what beauty goes unnoticed
It’s been decades since I’ve been to the carnival, but my camera told me to go today. I went to see the colors, the dark and light, the weird food. The carnies were people of all ages and colors, as were the kids who loved the rides. I made it down the monkey house slide awkwardly, but without injury. My inner kid couldn’t convince me to try the cotton candy or a hand dipped corny dog. Maybe I’ll go back for a ride someday, if my camera insists.
Fall in the Barton Creek greenbelt brings out the butterflies and the Autumn flowers. While there are not as many cypress at Gus Fruh park, the clatter of the sycamore and cottonwood leaves lends an ambient aural texture to a sunny, cool South Austin saunter.
I miss the clouds of monarch butterflies wafting over campus, Ladybird Lake and my back yard, but the few brave travelers I saw this October made me realize how each one was unique. Some were jaunty, dancing their way south, others seemed very determined and bent on reaching their goal, some had torn wings , a few that flitted merrily through sprinklers. But they need milkweed, so please consider buying seeds or seedlings to help them in their long trip from Mexico to Canada and back.
What a relief to see and hear the rushing water of Barton Creek. It’s been a long parched summer but autumn in Texas is truly something worth celebrating.
IEI Austin Gallery @ Immediatag is a new gallery in Austin, Texas featuring contemporary art from emerging, mid career and established artists. The gallery is the latest contributor to the creative community centered around Canopy at 916 Springdale Road in East Austin. It is presented as part of a collaboration between IEI Austin, a design firm focused on sustainability, and Immediatag, a software and services company offering mobile design services to cultural institutions. Join the crowd on Saturday, August 24th for the Canopy premier of IEI’s new show, featuring artists Adela Andea and Casey Diebold and catch Big Medium‘s 2013 Texas Biennial celebration of contemporary art while you’re checking out the new studios. A sneak peek of Casey Diebold’s paintings and Adla Andea’s neon sculptures are shown below.
After two preoccupying years of of remodeling, searching for a new home and moving, I am now where I belong. I have arrived in my studio above the fields. So on this spring day in June, I took off to McKinney Falls state park to saunter. Soon, my mind will throw out the net to see what’s next. Let the dance of summer begin.
What’s a local to do among the swarm of music crazed SXSWesters? Some of us were here in the beginning – we’re the ones saying it will never be that cool again. And we’re right, from our perspective. But there are ways to savor the flavor without getting trapped. If someone handed me a Prince ticket I would have braved the crush, but I settled for what 
promises to become a growing South by South Austin fringe escapade, except for a quick walk across Ladybird Lake to see Alt-J and Richard Thompson (links are to music and interviews). Hats off, by the way, to these Brits for their tasty back beats and edgy vocals. 
Running into friends, enjoying the serendipity of roaming – a welcome break in the routine – hunting for musical treasure. Anyone notice that the hipsters are getting younger every year?
Heading to South Congress seemed inevitable and given the 25 years I lived and partied in 78704, a homecoming. It’s more of a circus these days than it used to be, so rather than dive into the fray I found a stool at Enoteca and savored a glass of white wine.
Then I headed South. As chance would have it, I found myself at one of my favorite South Austin restaurants, Evangeline’s. 
Besides some fine cajun family cooking they have good music, but better get there before 6 or you’ll have to wait for a table. Fueled and ready for a few hours of dancing, we found exactly what we were looking for at the One 2 One, dancing to the funky soul sounds of LZ Love 
. The last time I went to the One 2 One I saw Sister 7, another great dance band. Keep this club on your radar, it has a bigger dance floor than most and is a new venture by Danny Crooks, former impresario of Soap Creek Saloon. South Lamar and Manchaca now boasts The Saxon Pub, the One 2 One and Strange Brew, recently named best new venue by the Austin Chronicle. Then there’s Patsy’s Cafe off Hwy 71 and Sam’s Town Point, for a trip from hip into classic Austin. I
only stayed for an hour at Sam’s but it was truly a Social Logical experience. I have SXSW to thank for showing me the sad, sweet songs by Rebekah Pulley, the soulful funk of transgender diva LZ Love and Brit sensation’s ALt-J and Richard Thompson’s brief appearance behind the fence at Waterloo Records. To those who want a taste of SXSW without the parking hassle and badges – South Austin might just be a true haven for the weird.
It’s Environmentally Inspired (IEI Austin) launched the first of many notable events with a sustainably themed premier of diverse artworks at the townhome of Larry Graeber at 410 E. 6th St. The townhouse itself is an innovative, multistoried testament to Graeber’s vision and design elegance. Rhonda Rougeau, the director and founder of IEI Austin is a Louisianan and hails most recently from Houston where she led the Hive Houston‘s sustainability initiative. As a LEED certified interior designer and experienced project and marketing director, Rhonda showcases an impressive collection of artists who use repurposed materials to every imaginative advantage. My sauntering perspective from the February 7th gallery opening can be seen below, but there are many other entertaining opportunities this month to enjoy at this must see show.
The Norman Bel Geddes exhibit at the Harry Ransom Center prompted me to collect photos I’ve taken in the last two years that pay homage to his aesthetic. As a self-described naturalist his designs reflected the beauty and forms of nature. Norman started designing sets and theaters then expanded his vision into every facet of modern life. He definitely did not let beauty go unnoticed and brought the simple elegance of art deco into mid-century American design. His ethos:
“The greatest profit may be attended by beauty…that whatever is stupid and ugly cannot be possibly functionally superior.”
My fascination with patterns enables me to see beauty in unexpected places. Mood and memory certainly provide grist for the aesthetic mill. Was I a baby staring at the blinds of a window near my crib, a morsel from the age of innocence that compels me to notice light and shadow play? We respond to sounds, smells and tastes that bring our senses to the edge of a long forgotten moment. What if these moments of almost remembering bear the seeds of a gestalt that encompasses our entire lives in one instant? Will we stand on that brink when passing beyond this world? So many questions, so little time (or perhaps too much time idly spent). In driving home from work I began to notice urban scenes that sparked my imagination. The first two were on Guadalupe St. and the rest are from the soon to be razed, 33 year old Deutchman’s Plumbing on South First St. The great Yelp review linked here by Kyle S. paints Herr Deutchman as a wry character indeed.
I wonder, was the old barn of a building imbued with some of that character? I don’t know, maybe it’s me or maybe there is something in these shots that I feel but cannot see. You tell me.
Back in the day, the Amdur Gallery lived on East 5th Street, a combination woodworking shop and fine arts gallery showcasing Austin artists who went on to national and international acclaim. Julie Speed, Helmut Barnett, Melissa Grimes, Malou Flato, Doug Jaques, and Jon Narum, were some of the featured artists. While the gallery closed downtown David Amdur remains as productive as ever, now in South Austin, with his shop and basketball court incorporated into a studio living complex. In the home he designed and built, we see the same sensibility that made the gallery a success and helped put Austin artists on the map. 
David knows wood. His sculptures have been featured in many shows, including three pieces in the People’s Gallery at Austin City Hall. 
The shop features modern equipment but, as you can see, there is a timeless, turn of the century quality, both in his rhythmic sculptures and in the craft. I remain impressed as ever by his creative process, steady as he goes. 
These days David can be found on any number of project sites and at home, reflecting on life, taking abuse from his cat, 
playing guitar, shooting hoops and feeding his fish. As a member of the Guild of Austin Artisans David continues to hone his craft and ensure another generation of fine woodworkers benefits from the Amdur design aesthetic. Please follow the links to Amdur Works to see why I remain so impressed. 
I love following my symbolic use of the egg in the Shell and Kernel post with the entirely somatic experience of Vital Farms, a kind of Elysian Fields for chickens. Humans flocked to the tour yesterday allowing us to mingle with pastured chickens and their protector humans and canines. Vital Farms uses moveable coops to ensure fresh fields for foraging and organic feed for optimum health and hen well-being. For those of us who remember the movie Chicken Run it’s confirmation that chickens really do win! For more information about Vital Farms and other organic and local foods initiatives visit their website and blog. Chicken and human flocks shown mingling below.
