Category: Joshua Tree

The First Day Running

/ esart / 2 Comments

Hi Everyone!

Well today was my very first official day here in Joshua Tree and it was eventful. Or at least as much as I could make it. I think it might take me a day or two to get the hang of it here and shake the city off, plus I still spent the morning setting things up since I didn’t really do that yesterday.

When I got here yesterday, I just sort of put everything where it needed to go in each room and/or house. There are three buildings here: a main house, an art studio, and a writer’s studio. This morning I actually unpacked my materials and put them where I thought they needed to go in the studio, and I spent some time trying to figure out the video camera.

I guess I never told you about that whole thing.

The loaner they gave me was not working so I had to go back to the shop and they gave me a totally different camera. A Canon that I do not know how to use, so now there is a big learning curve here. I am trying to study the manual to this thing as well as the Torah!

And to catch you more up on yesterday, remember when I said I was looking out the window at this great little scene as I was dozing off on my nap? Well, I was able to snap that picture this morning when I woke up before my studies.

window

What you can’t see in this picture is the chaise lounge to the right. It is from the 1970s and is one of those metal sorts wrapped in thin, colorful plastic bands that coil around the metal poles. The color is really contrasty against the natural landscape, so I want to do something with that.

Once I snapped the picture, I took my dog for a little walk after my coffee, and came back to study the Hebrew letter Aleph. I did a lot more studying and meditating today than I did any drawing or taking notes – although I did that too…

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longsketch

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I just did a lot more studying about Aleph than I did drawing, and I hardly took any pictures outside.

But I did take a lot of notes, and I came to a lot of realizations and learnings – many things I never knew about Hebrew and the Torah in general. Maybe other Jews know these things, but I didn’t, and now I know.

Like how Aleph is not the first letter of the Torah. I always thought it was. It is not. Beit is the very first letter of Genesis. Aleph is the first letter of Exodus however. And I came to a realization as to why that is.

As you know, I am a novice at this Kabbalah stuff, but I know that Yud has something to do with a position or a distinct point of view, kind of like a dimension. An Aleph is two Yuds opposite each other on the top and the bottom and separated by a diagonal Vov. I am pretty sure a Vov is like a ray of light.

In Genesis, when God created the heavens and the earth, there are distinct separations that are made between the sea and the sky, between the deep water, and the light water (there is a distinct passage about how he hovers over the water and creates the ‘expanse,” which is actually translated as the “firmament,” and it’s all about how the celestial water is definitely different from the sea water, etc.), the sea and the land and the distance and closeness between God and human beings – the spiritual world and the mortal world. It is quite clear. There is an “above” and there is a “below,” the “above” having to do with God’s world.

But in Exodus, something interesting happens there between God and Moses, and even within that fire, which I have kind of determined to be that ray of light, as the “Vov” in the Aleph, where the high and the low worlds meet. And maybe I am stretching, but what Kabbalaist isn’t doing that? And anyway, this is why (I think) Exodus begins with this very important Hebrew letter: Aleph. Maybe that is also why it is too precious to have a sound, as it is a silent letter too.

Or maybe I’m just on too much mescaline today.

Here in Joshua Tree and All is Well

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Well, I made it here. The traffic was pretty terrible, but I’ve seen worse. It just took a while to settle in and I don’t think that’s going to fully  happen until morning. One thing about the high desert, especially combined with MS, is how tired it makes you. I passed out for a good hour after I put the groceries away. The drive made me rather tired too.

As I was falling asleep, I wished I had already unpacked my cameras, since there was a perfect scene just outside the window. I laid on the little bed that sits in what might be the dining area of the main house, the room with undoubtedly the best, and most incredible view of the National Park. Luckily, it’s not going anywhere, and neither am I. I just know now what my first photo and set of sketches are going to be in the morning.

dining

Today was WINDY! It’s still windy. I mean really, really  windy. I read about it ahead of time, but I didn’t think it would be this  bad. It’s creaking everything in the house, like it’s haunted with a zoo of maniacal poltergeists! I’m a little scared, but I don’t believe in ghosts, so I’m not that  scared. I’m more scared of things like: my dog dying out here from a snake bite or a bobcat. Or maybe that even happening to me.  That scares me, and trust me, I get completely panicked about such things to the point where I can hardly move sometimes. It’s shameful!  Yet, I am admitting it to you, my friends and “fans” that care enough to actually read this stuff. Don’t you have anything better to do? Thank you, by the way.

Anyway, how much have I revealed about this property where I am staying? Because it is certainly incredible. Probably the most incredible place to stay – if you are ever in Joshua Tree. Seriously. Now I am about to give Randy Polumbo  a ton of new customers for his rental house…

This is a vacation rental home that sits on more than 10 acres of land that stretches around the National Park border at its West entrance. See for yourself, but the description, nor the pictures, do the place any justice at all whatsoever. It’s all completely understated for some (maybe good) reason that I don’t know about, so I hope I’m not doing them any disservice by disseminating their info here, but this place is just such a haven, I can’t keep my big mouth shut.

Anyway, I’m getting pretty tired again, so I will sign off for now. I’ll be hard at work tomorrow though, and will see you back here around the same time.

Shabbot Shalom!

Leaving in One Hour

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Hey everyone!

I am getting ready to jump into the shower and then take off to Joshua Tree! I can’t believe it’s here!

These past few days have been difficult: packing, grieving the death of my aunt, making sure I do not forget anything, getting all my supplies that I need together, etc., etc.

There’s a whole camera story I will have to tell you once I get there. I don’t have time right now, but it’s all F’ed up! I don’t know, maybe it will turn out to be a good thing. We’ll see. I just don’t know yet, but I’m not bringing my Sony TRV 900 after all! I am so upset. I have something else. I’ll get into to later.

I just wanted to let you know that the bracelets arrived this morning. They look great – well, except for the fact that I expected them to be a much  darker olive green. 🙁  But there is really nothing I can do about this one.

I will take a picture of them when I get settled.

So I’m signing off from Los Angeles for now and I will meet you on the other side. I am excited! See you there!

 

 

Where it’s At

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Hello loyal believers in me!

How is everyone? I have had a death in the family, and so I have had a small blip in keeping you updated, but I’m sure you understand. For me, working through it is the best way for me to cope. Everyone is different when it comes this stuff. How do you deal with such things? 

I just thought I’d put out an update on where everything is at so far, but remember, or, please be advised, keep in mind, etc., etc, that we are (I am) still at the starting gate. That doesn’t mean, however, that inquiring minds don’t wish to know, right?

My Joshua Tree trip is just around the corner! I am leaving on April 25th. As a matter of fact, I just picked up my Sony TRV 900 Handicam from Harry’s Camera today. Actually, that’s not true. I picked up a loaner. Mine is still being worked on! Apparently the parts that were ordered were faulty and now they are waiting for new, non-faulty ones to come in. They just won’t be here in time. In the meantime they gave me the exact same model on loan. What can’t cha do?

Other hurdles: the Dan stickers! I was so very excited yesterday when I found out they arrived at Sticky Ricks. If the traffic wasn’t  poopy, I would’ve driven 100 MPH to get there. However, when I showed up and we unpacked the stickers from the box, we noticed that Dan was not the color he was supposed to be. Something terribly wrong happened to his ink and he was too green! Poor Dan looked like he had nausea! Now he has to be reprinted. Other than that, I have to say, these stickers KICK ASS!

Talk about things that are supposed to be green — the bracelets! Those are in production and I got to see a “proof” picture. They look super cool. They say “Exodus” on one part of the band, yet turn them just a little bit, and they say Exodus again – in HEBREW! How cool is that! If you want to know what that will look like, just check out the top left edge of  the website.

I’d like to publicly thank Mark Strunin, the President of Temple Beth Israel, for helping me translate Exodus into Hebrew properly – and for the free mini Hebrew lesson in general. I never knew that the “Exodus” in the Torah’s literal translation was “Names.” Did you? Well, you probably did. If you’re Jewish, you probably went to Hebrew school as a kid. Unfortunately, I missed out on that, but I’ve heard that learning languages are much easier to learn when you’re a kid. At least I like to tell myself that while I am learning Hebrew and Spanish because both have a way of not sinking into my mushy skull.

Anyway, the Exodus that is written in Hebrew in the Torah (Names) did not communicate what I wanted it to for the purpose of this project, so now it does say “Exodus,” meaning: The Leaving. I hope that makes sense. Does it? Good.

I’ve also been working on the layout for the Dan’s 10 Commandments (for a Better Life and Hygiene) book. It’s still in its baby stages though, but it’s getting there. It’s written! That’s something. And I am always working on this website. This one you’re on right now. It will always be expanding. I will always be rewriting it as well.

Other things are rolling, of course. Like I have said before, I don’t like wasting time, and I don’t. I work on stuff every day. I’ve finally come to grips to admitting that I’m a workaholic. Admitting to it is a step in the right direction, I suppose, but beyond that seems hopeless. I really can’t imagine going a day without working. Maybe that is why this trip will be so very healing for me. It will force me to slow down, meditate, and do some self-reflection, but since it is for work, I am willing to do it. In a sense, I am tricking myself into relaxing! That probably sounds like the schemes of a lazy person, but if you only knew how badly I work myself into the ground, you’d understand.

You know, now that I’m typing this, I can see clearer what this is. Ha! Maybe I have been plotting this project for a long time in order to change my entire working process because I physically can’t carry on the way I used to, and I’m doing it all this way because I can’t admit it to myself any other way. I’m thinking this because I did something pretty similar almost 20 years ago when I could not play music professionally anymore.

Ooookay. That’s going to be a whole ‘nother blog post!

Back to the subject at hand.

My Carol Es un Monographie de Lignes books are almost finished! They are being bound right now, and then, we are talking maybe a week or so. I mean, not long. I’m so close! Can you believe it? I can’t! All that, thanks to Bill Roberts of Bottle of Smoke Press! Once that is done, I will be starting on the colored pencil drawings for the ones that are being rewarded to my magnificent Exodus donors!

monographie

Speaking of which, please – everyone – send in your mailing addresses! Especially yous that are getting a postcard from Joshua Tree because I will be mailing those from the desert!

I just scored some classic JTree postcards from the 1930s through the 1960s on eBay! Sometimes, I love eBay.

vintagepcw

Lastly, I know how premature this is, but I actually made my first quick sketch for the project. I know I’m not even out there (in the desert) yet, but I couldn’t get this image out of my mind. Not only that, but I know more are coming because once I did it, it wasn’t quite right and I know that feeling I get when I try to match the imagery in my brain – as foggy as it is – a kind of obsession begins to percolate. I want to draw it over and over, maybe paint it, maybe paint it a lot… I’m not saying this is going to get to that point. I have absolutely no idea! It’s just a little sketch right now. A sketch with the feeling of making at least another, at least until I capture what I want.

firstsketchw

What do I want? To isolate a rock with different shadows from other rocks hitting it near the top. I want those shadows to look like curving shards, and if I can’t find a rock like that, I will find one that almost looks like it, and invent the rest. I want those shard-shaped shadows to get colored in, in red, oranges and yellows, and dammit, it just has to be right, and it has to be over a “yud” in the upper right hand corner of the canvas with a fragile, scaffolding holding the yud up in place, done crudely in light pencil.

I think I should go now and give you all a new update as I move further along. I’ll try not to wait so long and leave things pile up, that way I’ll make shorter blog posts. Wait…me, make a short blog post? You’ve gotta be kidding, right?