february 8, 2011 // snowmobile

This is my last week in Helena, Montana. I'll be sad to say goodbye to Sarah. We've had so much fun together! It's been nearly two years since we've been in the same place at the same time for more than two weeks, which made this time all the more special. I'm excited to take everything that I've learned in this past month back to California with me. I feel like I've grown so much creatively...and even emotionally. It's hard to express the difference I see in myself, but it's there.

My Volvo is about ready to get back to warmer weather. I've only seen a handful of older Volvo cars in Montana...probably because they've all died fiery deaths. My car is not in her finest shape at the moment. The cold and snow has definitely worn her down. On Friday, Sarah and I are going to to buy new tires for our cars! Making this plan made us both feel pretty old.. and I feel even older because I'm actually looking forward to it...Yikes.

I'll be leaving Saturday morning and taking two or three days to get down to Las Vegas where I'll meet up with Bobby Craig Grandville (more on him to come...!) Until then, I'll be enjoying the rest of my time in Helena. Today I'm sending my book proposal to Chronicle Books (!!!!)... Getting excited!

february 7, 2011 // kung hei fat choy

This past weekend, a few friends and I headed to Butte, Montana for a Chinese New Year parade. I had always suspected that Montana was not the Chinese capital of America... my visit to Butte proved me right. Regardless, the fact that Butte celebrates the Chinese New Year at all is awesome! I mean, who doesn't love a good parade?

Actually, I don't think that you could really call what we attended a parade.. seeing as all the people who were there watching actually were the parade! I haven't been in a parade since I was a ten-year-old baton twirler, so I must admit that I enjoyed the experience immensely!

It's the Year of the Rabbit, which Chinese astrologers predict to be a year of peace, calm, leisure, and rest. I hope they're right because that sounds wonderful.

Is it just me, or does this rabbit look pissed about something? Maybe he was just cold...

We followed a Chinese New Year dragon around town while people clapped, lit firecrackers, screamed, and (as you'll see in the video below..) got jiggy with it.

...oh..and here's little something special because I reminded myself of this quality song...

Happy Year of the Rabbit everyone!

february 3, 2011 // archie bray

Today I payed a visit to a Helena, Montana treasure - Archie Bray Foundation. Archie Bray Foundation is (to quotes their website) "...a public, nonprofit, educational institution founded in 1951 by brickmaker Archie Bray, who intended it to be "a place to make available for all who are seriously and sincerely interested in any of the branches of the ceramic arts, a fine place to work." Its primary mission is to provide an environment that stimulates creative work in ceramics." My friend Sarah showed me Archie Bray when I first arrived in Helena. We walked around and.. of course.. took goofy pictures.

It's an awesome place to get inspired creatively. Here's a little video I put together from my visit today.

If you're ever in Helena, stop by! There's an open studio where you can watch artists working. One thing I would recommend is going when it's warmer though.. it's a fun place to walk around and there is so much art outside to look at.. but when it's negative-freezing-cold out (like it was today) it's hard to stay outside for any length of time!

february 1, 2011 // montana love

I'm taking a little break from book and freelance work today to do a some just-for-fun doodling. I decided to make some Montana postcards to send to my parents back in Connecticut. Here they are!

..and here's a black & white version..

january 29, 2011 // i just don't understand why you went to montana

I've gotten this a lot. People wondering why I had to go all the way to Montana to do what I'm doing. I don't know why, but since graduating from college I've done a lot of things that.. well, frankly seem weird to people. I got a job driving a 34 foot RV around the country when I was 23 and again when I was 24.. not really what the majority of people my age are doing. It's just that the idea of a cubicle and someone controlling my time makes me want to pull my hair out.. so I end up doing things that will let me avoid this lifestyle at all cost.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately and I've come to the conclusion that I'm like an unbroken horse (I learned this term while in Montana.. so it seems appropriate!).. I've been living this carefree life, going where I please.. doing what I want to do and yes, supporting myself along the way (odd jobs are a good friend of mine), but I feel the pressure to give in and live a "normal" life. I get it from my parents (they're very supportive, but I think they get pressure from the rest of my family and their friends and as a result, doubt what I'm doing) and a few friends here and there who are genuinely concerned when I seem concerned.. Oddly enough, the person I seem to get it from the most is myself.

This realization is surprising, seeing as I'm the one who takes myself on these wild journeys. It's like I have two sides of myself constantly arguing about what's best for me. Part of me so wants to settle down and conform. This side wears a business suit and has a planner.. she also has an iPhone on which she constantly get's e-mails. In response to some of her messages, she exclaims things out loud like, "Uh! He would!" and "That's absurd!". The other half looks like a hippy gypsy. She's totally fine with going where the metaphorical wind of the future takes her. She's boisterous and social... she also seems to "win" more often when told to battle against her responsible counterpart. I need to find a balance between the two. A vagabond, free-spirited lifestyle that I can support financially with dedicated work that I enjoy. I know such a balance exists because I've seen other people achieve it.

While people (as well as myself) may doubt the reason why I came all the way to Montana for a month to follow this dream, this month has been so important. I've really proved to myself that when I focus my creative energy, I can get things done. While no one is throwing money at me (..yet) to doodle things.. I know that it's possible to make a living with art. Yesterday I finished the first of two packages that I'll be sending to my publisher of choice - Chronicle Books. I knew that I wanted to see if they'd publish my work as soon as I saw that they were the publishing house behind All My Friends Are Dead. I love that the books they publish are quirky and fun.. I hope they like my work enough to publish it! I'm going to send them a few designs for journal covers and a possible novelty picture book on this go around... and then as soon as I finish my yeti book, I'll send it their way too!

I'm still working on the "feature" book I originally came out here to write.. the one about the yeti. Hopefully I'll get it done before I leave in a few weeks. If not, I still feel accomplished. It feels good to put my mind to something and achieve it. Even if I don't get published, I still feel like I did something that I can be proud of.

january 28, 2011 // channeling henson

Last night I made a puppet. I don't know what possessed me. Maybe it's allowing myself to relax enough to let the creative energy flow. Maybe it's all the 80's kid's movies I've been revisiting on Netflix Instant Play. Whatever the reason, I was compelled to drive over to Joanne's Fabrics last night to purchase a yard of white faux fur, some foam rubber and a little fleece. The result? A "fur" real version of the yeti from the children's book! I think I'll make this sort of thing a part of my "Neckache of the Month" project. Since Jim Henson was January's NotM it seems appropriate that I tried to channel him creatively by making a puppet of my very own. I'll try to do something in the creative mind frame of every month's NotM from now on. I'm excited for who I'll be highlighting in February because he's AWESOME. Can't wait to share in a few days! Until then.. here's a little video Yeti and I made. He loves to sing.. here are a few words about his video from the mythical man himself...

hi. thank you for look me video. i happy you see it. i think you like me sing for you. i think me like you. i think me like coffee too. bye.

january 26, 2011 // the yeti abides.

I'm deep in children's book mode.. I've been in Montana for twelve days, making it almost the halfway point of my quest to author-hood. I've been writing, illustrating, writing some more.. So far, I've illustrated a picture only alphabet book and some designs for a t-shirt company that I'm hoping to work for.

I have fifteen days to finish this project. It's time to become one with the yeti. That's right, my "feature" book (feature meaning the book that I came here primarily to write ) is about a yeti. I'm super excited about this project. What better place to write about a yeti than in the blustery winter weather of Montana?!

january 25, 2011 // montana is a painting

Sometimes I can't get over how beautiful it is here.

january 21, 2011 // clay throw-down

Up until this morning, I had no idea what"throwing clay" meant. In case you don't know, it's basically making pottery. My Montanan friend, Sarah, has a friend named Lindsay that makes beautiful pottery for her company called Soda Snail. She has an amazing studio just outside of Helena, Montana where she does her work. She was nice enough to teach Sarah and I how to throw.

That's Lindsey - there in the apron.

Sarah worked that wheel!

Throwing it down!

The final product.. not exactly perfect, but they have personality...

january 18, 2011 // hey hello from montana

Hello from beautiful Helena, Montana! I seriously feel like I'm living in a painting here.

I started writing yesterday. There are so many awesome coffee shops in Helena. I can't wait to try them all out. I've been reading a lot of Shel Silverstein lately to get inspired. I especially love this one poem from Where the Sidewalk Ends called "Listen to the Mustn'ts". I decided to make a little hand-drawn type piece based on it.