From my latest work "Keelhauling the Doppelgänger". Sometimes we find ourselves setting course for the distant horizon and an "ideal" place for us to transplant our dreams and desires. Along your journey you may find yourself shadowed by your own ghost,the you that fails,the you that you someone else spoke into being,the you that grieves the losses along the way. This work hints at this idea...a vessel under sail with its respective "ghost ship" in-tow. This may be one of a small two or three piece series. I would like the next to show the ghostship slowly diminishing until all that you see is one vessel.
Lunacy "A repurposed canvas"
Every now and again I will have friends who bring me old canvases that they do not mind me reworking. I try my best to work with the texture and content from the original painting. This work was really a release for me. It was an opportunity to make something of the sleepless nights I endure during a full moon. This work is a nod to an artist who has inspired me in so many ways "Bill Watterson".I hope this is as fun to look at as it was for me to create.
Cheers
Dave
Lunar Frequencies
This one is one of three pieces that I am presently working on. The work is inspired by my infatuation with moonscapes,waveforms,and the city. There will be more to come as this work continues to develop. This will be my fifth entry in my series titles waveforms.
The Media Mogulator
Feeling a little Apathetic? In need of a little excitement? Well this should excite even the most grassroots fed sheeple ...I mean "People". We all know that peace and tranquility are simply the byproduct of the smoke and mirrors deployed by the dark forces that seek to control humanity. My colleagues and I have dedicated our lives to providing you with the "real" story behind all of this "progress and productivity". We have teamed up with the most brilliant social and mechanical engineers on the planet to bring you the "truth" and entertainment that you desire. I introduce to you...The Media Mogulator. Designed to flush out the truth with fire, famine, and the most brilliantly engineered catastrophe's. The Media Mogulator is driven by our patented CHAOS engine. Our sophisticated algorithms are designed to take the droll status quo and generate a the most nefarious cause and effect possible. Here is an example of the output from our CHAOS feed " Your smiley neighbor...he has it all...a finely manicured lawn...beautiful wife and kids...active in the community...is his success the byproduct of his integrity and good faithful investment in humanity or is he a secret agent for a subterranean reptilian biomorph hell-bent on the destruction of the world as we know it!!!" Yes.... Our Media Mogulator is guaranteed to generate the mania that you desire.
Disclaimer: Our product may cause depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, the urge to write intriquite manifestos about mankind's need to rise against its subterranean reptilian nemesis,economic collapse, promote zealotry-religious fanaticism, falsely accusing your neighbor of spraying Monsanto mind control gas as opposed to them actually using bug spray to rid their yard of pesky mosquitos, Slapping your neighbors head while having good neighborly conversation in fear that they were about to deploy their reptilian mind control antennae and attempt to seduce your mind, buying quirky art that addresses any of the aforementioned phenomena.
Case studies have also shown certain health concerns including but not limited to Heart Attack, High Blood Pressure, Hives, Depression, Confusion, Vertigo, Stroke. If you experience any of these unwanted side effects ...contact your local physician....there is a pill for that.
An experiment "Seed"
For some time I have been wanting to create visual content for my musical works. This video is my first attempt at doing so. The video is the byproduct of a test run with my go pro. I submerged the camera in a nearby creek bed expecting to record some really neat water effects...I ended up capturing footage of a few really curious Brim. More to come.
Guitar + Analog Synthesis
In 24 hours I will be injecting the Korg Volca Keys into my pedalboard. I had this idea that I could not get out of my head. Im excited about dialing into some of that vision.
A multi-billion dollar monstrocity. "O'L" or Sid Viscous is finished...I think.
A billion dollar monstrocity "O'L"
So my posterchild for the petroleum industy is coming along. I have playfully named him "Sid Viscous" ...you know...because its oil...yeah.... So,anyhow, a skyline full of oil rigs and platforms is slowly making its way into the bottom half of the painting. On the left side of the work is the southern vernacular for the word oil "O'L". The guy has the mouth of an excavator.This is the first of the "Nothing For Something" series of works that address some of the "monsters" that help drive our economy. More to come.
For those that read along,thank you, much love to you as always.
Sid Viscous "O'L"
The birth of an unnatural disaster.
I think I kindof,sortof,have an idea where I am headed with this one.
Maaaayyyybbbeee it is a earth eating,oil hemmoraging, soul sucking, gigantic,robotic,oil tycoon. Not sure...
Things are coming together
I just added another workspace to the studio which will serve as a drawing table and small workspace for a few other artists. My primary workbench is in the back left corner. It is good to see things coming together.
Drawing table
Main Workbench
What is in a name
Here is the conceptual lineup for my next series "Nothing for Something"
The Insatiable Hungersaurus-Tex
The Man With Too Much Time on His Hands.
Mr Fixit
Now!!!
Mr Subjugation and Mr Proclamation
The Media Mogulator
Nothing for Something
Theme for a show that I would like to do within the year... Hopefully I willave an update soon.
#consumer
Archaius Sonica
So I woke up this morning vividly remembering a very unique pipe organ that I had designed in my sleep. It had a name comprised of words that I have never seen before. Etched in the gnarled wood surface was the name "Archaius Sonica". The pipes were twisted rustic and ornate with the mouth of each flute twisting into blunderbussed jagged edged floral openings "the only way I can describe this". Some of the pipes were more abstract in their design so much so that I cannot accurately describe their intricate form..but they were bronzed with a crystalline pyrite surface and had a scepter like opening at their pinnacle. Some of the pipes were cloven into many parts rollled back like the edge of a scroll at their openings. The wooden structure surrounding the keys was very rustic dark walnut in color with gnarled natural features that made the panels look more tree like and natural than contemporary. After searching google archaius is a name given to a type of chameleon and sonica I coyld find no solid meaning for but the root of the word is obvious "sonic" meaning sound. Im journaling this because it was a really beautiful structure that I now cannot easily forget...I have never really seen anything like it. I find it strange that the mind can orchestrate images like this in our slumber. It can engineer things despite our direct cognitive involvement and suprise us with these visions when we wake. I say it is a sign that at present the creative center of my brain is healthy...and I need to figure out how to harness more the potential of fhis powerful tool. The content is there...now to just get the vessel to transport these visions from the vault of my mind into this world.
Present Pedalboard layout.
I have recently been revisiting the sounds that inspired me in my youth. I have added a modded tubescreamer clone that I built years ago and placed it just beforw my shredmaster in the signal chain using the shredmaster as an overdrive. This added three dimentions of dirt to my sound.The TSClone dialed where it breaks up loosly on the backend of a low cut high mid semi bluesy/gritty tone. The shredmaster is set for a midcut - with the lows and highs giving a punchy lowend and almost buzzsaw grind on the top end. When paired up the signal goes into hyperdrive with a full bodied layered distortion that would pound life into the heart of any new metal aficionado. With the addition of a volume pedal there are countless layers of grit that you can explore on the fly without adding to or taking from the setup.My signal chain is finally true bypass from dirt to modulation ..making my transitions seamless which helps me get more content pushed into a single track while recording without worrying about undesirable variations in the quality of my output.
So...Dave...when you decide to change up your pedalboard again...let this be a point of reference so you can find your way back.
Cindy Wagner and Stacy Morgan
During my first two weeks in my studio at Lowe Mill I have had the great pleasure of coming into contact with many spectacular artists. Two artists in particular have really been striking to me both in the quality of their craft and there character as wonderful human beings.
Cindy Wagner is an artist who holds a wealth of life experience and a toolbox of creative skills that make her creative force of nature. If you have a chance visit her space in studio 2053 at Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment. or visit Cindy online at http://www.3andahalfmuses.com
Stacy Morgan is someone who's love for her craft is evident the moment you walk into her studio. Each work matters to her and I love to hear her speak of how thrilled she is when she sees her work emerge from the Kiln...which she has playfully described as a moment that is like Christmas morning. If her work emerging from the kiln is like Christmas morning then she must be really having a good time because Stacy is producing amazing work at a feverish pace. The highlife for me is that her pottery is amphibious, reptilian, and cephalopodic..what is not to love about that. Visit Sacy at Studio 2000 or online at http://www.spmorganstudio.com
A little bit of what I do.
A few years ago I put together a video featuring a series of works dealing with the more playful themes you find in my work and toward the end of the video you find a sequence of works that were birthed from the more heavy handed matters of the heart. The video also features how some of these works come together. If you watch this I hope that you enjoy.
Sometimes you explore the frontier of your creative "genius" and you find this guy.
I kid you not....this is by far one of my favorite pieces to date.
What??!?!
OkRandom "What is in a name?"
So I have had quite a few conversations over the years about the name that I have chosen to adopt for my studio and collection of work. I remember in one particular conversation where an individual was sharing their own perspective regarding the "OkRandom" name and how it may elude to the perception that I may not take my work very seriously...it seems....immature...too youthful...or to not be very fitting for some of my work. I understand this individuals perspective...but in short I feel that the name represents a commitment to my craft and a commitment to the young man to encouraged me to actually nurture my creativity and to become more serious about my work. The name in itself can come across as something that you would hear come out of the mouth a late teen...or someone in their early twenties "Dude...Ok-Random thought..." right before going on some rant or tirade about pop culture, politics, creative ideas, or relationships. The individual who was honest enough to challenge me to stop playing around with my talents and engage them was a very insightful,creative, and brilliant young 20 something. OkRandom is the name that my friend used as his identity for his blog, social media, music, and writings. Bobby Tuttle was a notorious think tank who's ideas would percolate from the recesses of his overactive mind and spew forth its contents at random times without warning. To some his ideas could seem to come out of nowhere,but, to those that knew him understood the source of this content and could often follow along easily. He was highly intuitive and was the embodiment of someone who had all of the creative elements coming together that would shape him into an artistic force of nature. For those of us that knew him best, we watched his battle with Lukemia attempt to dominate his creative center and the substance that made Bobby who he was. Bobby's battle with Leukemia took a toll on him in many ways, but, as horrific as that battle was....there was this part of Bobby's nature that held fast until his very final moments on this earth. Resilience....it is the only way that I know how to describe it....his mind body and spirit where pushed to their limits yet Bobby was able to hold fast to his identity and his desire to help others cut dig past the surface and unearth their own identity. Bobby also had a strong sense of community....he desired not just to establish friendships but a place of belonging...and he had few reservations about inviting others into that place. This made Bobby more than a friend and more like a brother to many. In his final days this extended family is what Bobby reached for and held fast too...giving everything that he could of himself to others before he passed. Bobby invested heavily into the lives of others before his passing. I have never forgotten this. It is like this part of Bobby reached into my chest and pulled the mess of Dave Jolley to the surface. Shortly after Bobby's passing I began to take inventory of what was life giving in my world "which I desperately needed to thrive" and what was expendable. One of the most expendable things in my world was a nature within myself that toyed around with substantial gifts and relationships..a part of myself that enjoyed playing games. I actually became rather disgusted with how I toyed around with my relationships in my youth and I became rather critical of others who did the same....I guess it reminded me of a part of myself that I did not want to be reminded of....thankfully this lasted only a season and I in time I became more tolerant. So I realize at this point in this entry that I am rambling about very personal issues...so....lets try and bring this around. All of this personal growth converged into a place where I took on the advice that Bobby had given me "You are talented....quit toying with your creativity and do something...". So...I set a few short term goals to create one work a month for a year and then I set my long term goal to show my work at the end of that year. I had no theme....no plan....no content on hand....actually I had not drawn in years and I was terrified to put my pen to paper in fear that I might discover that I had lost something. I took some courage and a gut check but eventually I began to draw and much to my surprise I discovered a vault of content to pull from. The Dam broke...so did my expectations and the critical nature that dominated my creative past. The perfectionist that crippled my creativity had died....my friend helped slay that beast with his forth rite commentary regarding my old nature. I began to experience creative freedom for the first time in my life and I quickly learned to protect that part of myself with a tenacity that helped drive me forward creatively. I began to break rules....I began to take the tools that I had been given in the past and the scars of my education and I used them in nonconventional ways that I am sure could make my instructors cringe. I revisited the rebellious artist of my youth and I told him.....it is ok Dave.....you are not broken....it is the mold that breaks around your creative form....just because you do not fit...does not mean that it is all a loss. I would like to take a moment to say Bless you all who fit in that mold....there is much beauty there.....but some of us have this thing.....this wild thing that bites and claws at the boundaries that seeks to shape and define our nature into something that is palatable. This also does not mean that I do not find the contours of these creative molds to be helpful along the way....they do educate....but I cannot dwell in that place...I get a little claustrophobic. Think ....a gorilla in a shop full of fine china... I am that catastrophe. This is really one of the few areas of my life where I allow this level of discord and disorder to reside. The canvas is my sandbox and all are invited to play...if you don't mind a little chaos. So... I am going to bring this to a close. To anyone who has painstakingly meandered their way through this blog God Bless you....I know it was a chore,but. truly..thank you as always for your consideration and time....I hope that in some way it was fruitful.
Much love,
Dave
Aviator Mark II
I think this guy will be visiting the canvas next. I need a figure that will help tie my birds into my Aviator content. The one thing that I have realized about being in a public space where nobody knows you or your work...and that is that...well...noone knows you ir your work. So one or two pieces of my work hanging in public seem abit orphaned...their identity is in flux. This guy has been an anchor for much of my Aviator/Freedom flight series. This is a depictoion of his metamorphosis...where he no longer needs machines/his flightsuit to send him aloft. The passion that led him to develop the mechanics of flight in his laboratory has now manifest itself in his genetic makeup and he begins to take on a natural flight form ...hence the pins and feathers emerging from his skin. I have wanted to paint this scene from my sketchbook for some time.
Lowe Mill Week 1
So I began a slow transition into my studio space this week and for the first time opened my door during public hours. It would be really fun to say that my week was wildly productive,my walls are full of fresh work,and people flooded through my door but that is not what happened. The real story of week one was all about the wonderful artists that I have had the pleasure to meet. Everyone has been wonderfully accomodating,pleasant, and extremely talented. To be honest it has all been challenging but refreshing. Had it not been for the kindness of my neighbors this week could have been much more difficult for me. My surroundings are more accessible because of these folks and I feel more at home as a result. As always working dilligently in the background is Nicole Jolley. Truly, this effort for a family with three little ones is not for the feint at heart. Nicole as always is an amazing support,encouragement,and a pure force of nature when it comes to getting this tribe up and moving. There is much to be done and I am very much looking forward to the road ahead.