The arrival and departure of Valentine's Day has gotten me thinking about love which in turn has inspired me to begin a series on the subject that I will call Single and Ready to Eat Pringles*.

God forbid it ever happen, but if you were to climb into my brain for a day, you'd find that love is a popular subject there- falling in love, love lost, heartache, being single (in the South), the dating scene (in Knoxville... yikes.), being mildly boy crazy, falling for crazy boys, wondering if I'm supposed to say "men" instead of "boys" because they are men now, aren't they? That's a good question.

In my daydreams, I imagine being a legitimate writer on the subject. I have a lot of material, lots to laugh about, lots of experience in heartache, lots of wisdom gained. It's all too personal though and, despite the rising level of ridiculousness on social media sites, I think most of what happens between two people that love one another should be kept secret, sacred.

Then again, if and when I meet the man of my dreams, it might be fun to try and make someone want to throw up a little when they read my Facebook statuses. At least for a day or two!

Anyway, I don't know where this is heading, but I'd like to begin with some love-themed comics because, you know, I like comics. 

A different kind of love. Awww.

*I really did come up with this title one day on my own, but a Google search proved I'm not the only one with a witty (/dumb) sense of humor.

...I get to pretend like I'm a real writer.

I wrote the article below about the Salvage Program I manage for Knox Heritage. It came out in this month's Everything Knoxville Magazine.

If you want to take the trouble to read it, you can click on the image below, then-right click on the new image, choose "open image in a new tab", then click on that image to zoom in. (I know. It's all too much.)

All this is to say, you should come over to the Salvage Room. I've got gadgets and gizmos aplenty.

I didn't write last week (breaking one of my two rules) because I was in Memphis for an opening Thursday evening. I apologize for my indiscretion.



I was pretty nervous about having my first show in Memphis. It helped that Otherlands is a laid back atmosphere, but I don't know, anything new makes me flustered; I morph into a deer in headlights.

But everything went well and lots of people came, even people I hadn't seen in over a decade! It was great. There was lots of wine and great food my sweet mother brought.

Sidenote: Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I usually have pretty awesome food at my openings; it's just not something worth missing if you're ever in the same city. Maybe word has spread because I think a couple of people just came for the food. Boy, were they happy.

Anyway, openings are exhausting and strange, but I've warmed up to them over time. They used to put me in a strange place, pushing me into hyper-reclusive mode for a few days after. I would also become really sensitive after shows.

Now, when the end comes, I say, "Let's go have a beer," and typically feel happy, relieved. Maybe I'm becoming less introverted, it's hard to tell.



This show in Memphis is a step in the right direction. I've been wanting to have a show in a city other than Knoxville for a long time, and it finally happened. It's been hard to make contacts or nail down dates in other cities. Nashville is giving me fits. People won't tell me yes or no, or some say yes, but nothing is set in stone.

I did just find out I've been accepted to show work at the Tomato Head in Market Square and Maryville sometime between July and January. I'm also so excited that 17th Street Studios (the studios I co-manage) is having our first group show on May 4th at the Fluorescent Gallery in Knoxville. Mark your calendars.

So I have some deadlines to get my blood flowing a little faster.



I'd like to share my artist statement from my show at Otherlands. I used a short statement from my show in November and built on it.

It's hard to write about my work in such detail. I've gotten used to being incredibly concise, but elaborating on what I'm doing is helping me learn why it is I'm making what I'm making, something that has been cloudy for a while.

Golden Friends

So here it is, imperfect in it's ability to convey everything I'd like, but close enough for now:

I think about my childhood a lot, especially when I'm driving around at night. I am intrigued by how strongly we are connected to memories from our past. I think about the similarities between being young and being an adult, how we are subject to struggles outside of our control no matter how old we are, and how there is never a time where we are free from pain or heartache.

These paintings are imagined narratives based on personal experience. Many are inspired by people I know or places I've seen, and most were made to cope with difficult situations I've encountered. I use setting, space, and figures to convey a somber and quiet emotional state. Some are empty and some show a degree of pain or discomfort.

There are elements that run in and out of each painting that are a result of being fascinated with certain things- women's fashion, modern design, historic architecture, children’s books. I am also inspired by certain music and films and really (really) like animals. I integrate these mild obsessions into my paintings to add humor, beauty, even innocence.

As a whole, most of these paintings are both lighthearted and heavy to reflect the pain and joy we experience simultaneously throughout a lifetime.

...no, not even close, but I did screenprint for the first time today in six years. I suck at it! but am also really excited. It's so repetitive, it will be easy to improve quickly.

I used a little Speedball Kit I got a couple of years ago. I've had the screen ready for about six months, and today, I did my first run.



All I can say is that the unfamiliar is really daunting to me. I am really fearful of things I don't know how to do naturally (Oh, wait. That's everything.). I learned screenprinting at UT, but doing it on my own always seemed like too much.

Good thing I realized today it's super easy.

There's a moral to this story somewhere.



Can you guess who my inspiration is for this print? I'll give you a hint: she's adorable.

I lost this one for a long time, and then it found me.

When I first heard Greek Song by Rufus Wainwright, it gave me the mental image of frolicking through a field holding some sort of billowy fabric... or a ribbon dancer. Since then, I gauge how good a song makes me feel depending on how much it invokes that same feeling.

It's just really nice to know Régine Chassagne and I think similarly.

It's all in slow-motion.

She's in the passenger seat of a car full of friends. She looks out the open window across the sun setting over an expanse, her outstretched hand rising and falling against the wind.
Cut to skaters, grinding rails, soaring though the air.
Cut to scene at a club. His dark eyes meet hers across the crowded dance floor.
Cut to him in a navy hoodie, jogging through his suburban neighborhood at night.
Cut back to car scene again, she and her friends are laughing under a pink sky.
Cut to gym scene where he's punching a punching bag, sweat running down his face.
Cut back to the dance club scene. His hand is on her side.
Cut back to skaters.
Cut to him with her and friends, running across a football field at night.

Cut to cliche, bad-ass scenario in slow-motion.

I'm displaying some of my newest paintings at Otherlands Coffee Bar in Memphis February 2 through March 3. I've shown some work in Memphis before, but I consider this my official hometown debut.

The Opening Reception is February 2 from 5-8pm. I'll be there so please come out if you'll be in Memphis. I'd LOVE to see you.

Otherlands Coffee Bar
641 S Cooper
Memphis, Tennessee





P.S. Thank you, Miss Peaches.