channeling my inner punk (rocker)

end of the year highlights:

...creative pick up lines...

...animation legend d. hahn
[producer of lion king & beauty and the beast]...

...on the field as the jets & dolphins warm up...

...elders capturing seattle's beauty...

...my hometown...

...the nyc counterpart enjoying the pacific northwest...

...outdoor ornaments along lake washington...

...lake washington never gets played out...

...the life coach got a new mohawk...

...these two are always the life of the party...

...princes yoko is a new breed of female...

...the next generation likes harmonicas and dance offs...

...at the beginning of our brewery/wine tour...

...the cabasco cousins at red hook brewery, 1st of many stops...

...what put me over the edge...

...the best medicine...

...pit stop in san francisco- lucky chances...

...the rain in LA...

...i see an anteater/unicorn hybrid: LA cloud formations...

...the mechanic's post holiday feast: LA...

...view from East LA, i miss these sunsets...

...san antonio winery, LA: fascinated by this 2 year old...

...last sunset of 2010, view from mt washington/LA...

I just finished reading Patti Smith’s Just Kids. It's a fun, charming and endearing memoir and makes my path from Seattle to LA to NYC that much more valid. I relate to her idiosyncrasies, her reflections, her early experiences as an artist, her quirky taste, and her curatorial process of the ordinary. I often think of the same questions she poses about her own work, about her relationships, and about her environment. It's definitely a must read for artists.

Ms Smith's early relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe causes me to think about my current relationships in a different way. This year, I've been fortunate enough to build strong friendships with a number of successful artists and small business owners. In regards to the small business owners, although some of these folks don't consider themselves ‘artists’, I very much see them as intense and focused creators. There is an admirable quality to the way these friends approach their craft of business. I find their approaches to be filled with unconventional passion, order, intense focus and no bullshit approaches- qualities that I applaud and appreciate.

Being in the presence of these artist/entrepreneurs there's a whollotta learning through osmosis going on. What impresses me the most about them isn't so much their accomplishments and profit margins, but their overall positive presence, uncommon methods and being genuinely awesome human beings.

2010 was full of unimaginable greatness: moving to NYC, obtaining an ideal artist day job & some rad ass freelance opportunities, traveling, being consistently inspired, building with some high quality individuals, observing my grandfather’s recovery (from near death to being discharged from the hospital), building with folks in Haiti, learning, rare romances, winning fellowships and a surreal sense of newness added to daily recipes.

2011 feels like such a blank canvas

and the unknown has never looked so alluring.