitolize on the tourism coming to the Smokey Mountains. I didn't actually go into DollyWood - very expensive theme park and very cheezy tourist trap.

These are all shots of the main strip through Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg...

Build it gaudy and build it big and they will come.

So after cruising through all that "distraction", I got out to what was really worth seeing.

Found a great camp site called Cosby at the Eastern edge of the Smokey Mountains. (Lui chillin' with a beer)

Salamanders under almost every rock.

I followed a trail up into the mountains and found this old grave yard. Dates on the stones as early as 1816.

I'll try to describe what this place is like... Called the Smokey Mountains; there is this mist that hangs in the sky and it weaves through the hills and trees. It makes far things look farther away, and close things look closer. There is a mix of several kinds of trees and the canopy varies in a thousand different textures. At this time of year only in this area, the ranger told me to look for "Consecutive Fireflies". It's a certain type of firefly that respond to each other by blinking in conjunction. When darkness fell, Lui and I took a walk and all around us in the woods, clusters of blinking white lights came on together and then would fade out. It was the brightness of stars except instead of far away in space, the lights were just in reach. It was like walking through the Milkyway.

Out and Art.

2011-06-09T15:13:00.000-07:00

Finally painting the other side of the van.

All done. "Good Boy!"

Workin' out in Tennessee.

2011-06-07T15:58:00.000-07:00

Me swimming in the Cumberland River - Just 3 miles bike or run from Tanz's house.

The water is cool and the current goes almost as fast as I can swim. Such a perfect workout and cool-off.

Views while riding my bike on the backroads.

They had such attitude.

My new bought used little Kiln to fire the monsters I'm making at Tanz's place. (Getting ready for The Country Fair the second weedend of July.)

Tennessee Gets HOT

2011-06-02T10:40:00.000-07:00

Here is Aaron Tanzabel at the kitchen table doing his journal entries. We'll spend hours, him working on his stuff and me making monsters each day sitting accross from each other and talking.

I believe that this is the #1 rural outdoor passtime around these parts. Just about the only time I see people outside when I do my runs and rides, it's because they are mowing their back or front forty.

A Cicada. I have learned that every 14 years this particular insect has a summer when it hatches out by the millions and proceeds to do this shrill buzzing sound ALL DAY. Guess what year I happen to show up in TN? They are big and ugly and every tree & shrub sounds like 60,000 watts of electricity humming through.
They also do not-so-nice abstract art all over the windshield.

The "ceramic table". It use to be Tanz's dinning room table. I even went and bought an old used small ceramic kiln and set it up on the back stoop. The middle part of the days gets to the upper 90's now, so that's when we stay in and work.

Tennessee

2011-05-29T10:57:00.000-07:00

There are a few things Tanz did not tell me about his house... Just kidding. This is a neighbor's place.

This is the view from Tanz's front door.

Here's my temporary set-up in his "storage room" of the house.

This is me after two days in the backroads of Tennessee. Should I be concerned?

Air temp is 85, water temp is 75... Where would you hang out?

Monster making like a mad-man. Goal is to have 300+ creatures for the Oregon Country Fair in July.

Arkansas

2011-05-29T08:59:00.000-07:00

Going through Arkansas, camped at Hot Springs which is a city and a National Park. Amazingly beautiful!

The whole mountain is bubbling out 134 deg water and bath houses were built in the 1920's along Main Street, with hiking trails for bathers that led over the mountain to where the camp grounds are now.

One of the natural hot springs on the city side of the mountain. On the camping side the water just runs out of springs and down the mountain to the river by the camp sites. Some are hot, some are cool. The water is pristine and tastes fresh and clean. The river is warm and so nice to jump in after hiking.

One of the early 1900's bath house buildings. There is a whole row of them along the street of Hot Springs. All rejuvinated and luxurious. Like stepping back in time. I wanted to stay for a week just exploring.

Crossing the Mississippi into Tennessee. The river is really high.

Modern pyramid of Memphis.

Another cool building in Memphis. Just zipped right through anxious to get to Hartsville and see Aaron Tanzabel.

TEXAS!

2011-05-26T11:26:00.000-07:00

Sumner Lake State Park... The last place I camped before leaving New Mexico. Went mountain biking in the morning and yes, got another flat.

Pulled into Lubbock TX to fill tank and then the van's tranny went out in the middle of the road and got towed to this mechanic's lot at the edge of town where it sat for the next 6 days!

My motel room accross the street from the mechanic's lot. It was bigger than my last apartment but it smelled like old cigarettes.

So the room cost $50 a night and I was 4 hrs from my sister's home in Fort Worth, and a rental car costs $22 a day, so decided to drive there and spend the time with family while the tranny got replaced in the van.
Here are the thunderstorms over Fort Worth that I drove right into.

This is Mike, my brother-in-law "testing" my camera. He proudly refers to himself as an asshole. ...But he's the kind of big-hearted asshole you would want around if you were in trouble.

Marlene and Mike have a big property outside of town and toads are all over the place.

Their horses...

So the mechanic told me the van would be ready on Tuesday afternoon. I drive back to Lubbock to find nothing has even started on it. Have to stay another night in stinky room and then wait all day Wednesday too. It did finally get done at 4pm and worked great and the price was really good, but I needed a cold beer and to get the !U@# OUT of Lubbock! So I multi-tasked.

Really!?

Pulled over and slept just East of here. But still not out of Texas.

Very cool bugs in this climate. Am now close to Little Rock, Arkansas.

Santa Fe and more...

2011-05-19T19:18:00.000-07:00

This is just what you want to see while winding up a mountain to camp.

Camped at "Holy Ghost" up in the hills of Santa Fe. It snowed in the morning after my mountain bike ride.

Called "Goat Heads". They are EVERYWHERE and they pop bike tubes and stick in Lui's paws.

My third gallery in 3 states to get infected with my monsters...

Called "POP Gallery" in the heart of Santa Fe's art district.

I wanted to buy the work of three other artists that show in POP.

My last cool site to see before I vear south off of Rt 66. (Hwy 40)

2011-05-17T16:01:00.002-07:00

Try that lightning again...

2011-05-17T16:01:00.000-07:00

Try that lightning again...

Arizona

2011-05-17T15:57:00.000-07:00

Lightning on the high desert.

No Tony, This is Albuquerque not New York. So glad to be rid of your stinkin' shoes!

"It's a girl my lord in a flat-bed Ford slowin' down to take a look at LUI."

Not a lot to look at here.

California to Arizona

2011-05-15T10:31:00.000-07:00

Wind power in Eastern California.

Another fancy motel room in Ludlow CA.

View out my "Motel Room".

Just another one of those photos of the Grand Canyon.

James and Lui rock hoppin.

Lui hangin' with Gunther. "Gunther don't back up! Sue expects your return".

Visit parents in Sonora, CA

2011-05-13T09:50:00.000-07:00

Lui gets his Summer Haircut. Thanks Diana

Lookin' good, Feelin' Cool

Dad and I visited friends who have a "Ranch". (with 2 Emus)

...and Grandpa Goat.

Hey look at that... The graphics made it on the side of the van!

The Road Trip BEGINS!

2011-05-08T09:32:00.000-07:00

Lui likes to get all up in my lap - he forgets that he weighs 50 pounds.

My motel room the first night... Lassen National Forest, Northern California.

Lassen Peak from my "Motel window".

Ceramic Showcase Success!

2011-05-08T09:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, I dropped off the face of the earth for almost a month now to do Ceramic Showcase, leave my job, and move out of my apartment. (Got very little sleep.) Here's a shot of all the monsters at my studio just before packing them to the show last weekend. 3 monsters were left on Sunday. Thank you all my monster loving customers!

Monsters getting ready...

2011-04-11T21:46:00.000-07:00

Besides getting myself moved out of my apartment and exiting my job gracefully, a lot of time is being spent this month working in my ceramic studio. (The Monster Factory) Just before I hit the road in the big orange 1972 van, I'll participate in the huge ceramic show and sale at the Convention Center here in Portland the last weekend of April. Ceramic Showcase 2011. Look it up and please come see me at my booth.

Van Graphics

2011-03-29T22:06:00.000-07:00

Sketch of van graphics.
Yes, the webpage WILL be up before the trip begins.

Lui

2011-03-29T22:01:00.000-07:00

Yes, Lui is coming on the trip too.
In fact, he's my driver.

Art on the Road

2011-03-27T16:03:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my blog. I'm starting this because I'm about to leave my day job of 16 years and become a full-time artist. My first adventure will be to hop in my van with Lui and tour across the United States to distribute monsters at galleries and gift shops. Here is a photo of my general route. My pivot destination is Hartsville, Tennessee where I will stay with a dear old friend/artist for about a month. I welcome any insider tips for great progressive towns or cities to stop and infect with monsters. I'll be on the road May through June and returning to Portland in time for beautiful summer weather! Stay tuned for continuous blogginig of my artistic expansion.

Big Orange Van - Gas $ Please