Heartning: Art, Farms and Living!

Painting Show

2011-04-28T11:23:00.001-07:00

Dear friends, family, fans and fanatics,

I would like to invite you to join me at the Elusie Gallery in Easthampton, MA on Saturday, May 14th for the opening reception of my show, "New Paintings". The reception coincides with Easthampton's Arts Walk. There will be free visual, musical and performance art events at different locations throughout Easthampton.

This is my first solo show of paintings and I would love to have your support. Come and see my recent artwork, drink a glass of wine, and enjoy the Arts Walk!

I hope to see you there!
-Chris

(more info)
www.chrismillette.com
www.eastmontgallery.net
www.artwalkeasthampton.org

SPOILER ALERT!

Here are some sneak peeks of new paintings in progress:

Steamroller Print Workshop!

2010-05-20T19:39:00.000-07:00

More photos on my Flickr page here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/20677285@N02/sets/72157624076460562/

Oh, if only I had a studio...

2010-03-07T20:49:00.000-08:00

While friends and I are desperately searching the area for cheap studio spaces, I have to make due with with my bedroom. Note the exemplary usage of space i.e. the bed that doubles as a work table, dresser with bench clamp feature...

Despite the less than ideal space situation sculptures are moving ahead! I've got 4 days to finish them up for a group show at the Umass Student Union Art Gallery. The reception will be on Tuesday, March 23, for all of you in the western Mass area. It is a juried group show of installation art, also featuring the work of another fine Northampton artist, Ms. Lea Chiara.

Here's a sneak peak of one of the works in progress. None of this will be visible once the sculpture is completed. This is just the armature. If all goes well, that guitar will be playing itself from within the sculpture.

To see how it turns out, come check out the show! It will only be up for a week or two!

Reppin' Eli and Drew

2010-02-04T15:50:00.001-08:00

So glad this music video finally got leaked online. Check it out. My good friends Eli Stonberg and Drew Daly directed it a few years back.

Passion Pit-Sleepyhead from ssarenofun1 on Vimeo.

New sculpture and Palermo

2009-11-22T10:02:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos of the sculpture that Louise commisioned us to make at her house in Tuscany. We made a frame out of beautiful chestnut wood and then attached pieces of olive wood together to make four tree shapes. Their branches reach inwards to form a shading roof. Louise plans on planting kiwis, grapes, or some other leafy vine to grow over the structure.

The night that we finished we had a big dinner at Louise's with lots of friends. We brought them all out to see the sculpture by candlelight and took a few photos.

The next day we left for Sicilia! After an all-night 15 hour train ride we finally reached Palermo! (At dawn our whole train went on a ferry to cross the sea to Sicilia.) We had no idea where we would sleep but luck came our way. We met a great Swedish couple (shown above with Lea) who gave us some advice and a map. Then Couchsurfing pulled through and connected us with the wonderful Giuseppe and Geraldine. We've been staying in Giuseppe's small apartment in the center of Palermo. He took us out for delicious pizza and brought us to a cool bar venue where three musicians were playing jazz.

Today we wandered through Palermo. Above is the Cathedral (part of it, rather. It's tremendous!) We walked all over town, much of which was closed to traffic for Xmas shopping. Lots of street performers and markets. Note the palm trees and glorious weather.

Oh, we also saw this car. We parked next to it last night. I think it was firebombed. We are in Palermo after all! But don't worry, we don't have any money so I don't think anyone will mess with us!

Tomorrow we go to a WWOOF farm nearby, on the way to Lea's ancestral stomping grounds. I'll keep you all in the loop. Lots of love,

Grapes, Olives, and Kittens, oh my!

2009-11-08T05:18:00.000-08:00

Here's the happy family, Alessia with Ajo (the kitten/tiger), Lea, Me, Nicoletta, Fabio, and Dino.

It's harvest time in Tuscany! Lea showed up about a month ago and we made our trek back to Dino's just in time for the vendemia: the grape harvest and pressing. Like berry picking, grape harvesting mostly means putting grapes in a basket when you can no longer fit any in your mouth.Almost right after that we got to work on the olive harvest, and have been picking ever since! We often pick until sunset, as you can see below.

Here's Ajo, our little tiger. He provides endless entertainment around the farm, as well as insightful critiques of my drawings. He's also a great climber and percher.

Fall is quickly turning into winter, with chilly nights, shorter days, and lots of rain! Luckily we still get incredible sunsets. That's Dino's, seen from the olive groves above the house.

Today Lea and I transfer to Louise's to build a goat shed, make a sculpture, and pick MORE olives. Then its off to Sicily and then... home sweet home! See you all for Christmas!

Love, chris

New drawings and poetry

2009-07-15T03:12:00.001-07:00

Well, here's what I've been up to during my last few weeks of travel. I've made a bunch of drawings and written some poetry in English and Italian or some mixture of the two. Its wonderful to play with the different languages because certain phrases and words cannot be fully translated. They lose their meaning. My Italian is still far from perfect, but in a way this helps. I am not tied to grammar and traditional phrases. I try to use the words (whether English or Italian) like pieces to collage with. I think of these poems as drawings with words.

Our Dusty Lives

Le stelle fanno il loro viaggio

Syria

Cervo

Viola

Breakfast with the Holy Family

Viola dormendo

Taro

Leaf Shadows

Train Bird

America

Paperlight

Le anche degli alberi

Itaca

Seeds Need Soil

Mural and Reggae!

2009-07-08T10:20:00.001-07:00

Here's one of many photos of the big ole wall that I painted here in Piemonte. More photos to come.

In other news I went near Udine (northeastern most part of Italy) to see Europe's largest reggae festival, Rototom Sunsplash. It was a blast. I met lots of people, saw some incredible music, learned how to cook some dishes from Cameroon, attended discussions and workshops, and slept very little (in my hammock under the stars. The festival was held in a national park in a small mountain valley surrounded by forest with a wide, fast, clear river running through it. The river was always packed with festival goers, beer, and smiles. The concerts at night were great, flags and sparklers and dancing everywhere!

Right now I'm back at the farm in Piemonte, plotting my next move. Soon enough I will head back to Tuscany to meet the family! Looking forward to seeing you guys!

cheers and ciao!

WWOOFer Wagon

2009-05-29T07:58:00.001-07:00

The WWOOFer Wagon is finished at Louise's house! Its a bit cozy, some might say small, but I find it suits my needs perfectly. Note the breakfast porch. Kudos to Jamie and Armwrecker for their initial help and enthusiasm. You guys will have to come back someday to sleep in it.

The white shutters just below the roof can slide out when the weather permits (i.e. all spring and summer). I want to get some aquatic plants growing in that glass jug next to the porch. The roof is thatched cane over plastic with a wood and PVC ridge.

Interior view at night. The drawing is of my friend Andrea, another American WWOOFer from Dino's last fall. Please note the golden ceiling. That is mosquito netting laying on my sleeping bag in the foreground and above Andrea's double-head is a shelf for my clothes.

And just down the hill from my breakfast porch is my own personal bath house. Bath roof. Bath tub. My dear friend Tom Dawson came and visited from Paris and constructed a great waterfall that feeds the bathtub. He also helped me lay the stone steps which you can see in the background. I hope that vines will take to the cane pergola. Next project upon returning to Louise's: solar hot water heater to turn this bathtub into a HOTtub!

Meanwhile I'm here in Piemonte waiting for paint to arrive so I can start painting this mural...

ciao for now

Piemonte... BHAAAA

2009-04-30T03:26:00.000-07:00

The regal Fabrosane sheep of La Fattoria L'Aurora. Their BHAA is absurd and sounds like Jamie trying to imitate a sheep. I keep expecting to see him jump out of the bushes when I hear it.

One day we traded rams with another farm to minimize incest. This guy weighed a ton. Probably less, actually. Either way it took four of us to lift him into the truck. We covered him with a tarp so rubberneckers and carabinieri wouldn't see what we were up to. Matteo (the patron and boss) is securing he tarp while his wife Caterina tries not to step on the ram's head. An Austrian WWOOFer (Verena? I never did learn her name...) holds Raia, the 3 year old (actual) boss of house and farm.

Here in Piemonte our most important (and coincidentally, most fun) job is to entertain the child. In this photo Armwrecker is demonstrating the proper way to charge a photographer.

One day we had to move some horses across the valley to their open pasture. Caterina led the adult horse while Raphael (a WWOOFer from Quebec) and I had to 'encourage' the three foals to follow. This photo pretty well sums up our lack of experience in this matter.

As if wrestling and chasing horses down one hill, across a river and up into another town wasn't enough, Raphael and I decided to take our backpacks up into the mountains and see what we could see. It was pretty foggy but we still had some incredible views of the Alps in the distance. We slept in a smoky refuge at 1700 m altitude, ate horse sausages and vegetables (we left our pan at the farm) and enjoyed the only two days of decent weather that we have had in weeks.

There's Raphael surveying the next trek: over those mountains to Genova and the ocean! (When it gets warmer.)

They start them young in Piemonte. Here is Raia learning to interact with horses. The foal is meanwhile learning how to interact with toddlers. Both did a great job and are congratulating eachother with a kiss.

Probably my favorite picture ever of Armwrecker: helping Raia stretch her back while Till, the German former Elf (of the same Elves with whom we stayed in Tuscany) surveys the land. Till is a great guy who lives in a teepee near or in the horse stable. Caterina and Matteo feed him and give him cigarrettes. In exchange he looks after the horses. He's got a pretty good thing going for someone who can't use a telephone and has no teeth.

...some drawings that I've done here. The bug was a commision and hopefully I will sell the other one soon. I am also making plans for a large mural to go outside the house. One of the largest paint distributors in Europe (Sikkens) has agreed to provide paint for free. In exchange they will use the mural as advertising when it is finished. Hopefully this will turn out to be a good career move. So there you go, uncles, I am on my way to a real job! (Never.)

alla prossima, ciao!

One of Armwrecker's (Anneke, for those not in the know) videossss

2009-04-10T08:23:00.000-07:00

Videos took a while to load but Anneke really wanted to share this one with the world.

Drawing for a band

2009-04-10T03:15:00.000-07:00

I sketched a group of musicians that came to play at Dino's. They loved the drawings and my paintings that are on permanent display in Dino's little concert hall and have asked me to draw an album cover or flyers for them. Here are the drawings I did on their Myspace page.

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=416728168&albumID=683187&imageID=12798102

ciao ciao

Finally some photos!!!

2009-04-08T07:19:00.000-07:00

Dino, king of meats. During our goat sausage and salami making day.

This is a quick photo to prove that I am still making work. I think this woodcarving will be a part of the WWOOFer Wagon (see below) when it is finished.

Here's a photo from Carnevale in Foiano. This was one of four huge floats complete with chicken entourage.

Jamie. And a cemetary. This somehow completely explains our Calabrian experience. Also the next one. Below are Jamie and Armwrecker jammin' with Avramo, our favorite gypsy godfather.

We spent our nights at the Elfi village reading by candlelight when we couldn't handle the insane children any more. We still had an insane Jamie however. (bottom left)

Here's some American gremlin working on the WWOOFer Wagon at Louise's. Roof is finished and soon I will return to put up the walls, windows, door and porch. Then I will live in it.

One day Louise and I went looking for a bike. She spotted this one in the iron scrapyard and I cleaned it up. It works great except that it is only a single speed and the brakes are of questionable quality.

Here's Armwrecker playing with the polar bear dogs at our newfound farm/home in Piemonte. Here they breed old speciess of sheep and horses and in the summer hold workshops for children. They have asked us to paint a mural on the wall in this photo. More on that to come.

Here is my friend Roberto performing in a nearby theater. Yes, that is whipped cream.

The sculpture is finished! It also has another face on the back. The head and hands were carved from seasoned olive wood and the rest is patched together from rotted olive trees and salvaged metal. His name is Culsans (an Etruscan guardian deity) and he is watching the sunset over Lousie's house.

night

O, Calabria!

2009-03-23T03:58:00.000-07:00

So I'm not very good at keeping my word. Photos have not appeared on this blog for quite some time and I am afraid that it will be a bit longer until they do. The internet here is so slow that it is hardly worth the hours of waiting that it takes to upload even a few small pics. To make up for that lack I will regale you all with a few highlights of what I've been doing.

Calabria was... interesting. I had a great time staying with Jamie and Armwrecker. We were basically on our own, since the farmer where we were staying took off for a conference as soon as I arrived. Food was a bit scarce but we were able to sustain our WWOOFer camel bellies with some wild salad foraging, lots of beans and chickpeas (we constantly had beans soaking in our tiny kitchen, and bread bought from an unlicensed widower who sells it out of her basement.

Calabrian culture was very different from the Tuscan one that I am used to. Tourism is not as large an industry down there so us three Americans were something to be stared at. Especially when we rolled around on 3 shabby bikes that Jamie slapped together from scrap, wearing our dirty farm clothes and boots with eukalelees, cameras and sketchbooks slung over our shoulders. We weeded oregano fields, cared for the animals, pruned vineyards, threw oranges at the marauding cats, and made music in the nights. We were often conscripted by a Bulgarian gypsy named Avramo (the apparent Godfather of his extensive family) to help him move furniture around. He would show up at the farm in his ratty old car or worse van, blasting warbling gypsy music and slowly snapping his fingers overhead. If it was past noon he was likely drunk. He had no license or insurance and who knows who owned the car. We would help him move stuff around or slap together cheap furniture (always a hilarious enterprise). He would 'repay' us by showing up at night with 5 liters of wine and speak in his broken Italian which I translated (freely) to Jamie and Armwrecker. We would sing and play American folk music and he would sing along and dance until he was nearly too drunk to stand and then he would (somehow) get into his ratty car and drive home. We were always worried about him but there was nothing we could do to stop him. Mostly because he was a champion boxer who fought in the US, Bulgaria, Russia, etc. Oh, by the way, he was completely full of shit.

Our other companion was a good ole local farmer named Antonello. He always wore a bright blue jumpshit with huge rubber boots and a fannypack across his chest. He had long greasy black hair, a strong chin and a belly. He spoke no English (like everyone we met) and he loved to insult us. He and Armwrecker became great friends- or maybe great enemies. Luckily our patron farmer had instructed Jamie and Armwrecker in a few choice curse words of Italian so they were able to hold their own even before I showed up.

Other Calabrian highlights include swimming in the chilly spring sea in the nearby town of Tropea, watching our farmer's old mother stack her chicken on top of her goose to amuse us, making pizza in the outdoor stove which was built only to heat water for bathing, pushing cars and caravans around with a gaggle of local bumpkins and gypsies, participating in these and other hairbrained jobs at the urging of Avramo, playing hackeysack in the streets amid the heckling of local teenagers, trying to teach a German 3 year some english that wasn't 'Fuckyouuuuuu!', and enjoying incredibly seaside cuisine whenever we were invited to meals at the farmer's house.

When I next get a few minutes I will tell you all about my days with the Elves, those wonderful aging hippies who live in the mountains nearby. As soon as I finish my sculpture here at Louise's (I'm carving the head today) I will be returning to the Elves for the warm weather and smiling faces. Until then, I love you all! Take care!

Ciao, Chris

Before I migrate south...

2009-02-21T08:48:00.000-08:00

A quick update: Right now I am still in Cortona, having spent the last few months at Dino's and Louise's wonderful farms. I have learned a lot about horses, helped make goat sausages and salami, seen lots of live Italian music, learned traditional Tuscan dance, spent Christmas in the mountains, and made great new friends!
I've managed to sell a few paintings and I've been carving spoons out of olive wood. I actually have more money than when I arrived in Europe! Incredible!
Tomorrow morning I will take an 8 hour train ride to the toe of Italy's boot, in Calabria. There I wil find the dear Alfredians Jamie and Armwrecker. Apparently internet has yet to reach the deep dark south of this fine country (at least where I'll be staying) so I will be out of touch for about a month or so. The plan is to head back to Tuscany with Jamie and Armwrecker in tow to give them a taste of life in the land of the Etruscans.
Will post again -with photos- upon my return. Until then, take care everyone!
Much love,
Chris

Contact jams in Italia!

2008-12-18T05:34:00.000-08:00

This is a photo of me working on a sculpture at Louise's house (at night). I'll keep you all in the proverbial dark until it's finished.
And this is what happens when you dont keep your WWOOFers busy. We started to do some Contact Improvisation one day at Dino's. The trend continued whenever we had some free time. Above is Andrea about to jump onto my shoulders. Below is Andrea (under a tablecloth) swinging Victoria around.
Since I probably won't post again soon, I wish you all a very merry xmas! Ciao!

Another farm heard from...

2008-12-05T08:28:00.000-08:00

Hello all! Last week I finally packed up all my bags and left Dino's farm. It had been great and I know that I wil return someday, but it was time to move on. I went to another farm near Cortona, at the house of Louise. The house here is so warm! Its not that winters here are very bad, but it does rain all the time...

At Louise's I've been caring for their horses (2 bigguns and a little colt) and generally helping around the house. Louise lives here with her 2 little daughters and her mom lives up the road. Right now there is another WWOOFer from the states here as well. As it turns out I am the only guy, so I think they are glad to have me around for big stupid jobs.

But really, the work is nice and the house is very cozy. Louise is encouraging me to make a big sculpture for her garden, so I've started that. I think it will be a centaur or something equally large and horshish. (Her daughters are as obsessed with horses as Flynn!) Louise has lots of wonderful tools, including a few power tools that I had been missing. I'm very excited to start work on this sculpture. I'll send photos as it develops.

I have also been teaching art lessons to Louise's girls and other kids from around the area. The best part about this job is that it pay$. I don't have much need for money right now, but it is nice to stock up for the next long travel. I really love working with the kids, but it makes me miss Chelsea even more. Its really fun but it can get a bit overwhelming. Mom, I don't know how you ever handled all those daycare kids! And Grandma, 5 boys? You all are crazy!

I also had my first succesful Italian art show. This took place on my last night at Dino's. That night there was a performance, feast, and dance party (like the parties I helped with the last time I was there, in the summer). I posted a bunch of drawings and paintings on the walls along with some prices and my website info. I sold almost a third of them! That was a nice little bonus, and it put a few more euros in my pocket. After everyone left that night we residents kept on dancing until a huge thunderstorm cut the music. Luckily we had Andrea, another American WWOOFer, who started playing the paino. Victoria (a frenchie WWOOFer) and I started a great improvised dance which went on until 3 in the morning. Dino told us that we were 'complete WWOOFers'. I think that's one of the best compliments I've ever received.

Next time- photos of all these wonderful things, I swear!
love, chris

Olives olives olives

2008-11-22T01:14:00.000-08:00

I thought I would bring you all up to speed on the work that I've been doing since I am supposedly volunteering on a farm. Picking olives is pretty easy work, but it gets a bit tiring day after day after day. Basically the system is this: we spread large nets around the trees to catch the olives and then we just pull the olives off of the branches, either by hand or with small rakes. Some people use a machine that looks like a spider on a stick to shake the higher branches and knock the olives down. We don't use one here, which is nice, since they are loud and obnoxious. Instead we use ladders or just climb the trees to get at the high branches. Olive wood is incredibly flexible. Most of the branches can be pulled down to ground level.

Once a tree is harvested we dump the olives into a crate and store them in the house until we have enough crates to go the the mill.

The mill is called Il Frantoio, which comes from the verb 'to smash up.' I like that. The building is very old. It has been a mill for hundreds of years, and used to be powered by water which was directed to the machines through a small system of canals and dams. Now all the machines are electric. Not quite as romantic, but effective.

Anyway, when we arrive at the mill we carry the olives upstairs where they are weighed and then dumped into a big cermaic bin. Once the machine starts the olives fall through a hole and into the 'olive oil assembly line.'

Here's Dino, il padrone, encouraging the olives to go and become oil. After this step the olives fall past a vacuum which sucks out (most of) the leaves and other junk. Then they are washed and passed over a conveyor belt. This is a good oppurtunity for 'quality control,' and Louise, our English neighbor and partner-in-oil, provides this service.

The olives then enter a series of grinders, much like big horizontal concrete mixers. After this the mashed up pulp is directed into a large centrifuge, and the solid material is carried outside of the mill and dumped into a large pile of odorless, brown... stuff. Then the oil is seperated from the other liquids. Finally it arrives, in all of its glorious color!

Now for the fun part. We all go into the next room, make a big fire in the hearth, cook bruschetta, sausages, and whatever else we have, and try everything with the most virgin oil you can get! The taste is peppery, a touch bitter, and 100% olive. Oh yes, and of course there is plenty of wine. Even the dogs try some.

Well, there you have it: olive oil from harvest to taste. I hope that all of you are well, and I wish you a happy Thanksgiving! I have been invited to an American's house for a Thanksgiving meal this Sunday, so I will get my fill of the usual fare. In fact, that's her up above, sitting next to the crazy South American painter who is giving the dog a taste of wine. I love this place...

Va bene...

2008-11-17T10:23:00.000-08:00

Ciao ciao

Well, I am still here at Dino's farm. I'm tired from picking olives all day every day, but otherwise I am content. The work days have been long but the weather is still beautiful. I've been working on my paintings when I have the time but I don't have much to show for it. Here is one photo for now to prove that I have still been painting. More to come when the internet isn't so lazy.

Ciao a tutti!

2008-10-24T00:28:00.001-07:00

Well, its been a while, but I'm still alive and well. I'm in Cortona Italy, helping with the olive harvest, painting, meeting people, and enjoying life. Here are some pictures of my little apartment/studio. It used to be a rabbit house, but now I'm the only animal that sleeps there.

This is my outdoor studio space, complete with a wonderful view of the Cortona hillside and the valley below.
The vines have completely taken over the walls. Its nice to be surrounded by this much greenery and sunlight so late into Autumn!

Well, there are olives to pick and dishes to wash, so I must be off for now. Ciao!

Oktoberfest!

2008-09-30T10:36:00.000-07:00

We left for Munich at 6:45 last Friday. To ease in to a day of heavy drinking we bought a 6 pack of Beck's and cracked our first beers on the train at 8 AM. Gotta love it.

This was the tent where we had reservations and spent most of our time. And money.

The beer was all Spaten and it came in wonderfully huge glass mugs. The barmaids would carry about 10 at a time. I don't know how they did it, but we tipped them well.

I love how cluelessly happy I look in this picture. I clearly had no idea that I was about to take a beer shower. Seabass was the culprit of this photo. His excessive "Prost!" culminated in most of that beer finding my lap and shirt. Oh well. Everyone smelled like beer and cigarettes anyway.

From here on out there aren't really any pictures. Needless to say it was a day of reckless partying and cheering. The environment was just incredible. Everyone was so happy, so friendly. I will certainly go back some day.

Italia, Hooo! wait, first Prague

2008-09-29T13:11:00.000-07:00

So after touring Hamburg, Berlin, and Munich's Oktoberfest I left Sebastian's apartment and boarded a train with all my gear for Italy. I had to run with my backpack and briefcase to catch the bus but I made it in time, barely.
Anyway, after boarding the train I got a call from my dear friend Ulana, a fellow Alfredian. She is currently living in Prague and she was gracious enough to invite me to stay. Well, that changed my plans. I hopped off the train in Munich and headed to the Czech Republic.
Now I'm here in her dorm preparing to go out and celebrate her 21st birthday at midnight. Hurrah!
Pictures to come soon, I swear...

2008-09-13T10:09:00.000-07:00

A partial self portrait.

Well, its been a little while, and I have been busy. From here on out I am going to transcribe what I have written in my journal.

The other day Seabass and I went back to Tubingen. The ESB Sprachkurs was there taking a tour. Seabass and I did our own tour, through the old castle, the Markplatz, and back to the river. The river is beautiful and full of 'Stokerkann' (or something like that- they are small punting boats). There is also a thin island with a path framed by towering sycamore trees. I sat down on the embankment wall and drew some of the buildings.

It started to rain so Seabass and I took the train back to Reutlingen instead of joining the students on the boats. By the time we got back to Reutlingen it was absolutely pouring. We ducked into the Irish Bar and grabbed a pint while the rain let up. Later that night we returned to the Irish Bar for Karaoke Night after partying in Lit-haus (one of the student dorms). I sang (or tried to sing) Jailhouse Rock. I also gave a hand with 'Ace of Base' and some others that I don't remember. Funny how that happens...

I had brought my little sketchbook so I did a few quick drawings of people. A girl from Canada (Marita?) asked me to draw her but I'm sure that I didn't do a very good job since I could barely sign my name on it. She said the drawing looked like a 60 yr. old woman. I told her to keep it until then and see how the likeness is. I wonder if she will. The drawing was done in one of the little books that I took from Aunt Nancy's house when Jacquie, Grandma, Grandpa and I cleaned it out. I wonder how old the paper is, and how old the drawing will be if Marita keeps it until it looks like her.

I've been to a few parties at Lit-haus at this point. They are an odd mix of American college drinking games, European (mostly French) chanting, and general international conversation. Its always fun to head out from Lit-haus with the whole pack. Picture a group of guys from all over the world wandering drunkenly down the streets of a quiet southern German town. Add Faxe 1-liter cans of beer to the equation and you've got one hell of a good time...

A few days ago Seabass and I snuck on to the Sprachkurs bus headed for Heidelburg. We left the students to their tour and took our own tour of the huge wrecked castle. It had been effectively blown to tower-sized bits in some old war and now it sits like a burnt out shell above the old town of Heidelburg. The rain was picking up so Seabass and I ducked into a quarter-spherical alcove and ate our standard mozz/tomato sandwhiches washed down with cold water. Nothing like budget meals.

We walked down into town once the rain started to let up, past a trio of 'knights' talking to some tourists, and down into the old town. We listened to a huge old man reading poetry in German. He sat under a pop-up yard tent, sitting on a folding chair that almost disappeared under his massive body. His voice reminded me of heavy whipping cream. He had grand grey mutton chops and a brilliant red scarf. Both of his chins were clean-shaven.

Seabass and I got some 1 euro coffee and savored it as we wandered through the Markplatz where a jazzy band was playing for the daily market. We saw the old bridge that Heidelburg had saved by petitioning the Allies not to bomb it during the war (according to Seabass).

The rain was on/off drizzle so we wandered down the main road until we transitioned into the newer part of town. This was a big plaza with trams, buses, banks, steel, etc. We met up with Martina (ex-rugby player from Northeastern) and the Mexican contingent. It still cracks me up to hang out with a bunch of Mexicans in southern Germany. We got some lunch and Martina showed us around the parts of town she remembers from her childhood (she lived nearby when she was younger).

Finally we hopped on our free bus and took off for home.

After a nap, dinner and a shower it was time as usual for more drinking. I am in Germany, after all. We bought some more cheap export beers (plastic bottles) and headed over to Lit-haus. We finished our brews and secured a rowdy crew to walk in to town with. We reached the Farberei and coughed up the abominable- and unexpected- 10 euro cover charge. I must say though, it was very nearly worth it. I've never been to a dance club before and certainly not a European one. This place was nuts. At least 3 huge bars, private rooms, and 2 dance rooms complete with DJ's, stages, smoke machines, lights, strobes, and nonstop pounding beats. I danced blisters into my feet and still didn't stop until 5 AM. By then almost everyone had left. Martina, Seabass and I headed across town to the only bar still open: Billy Bob's. We split a pitcher of Hefeweizen and some fries. On the walk home I had to carry my shoes and socks because my blisters were so bad. An old lady who was out walking her dog saw us coming, picked up her little dog, and scurried behind her fence to slam the gate on us. I can't say that I blame her. 3 kids approaching you before dawn, one carrying his shoes, another with a wine-stained tie hanging loosely from his collar, and the third a girl who could probably kick my or Sebastian's ass if she had a mind to.

Anyway we got home just after dawn broke, ate the rest of our 'aubergine-schnitzel-creation' out of the pan, drew the blinds and passed the fuck out. I woke up around noon and worked on the drawing of my hand that I had started the other day. I hung it on the wall just as Seabass awoke from his beauty sleep. Martina came over and we made pancakes- or flatcakes, since we were out of baking powder. We ate them with good ole New England maple syrup from Seabass's priceless store (a gallon jug carried over from the states). To combat our activities from the previous night we sat around all day, watched the Big Lebowski, ate pizza, read, and went to bed early.

The next morning Seabass and I boarded a train to Hamburg. Without seat reservations we found ourselves sitting next to the door, munching on sandwiches and chocolate and sharing a bottle of wine. We played Spades to pass the time. La vita e bella.

Seabass and I were able to find a host through couchsurfing.com. Two hosts, actually. Claudia is 18, still finishing high school. Her boyfriend Vincent is 20 or so and just finished the European equivalent of high school. They both still live with their respective parents and they hosted us for one night each. We met them in the evening, shared some pizza and beers and called it a night after a little stroll where they showed us Hamburg's 'occupied house.' This was an abandoned opera that was now inhabited by politically radical leftist youths- anti-capitalist, anti-police. Apparently the police raid the building once every few months, make some arrests, and leave. Claudia said that this is because there are a few guys who are always provoking the police. It sounds like there is a lot of anger, manifesting itself in these juvenile attacks on the police. On the other hand I think it is great that these people have remained and continue to fight the police and the status quo. It is a necessary reminder that there are alternatives to our current system.

We spent the first night at Claudia's, which was far outside of town. Her apartment was very quaint but it was full of bookshelves, photos, stones, artwork, knick-knacks, plant and colors. It was very comfortable and unassuming. I immediately felt at home. There was a note on the couch welcoming us into their home.

When we woke up Claudia prepared us a magnificent breakfast and we parted ways. She went to school (at noon!) and we took our bags into Hamburg to meet up with Vincent. He took us to his parents' house which was a gorgeous flat right in the center of town. Huge rooms, white walls, tall ceilings, big paintings. Probably the opposite of Claudia's place, but still very nice. Vincent had lived in Lexington, MA with his family when he was younger so they all spoke very good english. They were very friendly and hospitable. We left our bags there and began our tour of Hamburg.

I bought an old army jacket at a 2nd hand shop- with the happy hour special it was under 30 euros. We took a ferry through the canal and saw the freight industry at work. I thought of Greg's senior show work and realized why he was so fascinated with this stuff. The scale is simply enormous. We climbed up an office building designed like a ship and got quite a view, even though it was very overcast. We ate Doner and fries for lunch and grabbed some more 1euro coffee to go. We strolled through the up-and-coming waterfront business district. Construction and weird German architecture everywhere. We walked through a bombed out old church which was full of modern sculpture. It was left as it was after being bombed as a monument against war. We stopped and I made a quick sketch of the tower- which had miraculously survived the bombs. You could see where the main building once joined the tower. Now there is only an empty courtyard. It was a very moving site.

We also visited the Rathaus (city hall) with its incredible copper roofs. There is so much copper on the roofs of Hamburg's old buildings.

Eventually Vincent met up with us. We went back to the canal to see it at night, and then we walked through the red-light district. The Herbertstrasse was a walled-off street where only men are allowed- on one side of the windows, that is. The street is lined with glass walls on both sides, spilling pink light onto the road. Beautiful semi-nude women sit behind the windows and tap on the glass as you walk by, hoping to turn a trick. Occasionally they open a window and call you closer. Not a lot of business on a Tuesday night, I suppose. It was a very bizarre scene. The women were almost regal, despite their nudity. It seemed that they had some sort of weird psychological power over the men in the street. I guess they would need it, to maintain their dignity in this type of work. Of course, certain taboos that we have about prostitution back in the states don't really seem to apply here.

As soon as we left the Herbertstrasse we were back in the heart of the red-light district. Girls in winter jackets (it was cold for September), jeans, and money belts swarmed us, trying their luck. "Ohh, English- where frommmm?" They were quite the contrast to the stately women of the Herbertstrasse.

We walked for a bit longer, trying to find a place to eat. A ringer outside of a strip joint tried to lure us in. Vincent told him that we were looking for fish (we thought it an appropriate meal, being so close to the water). I didn't need to speak German to understand the joke that the man countered with, gesturing inside. We laughed, declined his offer, and continued our search for food. We ended up buying a bottle of wine and returning to Vincent's family's home for his mother's leftover spaghetti bolognese. It was delicious, followed by a carrot-nut cake and finally two very comfortable beds.

We woke up to another excellent breakfast, thanked our hosts profusely, and caught the train for Berlin.

The carving continues...

2008-09-10T09:13:00.000-07:00

Well, I was able to separate this figure from the block. Unfortunately I then had to stop to go get my hand stitched up. I should be OK in a week or so, and a hefty Euro doctor's bill. You win some, you lose some. Anyway, the carving is coming along nicely. A special thanks to Seabass and Julie for getting me to the doc and translating.

A few new photos...

2008-09-09T15:37:00.001-07:00

(Seabass, the mischievous mozzarella man)

Today Seabass, another American student named Chris and I went on a supposedly leisurely walk to the top of a nearby hill to climb a tower and see the view. After a few missed turns, blisters, and mobile mozzarella and salami sandwiches, we reached the tower in a few too many hours.

(Ya, it was pretty warm)

The view was spectacular, our hasty picnic was delicious, and the weather was beautiful.

When we returned 6 hours later we made a feast of stir fry and devoured it along with some cheap export beers in plastic bottles. Delicious.

I also started a carving with my new chisels. More on that to come.

Hallo von Deutschland!

2008-09-08T02:43:00.000-07:00

(Sunset from Seabass's apartment... and Seabass)

So after two solid days of planes, trains and uncomfortable naps I have arrived here in Reutlingen. I'm staying in the modest luxury of Seabass's apartment, a short walk from Reutlingen's bars, train station, etc.

(A glimpse of Reutlingen through the trees)

A number of Seabass's peers live nearby in the so-called Aquarium: a huge glass building full of student housing. The students are from the US, Mexico, Europe, Russia... I've met a lot of good-natured people, and drank a lot of beer.

(The old and the new in Reutlingen)

Apparently that is the thing to do here. I arrived determined to beat my jetlag into the ground- and succeeded. We went out the first two nights into Reutlingen, imbibing liter cans of Faxe or some smaller, yet stronger, beer. We wandered through hookah bars, pubs, and apartments. We snacked on Doner Kebab- a delicious Turkish fast food. We crashed through a hedge on a mistaken shortcut. Sunday we took it easier, starting the day off with a wander along Reutlingen's picturesque pedestrian paths. We found ourselves at the local park (open for the last day of summer) where we played frisbee and volleyball with a medley of European students. That night we went with a large group of foreign students to the nearby town of Tübingen- home to the oldest university in Europe, and one of the few towns that survived the Allied bombings. We had dinner at a local restaurant where I ate pretzel-bread dumblings in a creamy mushroom sauce (I forget the German name). After that Seabass, Martina and I wandered throughout historic Tübingen. It is a beautiful town with tall houses, a hilltop castle, a manmade river island lined with sycamore trees, and awesome winding streets. Pictures to come soon.

Greg, Chris and Jake's courtyard

2008-09-01T12:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a glimpse of the courtyard at Alfred University after Greg, Jake and myself got a hold of it.

Sculpture from my Senior Show

2008-09-01T11:22:00.000-07:00

2x4's, rotten wood, dirt, piano, wires, copper disc, motor.

This sculpture was over 20 feet tall, and even larger in the other dimensions. Inside the wooden mass/mess was a salvaged piano, retrofitted to play according to a device that I constructed (see below).

The footage below was taken during my BFA Thesis Exhibition at Alfred University on May 10, 2008. Unfortunately, there is very little documentation of this sculpture, which was only up for one week.

This is the device which played the piano. It features a copper disc painted with a non-conductive latex paint to mimic my print 'Emblem'. The copper disc was motorized to spin like a record player. As it spun the exposed copper came into contact with various wires. When this happened electricity was passed through the copper disc and through the wires to small switches (solenoids). These solenoids were attached to a salvaged piano, which was inside the sculpture. Each solenoid (10 in total) was hooked up to different key. When electricty was passed to the solenoids, they struck their respective keys of the piano, essentially 'playing the piano according to my print'.

Recent Artwork

2008-08-29T09:30:00.000-07:00

These images are from my BFA Thesis Exhibition, which was held at Alfred University on May 10, 2008. My portion of the show consisted of six woodblock prints and a very large sculpture.

Emblem. First Edition: 40 woodblock prints. 56 x 76 cm 2008. 'Emblem' was hugely influential for this series of woodcuts. The carving techniques that I used in all of my displayed prints stemmed from this first serendipitous print. The design is from the marks on the bottom of a friend's ceramic cup- so I owe him a debt of inspiration.

Fungus. First Edition: 20 woodblock prints. 145 x 64 cm. 2008.
After printing 'Emblem' I immediately began carving this block, which is a little less than human size. The process of carving these sinuous lines was very meditative.

Stones. First Edition: 40 woodblock prints. 56 x 76 cm. 2008. I was still searching for a direction to take this series of woodcuts, and I was looking at many different sources for inspiration. This design was drawn from a photograph of a Japanese rock garden.

Mountain. First Edition: 40 woodblock prints. 56 x 76 cm. 2008. I was amazed at the intricacy of linework that I achieved in 'Fungus'. I wanted to pursue these marks in another print, so I carved this block. The image was drawn from a small piece of partially rotten wood.

Ziggurat. First Edition: 40 woodblock prints. 76 x 56 cm. 2008. In this woodcut I attempted to use my common carving technique on a much more delicate scale. The marks are almost imperceptible on the plywood itself, but translated beautifully onto the Arches Cover paper.

Dryrot. First Edition: 22 woodblock prints. 110 x 170 cm. 2008. 'Dryrot' was the last block that I carved for my show. It is also the largest that I have ever carved. This image was derived from a small, rotten piece of wood - dry and very delicate. I think it is my most successful piece and I look forward to working more in this fashion.

Here goes...

2008-08-29T07:26:00.000-07:00

Next Thursday I will be flying to Europe. I will carry a backpack of clothes, a briefcase of art supplies and a camera.
This blog has been created to document my experiences, thoughts, and artworks as I travel throughout the world. If nothing else, this blog is a tool for me to record all of these items before my memory loses them.
I hope that friends, family and strangers alike will enjoy my musings and will perhaps even learn something.
If not, I'm going to have fun anyway!

Cheers,
chris