DOGS ARE DISGUSTING!!!

This just happened!

Mudd jumped on my lap. I was paying attention to a Dick Blick catalog and didn't really notice his presense until I heard a loud burp and smelled a terrible smell. I looked at him, astonished that such a small thing could make such a large scent, and noticed he was chewing. HE BURPED UP A MOUTHFUL OF PARTIALLY DIGESTED KIBBLE AND WAS CHEWING IT ON MY LAP! But wait, it gets worse. A trio of wet kibbles fell from his mouth and onto my Ottumwa Bulldogs hoody AND THEN HE ATE THEM AGAIN!

It was horrible.

Mudd don't care.

No. Sleep. Till Brooklyn...or Peoria, Illinois (in my case).

Wow.  So it's been awhile.  Ten days to be exact.  It was a pretty gnarly weekend...gnarly in a good way so here it goes. 

1. Wake up at 7am.  I have to be in Peoria, Illinois by 1:30pm to meet my friend, Bruce.  Bruce and I are going to perfect the new website we've been working on over the past few months.

2. Hop into the car at 8:30am and drive 3 hours to Galesburg, Illinois where I spend 300 freaking dollars on art supplies.  I leave the store feeling very, very, poor.  I hit the gas, I'm still forty minutes from P-Town and I've got a schedule to keep.

3. I pull up to Bruce's house at exactly 1:30 (and I am completely astonished, I predicted this well), wipe the gunk outta my eyes and get down to the nitty-gritty.  I plug in words, numbers, organize images, and learn how to run my own website.  Bruce is a God.  I feel confidant that the new website will be beautiful...the best part?  I can update everything on my own.  I feel so empowered.

4. Its now almost 4pm and I have a date with Elizabeth.  I haven't seen her in years.  I grab some coffee for our coffee date, go to her house, meet her new cats, we wax nostalgic, and then we hug goodbye (the cool coin is a gift from Elizabeth!).  It was a short visit but a positive one.

5. Wow, it's already 5!  I hustle to the casino in East Peoria where I meet Rik. We (he) gamble for a minute before our STEAK dinner.  The casino rewarded Rik's patronage with free steak!  I ate a Filet Mignon.  That damn piece of meat cost 38 dollars.  Thanks, Rik!  Next time I see you the steak is on me!

6. Oh god!  It's already 7!  I have to drive across town to meet up with my ol' college buddies.  Juice, Steve, Shannon, Rishika, Jessi, Beth, Tony, Steven,  and I sit on the floor of his kitchen and laugh for two hours!  It was so lovely to see everyone.  I miss everyone so much.  It's all about quality time, not quantity time.

7. If it wasn't for the predicted ice storm I would have spent the night.  I left Peoria at 10pm and made it to Iowa by 1:45 where I was greeted by my fella', our dog, and a big ass pot of beef stew.

So, wow.  I can't believe I did all that in less than 24 hours, I managed to do everything on my list and do it exactly on time.  I was so pooped on Sunday that I could barely move.  But I managed to mix business with pleasure and I feel happier because of it...Also, I failed to mention all the cool things I saw while I was driving.

1. four coyotes.  two of them were perhaps courting.  They ran in front of my car and I almost hit them going 60.  Damn were they fluffy and beautiful.
2. A huge bald eagle flew above my car for 1 minute.  It was HUGE.
3. I almost hit a hawk.  The hawk was so close to my windshield I could see it's cloaca.  TMI?  Who gives a fuck?
4. A herd of 40 + whitetail deer.

Fossils and Curios from Iowa.

I picked up display boxes when I went to the pawn shop the other week.  Four of them.  When we got home I spent the better part of 5 hours organizing fossils.  I'm totally normal, I swear.  Obviously, not all of these objects are fossils...there's some raccoon jawbones, a boar's tooth, an old geode bit, some native American artifacts, and a Shriner pin (like the beaver?), an old ass gnawed up deer bone, petrified wood, a wheat penny, and some fool's gold.

I think the display boxes look good and in case there are any questions about the giant glass arrowhead I might as well answer it now.  While browsing the racks at the pawn shop I came across an arrowhead that was napped out of some kind of brownish grey glass.  It was made by some guy in Ottumwa, he probably pawned it for a couple of cigarettes.  The owner of the store wanted ten bucks for the thing.  I offered him five (coz it's really pretty cool) and we had a deal.  Five dollars well spent.

It's pretty cool that I found all of these things.

I Turned 30 Yesterday.

I turned 30 yesterday and had a delightful owl themed birthday!  It was pretty fabulous and I wanted to share some of the cards with all of you wonderful people.  I love that my friends and family know me so well.

Trevor surprised me with a Rage Comic themed birthday card.  I love the Forever Alone guy.

Kyle knows I love me some cute prairie dog action and got me this adorable card.

Ali added a monkey tattoo and a coin to my ever expanding collection of coins and curios.

Geoff is quite the artist and drew me a long legged basketball playing fish hipster.  woot woot.

Chloe is turning into quite the lil' lady.  She made me this card and a whole bevvy of other incredible presents including: an owl cake, an owl centerpiece, an owl keychain, and an owl cutout!  Thanks, Pinegar Family!  You guys rock!

And Juice never disappoints with a well timed mailbox greeting.  It's to know I'm not being thanked for being an asshole.

Just Another Trip to the Pawn Shop.

McKee's coins is the coolest pawn shop in the Mid West.  I'll usually try to hit it up every three months to check out their new wares.  The place is mostly filled with antlers, taxidermy, old hunting traps, books, Native American Artifacts, coins a plenty, fossils...McKee's Coins is not your normal pawn shop.  It seems to cater to the eccentrics as well as those interested in a good ol' coin auction.  We went there on Saturday to pick up some display boxes for my plethora of fossils (photos of that soon, so exciting) and I managed to haggle my way into a deal (photos of that to come as well) which was good for my ego and self esteem.  All in all, a good time.

A view of the shop from the back.  Notice all the eclectic clutter.

Yeah, that's beaver taxidermy and that's woodchuck taxidermy.  Behind?  A huge python skin (15 feet long!)

Just a cool shot of all of their front window display taxidermy.  The goose looks alive.

I've visited this shop for three, going on four years.  These fossils have never moved.  I'm gonna make a deal for these on my next visit.  I'll be the proud owner of a bucket full of Blastoiden.  I'm not sure what the next step will be.

Bear Skull!

The Wonderful Work of Stacey Rozich.

"The Stakeout" Stacey Rozich, 2012.  I OWN THIS!

I'm a huge fan of Beautiful/Decay.  I heard about Amir Fallah's publication in 2009 and have been an avid follower of their blog and magazine ever since.  Along with giving their followers incredible interviews, beautiful images, and a cutting edge publication they really make you feel like you are a part of their "family."  The artists, bloggers, and staff of Beautiful/Decay are incredibly accessible.

I check their blog daily (http://beautifuldecay.com/category/painting/) and occasionally develop "art crushes."  To those that aren't familiar with the term "art crush", lemme explain...it's not complicated.  You see a piece of art and become twitterpaited, ridiculously infatuated, enamored, with the work.  This happened to me a few weeks ago when Beautiful/Decay featured Stacey Rozich's work on their blog.

http://beautifuldecay.com/2012/11/28/stacey-rozichs-macabre-folk-tale-paintings/

Rozich's work was so aggressive, humorous, and complicated.  The paintings spoke to so many levels of storytelling...each piece reads like an epic myth.  Rozich's cast of characters are incredibly powerful but remain flawed, Greek Gods in Pacific Northwest Animal Masks.  As a human that is into animal symbolism and narrative, I had to own one of these pieces.  

So, I emailed her.  Simple as that.  Within an hour, Stacey emailed me back with a list of paintings that were available for purchase.  One piece titled, "The Stakeout," spoke to me.  A beastly creature sitting on a box of potato chips, bottle of wine in tote, shotgun on the lap, just waiting for something...the best way to describe the piece?  Extremely Badass.  So, I bought it.  Rozich and I came up with a payment plan (which was greatly appreciated) and a month later it's hanging on my wall.

I see great things happening in Stacey's world.  She is a talented illustrator, designer, painter, storyteller, and can even make a fabulously strange music video (which I completely recommend checking out http://seattlecentralcreativeacademy.com/stacey-rozich-fleet-foxes-music-video/ ).  Her work is awe inspiring, brilliant, and I look forward to owning another one of her pieces...one of these days.

Killing Some Time.

I love that I finally own a mobile device, it allows me to do some real time blogging. For instance: I just got out of work and have already walked through a muddy, disgusting creek! I've even found a few treasures.

This creek is not known for fossils or arrowheads, I go there to find antique glass. The sad part is that most of the glass is broken but the colors are so fabulous I plan on making a mosaic....eventually.

A Beautiful Afternoon on the Des Moines River.

Poor Mudd-Puppy has developed a major case of cabin fever over the past two weeks. Iowa has been bitterly cold and his little dog body simply can't take the cold for longer than ten minutes at a time. I feel for the guy. It's a hard knock life and, thankfully, the weather threw him a bone today. It's over 30 degrees so he got to go on a little dog adventure.

List of things we did today in no particular order: 1. we watched eagles dive bomb the river. 2. Mudd got to ruin his Christmas sweater by rolling in a huge pile of coyote shit. 3. We saw a huge mallard migration. I think it was a rest stop on their migration. There were, literally, thousands of ducks covering the ice and open water of the Des Moines. It was pretty magnificent but hard to photograph with an awesome yet cumbersome iPad. 4. Hit some golf balls at Kyle's camp site. It's very satisfying to watch a golf ball bounce across a frozen river. 5. Made bull whips out of willow tree branches. 6. Searched, unsuccessfully, for fool's gold at the Eveland Access Boat Ramp.

All in all, it was a pretty beautiful day.

An Incredible Thrift Store Finds.

 

Isn't this the most amazing flask you have ever seen in your entire life.  If you answered "no" to this ridiculous question, I demand photographic proof that a better flask even exists...because I don't think one does.  Treat every day like a treasure hunt and your life will be a constant adventure.

A Rat Terrier Family Portrait.

Mudd and his sister, Bear.

A Visit to the Swinging Bridge in Columbus Junction, Iowa.

So, here I sit on a carpeted floor in Muscatine, Iowa. I have a minor stomach ache...my father is also enjoying the same ailment so I hope it's not food poisoning. I am a hypochondriac so I hope these are just sympathy aches.

Despite our bellies, we've had a pretty excellent time hanging out in historic Muscatine. We've visited two museums, two restaurants, a recently refurbished and amazing Catholic Church, and took a self guided tour of historic homes. So, it's been a good day with dad and Cheryl.

I took a side trip on my way to Muscatine. There's a suspended bride in Columbus Junction and I have no idea why it exists, according to the sign its prone to collapse and suicide attempts...Yikes! Despite its questionable existence, it's pretty cool and I'll probably drop by and walk across on my next visit it if I ever get over my fear of swinging bridges.

I love this. I love this so much.

CONGRADUATIONS TO MY BROTHER GEOFF!  Geoff just graduated from North Eastern Illinois University with a degree in communications (on December 16th, 2012).  It was an honor for our family to watch him walk in his graduation ceremony.  Seriously, he rocks.  He rolls. 

Darth Vadar Key Chain!

I went thrifting at lunch and found this bad boy.  I'm kind of embarrassed that I spent 3 bucks on the damn thing but, ya know, #YOLO (said with my tongue in my cheek). 

A nice, brief, moment.

"black bird"

A New Painting.

"Snake Nest Earth Mass (tentative title)" 15 X 13, gouache on paper, 2012.

my desk with image references. 

I've been hard at it, folks.  The hard work has paid off and I just completed my 8th piece for the 2012 season.  Phew.  I think I may even have enough time to squeeze in one more painting before the end of the Mayan calendar.

The photo isn't totally true to color but I wanted you guys to get the idea of what the new piece looks like.  When I take it to "my guy" for a photo shoot I'll post the new one. 

This Friday I will be traveling to Omaha to meet with Joel Damon of the Bemis Center for Contemporary Art.  Joel invited me and a few other artists to have an exhibit at the Bemis Underground.  It's scheduled for February, 2013.  I'm completely honored and humbled by the invitation...once again, hard work pays off in the end. 

A Cropped Image of a New Painting.

smashed penny from greenmama!  thanks, Carmers!

It was a busy weekend but I managed to get a lot of painting done.  I've cropped this image to let the painting remain mysterious.  I still want the magic to be there for it's real unveiling in a week.  If I finish it, that is.  Damn holidays.

A Visit to my Antique Shop.

I bought some coins.  Check out what the shop owner wrote on the coin holders.  Apparently I didn't choose coins very wisely.  POOR! On a happy note (even though the POOR is hilarious and I'm not unhappy at all), I managed to find a cool historical piece, an old transit coin.  Ebay says it's worth 1.75...I paid a buck fifty.  I made a 25 cent profit!  Score one for the little guy.

Thunderbird Effigy or Eagle Effigy Piece. Too bad it's a Hoax.

eagle effigy piece.

A few weeks ago Kyle and I went to an antique store in Oskaloosa during our lunch break.  I wasn't looking for anything in particular, I just really like antique stores and this one is especially excellent.  Since I'm into coins I sniffed some out and took them to the register where owner of the store was working.  She took my money and we made casual conversation about her history with antiques.  As it turns out she's a third generation antique dealer.  It runs in her blood.

She asked us about our collections.  Kyle told her that he was into arrowheads and she asked him to identify something that had her mind boggled.  She reached into a jar and pulled out a flint napped object. 

"Well, that's an eagle effigy piece," said Kyle, "They're kind of controversial."

"How much is it worth?" Asked the owner.

"....20 bucks?  Maybe." Answered Kyle.

I coveted her effigy at that point.  It had to be mine and I began to haggle.   I didn't care if it was controversial.  I needed it.

"I'll give you 7 bucks."

"Ha!"

"OK, how about ten?"

"Give me 12 and it's a deal."

Of course I paid the money. That piece felt so good to hold, worth every penny...and an arrowhead shaped like an eagle?  That blew my mind. It was worth the risk as far as I was concerned.  This is where the controversy begins.  Apparently, no archeologist believes that eagle effigies exist, they believe all of them are counterfeits.  Eagle effigies have never been found at burial sites or archeological digs.  Ipso Facto....they don't exist.  I did a little research and found that arrowhead books written in the 1800's had chapters about eagle effigies and why they were fake.  People have been counterfeiting them since people started wanting to own arrowheads.  Crazy.  A long time ago they were sold at tourist traps.  I didn't know what to think but... it's probably a fake.  The patina is believable and the flint naps looks unbelievably  authentic...but people that counterfeit are good at their jobs.  

Later in the day I called the woman at the antique store and told her the story.  I even told her I found a couple on Ebay.  (they sell for a lot on ebay...I didn't get ripped off).  She told me that she found the piece in a box of jewlery that hadn't been opened in 36 years.  So...it's old.  It's controversial.  It's beautiful.  It's art as far as I'm concerned and I keep it in my studio for good luck.

It's quite the conversation piece.

A New Photo of an Older Painting.

Woot Woot.  Not to be repetitive...but I love professional photographers.  

A New Photo of a Painting from a Few Months Ago.

 

A new photo of a previously photographed painting.  I LOVE MY PHOTOGRAPHER!!!

A New Photo of a Past Painting.

Hey, guys.  I posted this painting awhile ago but the new photograph looks so NICE that I thought I'd post it twice.  I'm so happy with my photographer, Alan Adams (In Oskaloosa, Iowa), I could dance.

New Painting.

"Marysville." approx. 22 X 18, gouache on paper, 2012.

New Painting.

"untitled (as of today), approx 15 X 20, gouache on paper, 2012.

As promised, here is one of the pieces I've recently completed.  I haven't decided if it needs further cropping but I'm leaning towards yes. 

Good News, Everybody!

 Update 10-31-12  : Happy Halloween.  Also, taking the paintings to a professional photographer today! 

Friends,

Ok, super excited over here.  Since my last studio update (a couple weeks ago) I've made some progress.  I finished a pretty excellent painting (starring two fox) and am about to finish another this weekend.

I feel unstoppable!  So, this weekend I will photograph the work and send it your way through the blog-o-sphere. 

See you guys on Monday.

Much love and stuff.

-jane

Fossil Hunting in Iowa: Ditch (creek bed) Time Adventure Time!

Found some nice Brachiopods and a killer horned coral over the weekend (top right, it's segmented and huge, totally excellent).  The ditch was full of biting flies, mosquitos, and itchy plants...if I didn't make it out with a handful of fossils I would have looked pretty pathetic.

Fossil Hunting in Iowa. Various horned coral and branch coral.

Left to Right and top to bottom.

1.  A branched coral fossil.  I happened to see it on the bank of the creek while I was falling down a hill.  I'm glad I fell down that hill, I wouldn't have been on the proper level to see it otherwise.  Serendipitous.

2. (top) This horned coral is twice as big as the ones I usually find.  This leads me to believe it's a different variation of the horned coral.  I can't seem to figure out which kind, though.  It's frustrating.  I think it may be a cystiphyllum vesiculosum" because they're common around my area...but this one is WAY too small to be that.  Sigh. Back to the drawing board.

3.  Now this horn coral can be identified!  Ha-zah! It is a "Zaphrentis" pallaensis.  It's known for it's spiny sides and, as you can see in the photo, it has those spiny sides.  Finally, I feel whole again.

Artifact Hunting in Iowa: some broken pieces.

Left To right: 1. broken side of knife or spear 2. Broken Drill 3. Broken arrowhead 4. Broken knife 5. Not broken simple drill.

Here's some of the stuff we found this weekend.  I'd like to make a mosaic with all of the little, colorful flint-bits.  That's more of a winter project for when I go stir crazy.  Happy fuckin' Monday.

*update: Oh my god!  I was in a terrible mood when I wrote this yesterday.

A Creepy Doll from Goodwill. I'm confused.

I'm befuddled.  I have no idea what to write about this object.  Every time I look at this strange, strange, doll I start to laugh.  Look at those angry eyebrows and that beautiful mustache...look at them!  I'm so happy I went to Goodwill yesterday and I'm so happy I bought this beautiful, handmade miracle.