Café Table

Here's a recent project: a set of three 5-layer stencils. I was commissioned by a Café owned by three badass women to paint one of their tabletops! It was really rewarding to get back into spray-paint. I love the process of thinking in reverse when cutting the stencils. There are so many ways you can represent ideas with layers of shapes - and you can further stylize with the application of the paint itself. One of my favorite areas is the lace fringe on the end of the Pirate's cloak, which is covered by the coffee creamers in this photo. The Café had requested a "street art" design. I twisted this aesthetic slightly to riff on Japanese Manga line work.

I started with a treatment of gesso to the raw fiber-board table, then used a concrete colored paint for the base (about two cans). Each figure had a golden focal-point representing their powers.

The whole project was completed in around 60 hours this past summer. I ate at the Café the other night and finally saw it in action.

Photographs by Erika Flynn

Martin Parr, Photographer

Photograph by Martin Parr. "Mother and Daughter", Wales 1988

Photograph by Martin Parr from "The Last Resort", New Brighton 1985

Photograph by Martin Parr from "The Last Resort", New Brighton 1985

Photograph by Martin Parr from "The Last Resort", New Brighton 1985

Plein Sud, 1997

 Photographs by Stephane Sendaoui (via)

Milla Jovovich photographed by Stephane Sendaoui for Plein Sud, 1997.

Passion

I loved this documentary about how ballet shoes are crafted. The industrious shoemaker Pat demonstrates such incredible diligence and passion. I feel so romantic about this idea that in searching for an industry to participate in, it is possible that you could somehow stumble on one so apt and dignified. I want to excel at my work and take great pride in the things that I do. This is what I am looking for.

Milla Animal Féminin

Milla Jovovich photographed by Anette Aurell

Once upon a time on the internet, I ran across a picture of Milla Jovovich wearing brown makeup and some tiny orange getup while acting like a wild animal. It was so weird. The image made me laugh and I couldn't forget it. I tracked down all the pages to this weird lo-fi shoot.

Milla Jovovich photographed by Anette Aurell for Jalouse Magazine, issue #2 June/July 1997.
Maybe someday I'll translate the article (pg.1, pg.2). Other credits look to be: Bathing Suit / Vivienne Westwood, Makeup / Rosemarie Swift, Hair / Johnathan Connelly, Stylist / Annett Monheim.

Cool how you can see a YSL advert on the reverse side of one of the pages. I love magazines.

Treasure Trash

I found theses treasures while digging a hole to plant a tree:
1 Toy Boat
1 Summit Bar (best before '83)

Porch of Avalon

Photographs by Erika Flynn

Currently reading Mists Of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. Currently sipping Campari + Soda. It smells like Peonies, Grass, Tar, and Homefries. There is some Yellow Pollen in my sweater. It sounds like Birds. I can hear the Neighborhood all around me.

Come, Spring!

"Spring Blooms" by Stepan Kolesnikoff

"When the Wind Blows My Garden" by Jean Cooke

Winturd

Photographs by Erika Flynn

Here I am, sporting a thin veil of patience while I wait for the arrival of Spring. In a month or so, I'll be knocking pollen out of these old cushions and sharing a sunny spot next to the dozing neighborhood cat. Yes, I can almost hear the tinkling of ice in my Campari...

Also, I cut my hair! I wanted to look like a little German boy. It looks like a mushroom cap / Lloyd from Dumb and Dumber / early Beatles mop.

Orange Ya Glad

Ivan de Pineda and Lonneke Engel by Bruce Weber, VERSUS s/s 1996

Kirsten Owen by Mario Sorrenti in "Suburban Outfitters" for W Magazine, July 1998

 Spring is coming, it's almost here! This winter was dark and brutal, like an enchanted sword made out of black ice. Everyone on the island got sick at the same time this year, myself included. Everybody died! (Just kiddin'). Collectively,  everyone seems as excited as I am that the sun is getting stronger and that our bodies aren't laying prone on scraps of carpet in freezing makeshift quarantine tents. (Not really, that didn't happen).

Efteling

Young Kate Bush made her television debut in 1978 on a Dutch TV special produced by the Efteling theme park in the Netherlands. (Efteling had recently opened their haunted castle Spookslot and wanted to show off the park's new attraction). Kate is such a clever and sincere artist. I think she is pure magic.

Wool Socks

Hi guys,

I am on vacation. I am spending it in the house. These are pictures of my night tonight. I think I'll take a bath now because I need to wash my bangs. Hope this letter finds you happy and healthy.

      Yours truly, 
      Boij

Ronin Sweaters

This week, I discovered the fresh and deliberate storytelling of director John Frankenheimer. His patient heist film Ronin (1998) was a thrill to watch and had the strong and steady pulse of a handsome European racing cyclist.

Ronin's superlative car chases, breathtakingly carried out by a cadre of fascinating enigmatic characters, were realistic and electrifying. I found myself studying the actions of Robert Di Nero's veteran thief Sam to learn something from his impossibly restrained swagger. Far beyond cars and weapons, Sam's experience, intellect and instincts are the most powerful force in this story.

Ronin's lone female Natascha McElhone really nailed her portrayal of the enigmatic and icy Irish lass Deirdre... and so did costume designer May Routh, who fitted her in androgynous and obscuring sweaters that heightened her power and mystery!

For all the expertly directed action and awesome performances in this movie, one of the real stars for me was Routh's costuming! For example, when we first get to know Sam, he is wearing an overcoat and is dressed much like the Peter Falk's famous TV detective Columbo. Incidentally, Sam pulls a very crafty Colombo-esque stunt in this scene, drawing strong comparisons to Falk's unpretentiously ingenious detective. These wardrobe choices subtly send us information that we are desperately craving from the exciting opposition of Frankenheimer's deliberate and restrained storytelling.

Every character has an unique and befitting way of dress that never detracts from the tones and textures of the plot and scenery.