RE:cipe

after my previous post the ever talented, ax and apple axed in a comment, 'what kinda cookies?'.  i thought i'd go ahead and provide you all with the actual recipe handed down to me from hands in the sky.

*what you will need to make austin cookies:

flour.
baking soda.
baking powder.
oats.
bran.
butter.
brown sugar.
2 eggs.
chocolate morsels.
raisins.
sliced almonds.
big sun-glasses or purple wig. 

*to make austin cookies:

preheat oven to 350 degrees
3 parts flour (i use a 1/2 cup scooper so each 'part' will mean 1, 1/2 scooper)
3 dips oats ('dips' also mean 'parts'')
1/4 bran
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder

~mix them lovelies together with some sort of spoon or relative mixing device, a banana would probably work fine.  whatever you have around that's stick like.   nothing with lead at the tip though.

~insert a stick of butter into your microwave for 55 seconds.  it helps to cut that sucker into sections so it will melt down easier; like 1/4 inch slices.

~once out of the microwave add 3 scoops of brown suga to your bowl.  mix it in real good with the butta.  this is your money maker right here.  this is where the full flavor comes from.  make sure you sing to it.  i've found my best cookies prefer elton john songs.  guess that's why they call it the blues or daniel.  wear big glasses if you have them too. not necessary though in a crunch.

~get two eggs outta your refrigerator and mix 'em up.  beat those eggs like you're angry at them; to a pulp.

~pour your butter and sugar mix into the dry mix and stir all the while. go ahead and pour in those battered eggs for the hell of it.

~after you have a nice conglomerate of stickiness and beautiful texture you're gonna wanna add in some chocolate and nuts because all good things come from the transcendent union of chocolate and nuts.
really you could add as much chocolate as you wanted, of any kind (semi-sweet or milk chocolate ,whatever)  just make sure it's at least 3 scoops for mary's sake.  who's mary?  i don't know.
i add about 2 scoops sliced almonds.

~add about a scoop and a half of some raisins, both dark and golden if you got'em.  goldens are a nice surprise.

that's about when you're going to need to stir all that wonderfulness together.  meet and greet those ingredients.  roll out those morsels of bliss in whatever imaginative shapes you want.

i usually can get two dozen full bodied treats from this ratio in two baking pans.
you should butter the pans before putting down the spoonfuls of your mixture to avoid any sticking.
bake for about 10-12 minutes.
if you have any chocolate left over you can heat it up a bit in a pan and drizzle it over the cookies with a spoon for extra chocolate goodness.  let sit for a couple minutes before spreading them all over your faces.

repeat as often as you like.

Where I'm At

maybe you've wondered to yourself, 'what's austin doing?'  well i'm about to tell you.
to put it plainly, i've relocated and taken on a full time position as property caretaker of a community arts center (cac).  as you can gather this means lots of packing, taping, labeling, lifting, moving, organizing, re-situating, moving, and time... but it's great for cleaning out non-benefiting accumulation or 'serving no purpose any more clutter'.  moving can be a rejuvenating process as can starting anything new.  my new job allows me residence in a lovely town called wallingford, also known as nether providence township.  it's a small place you won't find on many maps, not even maps consisting of delaware county label it.  living in a place starting with 'nether'  i find curiously fitting for myself.  it's about 15 miles southwest of philadelphia so it's not a long trip back to the city if i have a hankering for the bustle of pedestrian traffic again.

luckily my new responsibilities have kept energies i usually put towards my studio practice in constant use so i haven't felt too much anxiousness in needing to get back into a routine, although recently it's coming to a head.
part of the delay in getting my new life in order has been because i took it upon myself to strip the old paint off the front room floor to reveal hidden wood underneath. the process has taken longer than imagined but it's finally finished and i'm loving the rewards.  now i'm able to move things into that room and out of the room i've been using as storage, which will serve as my studio.

this weekend has been very productive for me in getting things settled and organized to a near comfortable living situation...hence the reason i am able to sit here and type this explanation out to you, my faithful and interested readers.  and i thank you for your patience and interest.  i'd send you home made cookies if i knew they'd get to you before they turned into hockey pucks.

i'd like to take this memorial moment to thank those prior and current who serve(d) for the cause of america and to wish happy birthday GTB.  (look forward to seeing you soon)

but all of this life adjusting stuff hasn't completed deterred my creative urges.  nay, i have managed to dabble here and there in my ongoing project 'sphinx fox' which i keep with dear philly friend, joy payton.  we've been working on a collaborative book for quite a while now.  i just handed it over to her but before i did i photographed the pages, albeit blurry and not photoshopped, but they should serve as proper teaser fodder for you. 
here's some choice our d'oeuvres:

i love you all and think of you often.  Each of you.

separately,...

and sometimes in group situations,...

but really it's the thought itself that matters right?

QUE? St. Ion.

Remedios Varo

Moving into a new space place.  Thinking of interior design as living sculpture.

While this artist, who I've been fond of, has made herself known to me again..

Thank you Jim D.

Taffy

The Dailies

'Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.'
 

Astronomy Picture of the Day

WO Super man

Are you familiar with the work of artist Laurie Anderson?...no, not Louie Anderson, the comedian, yeah, no...not Loni Anderson the actress from 'WKRP in Cincinnati', (don't start singing, those things are written to stick) no I'm talking about LAURIE Anderson, the spoken word performance artist. She writes provoking, often humorous, insightful, and poetic work about all kinds of things.

Here's some motivational morsels to go along with your morning muffin and chai...











ps. If you feel up to it, play the first video, wait about a minute, then start the second one. Wait thirty seconds into the second one then start the last one. Now all are playing at the same time...Insta-art piece about the over saturation infiltration of mass media; hey, at least it's healthier than the Nightly News, Married With Children, and Reality TV coming at you?

Western Light

Had my hands in a tray of water, rubbing pulp off a gel transfer, when I noticed the dance between water and light being projected onto the wall...

Soupcooler @ Magic Gardens

Looking for a confounding music show to attend this Saturday?  Looking to surround yourself with visually perplexing dynamism?  Look no further here's both in one. <<

The Big Vacation Video

One of the qualities I like most about the book as a artistic medium is that you can hold it. The audience can experience the work in a physical way, which typically isn't allowed with a painting on a wall. However there is a unfortunate separation via the internet medium between artist and blog reader. I thought to step toward having the experience for you be more like the 3D experience is in person, I could shoot a video of me turning the pages for you vicariously. This way we're at least using real time features.  To view the video click here.  Hope you enjoy this method of viewing.


Also I'm about to post photos I took of the pages while at the beach, in case you'd like to look a little longer.

The Big Vacation Book Pages

D A M N T H I R S T Y

First

The fish needs to say,

"Something ain't right about this

Camel ride--

And I'm

Feeling so damn

Thirsty."

~ Hafiz



(you can click on the images to view larger)

Wishes really do come true.

In a unfamiliar living room with Gabriel,(a close friend of mine) and someone else. Watching a video about something I had made artistically when the video starts to go way beyond anything pertaining to what I had done. The images keep scrolling/panning deeper and deeper down a hallway with blue curtains and I begin thinking this is weird, I didn't shoot this...then I look at my friend's faces and they were grotesquely misshapen and moving, as if melting. I realized I was dreaming.
To try it out I decided I would try to fly, which I was able to do. I slowly lifted off the ground and began to fly out a open window. I flew around outside, at night, just outside the window which was on the top floor of a building. I thought, 'Where would I like to fly to?" My first thought was to find a old friend then I quickly thought to myself that I didn't want to do that, but this hesitation confused my psyche and slowed me down. I soon gathered my composure and remembered I was flying, to just keep doing that. I was still over the roof as I approached the ledge of the building. As I was approaching the edge of the roof I began to feel fear about not being able to fly over a open space and clung to the edge as I peeked past the ledge. I saw what seemed to be a party of people down on the streets; some night life, but I still couldn't do anything about it. After this I felt my concentration go away and I lost my ability to fly and re-entered the dream without lucidity. It became like a regular dream which I did not know I was in.

Still on the roof looking at Gabriel inside the window from where I came. There was a gap between where I was and the window that I couldn't jump or fly back into. Since I thought I was back in normal reality again I didn't think I could fly back in or go off somewhere.
I looked down and around, then somehow I found myself on the ground level, thinking I'd been here or it made sense that I was here; as dream logic has a way of fixing discrepancies like that. Gabriel came down to meet me and we began to walk back inside the building.

Back inside my building, probably where I lived, I wanted to find two books that I had made that I wanted to try and get back before they were mailed off. Gabriel thought we should try the postal office which was on the third floor and I thought sure. We went inside but it didn't feel like the right place. 'Nah, this isn't it' I said/thought to myself and left. Walked upstairs starting to hurry now for something seemed impending, maybe the urgency of wanting to catch the books before they were delivered or the sense of the dream ending?
We entered into the 4th floor door. Which was a room I didn't expect it to be, all pale blue coloring; baby blue clothing mall. Mothers pushing shopping carts. The door that was supposed to lead us to where I thought would be our place we didn't even try opening because it looked/felt so wrong. Dream energy tiring. I looked around rest of place, beginning to not make sense of anything. The last lady I saw as we decided to leave looked wide and short like a troll doll. She looked at me like, 'what am I doing here?' Somewhat rudely. Woke up. 4:25am 4/14/10

Strange thing: as I was writing this this morning I noticed I was hearing a lasting humming sound with the sound of crickets in the background. 'What is this', I thought? I wondered if I was still dreaming.

Day at the beach recap

Had the pleasure of spending my birthday at the beach with some great friends and beautiful weather.  Drew in my book, hit wiffle ball, and walked along the ocean.  Good start to Year 33.

I photographed the journal pages I've been working in for the past couple months, on the beach, thinking this was a auspicious time to end and begin the next one.  I'll post those images soon.

Process

In the Studio

Here's a peek into what I'm working on during this seasonal resurrection. 

.Praise its name. Light.

Invitation to Love

Floredah

Went home to Florida earlier this month to visit family and take in Plant City's annual claim to fame, the Strawberry Festival.  It's always a warm trip down memory lane going home: smell of the house I grew up in, relaxing on the back porch listening to the birds chirping, well stocked refrigerator.

They put me right to work the day after I arrived, whipping cream for my parents church Strawberry Shortcake booth.  It paid off with a free shortcake at the end!  Little bit of heaven those things.

I hadn't been to the fair in over 10 years I'd guess and it was still such a treat.  I had a new appreciation for the ride decorations.  I admired the colorful faux style of painting, even if they weren't well executed or kitschy cheese.  (I like cheesy sometimes, especially when there's that tinge of nostalgia accompanying it.)

Next year I'd like to do a series of photographs of all the concession stands there.  Those were something special too.  So much diversity in signage and lure of advertisement.  Maybe I'll hit up the festival circuit this summer around the Pennsylvania territory?


(That photo above is called 'Boy on Ferris Wheel with beach ball'.)

Bill Morrison Filmmaker

Light Is Calling (OFFICIAL VERSION) from Bill Morrison on Vimeo.


and his new one coming out April 24th with Dave Douglas and Keystone doing the soundtrack!:


Spark Of Being - Dave Douglas & Keystone, and Bill Morrison from Greenleaf Music on Vimeo.


Happy 30th Birthday Brittney! ! !

Birds For Arms Show @ Troc

The Black Dog Runs At Night

Piranha Betty's here in Philadelphia (2472 Frankford Ave.) is hosting a Twin Peaks Inspired Art Show April 2nd.  I'll have a piece in there and I'm also baking some apple pies for the event.

There will be a room decorated like the Black Lodge with red curtains and zig zag flooring, pots of coffee, and Twin Peaks themed music all night long, and also pie!

You can come costumed as your favorite character if you're feeling like it.

Here's a link to the Piranha Betty's Facebook Event Page for more details.

Zach Galifianakis helps alleviate sinus pressure

 There's little doubt being sick sucks: sinus congestion headaches,  soar achy body, so a little while ago when I was out of rotation I resigned myself to laying in bed and spending most of a day and half watching online PBS and Netflix video. Some I can recommend in case you're sick or just feel like watching a educational video for the hell of it are the NOVA, 'What Darwin Never Knew which talks about the DNA genome project where scientists are able to trace and locate specific strands in DNA responsible for particular functions of our body and minds.  It also gets into our evolutionary tree of life branching all the way back to our connection with fish. There is the Frontline special, Digital Nation which gets into growing up in a era of text messaging and online existence setting precedence over more tangible realities and anticipates virtual futures.

Now I'm feeling better, (lots of saltines, oranges, and water worked for me) but there remains so much interesting and informative subjects on that site like the one I just watched from Faces of America called, Know Thyself.  It gets into the ancestral history of where we come from following the lineage of several 'famous' people using DNA sequencing and makes connections with those people to other 'famous' people on the program to show how closely connected we are to each other.

All in all I wanted to post about these things because I do find this information useful and encouraging in a way that I think benefits anyone willing to watch and listen to them.  This being said, New York I Love You eases the pain too.

Information is Knowledge is Power.  Just planting seeds.

PBS starting line

Flower Show

Was at the Flower Show Convention yesterday and snapped some shots for reference and inspiration.  There were beautiful decorative headdress' that have totally inspired me.  I'll probably be drawing plumage coronas and crowns for head soon..here's what I saw:

 

  

  

  

 

 

  

I really like the little forms of the non-flowering plants.  I think they're mainly in the cacti family?

  

  

  

  

  

 

Exquisite Corpse

Sphinx Fox and our goth artist friend Kimberlee Traub a while back got together and drew up some exquisite corpse drawings.  We later elaborated on them which of course is a breach of conduct for the Surrealists who let the thing be what it was...we just couldn't help but work back into ours.  We did three, each of us worked on one until they all came back around to us, each of us having touched them twice.  Below is the first one I scanned.


For those who don't know the history or what an Exquisite Corpse is:

An Exquisite Corpse is a Surrealist term for a collaborative drawing done with three or more people where a sheet of paper is folded three or more times each person getting a section of the folded paper to draw on, never knowing what the other has drawn before them until everyone has contributed.


to expound  http://www.lmstudio.com/corpse_history.htm :

The Exquisite Corpse and The Surrealists
		One of the basic tenants of Surrealism was the notion that creativity /genius could be a shared experience. Through such exercises in collaborative imagination such methods as the Game of the Analogical Portrait, the Truth Game, the When and If Game, and the game of Exquisite Corpse (cadavres exquis) became tools for exploration. André Breton spoke of these games as "…the most fabulous source of unfindable images…". Breton's notion that images derived from disassociation were the important aspect of such exercises. He [Breton] defined surrealism as the spontaneous exploitation of 'pure psychic automatism', allowing the production of an abundance of unexpected images. The scandalous periodical, La Révolution surréaliste, was founded in December of 1924. In it was the proclamation, "Surrealism is not a new or easier means of expression, nor is it a metaphysic of poetry; it is a means toward the total liberation of the mind and of everything that resembles it…". Developed in 1925, the Exquisite Corpse was designed for group participation and relied on the chance encounter as a disruption of rationality and a product of the shared, oceanic unconscious in which the Surrealists believed.

(Like I said before this has been re-worked after the initial E.C. happened.  Others tend to be more raw.  Less unified.)

Try one with friends.