Cyclical Vs. Growth

No, this isn't about stock market investing, although the differentiation of companies based upon the same terms is in the back of my head. I used to pay attention to the market. Now our equity is in our house.

Anyway, our economy values growth, always looking for charts of earnings that go upward steadily seemingly to infinity. We also value growth as we try to achieve in our lives, always looking for charts of scores and measurements that go upward steadily seemingly to infinity. Doing better is the goal, making more, finishing faster, whatever. Comparison is the name of the game, comparison to the past, our past and the pasts of others. Judgement.

Then, there're cyclical things, like farming. Like the seasons. Like, well, life and death. There're no comparisons. Charts go up and down rhythmically, predictably within reason, with no better or worse. Certainly one can compare from one cycle to the next, looking at statistics that turn into theoretical scary situations like global warming or flu pandemics. Now this isn't to dispute those theories and their supporting data. But cyclical things are best lived in the moment. It's very Zen-like when allowed to be what it is. You plant, you feed, you water, you tend, you harvest. You eat. Trees don't seem to care about previous Falls. You don't hear trees complaining about how beautiful their colors were last year. Cyclical things are peaceful because they recognize existence is perfect simply because it exists.

My mind's a bit mushy today, with oil changes and cooking and art shows and especially baby on the brain, but I do know in my gut that I like cyclical things. They are Life, and if lived, they make the moments thereof full. This isn't to say I don't like growth, but charts can't ever really keep going on to infinity, can they?

Peace.

SOLD - Oasis 08/17/09

A Bit Of Vinyl Art History

I just hung the 3 doubles today. I've posted about all of them before. We saw The Verve in London and Las Vegas. We saw Oasis here in Phoenix with Kasabian. We saw the Kings Of Leon in New Orleans and here in Tempe. All AWESOME concerts.

The other piece, in the upper right, is Lou Reed inspired by the "Transformer" cover photo by Mick Rock on a promotional copy of the "Disco Mystic" single. I love Lou Reed, wish I could've seen him live in his heyday, and loved him in Wim Wenders' "Faraway, So Close!". His distinctive voice, style, life, and persona make him integral to modern music history.

This piece is special to the history of my Vinyl Art as well. Before painting this one, I had mixed grey to paint the portraits. The photo of Lou Reed was so bright, though, I just used straight white. After painting it, my wife suggested I paint all of them with white. So that's how I started painting them the way I do now.

The other thing about this piece is that because the label is a white promotional label, I used black to paint the eye that's on top of the label. I've done that a few times since, on the Sid Vicious and Biggie pieces to name a couple.

I really enjoy painting this image of Lou Reed, and I've got a copy of "Transformer" to use, so let me know if you're interested in a commission!

Also, we just did our taxes over the weekend and discovered that I more than doubled my sales year over year and made a profit! How cool. Thank you so much to those of you who've supported my work by giving it as a gift or buying it for yourself.

Peace.

(W)rote Learning, Think About It

In answering a follow-up question from that UK graphic arts student, I realized I kind of take my process for granted. I don't talk a lot about it because I don't think about it much. It sort of just happens. Or at least it seems to, to me.

Think about what you do regularly "without thinking".

But it is pretty cool what I do. Every step of work on the actual piece is done by hand, and without stencil. So the value of what I do is both in the painting and the process. The same goes for you, I'm guessing.

Think about when you try to explain what you do to someone else. If they're going to do it too, they have to take notes or something, or learn it by rote.

This brings me back in my head to the realization that what I do is special, all of it. The inspiration for the idea came from a high school art project, but I came up with the process, the technique and the tools to use.

Think about what you've come up with, creating a new method or a new tool to get something done. Let's take a moment to give ourselves a pat on the back.

We're all here for a reason, to do something, to contribute to humanity in some way. Usually that something involves repetition. I'm liking the saying currently that "persistence expresses passion". People who make a difference for people are those that do, that create, that generate, that add to the world, and who do it a lot.

Just don't forget that even though you're doing the same thing over and over, it's new for somebody. It is special, each time.

Peace.

SOLD - Oasis 02/20/09

Metal Up Your 455

Woah, hey, this one turned out pretty well! I like seeing them photographed...

Cliff Burton, any Metallica for that matter, will be rare for me. I got lucky finding this reissue that I felt okay about painting on at this point. I'll sell it, but you might want to jump on it if this is your band.

As the usual antithesis to pop, metal and rock are definitely not about "canned" productions. Often, bands come complete with nasty reputations and standout assholes. Lars of Metallica has pissed off more than his share, as have the Gallagher brothers of Oasis (please don't tell me they're pop just because they think they're the Beatles' second coming).

That comes with living life on the creative edge. Frankly, if they didn't piss people off they'd probably be quite disappointed. Sometimes the packaging even becomes the attitude. Sometimes they are accused of selling out, putting on an act just to sell records. Does that in some perverse way make it then pop?

Sorry, still thinking about that question and if it matters 2 hoots.

Yet packaging is still important for raw artists too. Metallica alienated their own fans when Lars shot his mouth off whining about how much money they were losing from people stealing their music online. Noel not fond of it either. But Oasis seems to get how to work the system now though, while Metallica struggles with the whole thing.

Metallica's new album "Death Magnetic" was leaked due to a store selling it almost 2 weeks early. The tracks then showed up online, which of course was what got Lars' panties in a bunch years ago. This time, maybe realizing he'd again sound like an 455 if he complained, did so indirectly, saying that it was a victory having avoided a leak for as long as they did.

They don't get it. They don't get how to take advantage of the new way media content is distributed. Oasis does.

Yesterday I learned of a plan brilliant in its deviousness. Instead of touring ahead of the release of their new album, Oasis is pulling a marketing ploy that would make Seth Godin proud. They hit the streets of New York and online to get other people to promote their music by playing it themselves. Street musicians and anybody who wants to can get sheet music of some songs from "Dig Out Your Soul", out early October. Then they can upload their performances to a YouTube group for all to see, promoting both the band and unknown musicians, creating a wonderful warm and fuzzy feeling for all.

This is what's called a win-win. This is what's called building your tribe.

Now, how do I get people to paint my paintings?

Peace.

Cliff Burton 09/17/08