BLOCK

All That's Left is Bones

This is a recently finished painting that evolved from my notebook first sketched out years ago. I am interested in the migration and life cycle of salmon, an interest that goes back to my studies as a fisheries biologist. It also incorporates the form of a fish fossil that I sculpted from heavy molding paste. The photograph was printed on canvas, it's of a fresh sea run pink salmon caught in Alaska. The fossil depicts the end of the salmons long journey upstream to reproduce and die and return to it's origins.
Here is the detail of the sculpted skeleton of the salmon.


Photograph on Canvas
Mixed Media
2009

One of my favorite structures is the New York Central Terminal in Buffalo, NY where I grew up near the train yards. This is a great picture from 1928 during it's construction. As with my sculptures I'm more interested in forms that are in process, still incomplete, when you can see the under structure. It seems to feed more into the imagination rather than a finished work.

As part of my commute I load my bike on the bus that takes me into Union Station in Denver. This is an amazing building that is still in great shape and utilized by Amtrak. It would be wonderful to see it once again as a hub in a revived train system in this country.

Early Morning Commute

, 5:20 am at the Park and Ride where I catch the bus to Denver. This is the Raleigh Touring 14 that I ride. I bought it back in the 80's and it's been with me ever since, all over the US. This morning it was 43 degrees with a clear pre-dawn sky filled with stars. My bike light started to dim out on me so I was playing dodge the new road construction signs. No impact, good to go.

Travels Through Forgotten Landscapes

Going through my photo archive I've come across specific pictures that reminded me of landscapes that I once traveled through. Places that were distinct because of their remote quality.

The Roadtrip to Owl Farm

My friend James was being relocated by his company to the Detroit area, so as a farewell tour we decided to make the pilgrimage to Aspen to see Hunter Thompson's home. I have been a big fan of Hunter's since the 70's and was always fascinated about where he lived and did his work. James I'm sure has just about everything that Hunter's ever published so driving to Woody Creek and back in one day made perfect sense to us.
We heading out of Denver on a July day to make the run to Aspen, get some lunch at the Woody Creek Tavern and search out Hunter's house. Armed with the latest GPS technology and advice on where the house was from friends and Internet searches we finally located the Woody Creek Tavern after a few minor directional errors. Ordered some food and took in the sights of the tavern's interior. Total overload of Hunter stuff and local memorabilia. Great visual chaos. Waitress said she had no idea where Hunter's house was so we headed out again and found it within minutes. Crazed lamas on the other side of the road as we pulled up. All we wanted were a couple of photographs of the entrance so we got those, hung out for a few to take in the area and than headed back out. I can see why he loved it there. A bit off the radar but within striking distance of everything he needed. Definitely worth the trip.
The trip reminded me of when I went to see Ernest Hemingway's house in Ketchum, Idaho back in the 1990's. Looking down the long driveway to get a glimpse of it.

After finding the property we got as far as the driveway on the main road and took some pictures.

Here's a closeup of the Vulture sculptures that top the two telephone pole pillars that flank the entrance to Hunter's property.
Once we got back on the road we made it about 20 miles down I-70 and hit a massive traffic jam. On this highway since it's the only one trough the mountains in the area it means a dead stop. We made three miles in one hour. After that it opened up with no visible reason for the hold up except for workers sweeping up a section at the end of their workday. 583 Miles, round trip in a day.

FrameWork - Study for a Trade Show Structure

Test rode a version of the Spot Highline 3 speed carbon drive bike today. Great bike, quiet and very smooth. The most amazing feature is just how quiet it is. You hear the tires hum on the pavement or at least I was more aware of the noise without the sound of the chain. Sweet ride. I can't say enough.

Bikes

Bicycle design interests me, especially in terms of alternative, environmentally friendly transportation and also cargo transport in this country and other underdeveloped countries of the world. I really like these bikes by Yuba. The how they are made and the why they are made is very cool.

http://yubaride.com/index.html

Spent a few days camping in Grand Lake, CO. Living in a tent for a few days gets my mind working on design and nomadic issues. Walking around the RV campsite checking out the different rigs to see how they look and function. Also this has sparked an interest in what is called Extreme RVs. 4x4 RVs that are built on truck chaises that can go pretty much anywhere, off the grid, wherever. The picture is from the website of UNICAT, a manufacturer of these amazing RV's. Check out the other photos from their site. http://www.unicatamericas.com/index.html

Street 1 - Marketing Materials

I've always felt that most of the real innovative stuff comes from the street. Most of our music, fashion, car culture and visual forms can be traced back to having their origins in some street culture, attitude, response to the surroundings, environment and economic conditions or just a need to be different and bring in something new. Graffiti, rap, break dancing, skateboarding, bike messengers, free running all share common origins. Exploring these examples and understanding their significance and having an appreciation for the art forms they represent give urban life an edge and the richness of diversity.

PowerPoint

2009

Art in the Wild

This was a large scale environmental installation that was built in the forest to resemble the abandoned late 19th and early 20th century mine structures that can be found all over the West. It was built of rough cut Douglas Fir that I had milled locally and carried up the ridge for assembly. It's still out there.

Kine's Ramp

Somewhere in the West

1985