Painting Towers at Piedmont Biofuels

This is WAY late, and out of sequence, BUT, I just remembered that I never did post this one episode (alas there are many that I missed posting..).

About around a year ago exactly really, my good friend, Our Local Friendly Muralist, Stacye Leanza called me up, and said she had a job for me.
This involved climbing up on some precarious ladders to paint some logos on the watertanks over at the  Piedmont Biofuels Plant! This was in preperation for a big conference to occur there, in the next day or so.

Well, on such short notice and precarious circumstances, we both probably would have told anyone else to shove it, BUT Lyle and Tammy Estill have been so great to Artists (and the community as a whole (through their Abundance Foundation, sponsering for instance, the Pittsboro Community Mural, that Stacye and I worked together on), and bringing all kinds of artists on site, to really funky up the place real nice (including yours truly, who Lyle bought an Atomic Tiresphere from), that we had to give the guy his due, shaky ladders or no.

So, (I think at Stacye's request) I also enlisted the help of Artist Extraordinaire, Alexander McKenzie, who proved to be a great help through out the whole process.
(Unfortunately, as Alex was on ground support, he was the one taking the pictures (thanks Alex), and sadly, we have none of him!:(

It was real groovy for all of us 3 to be working together again, as Stacye and I both met Alexander on the Pittsboro Mural (Alex painted the wicked Bald Eagle way high up in the dead tree!)

I know that Stacye really enjoyed working with Alex again too.

Focused Work...

And a little fun!

Working on Logo for Downtown Sounds Music Series

In this days first crack of light, I put some time in on a logo for the Downtown Sounds in Siler City 3rd Friday Music Series.
I think I came up with a pretty good design.
In it, I tried to work a little more on the theme that I had struck upon while designing the "Money spent in Town, Keeps This Town Around" bumper sticker.
And that is the idea that a small town is capable of twinkling in a way, maybe, that a larger city can't.

So I did a little bit of work with 'stars' in this one, using them first in the sky, but then 'reflecting them in the scene below.....

It is nice working on a logo for an event and a space that I know so well. Because I know that on a 3rd Friday Night in Siler City, this really can happen. The people on the sidewalk, the artwork, with its investments of hours of handwork and love, these all really can glow on a Friday Night in Siler City.
It is something to behold.
So the trick is giving a taste of this enigmatic experience with others, to let them know what they are missing. This is the job, the providence, of an Artist.  Am I up to the task? We shall see....

My thought is that this logo could be used on letterhead  business cards, refrigerator magnets, postcards, and perhaps a banner to hang up downtown, or out on the highway, during the lead up week to the monthly event. It could even be used as a letterhead for the Performer's Contract that I am developing for the series, to help give the musicians a sense of excitement, about what it is that they are planning to partake in. In fact, this idea is what really got me rolling on the thing at that ungodly hour this morning!

Unfortunately I have yet to figure out how to reduce these pdf files down enough to make blogspot happy, so I guess I'll have to wait to post them...

Down By The River

Today, after a peaceful and accomplished day at work, I made a little pilgrimage 

to the sacred Haw River, 

to make my first dip of the season. 

But arriving there, I was so taken by the stunning vista of the water pouring over the damn, and the mist rising from this pounding wall of water, that I had to double back, over ouchy gravel, for my camera.

In these following photos, I did a little bit of exploring of this local phenomenon,

 that has long vexed (and almost killed!) me- 

THE EDGE. 

A deceiving placidness suddenly gives way to a pounding force 

The Edge, in condensed form.

The Spillway

I tried to capture some of the ghastly violence of the drop here, 

and I think it comes through, don't you?

However, all said and done, down on the other end-

To quote my ZamBandmate 'Suebamboogee':

"Off the deep end, Baby...

And the water is FINE!!!"

First Dip, Oh Yeah!

ZAMBAMBANNER

This past week, I found/stole some time to make a banner for a wonderful band I play with, ZamBamBooGee.

I had come up with the logo design, right after we had chosen the name, which comes from an obscure Afro-American beatnik poem from the early 60’s, according to bandmate/bassist Bruce.

I didn’t have a particular brand identity in mind when drawing the logo, at least not quite consciously; I just started sketching, and this is what I came up with. I like it though, for a number of reasons.

When we played at UCLACC in February, I was invited by the owner, who placed a sharpy in my hand, to ceremoniously sign the wall with our bands name. Of all 10 of our collective hands, how had she know to put in this one? Thus, for the first time, this logo had its chance to be boldly born across that wall, 8 parts tactical assault, 2 parts scrawl.

And with our outdoor gig coming up to kick off the DownTown Sounds In Siler City 3^rd Friday Concert Series, and rumors of UNC TV’s plans to broadcast it, I thought this seemed like an opportunity not to be missed, for exposure, and just who to do the job than a banner.

My first step was to transpose/sketch the logo out on the back of an older banner I had scavenged years ago in Durham. I had since primed its surface with a light grayish purple, for the purpose of a face painting banner.

Sketching this logo design flowed very easily. Its funny, I guess I must have worked out most of its kinks during previous sketches, because it just flows so naturally from my hand. For me, at least, there is a very strong sensual component that has been worked out, by the hand, through the human body. And I wonder of this translates visually to others, as it does to me…

Once all of the edges and contours had generally found themselves on the format of the banner, it was time to take the leap, and cut them in in paint.

To begin, I layed in the black background. I was not completely commited to an all black background. In future incarnations, I might like to play with a little more depth and texture, sort of a washed out tan/sepiaed feel. But for this situation, I was on a tight deadline, and the black background seemed like the sureset bet.

My next move was to paint in the green bamboo. This required quite a bit of experimentation to achieve the dusky blue/grey/greens of bamboo culms, while also keeping the fresh lush green hue. Using several different tones, and colors to lend the pole the feel of roundness, I think I was finally able to strike a balance of the subtle color characters.

However, my gratifying seeming-virtuosity in giving the bamboo culm its cylinderic depth came back to haunt me later, when I added the letters on top of it. The varied background became just to busy to make the lettering very legible.

My next step was to go ahead and lay in the lettering in white.

My final destination color was to be a neon orange that I had pilfered from a closing Hungates sale (RIP). However, I knew that in order for this orange to truly sing its siren song, it would need a stage of white to perform from.

Laying in this white was gratifying, to see the letters take shape.

I found that painting white ontop of the black was much more fulfilling, than its opposite approach of cutting back in on the white, which I eventually had to do. It was just more difficult to achieve a full and natural roundness, and grace to the curves, cutting back in this way, perhaps not surprisingly.

However, I also found that it can be dangerous to be too zealous with this white underpainting, particularly ontop of the varied and complex surface of  the bamboo…

For my next step was to go ahead and lay in this bright orange color on top of the white. And while it did sing dutifully,

every edge where I shyied back with the orange from too-plump and blustery of a white underpainted edge, I was left with a screeching white line, that clawed at my eyes, and my knowledge that I would need to come back in with various shades of green. And remixing these shades, on such a tight time line was a daunting and costly mistake.

For the Z, I attempted a similar approach, laying in an orangy yellow, on which to spread some gold paint. However, after I had painted a sizable section of the Z with this orange, I discovered that the gold would not infact shimmer from this platform, but rather shrink into it, and I knew that I was doomed..for now the bright orange, and strong willed Z was competing with the neon orange lettering, and disharmony ensued..

So, with dwindling time on the clock, and juggling all sorts of band issues, I finally made the decision to return the Z to the light grayish purple it had incedentaly begun as, realizing that in fact, its subdued hue was its strength in the balance of the design, tempering the strength of the Z’s serpentine writhing.

I will continue to develop this banner, and this design. I might even enlist the superpowers of cohort/Muralist/Colorist extraordinaire, Stayce Leanza, for her two cents.

As Stacye smartly explained to a fan at the concert last night, it’s a work in progress, and thus, at every show, she can observe its transformations.

Sounds like a good model to me.

 And knowing Stacye, this things going to get a lot more colorful!

We did decide the banner, even in its unfinnished state.
The Gig was a BLAST!, and I am glad that we had a name to go with it, perfect or not.

In fact, a picture of the band made it into the Chatham News, and what was emblazoned right across the background, behind my bodacious bandmates? Da Banner, bearing our bequeethment. bedumdum. Well, that was a well invested(and rewarded) stretch of artistic capital!

 Here are a few shots I snapped from behind my drums, in the final minutes of set up, before we launched in to what was to be 2+ beautiful ours of music, humor, passion and ravenous dancing in downtown Siler City!

Rocker JoVonboogee

ZambamBruji

Studious Scooterzamboogee

and here, finally, is our lord, our Savior in action, Soundman ZambambooGeo

with ZambamBanner in background!

A priceless evening captured!
ZamBamBanner in Action in Siler City!
This striking image is courtesy of Suzanne White,
who creates visually arresting artwork from photos!
She sure makes us and our banner look and feel like rock stars!
Thanks Suzanne!

"Downtown Sounds" Music Series Poster

I have been developing a poster for Siler City’s 3^rd Friday Concert Series.

This series features a different Musical Performance Group every 3^rd Friday of the month (March thru October). It is organized by Joan Underwood, Co-owner of the Courtyard Cafe, and is planned, hand in hand, with the other art, food and cultural festivities, that we regularly hold down here, as part of our on going revitalization efforts in Historic Downtown Siler City. As locals will attest, this regular celebration has gone a long ways into drawing people back off the highway, back into downtown Siler City, to celebrate and use the downtown as a civic space. And the concert series has been an integral part of that celebration.

However, this important Concert Series’ future has been jeapordized by the loss of its Chatham Arts Grassroots Grant funding (which is feeling increased strains as Nation and consequently NC Arts funding dries up, and more local good causes, addressing various heightened needs, clamor to be fed).

Thus to some extent, it seems clear that we must seek other angles and sources of funding, if we are keep the series (and be extension, this entire effort) alive, and rolling. And while I am generally shrewd about my time and involvent, this was writing on the wall that I just can’t ignore. (as a local business owner, a musician, a ‘dancer’, and a romancer, its impossible to watch a good thing just shrivel up and die).

So over the years, I have tried to help Joan find regional talent (Emily Stewart and The Baby Teeth was one great find/score!) I am also trying to help develop a contract for the music series, drawing on my experience as a musician, and contracting graphic design.

THE POSTER

So my intention with the poster, was, in essence, to brand, (or rebrand) the music series itself, as its own distinctive entity, somewhat independent from all of the other good activities which surroiund the 3^rd Friday Event. It seems that the series is really reaching a point of maturity, where is can act as its own individual draw to downtown Siler City, every 3^rd Friday night.

Therefor I wanted a consistant format, color scheme etc, that would identify each of the 8 different concerts each year as part of a whole, a series.

To achieve this, I designed a poster with a header, a footer, and borders, leaving the space at the center blank, to feature that month’s Musical Performer- their name, image, and perhaps a brief description.

Once I had that concept in place, (one random evening, when I should have doing something else) , the gears started churning, pumping that creative juice through my masticating brain, like brain slobber… 

 I chewed it from this angle, gnawed it from that, growled, whimpered, whined, until finally, what came out was:

DOWNTOWN SOUNDS OF SILER CITY

I knew (from my discussions with Courtyard Café Owner Joan Underwood) that the clear, directness of the, (perhaps somewhat informal) previous title, was important to Joan. It worked- it told people What, When and Where. Hard to beat that really. However, I just felt like it needed a little more pizzaz. As they, to “sell the sizzle, not the steak”. And thus, I sought a comprimise, to retain the 3^rd Friday Concert Series, as the ‘sub descriptor’, rather than as the ‘banner’.

For the feel, I wanted to capture something of the essense of Downtown Siler City, with all of its brownstone grandeur. According to Arts Incubator Director (and well traveled Architect) Ann Bass,  who has the eye for things, Siler City possesses some notable brickwork and buildings, and this is one of the many facets that makes this downtown special.

So I began with a background that was imbued with that rich, irony reddish, purplish orange, that the canyon walls of Downtown Siler City are laden with.

I added to this a light gradient, to try to capture some of the mystery and excitement that I, and others feel in Downtown Siler City.

Next, I wanted some colors that would compliment those clayey earth tones, and for this I chose first a deep magenta-y purple. I am still narrowing in on this exact color, and also the forms which will wear it. But eventually, I hope to have some proud treble cleff, and staffs, glowering with cool intensity in the back ground of all all that brick.

Also to compliment these brick tones, and draw on some of the old fashioned air that the Branding Firm Arnette Muldrom picked up on in their branding of Siler City,

I chose a pallet of cool teal blues, edged with warm, buttery yellows.

I’m not sure why, but this colors draw me back to fond, if imagined, bygone era.

In the footer, I tried to open up the color pallet even more, and dig into some of the flavor that can be found around town on a 3^rd Friday night.

One of the most crucial, practical elements of the design, is the space left for a sponsor.

Hopefully, this poster (a whopping 11”x17”) will be one that businesses in Siler City will feel so proud to be emblazoned on, that they will be willing to donate the costs to pay a descent and hardworking band who has traveled far to Siler City, to help us celebrate our Historic Downtown Civic Space!

Photo Documentary Work- A Different Drum @ Old Havana Sandwhich Shop

For the past year, I have been working to expand my offerings as a 'graphic diplomat', into the realm of Photography. This is a medium that I have always enjoyed (particularly in High School and College), I think because it allows for the possibility for spontaneous visual interaction between the artist and with the world around him/her.

This Saturday, I was presented with a spectacular, if challenging, opportunity, to document the performance of an old Durham friend, Alex Weiss, and his band, A Different Drum, performing at a new Durham venue, "The Old Havana Cafe and Sandwhich Shop", newly opened on E. Main St..

The ancient building is really exquisite, and so is what they have done with it.
With some really nice accents, like potted palms, wall sconces etc, set among elegent marble, this created a dynamic setting for A Different Drum's Music, which can best be described as an Afro-Latin Chamber Ensemble.

The challenge of this scene, of course, was that it was a low light situation (at night). And I have not yet really invested in the technical ability's, or equipment to work around this obstacle, without a flash, which I generally detest.

The main risk, of course, is blurryness, which I could have overcome with a tripod (which I might need to permanently pack in my trunk!).

What follows are a few shots from the evening. This is not high quality photography, but its a start!

An intense conversation between musicians!

Lights winding down a stair rail, and a car on the street,
provided an intriguing composition 

Conga Line!

Earlier that day, I had made my way to the Durham Public Library, to witness the first ever public performance of Alex with Columbian Harpist, Pavelito. I am quite proud to say that I had a hand in this devine collaboration, when I discovered Pavelito's music on Nicky and Justin's inspired Muse Productions website. I instantly knew that this would be a good match, and sure enough, no sooner had I pointed Alex his way, they were getting together, and making plans!

Soul Brothers, Alex and Pavelito 

The Lovely Li-Lan

I also got to do some video documenting of the event, using Don Bryan's superior equipment.
This is quickly becoming my dharma at many friend's musical performances, which I don't mind at all!
Again, this particular setting provided many rich tableaus in which to view this visually and auraliy dynamic group! I wish that my photos showed more of this!