New Chrysalis Book Series

In 2004 a young mother named Wendy Ahlman (I know I’ve heard that name somewhere before) started Chrysalis Preschool. With a newborn in her arms, and her three year old learning at her feet she began teaching her students and developing a new learning system--the positive results were immediate. However, this initial success simply planted the seed for a greater quest. It wasn’t just a job, and it wasn’t about coin. While her prices were a shave higher than the competition, she chose to keep her classes small, optimizing her face time with each child.

Parents soon realized the illumination of young minds occurring within the modest walls of that quaint old house were on a different order of magnitude. Wendy began attracting students with parents from both opulent means, as well as those who struggled to give their children the best education they could find. Void of glitz, status, or entrapments there was a new sparkle in their children’s eyes--the budding of knowledge, achievement, and self-respect.

But Wendy wasn’t satisfied, she went back to school to receive her degree in Elementary Education (graduating Cum Laude) while running her own preschool, going through pregnancy, giving birth to her youngest. Amazingly, during this time she also began writing children’s books, and after graduation Wendy spent the summer designing her own curriculum worksheets and started producing a new series of books for her first time readers--the Chrysalis Series. The Chrysalis Series was finished in September, 2010 and has 12 books so far. During this time Wendy also ran and was elected to the Governing Board of Freedom Academy Charter School where her daughters and many of her past students now attend. (NOTE: Freedom Academy was recently recognized as the #1 charter school in Utah for excellence.)

Wendy’s students have been enjoying these books for some time now, but they will soon be available to the general public. While these books are very simple, only eight pages each, each book forwards the story within the series. Herein not only the mechanics of reading are taught, but the love of reading as well. Each page is accompanied with playful illustrations, which Wendy also drew, using the basic shape technique that she uses every day when teaching arts and science, yes, she has discovered a clever way of combining the two.

So, kudos are again in order. But don’t worry about Wendy getting a big head. Luckily she has me as an anchor, or at least she has me to weigh her down, whatever the case may be.

Ethos, Ephemera, and Aesthetics:

Every now and then I like to feature the work of artists I respect. One such artist is Josef York. Obviously, my love of the ocean naturally draws me to his surfing motifs, but it is more than that. Josef has the ability to capture the ethos of the beach culture, quest, and community. There is also a vintage quality which comes through in his technique--as if a snapshot taken through the gauze of my own memory.

Further proof of his ability to capture the ethos of the human experience are his golf motifs. I am not a golfer, but when I see his paintings I want to golf--to feel the still solitude of morning hours, with the verdant nap of opulent green under foot. I sense the strange hybrid of focus and relaxation that merge in the odyssey for accuracy. The studying of lines and landscape to ferret the best path for one’s athletic ambition. I am drawn in completely.

While Josef is equally skilled at sketching he prefers to work with acrylics on canvas. When talking about his inspiration Josef states, “Art is in the genes. So many of my family members are incredible artists. I was blessed to see their talents with a brush, a pencil, even crayons. I grew up sketching and drawing the things that caught my eye, the things I love to do. Growing up in Harbor City California riding waves, riding concrete and hanging out around that scene, (creative endeavors in their own right) have filled my cup and inspire most of my art to this day.”

In fact, Josef still spends a lot of his time “playing outside”, skating, golfing, hiking and exploring--waiting for that “fickle mistress” of creative inspiration to strike. Moreover, he also works as a Mental Health Therapist. He even participates in after school programs with troubled youth riding along side them at skateboard parks. If that weren’t enough he is a father of four, which confirms my belief that the most relevant art is produced by those immersed in the human experience, not in the halls of academia, nor in the snub-nosed cliques of aesthetic elitists. It is art that brings warmth into the cold space of a gallery.

Whether captured on a cave wall, sprayed as graffiti in an alley, or painted as a fresco on a cathedral dome. Whether attached by magnets to a fridge, or held in a golden frame at the Louvre. Art is an expression of the human filter reconstructing impressions of inner and outer realities--to preserve ephemera in the perennial frame, even as it exists in heart.

Breathings

A year ago I embarked on a project to post a poem a day on breathingspoetry.blogspot.com. Today marks the 365th poem and the completion of my initial goal. I am now looking forward to posting poems at my leisure, and perhaps providing more esoteric offerings.

There are many styles of verse that I enjoy. Most of the offerings this past year were simplistic in meter and form. This style was developed to educate, rather than impress--to proffer axioms, easy to understand, assimilate, and remember. For example, the simple poem posted on October 4, 2009.

Empathy

Each time I look through other’s eyes

I see myself to my surprise

And yet I’m changed by what I see

And take a piece of them with me

Rhyme is an issue of rhythm--not meaning, or truth. Nevertheless, the pattern recognition of the cerebrum latches onto these. When all three converge you have the optimal result--meaning appealing to intellect and reason, elusive truth touching the recesses of the heart, and rhythm imbedding them into the psyche for easy recall.

While I write many simple poems in this manner, my favorite genre is free flowing prose, where content trumps rhythm, verbiage, and form. This does not suggest a lack of these elements, but that content is given preeminence. One such example, is the first poem I posted one year ago, about the art of verse.

The Pen

To yearn is to breathe

By drawing in life

So feeds the quill

Returning more

In her exhale

The berthing of poets

Wedged between the press

Alone they bleed the ink

By pain and force of could be

Forlorn against the wall of is

The world its lumen gives

Though focus blurs the whole

So verse, while trite, hath pollen for perception

A thought, a rose, plucked from a bush

Then placed in vase, as mind

This voice

A ping resounding

Off fellow souls

Whispers through the dark

I am not alone

(NOTE: This poem and its imagery became key in the visual lexicon of symbols I use to represent authorship. See logo above with the eagle feather quill, bleeding thoughts which fall onto the page as the Namlha seal.)

While such prose often appear free flowing without rhyme or structure, it is rarely the case. Indeed, just as I love composing music with odd meter, tempo change and polyrhythms, I also enjoy imbedding similar rhythmic complexity into verse. The challenge is to weave these in subtle ways, so as not to detract from the organic quality.

In the example shown above we see many phonetic links which create an elaborate rhythm and pulse. From strong vowel sounds and consonants to phonetic inversions--yet they do not draw overt attention to themselves. Nevertheless, the real love of poetry lies in extracting meaning and significance. Sometimes this is easy, while at other times it holds the intrigue of solving a chinese puzzle box. Moreover, some prose are simply crafted as impressionistic journeys. Regardless, the trick is to enjoy the ride.

Let us take a quick stab at unlocking the verse above in Postlude. (Stop here and read the poem--see if you can decipher it on your own.) The first verse speaks of an anxiety that takes us away from enjoying the now. The second verse reveals that it is worry about the unknown future. The third verse teaches that this fear is self-imposed, and that though we may feel like a victim, we are in fact the perpetrator. Therefore the distress is illusory. The forth verse exposes the futility of this panicked inquiry. The fifth verse illuminates that the experience of the future is determined by what we carry into it. The sixth verse speaks to the power of lighting the way through optimism. The seventh verse reaffirms that we have the ability to shape the future, and therefore possess the oracles whereby to glimpse it.

This simple exercise reveals that verse is more than just food for thought. Indeed, we could put our food in a blender and still receive the same nutrition. Instead, we relish the aesthetics of presentation, texture, aroma, and the individual savour of diverse flavors. So it is with verse. Whether it be appreciation for simple cuisine, or a complex gourmet meal tailored towards sophisticated palates, the need to express is the same.

Expression is as fundamental to awareness as the innate dictum of, “I am!” The articulation of the word is a primordial zygote of creativity. The impulse to convey, connect, and disseminate one’s essence, experience, and longing is core to the very nature of sentience.

Poetry reaches into the heart in ineffable ways. Similar to music which speaks below the horizon of conscious thought, poetry represents the first shards of dawning. The splintered light that cracks the heavens to illuminate reality. Rhythm, rhyme, and reason dancing. Words, whispers, and wonderment flashing. Images, impression, and intellect converging. Such is the language of enlightened prose, and the oracle through which it pollinates the mind.

Book Signing Event for Charity

On August 28, 2010 at the historic Provo Academy Library, our family held a book signing event. It featured the illustrated children’s book Being Different. All proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to the Takeit2theMax foundation to help little Max Petty’s in his battle with Leukemia.

What started out as a labor of love within our family, quickly spread to perfect strangers. At the drop of a hat Press Media donated the printing services, so that 100% of the sales of the book could go directly to the foundation.

In addition to Being Different, there was a limited quantity of other books on hand for the authors and illustrators to sign. Joseph, Wendy, Amanda, Summer, Susanne, and Roxanna were all there. Max who was undergoing his last session of chemotherapy was unable to attend the entire event, but showed up at the end as a delightful surprise for all. He remains in good spirits, and is an inspiration to everyone.

We'd like to thank all who attended the event and contributed to the cause. A special thanks goes out to Wendy Ahlman who organized the entire event, as well as Sue Petty (Max's grandmother), Craig Petty, (Max's father), and Tiffany Petty (Max's mother) for all of their help.

visit: www.grafxpress.blogspot.com to order your copy and contribute to the cause.

Family Book Signing

On July 3rd 2010, my family and I had the privilege of participating in a charitable event to raise funds for helping young Leukemia victims. It included a 5k run at the Thanksgiving Point golf course, with breakfast, music and socializing at the clubhouse afterwards, where we also held the first book signing for Being Different--donating all proceeds to the Take it 2 the Max foundation (visit: www.takeit2themax.org.) The event was a great fundraising success.

This foundation was started as a result of Max Petty’s battle with Leukemia--a shock which sent ripples throughout family, friends, and community. (visit: www.battleforbubby.com) The responses to the needs of this little boy have been amazing.

Aside from daily prayers on his behalf, our family

wanted to do something tangible. With Wendy’s inspiration, my writing, and my children drawing all of the illustrations we created the book, Being Different. We dedicated it to little Max, gave him a signed copy, and pledged the proceeds of sales to helping him conquer his bout with Leukemia.

Then Wendy went to work and approached a local company called, Press Media about the project. Their president Darren Wooden immediately offered to print and donate 250 copies of the book to the endeavor. This eagerness to help a perfect stranger at the drop of a hat moved Wendy almost to tears and we can’t thank Darren and Press Media enough. While they preferred anonymity, we had to insist on thanking them openly. (here’s a link to their website: www.press-media.com)

A limited supply of these specially printed stitch bound books are still available for $9.95 each. To purchase a copy email: grafxpresspublishing@earthlink.net and/or for more information go to grafxpress.blogspot.com.

Stay tuned, as we will be posting information on other book signing events.

New Release: Lost Marbles

I am pleased to announce the release of a new children’s book called, Lost Marbles. This story was originally written over twelve years ago for my daughter Amanda who was three years old at the time. Since then all of my children have enjoyed it as well as many of my wife’s preschool students.

On the surface, Lost Marbles is a story about a boy named Bill, and a girl named Margo who literally bump into each other on the street. Their collision causes both of their sacks of marbles to spill out on the ground and get mixed together. They are then faced with the challenge (along with the reader) to figure out which marbles belong to whom. After sorting their marbles through rational illation, the story ends with an additional amusing conundrum.

Beneath the surface, Lost Marbles is an exercise in logic designed for children using classic inductive and deductive reasoning. It employs a matrix of rules and exceptions which build one upon the other. Herein early deductions provide a means for later deductions. Hence, the choices start off simple, and slowly progress to more difficult problems.

Aside from using basic color recognition schemes, this exercise also tests a child’s perceptive acuity by introducing reflective marbles and transparent marbles. It then switches from visual clues to numeric deduction. Finally, it requires thinking outside the box of rules and assumptions to sleuth the owner of the last orb.

The methodical nature of this exercise illuminates the process of logical inference and breeds confidence in a child’s abilities to ferret out sound conclusions. Of course, with little children this exercise works best when a parent or instructor reads to the children, while supplementing and assessing their understanding of the rules.

In my experience, this exercise unleashes the natural curiosity of children, and their exuberant desire to make sense out of the world around them. Indeed, their innate logic may surprise you.

For More Information visit: grafxpress.blogspot.com

Hard Cover (full color) 11 x 8.5" for US$49.95

Soft Cover (full color) 8 x 6" for US$24.95

Both of these editions can be drop shipped directly to your home or sent as a gift to another. The print on demand process also allows the purchaser to include a special dedication and/or short message to the recipient at the bottom of the title page, (only available on hard cover edition.)

For example:

Special Commemoration:

Given as a gift to John Doe on his 1st day at school. Love, Mom & Dad.

Shipping cost US$9.95 virtually anywhere in the continental United States.

To Place an Order Email:

grafxpresspublishing@earthlink.net

Child's Play

I am pleased to unveil the completion of my most current project, Child’s Play. This composition was created as a gift for Max Petty. Just a week before he was diagnoses with Leukemia, he spent some time playing over at our house. As fate would have it, the surf movie, Riding Giants was playing, and it captured his imagination. Ever since he has been enamored with the idea of surfing. According to his parents he likes to stand on things around the house and says, “Look mom and dad, I’m surfing!” So a plan was concocted between his parents and I to make a large format hyperreal pictorial of him surfing. This time I wanted to create a giant poster--it is 10,080 x 7,722 pixels.

To begin the process his parents sent me various photos of Max in his swim suit to see if any would work. (see original photo). After selecting the photo, I cut out his image and edited various aspects. Next was the task of coupling it with a 3D wave I rendered. I also built a surfboard from scratch in Photoshop--but that was just the beginning. I had to take several photos of my children with matching shadows, cut them out, edit, and alter them in Photoshop. I also took a photo of a toy Woody and had to turn it into a shiny vintage car. The composition required hundreds of layers, and took nearly a month to complete.

The hyperreal motif is quite a demanding one, with a special set of considerations. It must look good from a distance as well as up close. Reflections, shadows, and other details are important, but you don’t want superfluous details to detract from the main subject (see detailed water drops by Max’s feet). Remember, hyperrealism is not realism--it is beyond realism. The point of hyperrealism is not to mimicking photography. Instead, details should be evident upon close inspection, but must disappear or meld into the whole at a distance.

Incorporating the classic look of painting techniques is very important to my sense of aesthetics as well. (see close-up of Suzy’s face). The painting technique also assists in creating a depth of field. While hyperrealism can afford multiple areas of focused detail. Making everything detailed is not conducive to directing the eye of the viewer. Hence, I often take photos at low resolution, and slightly blur them before using Photoshop filters. This can create more interesting brush strokes. I also create other textural elements like pointillism of the sand which can only be seen up close.

Successfully crafting a hyperreal opus, requires more than typical composition aesthetics, for you are crafting a journey for the viewer to explore. Hence, you must learn ways to direct their gaze and take them where you want them to go. Obviously, the main subject is crucial. This focus can be accomplished simply by cropping the image to feature the main subject without other distractions. (see example of close-up on Max.) But there are also other ways to crop a subject and draw attention, including lighting and focus (ie. creating a depth of field--notice that both the foreground lip and the background wave are blurred, adding depth while accentuating focus on Max).

Another way to crop a subject is to introduce foreground and/or background objects which frame the subject. (see how the palm trees and distant islands frame the main subject.) This also introduces a contextual environment placing the subject in a paradisical setting.

Introducing other objects can further frame the subject and add psychological depth. For example, (see composition with additional elements) the Woody adds a sense of nostalgia, the pier adds a beach community vibe, and the sailboat introduces an ingredient of concomitant activity.

Furthermore, by introducing human activity we generate an emotional element of excitement and begin to tell a story. Nevertheless, it is crucial not to distract from the main subject by a pictorial narrative (see final composition). Notice that everything directs attention to Max surfing: David reaching, Suzy pointing, Roxy turning her head, Amanda shifting attention, etc. Even Summer’s temporary incognizance directs you towards Suzy calling out to her sisters to look. Thus, wherever you look, (though your eyes ping-pong around) it eventually leads to Max nose riding in the tube--you are drawn into the main feature of the epic.

Among the many composition I have created, perhaps this one best personifies the magic I glean from watching my children surf. In my experience, childlike awe psychologically revitalizes the spirit. Seeing life vicariously through their eyes makes me feel young and heightens my awareness.

Hopefully, Max will be able to join us in the water this year, (doctors and parents willing) and partake of surfing’s fountain of youth. For when meeting new challenges become enjoyable, we begin to realize that everything is “Child’s Play.” Such is the drama of surfing.

Grafxpress Publishing Site

I am pleased to announce the creation of the Grafxpress sight. It’s function is to feature published books, give synopsises, pricing, and samples. It will also provide information on upcoming releases, and contact information, with links, email addresses, etc. This should facilitate the purchasing process, and enhance the shopping experience.

I am feverishly working at expanding our offering of formats including: ebooks, audio books, and finding inexpensive quality binding formats. We are also pursuing more avenues for online purchasing, book signings and charitable events.

As things get up and running with these improvements we will continue to offer new releases designed for the entertainment and fulfillment of our readers.

I want to personally thank all who have purchased books already. Each and every time we read a book the topography of thought is altered and the library of mind enhanced. We can draw upon these resources for the rest of our lives. Our mission is to make your heart, mind, and soul a wonderful place to live.

Click link to go to: grafxpress.blogspot.com

Instruments of Imagination

An artist receives inspiration from many places. Sometimes a work is completed in mind before the brush ever touches canvas. At other times, experimental avenues can lead to interesting discoveries.

What started out as a experiment a decade ago has now become something of a tradition, and a recurring motif. My love of the ocean and the innocence of my children has led me to create several works capturing them playing in harmony with the aquatic world. To my mind and memory surfing embodies both visceral and ethereal connections to the primal and the cosmic. One is awakened in an instinctual wave of corporeal energy, while the mystic element invades the soul in sublime experience. It is quite ineffable--especially when surrounded in a vortex of moving water to emerge from the tube as if from the womb of mother earth herself. My latest work Blue Baby (pictured above) is another stab at capturing that wondrous ecstasy, awe, and innocence.

The hyperreal effect of this motif is achieved by merging digital photography, 3D rendering, and painting techniques. Interestingly, many people have a mistaken notion about digital art--they think that the computer somehow does all the work. This is not the case at all. Even rendering in 3D is more involved than pressing a button. It is not unlike sculpting, combining bits and pieces of basic shapes, adding and editing textures, creating virtual camera angles, etc. In fact, 3D rendering is a great tool for subject study, composition, perspective, and lighting schemes. Likewise, taking photos of subjects is as useful as live models and locations. Moreover, the main difference between digital painting and classic techniques is that you don’t have to clean your brushes. Nevertheless, both have their advantages.

In the real world, it is difficult for an artist to explore every possible tone, hue, and/or perspective. Few painters can explore a subject while hovering in a helicopter or lying prostrate on the ground, but the 3D environment frees one’s perspective to float in mid air, or descend to a rat's eye view, to alter tone, lighting, and texture with ease. Even abstracts can be enhanced by such studies--mixing multiple perspectives on a subject. Such aesthetics can be accentuated by exploring perspectives with the greatest visual impact and reducing them to their most fundamental elements, to communicate to the viewer perception often on a subconscious level.

While 3D rendering tries to emulates the rules of the physical universe, one soon learns that the mind wants to supplement that realism. Whether creating abstracts or hyperrealism, each artist projects their mental filters onto the canvas, or into the medium to serve aesthetics. In the end, a tool is simply a tool, while the essence of art is an invention of mind and imagination.

New Book Release: Being Different

I am pleased to announce the release of a new illustrated children's book called, Being Different. This book was inspired by many things, and is dedicated to my nephew’s son, Max Petty, who is currently battling Lymphocytic Leukemia (please visit: http://www.battleforbubby.com/BattleForBubby/Home.html). All profits from this book will be donated to helping Max recover. I highly encourage all to donate directly into Max's fund by clicking on the "How To Help" tab on his website.

Craig and Tiffany Petty are the epitome of beautiful loving parents. His sister Page also exhibits a transcendent grace in helping her brother through his illness and treatment. Likewise, Max's dignity houses an old soul faith as can only be expressed through the innocence of a child. Please help them if you can and remember them in your prayers.

As I mentioned, the Being Different book project was inspired by several factors, and all of my children pitched in to help with the illustrations. It was designed to address issues of identity, appreciating differences, and inspiring tolerance.

While the language was crafted in simple terms so that any child can read it, the psychology behind it is fairly sophisticated. Moreover, the appendix, called Parental Proverbs, can even enhance a parent’s understanding of these issues, and how they might help their children deal with potential problems.

Obviously, young minds are very impressionable. Hence, maintaining a healthy self-image is crucial during early development. This book considers: body types, gender, age, ethnicity, personality, talents, interests, hobbies, handicaps, infirmity, etc. It teaches that difference displays divine variety, that being special lies in being different, that uniqueness is infinitely rare, that exceptional is odd and quite unusual, and that you are only you and with no one can compare.

Herein one learns that the path to self-love is paved with esteem for others. For it is by accepting the uniqueness of others that we lay the foundations for self-respect and our own individuality.

For More Information visit: grafxpress.blogspot.com

Hard Cover (full color) 11 x 8.5" for US$49.95

Soft Cover (full color) 8 x 6" for US$24.95

Both of these editions can be drop shipped directly to your home or sent as a gift to another. The print on demand process also allows the purchaser to include a special dedication and/or short message to the recipient at the bottom of the title page, (only available on hard cover edition.)

For example:

Special Commemoration:

Given as a gift to John Doe on his 5th Birthday. Love, Grandma & Grandpa Doe.

Shipping cost US$9.95 virtually anywhere in the continental United States.

To Place an Order Email:

grafxpresspublishing@earthlink.net

Sentient Archives

Last weekend a client came into my recording studio to transfer songs from some old ADAT tapes to his computer DAW. (Yes, I still have several ADAT machines in my studio, along with a 16 track analog machine, and many other “old school” gems--seen above.) As the data transferred to his computer we reminisced about the magic days when these old technologies were considered major breakthroughs. It seemed like yesterday, but in fact I realized that I started recording over 30 years ago. What began in my bedroom, and garage in California, moved with me to College. After graduation I moved my equipment into my professor, Jim Anglsey’s, Suites Sounds recording studio in Salt Lake City where I recorded my first live orchestra. After I returned from Hollywood, I moved my equipment into my fourplex. Later, when I got married, I moved it into an apartment, then to a town house, then a custom built house with my studio in the two bottom levels of the basement. After a divorce, I moved it again back into my fourplex, where it now sits often collecting dust. I still produce the odd project every now and then, but with the advent of even simple programs like Garageband everyone considers themselves capable of producing a masterpiece on their own. Obviously, I hope that this wave of cheap technology does not eclipse expertise, and that secrets of the craft are not lost in the ease of acquiring quick results--that loops and samples don’t forever replace composing from scratch, real instruments, and/or virtuosity. Such are the transient concerns of an old fart.

But as I look back over the years, I remember more than surging technology and the acquisition of equipment--I remember the acquisition of knowledge. I also enjoy many fond memories of recording songs with friends and clients during the first decade, and my college years spent composing films scores. After that I primarily spent time helping other artists fulfill their dreams. Among these memories one artist sticks out from the rest of the pack--Jonni Lightfoot. I first met Jonni when he was in high school. He was playing in a glamrock band, hair extensions, make-up, the whole nine yards. Still there was something different about this young lad. He was very serious about his art, and I instantly recognized his emerging genius. Likewise, he quickly latched onto my friendship, advice, and expertise. In his journey through a revolving door of bands, I suggested one day that he go it alone. I reassured him that he possessed more than sufficient talent, vision, and drive to achieve his dreams. In no uncertain terms I told him that he would “make it” in the music business.

Soon after he began tracking a solo album by himself called Copper Street Fair, and came into my studio to record vocals and do the final mix. In the past, in his other bands like Honest Engine and Wish, we laid tracks in my studio, but now he was a budding engineer. I am still very proud of his music and the quality of that album. In fact, I still enjoy it to this day.

After completion of Cooper Street Fair Jonni began to get endorsements from manufacturers, and soon joined up with Air Supply as bassists touring the world concert circuit. While Air Supply originally made their mark in America during the late 70’s and 80’s, they continue to enjoy residual success in South America and the Orient. Jonni also began working as their engineer tracking demos when they were off the road.

Soon after he joined Air Supply I got a call from Jonni who needed some help tracking vocals at Graham Russell’s home studio. Having worked with me in the past Jonni knew that I had invented a variation on MS micing adapted for vocals, and therefore, he requested my expertise. So I packed up a few pieces of gear and some mics and headed up to the studio. When I got their they had a Telefunken U47, and a vintage C12--needless to say, I never needed my mics. Anyway, we tracked for several days and Jonni became familiar with the process.

At that time, many said that Jonni had arrived, but luckily he didn’t abandoned his own solo career. He continues to produce albums to this day, but no longer needs my help, a fact that makes me proud--not resentful. (visit: www.jonnilightfoot.net) Indeed, when one begins to view humanity as the ultimate medium, even the smallest contributions left on another’s life is viewed with rhapsodic joy. These are the memories I will take with me well into senescence, when my hearing has dimmed with age, and my equipment corrodes with rust. I will entertain fond memories of untangling knotted cables, stepping over strewn instruments, squeezing behind heavy equipment, pissing off neighbors, and packing every member of a band into a small control room to mix the opus of their dreams.

The sentient archive of mind is like no other, and music’s place in it holds more than a vestigial remnant. Nothing triggers my memory more than music. For composers and musicians musical memory takes on an additional dimension. For example, stored in the digits of my hand are countless sequences of notes which spill out of the subconscious. So ingrained are they, that it takes no conscious effort. Likewise, as a composer gives birth to each note it generates an intimacy akin to offspring. It laces a cognitive matrix of art interwoven with feelings, memories, intellect, and expression--a cerebral journal of sorts that can be replayed in perpetuity.

Pandora’s Box

In the back of the mind

There’s a key to a lock

Of a box that plays music

When the latch is unstopped

By lifting the lid

Plays a melody sweet

Then thickens like pitch

To a foreboding beat

In all nothing more

Than a pallet for paint

With lights against darks

Neither demon or saint

For the heart is a canvas

Its surface is flush

And intent forces out

The hand wielding the brush

Then stir up this boiling caldron of notes

That pulses through veins

No genre can choke

Till rhythm and theme

Cling like flesh to the bone

The music now takes on a life of its own

An Artist's Journey

It would be an understatement to say that artists are a curious bunch. Some postulate that artist are simply born. Others believe they are created. While I don’t pretend to know the answer, I can say that there is an awakening or transforming effect which occurs after immersion in the creative process. Once one crosses the threshold into that world, they are never the same. Nevertheless, regardless of one’s natural gifts creative muscle must be exercised to become proficient. Howbeit, this awakening and/or transformation generates an inescapable longing to create. Though “practical” concerns often divert their attention for a spell, an artist inevitably returns to their native home. This modulation between two worlds can be difficult to manage. The starving artist is a real phenomenon. Outsiders do not understand the predilection, but artists do not fare much better. Nevertheless, they are inspired by other artist’s investment, sacrifice, and devotion.

A prime example, is an artist I have been following via the internet, named Shaun Ellsworth, who recently took on a challenge to post 100 paintings on line in 100 days (www.shaunellsworth.com). Shaun is a lifelong artist who successfully maintains a normal family life, business, and creative pursuits. He is adept in many genres, showing maturity and flexibility--all the while nurturing a genuine, distinctive style.

Beginning on Labor Day 2009, Shaun took a sabbatical from the daily grind and began a 100 day journey. (see examples above--from left to right starting with top row: Dwellings 1, Once Upon a Time, Abstract Expressionism, Back to the Light, Expressive Drawing 1.3--bottom row left to right: Long Time Neva See, Expressive Drawing 2, Blue Day, Expressive Drawing 1.4, Dwellings 3.) Shaun, like so many artists, found the endeavor akin to a pilgrimage. Indeed, some people go to the mountain top, others retreat to the desert, but an artist retreats to mind and the topography of imagination. But why? What is the lure? Why lay down one soul like a strut to bridge the gap between possibility and being? Especially when treasures retrieved from that world are often rejected like foreign currency.

To even attempt to answer such questions requires one to examine the wonder of sentience itself. How is it that things can preexist in mind before becoming a physical reality? How is the vision of an edifice erected in the brain before any foundation is laid? How does the presage of a melody conceived in the transom foretell a song before it is ever sung? Indeed, from whence do such things arise? This mystery of mysteries holds the artist enthralled. Like whispers from another realm, familiar, intuitive, and seductive as the lingering fragrance of the soul’s eternal home.

While imagination is not tethered to physical limitations, creativity is the bridging of that gap--a metaphysical portal connecting both worlds. Hence, artistic vision it is not a nebulous frolic in fantasy. This innovation often requires meticulous dissection, analyzation, deduction, and logic mingled with the inspiration of ethereal possibilities. Moreover, being an artisan is one thing, being a creator is another. Artisans skillfully execute a craft. Creators invent. For example, Leonardo Da Vinci is often considered the greatest artist of all time. Indeed, it can be said that he was a multimedia artist. This would include his many inventions, conceptions, and experiments. He, like so many artists, straddled the gulf of imagination and being, thereby infusing the world with an immortal breath.

Page Door Books: You Don't Scare Me Dad

I am pleased to announce the release of a NEW series of books called, Page Door Books. These are crafted to facilitate parents reading to their children. Personally, I have many fond memories of my mother reading to me. Now, that I am a father, I place my children on my knee and read them books galore. I know each page I turn for them will open up a door.

I believe this deeply. Moreover, I believe that choosing the right books can reach deep into the heart where souls touch. Herein something passes between generations, something which cannot be transmitted through modern media. It cannot be downloaded off the web, substituted with surrogates, or disseminated in a pill. It is simple face to face communication--socially integrating and spiritually grounding. It is love, passion, purpose, and perspective. It is the pollination of thoughts, impressions, and feelings.

As a child, my favorite stories were always those with a moral or clever twist that sparked my imagination. As an adult, my tastes have not changed. Hence, I have endeavored to capture this in each and every offering--to create books that parents will enjoy reading to their children, rather than regurgitating the monotonous drone and singsong slurry of condescending kinder blather. Children are smart and receptive. Their sense of wonder and awe leads them to incessantly ask, “why?” I am often astounded by the Socratic inquiry of my children, and have found creative ways to engage them. This is the goal of Page Door Books.

The first offering in the series is called, You Don’t Scare Me Dad. It is set against a Halloween theme, wherein the precocious Princess frustrates all of her fathers attempts to scare her. Their playful banter ultimately reveals a loving relationship. Yet the story ends with an unexpected twist. It teaches that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, that love casts out fear, and that we need not hide from family behind masks. Above all it is a fun story.

For More Information visit: grafxpress.blogspot.com

Hard Cover (full color) 11 x 8.5" for US$49.95

Soft Cover (full color) 8 x 6" for US$24.95

All of these editions can be drop shipped directly to your home or sent as a gift to another. The print on demand process also allows the purchaser to include a special dedication and/or short message to the recipient at the bottom of the title page, (only available on hard cover edition.)

For example:

Special Commemoration:

Given as a gift to Jane Doe on Halloween. Love, Dad.

Shipping cost US$9.95 virtually anywhere in the continental United States.

To Place an Order Email:

grafxpresspublishing@earthlink.net

Liquid Mediums

Last weekend I stayed at the house of an old surfing buddy, Kent Woods, who is also an accomplished artist (see the painting he made for me below). Aside from our early days spent as big wave gladiators, we also played in a rock band together. We wrote many surf tunes and recorded them in my small recording studio during the 80’s.

One night while reminiscing about the old days we broke out the guitars and began playing some of our old compositions. The energy in the room was so pervasive that another friend soon joined in the jam. It had been a long time since we played together, but we all went to sleep with smiles on our faces that night.

As I contemplate old friends and my love of the ocean, sensations swell and memories flicker. Impressions of sand between toes, salt drying on tight, sun-baked skin, soft winds cooling dripping wet hair in the summer heat, eyes squinting to shards of light dancing off waves, deepening the crow’s feet of a seaman’s gaze, muscles weary, stomach growling, and total contentment.

It’s hard to explain how much surfing has impacted my life and art. To this day I remain spellbound by that liquid medium. But why? Is it the transparent primordial soup of Adam’s ale? The random hypnotic motion or calming thunder of breaking waves? Or, is it my own involvement in that ever changing medium. I tend to think it is the latter. Indeed, participation in the aquatic dance is a microcosm of life itself. Searching the horizon for swells, like scanning the future for new opportunities. Judging where a wave will break and paddling to the right spot, akin to proactively positioning oneself, rather than waiting for good fortune to arrive at one’s doorstep. The quick paddle and rise to one’s feet, while maintaining balance in an ever-changing maelstrom, even as swift action, courage, and composure assist us in a world that continually throws us curves--ever adjusting, ever adapting, and enjoying the ride.

As with all things, competence requires preparation, but our greatest enjoyment occurs when life, love, and work becomes intuitive. Like playing music impromptu, jamming with other musicians, and feeding off their energy. Herein we dance in rhythm with life--graceful, in tune, coordinated.

While art is often mounted in a fixed frame, the process is not still life. Creation is a living involvement in a liquid medium. So one is lead to ask, “Is the real beauty contained in a frame, or in the artists themselves?"

My Friend the Butterfly: New Hard Cover Version

My Friend the Butterfly is an illustrated short story about a little girl named Suzy, who befriends a butterfly she calls Willow. One day Willow disappears, leaving only an egg on a leaf. Suzy returns day after day to observe the transition from egg to caterpillar, caterpillar to chrysalis, chrysalis to butterfly. When the butterfly opens its wings Suzy immediately notices the resemblance to her old friend. She realizes that Willow was the young butterfly’s mother. They become fast and permanent friends.

This simple children’s tale teaches several things on various levels. On the surface it engenders scientific curiosity about insects, change, and reproduction. On a social level, it reveals the beauty of friendship, and mother daughter relationships. On an emotional level it helps children learn to move beyond the pain that comes from separation, like when friends move away, or when loved ones depart this life. Philosophically it encapsulates one’s own growth, becoming, and purpose in the cycle of life.

My Friend the Butterfly is the first book from the mother and daughter team of Wendy & Susanne Ahlman. Susanne, who is eight, provided all of the illustration, and helped her mother Wendy write the story. Wendy is an educator, who runs her own preschool. Her special gifts include more than advanced teaching techniques; she actively instills social integration, emotional nurturing, self-esteem, and personal enterprise. Susanne is a prime example of these efforts. By the time she was two, Susanne had mastered all the letters of the alphabet, including their sounds and characters. Her love of learning continues to motivate her in all her academic and creative endeavors. She loves to help her mom Wendy teach the younger students in preschool. This book is the first of many such works from this mother-daughter team.

For More Information visit: grafxpress.blogspot.com

Now Available in Two Formats:

Hard Cover (full color version) 11 x 8.5" for US$49.95

Soft Cover (full color version) 8 x 6" for US$24.95

These new editions can be drop shipped directly to your home or sent as a gift to another. The print on demand process also allows the purchaser to include a special dedication and/or short message to the recipient at the bottom of the title page, (only available on hard cover edition.)

For example:

Our Deepest Condolence:

Dear Jane, We love you, and grieve for your loss. May you find peace in the knowledge that your mother endures in the lives she touched, and especially in you.

Shipping cost US$9.95 virtually anywhere in the continental United States.

To Place an Order Email:

grafxpress@earthlink.net