No, not the drug. I’m on something else right now – nothing quite as good as ecstasy, but… And no, not the Steely Dan album, which I wouldn’t call their best – although it’s still one of the best albums of the 70s and it does have Gold Teeth on it… No, I was referring to a few things that are coming to a head right now – like how my show is opening in 8 days (I’m installing it this Sunday and Monday) and how my book: Scribbles in a Sandstorm is practically finished. There are going to be only 5 books available at my show, and only 1 deluxe edition (which is the only one left – the rest have been sold out on pre-sales). Take a sneak peak of the book in progress on Chance Press’ site here.

I also added a group show to my schedule that opens November 7th at Angels Gate Cultural Center called, To Live and Draw in L.A.

Today (Friday) I am going to have lunch with artists Nancy Baker and Oriane Stender. They are both in town for Nancy’s show tonight at Jancar Gallery in Chinatown, which is happening from 6-9 PM. You should go!

this past week I’ve been covering all the fronts of my paintings with that foam sheeting so they will be AOK for stacking in my car and transporting to the gallery. I guess I’ve been a little more anal about these things because I’m sick of touching things up after I moved everything from the old studio to the garage. Especially the white background paintings, but I’m bringing a paint kit anyway just in case anything gets nicked after we hang it. See? Anal.

I have to say that I look forward to installation day, not reception day. Getting the work hung and the placement of everything is what’s so important to me. It’s what I have been working for these last 2 years. To me, that’s the show; that’s the personal satisfaction. being alone in the gallery and seeing it all “perfect,” or feeling good about how it is anyway… then I let it go. I hand it all over. The control. I set sail to the work, the energy, the control, the art, the relationship I had with it, and I take my hands away and totally give it up. It is no longer mine.

Reception day is usually a blur. I try to get through it best I can. It’s like driving a car with a broken steering wheel down a thin alleyway at 150 mph, where I can’t see through the wind sheild, 3 of the tires are nearly flat, and the head gasket is about to blow up, and I have to eat a hamburger with my shifting hand. Meanwhile, I have to make sure I don’t hit any pedestrians. …As long as I haven’t offended anyone the night of the reception, I feel safe. It is not easy to give every single person who comes undivided attention. I want to thank every one who actually think it’s worth coming to see my work – but I have to do this without feeling nervous. Because I am uncomfortable in social situations, I fear I come off disingenuous. In actual fact I am blown away that anyone comes at all. When there is a crowd, I’m just overwhelmed trying to play it cool. “thank you for coming out…. thank you for coming…. I appreciate you being here….” I probably just sound like an idiot.

Anyway… nice chatting with you.

I’ve been busy busy. Sorry I have been neglecting the blog, but so many things are on my plate and it’s hard to eat everything when I’m so full, bloated like a big fat whale.

The work for Tinney Contemporary in Nashville is done, but I am still packing it up to ship it off for next week. My flight is getting booked and everything seems to be on track for that. I am finally all put away at the new Rubber Soul studio and been getting back to work on my Los Angeles show. Unfortunately, the assistance I was counting on has gone by the wayside and it’s all on me to do all the little prep work and details that I planned on being out of my hair while I just made the art, so it seems every waking moment is committed to work work work – which is fine really. I have one task being done by my original assistant and if she can manage to do it, that might be enough of a saving grace for me. We shall see. I have definitely learned my lesson about paying people in advance though – never again.

I have actually planned out the time it will take me to complete all the work right up until my installation and I have exactly 65 days to complete 8 pieces of art. 2 are not yet started, 4 are just barely started, 1 is a touch up, and one is going to take a long time to complete. I’m a bit nervous.

In other news, as I have said before, my new book, Scribbles in a Sandstorm published by Chance Press is going to be available at my LA show. Inside the book features am additional little sketchbook on top of all the other prints and fold-out goodies this book has to offer. It’s going to be a beautiful handmade edition. I found out recently that they are also making some special smaller editions of just the sketchbook by itself in a variety of special editions at affordable rates, and even taking these to show at the San Francisco Zine Fest next month. I am not sure of their availability at this very moment because I think they may not be technically released until October and/or at the Zine Fest, but I do know that they take pre-orders. Feel free to contact them. Here is a pic of the different editions of the sketchbook versions of the book.

10 copies are “deluxe,” bound in fabriano paper with a mulberry dustjacket*, signed by me with an original sketch (ships with a gocco print on watercolor paper): $25
20 copies are “really nice,” bound in canson mi teintes with a mulberry dustjacket, signed by me (ships with a gocco print on defunct office stationery): $15
30 copies are “pretty nice,” bound in canson mi teintes: $7

Please email Jordan and/or Justine at books (at) chancepress (dot) com for more info.