Monday, July 1, 2013
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
It's been a while
There is so much that has happened in the... lets say last year. Instead of opening the flood gates, here's a few recent sketches to dip back in. I've been doing quick ink brush portraits everyday for the last few weeks.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Community Bees website live and open for bee keeping registration! Apiary apiary apiary
An extension to the Beez Kneez, Community Bees on Bikes site is live and offering a variety of classes on all aspects of bee keeping- Beehives in community gardens, city parks, and backyards. This is a project we've been working on a for a while, and we're proud to be partnered with the U of M beelab. If you're in Minnesota please take a second to check out what there it's all about.
Perucard. Peru, the Shining Path, Machu Picchu, Incan Gold!
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Avast ye website!
It's here, and I'll let it speak for itself. I made this website where in one fell swoop you can both order a shirt I designed, and some raw unprocessed honey straight from the source of the Mississippi in Itasca Minnesota.
www.thebeezkneezdelivery.com
www.thebeezkneezdelivery.com
Feast of Fools @ In the Heart of the Beast
Every year new years is a let down.. So, Here's a show I'm putting on with a few friends!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 11, 2011
PRESS CONTACT:
Guy Wagner
In the Heart of the Beast Theater Teams With Smoked Trout Productions to Create NYE Masquerade Art Ball
Minneapolis, MN
–Smoked Trout Productions is proud to be teaming with In the Heart of
the Beast Theater to offer a truly unique New Year’s Eve experience, the
Feast of Fools. Set against the backdrop of HoBT’s latest production
Winter Dreams, the Feast of Fools promises to be an immersive experience
fueled by the collective ambition of our city’s most creative
partygoers.
Physical
performances will be offered by Renee Starr. The concert portion of
the evening features the experimental jazz of Bad Vibes, horn infused
strut of Sorry Ok, synth rockers Aaron and the Sea, and the face
exploding funk of Dance Band. The crescendo builds with late night
tunes spun by On the Corner.
The
Feast of Fools is proud to be sponsored by some of Minneapolis’ most
conscientious and ethical businesses, including Common Roots Cafe,
Dangerous Man Brewing, and Beez Kneez Honey.
Tickets
are $10 with your own mask, or $15 to make your own mask. Doors open at
8pm. Heart of the Beast Theatre is located at 1500 East Lake Street in
south Minneapolis.
***
and presale tickets at feastnye.blogspot.com.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Smoltification art opening at Moto-i
taken while in process
and another in process
To and from New Orleans con postcard
Had a week long trip to Nawlins in August for which I pre made a couple hundred touristic postcards to hock, give away, and leave in shops. To prep I read a lot about the city's history relating to France, Haitians, slavery growing size as a port town, and of course recurring hurricane run ins. In the end I ended up going a lighter route portraying a sort of jazz funeral parade featuring nutria rats, and drunk bourbonites. For color reference I downloaded a handful of house and Mardi Gras images sort of in the range of.. this.
Here's the sketches
and the finished piece. The big easy refers to how easy it is to get work as a musician.
and here's a swoon piece on the fence around a music house being built in conjunction with project air lift (www.neworleansairlift.org/noa-events/ & http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1132047121/swoons-musical-architecture-for-new-orleans). Suffice it to say I can join the throngs extolling New Orleans virtue.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Boston->New York Land of Opportunity
Boston, land of entitlement and colleges. Boston Commons & the Freedom Trail winding through Beacon Hill. What once used to stand at the height of the acorn atop the capital building was stripped with oxen and cart to flatten the North End and make residential land. Wavy Brick walkways, hazy gas lamps that might as well be using whale blubber to keep their smolder in the daylight. Accosting by the blaring PA systems of duck tours and like zooming on by the Granary cemetery with a split second to see a grave that may be Samuel Adams or Paul Revere. A Frenchman given to patience and austerity now a "where's waldo" headstone to be photographed. Visored women with fanny packs reading off names on the tombstones with a dramatic tone to kids reverently as if they knew them all. Walking tours guided by period thespians herding children who notice that most the dates end at 30 years of age. This is a peaceful place in the land without public bathrooms and history to spare. Catch the bus to New York and dance with drink till the plane comes take me away.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
In depth review of Yita Music violin made in China LiuXi workshop
A few months ago I was looking for a violin to buy as a present on a budget. Originally my hope was to find a used but cheap and functional antique European made violin. I played bass in high school orchestra for a few years, but this served me little in grading instruments with often contradictory descriptions. Spring was calling through cheap blinds, and my eyes were beginning to hurt so it was settled to go for something new, preferably with a reliable warranty.
Talk to anyone young or old. If they have an opinion on violins, they will tell you a good violin can't be purchased for less than 500$- that you're just wasting your money on anything that costs less. Some examples can be found here.
"No to the $100 dollar violin. Seriously. Just send me the C-note and let me blow it on vodka for all the good it will do either of us. You have to spend more. Period."
Some divergent ..rebels suggested Saga Cremona, a Chinese made violin, as one of the few produced in a range of 200-400$ that were reasonable to use; but just that, only reasonable.
Through searching word variations on ebay and google products I happened upon another Chinese company called Yita Music. They made violins, violas, and cellos shipped directly from China. The violins were gorgeous and priced in a 70-300$ range with shipping oddly shifting from 50-100$ depending on which currency you paid with (pounds being the most). The seller has thousands of reviews that are glowing and thankful, and really only a handful of detractors that are bound to come with that volume of sale. A quick search revealed a lowfi website www.yitamusic.com, and some more positive chatter on violin forums. Good enough for me I started making bids on their advanced T19+ series violins and ended up with this particular 4/4 Stradivari Copy.
162 + 59 shipping = 221$ 2 weeks of shipping total in my hands.
As I had read, the pegs were somewhat cheap. The bridge shipped down and would have to be setup. The rosin had shattered into something only partially usable, and the scroll had a strange nick in it as if it had hit a belt sander right before being shipped out. Though these things were minor, and otherwise the violin 'lulu' was beautiful. But what do I know, so I took her to be looked over by Bob of Dahl Violins on a sunny afternoon in downtown Minneapolis. At his studio just blocks from orchestra hall I took notes on his thoughts, and lost said notes in the ocean that is my room.
But, I remember most of what about Bob had to say. A pleasant fellow who apprenticed under the original owner Dahl, he hummed about his business.
Here's his pros and cons.
cons
As I had read the strings are cheap Chinese strings that will never produce good sound, and as such it was hard to determine the sound of the violin with them on. He suggested a good set to replace them (lost that name..), and even that I get them online.
The tailpiece was a similar story, which he suggested be replaced with a Wittner? that has fine tuners on all the strings.
The high e string hadn't been given enough allowance to pass around the peg, and he had to dig a hole out of the scroll for it to fit.
The nut had to be lowered
He said the bridge should also be lowered whenever the new strings were purchased.
Pros
Bob was impressed with the spruce flaming of the violin, the German oil varnish job, craftsmanship in the scroll and other joined portions. The fingerboard was of good quality and well straight. Agreed as I had read that the violin was very loud, but again couldn't be sure on the sound with existing strings. He considered the bow of a reasonable 100$ quality, but did not think it was made of Brazil wood as advertised. And considering a relatively cheap case like the one it was shipped in would run another 50$, that's the cost of the violin right there. His most telling observation was that this violin was by far better than a 500$+ violin someone had brought in earlier that day.
Twenty dollars cash in Bobs hands and this fiddle hits the road.
---
an addendum to this will be posted when the violin has been broken in. I have read that Yita Music is very responsive to any problems and will send replacement parts or entire instruments if there is a problem.
Talk to anyone young or old. If they have an opinion on violins, they will tell you a good violin can't be purchased for less than 500$- that you're just wasting your money on anything that costs less. Some examples can be found here.
"No to the $100 dollar violin. Seriously. Just send me the C-note and let me blow it on vodka for all the good it will do either of us. You have to spend more. Period."
Some divergent ..rebels suggested Saga Cremona, a Chinese made violin, as one of the few produced in a range of 200-400$ that were reasonable to use; but just that, only reasonable.
Through searching word variations on ebay and google products I happened upon another Chinese company called Yita Music. They made violins, violas, and cellos shipped directly from China. The violins were gorgeous and priced in a 70-300$ range with shipping oddly shifting from 50-100$ depending on which currency you paid with (pounds being the most). The seller has thousands of reviews that are glowing and thankful, and really only a handful of detractors that are bound to come with that volume of sale. A quick search revealed a lowfi website www.yitamusic.com, and some more positive chatter on violin forums. Good enough for me I started making bids on their advanced T19+ series violins and ended up with this particular 4/4 Stradivari Copy.
162 + 59 shipping = 221$ 2 weeks of shipping total in my hands.
As I had read, the pegs were somewhat cheap. The bridge shipped down and would have to be setup. The rosin had shattered into something only partially usable, and the scroll had a strange nick in it as if it had hit a belt sander right before being shipped out. Though these things were minor, and otherwise the violin 'lulu' was beautiful. But what do I know, so I took her to be looked over by Bob of Dahl Violins on a sunny afternoon in downtown Minneapolis. At his studio just blocks from orchestra hall I took notes on his thoughts, and lost said notes in the ocean that is my room.
But, I remember most of what about Bob had to say. A pleasant fellow who apprenticed under the original owner Dahl, he hummed about his business.
Here's his pros and cons.
cons
As I had read the strings are cheap Chinese strings that will never produce good sound, and as such it was hard to determine the sound of the violin with them on. He suggested a good set to replace them (lost that name..), and even that I get them online.
The tailpiece was a similar story, which he suggested be replaced with a Wittner? that has fine tuners on all the strings.
The high e string hadn't been given enough allowance to pass around the peg, and he had to dig a hole out of the scroll for it to fit.
The nut had to be lowered
He said the bridge should also be lowered whenever the new strings were purchased.
Pros
Bob was impressed with the spruce flaming of the violin, the German oil varnish job, craftsmanship in the scroll and other joined portions. The fingerboard was of good quality and well straight. Agreed as I had read that the violin was very loud, but again couldn't be sure on the sound with existing strings. He considered the bow of a reasonable 100$ quality, but did not think it was made of Brazil wood as advertised. And considering a relatively cheap case like the one it was shipped in would run another 50$, that's the cost of the violin right there. His most telling observation was that this violin was by far better than a 500$+ violin someone had brought in earlier that day.
Twenty dollars cash in Bobs hands and this fiddle hits the road.
---
an addendum to this will be posted when the violin has been broken in. I have read that Yita Music is very responsive to any problems and will send replacement parts or entire instruments if there is a problem.
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