I was privileged to volunteer for ArtPrize 2009. I was a “way finder” and helped register people to vote. It was a blast and a smart way to view the inner working of the event. For ArtPrize 2010 I’ll be competing as an artist. What I have in store for my entry is a doosie.

I’ll be breaking theworld record for largest Rubik’s Cube mosaic mad eby a single person. I’ll be solving 1,750 cubes (most will be solved live at the event) and then configuring them into a mosaic of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I hope to certified upon completing the project. What’s more important is what I plan to do with the cubes once the event has wrapped up. I’ll be distributing them to classrooms across Michigan so that kids can learn about geometry and algebra in a fun and tangible way. The big hurdle is money. I need to raise $15,000 dollars to purchase the cubes, pay for shipping the cubes to classrooms, get GWR out here from London, and cover some miscellaneous costs. If you’re interested in donating check out my project at Kickstarter or check out the PixelPete2010 website.

Like most artists, I do a lot of research. I look at the imagery in campy old sci-fi movies, and enjoy looking through ancient textbooks from the 1940-70’s. I feel like I am building a world, developing characters and planning events. I am often captivated by something I see on the street, signs, graffiti, animals, and human interaction. I like to work through these ideas in my sketchbook before I start a drawing or painting. Once an idea feels right I will start laying it out, working on the composition is the most exciting part of the process. The organization of the pictorial elements is a challenge. Trying to fill the space without actually filling it. I find the compositions of Cezanne, Jaques Luis David, Caravaggio, and Piero Della Francesca very inspiring. I like to orchestrate the angles and visual elements so that the viewer’s eye moves continuously through the work.

Once I have laid in the pictorial framework, I begin filling in areas of solid color with water color or gouache, then I begin adding all of the detail work. Though I was taught to paint from life, my work is not. It is a challenge to figure out the arrangement and color of the shadows, to make sure that all of the colors exist in the same light. Painting from life in the past helps me with these elements. One saying I remember from a figure painting class ” A light in the dark is lighter than a dark in the light”. I have many objects on my drawing table that I use as a reference, geometric forms, plastic containers, and scraps of material. Some folks have asked if I use the computer as a tool to lay out my designs. I think it would be a good tool for developing my work but I don’t have any experience with the drawing programs. At some point I may experiment with the computer, but I think I would miss the drawing process. – Josh Keyes via Fecal Face

Keyes has really developed too. His older works are more geometric and seems less about nature and more about environment, yet are still captivating. It seems he’s gotten comfortable with his current direction but as an artist myself, I know that can be dangerous. I’m going to keep my eye on this guy.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dried black beans
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 3 cloves fresh minced garlic
• 1 large yellow onion diced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tbsp ground coriander
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 3 cans diced green chilies (4ox cans)
• 1 tbsp ground white pepper
• 1 large poblano pepper
• 2 large red jalapeno peppers
• 4 cups boneless chicken breast
• 3 cups shredded smoked gouda
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• juice from 1 lime
• 1 cup hard dry cider
• salt to taste
• 1 1/2 cups french roux (equal parts butter and flour)

Chicken Marinade:

• 1 1/2 cups hard dry cider
• 2 cloves fresh minced garlic
• 1 tsp ground chipotle pepper
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Trim the chicken breasts and place in a large resealable plastic bag. Add all the chicken marinade ingredients to the bag, mix, then squeeze the air out of the bag and refrigerate. Soak the black beans in cold water as instructed on the black bean packaging. Some packages suggest a warm or cold soak, do not use the warm soak instructions.

In the morning, fire up the grill or smoker to 220 degrees. Prep the jalapenos and the poblano pepper by cutting in half and removing the “guts”. If using a grill, place your pre soaked wood chips directly on top of the coals or heating element. Place the peppers and the marinated chicken in the grill. Baste the chicken every ten minutes for 30 minutes, flip, repeat. Remove from heat, cool both chicken and peppers, cube chicken.

In a large pot heat olive oil to medium high heat. Add onion and saute for 8 minutes, add garlic and continue to saute for 3 minutes. Stir in cumin, coriander, white pepper, black pepper and paprika and cook for 3 minutes. Deglaze with hard cider and lime juice. Add jalapenos (now chipotle peppers) and poblano (now an ancho pepper). Add cubed chicken and broth. bring to boil, reduce and keep on low heat for 90 minutes. Thicken with roux, stir in sour cream and cilantro. Serve with cilantro garnish and gouda on the side.

Gynompedie #1 has been one of my favorite classical songs for a long time now. I even went as far as to teach myself to play it on the piano from ear a few years ago. I often associate it with the Maine winters as it’s haunting beauty seeps into me like the cold via a drafty window not autumn like the video shows. Satie is also one of my favorite composers of minimalist contemporary classical. I’m a big fan of his work in general.

Of course I couldn’t forget to include the father of contemporary classical music, Claude Debussy.This is a timeless classic and the video is an odd approach one might find in a Radiohead music video but it’s fun and the ominous landscape the song draws overpowers just about anything. I’m imagining Monet in the french countryside with this song pumping in his iPod.

Phillip Glass’ Metamorphosis is a little more upbeat than the others here but still very cerebral and detached. Blow is the video for the second movement. Absolutely wonderful use of time. This one really helps me find my center. Branka Parlic plays it masterfully. Listen to all five movements here.

Finally, one that hits close to home. Grand Valley State University’s New Music Ensemble recorded this piece entitle “Music for 18 Musicians” by Steve Reich at the St. Cecelia Music Society just over a mile away from where I write this blog. Reich’s use of tonality has an ability to transform into larger and deeper meanings. Often segments seem to be electronically created yet it remains completely acoustic. Visit the New Music Ensemble’s  site for more information on this piece.

Bonus: Samuel Barber’s Agnus Dei. You might recognize it from the movie “Platoon”. It’s an incredibly emotional piece.

Special thanks to Andrea Gomez for the suggestions.

How most beers are made

The simplest beers are made from four ingredients: Water, Barley, Hops, and Yeast. The first step in beer brewing is to make a mash of hot water and barley. This converts the starches in the barley into sugars. The liquids are separated from the mash to make what’s called the wort. They then reduce the wort down a bit and while it is boiling, the hops are added, giving the wort a bitter flavor. After the wort is finished reducing it is cooled for fermenting. Fermentation is where the yeasts are literally eating the sugars and producing alcohol. The fermentation can take a week or months depending on the yeast and and the strength of the beer.

Simple deviations to these ingredients are the start of where you come in. You need to decide which ingredients and flavors you like in a beer before you start on the road to microbrew bliss. Secondly, committ to being open minded about beers, don’t judge a beer by it’s label. Invest in beer. Don’t expect Miller Lite pricing on microbrews. Every other month my friends and I get together and buy $20.00 worth of individual bottles (no two are the same) and we taste each one. This is a great way to taste a bunch of beers without having to spent too much or get two drunk. We pour a couple ounces into everyone’s glass and one bottle can give 10 people a taste. Don’t go any larger than 10 because A: you’ll need to buy bottles in pairs if you want everyone to try that beer and B: You want to discuss each beer and more than ten people is too much conversation. When you do this it’s not a bad idea to take notes because at the end of the evening… you might not remeber so well. Have someone who knows beer be the MC that way they can educate you a bit before you taste.  You’re also not comitted to drink an entire beer you don’t like, this is a huge plus.

In my experience, this is the most effective way to taste beers. but don’t forget that most bars offer microbrews on tap, ask for a sample before you order. Most places offer them for free. Stop drinking mass produced domestic beers, start drinking craft beer.

It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with it again. I did eleven paintings that summer, five of which are the series below. I convinced a friend of mine to let me hang them in his storefront as I had no other place to put them. I had no intention of selling them and didn’t even put up cards with titles or anything, just hung them on the wall. Well it turns out people liked them. My friend would give me updates on who had stopped by to see them and listen into people’s reactions. He was as excited as I was. Low and behold someone called me to buy four of them and I met the man the next morning. I asked him which ones he wanted and he couldn’t make up his mind so he bought all five.

While I’m not a master painter, I do feel accomplished. My painting are not deep meanings of social injustice. They do have themes and represent something, however abstract. I use enamel paints almost as watercolors. I let them dictate what’s happening and I allow them to be imperfect. It’s a very process oriented way of painting. I use chemical reactions, gravity, and heat to help create the unique imagery.

Sworray is a way for people to create any type of party they can think of. If they can’t think one up, we’ll give them ideas. When they’re done thinking one up they’ll be able to create a custom invitation and then send them to all their friends on nearly every network you could think of. You can even send invites through the mail for a fee.

Sworray wouldn’t be possible without the OpenSource movement. Sworray is an amalgamation of different OpenSource code. Thje infrastructure is comprized of a WordPress MU installed with BuddyPress. This is the framework and the majority of the functionality. There’s also a number of plugins that help keep things running and add functionality. I found a super cool app called firef.ly that adds a totally awesome chat. I’m currently working on polishing up a number of things that will add even more functionality.

ArtPrize is the worlds first public juried art contest that will turn Grand Rapids, Michigan into the largest gallery ever. Anyone from anywhere can submit nearly anything and ArtPrize will help you find a venue to place it.  Think of it like a SXSW for artwork. All the works will be voted on by the people (viva la revolution) via SMS messaging and here’s the kicked… the purse is $400,000 that pays to the top ten finishers. First place wins a quarter of a mil, that’s $250,000, the largest prize for an art contest ever.  Of course as a painter and a lover of Grand Rapids I had to enter immediately, even tried to with my phone as they were making the official announcment. I’ll be haking a push via internet for people to vote for my work so keep an eye out for my plugs. Watch the embedded video below and visit the site for more information. and Take a look at my submission below that. Any questions or comments are, as always, welcomed.

Chimie de l'Hiver

Plancher de Forêt

Le-Feu-et-Soufre

I have never been really good at keeping a music library. I have a broad pallet for music and I will get in certain moods that requires certain genres. I hate iTunes, I hate Windows Media Player, other than the actual radio, I have little options. There are a number of options on the web for radio. I’ve tried a number of them. I can give you a run down of them and write a mini review but honestly, Pandora blows them all out of the water.

What is Pandora? “Pandora is an automated music recommendation and Internet radio service created by the Music Genome Project. Users enter a song or artist that they enjoy, and the service responds by playing selections that are musically similar. Users provide feedback on approval or disapproval of individual songs, which Pandora takes into account for future selections”.  – Wikipedia. In short Pandora is a customizable, intuitive radio station. It’s free and has very limited ads.  It gets smarter as you use it and will introduce you to new artists and one’s you’ve forgotten about. I use it every day for every mood, and I am a moody little boy.

If you go to my profile you’ll see a station called “Disc Golf Radio”, When I go out for a round I fire up Pandora on my phone and never have to touch it again till I’m climbing back in the car. Obviously this service if far beyond what radio has to offer. Think about how it’s pulled music out of a drought. Since the inception of radio have had to deal with the unfortunate consequence of advertisement. Pandora’s is minimal on their free subscription. If you buy the $32 annual subscription, you’ll never see an ad, not even when you’re using a mobile app. The quality of the music is very good, no it’s not studio quality, but it’s better than typical streaming audio, even when you’re using a mobile app.  This site is smart. They’ve paid attention to most, if not all, of the details.  The user interface is clean and fairly easy to use (this could use some attention), their mobile strategy has been thought out completely, they blog and travel to different music festivals to soft promote.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
• 1 pound White Lump Crab meat
• 4 stalks of Celery chopped
• 1 tin of medium sized smoked oysters
• 2 cups low sodium chicken stock
• 2 cups of All Purpose Flour
• 2 large Yellow Onions diced
• 1/2 cup Chopped Chives
• 2 tbsp Thyme
• 4 tbsp Parsley
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 1/2 tbsp Black Pepper
• 1 tbsp White Pepper
• 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 2 tbsp Zataran’s Shrimp and Crab boil
• 1 tbsp Lemon Zest
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp of butter
• Salt to taste

ROUX: In small sauce pan add 1/2 cup of oil and 2 cups of flour. Mix into paste and add oil until you reach a peanut butter consistency. Heat mixture on medium high heat and stir continually until medium brown. Remove from heat and continue to stir for 5 minutes.

STEW: Sauté onions and celery for 8 minutes, add garlic and continue for 3 minutes. Add black and white pepper, cayenne, paprika, thyme, bay leaves, lemon zest, 1/4 cup of chives, and pinch of salt, stir. Add shrimp, crab, crab boil, oysters, and broth, stir. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add roux incrementally and stir in with whisk until desired consistency is reached. Garnish with remaining chives.

Beer Pairing: Abita Jockamo