The Travels and Rants Journal http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog I am a lonely painter. I live in a box of paints. Wed, 14 May 2008 03:17:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 en Blur http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/13/blur/ http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/13/blur/#comments Wed, 14 May 2008 03:17:44 +0000 Andrew Hersey http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/13/blur/ Movie: Le Scaphandre et le Papillon (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly): I don’t like Julian Schnabel, I hated Basquiat, but this movie is what the art of film should be. Visionary, inspired, thoughful, visual, brilliant. Easily one of the best movies of the last year.

—–

Picture.

Blurry Mary Ann

]]> http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/13/blur/feed/ Window http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/12/window-2/ http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/12/window-2/#comments Mon, 12 May 2008 11:53:58 +0000 Andrew Hersey http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/12/window-2/ Yesterday.

Mary Ann Window

]]> http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/12/window-2/feed/ Sacrifice http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/11/sacrifice/ http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/11/sacrifice/#comments Sun, 11 May 2008 13:21:11 +0000 Andrew Hersey http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/11/sacrifice/ From the “men and their power tools” department: I recently bought a new circular saw to replace the old one I’ve had for probably 20+ years, which was not only under-powered but hopelessly dull. I wanted a new one - partly to cut the MDF board I use for my new pieces, and partly because I had a bunch of old crappy masonite pieces that needed to go away.

I do this every couple of years: Whenever I change media/styles and don’t plan on showing the old work any more, I go through the old stuff, save the best of it, give away/sell cheap to friends what I can of the rest, then the other unwanted work meets the saw. Some people think this is crazy, but I absolutely love doing it. It’s incredibly freeing, and so much better than just throwing the pieces away - it’s a ritual sacrifice. It leaves me free of failure, with plenty of room - both in the studio and in my psyche - to move forward. (Twenty years ago, when I used to paint on glass, I had a big box in my studio and I’d take a hammer to the sacrifices. Now that was a release.)

So yesterday was break-in-the-new-saw day. Cut some new boards for new pieces, then about a dozen old Andrew artworks were cleaned out of my studio and out of my life. (And, yes, the new saw is like a knife going through room-temperature butter). The simple act of throwing away is an amazingly healthy exercise.

Onward.

—–

Relief.

Relief

]]> http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/11/sacrifice/feed/ Getting About in the Clouds http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/09/getting-about-in-the-clouds/ http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/09/getting-about-in-the-clouds/#comments Sat, 10 May 2008 03:35:29 +0000 Andrew Hersey http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/09/getting-about-in-the-clouds/ In perhaps the best Route 66 episode of them all, “Fly Away Home”, Summers, played by the great British character actor Michael Rennie, says these beautiful words, written by the eloquent Stirling Silliphant:

I can sum myself up quite precisely. I’m a gaunt fellow, full of the sounds of the past, hearing nothing of the present. I’m aware of time’s despair, not despairing. I’m a lean and thoughtful fellow who gets about in the clouds to gain a temporary detachment. A fellow who wants to stop hurting, and being hurt. Simple as that.

Please.

Please

]]> http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/09/getting-about-in-the-clouds/feed/ Need http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/08/need/ http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/08/need/#comments Fri, 09 May 2008 02:51:14 +0000 Andrew Hersey http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/08/need/ I need to take new pics.

Sink parts:

Sink Parts

]]> http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/08/need/feed/ Flags http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/07/flags/ http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/07/flags/#comments Thu, 08 May 2008 02:21:48 +0000 Andrew Hersey http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/07/flags/ 1. First things first. You’ve been 404ed. It’s time to say goodnight, Hillary.

2. Wilford Brimley and the cats who resemble him. (Boing Boing)

3. The wisdom of our Vice President. (And they wonder why the rest of the world hates us). (Daily Kos)

4. This weekend I shall have two whole days of making art. You have no idea how I need that.

5. But most importantly of all, Tom Speaks! Say it with me now, “pehdtsckjmba”. (Thanks, Kim!)

6. Flags.

Flags

]]> http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/07/flags/feed/ Walter http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/05/walter/ http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/05/walter/#comments Tue, 06 May 2008 01:59:05 +0000 Andrew Hersey http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/05/walter/ This is one of my neighborhood groundhogs. I call him Walter, though I don’t know what his groundhog friends call him. They live in the woods below my condo.

Walter

]]> http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/05/walter/feed/ Descend http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/01/descend/ http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/01/descend/#comments Fri, 02 May 2008 02:36:53 +0000 Andrew Hersey http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/01/descend/ From obsidienne, another of her amazing photographs.

From VQR Online, Porn For The Blind.

From Daily Kos, Lessons Learned.

From Wired News, a really big squid eye.

From Democratic Central, Happy Mission Accomplished Day!

From the Stubbs girls, Descend:

Descend

]]> http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/05/01/descend/feed/ Love http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/04/29/love-2/ http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/04/29/love-2/#comments Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:16:04 +0000 Andrew Hersey http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/04/29/love-2/ “Well the night’s forlorn
And the morning’s born
And the morning shines
With the lights of love
And you’ll miss sunrise
If you close your eyes
And that would break
My heart in two”

-Townes Van Zandt, “If I Needed You”

Love

]]> http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/04/29/love-2/feed/ Owl http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/04/28/owl/ http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/04/28/owl/#comments Tue, 29 Apr 2008 02:05:55 +0000 Andrew Hersey http://www.andrewhersey.com/blog/2008/04/28/owl/ Charlottesville

Back home tonight. The drive was pretty exhausting, but it took less time than I expected. I’m very glad to be back in my little home, but I always get emotional when I leave Alabama. It’s become a little like a second home to me. I always have such a good time there, and I love seeing my artist friends. This year’s show was not the greatest sales-wise, but rarely if ever have I had more fun there.

A Chandra-Owl:

Owl

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