Hi Reader, It’s been a longtime coming and I finally carved out some time this week in between murals to reVAMP the Donut Bat mobile. It’s been hot as blazes and trying to squeeze in time before it rains was a bit of a challenge, but I finally did it! Just in time to hit the waves again this weekend for some oceanic meditation. Check out the reveal below – All of the colors! ​ Speaking of color, how are your colors right now? Are you as charged as I am? The music of summer is just around the corner with animals and colors jamming out to your favorite mixtape. It is time to surround yourself! ​ ​ ​What animals and colors move you? Add Sprinkles, -Will They are waiting to join you… Sky Puppies Trash Pandas Trash Cats Beach Bums Party Favors Land Lubbers ​ THOUGHT YOU MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW Long-wavelength colors like red, orange, black, and cyan are a mosquito’s favorite colors. Tip: wear lighter colors when hanging out in your backyard and maybe install a bat house while you’re at it 🙂 Upcoming In-Person Events June 4th, 4-6 pm Beach Bumz solo show closing reception, Arts & Athletics, 130 The Plaza, Athens, GA June 26th – 28th – ATHFEST, Athens, GA July 9th, 5-8 pm – Opening Reception for solo show at Cleveland County Arts Council, Shelby, NC ​

The arrival. Something new and exciting. You’ve been saving and waiting patiently. That commitment and patience has paid off.

I used to save Bazooka Joe comic wrappers. I must have chewed a thousand lbs of Bazooka Joe gum. The wrappers painstakingly, yet crudely stacked and kept together by a wide rubber band were sent off to a mysterious P.O. Box in Brooklyn, NY. 6-8 weeks later I would receive the precious prize (gold-plated ring with my initial on it) in the mailbox at the end of our drive! Oh the joy! 

I love shipping. I honestly do. I am truly fascinated by it. Imagining all of the hands and trucks all of these packages pass through. What an invention! When I was old enough to drive, I enjoyed driving my grandfather to the post office on a regular basis so he could check his P. O. Box for mail (He had the same box from his 30s into his 80s).

While in college, it was always a treasured surprise to receive handwritten letters and notecards from friends or family occasionally. I would exchange art and mixtapes with close friends. The awe-inspiring and rare “care package” was the ultimate. I received a couple of care packages from some dear friends in Savannah after having moved to San Francisco back then. Complete with Scotch taped cutout magazine photos, letters, and drawings all plastered on the outside. I still have it in my memory bin. I sent plenty of treasures out across the country with souvenirs from the city by the bay, mix tapes with hand crafted linear notes, and equally hand decorated outside packaging. 
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These days I take much pride in packaging and shipping my paintings. It’s a bit more sophisticated, and the charm, care, and excitement is still the same. It is an experience that Iove to share with you.

Hey Reader, I was lucky enough to live in San Francisco from 1997-1999. I didn’t have a car, as public transportation is an absolute beast there. Plus it’s a very walkable city. After couch-surfing for a year after I arrived, I landed a super small, yet amazing studio apartment on O’Farrell and Polk on the outskirts of the Tenderloin district. A bit rough around the edges, but charming nonetheless-the-less. On the weekends after a late shift flipping burgers and dressing open-face sandwiches for all types of beautiful people at Margie’s Diner (not there anymore) I would stop by the corner bodega grab a beer on my walk home and stay up late watching reruns of “Streets of San Francisco”. This cop show starred a young Michael Douglas and golden age veteran actor, Karl Malden (On the Water Front). As I watched, I could sometimes hear actual sirens in the distance. Aside from the seriousness of whatever was taking place out there, I relished the fun parallel with what was happening on my little tv screen and outside my bay window. It was like the scene in Goonies where the kids are watching a car chase on the TV, it off and are confused when they still hear the sounds of an actual car chase outside their home. There was a beautiful rawness to living smack dab in the city. Maybe it was timing, maybe it is rose-tinted glasses that I have put on, but either way, I look back on those days fondly. During this time I really developed (pun intended) an even deeper love for filmmaking and the movies. With the particular degree I was seeking, I was able to take classes other than painting. Classes like Film History, Experimental Documentary Film, Filmmaking 101, etc. One of my professors, surrealist collage animator, Lawrence Jordan showed me the ropes. He taught me how to shoot, develop 8/16mm film, edit, and splice (with a cutter and tape). Film and the moving image became more and more a part of my creative makeup as I learned more about it. There was a enormous multistory AMC cinema multiplex right down the street where I caught so many movies. Halloween H20, The Matrix, You’ve Got Mail, Face/Off – the list goes on and on. These blockbuster nights were super fun and easy for me to attend. Buuuuuuut, one of my favorite movie going experiences of all time, is seeing Fritz Lang’s “M” in a stunning 35mm print at the one and only, Castro Theatre. Goodness gracious, what a beauty. The film AND the theatre. Walking into that theatre is an experience itself. You can smell the glorious vintage. Red. Velvet. Gold. Every. Where. Complete with a cinema organist (traditionally used to accompany silent films) slowly rising up from the stage as in the days of yore. After his sweet melodies, the lights dim and the flicker begins. This theatre is absolutely gorgeous. (I encourage you to do a web image search) ​ Add flickering sprinkles, Will p.s. Reply to this letter and tell me your favorite movie experience ​ THOUGHT YOU MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW I was an extra in a Timothy Hutton movie which was filmed in San Francisco. Check out “Just One Night” from the year 2000. Upcoming In-Person Events June 4th, 4-6 pm Beach Bumz solo show closing reception, Arts & Athletics, 130 The Plaza, Athens, GA June 26th – 28th – ATHFEST, Athens, GA July 9th, 5-8 pm – Opening Reception for solo show at Cleveland County Arts Council, Shelby, NC ​

Hello Reader, What’s your favorite movie? Right now I am working on some new Pop paintings focused on cinema. I am a lifelong movie fan going back to the first movie I saw in a movie theater, Raiders of the Lost Ark. Movies and filmmaking made an impact on me so much that I helped co-found a film festival 26 years ago. That movie magic still fascinates me. I have even been an extra on a couple of films and dabble in Super-8 filmmaking from time to time. It is only natural that the wonderment of the moving image has inspired my work like this one or this one and the animated paintings. For these new paintings, I’m digging deep into my brain for iconic scenes of movies that shaped me as a person. Of course I am twisting them up for some good old fashioned humor to put a smile on your face. 🙂 You can see a couple of the works in progress below. Add animated sprinkles, Will p.s. Reply to this letter and tell me your favorite movie (movies) ​ ​ THOUGHT YOU MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW The booby-trap boulder scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark was inspired by a Scrooge McDuck comic. ​ Upcoming In-Person Events June 26th – 28th – ATHFEST, Athens, GA July 9th, 5-8 – Opening Reception for solo show at Cleveland County Arts Council, Shelby, NC ​

Out of nowhere his claws would dig into your thighs while you were sitting at the kitchen table. In shock, looking down you saw his sweet mug looking up at you with his paws hanging on for dear life like Jimmy Stewart’s character in Vertigo, dangling off the side of a building. 

“Ouch! Oh, hey Alfred” Gently pick him up and set him in your lap as he purred. He just wanted some love, but couldn’t (or didn’t want to) pick himself up to sit in your lap. He just wanted a few chin scritches from you.

His full name? Alfred Hitchcock. Yep, I named him after one of my favorite movie directors. Alfie, Balfred, Alfredo, AlFURedo.

Born in the wild and left behind at my dad’s veterinary practice way back in 2008 because the people just “didn’t like him”, I snatched that fluffy orange/peach tabby up after visiting my parents during Thanksgiving. He took to this house and our yard immediately. Settling himself on the back porch between the scattering of Marie’s potted plants on hot summer days. Alfred adored the sun. 

I love all the felines that have come into our guardianship, but Alfred was one of the most calm and collected I have ever come across. Incredibly laid back. He lived effortlessly. But don’t let that fool you. He would turn your face into a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle with his claws if backed into a corner. He had a super dry, raspy meow that could be heard in the next town over. He used it sparingly. Our personal favorite is he when he got tired of using the doggie door and would stand at the sliding glass door in the cooler months with his nose just barely touching. A donut shaped fog from his breathing would form on the glass as he sat and waited for one of us to let him in.

Alfred gave up styling his hair and washing his paws ages ago and relayed this to our dog Dewey who happily obliged to help Alfred out with his hygiene. Dewey gladly cleaned Alfred’s ears and head. In return, Alfred, coincidentally would give Dewey some love baths on his head. They were unlikely best friends. But then again, Alfred was best friends with everyone.

Over the years he traded in his stripes for a purrfectly peachy solid coat. Light as cotton candy. A few years ago his toes had pretty much atrophied and he could barely retract his claws. Slowly you could hear his tippy tappy foot steps as he gingerly walked down our hallway. He got around fantastically for his advanced years. Could still jump up and down onto some surfaces. (Though we got a bedside pet step for him so he could climb into bed easier to snuggle.) 

He could knead biscuits for days, purring away. He loved a fresh can of tuna and could easily crush a cheap, garbage cat food meal if in a pinch. He loved everyone. I’m not joking. He truly loved anyone and everyone. If not snoozing he would greet everyone that came over to the house, even if had no idea who they were. He did not have a mean bone in his body. We unfortunately had to say goodbye to Alfred last week. We had him 18 of his 20 years and I am sad, but absolutely grateful our paths crossed so closely for so long. He was the last of our original pack of cats and dogs. He comforted all his fellow pack when another would cross over and he gladly welcomed the newbies we took in our home over the years. He treated new pack members as if they had been part of the family since day one. 

Rest easy, Alfred. Have a can of space tuna and roll around in cosmic catnip. You deserve it. Say hello to the rest up there for us.

Hey Reader, The arrival. Something new and exciting. You’ve been saving and waiting patiently. That commitment and patience has paid off. I used to save Bazooka Joe comic wrappers. I must have chewed a thousand lbs of Bazooka Joe gum. The wrappers painstakingly, yet crudely stacked and kept together by a wide rubber band were sent off to a mysterious P.O. Box in Brooklyn, NY. 6-8 weeks later I would receive the precious prize (gold-plated ring with my initial on it) in the mailbox at the end of our drive! Oh the joy! I love shipping. I honestly do. I am truly fascinated by it. Imagining all of the hands and trucks all of these packages pass through. What an invention! When I was old enough to drive, I enjoyed driving my grandfather to the post office on a regular basis so he could check his P. O. Box for mail (He had the same box from his 30s into his 80s). While in college, it was always a treasured surprise to receive handwritten letters and notecards from friends or family occasionally. I would exchange art and mixtapes with close friends. The awe-inspiring and rare “care package” was the ultimate. I received a couple of care packages from some dear friends in Savannah after having moved to San Francisco back then. Complete with Scotch taped cutout magazine photos, letters, and drawings all plastered on the outside. I still have it in my memory bin. I sent plenty of treasures out across the country with souvenirs from the city by the bay, mix tapes with hand crafted linear notes, and equally hand decorated outside packaging. ​ These days I take much pride in packaging and shipping my paintings. It’s a bit more sophisticated, and the charm, care, and excitement is still the same. It is an experience that Iove to share with you. ​ Add stamps and sprinkles, Will ​ THOUGHT YOU MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW The first documented use of an organized courier service for the dissemination of written documents dates back to Egypt around 2400 BCE. Upcoming In-Person Events May 2nd, 2:00 p.m. – Live Painting at Creature Comforts’ 12th Anniversary Party, Athens, GA ​

The devil is in the details and boy are my eyes bad. Years ago I went to see an optometrist and after the exam he said I have astigmatism and told me that I am near-sighted. He asked what I did for a living and I told him I was an artist. Fascinated, he replied with “Oh wow. You know there’s a theory that many artists, especially the impressionists, may have suffered from various vision ailments”. Hence their unique take on their surroundings. The blurry vision breaks things down to simplified blocks of light and color. 

It had not occurred to me before that one’s impairment could be their gift. This may be why I never enjoyed photo-realistic art. Don’t get me wrong, the skill itself is impressive, but there’s something lacking for me when I view it. Ironically it always looks flat. It’s almost soulless to me. I much prefer the blurred scrape of the palette knife loaded with 3 or 4 different colors making up a whole new hue. The purples and blues in shadow rather than just plain old black. Exploring and mixing colors in my paintings is one of my biggest joys. It is invigorating to finish a painting off with zings of colors that “aren’t there” (as I like to put it) The process harkens my days in preschool when I mixed red and blue fingerpaint to make purple. There’s a controlled chaos that emerges.

The other week I was visiting a local elementary school to talk the art class about being and artist. One of the students asked me what my favorite painting (of mine) was. I truly was stumped. Every painting is a piece in the journey, but I do have one in mine that comes to mine. “Rise and Shine” is one that sticks out. The sneaky teal blues and soft purples in the coat of the opossum. The dark violets hidden in the silhouetted landscape followed by the crazy greens and yellows in the foreground. 

Maybe I’ve squinted too many times at a subject, probably spent too many years behind a computer doing graphic design, or better yet – watching too many possum videos on my phone. Whatever the case, I welcome the blur as only increases my love and appreciation for impressionistic art.

Back in the mid-90s when I was attending School of Visual Arts Savannah, there was much folklore floating around about the world renowned artists like Robert Rauschenberg, Elaine and William DeKooning, Frida Khalo, Lucian Freud (grandson of Sigmund), and Wayne Thiebaud (probably my all-time favorite). I was a wide-eyed 19 year old ravenous for knowledge of all things art (especially painting practices). 

One of my favorite rumors that came through was that of Frank Auerbach, an abstract portrait painter known for extreme texture. His paintings are beautifully complex, yet somehow simple while having some of the thickest paint laid down (seriously, Google his work). The rumor goes that there was more paint on his studio floor and on his easel than on any of his paintings. This was because he would apply paint and then scrape big sections away and then apply more, then scrape, and on and on. He was essential removing more paint than he was applying.

This may have been an off-the-cuff joke made by a cynic roaming the studios. Either way, it brought to my attention the wonderment of other artist’s practices. For me I found solace in adding and adding and adding paint. I scrape periodically during a painting session (and reuse those scrapings as a base coat under painting for other works) but I love adding. Some past works that didn’t cut the mustard even get painted over. This, I find, adds depth, texture, and a history to the painting as the layers are built. 

Creating art is an exercise in adding and subtracting. It is a push and pull of pigmented material until the preconceived vision appears or a fresh one, unplanned, emerges both to one’s satisfaction. Very much like music, dance, or film. 

Often times I am editing with my mind while examining an in-progress painting. Trying to play chess with it. As if I will outwit the painting’s next move (ha!). Sometimes you have to take a chance, find joy in the journey, and allow the universe to take the wheel for a moment instead of trying to tame it. Times like these are more often than not, my major breakthroughs in my work. Finding peace in the chaos. 

Checkout the short video of my studio space from my point-of-view. What do you see? What rumors would you want to start?

In case you aren’t aware, our lovely city of Athens has a new hockey team, the Athens Rock Lobsters. Named after the kooky hit song by Athens own ultimate party band, the B-52s. Earlier this year they reached out to me to commission me to paint a custom goalie helmet for them. I of course jumped at the project! Working on this helmet has been an incredible pleasure. My wife, son and I have become major Rock Lobster fans and for me to be able to represent our home of Athens in all its iconic glory is a dream. With this unique project, I show off parts of Athens’ cultural history in a fun and uplifting approach. I included icons that everyone in our community can recognize and appreciate while also celebrating our fantastic first hockey team. 

The helmet will be unveiled this Friday, April 17th at the first play-off game. And if that wasn’t enough, the icing on the cake is yours truly gets to drop the puck to kick off the game!
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Watch the teaser video spot is right here!

You can also read more info about this wonderful collaboration right here​