Near Misses Throughout History

I find this piece by artist Michael Penderson super duper inspiring. If I was going to be a street artist or an installation artist, this is exactly the sort of thing I'd aspire to make. And it's also a darn fine piece of short writing. First discovered via the always fine Colossal.

Lamp

The 13th-Century Persian poet Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī wrote something that is generally translated into English as:

"Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder."

I think about this quotation a lot.

Edvard Munch, Between the Clock and the Bed

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the Edvard Munch show at SFMOMA. I wonder if there is any other artist who's name is so well known, and yet with so little of their work generally known or seen by the museum-going public?

Color poem #23

Mabel asks of green and
blue which do I like better
green

she asks my favorite color
it’s hard to pick just one

she says ok top four and I say
yellow pink green though which
shade of green is important and
orange no wait red no orange

she says would you rather have
dark deep emerald green or deep dark ocean blue
I say that’s a hard choice both of those sound nice
she says but if you had to choose

I say ok emerald and she offers me
a dull dark forest green plastic ball
apparently it’s where this was going all along
her trying to figure out which ball to give me

I'd Rather Be Reading

I attended an absolutely delightful book launch the other evening at Green Apple on the Park for the wonderful Guinevere de la Mare's book I'd Rather Be Reading. In addition to a reading and a signing and a wine-and-snack party, it was also a happy free-for-all of children; a reunion of delightful former Chronicle Books co-workers from the days when Guinevere worked here; and an art show featuring original work form the book.

Not only do I have the honor of being the editor of this book -- but I'm lucky enough to have one of my drawings in it as well. Which meant I got to see my picture displayed next to that of one of my long-time drawing idols, Mark Johns, and alongside work by the likes of Courtney Cerruti, Sophie Blackall, Oliver Jeffers, Jane Mount, Lisa Condon, Wendy MacNaughton, Gemma Correll and many more amazing talents. Just, wow.

Latest Inspirational Mabels

From the first day of school onward, here's what the monkey has been up to lately.

Winnebago and Passport

I'm keeping on drawing for next year's art show. Coffee, Sharpies, and white gel pens are my special helpers, with a Blackwing pencil and special Tucker Nichols-designed Plum Goods notebook standing by.