Well here we are. All of the new years have been celebrated: regular January 1st New Year, Imbolic, Candlemas, Groundhog Day, Chinese New Year, My Personal New Year, My Personal New Year redo, we even had an ice storm for good measure. We are firmly planted in 2014. The wheel is turning.
I have been working on a few commissioned animals the past few weeks and some other art projects so things have slowed. I did place a raccoon somewhere... possibly The Blind Elephant, but things got a little crazy that night and I remember it being one of those cases where people seemed to be afraid to pick it up. So weird.
Anyway, I just about have a kiln full of new beasts so we should be back on the streets in no time. I have a few little guys from the last batch that still need to go-- it gets harder to give them away towards the end. I guess because the best of every batch get saved for last-- because I like to get to know them and sit them on my shelves for a while. Because they look cool all grouped up. But we all know they have to go. That is the project. So keep a lookout for the back-to-back bears, a turtle, and a barn owl... finding homes this weekend.
Jam!
Part community art project, part spiritual journey-- because beasts are everywhere, and we're all a little animal.
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Sunday, January 19, 2014
groundhog day
This is how it went down.
Holly Williams opening for Jason Isbell. Crowded. I'm standing by the coats, there is a purse hanging there and I'm considering making the drop. I overhear some guys nearby talking about how half those coats will still be there tomorrow. I tell them about the spirit animals and how I stick them in the pockets of unattended coats. We discuss how it's a friendly thing, a nice surprise, not an old banana peel or something. I show them the animal. It's a groundhog. The guy says, "Why don't you save yourself the trouble and go ahead and stick it here in my pocket." I say, "Well, are you a groundhog?" He says, "Every fucking day of my life."
Enjoy your groundhog, Groundhog Guy!
Holly Williams opening for Jason Isbell. Crowded. I'm standing by the coats, there is a purse hanging there and I'm considering making the drop. I overhear some guys nearby talking about how half those coats will still be there tomorrow. I tell them about the spirit animals and how I stick them in the pockets of unattended coats. We discuss how it's a friendly thing, a nice surprise, not an old banana peel or something. I show them the animal. It's a groundhog. The guy says, "Why don't you save yourself the trouble and go ahead and stick it here in my pocket." I say, "Well, are you a groundhog?" He says, "Every fucking day of my life."
Enjoy your groundhog, Groundhog Guy!
Friday, January 10, 2014
It's a new year. 2014. Year of the horse.
I predict a great year for underground bloggers and homeless spirit animals. There is something about this project-- it's digging in, it's starting to shine.
It's a good feeling-- this idea that I am producing and putting something positive into this world. Spreading the light. These animals have provoked thought and conversation and research and animal spirit love. And we've had a lot of fun, too.
In 2013 all the light I let go came back to me doubled and brighter-- and I discovered whole reserves of light that I didn't even know I had.
Goodbye, snake! Hello, horse! Here's to staying on the light side!
Stop talking about clearing your head. Clear your fucking heart instead.-- Charles Bukowski
I predict a great year for underground bloggers and homeless spirit animals. There is something about this project-- it's digging in, it's starting to shine.
It's a good feeling-- this idea that I am producing and putting something positive into this world. Spreading the light. These animals have provoked thought and conversation and research and animal spirit love. And we've had a lot of fun, too.
In 2013 all the light I let go came back to me doubled and brighter-- and I discovered whole reserves of light that I didn't even know I had.
Goodbye, snake! Hello, horse! Here's to staying on the light side!
Stop talking about clearing your head. Clear your fucking heart instead.-- Charles Bukowski
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
The doors of perception: snakes and pregnant ladies
I've had a thing for animals my whole life. A kinship, maybe. My older brother grew up afraid of the forest. Afraid of getting lost. Afraid of beetles and slugs and gray, featherless, baby birds. Afraid of dirt.
I grew up deathly afraid of my older brother.
So all the dirt and the beetles and the baby birds were on my side. I spent so long hiding just inside that treeline that I eventually trained a chipmunk to eat peanuts from my hand.
The universe loves me, but thinks I'm stupid. I say this because I seem to get really obvious signs. Always have. Unmistakable signs. Signs only an idiot would ignore.
True to form, I mostly ignore them. Like the time a coyote walked right up to me. Or the time a luna moth landed on my hand.
But I guess sometimes the time is right.
My dog died when I was 8 months pregnant.
That night, I had a dream that there was a man standing in my backyard. A homeless man, I thought. He didn't seem dangerous. But he wasn't safe, either. He was just there. And he was wearing shiny, black, snakeskin pants.
When I woke up to let the other dog outside, she barked. And pounced. And there it was: a real snake in the backyard. Right where the man in my dream had been standing. A long black snake.
When I was pregnant, I suddenly started noticing pregnant women all over the place. So many pregnant women! It's like somebody switches on a special light and suddenly your perception shifts and you are able to notice this thing you never did. It's the same with the spirit animals. Once you start seeing them, you see them everywhere.
My father died a little over a year ago. The morning after seeing him wheeled out, my first glimpse of waxy dead feet; my mother and I sat on the screen porch in that weird state of grieving shock.
My mom said she was worried. We are all atheists from a long line of non-believers, but we are people with spirit. My mother had opened a window for my father's ghost to get out of the house. She didn't like the idea of him bouncing around in there all freed from his body. She worried that she should have opened all the windows, that he wouldn't find just the one. He was never very detail oriented.
Just as she finished saying it, a great long black snake slithered out from under the porch. He stopped, raised his head, and turned to look right at us. "Oh, there he goes." She said, so calmly, and took a drag from her cigarette. "He found it."
Two important deaths. Two snakes. And so started my obsession with reading animal signs. Which maybe the universe has been asking me to do for a very long time. But thankfully, the universe persists. Because we both know I'm stupid.
I grew up deathly afraid of my older brother.
So all the dirt and the beetles and the baby birds were on my side. I spent so long hiding just inside that treeline that I eventually trained a chipmunk to eat peanuts from my hand.
The universe loves me, but thinks I'm stupid. I say this because I seem to get really obvious signs. Always have. Unmistakable signs. Signs only an idiot would ignore.
True to form, I mostly ignore them. Like the time a coyote walked right up to me. Or the time a luna moth landed on my hand.
But I guess sometimes the time is right.
My dog died when I was 8 months pregnant.
That night, I had a dream that there was a man standing in my backyard. A homeless man, I thought. He didn't seem dangerous. But he wasn't safe, either. He was just there. And he was wearing shiny, black, snakeskin pants.
When I woke up to let the other dog outside, she barked. And pounced. And there it was: a real snake in the backyard. Right where the man in my dream had been standing. A long black snake.
When I was pregnant, I suddenly started noticing pregnant women all over the place. So many pregnant women! It's like somebody switches on a special light and suddenly your perception shifts and you are able to notice this thing you never did. It's the same with the spirit animals. Once you start seeing them, you see them everywhere.
My father died a little over a year ago. The morning after seeing him wheeled out, my first glimpse of waxy dead feet; my mother and I sat on the screen porch in that weird state of grieving shock.
My mom said she was worried. We are all atheists from a long line of non-believers, but we are people with spirit. My mother had opened a window for my father's ghost to get out of the house. She didn't like the idea of him bouncing around in there all freed from his body. She worried that she should have opened all the windows, that he wouldn't find just the one. He was never very detail oriented.
Just as she finished saying it, a great long black snake slithered out from under the porch. He stopped, raised his head, and turned to look right at us. "Oh, there he goes." She said, so calmly, and took a drag from her cigarette. "He found it."
Two important deaths. Two snakes. And so started my obsession with reading animal signs. Which maybe the universe has been asking me to do for a very long time. But thankfully, the universe persists. Because we both know I'm stupid.
Monday, December 16, 2013
Back in the saddle
Saturday night the beasts were out in full force. I had a few helpers and managed to get a little pig up on stage at the Infamous Stringdusters show. He's there, hiding by the wires.
Also slipped a handsy owl in an open purse-- not sure the woman had owl magic... likely not as she was wearing a hat that said "fuckin wasted" (and nope, it was not her birthday. I asked.)-- seems not very owl-like. But she had spunk. And an open purse.
Got the little bee in some dread's open coat pocket. It was a stealth maneuver. But she seemed like a bee. So that was a good one.
All in all a good rainy Saturday night.
Also slipped a handsy owl in an open purse-- not sure the woman had owl magic... likely not as she was wearing a hat that said "fuckin wasted" (and nope, it was not her birthday. I asked.)-- seems not very owl-like. But she had spunk. And an open purse.
Got the little bee in some dread's open coat pocket. It was a stealth maneuver. But she seemed like a bee. So that was a good one.
All in all a good rainy Saturday night.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Beast Coast
Very excited to be sending a beast or two to the West Coast this week with some very capable mules. These little buggers will be looking for homes in San Francisco, Sausalito, hopefully Bob Weir's backyard (or his beard.) Feeling jazzed to be spreading this spirit animal love and luck across the whole country-- cause even though the West Coast might be the best coast, the east coast is for sure the BEAST COAST.
Monday, November 11, 2013
Saturday, November 9, 2013
The whale probably shattered into a million pieces. Right after I took the picture I purposefully knocked it off the speaker. Goodbye, whale and one armed tiger-cat!
Friday, November 8, 2013
Monday, November 4, 2013
Leftover Buffalo
I wish I had a salmon for leftover salmon. I had this little white buffalo. Somebody saw me leave it and was like "yeah, I get it... they're from Colorado, you know, part of the herd." Whatever that means. I don't even know if it's true. But it's awesome.
Gone to find his herd!
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