Thick As Thieves

It only takes 48 hours to check out & relax.

Drive from Wisconsin to friends cabin on Fox River. Drink & eat way too much, stay up really late. Wake up and drive 1 hour to the Weyauega river for tubing adventure. Get a really weird sunburn from being folded over in a tube for 3 hours. Fall asleep by 10pm & then drive home the next day for work.




*Sky High * Fox River * Sun Fish*




I can now vouch that S'mores with Toblerone are amazing.


Catfish Sandwich








Thick As Thieves







If you wanna tube down the Weyauwega river find Gil's Landing, pay $10 a tube and they will bus you upstream ($5 for a tube with a mesh bottom to float your cooler). Then you are on your own and depending on how lazy you want your lazy river experience to be it takes about 3 hours to get back to your car. I highly recommend picking up underwater disposable cameras for your adventure. I found mine for $10 a pop at Walgreen's, then used half off coupons for processing. Not a bad deal when 2 camera's + developing (straight to CD) = $29. In my obsessive photo taking world, totally worth every cent.

Full photo set here.

Hung by their Buster Browns?

The thing that bothers me the most about this situation is the way our 8th district Alderman Bob Donovan speaks down about things he is obviously uneducated about. In my option he owes True Skool & the mural artists a public apology.

If you are interested in emailing our future Milwaukee mayor candidate Bob Donovan you can: rdonov@milwaukee.gov

When I emailed him I sent some examples of cities that have mural programs that have made positive influences on neighborhoods.



"As far as I'm concerned, these jokers ought to be hung by their Buster Browns by the nearest light pole for the damage that they are causing to this community"
- Bob Donovan, 8th district Alderman

"Why is this school not teaching these kids skills that can actually help them in life? If they are artistic, teach them graphic design and advertising."
- Patty Doherty, Legislative Aide Alderman Donovan [reprinted in the comment of the A.V. article]

More news links on the mural issue here, here & here.

TIME BENDER * TIME TRAVELER

Dr. Evermor's Forevertron. It's epic. It's beautiful. It's magic.




The man himself behind the work.

I've been going to the Forevertron since 2000. I first heard about it when I lived in Minneapolis from old members the Black Label Bike Club and finally made my way there on one of my first trips down visiting Milwaukee before I lived here.

Since, I think I've made the trip down HWY 12 over a half dozen times. But, this past visit with Aaron was extra special, we sat and talked with Dr. Evermor himself for about an hour. He's always been around in the past but I was either too shy to go up and talk with him or he was swarmed with visitors.


Bird Band Orchestra (you can play all these sculptures!)


Dr. Evermor's time travel medallion he let me hold


Aaron took this summer vacay shot of me

I suggest going there before changes are made, they are in the works. Talk to Dr. Evermor and he may tell you things that you never expected to hear.

On another note, I just counted and I've been in Wisconsin for 39 days straight. That is a record in the past 2.5 years. I have 3 more weeks until I get in an airplane again.

It feels good to have my feet on the ground for so long.

Jump Into My Mouth

Falling under my love for all things colorful,

this cake has captured my heart.

Rainbow Cake photo is from bookjournals' photostream

Swirly rainbow cakes I am no longer interested in you. Funny thing is I'm not really a cake eater or even into foods that contain a lot of dye. However, I feel the same way about this cake as I do when I want a piece of art, the perfect dress or a pair of earrings. I just want it. So like most things I just really want I will make it happen somehow.....I see a baking disaster in my near future, like in the fall when it's not 90 degrees in my kitchen. I'll keep you posted since it's bound to be a catastrophe.

Additional inspiration from here.

Return of the Rhythm Chicken

I haven't seen the Rhythm Chicken in years.

Are you not from Milwaukee and don't know what I am talking about? The Rhythm Chicken is a guy who wears a bunny mask and just shows up at events and plays unannounced and uninvited for usually less then 5 minutes.

It's pretty epic & I was really excited when he arrived to play at the skate jam this past Saturday at the shop.

Venice Beach 1988 & Woodland Pattern workshop

I lived in Santa Monica in the 80's until my family made the mass exodus along with a lot of other Los Angelesites to the North West in 1989. I went to Walgrove Elementary (what? they have a website?!) for 6 years. At the time my school was surrounded by a giant fence. When I moved to Washington State I couldn't believe that my new school there wasn't fenced in and the playground wasn't just asphalt, there was grass and tree's that went off into wooded areas. Mind blowing to this 11 year old.



While living in California, my family spent a lot of time at Venice Beach. Seemed like almost every weekend we were there. My dad was a serious roller skater and he knew all the guys including Harry Perry whom some of you may of seen in a smattering of movies filmed using the colorful extras that were already there.

I started thinking about all this when I came across this old photo (above) of me, my cousin Steve and Uncle Hal in 1988. Wish I could read some of that graffiti better....

Anyhow, in a more current state of mind I wanted to tell you all about this this rad 2 day workshop I am teaching titled "Crafting Your Life Through Art & Activism" at the end of the month at Woodland Pattern here in Milwaukee. As I am starting to get ready for it I am getting really excited & I would love to have a full class. We are going to do all sorts of things like take photos, make a scrap book, embroider neighborhood flags and discuss art, craft and activism. If you have questions feel free to contact me or Woodland Pattern.

Call: 414-263-5001 to register

Saturday, July 31 & Sunday, August 1, 9am-5pm
Premium Workshop: $200
Ten participants minimum. Please bring friends!
Deadline for sign-up is Friday, July 23

Creating art that reflects and affects your community is often challenging. You have to observe your neighborhood within your community, and have a desire to celebrate and/or change it through creativity. In this premium weekend workshop, one of four Woodland Pattern will be offering in 2010, participants will work with local artist, filmmaker, curator and author Faythe Levine to craft a life through art and activism.

Participants will study, watch and discuss Levine's book and documentary Handmade Nation, as well as learn, implement, and share embroidery techniques. Participants will also explore the history of zine (self published magazines) culture. Throughout the weekend, discussion will surround how art and activism can play a tandem role in life, and participants will create their own neighborhood flags and zines.

Black & White: 1 & 2

#1. Sam Macon caught Aaron & I relaxing on the beach in Ootsburg on the 4th of July while Mike G, Hailey & Adam Loeb discuss something important in the background. I'm especially fond of this photo since it was the debut of my fancy "new" thrifted black & gold hat Aaron talked me out of giving away (sorry Sarah). More of Sam's photos can be found here.

#2. Check this out, Sean Williamson is a Milwaukee friend who is helping us with the Sign Painter Movie. He is also an ambitious film director currently shooting a feature length movie on 16mm called "Heavy Hands". He just released the trailer this week & I would love for you to watch it.

lakes. sparklers. pride.

Another 4th passed. Good times with good peeps up in Ootsburgh.

Yawing Void #1

On a daily basis I am blown away by what my friends create.



When I got a package in the mail a few weeks back from my old friend Peter Hodapp it was one of those times.... to the extreme. His comic, Yawning Void #1 (two color, newsprint) is beautiful, educational and a must have for anyone who appreciates good things.


(inside page)

Peter and I met about 12 years ago while we were both living in Minneapolis at the Bloomington House. He lived downstairs & I lived upstairs with my 9 other roommates (yes, 9. It was another time). We moved to other houses, then cities but Peter was on of my best mail corespondents (I have every single letter). After getting married and becoming a super dad the letters appropriately trickled to a stop but Peter has managed to pump out an amazing amount of work in the last year. You can find Yawning Void in select shops (we will have copies at Sky High when the fall pop-up shop opens) or get it straight from Peter here. It's only $5 so there is not a reason to not pick it up. There is all sorts of other great things on his blog, including this flip book that is especially rad.

P.S. I want you to all realize that this is all hand drawn & inked. These photos are from a year ago when we visited Peter's studio & he was in the final stages of layout.





P.P.S. If you are one of my many friends who own shops Peter is looking for folks to carry his work. DO IT!