Originally uploaded by Jimmy McCullough

12:26 AM Spent a great day in the North Bay playing J-harp and taking pictures. Tomales Park was beautiful and very wet. Driving home we found a little town called Fairfax which was very cute. Will be going back there sometime.

4:21 PM I am writing this on my fancy phone!

1:00 AM So many new toys.... must keep playing!

12:11 AM

E is home but sick. I didn't get any work done while she was gone and I'm not sure if I will be able to now that she is back.

E-mailed Beak, which is a bit weird and sad for me.

Spent a gorgeous day at Sutro Baths and Ocean Beach.

2:11 PM Leaving in about 20 to go do my glorified babysitting.

11:54 AM

Spending most of the morning picking out the Bibliohead show. I think I have enough ready to go.

A strange thing that has slightly affected my mood... B.K. has added me as a friend again on dA and it is a little confusing for me. Not to mention it hurts a little too.

Speaking of things that hurt, no word from Iketsu at all. I guess that one is done with me.

11:31 PM

Had Thai with Ploo for lunch, then met Kiki to look at the exhibit space. There is a lot of room in that building!

Tomorrow is Hardly-Strictly Bluegrass and I am very excited about it. Veging out in the grass with beer before the madness begins next week is very appealing.

11:33 AM

I've barely gotten out of bed. I never sleep in like this.

Around 4 AM I was woken up by thunder. I had no idea that was on it's way.

8:02 PM

Went to J-town for a little bit and said goodbye to Yuka and the 6% dokidoki crew. I will miss them and how cute they are.

Now, just sitting around and watching some Coffin Joe. Pho for dinner.

12:18 AM

So I will be the curator at the new restaurant/art gallery. Wow! I have to admit that I am very scared of the thought of it. What artists will I pick for the 2010 season???

***

1:11 AM

DO NOT BECOME AN ARTIST. If you can do something else, do it. However, if this is what you are, god love you, it will never be an easy path. Our eyes, our hands, our minds are committed to service. It is a calling. It will demand every sacrifice of you as your serve. If this is what you are, it was never a choice to do anything else. I am not talking to those of you who create merely out moods or in seasons or way back when. I am speaking to you give blood on a regular basis. Every battle you fight, every sacrifice made to insure your survival proves your conviction that no one and nothing can tear you from your station. This is an honor. To create HERE and NOW. To be the eyes the soul of your time. We are so very privileged to have all our opportunities; this exquisite FREEDOM to express, to adorn, and to synthesize the world we live in. Humble yourself to this calling, serve with passion. Suck the marrow out life! Transform another mind, bring beauty down from the mountain to the cities of men, challenge values, and raise awareness of what it is, to be a part of this human condition. Your reward will be the singing of the stars, the humming of the spheres. To toil in the duty of tribute to culture. To live an extraordinary existence! I challenge you TO FAIL. Fail magnificently! For it is the only way to succeed. When you finally find success it is a shock to find that this is the first in a long line proving yourself…success is a process that pushes you to out do yourself without limit or end. As you succeed, I challenge you do so with humility and help those that who are climbing with you or behind you. If you can mentor, give someone the advice or confidence no one maybe ever gave you. Succeed so that you may be a shining example of the possible glory of being human, of being a creator. It is so much richer an existence to find yourself among friends than to find yourself alone. We are on this path together. PS: To those who do not create art, I challenge you to support a living artist and become a collector. Artists are nothing without the belief of another person who values what they are putting into this world. You make a difference. Patronage keeps art alive. There are those amazing few who have come forward for me, they sustain me and fuel my ability to continue. If no one ever came forward for me, I would not be where I am now. To paraphrase Gertrude Stein in the Moveable Feast: - do not buy nice things, do not buy clothes, or expensive food, buy art. This is what is meaningful in this world. Invest in your culture. The artist does not need their creation. They made it for one person, the one to whom it belongs. The one person who resonates with the piece and cannot imagine their life without it.

10:08 AM

Saturday night E., Mr. Dorgon, and I went to see "Anvil: The Story of Anvil" and it became a favorite film of all three of us.

I heard about that movie several weeks ago on the radio and my first thought was "Anvil is still around? Why???". I remember hearing about them when I was a teenager and I thought they sounded dumb then, so I was pretty surprised that someone had made a movie about them. But the more I researched it the better it sounded and I am so happy that we went to see it. It is one of the most touching and uplifting films I've ever seen.

"Lips" was an idealistic, almost naive dreamer who still had the rock-n-roll superstar dream in front of him at all times. Robb Reiner seemed more like the broken hearted dreamer, wanting it as bad as "Lips" but a bit more realistic about it.

Following the 30 years of ups and downs I found myself rooting for them every step of the way and by the end was tearing up in a good way.

I found these guys easy to relate too. Yes, they said and did "stupid" things but all of us do. Yes, maybe they should have given up years ago, but why? What's so exciting about a "real" life when the one they wanted was so much better. That film can be about any one of us that has gotten into something big, whether the arts, sports, etc. and wants to make it happen but chances are it never will.

Anyway, I would recommend it to anyone. The feel good movie of the 2000's!

11:58 AM

I am definitely going to enjoy the "rainy day schedule" today. Looking forward to relaxing and watching movies.

11:36 PM

Okay, so I didn't operate on the schedule I thought I would. I ended up going out looking for material and buttons. Found a little bit of both. Other than that it was an average day. The fog was very nice and made the park look mysterious.

12:37 PM

My canvases have arrived today. So I have all of my supplies. Of course I'm enjoying then thoroughly already. I started the Mas Oyama painting and I already really like it.

Der is coming to town this afternoon! How long has it been since I've seen her? Almost three years!

I woke up at four in the morning with my blood sugar dropping. That wasn't very fun and I'm feeling pretty crappy now... but my spirit is happy.

12:32 PM

I'm really sick and I'm having trouble breathing. I am coughing a lot but it's dry and nasty. Nothing wants to come up.

Had a horrible day yesterday involving E.

I'm looking forward to some good times, whenever those will be. Not sure what form they'll take either.

10:19 AM

I don't know why I feel it's worthy to write this but I'm bored, burnt out with art, and bored a little bit more.

It's another grey morning.

I'm sitting around waiting for ?

8:28 AM

I just woke up from a Martial Arts vs. Living Dead dream. It was actually pretty fun. I had to participate in it!

11:15 AM

It is a beautiful morning with big puffy clouds everywhere.

1:13 PM

I have a stomach ache. Not a bad one, just an annoying one.

Clouds are starting to roll in. It's pretty cold too.

9:33 AM

The plumber is here and hopefully this will be done within an hour.

I never realize just how much I like functioning pipes until they quit working. This seems to happen every

 so often and it really effects my mood.

Last night I made another jews harp out of a Costco card. I don't think it sounds quite as good as the last one but it's okay.

So, what to do today?

10:53 PM

The landlord ended up cleaning out the pipes. Thank goodness that's over and done with.

 I had a tasty lunch at Angelina's this afternoon

...I had a prosciutto and brie sandwich. There was a great dog named Dusty hanging around. He was very friendly.

It was a very cold day but very sunny. It was nice out at work.

3:34 PM

Spending the day dealing with a double clog. Oh boy, it's oh so much fun.

9:37 AM

It's really sunny and nice. Enjoying Cardamom coffee.

Nothing too exciting...

5:31 PM

Pretty bored today. Worked more on the "still life" painting, treated myself to sushi, and that seems to be about all.

5:30 PM

Just got in from a great bike ride and spending time with E.lee. Walked around Golden Gate park and looked around Hippy Hill. Thought about doing some J-harp with the drum circle but then decided not to do it. 

It feels like summer!

Getting prepped for Obama tomorrow.

12:16 AM

Up later than I want to be, trying to learn HTML. And I'm not even really trying for anything other than to change a small thing or two. Good Lord Jimmy!

1:20 PM After several hours of feeling uninspired I have finally started to work on something a portrait of Constantius II. It looks like it will be a quicky. I like the way the initial drawing has turned out.                                                                                             

9:37 PM
Vacation time is over, finally. I can get back to art and teaching.

Today was a great day. E., El, Mr. Dorgon, and I went to a flea market in Berkeley and it was pretty good. I came home with nothing other than pictures but they are pretty good by themselves. The drum circle was pretty good. One of then men is the son of Curtis Mayfield!

 

  

After the flea market we headed into Berkeley a bit more and had some amazing Southern food. I will go back to that restaurant.