Updates

Oakland Free Art!

I have donated 6 pieces to the Free Utopian Projects' Free Oakland UP gallery as a part of my "art abandonment." If you want one of the 5 remaining, please find the gallery at 2809 MacArthur Blvd, Oakland CA 94602. Open Thursday to Sunday 12-4pm.

Hurray for free art!
http://freeup.us/

I have 4 more to abandon in Humboldt, so don't worry if you reallllllly want one.

The Game is On

The following people are the donors to the Universal Pictorial Language (Phase One). Soon i will be linking each name to the donor's preferred website so that they may gain additional recognition for what they do. But for now let us admire them! THANK YOUUUUU!

IAmThankfulUPL.jpg

Aaron Yashinsky

Alan Peterson

Alison Rushing

Ben Jacob

Blaire Knight-Graves

Bob Holman

Brian Camozzi

Catherine Wagner

Chris Fraser

Christina Yglesias

Danielle Peterson

Donald Day

Erin Cooper

Grayson Richardson

Hung Liu & Jeff Kelley

inara Tabir

Jackie Reuling

James Hasbrouck

Jeff Batdorf

Jennifer Breen

Jessica Chappell

Jocelyn Meggait

Kelsey Thorne

Layla Otey

Leigh Burgess

Lia Pellegrini Davies

Libby Maynard

Maija Beeton

Mary-Ann Milford

Maryellen Herringer

Matthew Gottschalk

Megan O'Lanen

Mia Bella D'Augelli

Michael Koehle

Pamela Peterson

Patricia Wallace

Rima Greer

Robin Conway

Scott Oliver

Shannon Southward

Simon Pyle

Stephany Campos

Tamra Seal

The Queendahls

Veva J. Edelson

#37, Takes. Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Shorebird Loop. (Abandonment continues, huzzah!).

#37, Takes. Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Shorebird Loop. (Abandonment continues, huzzah!).

This blog hasn't been updated in a while for a bevy of reasons: a residency that took ages to get rolling, a fundraiser that was nuts, a lack of money and no work to be found, carpal tunnel syndrome, holidays, head colds and packing cars full o' art and stuff. Plus i still don't have an "i" key on my computer. Annnnnddd there's a hole in my silkscreen.

When it rains, it pours, right?

Nevertheless, i am back at it! i have several goals for the next month i wish to share with you all, excluding the obvious (looking for work and helping with Redwood Planet Media).

  1. Ensure my Hatchfund donations get to me.
  2. Email $10 and $25 dollar donors about their digi-reward.
  3. Update website with current glyph database and Bulletin Board capabilities. Be prepared for the entire Swadesh list.
  4. Email all donors at $50 or higher level what they need to know for their prints.
  5. Arrange to print at the Eureka Print Alliance.
  6. Buy supplies for the rest of my perks.
  7. Print perks and dictionary thus far.
  8. Arrange with the ink people to have a weekly venue for UPL, and a spot at Arts Alive!
  9. Arrange with Old Town Coffee & Chocolates for UPL debates, bimonthy or monthly.
  10. Create blog rss feed for http://conlang.wikia.com/, send rss link to http://aggregator.conlang.org/
  11. Apply to at least 5 funding opportunities.

Pausing Abandonment, Starting Fundraising

First, a lovely email:

My name is Sam and this email concerns pieces of art that I have found. 

A couple of months ago, I was parking in a parking lot at the trailhead to Skunk Cabbage when I saw what appeared to be an art canvas. I did a double take and walked over to it. It was number 15 of 42 titled "Thee." I looked at it, a plastic covered piece of art and looked around...no one in the parking lot...a quiet afternoon. I put it down and took my walk, then came back to the parking lot and saw it still sitting there. This time I examined the back and read your message about the piece. I decided to take it.

#15

#15

 #41

 #41

Two or Three weeks later a strange thing happened. I was walking down the same trail and what did I see but another piece of art from this series. This time I knew what it was and I really liked it. But I couldn't take two. So I did the walk, thinking about the piece of art in the plastic by the side of the trail and the more I thought about it the more I wanted to keep it too. They would look very good together. A duo. So, they now hang together. #15 with #41. 

I hope you don't mind that I took them both. But I do like them and they compliment each other nicely.

 

 
 #24, "Me." Cow field adjacent to Mad River Footbridge.

 #24, "Me." Cow field adjacent to Mad River Footbridge.

My last two abandonments before I leave to Berkeley / Oakland for two months.:

#29, "As I." Hammond Trail, McKinleyville. 

#29, "As I." Hammond Trail, McKinleyville. 

And now, yes! My abandonment is taking a break. I will be spending the next two months at Kala Art Institute in residency working on a UPL dictionary. I cannot afford this residency out of pocket, so please check out my promo video and fundraising page. If you donate you can get screen prints and drawings, who doesn't love those? Plus, this fundraiser ends on my birthday, so your donation is basically a present exchange <3

http://www.hatchfund.org/project/universal_pictorial_language_phase_1_kala_residency 

Thank you all for reading, and I'll see y'all next when I report back from Oakland First Friday!

Practice Makes Perfect

Two abandonments this week: 

#9, "Thee."&nbsp;Miner's Ridge Trail, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park.

#9, "Thee." Miner's Ridge Trail, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park.

#25, "Away." College Cove Beach trail, Trinidad State Park.

#25, "Away." College Cove Beach trail, Trinidad State Park.

I am please to say that, even though it was a last minute decision, I got the chance to collaborate with the artgoing public to start designing pictograms. This session was just outside the Ink People Gallery on 2nd Street in Eureka, Ca. The first three I chose were 'universe', 'take' and 'love' - all being a part of the GSL/Fry list conlanger Seedy Johnson was kind enough to send my way.

I also just wanted to see if any viable alternatives could be developed for 'universe,' 'cause it's been bumming me out!

01universe.png
02universe.png

 Which do you prefer? Why or why not? Could you draw your own interpretation? I'll share the brainstorming sheets from UPL Session 1 once my head clears from this virus (which sadly is why I wasn't at Art Alive! Arcata yesterday. #sadface).

These folks insisted on posing for a photo.

These folks insisted on posing for a photo.

Getting Quicker

Firstly, I am pleased to announce that at the last minute, I decided to participate in Arts Alive! Eureka. If you plan to arrive early, then come and find me on 2nd Street and try your hand at some hieroglyphics.

Saturday, October 5, 5:00pm – 7:30pm Romano Gabriel Sculpture Garden. 315 2nd Street, Eureka, CA

Saturday, October 5, 5:00pm – 7:30pm Romano Gabriel Sculpture Garden. 315 2nd Street, Eureka, CA

I am also participating in First Fridays in Oakland during November and December. I'll update as more info comes in, but all I know for certain is that I will be on Telegraph around 25th Street. 

Our buddy Nick Call was grand enough to find a home for one of my abandonments:

I found this one about a week ago as a few of us hiked in the rain. The girls loved it and so we brought it home. When I read the note on the back it made perfect sense knowing you two;) I'll be keeping my eyes open for more!

Finally, two abandonments this week. I saw the second one get carried away by a woman and placed into her van, which is both exciting and vaguely creepy of me. 

&nbsp;#17, "Have-Their." Coastal trail on point just south of Wedding Rock, Patrick's Point State Park.

 #17, "Have-Their." Coastal trail on point just south of Wedding Rock, Patrick's Point State Park.

#3, "Me." Klopp Lake, Arcata Marsh.

#3, "Me." Klopp Lake, Arcata Marsh.

Four Abandonments

I've been getting behind in updating. "Arms," seen below, was found almost immediately. I hope the founder enjoys looking for additional pieces - more hints below.

#32, "Grace." Hauser Marsh, Arcata Marsh.

#32, "Grace." Hauser Marsh, Arcata Marsh.

 # 34, "Arms." Hammond Trail, Central McKinleyville.

 # 34, "Arms." Hammond Trail, Central McKinleyville.

#41, "Great." Skunk Cabbage Trail, Redwood National Park. 

#41, "Great." Skunk Cabbage Trail, Redwood National Park.

 

#39, "Place." Down the #3 landmark pathway, Arcata Marsh.

#39, "Place." Down the #3 landmark pathway, Arcata Marsh.

The, Ink People, Is...

 #19, "The." Arcata Marsh near oxidation ponds.

 #19, "The." Arcata Marsh near oxidation ponds.

Another piece has been found, this time I recieved a text message response:

Good morning. I found a picture about a week or so back and forgive me for not messaging you sooner. Its name is "is" it reminds me of a forboding dream I had And it looked like a gate way sitting there where I found it. My name is Stephen and the big "S" on the front made it most inviting to pick up. Thank you for the Picture I will frame it as soon as I am able. Hell I might just frame it myself. I do like to make things. Perhaps refined bone border frame will pay it justice.

I also abandoned "The" in the Arcata Marsh this week. You'll start seeing more and more pieces there as my work with the non-profit Redwood Planet Media kicks off. We're kinda making a movie 'bout the marsh, you see.

And in some excellent news The Ink People have been gracious enough to accept me into their DreamMaker Programs, through which I will develop my Universal Pictorial Language project into a community arts program here in Humboldt. Stay tuned (linked?) as I begin to flesh out this crazy endeavor.