Little Bit of Rain

Karen Dalton & Fred Neil

I can't get enough of this song.

Firefly Photography

Have you ever noticed that when fireflies come together in a group, over time they start blinking their special little lights in unison?  Apparently this is connected to the same force that makes people breathe at the same speed when lying next to each other, or a field of crickets to synchronize their chirps.  I read
this cool little article a few years back about this phenomenon called, 'odd sympathy' and it really stuck with me.  It feels pretty good to know about some of the tiny details happening out in this huge world.

These lovely images come from a japanese digital photo blog (I wish I could remember how I stumbled across them, darn!).  From the blog + google chrome's handy/slightly ridiculous translation, it seems like they're testing out several types of cameras while documenting the annual firefly season in different areas.  Whatever it is, I want to take a walk in these woods right now.  Oooo-di-lolly!

Maoli Art Market

In Honolulu, the month of May has become Maoli Arts Month (MAMo).  There are events all throughout the month celebrating and showing Native Hawaiin artists and their work.  Galleries across Honolulu show art by Native Hawaiian artists, there is a hugely successful wearable arts show, an art market, several film screenings, and a food festival.

This past weekend I unpacked all my monoprints and set up shop at the Maoli art market at the Bishop Museum.  There was all kinds of art from prints and paintings to instruments, weapons, and tools, to clothes and weavings.

View of the market at the end of day 1

my prints

Jacob, Annie, and their new print.

Imaikalani Kalahele and his art.  Hes a visual artist, performance artist, poet, and musician.

Marques Marzan is an amazing fiber artist.  He can pretty much make anything.

 his website

Marques Marzan

Burnout velvet scarves and dresses by Maile Andrade

There just so happened to be a solar eclipse that day!

And my rad friend, Erin, was there customizing MAMo t-shirts.

I got to bring home some special goodies.  I got three new 'ohe kapala, and the tiniest shark jaw you've ever seen.  Successful weekend!

Contemporary PNG

I spent a few summers in a tiny village in the Solomon Islands, which is at the tip of a long archipelago that also includes Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.  Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the Solomons are very different but because they are so close, also have a lot of similarities.  While in the Solomons, we often heard news from PNG and listened to their latest music.  I don't know much about contemporary art from that part of the world so was really excited to learn about Daniel Waswas (thanks to Julie).  He comes from Papua New Guinea, studied in New Zealand and now runs a gallery back in Port Moresby to promote other contemporary indigenous artists from PNG and the pacific.  Pretty darn awesome.   

A New Home

I'm pretty happy to say that my monoprint, A New Home, is going to be part of a summer-long show at the Washington State History Museum.  The show is called In the Spirit: a Contemporary Northwest Native Art Exhibit and it opens June 21.  This summer just keeps getting better and better!

Image copyright Miki'ala Souza, 2012.  Thats right.

Jelleh

I just ate lunch and I dont even like doughnuts... but right now I really want one.  Emily Eveleth and her huge, gooey, realistic paintings get me every time.

She has a good interview about her work over here.  And she does some darn nice drawings too.

Feist & Irina Werning

I'm on the Feist e-mail list and got this new video in my inbox today.  Gotta love her.  Heres what they had to say:

A montage of photos and video clips from Irina Werning's celebrated photo essay Back to the Future, the video for "Bittersweet Melodies" is directed by Holle Singer and produced by Jannie McInnes. Few of us ever get the opportunity to revisit, let alone re-inhabit our pasts, yet, with astonishing accuracy the Argentinean photographer recreates old snapshots, juxtaposing the subject of the present with that of the past. These trips into the present perfect tense are achieved with incredible attention to detail, as Werner works tirelessly to recapture the same lighting, effects, angles, poses and locations. “I love old photos” Werning says. “But I love even more to recreate them. When I fall in love with a picture I don’t stop until I have them in front of me dressed like this doing that thing they were doing. I’m always amazed that they do it.” The photo essay, which first appeared in the Sunday Times Magazine, earned Werning the 2011 Magnum Foundation’s Emerging Photographer Grant.

Tom Berenz

Flood paintings by Tom Berenz.

Where Can I Hear 5000 Bicycle Bells Blowing in the Breeze?

I love public art.  

Art that is accessible to everyone at any time and in a different context than inside the gallery or museum really knocks my socks off.  It exposes art to people who may otherwise never experience or contemplate it.  It has the ability to use nature and space as a tool or material.  And its often subtle while at the same time being unforgettable. Ronald van der Meijs makes installations that include everything I love about public art.  

This is one half of a two-part installation. Heres a rather straightforward description from his website:

The installation 'Nature' is a site specific composition from 5000 chrome bicycle bells that are swaying in the wind of the polder in a natural way, as a reed. Causing them to call each other in a rather subtle manner and cause a soft twinkling noise. This is entirely dependent on the amount and wind direction around the Art Fort. The location and composition of the starting point is the center of an old gun on the embankment base of the fort. The ruin is caused by the German occupation in World War II by the cast-iron cannon and protection dome to inflate and reuse their own weaponry. 

I think I'd like to take a stroll along that lovely (headstone?) path.

Dont Forget the Muse: Suze Rotolo

Of course Bob Dylan is a very talented man. Obviously.  But she must have been some woman.  Or their love must have been something fierce because she inspired great songs. Ahem, Dont Think Twice, its Alright and Tomorrow is a Long Time.  And she gets even more respect from me because I bet she had one hell of a time emotionally supporting Bob Dylan at home, while also trying to be an artist herself.  I'm pretty intrigued by the sources for great works of art.  I can only imagine all the love stories behind the songs or paintings.  And Bob Dylan gives her credit for introducing him to some of the poets and artists who influenced his songwriting.  Well done. 

  

Her name was Suze Rotolo and heres a heartbreaker she inspired before they were even 21 years old.