Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Art, anti-boredom and skills

Got a bunch of new work over at the Hat Factory blog . Check it out. I have been drawing and designing a lot more lately. I am going to start screen printing. I have done some screen printing before: shirts, small posters, two color patches that sort of thing. The fact is I have been on a sort of hiatus. Melissa is way prego (and beautiful) and I kind of know I wont be able to do as much in the coming weeks when the baby is born so I am sort of building speed and momentum to try and continue to make a lot of work. I think that when an artist leaves college and gets out in the real world there is a huge challenge there. To continue to make work is very difficult. I made it through that one fine and I still produce work just about every day or I do something to get my name and work out there a little more. Most often I do both. Then getting married was not really a challenge to making art because My wife is a photographer so she understands. But now having a kid... Thats a big one. perhaps the biggest one. All the books say: don't start any big projects right now what ever you do. Guess what, I started a big project with my long time accomplice Isaac. We are going to be making prints and books then going places to sell said prints and books. RIght now we are in the production stage of our first wave of screen prints. Our other accomplice is Teddy(singer of Mayflower a fucking killer punk band) is helping us with his all access pass to the college facilities. I have a little work space at my house but I have to clean it. Then I think we can work on smaller stuff here. Anyway...
I just feel like to pause is criminal. I think it would be a disservice to our child to lose our selves when we have kids. I want our kid to know what it is like to be around artists and go to shows. I want her to be excited about life and I feel that in order to do that we have to be excited about life. I am always excited, fascinated and curious so I don't think that would be a problem. When my niece or nephew say their bored I tell them that only boring people are bored. So far I believe that. If I ever feel like boredom might be rearing its head I try to think more in-depth about whatever I am doing or seeing and so far that has served me well.
Melissa is feeling very warm and I can't do much to help. We have been to the hospital THREE times already thinking we were in labor. I am starting to feel like our daughter is not going to be born till she is at least seven or eight years old. Sheesh. We are hoping that her water breaks so we know for sure that we will be going to the hospital for a reason. It seems, my friends, that movies have lied to us for generations. A woman's water only breaks about 30% of the time! Sheeit! Melissa has been a real trooper through this all. everyone was saying that she would be mega crazy... nope. She is as lovely as ever with only a few minor breakdowns. Perhaps she is just a lot tougher that your average prego.

I just wish Josie would be born already. I am tired of waiting. Everything is in readiness and all her clothes are hanging in the closet, We have her crib and cradle all set up, her toys lined up, blankets are folded, baby monitor, room decorated...... Our hearts are ripe and our brains aglow! JOSEPHINE AMELIA ANN VALENZUELA the world awaits your arrival!