a few quick patch prints
and a quaint cabin...
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Sunday, August 5, 2012
SEPERATE TOGETHERNESS
well, this text is really just a sketch
cause i feel i feel the image deserve some explanation
it is a very big and imposing wall
takes a lot of fear and concrete to build something like that
Mr. Cyclops Heartstrong made his first visit to bethlehem and had a long dialogue with our local contact there, mister benji boyee, together they approached a concept of something to lather on the wall
seems like the ethnoocratic identity police are out to divide us humans
always cutting zone grey into blacks and whites, or jew and arabs rather
but when you point one finger, chances are threee are returning your glare
but in the end if hate and force prevail the vicious circle will continue to revolve
so lets put our hearts to work and break down the walls we build in our mind, with stones of nationalistic pride and kapitalistik funding
open that higher eye
bless up
one love
AND THEN
and then i was in cairo
it didnt quite go down like this this go round
though it was long hot and confusing but perfectly sensible, just like egypt
however, at my sisters request im posting an email note i sent from my first arrival in cairo in the summer of 2009
whoa... cairo
got to the border crossing too late to catch the cheapo bus. after considering sleeping the night in the streets with the beduins, we haggled as much we could for a 7 hour taxi into town. we thought we had it good, just the two of us in a mini van. nope. about half an hour through curvy desert cliffs at high speeds we were told to get into a different van, that wasn't built for leg room and packed to the gills with men women children.
as the sun rose over the barren desert we approached cairo. we were dropped at the very edge of her limits, where western eyes seldom see. dirt streets and hustle in every direction, 6am? barely a word of english but a friendly fellow from our bus helps us find a cab to the center of town, almost an hour further in to the chaos. the air hanging thick and dirty on everything around no end in sight, all dierctions. hit the ground running and found the obscure hostel where a friend had checked into just days pryer. a coucher surfer opted to be our guide as we road horse back to the pyramids of giza and checked out the ancient seat of power in a town called memphis. later the sureality set in deep, as we met army jesus and wondered the night streets, which are no different at 4am than they are at any other time. people shopping, whole families dining in the streets, crazy honking traffic in every direction, it really never stops. we found out selves in a strange scene hookah hooker? bar that didn't sit to well, but the mustache man found us and invited us to a local drinkin establishment. jackie chan in arabic and friendly (as they all are) egyptians treating us to local pub snacks.
late rise and set out into the hot egyptian sun, pointed towards the market of all markets, where anything and evrything exists. going in means possibly never emerging. "welcome to egypt! where are you from, obama number one!" i succesfully haggled a cloth that wasn't exactly what i wanted but later traded for a broken in version right out from under another merchants goods. a fine falafelf feast to follow and a mosquey nap before we wandered into midevil times. really not much has changed in some parts of cairo, we stepped into a time machine, where chicken blood runs in the dirt street, carts are pulled by donkeys and things are done just as they have been, save for sparse electricty and dirty but colorful t shirts. emerging from the old town and back into the mayhem where the only traffic law is, honk, frequently, and flash your headlights, which aren't on...
it didnt quite go down like this this go round
though it was long hot and confusing but perfectly sensible, just like egypt
however, at my sisters request im posting an email note i sent from my first arrival in cairo in the summer of 2009
whoa... cairo
got to the border crossing too late to catch the cheapo bus. after considering sleeping the night in the streets with the beduins, we haggled as much we could for a 7 hour taxi into town. we thought we had it good, just the two of us in a mini van. nope. about half an hour through curvy desert cliffs at high speeds we were told to get into a different van, that wasn't built for leg room and packed to the gills with men women children.
as the sun rose over the barren desert we approached cairo. we were dropped at the very edge of her limits, where western eyes seldom see. dirt streets and hustle in every direction, 6am? barely a word of english but a friendly fellow from our bus helps us find a cab to the center of town, almost an hour further in to the chaos. the air hanging thick and dirty on everything around no end in sight, all dierctions. hit the ground running and found the obscure hostel where a friend had checked into just days pryer. a coucher surfer opted to be our guide as we road horse back to the pyramids of giza and checked out the ancient seat of power in a town called memphis. later the sureality set in deep, as we met army jesus and wondered the night streets, which are no different at 4am than they are at any other time. people shopping, whole families dining in the streets, crazy honking traffic in every direction, it really never stops. we found out selves in a strange scene hookah hooker? bar that didn't sit to well, but the mustache man found us and invited us to a local drinkin establishment. jackie chan in arabic and friendly (as they all are) egyptians treating us to local pub snacks.
late rise and set out into the hot egyptian sun, pointed towards the market of all markets, where anything and evrything exists. going in means possibly never emerging. "welcome to egypt! where are you from, obama number one!" i succesfully haggled a cloth that wasn't exactly what i wanted but later traded for a broken in version right out from under another merchants goods. a fine falafelf feast to follow and a mosquey nap before we wandered into midevil times. really not much has changed in some parts of cairo, we stepped into a time machine, where chicken blood runs in the dirt street, carts are pulled by donkeys and things are done just as they have been, save for sparse electricty and dirty but colorful t shirts. emerging from the old town and back into the mayhem where the only traffic law is, honk, frequently, and flash your headlights, which aren't on...
Sunday, July 15, 2012
TIME AND AGAIN
from a couple years ago
took the time to finish and frame it
found plywood, scrapwood, and ink
concept for no mans land series
Monday, June 18, 2012
3EYES6HEARTS
yo!
my first ever production intended for sale
hand colored, signed and numbered
The new year is once again approaching. The summer gardens are overflowing and it's time to come together and count our blessings. This set of cards comes out of an appreciation for the subtle lessons of the heart that are embedded in the traditions of the jewish new year.
There are 90 sets, each hand colored, numbered and signed. All sets contain six prints; two prints of the three designs described below, a bonus print and envelopes for your postal pleasures. These images were drawn by hand using a ruler, but no compass, followed by a few minor digital edits for the printing process.
The Pomegranite - Tradition tells us that there are as many mitzvot (good deeds) to do as there are seeds to the crowned crimson fruit. Open your heart to all the possibilities!
Hamsah - Open your third eye and the cosmos will show you the way. Listen to the wind as it blows your heart across the moon.
Apple and Bees Work - The apple is round, as is the cycle of the seasons. Work hard and you will have something sweet to enjoy. Don't be afraid to wear your heart on your tongue!
I hope these cards find you happy and healthy as we approach this new year. This set was inspired in Ethiopia, produced while cycling through Kenya, and hand colored and packaged in Jerusalem. A percentage of profits will be re-invested in the youth of east africa. Many thanks for your continued support! <3
There are 90 sets, each hand colored, numbered and signed. All sets contain six prints; two prints of the three designs described below, a bonus print and envelopes for your postal pleasures. These images were drawn by hand using a ruler, but no compass, followed by a few minor digital edits for the printing process.
The Pomegranite - Tradition tells us that there are as many mitzvot (good deeds) to do as there are seeds to the crowned crimson fruit. Open your heart to all the possibilities!
Hamsah - Open your third eye and the cosmos will show you the way. Listen to the wind as it blows your heart across the moon.
Apple and Bees Work - The apple is round, as is the cycle of the seasons. Work hard and you will have something sweet to enjoy. Don't be afraid to wear your heart on your tongue!
I hope these cards find you happy and healthy as we approach this new year. This set was inspired in Ethiopia, produced while cycling through Kenya, and hand colored and packaged in Jerusalem. A percentage of profits will be re-invested in the youth of east africa. Many thanks for your continued support! <3
DAY BY DAY
greetings from no mans land
best not to go back the way you came
but,
sometimes it's good to go back to were you've been
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
RIDE IT
from the mountains to the sea
hey mama africa
it was reall goood
thanks for granting me safe passage and genuine folks
with heart from the holyland
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
UM
3 welding shops
5 bolts
2 pieces sheet metal
and 2 countries
but i managed to assemble a strong crank arm
i know some of you cyclist are shaking your heads
but what can you do when you cant waltz into a shop and buy a new crank arm or bottom bracket?
all in all that shit is STIFF now
i put almost 200k into it the last couple days and it's holding strong
praise be the ingenuity
heart and tailwinds...
5 bolts
2 pieces sheet metal
and 2 countries
but i managed to assemble a strong crank arm
i know some of you cyclist are shaking your heads
but what can you do when you cant waltz into a shop and buy a new crank arm or bottom bracket?
all in all that shit is STIFF now
i put almost 200k into it the last couple days and it's holding strong
praise be the ingenuity
heart and tailwinds...
BEFORE AND AFTER
crossing into kenya there is some 600k of frontier between the border and paved roads/civilization. i was advised to take a transport for this section as i was alone and you would have to carry as much as 12 liters of water in case you don't find a village before you get robbed by bush bandits or somali pirates or whatever. anyhow, the only transport available were these trucks loaded with whatever farm stock coming from ethiopia. mine happened to be loaded with 15-20 tons of tumeric (which made for a pleasant smell). it was pouring rain all morning but the truck left anyhow. the photos illustrate the before and after of us trying to cross what was the road but turned into a muddy river from all the runoff. miraculously no one was hurt. really a miracle, because about 15 of us were sitting on top of this truck when it went over. about a hundred villagers appeared out of the bush and helped unload the truck before we tried righting it to no avail. i caught a bus nowheresville and took a room for a night while waiting for transport. finally sometime the next day i made it onto another truck (loaded with beans) and was in for another long haul. that truck broke a center bolt and we were lucky enough to be close to a frontier town were it could be fixed, but that took some time. so, four days later i arrived at a paved road and showers, sorted out my damaged goods (as my whole bag went swimming in muddy waters), fixed my cycle, and prepared to hit the road...
SOUFWARD!
100k through gravel roads and bush to get out of ethiopia
then some bus and truck transport due to mechanical problems
on the road again riding through the highlands of kenya
i miss ethiopian food, but passion fruit and oranges are in abundance here
then some bus and truck transport due to mechanical problems
on the road again riding through the highlands of kenya
i miss ethiopian food, but passion fruit and oranges are in abundance here
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
All In All
some images from the last couple months
1. one from the road
2. pneumonia springs (hot)
3. funny hitch hiking adventure (http://www.not2latetrip.com/)
4. breakfast ceremony
1. one from the road
2. pneumonia springs (hot)
3. funny hitch hiking adventure (http://www.not2latetrip.com/)
4. breakfast ceremony
DABBO BET
a few weeks back already
experimentation with the resident oven at the place i was workin
not a great design. the chimney was to large and even with the flew closed to much heat escaped for it to effeciently be able to bake bread. in fact, sometimes i would even have to take all the bread out, make a new fire, let it burn down to coal, and then close it up again. uhhg. this led me to making bread in a pan over a burner (or fire). much faster, baked all the way through, and no ash everywhere...
experimentation with the resident oven at the place i was workin
not a great design. the chimney was to large and even with the flew closed to much heat escaped for it to effeciently be able to bake bread. in fact, sometimes i would even have to take all the bread out, make a new fire, let it burn down to coal, and then close it up again. uhhg. this led me to making bread in a pan over a burner (or fire). much faster, baked all the way through, and no ash everywhere...
JERRY CAN PANNIERS
previously i had just been tying less used items onto the side of my rack with an extra piece of tube, but i thought it was about time i got myslef some proper panniers.
bike shope are pretty understocked around these parts, and besides what fun is it to just walk in and have everything done for you? thought i'd do things the african way... with a jerry can. people walk for days, with these things tied to there backs to fetch water, so why not modify them to fit on me cycle? they are mounted using some scrap metal and scrap tubing. the tops are cut to open and have a little tube latch. i'll let you know how they fare on the open road!
bike shope are pretty understocked around these parts, and besides what fun is it to just walk in and have everything done for you? thought i'd do things the african way... with a jerry can. people walk for days, with these things tied to there backs to fetch water, so why not modify them to fit on me cycle? they are mounted using some scrap metal and scrap tubing. the tops are cut to open and have a little tube latch. i'll let you know how they fare on the open road!
Monday, February 13, 2012
POSITIVETY
ok, some positive things about ethiopia:
you can buy 10 mangoes for 50cent
in a juice shop you can get a tall glass of pureed mangoe, avocado, or guava, served with a lime
sunsets are simple and pretty and the night sky is brilliant
you can buy 10 mangoes for 50cent
in a juice shop you can get a tall glass of pureed mangoe, avocado, or guava, served with a lime
sunsets are simple and pretty and the night sky is brilliant
Monday, February 6, 2012
No Malaria, No Problem
One week, and a couple hundred dollars, and I managed to put together a scappy, but road worthy bicycle, to carry me 650km south through ethiopia. About halfway through, sleeping by some hot springs, I developed a nasty cough, which by the end of the next hot day had wiped me out. In the mean time, I was resting by rasta springs in the mountains surrounding wondo genet. A woman who sounded like a turkey stole my towels and taunted me and the incessant "moneymoneymoney," began to wear on me in my weakened state. Now I am bitter, and recovering from pnemonia, and trying to be as positive as possible in this hot, dusty country. tomorrow i should arrive at the farm, we shall see how it goes...
Thursday, January 19, 2012
AMEBESHO
one day it was cold
the next i fell out of the sky
i slid off the back of a steel trajectile
and landed on the king of kings
the land of the lion
<3
the next i fell out of the sky
i slid off the back of a steel trajectile
and landed on the king of kings
the land of the lion
<3
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
MAIL!!!
This is all going in the mail tomorrow!
so if you havent already sent me your snailmail addy
do so ASAP!
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