Photo of the photo

The guy with a camera
rarely ends up getting photographed.

My plan of "no plan" worked quite well.
My slacker attitude in sorting years of photos
bit me in the ass real hard like.
So I'm off to see the man on fixing this computer.
Photos up tomorrow!

A big thanks to John Bulmer,
super cool guy that was down for sharing a car,
along with secret spots and tips.
And Corey Tucker,
for being so cool to drive two random guys
with cameras all over the countryside.

*These photos by John. Click names, get links. Simple huh?

Awesome day!

Can't see it.

before the projects start
the shop bench needs to get cleaned off.
parts need sorting.
but first the lights need to be replaced.

I jumped into the middle of things
and realized,
I can't even see around the work bench.
something that will be my home away from home...
away from home through the winter months.

and since we jumped right into the REALLY cold
at the start of December...
it looks to be a long winter.

But the project list has begun.
And I said no more art shows for a while
(feeling VERY UN-inspired)
that didn't last long,
as I'm scrambling to drop for another show...
today.

There seems to be so many pots on the stove,
that I've resorted to tossing cans of crap
all over my figurative kitchen.

more to follow...

Check Lists

"Last Call" @ The Marketplace Gallery.
My final show for the year.
I'm running on fumes at this point.

Strange though,
the satisfaction of 'checking goals off'
isn't there.
It was the satisfaction of doing the tasks.
I'll expand on that later...
but it just occured to me as I was sorting out the noise,
the noise in my head of all the things still not completed.

One of my latest POSTS at the Times Union.

And...

This ONE.

Like inviting a few friends over for 'a drink'
this last part of the year has really gotten away from me!

Two months of multiple art shows,
the tail end of the cyclocross race season,
and all the day to day activities
of everyday life.

I started looking at this blog
and realized nothing has been updated
or maintained...

The dreaded FB is such an easy distraction,
I guess it's similar to a bag of chips
versus cooking an actual meal.

Quick and easy,
but never satisfying.

You, my little neglected electronic child,
will get more attention.
I hope.

the day of the dead!

You should stop by here all the time,
especially today! Bikes and the City.

All Saints Day!

dia de los Muertos!
Sadly there will be no candy skull tattoos for me today.
But I'll make up for that later, trust me!

Today will be an entire day of sorting,
and sitting in front of the computer.

The Mrs. pulled off a great Halloween party on Saturday night.
So good,
that I skipped my self imposed pre race bedtime,
and stayed up all night drinking by the fire pit.
THAT resulted in an awesome race six hours later.
So there's some photos from the Vermont Wicked Creepy race.
And some really bummed out guys that couldn't beat an old,
fat, very hung over guy.
Goal of NOT getting last, achieved!

That's really pathetic, actually.
So I think it was 30th out of 34 or 31st out of 36,
pretty bottom of the barrel.

So I shot masters, single speed, 3/4 and womens.
Then headed out.
Out where, you ask?
To shoot the best wedding ever!

My tattoo artist & friend.
A great mix of Halloween, rock 'n roll, and tattoo convention.
Complete with a bride in a hearse!
And today is my final day to prep for my first solo show,
opening this Friday @ The Wine Bar & Bistro!
PSYCHED!!!

self imposed exile...

Much like quitting your job,
then realized,
it's not gonna' get any better.
It's another version of the same.

At the heart of "it",
I think I tried to shed the identity of "being a cyclist".
I spent a month borrowing the car to go to work.
Even the camera took some time off.
Painted.
Visited the skate shop, not the bike shop.
Drove to the galleries,
and realized it takes twenty more minutes to find a parking spot,
than to ride my bike there.

Blew off the yearly charity ride,
that has been a staple for the last four years.

MAYBE YOU ALWAYS RODE.
YOU NEVER GAVE UP THE BIKE.

MOST OF US GAVE UP THE BIKE.
Then "rediscovered" it.
Then gave it up again.
And picked it back up again.
The neglected girlfriend that will always take you back.

Everything's OK, right?

on vacation. forever?

Sorry to all of those people who check in-
to a non-updated blog,
just sitting here idle,
let's just finish this thing off for good.

Where do you begin?
There are so many tangents.

THERE IS A SHIFT.

I have become quite comfortable.
In my scheduled T.U. post,
my easy commute job,
the quick meaningless Facebook posts,
the monthly submission to the Gallery,
the local bicycle coalition,
the random opinionated posts I leave here,
all of it.




I'm going nowhere fast.
It's been a year and I still haven't built my site,
my photos are not easy to see,
my art work is not developing,
my free time is not free,
while I get productivity squeezed from me at work,
I come home and flop onto my couch,
and mindlessly exist in front of the tv for hours.



I frantically tried to gather art for a different gallery.
I realized I'm still addicted to cars,
despite how much I loath the thought of them.
I didn't ride my bike for a week.
I didn't post on the T.U. site.
I didn't do anything yet for bike month.....
Should I have a bike focused blog?
Who cares?
Maybe my effort should be more focused,



TITLES:
Hate them, or ignore them, or live by them.
My first title is a father,
and there lies that struggle of:
sacrificing dreams in order to provide
and
realizing THIS is your life that you must LIVE (now) -
to it's fullest.
I am still trying to figure that process out,
every day.

I am also a cyclist,
but not a racer,
or for fitness.

It started for fitness,
then was misguided for awhile,
then rebeled against the car driven culture,
and eventually reconnected with the childhood -
fun of simply riding a bike.

And with support of the art community,
I finally feel comfortable with the implied label-
artist.




So,
Liberty on Bikes!?
What's that?
I don't know.
A thought.
A statement.
A domain name search I could own.
But for the limited time I don't have control of,
and the focus needed,
I think LoB is going on vacation,
while I retool/reconfigure my life.



Similar to an escape plan....

Film Stuff

Buried right now.
Maybe in two weeks I'll have time.
I really need to get out with some film,
just not today,
or this week.

Medium Format itch:

Poet's Night Out (is more)

As mentioned previously,
and previously again,
Jason from Rocbike.com contacted me to do originally
a photograph for his first book of poetry.
I was feeling not-so-inspired.
Lucky for both of us,
he really liked a random painting I recently did.
And that was it.
I met my obligation, moving on to the next thing.
So I thought.

As with everything Jason does,
there's another, farther reaching dynamic.
I'm now painting and carrying a camera.
My third showwith a painting is in a week.
And with this particular painting,
at first I thought Jason deserved to own it,
since in a roundabout way I'm now published,
thanks to him.

Then, in the back of my mind, I worried,
"what if it's my lucky painting"
"what if it's the only successful painting"
maybe I should hold on to it.

This last week Jason asked to purchase it.
Well, in a way it's already his, I thought.
With his book debute at a local tavern,
it's only proper that the painting also be there.
I can paint another,
something just as good,
off I went for canvas and paint.
And we agreed on a price.

On a cold and raining night,
little Wednesday Addams and I headed out to the tavern.
It was open mic night.
Several people read.
Some held my interest, others not.
Jason got up to read from his book with the painting in hand.
He explained the story of the cover.
I had forgotten.
That it's the only book that publisher has printed,
with no print on the cover,
as to not take away from the artwork.
Jason then went into a poem
that had me humming a Johnny Cash song.

Then I noticed it.
This little guy to the side of the stage.
Waiting.
Observing.
To many it's nothing that shocking.
But it's the subtle careful pathlike steps.
Something, that as a father and a son,
hit me.

The inspiration we have on those little people running around us.

Following his father's footsteps?
Maybe.

Yellow

playing catch up,
submissions are due for the next show,
tonight!

Battenkill UCI invitational is Sunday!

Still haven't gone through all of the photos.

BikeBike! NorthEast is next weekend!

May is the all consuming Bike Month!

Along with the family activities,
and spring cleaning,
I'm doomed.....

need to take time

a realization of the temporary
we already have disposable products,
now we have disposable communications.

It's so quick and easy.
But there's little quality within.

And I'm waist deep in it.
With FB and an iphone,
continually posting random photos
and little quips.

At the end of Sunday's activities
I took some time on the way home.

Plans were in place earlier.
Tripod already loaded,
found my camera remote that is always lost,
actually there's two that are 'lost'.
And took some time...

ConTEXT show! April 2010

Made it in.
This last month felt like a wierd fluke,
this next submission I had a plan, and it came out close.
And it's accepted!
No photographs, just one painting.
We'll see if it sells though.....

in the works...

it all comes rolling in.
But I've always learned to not count ahead,
and I'll go more into detail as things become official,
but the last two weeks have seen alot:
- my first three paintings were accepted into the next gallery show
- the fourth painting has been selected for an upcoming book cover
- 400 posts here
- number 10 post for the Times Union should have my first interview
- eagerly awaiting my first press/photo pass to a large race
- April will see two art shows on the same night
- the possibility of being part of a regional bike conference
- I'm hosting the now 2nd Annual Bike Night movie, hopefully.
- starting the process of self branding, or becoming my own business

not to mention the birthdays and family events
that will fill in the rest of the two months.

Getting booked up!

one in ten

After 'work' I went to the skatepark.
Spending the winter hours indoors,
still working out the remote flashes,
gels,
settings,
lenses
and all the other various set ups.
The average seems to be,
for every hundred photos,
ten turn out "ok".

looking through photos...

when you feel the need to define yourself,
do you?
I never felt right defining myself as an artist,
but now, strangely, I do.
I remember someone saying,
"you're not a professional photographer,
until you pay your mortgage doing that."
it seemed to make sense.
I don't know.
So I sit here looking at photos,
trying to figure out how to "brand" and market myself,
how to launch a career.
Can't get a domain name with my name.
And as I make a list of all the things to do,
I feel like I'm at the base of a really big mountain,
with a really long hike ahead of me.
And the brief reassurances to the ego,
are quickly brushed aside by my self doubt.

Infinty & Beyond, First Friday opener

Febuary, and a full house, and no parking.
That is a very good sign.


Lorenz,
Bent Bikes.


Tommy Watkins.
Awesome as always.
Not sure if he can make something I don't like.
Haven't seen it yet.


Jessyka.
Next door @ BID.
Still need to get a Cherry Blossom print.
She was at Samson's opener though,
so maybe this next month.


Carly.
Fan of Film,
and of Pete the camera guru.

Samson's opening night

part two,
of a three stop night.
Samson's was packed.
Both art and people.
Good night and good times.

Red Square J Dilla Tribute set IV